The Promotion Exam (2)
“Yes. Then, before we head into the D-rank gate in earnest, let’s all shout the safety slogan together. All right, the safety slogan ‘We Are the Safety-First Hunters! Aja! Aja!’”
Watching the red-hatted instructor wave the slogan around, a wave of military PTSD washed over me. I scowled and shook my head side to side. Yichi, sitting on the air-conditioning outdoor unit with her legs swinging, seemed genuinely entertained by the spectacle. I walked over and sat beside her, then asked.
“Why are you watching that so happily?”
“The safety slogan, of course.”
Yichi repeated what I had expected. Students with one hand raised in a pledge started shouting the slogan. After putting on their safety gear, they lined up and sat side by side right next to the gate. Most were support-type hunters or the lazy ones who had never properly trained at the gym. I brushed my hand over the outdoor unit Yichi was sitting on. Even a quick swipe left behind a thick layer of dust. I frowned and told her.
“Yichi. It’s dirty here. Let’s not sit and go somewhere else.”
“Where to?”
Our turn wasn’t coming for a while yet, so we could go anywhere. In fact, we had enough time to hop in a taxi, go home for a bit, and come back. I lifted Yichi off the outdoor unit and scanned the area. Should I head toward the gate team? Or the cafeteria?
Yichi said, “Let’s take a lap around the neighborhood. The stars are pretty, so I want to walk.”
I looked up at the sky when I heard her. The stars were glowing beautifully. A faintly red artificial satellite crossed the starfield like a yacht at high speed. Yichi grabbed my hand and pulled me along, urging me to hurry. I let her lead me as we slowly walked. Students waiting for their own turn hung their heads with tired faces.
We walked around the camp in a wide circle so we wouldn’t get into trouble just for sightseeing. We couldn’t quite finish the loop because the cafeteria and gate team area was off-limits.
So we had no choice but to head toward the back of the dorms. It was the longest path where no one would bother us.
The back of the dorm building, decorated with cheap red bricks, faced a cluster of unnervingly dark trees whose branches twisted like joints. Clumps of dirt and spiderwebs were tangled together, looking like ambush points. I felt my body trembling and forced myself to stand straight.
A squirrel’s eyes flashed like black lightning within the shadows. Rodents on the branches startled and scurried away when they heard us approaching.
The sound of grasshoppers echoed loudly as if we weren’t even there. Yichi picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it into the grass. A small animal hiding there jumped in panic and fled deep into the bushes. When I spotted the suddenly moving foliage, I froze in surprise.
Yichi said, “Superstitious. Coward.”
“I didn’t flinch at all.”
“You held my hand tight a moment ago. That’s why you’re scared.”
“Because Yichi is just too cute.”
Yichi suddenly squeezed my hand harder in response. I matched her grip exactly, squeezing until her fingers turned white. She picked up another stone and tossed it into the bushes again. The grasshopper sound stopped.
The dark blue sky poured out even clearer starlight. From our position facing away from the lights, the constellations stood out perfectly. Yichi wrapped her arms around my back, tapped my chin with a finger, rose onto her toes, and gave me a playful bite on the lip before kissing me.
I closed my eyes and pushed my tongue into hers. Yichi’s hands encircled my back while mine cautiously gripped her hips. The outer wall of the building shielded us. Beyond the wall came the instructor’s booming voice issuing entry orders.
“Everyone, enter!”
Yichi took a bold step forward as if the shout were the starting signal. I was pushed against the wall by her momentum. Our tongues slid out smoothly, leaving a thin string of saliva between our lips that broke.
Yichi kept her tongue out and stared at me. No one else was here now. Yichi’s hand brushed over my pants. I tightened my grip on her hips and pressed our bodies flush together. She kissed me again, threading her fingers through my hair. We stayed locked together, kissing passionately.
Just a short walk outside and we’d hear the instructor’s voice, but here we were doing something so filthy that excitement flooded through me.
“Hey, not even a girl and you want to go out for a smoke together?”
We had been touching each other like animals, lost in our own world, when the sudden voice froze us. Turning our heads, we saw Kim Jin-pyo and Kim Ju-sung walking toward us. The distance was still great, and the junk around the building blocked our view.
Yichi grabbed my waist, spun me around, and moved us into the shadows between the buildings. Rusty eaves and gas valves waited for us. Through the long valve, students sitting somewhere came into view. They paid us no mind, either staring at their phones or the gate.
From that angle, we probably just looked like black shadows. Yichi pressed herself against the wall and pulled me along. She lifted her shirt and loosened her pants belt. Kim Jin-pyo’s voice carried.
“Hey, if you smoke too, you’ll know. It’s really lonely when you’re out here alone.”
“Really, you’re making shit up.”
Kim Ju-sung laughed as he said that. Yichi, ignoring the outside chatter, reached down and unbuckled my belt. A wet mark remained on her white panties. After the kiss alone, she looked shy as she gently pressed her folds and stuck out her tongue.
I couldn’t focus on the outside conversation. The two of them were discussing everyday things. How was the team atmosphere? How were the test preparations? The weather was nice today, yet we were here doing this. How wasteful.
Amid the small talk, we once again tangled up, rubbing our private parts with just enough fabric left between us. My swollen cock pressed down between Yichi’s thighs over the damp cloth. The soft pressure made her eyelids flutter, and she kissed the back of my neck. She clamped her own mouth shut to stifle her moans.
“Gate! Enter!”
All kinds of random sounds from all around made us even more excited. The starlight sparkled on her folds above the panties that had slid down to her thighs. I yanked down my pants and thrust straight into her.
Standing upright, I lifted her hips as if pulling her onto my cock.
“Hmph…”
Yichi let out a little snort at the sudden movement.
“Huh?”
Kim Jin-pyo stopped smoking and let out a voice mixed with confusion. I froze in place without moving. Kim Ju-sung asked Jin-pyo.
“What’s wrong?”
“No. Well… did I not just hear any sound?”
“Probably just a cat.”
“Are there cats here too? Want to go check?”
“Shut up, what are you checking? Let’s get inside already.”
“Okay, okay.”
A lit cigarette butt flicked to the ground. We stared at each other’s cigarette butts, then met each other’s eyes again. Footsteps were fading. Laughter echoed. Yichi breathed heavily and looked at me. Her eyes glowed red, and white steam rose from her lips.
“Ha…”
I pushed my waist hard again. To keep from moaning, Yichi clamped her mouth shut and squeezed her eyes tight. Each time I thrust hard, her body rocked to its limit before settling back down. Her thighs trembled, and the hand gripping my side kept tugging my shirt as if it wanted to tear it, then releasing.
Water dripped steadily between Yichi’s thighs. As her legs spread wider, the jeans draped over them kept sliding down. Once they reached her ankles, I could freely enjoy touching her smooth legs.
“Mmm…! Uuu…! Hah…!”
Outside, the gate-entry signal still blared, and voices talking somewhere inside the building carried over. All of it felt like a hazy scene beyond camera lenses. Every time my fingers touched her, Yichi would catch her breath, and we called to each other in wet voices while tightening our bodies together.
“Huuuuh…!”
And when I finally came, Yichi bit my ear lightly and let out a moan. I slid down her shoulder with my strength spent. Yichi whispered, “I love you.”
I nodded, then kissed her forehead and answered, “Me too.”