[What's life, anyway? Just living as it comes]
[What's life, anyway? Just living as it comes]
I left the company half-entrusted to Team Leader Jung and returned to my original workplace, the chicken shop. The familiar smell of oil. I don't believe in looking down on any kind of work, but I prefer working with my hands. Especially in the food industry.
It's rewarding and fun when people enjoy the food. Of course, you have to follow the rules while working. Things like ingredient freshness or kitchen cleanliness.
"How was your visit to the game developer yesterday?"
"It was alright. I left that place to their team leader, so I just need to coordinate things for a while."
"Must be nice being the boss, just having to give orders."
"You think giving orders is easy? One wrong move and you can tank the whole company in an instant."
"Ah, I guess that's true."
High-ranking jobs might be comfortable, but they come with equivalent responsibilities.
The position of a conglomerate chairman might look good at a glance, but it's a position where you could ruin the company. If you can't make good decisions, it's better not to do it at all.
I find it hard enough to take care of my own people, so I don't want to take on such positions if I can help it. The only people I can take responsibility for are, at most, the ones I can hold in my arms.
"Anyway, how is it lately? I taught you the basics, but you're not getting beaten up by Ruri, are you?"
"That stuff is awesome. Looking at you sparring with Ruri these days, it's a stalemate."
"Ruri is going easy on you, but Taegeuk-naseon-gyeong is based on Tai Chi, so it has a strong nature of deflecting attacks. That's probably why."
The martial art Baek-ri chose last time is Taegeuk-naseon-gyeong. I guess he chose it because 'Taegeuk' is a concept he's heard of, rather than some martial art he's never heard of before. Of course, I think it's a good choice, too.
Honestly, if I were asked to pick one from the bunch, that's the one I'd pick. Taegeuk-naseon-gyeong is a martial art created by improving upon Tai Chi, based on the 'decomposition' algorithm from among my abilities like 'Interference' or 'Sense', so it follows a different path from ordinary martial arts.
I was once born in a world similar to the Murim, and everyone who saw it praised it as a mysterious martial art. Even though I wasn't the one who made it.
Anyway, Taegeuk-naseon-gyeong is a martial art of both offense and defense. It tends to be focused only on defense in the beginning, but once you become proficient, you can switch to offense. I'll have to wait and see how far Baek-ri can rise, but he won't be living a life where he gets beaten up.
"The important thing is how you realize the principles of Taegeuk. Chaos is divided into Yin and Yang by Taegeuk, and it gradually divides into pure forces, establishing the basic laws and concepts of the world. In other words, Taegeuk is a top-tier concept. I'm not asking you to realize it overnight, but knowing how to use it is enough."
"It feels like a mix of philosophical and fantasy stories."
"Most martial arts manuals are filled with nonsense about catching clouds. I mean, where does it say you have to write about the sky and the earth just to swing a sword? It would be better to write down mathematical formulas. At least those have answers."
"I'd like to see one sometime."
"Taegeuk-naseon-gyeong is actually quite decent, all things considered."
Honestly, once you get into the advanced course, that's no joke either.
Even I couldn't have learned it without the explanatory guide for idiots. That bastard Gray... does he think I'm a crazy genius like them?
"For now, your goal is to get stronger so you don't go around getting beaten up by your younger sister. An older brother has pride; how can you protect her if you're weaker than her?"
"I don't think Ruri would go around getting beaten up. She's more likely to be the one doing the beating."
".....That's true."
Even I can't imagine Ruri going anywhere and getting beaten up. She was the type of kid who would insult her opponent, give them the middle finger, harvest them from the corpse, and then sleep soundly while eating chicken.
How do I know so well? I've met a kid named Ruri often while reincarnating.
"Still, it's not right for an older brother to go around getting beaten up. So... ah, wait a second. I got a call."
There aren't many people who would call at this hour... I took out my phone and checked the name on the screen. Huh? It's Hyungsik?
"Oh, Hyungsik? What's up?"
[You bastard, did you forget I'm getting discharged the day after tomorrow?]
"Wasn't your discharge the week after next?"
[The battalion let me use my terminal leave to get discharged early. You know I saved up my leave because I didn't want to be in the unit during my final days. And even though I'm not returning to the unit, I'm still a soldier until my original discharge date.]
"Do they usually do that?"
[It's because of my father's surgery. Usually, it's out of the question. Ah, there was a similar case back during MERS.]
"Ah, that's true."
Usually, a soldier's discharge date gets pushed back, not moved up. If it does get pushed back, it's because the clock stopped while they were in the brig.
Back during MERS, sergeants who were on leave were allowed to be discharged outside. It would be a big problem if they caught the disease and brought it back.
It's not strange for Hyungsik to be discharged a bit early since he needs to be out for his uncle's surgery.
"Look at you, full of life just because you're getting discharged the day after tomorrow. Okay. Your big brother will drive over to pick you up, so wait for me."
[You had a car?]
"My wife bought it for me."
[You bastard, you met a good wife, bought a car, and are living the high life. What kind of car is it? Is it a foreign car?]
"It's a foreign car, alright."
Lamborghini is an Italian company, so it is a foreign car. Honestly, even if it's a domestic car, you have to buy it overseas; those unscrupulous Korean companies make them differently for domestic and export use.
"See what kind of car it is when I come to pick you up. Anyway, we should drink with the others for the first time in a while. Should I call Sang-chul and Jong-soo too?"
[Krr, now both of us can tease them for being pre-service bastards.]
"They'll go in a year or two anyway, so why bother?"
[It's just a difference of going early or late.]
Hyungsik and I went to the military right after graduation or a bit later. But our high school best friends Sang-chul and Jong-soo are still in college, so they haven't gone yet.
Honestly, Hyungsik and I went early, and Sang-chul and Jong-soo going next year is about right. It's not that they're late; it's just that we went early and get compared.
It's better to go to the military late. They say they're raising salaries and shortening service time these days... but I'm not envious.
"I'll go to the front of your unit in the morning to pick you up. Don't take a car, just come out to the front of the unit. Got it?"
[Are you really coming?]
"You bastard, we're going to be drinking all day, and it would take hours to take a car from the unit, a bus from the terminal, and then the subway to get back. That's a waste of time. Ah, well, you're discharged, so you've got nothing but time."
[This is why you need to have good friends. Alright. But if you don't show up after saying this, you're going to get a taste of a soldier's fist.]
"Argh! A soldier is hitting a civilian!"
I hung up while giggling. The day after tomorrow, we'll all gather and drink. It's been a while since we all met because of the military and college.
Sang-chul and Jong-soo, who are in college, should be done with finals, and depending on the college, it's either vacation or right before it. If they say they don't have time, I'll go and drag them out.
"Who is it? A friend?"
"Yeah, my friend who's just getting discharged. You know, the one I told you about whose father was sick."
"Ah, is he getting discharged this time?"
"I'm sorry for being absent so often lately. I'm planning to have a drink with the guys from the morning to celebrate his discharge."
"It's fine. As long as you give me a bigger bonus."
"Deal."
"Yes!"
She's at an age where she loves money, so that's understandable.
I picked up my phone again and called Sang-chul and Jong-soo. It's been a while since all my high school best friends are gathering.
Hyungsik and I served in similar regions in Gangwon-do, but I was near Hwacheon and Hyungsik was near Hongcheon. Honestly, I was more forward, but I served as an engineer, so I did more plumbing work than combat training.
Actually, I thought engineers built bridges, but they did more repair work. It was comfortable on easy days, but in winter, pipes would freeze and burst, which was a nightmare.
I worked without rest for a week and earned a week of leave including rewards... but if I had to do it again, I'd rather desert. It wasn't hard, but it was shitty.
......And why did that Sergeant Major try to force me into becoming a Professional NCO because I worked well? Thinking about it still makes me pissed.
Anyway, I came out of the 27th Division and Hyungsik served as an artilleryman in the 11th Division. Krr, they say you mature when you go to the military, so he's maturing.
To pick up a guy getting discharged in the morning, I have to leave at least early in the morning, almost at dawn. It takes about an hour to get to Hongcheon quickly, so considering the military wake-up time of 6:30 AM on weekdays, I had to wake up at least at 4:30 AM.
"Are you not coming home today?"
"I'll see. But I don't think I'll be able to come home before today is over."
It's impossible to come home early when we're planning to meet up for the first time in a while and drink from the middle of the day. Even if I want to go in, the others will push soju bottles at me and hold me back.
"It looks like I'll be sleeping alone today, so I'll go to sleep early."
"That would be for the best. Sorry."
"It's fine. It's only natural since you're going to meet a friend."
She says that, but she has a slightly sulky expression. I gently hug Sion and kiss her on the forehead. It's scary when you're blinded by love, because even her sulky look is cute to my eyes.
"Let's go on a summer vacation this time. You know, that mountain I mentioned before. We can go with a few people I know, grill meat, and swim in the valley. Sounds good?"
"......Anyone would think I'm sulking."
"Weren't you sulking?"
"I'm not sulking."
Sometimes my wife is like a cat. Pretending not to be, but slowly approaching and acting cute.
That's super cute. It's not like a dog acting cute openly, but it's more like pouting, so it's even cuter. That's why it's natural for me to be a newlywed even after hundreds or thousands of years.
"Anyway, that sounds good. Come to think of it, we don't have a tent, so I'll buy a good one."
"Other people will use it too, so it would be better to buy a slightly larger one. Or buy a couple of decent ones."
I don't need to worry about it later since I can just shove it in the warehouse. I could even buy it in the car if worst comes to worst.
Come to think of it, I need a multi-passenger vehicle. The Lamborghini is a two-seater, so it's impossible for many people to ride. Even considering the luggage to take, it needs to be bigger.
"Then I'll think about another car. Should I buy it or rent it?"
"It's a waste to buy it if we're only going to use it for a short time for a trip. We could use it for a long time, but I don't think we'll use it that often in our two-person household."
If I had bought such a multi-passenger vehicle from the beginning, it would be one thing, but since I have a flashy car called a Lamborghini, there's no need to buy another car here. Renting is better.
There are many good things like leases these days, so it won't be very difficult to rent. It would be convenient if I do it in advance.
Maybe because it's summer, the sun rises early. I woke up early in the morning, and I could see the sun starting to rise. If I take the highway, the sun will rise in earnest.
But maybe because it's a weekday dawn, there were fewer cars than usual. But driving a sleek Lamborghini on a spacious highway to my heart's content is refreshing. It's scary if I think about fuel efficiency, but if I cared about that, I wouldn't have ridden it in the first place.
I didn't turn on the air conditioner and just opened the window slightly to let the breeze in, so the dawn air that hadn't been heated up yet blew in coolly. Driving without thinking is not bad either.
It didn't seem like much time had passed, but I arrived in Hongcheon before I knew it. To be exact, near the Hongcheon terminal. Let's see, how do I get to Hyungsik's unit from here......
"Sir, where is the artillery battalion here?"
"Artillery battalion? If it's the 53rd Artillery Battalion, just go straight ahead."
"Ah, thank you."
I asked around nearby and found it quickly. Military units don't show up on navigation due to security, but if you ask nearby residents, you can know where everything is.
I also know all the battalions and regiments around my unit...... because I haven't been to a unit I haven't been to during my 2 years of military life.
I went straight in the direction they told me, and there was a noticeable unit. I went there wondering if it was that place, and it seemed to be correct.
Civilian vehicles cannot enter the unit, so I parked in front of it. There are various cars that stand out, perhaps a parking lot for executive vehicles.
"Hwarang! How can I help you?"
A soldier standing guard at the guard post came and asked for my business.
Is the salute slogan for the 11th Division Hwarang? My unit was 'I-Gija!', I don't know why they change it as if it's a specialty of each unit, why not just unify it with 'Loyalty'.
"I came to pick up a friend who is getting discharged today. Is it not time yet?"
"Please wait a moment. I will check."
Maybe he was the senior guard; the soldier who asked for my business asked the junior guard behind him.
"Hey! Jin-soo! Is there anyone getting discharged today?"
"Private First Class Lee Jin-soo! Isn't Sergeant Kang leaving today? It's listed as leave for now, but since he got the discharge prank yesterday, it must be his discharge day!"
"Is that so?"
Ah, come to think of it, they said they let him out and he just doesn't return to the unit, but it's treated as a discharge like leave, right?
"If the name of the person getting discharged today is Kang Hyung-sik, I think it's the person I know...... how long will it take?"
"He's probably eating breakfast and getting ready now. He'll come down after reporting to the duty officer, so please wait a little."
"Ah, yes."
I parked the car in the small parking lot next to the guard post and waited for a while.
It was boring to be alone, so I decided to chat with the kids standing guard at the guard post. It's rude to just talk to them, so I shared some drinks I bought at the rest area in the middle.
"You're working hard, right? I was discharged this year too, so it doesn't feel like someone else's business. Still, if you're a Corporal this year, you don't have many months left."
"Ah, thank you for the drink. But are you Sergeant Kang's friend?"
"You must be in the same company as Hyungsik?"
"Yes, that's right."
He glanced at the Lamborghini parked in the parking lot and let out a small exclamation, "Oh."
"I never thought I'd see something like a Lamborghini this close in my life."
"I didn't know I'd be riding that either. I didn't buy it, my wife is just capable."
"How much is it?"
"It's a limited edition, so they said it cost about 6 billion won."
"Awesome......!"
6 billion won for one car is really insane. Of course, there's the brand power, but it seems to be worth the high price to some extent. The ride comfort is killer.
While chatting for a while, 30 minutes passed before I knew it. Someone is walking towards the guard post, and the form is familiar.
"Hwarang! Sergeant Kang, are you getting discharged?"
"Hey, hey, once I leave, I'm just an old guy you won't see again. No need to salute."
"Goodbye, Hyungsik! It was dirty being with you, let's never meet again!"
"You bastard Jin-soo! Who took you to the PX when you were a Private! Your attitude change is really something!"
Honestly, everyone who gets discharged is an old guy. Because you'll rarely see them in society. Unless you meet on purpose, that is. I also barely keep in touch with the kids I met in the military. Even if I knew if they did Facebook or something, I don't do that because I think it's a waste of time.
I waved my hand, and Jin-soo waved back, welcoming me.
"You bastard! You came to pick me up! If you hadn't, I was going to go and hit you once!"
"You know I keep my word, no matter how stupid it sounds."
"That's true. Anyway, this dirty unit is over! I'm never coming back here!"
"You might come back for Reserve Forces training."
"Don't say such shitty things on the day of my discharge!"
Hyungsik, who came out of the guard post after various procedures, waved his hand towards the unit.
"Stay well! Jin-soo! Jong-sung! I'm leaving!!!"
"Goodbye, Hyungsik! Good luck with the surgery!"
"Yeah! Don't worry!"
After saying goodbye to the two juniors at the guard post, we moved to the parking lot.
"Hey, but what kind of car is yours? You picked a good one..... Wow! It's a Lamborghini! It's so cool!"
"Let's change clothes first."
Hyungsik and I dress similarly, so I just brought some clothes from home. Since the military uniform is a cursed object that reduces motivation and strength just by wearing it, I have to take it off as soon as possible and shove it into a corner of the house until Reserve Forces training.
When I took out the car key and pressed the button, the Lamborghini lit up with a beep!
Hyungsik looked bewildered.
"Uh......? Wait a minute, is your car by any chance?"
"I brought clothes for you to wear in the passenger seat, so change into them. The uniform smells like a soldier, so put it in a plastic bag and put it in the corner."
"Wow, fuck, this is awesome. I guessed it when you just gave hundreds of millions for your dad's surgery, but I was a bastard with a poor imagination."
"I haven't been riding this car for long either. Look, I haven't even taken off the plastic yet."
"To think the day would come when I'd ride a Lamborghini in my life. Wait a second. Let me take some pictures and post them on Facebook."
"They said Facebook is a waste of life!"
"What does it matter if I do it or not! You have to show off things like this!"
Hyungsik took pictures here and there with his phone. And he changed his clothes roughly and got in the car. Now all that's left is to go back up to Seoul.
"The ride is killer. Expensive cars are worth the price!"
"Instead, the fuel efficiency kills my wallet. Every time I step on the accelerator, it feels like 10,000 won is being deducted from my wallet."
"You have a lot of money, so what's the problem?"
"You have to save to live well, you punk."
"They say the rich are stingier."
"Do you want to get off?"
"Sorry."
I giggled and drove back to Seoul again. Even though there were more cars than at dawn, it wasn't that many because it was still morning. I stepped on it a little, but I arrived in Seoul a little before 10 o'clock.
"What about Sang-chul and Jong-soo?"
"I've already contacted them all. Sang-chul took a leave of absence."
"Oh? Really?"
"Jong-soo got a physical exam to enlist this time, but he got public service duty."
"Sigh, I told that bastard to lose some weight. Is it because he's fat?"
"He also has high blood pressure, so a little bit. Anyway, that's why he's in an ambiguous situation now. Of course, both of them are in a party mood, which is the same."
In high school, the four of us who used to gather and play together are best friends who hung out together even when we were in different classes. Even though contact has become infrequent these days because of the military, that fact hasn't changed.
"What are we going to eat?"
"What else is there for a guy who just got discharged to eat besides meat? And it's beef!"
"What about the money?"
I took out the Black Card from my wallet and showed it. It has a cool-looking decoration on the outside and says American Express.
"If we can't eat a whole cow today, there's no second round."
"Fuck, I ate sausage and vegetable stir-fry with seaweed soup for breakfast; I shouldn't have eaten it."
No, that's the menu that even a sergeant in his final days eats!