Chapter 20
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: What Do You Mean?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bang-!
Every time a mannequin target gets hit by a bullet and topples over, a thick cloud of dust rises up. The mannequins in the other lanes stand tall and unmoved, but only the ones directly in front of me collapse helplessly.
Bang!
For the first five shots, I feel no emotion whatsoever. The only thought filling my head is how incredibly outstanding the performance of this gun—called the Mana Rifle—is.
It shows far superior specs compared to any assault rifle I'd used back in the army. Compared to familiar weapons like the K2 or M4, its power, convenience, and handling are all leaps ahead.
Bang!
By the time I've landed all ten shots, Drill Sergeant Kate starts massaging my shoulder. I'm not shaking at all—in fact, she's the one whose hands are trembling.
"J-Jeong-woo..."
I'm too focused on the targets to look at her face, but I hear Kate's voice filtering through the [Noise Suppression Magic Sticker] plastered to the side of my ear.
"Don't get nervous—just keep shooting like this. Got it? Just like you're doing..."
The shooting range is the most dangerous spot in the army, a cold place usually shrouded in a tense, deadly atmosphere...
"That's it... exactly... Nyaah..."
A warm drop of saliva trickles down the nape of my neck. Drill Sergeant Kate can't hide her own arousal and excitement as she witnesses this historic moment.
"What?"
"I don't know either..."
The other trainees positioned behind us don't understand what they're seeing either. With every shot I fire, the whole world seems to grow even quieter.
Not a single bullet misses. I never set out to fill all 20 rounds perfectly, but just giving it my all in training yields this unbelievable result.
"One more... G-Good..."
After landing all 19 shots,
with just one bullet left.
Drill Sergeant Kate clasps her hands together, muttering like she's praying, while the trainees who've already finished their shooting stare at my targets...
I take a short breath,
and quietly pull the trigger.
Bang!
In that instant,
the black mannequin topples backward.
"Whoa, whoa, for real...?!!!"
The Company Commander blurts out her exclamation over the open mic. Her shocked voice echoes through every lane and across the entire shooting range.
"Perfect score...!!!!!"
Perfect Score.
20 out of 20 hits.
Even without peeling off the [Noise Suppression Magic Sticker], the murmurs buzz in my ears.
Perfect score.
20 hits out of 20 shots.
It seems like a term they're not too familiar with in this world.
The training center erupts into chaos. They only do live-fire exercises once here, so even the most exceptional soldiers usually can't hit all 20 shots.
First time ever firing a rifle,
one single chance.
In this monumental moment that won't come twice, the typical scores women rack up are...
"Average is 9 hits, passing is 8. They usually hover around there, and only the real sharpshooters push past 12."
Words from the Company Commander herself. After the day's training wraps up, she calls me in personally for a talk.
"But our Trainee Han Jeong-woo pulls off a perfect score! All 20 shots! Do you know what this means? Huh?"
She's even more thrilled than I am. I can't quite understand it, but the Company Commander grips my hand tight, shaking it up and down as she pours out thanks and admiration.
"You did amazing! So, the Company Commander has one little favor to ask. That okay?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
She grins and hands over a stack of papers. The text at the top is pretty striking.
Exemplary Case of Gender Equality in the Albatross Union Army
I'm seriously questioning whether "gender equality" even applies in a place like this, but the Company Commander brushes it off and makes her request anyway.
"Trainee Han Jeong-woo... no, Jeong-woo! Army HQ is super interested in your model examples. You're the pride of our training center—a once-in-a-millennium talent!"
My opinion doesn't matter much. The wheels are probably already turning smoothly without me.
For an ambitious Company Commander chasing promotions, a special case like me is the perfect golden ticket.
In a military like this—where men are scarce, ignored, and bullied—it's an even bigger deal.
"Let's keep doing great. Got it? I'll have your squad leader call you in occasionally from now on. We'll do some interviews, take photos... Easy, right?"
Not just the Company Commander—the higher-ups in this world's military seem to have already decided to use me as propaganda fodder.
I get the gist.
Even in a world where men can enlist,
I'm the only guy in our training center.
To men in this world, the army is something to avoid, a place of terror, a horrific nightmare they never want to approach.
So, to shift that societal perception, they desperately need model cases like me.
Well,
or maybe the top brass is just pushing gender equality down the chain with iron-fisted orders.
Either way, it's a sweet deal for me.
"Understood, ma'am!"
"Good, good, so spirited! Great! Kate, take good care of him. Got it? I trust you the most out of all the instructors. Let's do this!"
Kate, waiting right outside the Company Commander's office door and listening in on our chat.
She glances at me,
then replies to the Commander in a clear voice.
"Yes, ma'am."
The most excited is the Company Commander, but
Kate looks just as thrilled.
She's working hard to keep her composure in front of the Commander, but I stare at the happy swish of her tail.
"Alright, head back now. The Company Commander is thrilled! So happy to have soldiers like you!"
"Sir!"
"Yes, yes, sir!"
Even as we leave the office,
Kate maintains her strict instructor posture...
"..."
But the moment the door closes,
she turns back with a beaming smile.
"You were incredible."
After dinner,
in the shower room with just the two of us.
"Jeong-woo, don't you know what kind of record you set? It's the new all-time high at the training center! 20 shots—how tough is that?"
Kate circles the shower room excitedly, acting like it's her own achievement. She's been getting softer and more feminine lately, but today she's especially girly.
"You did great. Really great!"
"Th-Thank you..."
"I said speak casually!"
She grabs my hand tight and flashes that big grin again. Seeing her cheeks flush makes my heart go all fluffy.
I don't know when we got this close. Instructors do warm up to you over time, but even accounting for that, Kate's been extra friendly with me.
"...Thanks."
"No matter how I look at it, it's pure talent. Jeong-woo, you dodged a bullet not enlisting sooner. You adapt faster than the other trainees, and now a shooting record! Interviews? You'd ace them."
I want to shower quick, but humoring Drill Sergeant Kate keeps dragging it out. Her praise is nice, but being alone with her in here every time drains my energy.
"You worked hard today. Really..."
It's not just energy drain, either. Through our arrangement, we get sticky sessions every other day, and yeah, those open up whole new worlds.
Smooch-
The moment our chat ends, Kate wraps her arms around my neck and dives in with lips and tongue. Under the pouring water, we share even thicker saliva.
Taking all her lust is a huge burden, but keeping it moderate turns it into thrilling escapism for me too.
The army's full of annoyances and hassles, but casually spending a night with a pretty girl like this? Best reward ever.
Plus, in this gender-reversed world, I don't have much responsibility. Kate probably just wants short, intense flings with a guy—no strings attached.
We indulge in the training center's most secret, steamy rendezvous, exploring each other. We haven't gone all the way, but deep kisses and hands alone deliver plenty of pleasure.
Now I can freely enjoy her amazing volume and curves.
At first, being forced into it meant I couldn't relax, but now I've got the leisure to do whatever I want.
"Nyaah... Hnng..."
By the end, Kate's eyes glaze over, growling like she's about to pounce...
But we never cross that line. No contraceptives here—one slip and boom, baby on board.
"Good, Jeong-woo... So good..."
So we settle for about 20 minutes of indecent acts and let go.
"It's fine. I can hold back. You're still a trainee, I'm an instructor... Gotta endure."
Kate sounds so reluctant,
but she talks herself down, suppressing her desires.
"Just a few more weeks."
Guess she'll be going on leave in a few weeks. Makes sense—training instructors usually get downtime after a batch graduates.
"Just a few weeks, right?"
"Yeah?"
But her flushed face and the way her tongue licks her lips feels extra sticky today. No clue why.
And there's something even weirder.
57 Days Remaining
The number in the tattoo, which started at two years, has noticeably dwindled.
Now, barely
a few weeks left.
"A few weeks...?"
"Yeah. Training ends in a few weeks."
"True. So, going on leave after?"
"Leave? What leave?"
Suddenly, the conversation's not clicking.
"What are you talking about~? Why leave? I gotta stay with you."
"With me?"
Her red eyes matching the tattoo,
the sharply reduced countdown,
and her weird words...
"No, why stay with me? What do you mean?"
"Huh?"
They make my head throb.