Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: First Night
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You can return to the original world after 729 days.
The tattoo speaks to me. Or maybe my head's completely gone off the rails and I'm just hearing things.
But this tattoo is my only clue, the sole thread connecting me back home. I have to believe it. Nothing else links this otherworld to Earth.
One-sided announcements.
Explanations that are anything but helpful...
Even so, I stare at the tattoo, steeling my resolve. Chasing down clues like this might just spark a tiny hope of returning to my original world someday.
But on my right wrist, there's a condition that's too cruel and brutally realistic to call mere "hope."
729 Days Remaining.
If I have to wait another 729 days for the number to hit zero, that means nearly two years stuck here.
In this otherworld.
In the army.
All alone.
Two years.
"..."
Come to think of it, that's half a year longer than my mandatory service back in Korea. The concrete number floating before my eyes makes my head feel like it's about to explode.
Two years is too much. Isn't there any way out before then?
Why me, of all people?
How the hell did I end up in this mess?
Am I being punished?
Or is this just one of those "army nightmares" every guy who's served ends up dreaming about?
"..."
Cold water droplets trickling down my face shatter my denial of reality. With sensations this vivid, it can't be a dream.
The empty barracks of the training center.
A night where the chirp of crickets echoes sporadically.
I'm the only human here,
and no one gives a damn about my story.
Dragging my heavy feet back to the barracks.
Crossing the dark, chilly corridor,
passing a few sleepy-eyed CQ duty trainees,
I come face-to-face with the door to my assigned 2-2 barracks and a woman standing in front of it.
"Ah."
Even with sleepy eyes, she sizes me up thoroughly. Her gaze starts at my head and scans all the way down, blatantly obvious.
"You okay? I saw you earlier over there... um..."
She must've seen Drill Sergeant Kate chewing me out. After nearly two hours of punishment and push-ups, it'd be weirder if she hadn't noticed.
This stranger whose name I don't even know steps aside from the door for a moment, flashing an unnecessary smile as she opens it herself.
"Hey, don't sweat today's stuff too much. If it's tough, you can talk to me. Got it?"
Kindness I wasn't expecting at all. For a recruit on their first day, her smile feels way too friendly and considerate.
Anyway, I brush off the excessive warmth and head inside the barracks, rummaging for my blanket and pillow.
I need to sleep soon.
The irritation and denial won't last. Recruit training schedules are packed tight as it is—pulling an all-nighter on day one means I won't survive tomorrow's routine.
"Haa."
But damn.
Even lying down to sleep, I can't drift off.
I've finally stretched out and squeezed my eyes shut, but the fidgeting on both sides keeps distracting me.
They must've woken up because of me. Thinking back, the two next to me were already flushing and sweating before lights out.
"..."
Forced breathing sounds.
Wriggling toes and long hair spilling over to my spot.
I lie there in the middle, forcing my eyes shut and breathing quietly. My CQ shift is from 05:00 to 06:00, so I need to catch some shut-eye now.
It's already 00:13 thanks to the punishment. Only about four hours left to sleep.
But sleep won't come easy. My head's swirling with questions.
...Why is the army system so similar to Korea's? How is that even possible? Could this be another clue to getting back to Earth?
And why are there only women in the army? No men in this world? Or just no men in the military? Nah, if that were the case, they'd have kicked me out knowing I'm a guy.
Recalling what Drill Sergeant Kate said earlier, there've been plenty of "whiny guys" showing up in the army before... At least in our 2-2 barracks, I'm the only man.
"..."
As the questions pile up, my consciousness starts to fade bit by bit.
Yeah, finally time to sleep.
No matter how rough the night, humans need rest. To see tomorrow's sun, I have to outlast the moon.
Slowly, very gradually,
my awareness drifts away...
"Hey."
"Huh?"
But damn.
Feels like not even a minute passed.
"Time to switch."
Someone wakes me.
I open my eyes to a face right in front of mine.
"Eep...!"
"?"
I nearly yelped in panic. The woman who came to wake me startles too and backs off, bending at the waist—she's gotta be at least 180 cm tall.
And sprouting from her head are two horns.
Reminiscent of cow horns, I have no idea how they grow like that, but in this otherworld, such fantastical races seem utterly normal.
Staring at her in wonder would probably make me the weirdo. To me, the cat-like Drill Sergeant Kate and this massive horned woman both look like they stepped out of a fantasy flick...
"S-sorry. I'll get ready quick."
"Yeah."
CQ duty first. No time to gawk at otherworlders.
Being late could get me singled out for more punishment by the drill sergeants. Especially if Drill Sergeant Kate—the one who's extra harsh on me—is on duty. That'd be a real nightmare.
I bolt upright—
and start changing for duty, getting ready for the handoff. The uniform's almost identical to the fatigues from my service days, so my body moves on autopilot.
"!"
But the tall woman turns away sharply, her face beet red. Come to think of it, with me as the only guy, maybe I was too casual.
In a Korean army barracks, I'd be dragged off for sexual harassment violation on the spot—no questions asked.
"...Be careful changing. You're a guy, after all..."
She's the one sounding worried for me. This world really treats men awkwardly.
"It's fine. Already changed."
"...?"
Of course, I don't give a damn about that stuff.
Think back to middle school co-ed PE class. Girls would freak out and block changing all the time.
To me, this otherworld's vague gender norms feel downright comfortable. Especially in a military culture like this—better to ignore their stares than tiptoe around.
"Already?"
"Yeah. Be right back. Stay ready."
Change quick,
double-check my uniform,
head to the drill sergeants' duty desk at the end of the hall.
The other trainees aren't even fully changed yet, but I stand straight in front of the duty desk, awaiting orders.
"..."
Familiar face.
Today's duty desk falls to Drill Sergeant Kate.
"Mm. No. 158. Quick, huh."
Even at 5 a.m., when sleep hits hardest, she's perched on the desk without a hint of sloppiness.
But contrasting her sharp posture, she's got a thick cigarette dangling from her lips. Looks like indoor smoking's allowed on duty in this otherworld training center.
"See? It was just malingering."
Drill Sergeant Kate still eyes me with disdain. Her up-and-down scan drips with clear mockery and contempt.
But amid the hostility, there's a flicker of something else—intrigue.
She snorts right in my face,
studying me intently with an ambiguous expression as she finishes her smoke.
"CQ duty is sacred. Trainee No. 158, do you understand the meaning of CQ duty?"
Tough question for a day-one recruit.
But if this army mirrors Korea's, I've got no reason not to answer.
I still don't know why it feels so much like our army. But if my knowledge applies here, I use it without hesitation.
"To swiftly respond to and handle any nighttime emergencies, thereby protecting the lives of your comrades."
Sleepy and miserable,
but I meet Drill Sergeant Kate's gaze head-on and answer firmly.
She chews on her cigarette a few more times, glaring at me...
"...Hmm."
Then stubs it out in the ashtray and stares.
One eyebrow arched up.
Her furrowed brow and sharp eyes clash with the wry, almost amused smirk tugging at her lips.