2
Chapter 2
The community center, located a short distance from town.
This place, which had no real presence except when registering a change of address, had today become a gathering spot for men standing with their mouths agape.
Men in various combat uniforms sat in chairs, blinking slowly, looking like full-time investors watching their life's stock graph plummet.
Glancing around, the abundance of empty seats made it easy to count.
Roughly 15 people.
The Local Reserve Commander was a middle-aged man with drooping eyes, clearly overwhelmed by the phones ringing in the small auditorium.
"Ah, yes. We have 43 in total, and 15 have gathered so far. No, we called them as soon as the mobilization order was passed. How could we do it any faster than this? It hasn't even been officially declared yet. Please understand the situation... Yes, yes."
It wasn't just the Local Reserve Commander who was busy on the phone.
The people sitting next to me were furiously typing on their phones as if trying to shatter the screens, sending messages, while a neat-looking man with horn-rimmed glasses was on the phone with his family.
"Ah, seriously... Did those northern pig bastards finally come?"
A sharp-eyed man who hadn't thought much of it until now, his lips jutting out as anti-communist fervor took hold.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry either. It's fine, even if reservists get mobilized, it'll be over soon. Yeah. Love you."
The horn-rimmed glasses man looked like someone in a war movie, looking at a photo of a loved one and promising himself he'd definitely return.
Not to be outdone, I also sent a message to our group chat.
[Are you Seoul guys out of your minds? Mobilizing reservists just because of some fog, does that make sense? And isn't it wrong to mobilize reservists before even declaring martial law?]
There's a hierarchy and order to everything, so I threw that out there wondering if it made sense to drag in civilians while leaving fresh active-duty soldiers alone.
Then the guys who were also being dragged in as reservists sent messages.
[Martial law declared in Seoul as of 11:34 AM today.]
[Wow...]
Checking the time now, it was 1:46 PM.
So in roughly 2 hours, they went from martial law to reservist mobilization.
What hadn't felt real was slowly starting to sink in.
I had brushed off the fog in Seoul as just one of those things, but this was the moment it hit my skin that the country was actually falling apart in real-time.
[Fuck, what the hell are those Seoul guys doing.]
It was the moment I posted in the group chat because I had nowhere else to vent.
I posted but there was no response, and I wondered what was going on, when suddenly a red X mark appeared next to it.
What this meant became clear from the cries of dismay erupting around me.
"Huh? Huh? What's going on?"
"Yes, yes. You need to come out now. Martial law has been declared in Seoul, and now a mobilization order... Shit. Is there an administrative soldier here? Can you check the phone lines?"
Reservists fiddling with their phones, eyes widening in shock.
The Local Reserve Commander sighing as he kindly made calls to mobilization targets who hadn't shown up yet.
As I stared at them, the horn-rimmed glasses man who had been acting like he was in a war movie sneaked over.
"Excuse me. Your phone isn't working either, right?"
"Pardon?"
"Oh, I was wondering if your phone works, maybe I could borrow it to make a call..."
"No. I'm also panicking because my messages aren't going through either."
"Ah..."
Horn-rimmed glasses made an awkward expression and returned to his seat, but I felt a chill.
The Corporal who came running at the Local Reserve Commander's call checked the phone lines and communication equipment, sweating profusely, and it didn't seem like someone else's problem.
The Corporal kept going in and out of the small auditorium after that, and soon, with a slightly pale complexion, approached the Local Reserve Commander and said:
"The community center's phone and internet lines have been cut now."
"What? Shit... Then do we have to go there in person?"
He seemed to be trying to speak quietly so the reservists wouldn't hear, but in the empty auditorium, it was clearly audible.
The sharp-eyed man who had been jutting out his lips clicked his tongue.
"The cell tower blew up."
At those words, the reservists also started letting out short gasps.
"Really?"
"Shit..."
Most of what they said was 'shit,' but I refused to let this fear and agitation infect me.
"Motherfucker, if I knew this was gonna happen, I would've left Korea."
I didn't actually have the ability to leave, but that was how I felt.
I was seized by profound regret.
If I had spent the days I wasted on pleasure preparing to emigrate, I wouldn't be dealing with this bullshit in my 8th year as a reservist!
Just then, the horn-rimmed glasses guy, who had been looking for a chance to call his loved one, shouted with a joyful voice.
"It, it works! It's back!"
I looked at my phone just in case, and sure enough, he was right.
The backlogged messages in the group chat were flooding in.
The sound of phones ringing in the small auditorium began to burst out again, and without hesitation, I scoured through YouTube and portal sites to find articles.
[Temporary paralysis of cell towers due to a surge in usage. The screams that lasted for a few minutes]
[Seoul riots pass the point of no return... Neighboring countries are watching closely]
[US and China, despite their political opposition, unusually express serious security concerns regarding the Seoul riots.]
Around this point, I finally snapped out of it and came to my senses.
I was feeling dizzy from the dopamine-inducing, sensational headline articles showing the country falling apart in real-time.
[Breaking) Mobilization order declared to quell the Seoul riots.]
It seemed I wasn't the only one who saw this breaking news.
Well, everyone was focused on their phones, so it made sense.
The Local Reserve Commander, who had been busy making calls and checking his phone, and the reservists who had been endlessly fiddling with their phones, all seemed to instantly feel goosebumps rising.
I could see their teeth chattering faintly through their constricted pupils and slightly parted lips.
I was no different.
Clack-clack-clack-clack...
I was pulling off the greatest dance of my life, despite having no rhythm, not with my hips or waist, but with my chattering teeth.
The first person to take action in this situation was the Local Reserve Commander.
"Corporal, go draw the firearms and live ammunition, and bring the military gear."
"Yes, sir."
As the Corporal's footsteps faded away, a strange silence settled in.
The sharp-eyed man with jutting lips, the romantic horn-rimmed glasses guy, the Local Reserve Commander who had been incessantly making calls, and the reservists gathered in this small auditorium all clamped their mouths shut as if they had promised to.
In the midst of all that, a broadcast came through someone's phone that they had left the volume up on.
[Today, the Republic of Korea is facing its most dangerous moment since its founding... Citizens, please be sure to follow government guidelines. Even if they seem unreasonable, please understand that these are emergency measures to overcome a national disaster...]
***
The final number of people gathered was exactly 21.
The Local Reserve Commander sighed deeply but lined everyone up to receive their military gear, helmets, and firearms.
I also grabbed my helmet, military gear, and firearm, returned to my seat, and inspected the weapon's condition.
An M16. As a former Air Force anti-aircraft artilleryman, I was familiar with carrying one around.
Only then did I look at the name tags of the people who had strangely stuck in my mind.
"Those northern pig bastards."
The sharp-eyed man who kept jutting out his lips was Army veteran Kim Myeong-sin.
"Heugh... heugh."
The horn-rimmed glasses guy, anxious with worry for his beloved, was Navy veteran Kang Daniel.
"Alright, everyone check your firearm serial numbers. Those of you who've received your military gear and weapons, please stay calm. We're not a frontline unit anyway, so we'll be staying here to help maintain public order. We'll assess the situation and organize into three shifts so it doesn't disrupt your daily lives too much, so please don't worry too much. Instead, you must always wear or carry your military gear and combat uniforms."
The Local Reserve Commander with drooping eyes, who was floundering with a troubled expression as he tried to soothe the crowd, was Park Seong-geun.
Besides them, countless other names and faces were bound together under the title of reservist as they sat in their seats, but I wasn't that interested in them yet.
However, someone appeared who instantly grabbed my attention.
Into the small auditorium, steeped in deep resignation, despair, fear, and irritation, three people in combat uniforms entered carrying heavy baskets.
Two of them were Non-Commissioned Officers whose ages were hard to gauge under the direct sunlight, but there was one First Lieutenant with a neat appearance and slightly prominent cheekbones.
He approached the Local Reserve Commander and exchanged a few words with a serious expression before setting down the baskets they had brought with the NCOs and turning to face the reservists.
"Ah, hello. I am First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi. I would like to start by thanking all of you reservists for answering the mobilization order despite such an urgent and chaotic situation."
I wanted to run away, but we all silently agreed to keep quiet about the uncomfortable truth that none of us actually had the ability to do so.
Anyway, just as First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi was trying to soften the mood with some warm words, he called over the active-duty soldiers and began handing out papers from the baskets.
"Um... You must all be wondering what on earth happened in Seoul that even the reservists were mobilized. To be honest, the military doesn't fully know either. We can't make hasty guesses without a clear conclusion, but I'd like you to at least recognize the gravity of the situation."
While First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi made excuses on behalf of the military, the Corporal who had been running around frantically earlier approached me in his military gear and handed me a stack of stapled papers.
Receiving the stack of about three pages with a heavy heart, I couldn't help but be skeptical right from the title.
"I know what you guys must be thinking right now. But... this is a manual compiled based on the testimonies of the soldiers and officers currently deployed in Seoul, so you need to trust it and read it carefully. However, until I give the order, do not turn the page; just read the first page."
Beneath the large subtitle, tiny text was packed tightly together, and the rules that immediately caught my eye were as follows:
[Survival and Engagement Rules within Restricted Travel Zones]
1. Detour around areas with low visibility.
2. Separation from the squad is strictly prohibited.
3. Assume all approaching individuals are hostiles; if they continue to approach after a warning, open fire. Eliminate them.
4. Firearms usage is strictly prohibited in all other situations.
5. Prioritize acquiring any information obtainable on-site.
6. Saving lives is strictly prohibited. If unavoidable, isolate and then blockade.
Kim Myeong-sin, the sharp-eyed man who had received his papers before me, clicked his tongue.
"Holy shit. Aren't these guys crazy?"
I had the exact same thought.
"Is this some kind of zombie apocalypse?"
Yeah. Any modern person familiar with all sorts of media content couldn't help but feel a bizarre sense of déjà vu.
Could the so-called Seoul riots actually be a zombie outbreak?
Even if the other rules made sense, rules 3 and 6 seemed a bit too much for frail democratic citizens to accept.
They didn't deviate significantly from the principles learned in the military, but there was just a strangely off-putting nuance to them.
Just then, First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi sensed the murmuring and agitation of the reservists and calmly continued speaking.
"Those who have finished reading the engagement rules may turn the page. If you experience symptoms like vomiting, nausea, dizziness, or headaches, close your eyes and take deep breaths immediately."
Rustle.
It was the moment our docile and orderly Korean men all turned their pages in unison.
I couldn't help but frown when I saw the contents of the next page.
It looked like a chaotic arrangement of bizarre doodles resembling wriggling earthworms. With my language skills that struggle with just one language, it was so crude that I couldn't even tell if it was supposed to be writing.
But the reactions of the others were quite dramatic.
"Ugh... urp, gag!"
The sharp-eyed man, Kim Myeong-sin, was the first to claw at his throat and throw up stomach acid.
Several others began dry heaving in succession, and Kang Daniel, the romantic guy with horn-rimmed glasses, covered his mouth and threw up a little of what he had eaten.
"Bleurgh..."
The Local Reserve Commander seemed to be in relatively better shape, but even he was sweating cold bullets with a pale face.
He was holding the stack of papers with just his fingertips, waving it around as if he wanted to throw it away immediately.
"Excuse me. What the hell is this."
"Local Reserve Commander, calm down the people experiencing symptoms... Master Sergeant Park, are there any people who look fine?"
At First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi's words, the Master Sergeant who was putting his sunglasses into his pouch looked our way.
Specifically, he locked eyes with me as I looked around in panic.
"You there. What is your name, sir?"
"I'm Baek Jemin."
***
The consultation room of the community center.
As soon as we sat down facing each other, First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi pulled out a document and a pen, flashing a businesslike smile as he asked,
"Mr. Baek Jemin, do you have any specific religion? Or did you have one in the past?"
"I attended all the Buddhist, Protestant, and Catholic events at the training center. Does that count?"
"Hmm. An open-minded attitude without prejudice toward various religions..."
First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi scribbled something on the document, so I took a peek, and the content was peculiar.
Religious bigotry? Considering the negative connotation of the word 'bigotry,' I figured this was a pretty good evaluation.
I felt proud, feeling like my 9 years of military life—where I upheld the clear principle that whoever gives me a Choco Pie or a hamburger is my god—was finally paying off.
I guess this is why principles are important.
"Have you ever been told by a shaman or anyone else that you have spiritual powers, or have you ever received a spirit-invoking ritual?"
"No."
"A palm reader... I mean, have you ever been evaluated for something spiritual at a shaman's house or some other fortune-telling parlor?"
"Ah. They told me my yang energy is so strong that I'll never see a ghost in my life, so I don't need to visit them."
"Oh."
I remembered someone saying that when setting the ancestral rites table, I should leave my seat empty for a while.
Of course, from my ancestors' perspective, my family is a bunch of unfilial bastards who haven't set up an ancestral rites table in over 10 years, but whether the shaman knew that or not, the one time I visited, she said my ancestors tried to visit but were suppressed by my yang energy and chased away.
After asking about various other bizarre personal trivia, First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi soon put on a grave and serious expression and said,
"Mr. Baek Jemin. You will need to learn magic."
"Pardon?"
Countless questions flashed through my mind in an instant.
Why? Magic? For what? No, more importantly, magic exists? And why would I learn magic as a reservist?
At the end of all those countless doubts, there was only one answer.
"Me?"
"Yes. Right now, for those in the military who don't show any mental rejection, most of them..."
"Why?"
"Well, based on the results of compiling all the information we have so far..."
"Me?"
"You are the most suitable..."
"Why?"
First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi stared at me with an icy, chilling gaze.
But I couldn't back down easily either.
28 years of life. 8th year as a reservist.
I enlisted in the Air Force, even resolving to become an anti-aircraft artilleryman just to slack off, and served my full term as an Air Force Sergeant with the mindset that I'd rather serve three months longer than the Army if it meant getting more vacation time.
That's not all. My rationality and intuition as a youth who advocates for taking breaks—even taking out the trash in three or four trips because carrying it all at once is too heavy—were screaming at me.
Magic, schmagic.
If I learn that here, as a reservist, I'm fucked!
"Sir."
Go ahead and say whatever. I had no intention of giving in.
In situations like this, soldiers all say the same things.
The country is in danger, martial law has been declared, so you can't just act like this... I could already see right through their repertoire, and it was utterly exhausting.
"Once you're able to use magic, considering the workload, you'll be excluded from night watch."
"I loved Harry Potter."
End