“Hyeon-Seong-ee will do it right.”.
“Hey, it's still not too late. Tie the PET bottles to your legs and jump from the third floor.”
“Others eventually all serve, anyway. So it's fine. Come back after becoming a man.”
Those were pretty common advice given to someone about to be drafted, just like his life. A life too busy chasing after what everyone else was doing.
Just like everyone else, he had to sing 'Private's Letter', and without a best friend nor a girlfriend to bid him goodbye, walked into the recruit training centre.
“53rd trainee.”
“53rd trainee Yi Hyeon-Seong, here!”
Yi Hyeon-Seong's early military life wasn't so bad. Thanks to his naturally-tall height and well-built muscles, he even got recommended to become a commander-in-training, too. He would've even graduated the training course with citations were it not for messing up the commander's pledge repeatedly.
“Trainee, do you think the words of your training supervisor are a joke??”
He realised it from an early age that he was rather slow-witted. Didn't matter what it was, he learned it later than everyone else, and he was also rather slow in analysing his situations, too.
Even then, he managed to live on relatively fine all because there were some people who appreciated his relaxed and honest personality. Unfortunately, there were no such people to be found in the army.
“Just why do I have to be paired with him in the buddy system….”
“A big freaking body and nothing much besides….”
Yi Hyeon-Seong endured the trainee life even as he was subjected to various insults and ridicules.
By the time he completed the training course, he became someone who could finish showering in five minutes or pack his sleeping gear in less than one minute.
Not too long afterwards, the moment he'd be dispatched to a base had arrived. This was the moment he had been waiting forever since he got drafted.
– Giving away sweet tips to those about to join the army. Follow these instructions after you get to a base. (HOT!) [812]
From the shoe inserts to use during prolonged marching, to being loved by his seniors after he got assigned to a base – the so-called 'sweet tips' on the internet he diligently studied the day before joining the military was his only hope.
His fellow trainees left one by one.
He was the last one remaining. And the person to come fetch him was a person named 'Sergeant first class Jeong'. A steel hat deeply pressed on this person's head obscured their face.
“You, come with me.”
While he rode on the noisy military truck headed to somewhere, Yi Hyeon-Seong thought about his life one more time. He thought about the next couple of years ahead, as well as the trials and tribulations waiting for him.
His new army base was in the middle of a small mountain. And so, this would be where his army life would begin proper. He finished the simple registration process for a new recruit with the aid of a manager and headed off to the barracks.
And the moment he opened the building's door wide…
– You must definitely do this.
Yi Hyeon-Seong did exactly what the internet tip said he should do.
“Accept your newbie-!!”
If this was a regular army, his army life would've come to an end right there. That was, if this was the regular army base.
As his duffel bag was flung in the air, everything around him slowed down to a crawl, like a slow-motion video. The bag slowly came undone mid-air; unwashed army-issue underwears, toilet papers, and soap he used back in the boot camp very slowly scattered in the air. Also, Yi Hyeon-Seong's own triumphant, confident face, filled with the hope of his upcoming army life…
As this scene resembling a tragedy-filled movie played out, someone suddenly asked a question.
– ….What should we do?
That elicited a reply from someone else.
– Nothing much. This is who Hyeon-Seong-ssi is. In any case, let's accept this reality. The hardcore treatment last time didn't work, so this time, let's go with the promised 'progressive army' concept…
– Stop being noisy and get it started already, Kim Dok-Ja.
– ….Well then, let's start over again!
And then, the scene began moving forward again.
Splat!
His duffel bag shooting forward seemingly out of a cannon crashed on the floor like a real cannon shell.
The atmosphere became icy in an instant as if someone poured cold water. And the glares of his seniors belatedly stabbed into Yi Hyeon-Seong. Cold sweat trickled down his back. Could it be… that he made a mistake?
Right next moment.
Sergeant first class Jeong grinned brightly and clapped hands. “Begin your smile exercise, now! Hahahaha! Wow, now that was funny! My first time seeing such a refreshing debut!”
That prompted the seniors in the barracks to give him a standing ovation as if they were waiting for this moment.
“Rookie-nim, really well done!”
“Wonderful job.”
As the sounds of hands clapping resounded out, Yi Hyeon-Seong grew even more puzzled, but still, his triumphant air returned. The 'sweet' tip had been right.
Sergeant first class Jeong spoke towards the soldiers. “Jung-Hyeok-ee, you're his direct senior, so take good care of this guy.”
“…..Understood.”
Chapter end
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