Ku-gugugugu!
Like a breaking glass, the sky above cracked apart with black lines running through it.
Yi Hyeon-Seong stared at the heavens filling up with rifts and asked me. “Sergeant Kim Dok-Jnim? Are we really going to be alright?”
I too had to look up after listening to him. The world seemed to be crumbling down.
The reason for that was clear – someone was attacking
I turned back and discovered my companions looking at me; Yu Jung-Hyeok, Han Su-Yeong, Yu Sang-Ah, Jeong Hui-Won…..
I didn't have to say it, but we already knew what our choice would be.
“It'll be fine. Do you think I'm a sergeant just for a show? Don't worry about a thing.”
The sky was breaking down. Yet, how could he say it was all fine?
Yi Hyeon-Seong couldn't quite understand it. Was the military originally like this?
⸢Kim Dok-Ja simply smiled quietly.⸥
A calm, collected smile floated upon his face.
Sergeant Kim Dok-Ja would only say this. “Even the squad leader will tell you it's fine.”
Indeed, the squad leader really did gather the soldiers in the training ground a short while later and began her speech.
She might be small-statured, but still, was overflowing with charisma. With an unreadable expression on her face, she scanned the rest of the troops and opened her mouth. “Your squad leader, me, is really disappointed in you.”
That unexpected opening caused the soldiers to tense up.
“You have not read webnovels during your downtime.”
Yi Hyeon-Seong inwardly flinched. It was true. Even yesterday, he didn't read webnovels during his break but practised the military gymnastics routine with Yu Jung-Hyeok.
“And so, this squad leader is planning to leave this base.”
Yi Hyeon-Seong became stupefied by that unexpected declaration.
….She was leaving? Hushed murmurs could be heard coming from here and there.
“And Yi Hyeon-Seong.”
When he regained his wits, she was already beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder.
“Private second class Yi Hyeon-Seong, ma'am!”
This would be his first time seeing her up close. Her name and rank could be seen on top of her neatly arranged uniform.
Captain Han Su-Yeong – that was her rank, and her name.
⸢”How long are you planning to stay dazed? You better start moving! You wish to see Kim Dok-Ja kicking the bucket?”⸥
Why was this? For a moment there, a stinging pain accompanied a set of strange memories brushing past his mind.
What was that just now….?
“Look, you're stupefied again.”
“P-Private second class Yi Hyeon-Seong!”
The squad leader stared at him with unreadable eyes before lightly patted him on his cheek. “You better read more books, okay? You're slow, so you simply have to read lots more books. You'll survive for longer that way.”
Squad leader Han Su-Yeong left behind indecipherable words and left the base.
Two days after Captain Han Su-Yeong left.
The cracks in the skies were growing larger. It was like seeing the first signs of a world coming to an end.
“Yi Hyeon-Seong, have you memorised the exercise routine yet?”
He looked behind to discover Private first-class Yu Jung-Hyeok.
“Private second class Yi Hyeon-Seong! I've memorised everything!”
“You've filled up the army-issue canteen, too?”
“I've filled it up with exactly two litres!”
Yi Hyeon-Seong felt a bit scared by that pair of sharp, angry eyes. He hadn't made any mistakes, yet they remained critical.
“What about the barracks code of conduct?”
“P-Private second class Yi Hyeon-Seong!! T-that, I haven't….!”
The moment he said that, he inwardly went, oops, I'll get scolded again. He swallowed nervously and just as he tried to squeeze his eyes shut, heard Yu Jung-Hyeok's voice.
“You should be able to memorise it soon. It's not that long, anyway.”
“….Pardon? Ah, you must've heard me wrong. No, I have not…!”
What on earth was going on here? He made two consecutive mistakes just now, yet Yu Jung-Hyeok didn't criticise him.
Not only that, those scary eyes were no longer angry when looking back at Yi Hyeon-Seong.
“I will be shipping out tomorrow.”
“….I don't quite follow, senior?”
“Yi Hyeon-Seong, you can't refer to the field manual on everything. You won't find a senior willing to aid you every single time.”
Why was this?
Why did Private first-class Yu Jung-Hyeok's back turning around to leave feel so familiar to him?
And now, it was the time for the counterattack.
Chapter end
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