Chapter 20

King Sejong created Hangeul to ensure smoother communication among his people. Yet, one's character could not solely be defined by language.

In ancient times, priests often prayed to the heavens on behalf of the people, ensuring the proper alignment of celestial order. Even under the same sky, there were hierarchies and corresponding dignities that had to be maintained.

"Snorrrk…"

But to see someone with the title of "teacher" passed out, snoring loudly in their seat... Words failed me.

"Here, Ha-Eun."

Ha-Soo-Yul handed me a tornado potato she’d bought from the rest stop.

Why a rest stop, you ask? Well, we were on our way to the military.

Technically, it was a "retreat," but let’s be real—if they control every aspect of your life and take away your freedom, it’s the military.

Our phones? Confiscated. AirPods? Gone. What are we supposed to do in the meantime?

"Thanks. Keep the change."

I had initially planned to give her my card—it’s so much more convenient—but Soo-Yul insisted on using hers, leaving me no choice but to give her cash.

‘No matter how old I am physically, I feel guilty freeloading off a kid.’

Sure, my body was sixteen, but mentally, I’d lived more than twice that. My conscience wasn’t dead yet.

Anyway, we were currently on a bus headed to the retreat—aka military boot camp. We’d stopped at a rest area for bathroom breaks and snacks.

I didn’t need the restroom, having gone before boarding the bus. It’s called planning ahead, people.

While Soo-Yul and Choi Ye-Seo went to buy food, I handed them some money for the errand.

They got to snack; I got to stay seated. Fair deal, right?

Our seating arrangement had me and Soo-Yul next to each other, with Ye-Seo and one of her friends sitting in front of us.

I didn’t know much about the friend—just that she always seemed to be around Ye-Seo. She had a model student vibe, but we hadn’t spoken.

Gulp.

What was that sound?

I turned to see Soo-Yul staring at me with eyes full of expectation.

"...Do you want some?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

For the record, she’d bought boiled baby potatoes. Turns out she has a thing for rustic snacks. I’d seen her polish off wild vegetable side dishes with gusto in the past.@@novelbin@@

"...!"

The tip of my tornado potato disappeared into her mouth before I’d even processed her reaction.

"Is it good?"

Vigorous nodding.

Her eyes sparkled. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go wrong.

"...You want some too?"

In front of me, Ye-Seo was staring, her mouth slightly open, practically drooling.

Ugh, how unbecoming.

"I do! I’ll trade you one of mine!"

She held out a so-tteok so-tteok

(sausage and rice cake skewer) from her cup.

Is that why she bought two?

"I’ll trade, too."

Beside me, Soo-Yul offered one of her baby potatoes.

Before I knew it, I had a sausage skewer, half a tornado potato, and a boiled potato in hand.

Where had I seen this scenario before?

"How’s the baby potato?"

"Not bad. It’s tasty."

I started with the potato. Surprisingly soft and nutty, it was better than expected.

Maybe I should ask Mom to steam some when I get home. Then again, I could probably just do it myself. How hard could it be? Toss them in the rice cooker, press a button, and voilà.

Or not.

"Ugh... I’m too full for lunch now."

After finishing all three, I was stuffed.

Unlike me, though...

"Man, I should’ve bought more."

"Same here. I want more."

Ye-Seo and Soo-Yul didn’t seem satisfied. Typical middle school girls, or should I say bottomless pits?

What baffled me most was how they could eat so much and not gain a single ounce.

For Ye-Seo, it made sense—she was always dancing and singing as part of her idol training. But Soo-Yul?

‘What’s your secret, Soo-Yul?’

I glanced at her, only to look away quickly when I realized my gaze lingered too long. She tilted her head in confusion.

"It’s nothing."

"? Okay. Oh, Ha-Eun, can you do this for me?"

"What is it?"

She showed me her phone screen, revealing a cat-themed puzzle game.

Judging by the layout, the goal was to fit all the shapes into a rectangular grid.

"This looks too easy."

I quickly solved it and handed the phone back. She looked at me, puzzled.

"...Explain it to me?"

I reset the game and started explaining the pieces one by one.

"You’ve played Tetris, right?"

"Yeah. Stack the blocks and clear lines."

"Exactly. It’s similar. Start by placing this long cat block here, and then..."

It probably took me ten minutes to explain everything. By the time I finished, the bus was already moving again.

If I do say so myself, I’m a Tetris pro. I’ve never lost. Things like I-pieces and T-spins? Not needed for this game. It was just a simple block-fitting puzzle.

"So, what goes here?"

By the end of my lecture, I felt like a literature professor mentoring a diligent graduate student.

"This piece?"

"Correct."

This was... oddly satisfying.

As we played the puzzle game together, time passed quickly.

"Alright, everyone, get off slowly. Don’t bump into the person in front of you, and make sure you have all your belongings."

The teacher, now awake, herded the students off the bus.

Since we were seated at the back, it took a while for our turn.

"Looks like the whole school is here. Poor first-years."

I nodded in agreement. They’d just graduated from elementary school, and now they were in military boot camp two months later.

Watching the incoming buses, Ye-Seo looked genuinely sympathetic.

I hoped she’d informed her agency about this trip. Not that it was my problem, but still.

After spending years together, our relationship felt like a mix of genuine friendship and mild annoyance.

‘Frenemies, maybe?’

You could almost call these two frenemies with how they treat me sometimes.

"Alright, time to get up. Let’s go."

I rose from my seat, urging Ha-Soo-Yul and Choi Ye-Seo to do the same. Ye-Seo’s friend followed as well.

Once all the students had exited the bus, our teacher and the rest of the staff instructed us:

"Line up properly."

Our teacher joined the other instructors while we shuffled into rows. As we stood there, a figure in uniform approached—

a soldier.

A sergeant, huh?

As a former military enthusiast, I recognized his rank insignia immediately.

The soldier and our teachers began discussing something while the students...

"Oh god, it’s so hot…"

We wilted under the scorching sun. Seriously, was this supposed to be spring weather?

I gave up and took off my cardigan, carrying it in one hand. Beneath, I wore a T-shirt that, while technically lighter, didn’t make much of a difference under the sweltering heat.

The longer the adults talked, the more the students’ frustration grew. Just as someone seemed on the verge of snapping—

"Everyone, fall in and follow me!"

...So, it begins. The paid military experience.

The sergeant started taking charge of us, with the teachers stepping in to assist. We eventually reached a designated area, where more soldiers were waiting.

Judging by the numbers, it seemed like each class had been assigned their own military personnel.

"Ha-Eun, look over there."

"Hm?"

Ha-Soo-Yul pointed to a group of people running in formation.

They don’t look like soldiers... students maybe?

On our way here, I had noticed people wearing different uniforms. Perhaps other schools were also participating, or this might really be a military academy.

Either way, not my problem.

For now, I focused on what was ahead.

We arrived at the training grounds—a wide expanse of dirt and sand often seen in military drills.

Ah, damn it. Never thought I’d see a place like this again.

Unpleasant memories bubbled to the surface, and I must’ve grimaced because Ha-Soo-Yul gave me a concerned look.

I waved it off, signaling I was fine, and turned my attention forward.

The sergeant from earlier had stepped aside, and another soldier now stood on a platform, speaking to us.

Honestly, why bother paying attention? They were clearly just trying to instill discipline.

"Are you here to have fun?!"

Yes, we are, sir. Exactly that. Their words were so predictable it was almost funny.

As the students’ enthusiasm drained, the soldier finally addressed something everyone cared about:

"The building in front of you is the male dormitory. The one opposite it is the female dormitory."

At the mention of accommodations, spirits lifted a bit.

The soldier continued outlining our schedule, but I didn’t bother to remember most of it.

Except for one thing—a nighttime event involving a performance and some fire tricks at the training grounds.

Playing with fire on a dirt field... Fantastic.

Under the direction of both the soldiers and the teachers, we started moving again.

Ha-Soo-Yul and Choi Ye-Seo were led away by a female soldier, leaving me with our class and our assigned male soldier.

At first glance, the guy seemed slim, but I quickly realized my mistake.

"You have until 11 o’clock to change and assemble outside!"

Once we entered our dorm, that was the only instruction we were given. It left us all in a daze.

"Wait… we’re staying here?"

"This is... insane."

"Damn it, we’ve only got 15 minutes? What about break time?"

Reactions ranged from disbelief to irritation, but the one thing that seemed to lift spirits was the sight of the beds.

"At least we won’t be uncomfortable sleeping."

The room had four sets of bunk beds, enough to comfortably accommodate our group. With two rooms assigned per class, overcrowding wasn’t an issue.

There were 13 boys in our class, so the remaining five were placed in the other room.

"Whoa, no way. These are actual military uniforms."

The sight of the uniforms brought back memories I’d rather not recall—days spent on pointless tasks.

Ignoring the grumbling of my classmates, I began changing into the uniform.

The standard-issue storage locker and gear felt like an unwelcome blast from the past.

After putting my belongings away, I donned the helmet and protective gear for my elbows and knees.

Ah, life...

A scratchy announcement blared from the speakers:

"All prepared students, assemble at the training grounds."

One by one, we began filing out. Before leaving, I glanced back at the dorm we’d be staying in for the next three days.

What a dump.

But it’s fine. I’ll get through this without breaking a sweat.

My goal? Total exemption from all training activities.