Chapter 98
Lieutenant Seo. Her real name is Seo Yoo-jin.
Her identity can be well explained by her rank, but I should probably first talk about her relationship with me. To put it simply, Seo Yoo-jin and I were like sworn enemies.
Who was she, you ask?
“Ah, now you’re lecturing me about social awareness? The one who lacked it so much she was demoted in the military?”
The reason Shin Hae-jun said this—in other words, the ‘colleague’ I fought with that led to my demotion to a rural post was none other than Seo Yoo-jin.
Typically, the reasons I end up fighting with someone are mostly because I witnessed some injustice that I absolutely could not accept. Of course, after joining the military organization, I learned that sometimes injustice has to be overlooked. But that only applied to superiors. I showed no mercy to colleagues or subordinates I could voice opinions to. Since Yoo-jin was a colleague, I treated her the same way.
One day, I was resting in an empty conference room when I overheard a conversation in the next room through an open window by chance. The content of the conversation was outrageous.
“Um, Lieutenant. That incident was not done by this sergeant.”
The ‘incident’ the man referred to turned out to be the recent embezzlement case that had rocked headquarters. From the rank, it didn’t seem like something a mere sergeant could pull off, so I unconsciously pricked up my ears.
“It was Captain Park’s order.”
“But if the sergeant is blamed, the sergeant would face dishonorable discharge for something he didn’t do…”
“Yeah, yeah. Then he’ll get imprisoned. So?”
What the hell is this?
So Captain Park committed the embezzlement but plans to pin it on this sergeant and get him dishonorably discharged?
“Hey. I’ll get a diamond next month. You know what that means. I’ll be under the Captain directly. If I can’t clean this up properly, I’m out. Get it?”
So in summary, Seo Yoo-jin was saying she would throw an innocent subordinate under the bus to become an officer. Embezzlement was a very serious crime during wartime like now, punishable even by the recently revived death penalty at court-martial. And yet she was going to frame an innocent person while letting the real culprit go? This was enough to make my head spin.
“Deal with it appropriately. Got it?”
What do you mean, “deal with it appropriately,” damn it.
Unable to—or rather, unwilling to restrain myself—I immediately rushed into the next room and had a huge argument with Seo Yoo-jin. Then I exposed to the higher-ups that the real culprit behind the embezzlement was Captain Park.
And the result?
‘I was the one who got demoted.’
My promotion to lieutenant was delayed by six whole months. Meanwhile, Yoo-jin got her diamond insignia that very night.
I never saw Seo Yoo-jin again after that, but I knew she badmouthed me tremendously. Whenever any soldier on Captain Park’s side saw me, they always cursed at me—of course, we fought too.
I thought, she’s the one in the wrong, so why is she throwing a tantrum at me? I wanted to say that, but afterward, Seo Yoo-jin disappeared from my memory. The world changed, I deserted, and there was no longer any reason to be involved with her. There were too many important things requiring my attention, so I naturally forgot about her.
However,
“You saw your senior but didn’t even greet her? Have you no manners, Min Ahyeon?”
To hear these shameless words again. I spoke again to Shin Hae-jun.
“If I had known Seo Yoo-jin would be here, I wouldn’t have participated.”
“It was decided at the last minute, so I didn’t have time to tell you. Just get in for now.”
“General.”
“When did you start calling me ‘you’?”
This bastard, really.
I had the feeling he deliberately hid that Seo Yoo-jin would be there. As I got into the car, I bit down hard on my lower lip. I could feel Seo Yoo-jin’s gaze right next to me.
“I asked if you weren’t going to greet your senior. Well?”
“I really don’t mean any disrespect, but I’m a civilian unaffiliated with the military.”
“What was that? You’re a deserter.”
“I became a civilian by deserting.”
I hurriedly added before Seo Yoo-jin could say anything.
“And ‘senior’? What nonsense is that? We were colleagues.”
“The one who got promoted earlier becomes the senior.”
“And who was it that blocked my promotion?”
“Who was it that got blocked from being promoted?”
From yesterday until today. I thought to myself that I really have a knack for picking fights, constantly arguing like this.
Seemingly sharing the same thought, a strange sound came from Oh Habin’s side as he gripped the steering wheel.
“Urgh.”
The sound of gagging.
Since he hadn’t started the car yet, Oh Habin was burying his face in the steering wheel, breathing heavily.
“I really feel like I’m going to throw up, so please stop fighting…”
“……”
At his desperate voice, Seo Yoo-jin and I made eye contact. No matter how much of a garbage person Seo Yoo-jin was, she wouldn’t act rudely even in this situation, so we both naturally nodded and closed our mouths.
“What a mess, such a mess.”
Whose fault is that?
I glared daggers at the back of Shin Hae-jun’s head as I fastened my seatbelt. The car started, and we headed for Taean.
🕂
Taean is a region along the West Sea coast.
It used to be famous as a camping spot in the past, but after the war broke out… well, the entire West Sea line got blown to pieces, so this place couldn’t survive either. The tidal flats were devastated by all sorts of missiles, and the sandy beaches disappeared without a trace. Politicians did come forward saying they would try to rebuild after the war ended, but with the outbreak of the infected crisis, those promises never materialized. Not that they would have been kept even without the crisis, but in any case.
But ironically, the West Sea regions, including Taean, were relatively safe havens. Because the infected couldn’t cross over water. If the path behind was blocked, there was no risk of an attack from the sea. For this reason, a shelter was built in Incheon, and there were several large refugee camps in other West Sea areas.
Taean was no exception. There are as many as 3 major refugee camps in this area alone.
As I looked out the car window driving along a fairly well-maintained road, I spotted a sign pointing towards a refugee camp and said:
“Aren’t we going to the refugee camp?”
Then I heard a mocking laugh from beside me. Seo Yoo-jin again. Ah, annoying.
“Didn’t you listen to the mission briefing?”
Her tone implied I was incompetent, but I was unperturbed. How was I supposed to know when Shin Hae-jun didn’t tell me? I shrugged nonchalantly.
“No, because someone didn’t inform me.”
I gestured with my chin towards the back of Shin Hae-jun’s head. Seo Yoo-jin’s face contorted slightly. After composing herself for a moment, she spoke again.
“Communication was cut off from the refugee camp by the coast. It was the first place to report about the mutant infected and researchers. So we’re checking there first.”
Mutant infected, researchers.
Bringing up those two points in my mind, I squinted at Seo Yoo-jin.
“When you say researchers, do you mean those guys who told us to collect mutant infected samples, like in Gangneung?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
As soon as I heard Seo Yoo-jin’s answer, Shin Hae-jun’s voice came from behind.
“We’ve been searching for them since then.”
“Pardon?”
“The researchers. We’ve been searching for them.”
It sounded like, how should I put it? Like he was making excuses. That he had been searching for the researchers and making efforts in his own way. Not just sitting idly by while remaining ignorant of you. Something like that.
Just as I was starting to feel a little unsettled, thinking I had gone too far, Oh Habin spoke as he turned the steering wheel.
“We’re almost there.”
With Oh Habin’s smooth handling of the steering wheel, I deliberately directed my words towards him. I felt that if I continued talking more with Shin Hae-jun here, it might lead to another argument or make the atmosphere awkward.
“Uh, yeah. You drive well, Oh Habin.”
“I don’t want to be praised by you.”
“Why are you saying that even when I’m complimenting you?”
And the conversation ended.
An awkward silence fell in the car again. Feeling a bit perplexed, I rolled my eyes and then leaned forward suddenly.
“Oh, by the way.”
Recalling the conversation I had with Yongcheol last night, I asked.
“Do you know anything about the wing drawing?”
As soon as I said that, Shin Hae-jun’s body turned. He opened his eyes wide and looked at me.
“What?”
His face looked really shocked, so I was puzzled.
“The wing drawing. I heard there’s only one wing drawn.”
“How do you……”
Right then.
“Kyaaak!”
Seo Yoo-jin’s scream was heard.
We all turned our heads at once toward where her gaze landed.
🕂
Thank you for reading! ♡
