“Hmm. As expected, our team leader is a monster.”
Park Jinsung had slightly opened the door to watch from midway through the fight. He pondered when he should help, but the situation was embarrassingly overwhelming.
Byun Kiyoung had miscalculated.
“This b*tch…!”
The restriction of not being able to jump around at school was only applicable to Byun Kiyoung.
Initially, on the rooftop of the building, there was nothing to pull out, and it was forbidden to destroy anything to make it possible.
“Hey, team leader.”
Kim Seyeon’s Edeya shone even more in localized battles.
“Ugh, this b*tch keeps on!”
“Hey, hey, team leader.”
Kim Seyeon took out everyone except Byun Kiyoung. Whether Byun Kiyoung charged in or not, Kim Seyeon kept isolating only him.
“Wow.”
Park Jinsung, forgetting the fact that his jaw had dropped, just kept on admiring. It felt like he was watching a martial arts movie right in front of him.
Not even 3 minutes had passed since the group beating disguised as a battle began. However, the side that should have received the group beating had instead beaten the entire group.
“Hey, hey, team leader, look. What should we do now?”
“Tsk, garbage is still garbage no matter how much you gather.”
Byun Kiyoung clicked his tongue as he looked at the fallen underlings.
“Byun Kiyoung, if you faint now, it’ll be over. Just take the hits and finish it. Got it?”
“Heh heh. Yeah. Let’s finish it. I’m bleeding.”
Even though Byun Kiyoung was the only one left, he seemed very confident. It seemed obvious that he was hiding something.
‘Hmph. I don’t care.’
However, Kim Seyeon didn’t hesitate. After all, justice was on his side.
Kim Seyeon pulled back his fist, preparing for a big punch.
“I’ll aim for your abdomen. Brace your stomach tightly.”
“Hehe. When haven’t things gone as you wanted? Do as you please, trashy girl.”
“Well, yeah, that’s true.”
Zap!
The clenched fist flew into Byun Kiyoung’s abdomen.
Game over with that.
Knocking down the team leader will finally dissolve this stupid group.
Kim Seyeon was overwhelmed with the thought of taking a quick shower. After washing up, she felt like having a cold drink.
“Hehe. It’s the end for you.”
“Huh? What did you just say…”
When Kim Seyeon refocused her attention,
“Hehehehe!”
Byun Kiyoung was quickly lowering his posture. He was intent on taking Kim Seyeon’s full swing directly to his face.
“Ugh! Byun Kiyoung, you!”
She couldn’t react in time. Her mistake was being distracted.
After all, it’s a punch swung by the White Jade Goblin. A full swing at that. And on top of that, he’s even leaning in with his face.
This one hit would distort the meaning of the group lynching.
Only the fact that Kim Seyeon assaulted him unilaterally will remain evident.
Despite the rapid thoughts flashing through her mind, Kim Seyeon couldn’t pull back her fist.
‘This snake-like bastard…!’
In that short span, her body was too committed. And Byun Kiyoung’s timing was extremely precise.
“Hehe. I’ve won.”
His face, ready to take the hit, was filled with a victorious smile.
‘Damn it.’
When Kim Seyeon finally sensed her defeat,
“Ouch.”
A third party intervened between the fist and the face.
Whoosh, snap.
“Huh, trainee?!”
“Ouch. Watch out, sir. What would you do if your handsome nose broke?”
A punch, mastering intermediate sword expertise, was neutralized by a mere F-grade grip.
“F-grade trash! How did you… Kehuk!”
As Park Jinsung caught Kim Seyeon’s punch, he simultaneously kicked Byun Kiyoung in the abdomen. Byun Kiyoung, hit unexpectedly in the stomach, trembled in pain.
“Ouch! Are you okay? Did I kick too hard?”
“Ki, Kim Seyeon, kehuk. Did you… ugh, did you bring him?”
“Huh? Me? Why would I?”
“How could you, Sergeant Kim Seyeon! Weren’t you in a bit of a pinch just now?”
“What are you talking about? I would have been fine on my own!”
‘What the heck?!’
Inside, Kim Seyeon couldn’t hide her astonishment. She had tried her best to act unfazed.
She wasn’t sure why Park Jinsung was here, but Park Jinsung must have been hiding behind the rooftop door.
‘It doesn’t make sense.’
So, he ran from there to here to stop it? Even when she couldn’t pull back her punch?
It’s an unbelievable feat.
Is that really the reflex of an F-grade?
“Well… intervening is one thing. But you stopped my full swing…?”
“Sergeant Kim Seyeon? Sergeant, are you okay? Are you hurt? Did I block it unnecessarily?”
Pieces of what looked like plastic debris were stuck to the bewildered Kim Seyeon’s fist.
“Sheesh. These trash really come in sets.”
Byun Kiyoung, pulling himself together, spat out an insult.
“Oh, sir. Are you okay now? Hey, it’s getting late. What’s with all this fuss? Why can’t we just go home peacefully?”
“Tsk. Don’t talk to me. Your breath stinks.”
“Lie, don’t lie! How can you say that when I’m so clean?!”
Startled by the unexpected comment, Park Jinsung checked his own breath with his palm.
“Heh heh. Anyway, the two of you are finished now. The moment I, as the squad leader, report to the platoon leader…!”
“Huh? What on earth did I do wrong? Shouldn’t I actually receive a commendation for protecting the squad leader?!”
“Heh. Right, exactly. After all, our cute recruit did save your ugly face. Your petty schemes are already over.”
Kim Seyeon said, retracting her Edeya. The once shining horn disappeared smoothly back into her forehead.
“Hehe. You lost the moment you deemed it petty, you trash. I knew this would happen, so I’ve been recording from the very beginning. I installed a camcorder behind the rooftop door…”
“Huh? Are you talking about this?”
Where Park Jinsung pointed, shattered plastic pieces, barely recognizable, lay scattered. They were of the same origin as the ones stuck to Kim Seyeon’s hand.
“Oops. Sorry. In a hurry, I just grabbed anything and ran. Hehe, you know, getting a direct hit from the vice squad leader hurts. Anyway! I really never imagined that was yours. Please, just don’t ask for compensation.”
“Hey, recruit! Did you block my punch with just a camcorder?!”
“Don’t say that! Squad leader! Will I take responsibility if it’s broken?!”
All the petty schemes really did come to an end. All the reasons to expel Kim Seyeon vanished.
“……”
Byun Kiyoung, with wide eyes, turned his gaze to the setting sun. The sun was setting quite dramatically.
“How did you block my punch? Answer now! Or should I just punch you?!”
“Aack! Why all this even when I came to help! Squad leader!”
The previously knocked down soldiers began to recover one by one. The newly awakened soldiers couldn’t quite adapt to the disoriented Byun Kiyoung.
“You’re not going to tell me how you did it? Really… Huh?”
“Uh! I’ll report you if you hit me!”
“Wait. Jinsung, come here.”
“V,Vice Squad leader?”
Suddenly serious, Kim Seyeon took Park Jinsung to the group of soldiers.
“Hey, you guys.”
“……”
The soldiers, who had lost their words and direction, couldn’t even lift their heads.
“Didn’t I tell you? Learn from our recruit. It’s not too late. Reflect on yourselves.”
Kim Seyeon spoke with great pride. She held one hand on her waist and held her head up high.
Park Jinsung and Kim Seyeon chatted and left the rooftop.
It was an all too hollow conclusion. The thirty who had dreamed of a great event couldn’t stop those two.
“Vice squad leader, do you also have second year syndrome?”
“Heh. Nonsense. I never had anything like puberty.”
“I should tell Corporal Ahn Seongho that I’ve found a comrade.”
“Huh? You had second year syndrome? Don’t associate with me. Your breath stinks.”
“I brushed my teeth?! Sniff sniff. How could I possibly have bad breath?!”
“Don’t lie. Then why do you stutter?”
“Ugh! Let go of my arm! It’s been numb for a while!”
The gradually fading banter reminded them that this was reality.
“Damn it.”
Byun Kiyoung and the thirty others couldn’t leave the rooftop for a while.
* * *
“Dig! Keep digging! There’s no such thing as break time in this world!”
Thud thud thud thud.
Haeun High School, 2nd year, Class 10.
The 10th platoon of the 2nd company of Haeun Special Education Regiment was gathered in the middle of the drill ground.
Moreover, it was 2 PM, the time when the sun’s energy was most abundant on the earth’s surface.
“Squad leader! Why on earth are we doing this?!”
“Quiet! Keep digging!”
The objections raised were ignored by the squad leaders without any consideration.
“Ugh! Squad leader!”
“All squad members, listen! This training is to establish a more advantageous formation during combat stalemates! Each and every one of your efforts in digging will directly affect the lives of your comrades!”
“It’s too hot! Can’t we just use Edeya?! I think this is too inefficient!”
“Quiet! Dig instead of talking!”
Once again, the squad leaders dismissed all objections.
Students of 2-10 class weren’t allowed to use Edeya or even long standard shovels. They were making holes in the hard drill ground using only entrenching shovels.
The difference between a standard shovel and an entrenching shovel is enormous.
Entrenching shovels prioritize portability, so they’re much shorter. Digging with it for even a short while would strain the neck, shoulders, waist, and arms.
Eventually, the relatively less fit students began to groan.
“Heuk heuk heuk.”
“I can’t dig a hole.”
“Heuk heuk. Is there, heuk, a stone buried here?”
The students’ stamina was so low that even slightly hard geological layers felt like rocks. In the age of Edeya, there weren’t many children with good physical strength to begin with.
Once again, the frustrated squad leaders made their final appeal.
“Platoon leader! It’s too hard! It’s not even the construction season, do we really need to dig this much?!”
“Consider it a part of the training.”
“Please let us use Edeya!”
“What if the enemy detects Edeya? No.”
“Then how long do we have to dig?”
“Just dig! You lot! That’s the military for you!”
Wasn’t it said that positions change people?
Even in a society based on meritocracy, the military was still the military.
The class teacher, now serving as the 10th platoon leader, had become an officer brimming with flexibility.
“Exempt one person from the 2nd squad due to heat stroke!”
“The rest dig. That’s camaraderie.”
“4th squad! We request a break!”
“Hmph. Fine. The squad that completes five holes first can take turns resting.”
‘This is it.’
Upon hearing the platoon leader’s words, Park Jinsung’s eyes lit up.
It was crucial to conserve energy since they didn’t know how long they had to dig. He believed an opportunity like this would surely arise if he waited.
“Heh.”
Kim Seyeon, having read Park Jinsung’s expression, smiled contentedly. Soaked in sweat, she straightened her back after a long time and shouted.
“3rd squad! Everyone, halt!”
“Huh? All of a sudden?”
“Don’t we need to dig quickly? I want to rest soon…”
Members of the 3rd squad hesitated, pausing their work.
They wore visibly confused expressions. However, Kim Seyeon paid no mind and called out to Park Jinsung.
“Hey, recruit.”
“Yes, Private First Class.”
“How many can you manage?”
“…Hmm, split the squad in half.”
“…I see. Alright. All squad members, listen! Divide the squad into two groups! Execute!”
Byun Kiyoung was the first to move, looking more subdued than usual, perhaps due to the events on the rooftop.
Excluding Park Jinsung, members of the 3rd squad swiftly split themselves. They interpreted Kim Seyeon’s unexpected order as an instruction to concentrate on one hole.
Scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape!
Their efficiency improved remarkably compared to before. Inspired by this sight, other squads began to follow the 3rd squad’s lead.
“Hehehe. But the true intention wasn’t that, was it, Recruit Park Jinsung?”
Slyly appearing behind Kim Seyeon, Park Jinsung emerged with a cunning look.
“Recruit ready.”
“Good… Go…”
Without even looking, Kim Seyeon gave an order to Park Jinsung.
“Victory.”
Watching that imposing figure from behind, Park Jinsung murmured, almost as if giving a half-hearted salute.
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