Following the 10th Plastoon of the 2nd Company, the 1st Platoon of the 3rd Company, where Ahn Sungho was, took the special forces test.
Ahn Sungho, of course, passed all the tests, and all the members of the 1st Squad, including Ju Ye, were judged as special forces.
Being third-year students composed only of sergeants didn’t necessarily mean they all had outstanding physical abilities.
It was just that the 3-1, 1st Squad was an unusual case. Their experience serving as guerrilla instructors played a significant role.
“Easy.”
Ahn Sungho, as expected, didn’t sweat a single drop. By this point, one might wonder if his sweat glands were blocked, but he was somewhat tired now.
The current time is 11:00 pm.
Having sent the zombie squad back first, Ahn Sungho also finished his training diligently alone today.
Due to the improved capabilities of the zombie squad and Park Jinsung, training with them started to feel like a warm-up.
“Huh.”
Pure satisfaction!
From Ahn Sungho’s perspective, it was about getting tired faster and pushing to the limits more quickly.
“Not a bad day.”
Moreover, today was a day he could push his body even more fiercely than other days. The adorably naive newbies all came to the gym with their special forces badges.
“Sergeant Ahn Sungho!”
“All members of the radiant zombie squad have passed the special forces test!”
Their strides were full of pride but devoid of arrogance, marked by a sense of achievement and an insane desire to improve.
How commendable!
It was praiseworthy enough that all members had become special forces, but even more so that none of them were complacent.
“Sigh.”
Ahn Sungho rotated his creaking shoulders.
To further stimulate the sense of improvement in the newbies, and to show them that this is precisely where they could aspire to reach, Ahn Sungho performed an impressive feat that wasn’t quite a feat.
“I’m satisfied.”
It had been ages since his legs had wobbled like this.
There had been no equal challengers for a while, and recently, Ahn Sungho had always been exercising on the edge, making his current physical state feel somewhat awkward.
Ahn Sungho left the battalion and headed home through the alleyways.
It was an ambiguous time when it wasn’t clear if people were around or not, but today, it seemed to lean more towards no one being around.
“Aaack! Let go!”
“Hmm?”
A scream was heard from a path veering to the right. It was a dead-end filled with all sorts of trash.
“Hahaha! Who’s gonna eat you up?! Let’s have some fun together!”
“No, noooo…!”
Cliché lines from third-rate thugs were also present.
Ahn Sungho, backlit by a streetlamp, entered the dead-end alley.
“Stop it. This is a warning.”
“Eh? Eh? Eeeeeh?!”
“What are you?!”
Shadows overlapped upon shadows. A considerable number of thugs sneered at the sight of Ahn Sungho.
***
“Hey, is it tasty? If it’s tasty, give me a cheek kiss.”
Kim Seyun said this while pressing her puffed cheeks with her stretched index finger.
“Chomp chomp chomp. Slurp. You shouldn’t bother someone when they’re eating.”
“I’m buying, so shouldn’t you pay a price?”
“That’s enough. You’re getting chicken crumbs on me.”
“Oh my. How sweet. But it’s okay… it’s okay…. So, why can’t you just do it quickly?!”
Park Jinsung and Kim Seyun were at a chicken restaurant in a bustling area. They specifically chose a strongly-scented chicken because of the sweat smell ingrained in Park Jinsung’s body.
“Munch munch munch. I won’t ask the situation, so can we just quietly eat the chicken? Nom nom.”
“I’m the one buying, right? Did you leave your conscience at the gym?”
“It’s because I have a conscience that I’m eating with you. Chomp nom nom.”
“Spit it out… spit it all out…!”
Kim Seyun usually went straight home whenever Park Jinsung went to the HT. However, today, she specifically waited for him until his workout was over.
“Hehe. It’s delicious.”
Right after his club activities ended, Kim Seyun kidnapped Park Jinsung and brought him to this chicken restaurant.
“Jinsung, usually when the heroine doesn’t go home, doesn’t it make the male lead sweetly excited?”
“I’m not the male lead. And you’re not the heroine.”
“Fine! Then! Can I just hit you once? Just once?!”
“…Is there something wrong at home?”
Park Jinsung asked nonchalantly while tearing into a chicken wing.
“Hmph. No such thing, you idiot.”
“…I see.”
Park Jinsung, recalling his hellish childhood, deliberately didn’t ask further. He well knew the strength of merely having someone by his side, without needing to speak of it.
Young Park Jinsung also didn’t know how much help and salvation he had received. Now, even if that presence was merely being absorbed into his stomach.
“Hey, show-off. Is it good? Is it?”
“Can’t you tell by how eagerly I’m eating? Hehe. It’s incredibly delicious.”
“Really? Then, just do me one favor. Okay?”
“Eh… Marriage proposals are out of the question. Also, getting married, having kids, the bridegroom living with the bride’s family, all rejected.”
“My, my image… Why do you say that without even hearing me out?”
“Hehe. Do you finally think something is wrong? So, please keep the jokes in moderation.”
“Eh? Wrong? Hehe… Yes… It feels terribly wrong….”
“Eh?”
“To think the extent of words that come out of our dear husband’s mouth is only at that level.”
“Eeeh?!”
Park Jinsung stopped tearing into his wing and shuddered violently.
“What went wrong from where? Haven’t I gone too far already? Sigh. Should I increase the intensity?”
“What, increase what? Don’t tell me you’re going to tease me more here.”
“You got it. So? Are you going to listen to my request or not?”
“First, I need to hear what this task is! Do I have a hunch that my fate depends on it? Is that an illusion?!”
“Hey, show-off.”
The atmosphere that enveloped Kim Seyun shifted abruptly into a combative stance.
“……”
“Let’s just fight, one round.”
“No.”
“Why…?”
Kim Seyun sent a quiet but sharp, and chillingly honest gaze. The short word ‘why’ tried to land with a heavy weight on Park Jinsung’s ears.
“Because I will win.”
“Really? Good for me. I have to marry a man who is stronger than me.”
“Just live as a gold miss then. Nobody cares these days.”
“Let’s fight.”
Zap.
Truly a Sword Expert-level goblin.
The killing intent emanating from the White Jade Goblin was so strong it made the skin tingle. If it hadn’t been for an atypical Edeya like killing intent, it would have been overwhelmingly oppressive.
“…So, where shall it be?”
“The gym or the battalion drill ground. It’s open late every day because of Ahn Sungho.”
“Phew. Good. That place is a bit troublesome.”
“……”
“You saw, didn’t you? Sergeant Ahn Sungho also overworked himself today. He must have gone home early, so the battalion is closed.”
“……”
“D-Deputy?”
Kim Seyun’s momentum evaporated as if it had never been there.
“Hm… So, even outright pressure doesn’t work on you? Fine. I don’t want to anymore.”
“Phew… Deputy, my Edeya is.”
“You don’t have to say it. I get the gist. You’re the first to cut my horn, show-off. And, even if it seems like it, I have a lot of secrets too.”
“Oh my goodness. I thought Deputy didn’t keep secrets like that.”
“Hehe. Beauties always have many secrets. I’ll spill mine soon enough, ahem, and I’ll listen to yours too.”
“Eh. I’m fine, though.”
“Alright! If we’re done eating, let’s go!”
“Eh?! I haven’t finished yet!!”
Kim Seyun grabbed Park Jinsung and pulled him up.
Being high school students in combat uniforms attracted quite a bit of attention. Some recognized Kim Seyun and even pulled out their phones.
Kim Seyun confidently kicked open the door of the chicken shop, her hair swaying as she led the way, perfectly embodying something between a celestial being and a heroic leader.
“Ah, no. I’m getting a good scent from Deputy…!”
“Hey, show-off. If I’m in danger, will you save me?”
“Good sce…! Yesyesyes?! Eek. Let’s talk about that after you’re in danger. Who dares to put the White Jade Goblin in danger?”
“You?”
“Ugh.”
Park Jinsung spent some time mindlessly following the presence of Kim Seyun.
The neon lights illuminating the streets, the scattered street lamps, and even the passing glances were not as bright as the goblin beside him.
The White Jade Goblin, beloved by everyone, shone with her very being.
‘What’s with today’s Deputy?’
However, today, this confident side profile seemed to make even the chill night air feel lonely, as if heavy thoughts were pressing down hard on Kim Seyun.
“But you know, Jinsung.”
Kim Seyun, who had been walking forward, looked back at Park Jinsung and smiled.
“If Ahn Sungho and I fought, who do you think would win?”
“Hehe. Sergeant would win. Sergeant is a monster.”
“Shut it. Even if a couple’s fight is said to be like cutting water with a knife, my knife can split water itself. You’d do well to be careful.”
“Still, Sergeant Ahn Sungho would win. Sergeant Ahn Sungho is the real deal.”
“Hmph. Die. Ah, I mean, both Ahn Sungho and you.”
Kim Seyun began to stride ahead, her steps bold and confident, leaving no room for a speck of worry.
“……”
But to Park Jinsung, it looked a bit different.
Her shoulders seemed heavily burdened, yet he couldn’t muster the courage to comfort her.
***
“Stop it. This is a warning.”
“Eh? Eh?! Eeeeeh?!”
“What are you?!”
This was unmistakably South Korea, yet a slum seemed to unfold before one’s eyes.
The scene was decorated with trash that seemed to burst from the garbage bins, explicitly showcasing its filthiness.
The walls were recklessly scribbled with sentences like “Die,” and the lone street lamp and the faint smell of cigarettes tried their best to embellish this untidy space.
“Aaaaaah?! What the hell is this dumbass? Hey! What are you, dude!!”
“Hic! Ah, it’s Ahn Sungho!”
Everything seemed to capture the darkness of the streets, but the protagonists’ attire was a bit odd.
‘Hmm… combat uniforms?’
Ahn Sungho quietly assessed the situation.
Around fifteen thugs were all dressed in digital military uniforms. Aside from a slight hint of green, they looked no different from standard digital military uniforms.
The thugs in military uniforms were surrounding a woman, snickering and laughing.
Ahn Sungho slightly furrowed his brows.
“Soldiers…? What kind of mess is this here?”
“Aaah?! Is that really Ahn Sungho? Yeow! You seem different from middle school?!”
Ahn Sungho’s height was confirmed to be 185 cm through a physical examination.
“Hey! Ahn Sungho! Remember me?! Huh?!”
A giant, taller than Ahn Sungho by a head, approached him with a smile.
The man’s loud voice seemed to overshadow even Ahn Sungho’s physique, his broad shoulders proving he wasn’t just tall.
“I remember. You are definitely.”
“Kahaha! Sungho! You’ve done quite well for yourself in my absence, huh?! Annoyingly so.”
The giant muttered his last sentence under his breath, his expression turning serious suddenly, releasing an unintended aura of menace.
“Kang Jinno, why are you wearing a military uniform?”
“Hey! Sungho! Sawdust, dude! You used to grovel before me, remember?!”
The giant Kang Jinno called out, pointed at Ahn Sungho and shouted.
The main culprit behind Ahn Sungho’s uncharacteristic defeat at a regional competition during middle school.
Ahn Sungho was rolled on the ground by Kang Jinno in just 1 minute and 30 seconds, and even that time was made purely by Ahn Sungho barely managing to run away.
“First, let the woman go. This isn’t advice; it’s an order.”
“Aaaaaah?! A piece of sawdust that should be fluttering on the ground dares to speak?! Hey! Hick!”
“Hic.”
Thud, thud.
Kang Jinno, muscular like a horse, was even bigger than Ahn Sungho. And bigger than Kang Jinno was a pig, who approached with a strange laughter.
“Hic. Really Ahn Sungho. So good to see ya.”
The pig was also in a combat uniform, though it was so tight it looked like the zipper might burst, hardly resembling a soldier.
“If you’re Kang Jinno and Ahn Sungho, muscular giants, then this hiccuping pig is just a large lump of fat?”
“Hey! Hick! I’m gonna keep hunting, so just squash him! Got it?! Huh?!”
“Hic. Don’t worry, Jinno. Ahn Sungho can never beat me.”
The pig, still hiccuping, touched what seemed like layers of neck, speaking confidently.
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