Kim Do-cheol hummed as he looked for Kim Ha-yoon. Kim Ha-yoon was standing in front of the window again today. In the training ground, trainees were taking off their shirts and doing their morning run. Ire was among them. His hair color aside, his skin was so pale that he stood out even from a distance.
“Doesn’t it look good? The way they’re working hard, I mean.”
Kim Ha-yoon returned to his seat, picked up a cigar, and cut the end with a cutter. Then, he carefully examined the documents that Kim Do-cheol had brought.
“How on earth did you persuade him?”
Having confirmed that Matteo’s surgery had been successful, Ire was diligently participating in training, unlike before. The guy who used to shoot at the target next to him apparently got a perfect score overnight, surprising everyone.
Moreover, in the mock training a few days ago, he took on the role of leader and was the first to kill the enemy. He added that the Instructor in charge had praised Ire. Ha-yoon, who was looking at the evaluation sheet, exhaled a long stream of smoke and threw it forward, covering it.
“He can be put into operation right after the completion ceremony.”
“That’s difficult. Even if he’s just backing up, he’s still a greenhorn.”
“A greenhorn? He’s twenty, he’s all grown up.”
Kim Do-cheol frowned at the firm attitude.
“Unexpected. I thought you liked him, since you kept him so close?”
Kim Do-cheol was very surprised to hear that Kim Ha-yoon had taken the guy from District B to his house. He wasn’t the type to let anyone into his bedroom, even if he played around messily outside. He was about to ask why he went so far, but he subtly probed, just in case.
“Did you sleep with him?”
Kim Ha-yoon smiled brightly.
“You’re going to die because of that mouth of yours someday, hyung.”
“Why? He has fair skin and is pretty. Even if they don’t show it, there are quite a few guys who have their eyes on him. Keep living in a place full of guys. What does gender matter? I heard somewhere that sticking it in the ass is just,”
Kim Do-cheol mimicked putting his finger in and out of a hole, and Kim Ha-yoon snorted with a dumbfounded expression. Then, he suddenly thought of Ire’s face. Yeah, he is pretty for a guy. No, rather than pretty, what should I say? He looks sexy. His hair color and eyes must have played a part in that.
Adding to that, his smooth, hairless crotch…
Kim Ha-yoon raised one eyebrow and smiled crookedly.
He soon rubbed the cigar in his hand against the ashtray and muttered.
“Come to think of it, he does look like he’d be good to fuck.”
Looking down from the tall building, Han-gyeol frowned. It was the day of the building rappelling training, but as soon as he came up, his heart rate soared. Seo Young-jun, who was behind him, nudged Ire as he watched him pounding his chest with his fist to calm down.
“That bastard’s going to faint again this time.”
Whether he heard it or not, Han-gyeol glared and raised his middle finger.
“Okay, quiet. This time, it’s reverse rappelling. You learned it last class, right? Go down to 5m and then reverse descend. First group, four people forward.”
Han-gyeol trembled and stepped forward first. In the last class, he couldn’t overcome his fear of heights and fainted while hanging. As expected, his face was pale again today, and he was on the verge of fainting.
As soon as the Instructor’s command fell, the other trainees jumped down the building without hesitation. However, Han-gyeol couldn’t take his feet off the wall. Seeing that, the other guys giggled and sneered.
“He’s going to piss himself.”
“Hey crybaby. Stop it and go down. How long are you going to stay like that?”
“Can’t you be quiet!”
The Instructor shouted and glared at Han-gyeol, who was precariously hanging with one leg on the railing.
“Number 2021. You’re disqualified if you can’t go down this time either. Get a grip.”
Han-gyeol nodded vigorously and began to move little by little. The basic rappelling, where he spread his feet shoulder-width apart and came down, was relatively easy to succeed, but in the reverse descent, where he turned his body and came down upside down, he couldn’t maintain his balance properly, and his lower body repeatedly went back and forth.
“Grab the rope with your feet! How many times do I have to say it!”
The Instructor’s shouting voice echoed loudly, and the atmosphere became fierce. Seo Young-jun and Ire, who were watching, sighed quietly. Han-gyeol was smart and excelled in theoretical classes, but he kept falling behind in physical training, which stressed him out.
The other trainees who had started earlier had already arrived on the ground, but Han-gyeol was still flapping in the middle like a fish hanging from a rope. Lunchtime was right after the training, and at this rate, the group might skip lunch. If that happened, the trainees would pour out their resentment.
Whether it was the Instructor’s threat to cut the rope that worked, Han-gyeol barely reached the bottom. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that he slipped by accident and stopped just before slamming his face into the ground.
It was Ire’s turn, and as he skillfully came down, the Instructor below patted him on the shoulder, saying he did well. Then, he made eye contact with Han-gyeol. There was a sense of bitterness in his face as he gave him a thumbs up and said he did well.
Ire looked at the Instructor as he sat down in his seat. He was writing something on the evaluation sheet. Soon, a report would go to Kim Ha-yoon. Isn’t this enough to repay the favor? It was bitter, but this was the only thing he could do.
After the training, he washed the dust off his face and headed to the cafeteria. As usual, Seo Young-jun and Oh Nam-gi were already there, but Han-gyeol was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Han-gyeol?”
“I don’t know.”
Ire, who was about to sit down, quickly looked around the cafeteria. Park Mu-jin was also nowhere to be seen. The gang that followed him around like remoras were eating together, but only Park Mu-jin was absent. Worried, he watched them, but Seo Young-jun pulled his arm.
“Don’t worry about it and eat. How can he eat right now?”
Oh Nam-gi agreed with Seo Young-jun’s words.
“I don’t know how that bastard, who has such a severe fear of heights, thought of applying here.”
“His other scores are good.”
“What’s the point? He’ll just be trembling like that in an emergency.”
The two talked about Han-gyeol, and Ire put his tray on the seat and pushed the chair in.
“I’ll bring him.”
“I told you not to go.”
But Ire was one step faster. He was more concerned because Park Mu-jin usually bullied them. He went to the room to find Han-gyeol, but he wasn’t there. With a hunch, he headed to the communal shower room and pushed the door open without hesitation. Then, he stopped walking at the faint sound he heard.
Along with the sound of water flowing, there was a strange splashing sound from inside the shower room. Was he being beaten? Worried, he took a step, then stopped. Beyond the translucent glass window, the sight of two masses of flesh intertwined was vividly revealed.
His mind stopped for a moment.
“Mu, Mu-jin! I like it there, heu, there!”
Ire knew the owner of the voice. Then, the sound suddenly stopped, and he heard a shout, “Who is it!” Ire unknowingly burst out of the door and ran out. He hurriedly went to the lounge next to the shower room, closed the door, and held his breath.
Just now… what was that? Is that what I think it is?
But why is Han-gyeol doing that with Park Mu-jin in the shower room? Was he forced? But it wasn’t that kind of atmosphere. Ire raised his head and met his eyes in the mirror. His eyes, filled with embarrassment, were unable to grasp the situation.
After a long time, he finally came out. Fortunately, neither Han-gyeol nor Park Mu-jin were to be seen. He went into the cafeteria, and Park Mu-jin was sitting among the noisy trainees. He made eye contact with him, and his glare was fierce. Ire ignored him and headed to where his tray was placed. He sat down and picked up his spoon, but Seo Young-jun nudged his arm.
“Where’s Han-gyeol?”
“He wasn’t in the room…”
“Anyway, that bastard is so timid. Sigh.”
Seo Young-jun shook his head, and Ire picked up a spoonful of rice and forced it into his mouth. Perhaps because of the scene he had just seen, the rice, which was usually delicious, didn’t go down easily. In the end, he couldn’t eat more than a few spoonfuls and had to put down his spoon.