Chapter 8.18

“I’ve known you for some time. You didn’t recognize me for a long time, and you weren’t even able to memorize my name, though.”

“I wasn’t?”

“You called me Kim Youngjae. Just thinking about it again is making me speechless.”

Jaeyong took a skewer and bit into the fish cake. Sangwoo stayed still for a while and did the same thing. For a while, they ate food, emptied bottles, and ordered more without making conversation.

“There was a senior in the army named Kim Youngjae who was as annoying as you, sunbae. That’s probably why I got confused.”

Sangwoo dug up the painful memory as if it were nothing. However, thanks to that, Jaeyoung was able to move on to a topic he was curious about.

“Where did you do your military service?”

“Goyang. I was in the artillery.”

“Oh, the Cheonma Artillery Brigade. I heard that it’s really tough over there?”

“I was fine, though.”

Jaeyoung vaguely guessed that Sangwoo was a concerned soldier who couldn’t adapt to the military. So it was surprising that he only talked about the military as if it were nothing.

“How was military life for you? Was that Kim. Young. Jae.-person the only one who bothered you?”

“That bastard. He transferred to a different unit as a private, and I spent my days in comfort ever since then.”

“Why was he transferred?”

“He kept bothering me, and I kept it in when he wouldn’t let me rest, but he kept hitting me on the head. I wrote it down and put it in the wish box, but it didn’t get resolved, so I spoke to the squadron leader. However, it still didn’t get resolved, so I reported it to the military police.”

‘Scary bastard.’

“Didn’t you fight with the others?”

“I didn’t talk at all unless I had to. The army is a place like that, as you know.”

“And you didn’t have any difficulties?”

“It was okay. I even studied a lot in my spare time. I received rewards in the army for shooting full shots, showing combat power measurement excellence,  being in special forces, being an exemplary soldier, and being a squad leader. My father says I’m cut out for the army.”

‘This crazy…’

Well, Sangwoo seemed to be able to endure physical distress. Jaeyoung, on the contrary, had a hard time in the military. From waking up early in the morning to unnecessarily cleaning guns, taking cold showers, restricted hairstyles, clothing rules, confinement, food that tasted like dog food, individual battles, marching, keeping night watch, and guard duty.  It was all hellish work, and he hated everything about it. The solution to this hell couldn’t be to revert to a rotten old culture of strict rules and traditions with only physical things like those. Nevertheless, he still had to pretend as if it were nothing and scare the other kids by yelling at them.

“I was a training camp assistant.”

[T/N: Training camp: the first month]

“Uhm… you’re not in a position to educate others about their mental state though, sunbae?”

“I agree. I got chosen since I was over 180cm.”

“The new recruits thought it was funny, didn’t they?”

“I was famous for being the assistant who was a venomous snake with a bad temper, you bastard.”

“Hey, don’t lie to me.”

“You’re the only person who thinks so little of me.”

Sangwoo didn’t say much for a while.

“You’re not that insignificant.”

Silence followed. The two emptied their glasses without saying a word. After they repeatedly did quick one-shots, it seemed like they had already emptied four bottles. Jaeyoung blinked in a tipsy state. Sangwoo slightly bent his head to the side after picking up his drink and then poured it into his mouth. It was an orderly appearance as ever.

‘Why is he sexy…?’

‘Get your act together. He’s a guy.’ No matter how many times he shouted it inside, rubbed his eyes and checked again, it was still the same. His cheeks were slightly flushed and his lips looked unusually red. Jaeyoung’s rapt gaze worked its way down Sangwoo’s neck and scanned his checkered shirt. When Sangwoo used his strength to open a new bottle, his sleeves were rolled up, which exposed the muscles in his forearm. When he twisted his unusually white wrist, the blue veins popped out.

‘I’m gonna get a nosebleed at this rate, shit.’

When he swept his face with his palm, the heat, which wasn’t just from the alcohol, transmitted through his skin.

“Suggested game… Informal Talking Time.”

Jaeyoung looked up at Sangwoo’s mumbling. The latter was pointing at the wall. Jaeyoung turned his head back and looked at the poster on the wall. There was an organized list of suggested games for drinking parties, which included explanations of the King Game, Finger Folding Game, Image Game, and Yaja game. Jaeyoung slowly turned back and made eye contact with Sangwoo which unusually enough were sparkling with excitement.

“Do you want to try it?”

“Yes.”

“How much have you been keeping in?”

Sangwoo stared at him without answering. There wasn’t anything he didn’t know how to do, so Jaeyoung readily accepted his offer. As soon as the words “let’s give it a shot,” were said, Sangwoo called his name.

“Jang Jaeyoung.”

It even seemed as if he could see some spite in his eyes, yet why was his heart so stirred up? Jaeyoung pulled his chair close to the table and put his hands together in order to match his level.

Yes, hyung. Did you call me?”