Chapter 153: Savior (1)
Seo Yi-Jun, who was still in the middle of his military service, had been put in a difficult position.
A junior who was working as an army administrative clerk visited him to tell him, “Sergeant Seo. The first sergeant said that you should use your leave within the month.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You might not be able to use all the leaves that you’d been rewarded before you’re discharged at this rate.”
Yi-Jun had been worried that he had too few leaves in the beginning, but he had been getting more and more for some reason after becoming a corporal. He was rewarded one for saluting well when the regimental commander had visited, one for standing night watch well at the guard post when the battalion commander made a surprise visit, one for being the squad leader and even another for winning the sports event.
Yi-Jun was currently the one with the most leaves rewarded in the entire military base. Not only did he have tons of leaves rewarded, he also had his sergeant regular leave left unused. There were only three months until his discharge, so he needed to use all of these leaves before then.
“Let’s see. I won’t be able to use everything even if I go for fifteen-day leaves every month,” Yi-Jun remarked.
After calculations, he would still have a four-day leave left unused. The army clerk gave Yi-Jun a helping hand.
“Should I try making a deal with the first sergeant?”
“What deal?”
“I’ll try to get permission for you to be able to take a short four-day leave in the beginning of next month, and go on your fifteen-day leave right after the battalion army training test.”
“Is that even possible? There’s no way the first sergeant will allow something like that.”
The company commander did not mind soldiers going on leaves as long as they didn’t overlap with training, but the first sergeant was different. Unlike the company commander, the first sergeant was very adamant about not letting soldiers go on consecutive leaves without a set duration between them, since there would be fewer hands to work in the base. Moreover, corporals and sergeants were very important personnel for the first sergeant.
However, the army clerk was very confident.
“You’ve done your absolute best to cover for us until now, Sergeant Seo. It’s time for us to repay the favor.”
Yi-Jun was the superior that the junior soldiers liked the most, so they wanted to repay him up until his discharge. However, Yi-Jun decided to just appreciate the gesture instead.
“I’ll just give the four-day break to Hyeong-Jun,” Yi-Jun said.
“Pardon me?”
He decided to give the rewarded leave to someone else; this was an extremely rare occurrence in the army.
“Hyeong-Jun said his grandfather had passed away, didn’t he? He seemed to be having a hard time because of that. Tell him to use this leave to go see his family and visit his grandfather’s grave.”
“Are you... sure you’re fine with that, Sergeant?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I have tons of leaves.”
The army clerk was moved by Yi-Jun’s generosity and gave Yi-Jun a thumbs up.
“You’re the best, Sergeant Seo.”
The juniors couldn’t be more blessed for being able to spend their military service with such a wonderful superior.
***
Like the army clerk had said, Yi-Jun went on his leave straight after the battalion army training test.
“You’re on leave again?” Seo Yi-Seo said.
Yi-Jun had gone on so many leaves that Yi-Seo, who had come to the cafe again to help out their parents, was sick of seeing her little brother’s face. She had cried buckets when Yi-Jun had first enlisted, but now she was sick of seeing him.
Yi-Jun was exasperated. “What’s wrong with seeing your little brother often on his leaves? That aside, sis. Did anything come for me?”
“For you?”
“I mean, has anything been mailed to me?”
“Oh... just a sec.”
Yi-Seo went to the back area of the cafe and came back out with something in hand.
“Are you talking about this?” she asked.
“Yeah, that!” Yi-Jun exclaimed in satisfaction after seeing its contents.
Yi-Seo asked in astonishment as she peeked at the contents over Yi-Jun’s shoulder, “When did you have time to apply for a contest?”
The envelope contained a letter that the portfolio Yi-Jun had submitted for the fashion design contest had won the grand prize.
Yi-Jun replied with a smile, “When I was still a corporal, I think? I applied twice before that, too. I won the excellence award once, and then the top excellence award after that. The prize money was no joke either.”
“No wonder you’d said you had tons of money whenever Mom and Dad asked if you needed it.”
Yi-Jun seemed to have a knack for fashion design, since he had been winning prizes in various contests despite being only in his early twenties. He was raising his value as a designer while slowly accumulating experience.
Yi-Seo asked while looking at her exceptionally talented brother, “I’m sure you’ll get tons of nice offers with that much talent.”
“Yeah. I was already contacted a bunch about whether or not I’d be willing to work with them, but I refused them all.”
“Because you’re still in the army?”
“Nope.”
Yi-Jun had another wish other than becoming a world-renowned fashion designer.
“Because my wish is to have Ra-Eun noona wear the clothes that I’ve designed.”
To Yi-Jun, Kang Ra-Eun was a blindingly beautiful existence. He wanted to design one-of-a-kind clothes that didn’t exist anywhere else in the world for such a woman. That was why Yi-Jun had devoted himself to studying fashion design as soon as he had graduated high school. Even during free time in the army when the others rested or fooled around, Yi-Jun had never once not been reading books related to fashion design.
Yi-Seo looked at her little brother in content.
“Come to think of it, Ra-Eun said she’s gonna make you work at Levanche once you’re discharged,” she mentioned.
“I’ve heard that ever since high school.”
That was why Yi-Jun was working even harder. Now that Ra-Eun had come up in the conversation...
“Should I try giving her a call?” Yi-Jun said.
“Ra-Eun?”
“Yeah. I called her before going on my leave, and she said her film shoots were postponed for two weeks because of the recent Kim Chi-Yeol case. I thought I might as well ask if we can have a meal together since she’s free.”
Since Ra-Eun was free for two weeks, Yi-Jun was hoping for her to give at least a few hours of that time to him. He sent her a text before calling her, but then she called him after not even a minute had passed.
“Hello?” Yi-Jun answered.
- You said you’re on leave, right?
“Yes, from today.”
He was free for fifteen days, more than enough time to enjoy his leave.
- That’s perfect. Let’s go on a trip, then.
“...Pardon?” Yi-Jun was greatly flustered for a moment. “J-Just the... two of us?”
His heart was beating so hard that he could hear it loud and clear.
- Are you insane? Do you want me to get into another scandal?
“Oh, I guess that’s true.”
Yi-Jun thought as much. Ra-Eun had gone through a hard time because of the past dating scandal with Ji Han-Seok, so there was absolutely no way that she would suggest going on a trip with just him.
- I’ve been calling people to see if they’d like to join me. I’ll take you with me if you’re fine with it.
Ra-Eun hadn’t been to the beach in so long, so she wanted to go with as many close friends as possible.
Yi-Jun gladly accepted. “Okay. I’ll come too.”
- Got it. I’ll let you know once I get the whole list of members. I’ll have to call your sister too.
Ra-Eun hung up after saying everything that she had wanted to say.
Yi-Seo asked as if she had been waiting for the right moment, “Was that Ra-Eun?”
“Yeah. She’ll be giving you a call too, so be ready.”
“To me? Why?”
Yi-Seo’s smartphone rang as soon as she finished her sentence. It had gone exactly as Yi-Jun had said.
He replied while shrugging, “See for yourself.”
***
Ra-Eun contacted every single one of her acquaintances without thinking about inviting anyone in particular. She asked them if they’d like to go to the beach with her if they had the time. A total of six people said yes; the Seo siblings, two of Ra-Eun’s best friends Na Gyu-Rin and Choi Ro-Mi, Ra-Eun’s same-age celebrity friend Han Ga-Ae, and lastly...
“Why did you come?” Ra-Eun said in bafflement as she saw the man who had arrived at the promised meeting place.
Ra-Eun’s older brother Kang Ra-Hyuk, who had come wearing a Hawaiian shirt in thrill and expectation to enjoy himself, popped his collar.
“You’re the one who texted me first. About if I’d like to go to the beach if I had the time.”
“How many times have I told you that I didn’t mean to send it to you?”
She had accidentally selected Ra-Hyuk’s name when she was choosing the people to send the group text to. She had told him countless times that it had been a mistake, but Ra-Hyuk didn’t even pretend to listen.
“I have a duty as an older brother to protect my little sister. I’m coming with you whether you like it or not.”
“Stop screwing around.”
“Hah. It’s pointless to snap at me like that. I’ve already told Dad about it.”
“Sigh...”
Her older brother aside, she often yielded on matters that involved their father. Ra-Eun had strongly felt that this was someone else’s family in the beginning, but she had gotten so attached to them over time that she now considered them to be her own family.
Hence, Ra-Eun ended up agreeing to Ra-Hyuk accompanying them. Her past self would’ve told him to screw off with a kick.
‘How weak I’ve gotten.’
She couldn’t help but sigh. The members for the summer trip were gathering one by one while the siblings were arguing with each other. Yi-Seo, Yi-Jun, Ro-Mi, Gyu-Rin, and Ga-Ae, the solo songstress who had been rising up the popularity ladder lately, had all gathered.
Ra-Eun was unmoved since she saw Ga-Ae all the time, but...
“Oh my God, it’s Han Ga-Ae. It’s really Han Ga-Ae!”
“I listened to your newest song! It was so amazing!”
Ra-Eun’s friends couldn’t hold in their interest in Ga-Ae since it was their first time seeing her in person.
“Let’s leave the small talk for later,” Ra-Eun stated as the arbiter.
She then divided the group into two.
“Let’s divide into two groups, between those who will ride in my car, and those who will ride in that guy’s car.”
“Don’t call your oppa ‘that guy’...” Ra-Hyuk complained.
After a short discussion, Ga-Ae, Yi-Seo and Gyu-Rin decided to ride in Ra-Eun’s car. Her car was far more popular despite Ra-Hyuk’s car being bigger. It couldn’t be helped, since the members that had been gathered were all Ra-Eun’s acquaintances.
Yi-Seo got on the passenger’s seat, and Ga-Ae and Gyu-Rin got on the back seat.
Before setting out, Ra-Eun mentioned while looking at the back through the rear-view mirror, “That aside, Gyu-Rin. Thank God you’re next to Ga-Ae instead of Ro-Mi.”
Gyu-Rin agreed. “So true. Ro-Mi would’ve pestered you to no end if she was here, Ga-Ae.”
Ga-Ae became wide-eyed in confusion. “Huh? Why?”
“Ro-Mi cares about looks to a creepy level. If she were here right now, she would barrage you with questions about what sort of make-up you use, how you take care of your skin, and questions like that for two to three hours straight,” Gyu-Rin remarked.
“Is it that bad?” Ga-Ae asked.
Ra-Eun answered in place of Gyu-Rin, “Yeah, it’s that bad.”
Ga-Ae had dodged a massive bullet without even knowing it.
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