113. Sixteen Seventeen
After a short phone call with the deputy platoon commander, I contacted Yeong-mi, and In-cheol also canceled dinner with her college mates.
I made an appointment to meet again with In-cheol in an hour, and headed straight to Hapjeong-dong’s house.
So I changed clothes at the house in Hapjeong-dong and went out to get on the subway.
It took 30 minutes to arrive… It was a funeral home.
In-cheol had already arrived in front of the funeral home.
“Are you here already? Did you wait long?”
In-cheol answered my question.
“No, I just arrived. Come on in.”
We entered the funeral home building and checked the names of the bereaved families at the entrance.
＜Room 5: Resident Husband Yoo ㅁㅁ. Yoo Jin-goo, the eldest son of the bereaved family>
The name of the deceased was written to the left of Jin-goo’s name.
It must be Jin Goo’s mother’s name.
“Incheol-ah, if it’s Room 5, I think you should go this way… .”
what… In-cheol, this guy?
In-cheol’s eyes were wide open and tears were welling up.
Seeing my surprised expression, Incheol took the lead and said, as if nothing had happened.
“ah… ! is this one? Let’s go, come on.”
I went up to the mortuary with In-cheol, greeted the deceased, and greeted the bereaved family.
When the meeting was over, Jin-goo introduced us to his father.
With greetings, I first delivered a brief consolation, and it was In-cheol’s turn.
By the way… Incheol, this guy… It sounded like he was muttering something, but then thick tears flowed from his eyes.
When In-cheol started to cry, Jin-goo, who had a calm expression, embraced In-cheol and began to sob, and Jin-goo’s father, who saw the two of them, also wiped the reddened corners of his eyes.
After a while, Incheol and I left the mortuary and sat down at the dining table.
While I was eating like that, Incheol called me in a low voice.
“Hey, it’s Jeongho.”
“yes?”
“just now… Am I very strange?”
As she cried in the mortuary a while ago, In-cheol’s bloodshot eyes were slightly swollen.
Of course it is, but… Neither did In-cheol know the deceased Jin-goo’s mother, nor did In-cheol and Jin-goo were so close in the military.
To be honest, I was a little embarrassed, but I can’t say it was weird.
I shook my head and said.
“no. It was not that strange.”
In response to my answer, Incheol let out a short sigh, and said with a puzzled expression.
“under—! What… I will die of embarrassment.”
“it’s okay. It could be at a funeral home, huh? .”
Incheol said while still pulling his hair out.
“ah… ! Why did I… . I really hate myself 30 minutes ago. Ugh… !”
I said with a smirk.
“Don’t worry too much. Maybe because of today’s event, Jingu will take you as Pyeong—a real older brother?”
“older brother? Aren’t Jingoo and I the same age?”
“Not that. what I’m saying is… Jingu will be very grateful to you.”
“ah… !”
That was then.
“Are you guys already here?”
He was a lieutenant colonel and a lieutenant colonel.
Incheol and I got up from our seats at the same time and saluted.
“Loyalty!”
“Hey–! Do you have anything to show for being a soldier up to here? Put your hands down and sit down!”
So we sat at the same table, and as we sat down, the deputy platoon leader looked at me and opened his mouth.
“Jeong-ho, is the dispatched job worthwhile?”
“Yes, it is worth it.”
“Yeah, you have to do it. By the way, aren’t even me entering the interception room these days?”
Because our unit is always short of troops, even executives often do wiretapping work. Currently, only 5 vacationers I know and myself have been dispatched, so the deputy platoon commander pointed out that the current status of the troops is not good. it was said
I said with a sorry expression.
“Sorry, Vice-Captain… do.”
In response to my reply, the company commander said to the deputy platoon commander.
“Sergeant Park, you need to suffer a little more now.”
“yes? What does that mean?”
“The troops will be recruited soon.”
“Five… ! Is that true?”
The lieutenant general nodded and said.
“But it’s all thanks to our Jeong-ho.”
“Thanks to Jung-ho… What does that mean?”
In response to the deputy commander’s question, the company commander pointed at me and said:
“haha–! Ask yourself.”
* * *
same time.
Division 5, Anti-aircraft Investigation Bureau, National Intelligence Service, Naegok-dong, Seocho-gu.
Manager Kim Jeong-soo, who was checking the file folder, opened his mouth.
“Hee-rae.”
“Yes, Manager.”
“I was assigned to Unit 523, customer number 3, who will be enlisting here next month, is there any special reason?”
“There is no particular reason, I have heard that Unit 523 lacks troops.”
“Are there not enough troops? then… It wasn’t the Defense Security Command there, and you asked us for troops?”
“It’s not that, isn’t there customer number 17?”
“yes.”
“When we met last week for dispatch work, we asked if there were any difficulties in military life, and he said that the number of people in the unit was too small, so it was a lot of trouble.”
Manager Kim Jeong-su nodded, and Assistant Manager Lee Hee-rak continued.
“I heard that customer number 3 is going to enlist, so I was assigned there first. Perhaps… Shall we move customer number 3 to another location?”
“no. You don’t have to. Well done.”
Manager Kim Jung-soo continued with a smile.
“When three friends get together and do military service together, it’s good to have memories and, well. haha–!”
* * *
At my explanation, the deputy platoon commander tapped my shoulder and said.
“nice—! After all, our Jungho has a concept!”
That was then.
Jingu came to our table and said,
“Thank you all for coming here.”
“Thank you, of course you should.”
The company commander pulled out a chair and motioned for Jin-goo to sit down.
“Don’t stand like that, sit down. It is not uncommon to stand all day in the mortuary.”
As Jin-gu sat down on the chair, the company commander silently stroked Jin-goo’s shoulder, and Jin-gu bowed his head toward the company commander and said:
“Sir, thank you very much.”
“The guy… What… take something for granted… .”
“Thanks to the company commander, I was able to protect my mother from dying. and… .”
Jin-goo continued with a light smile.
“Before my mother died… It’s been a while, but he’s regained consciousness.”
After a moment of silence, the company commander spoke in a low voice.
“okay… Were you able to say goodbye to your mother… That’s fortunate.”
“Thank you very much. If the company commander didn’t take a vacation… maybe… I wouldn’t have even said my last goodbye to my mother.”
At Jin-goo’s words, the company commander glanced at me and spoke to Jin-goo again.
“Jungho didn’t seem to tell you?”
“yes? that is… What are you talking about?”
“The 15-day reward vacation, that’s actually what Jung-ho conceded to you.”
After the company commander finished speaking, Jin-goo said to me.
“Pr. Jeong-ho Chae… .”
Jin-gu was unable to speak and cried, so the company commander said as if giving me a pint glass.
“Didn’t you tell Jin-goo what kind of secret it was?”
I said scratching the back of my head.
“ah… ! The company commander said that he was very late that day… He told me to bring Jin-goo quickly, so I didn’t have time to explain in detail.”
late night time.
The company commander and the deputy platoon commander had long since returned to Yangju, where the unit was located, and Incheol and I got up to catch the last train on the subway.
We greeted Jin-goo and left the funeral, but Jin-goo followed us saying that he would see us off.
I said to Jin-goo, who followed me out of the funeral home.
“Stop going in. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay longer.”
“no. I… Private Chae Jung-ho.”
“yes?”
For a moment, Jingu nodded and said.
“thank you so much. this grace… I will never forget it.”
“a–! what kind of grace It was just a concession after going on a reward vacation.”
“The last thing I wanted to say to that mother… I could do it all. If it wasn’t for Private Chae, maybe… It will remain with you for the rest of your life.”
“okay… Because you think so, I feel proud that I have been helpful too.”
“thank you.”
“Then take good care of your mother, and I’ll see you at the base later.”
“yes… .”
subway.
It was late at night on a weekday, so the subway was very quiet.
In-cheol and I sat next to each other, and In-cheol bowed his head and spoke to himself.
“Why the hell did I do that? under—-!”
“Are you still thinking about that?”
As I was mourning earlier, In-cheol literally burst into tears and cried… Suddenly, I wondered if there was a story behind it.
I spoke carefully.
“Then why did you cry so much earlier?”
Instead of answering, Incheol let out a short sigh and washed his face with a rough motion, but soon his eyes were dyed red.
Also… There’s a story.
I said as I tapped Incheol’s forearm.
“Hey, would you like to drink soju together today?”
At my words, Incheol said with a surprised expression.
“You don’t drink.”
“Today, I think I should have a drink and listen to my ten-year-old friend.”
“Yes, thank you. I was really craving for a drink today.”
“Didn’t you drink at the funeral home earlier?”
In response to my question, Incheol smiled and said.
“If I drink, I won’t be able to eat because I’m afraid I’ll cry there again.”
We arrived in Namseo-dong and found a pub.
I ordered two bottles of soju along with the fish cake dish, Incheol drank a bottle and a half, and I drank a half bottle.
around 2 in the morning.
I dug my seat and came out, and the world started to spin.
Fufu—!
I took a few deep breaths, and every breath I exhaled I could smell the alcohol.
I only drank four glasses of soju, but I’m so drunk… .
I’ve been drinking more than a bottle of soju in my past life, but now my alcohol is weak.
Said Incheol, who was staggering and trying to catch a taxi.
“Jeong-ho, you go to sleep at my house today.”
“Is that so?”
In response to my question, Incheol nodded and said.
“While you are dispatched, you say you go to work in front of Namseo Elementary School? I can go to work from my house tomorrow.”
So I went to In-cheol’s house, washed up, and laid down in In-cheol’s room.
By the time I fell asleep with a bit of drunkenness… .
Incheol’s low voice was heard.
“Hey Jungho… . Are you sleeping?”
“no… .”
Judging by the voice of In-cheol who called me, I felt like he was going to say something serious.
After a moment of silence, I opened my mouth.
“I’m so drunk right now, I don’t think I can remember anything tomorrow… So, if you have something you want to say, feel free to say it.”
In-cheol’s laughter was heard in the dark.
“Last month was my father’s anniversary… .”
“I see… .”
“I just went to the funeral… I remember when my father passed away.”
“… .”
“At that time, I was in the second year of elementary school. So I was 9 years old… 9 years old… No matter how young or inexperienced… Actually, you’re old enough to know everything… . I know my father is dead… I also know that I will never see my father again.”
After a moment of silence, Incheol’s voice was heard again with a long sigh.
“That’s when… Dad died… It’s sad, but… . But on the other hand… What’s in the funeral home mortuary… … It was great.”
“… .”
“It was nice to see all the relatives from my parents’ side after a long time… … Every time my relatives come, they all hug me… I’m worried… I’ll support you again… It feels so good to be young.”
Incheol continued with a sigh again.
“so I… That’s when I really regret it. When my father passed away, when I think back on the things that made me feel good, I still… My heart hurts.”