Ilay stepped into the shooting booth right in front of Taeui without bothering to close the door, wear ear protection, or put on any safety gear. He simply grabbed the gun casually. If the instructor, who was currently occupied in the control room, had witnessed this, there was no doubt he would have lost his temper and forced Ilay to retake the entire safety training course from scratch.

The tasks inside the shooting booth were not complicated. Everything was recorded—the purpose being that after they left the booth, they would go to the classroom and review the footage to identify any mistakes or gaps in their technique. The first step was to take the pistol from the table, disassemble and reassemble it.

Next, the second step was to use the reassembled pistol to fire three rounds at a target that appeared in sequence, with a total of 15 bullets.

Today’s basic shooting drill ended there. If there were any additional defensive reflex exercises, things would get more complicated. But as it was only the middle of the first week of training, they hadn’t reached that point yet.

However, from the start, Ilay had shown no interest and had begun acting rebelliously. Holding the gun tightly in his hand, he squeezed the trigger a few times, then released it, mumbling absentmindedly:

“Take it apart and put it back together…….. I’ve thought about this before, but why do they shove such useless tasks into training?”

“If you follow the textbook reasoning………” – Taeui replied with arms crossed as he stood in front of the booth – “………it’s to help everyone understand the gun’s structure and mechanism, get a feel for handling it, and check for any issues or defects before firing.”

Ilay, still holding the gun, glanced at Taeui and smirked.

“Check, huh? Just fire a shot, and you’ll know right away.”

As soon as the words left his mouth.

At that exact moment, while the others in the surrounding booths were eagerly disassembling and reassembling their guns, Ilay suddenly slammed the bell on the table and simultaneously pulled the trigger, aiming at the target that had just appeared.

*BANG!!* -The gunshot echoed violently through the space, seeping through the slightly ajar soundproof door, with the safety mode never activated. The other members nearby flinched and turned to look in his direction.

But Ilay paid no attention to their stares and continued pulling the trigger without pause. Five more shots rang out, followed by red marks appearing on the target, knocking out the green dots.

Soon enough, the first target was down. “Hmph,” Ilay muttered briefly, and as if nothing had happened, he casually turned and waved the gun around lightly.

“No problem at all.”

“……..No problem, huh? Well, lucky you. But what if you’re unlucky? What if the gun malfunctions and explodes during your little ‘test shot’? Especially without the safety on?”

“Explodes? It’s not like I’m aiming at your brother, right?” – Ilay chuckled softly.

Right, now that it’s mentioned, Taeui remember this guy once said he tried to shoot his brother before…….. As Taeui stared at Ilay with wide eyes, Ilay calmly aimed at the second target that appeared in front of the glass booth.

It wasn’t a perfect series of shots. His grip on the gun, the timing of his trigger pulls, everything deviated far from the standards laid out in the training manual. The bullets fired with his bored expression sometimes strayed a little off-target.

However, when the shots hit precise spots on the target, spots that anyone would recognize as deadly if it were a real person, Taeui once again thought to himself: ‘This guy has always been like this.’

……..But anyway, it seemed like he was so bored he could die. Watching him come here just to waste live rounds on pointless, meaningless acts made it clear.

“Why are you even here?” – Taeui mumbled, waiting for the third target to appear after the second one had fallen. Ilay, who was twirling the gun around his fingers, suddenly turned to look at Taeui and smiled faintly.

“To watch a fight.”

“What?”

“I was surprised, but it turned out to be pretty fun. Watching you guys beat the crap out of each other.”

“Excuse me, what?!”

Taeui blinked in confusion, ready to ask again, but at that moment, the third target appeared, and Ilay turned his head back. However, it seemed he had lost the last shred of interest he had, as this time, he fired aimlessly. With a careless attitude, if the shots hit, they hit; if they missed, they missed. He wasted bullets with no real purpose. Watching Ilay shoot like that, Taeui could only blink, but right after, he understood the meaning behind Ilay’s words.

“Who the hell fires a gun without closing the booth door? And that posture…….. it’s all wrong.”

The moment he heard that sharp voice pierce the air from behind, Taeui’s thoughts cleared. The person he could fight, the one who always got under his skin and made his blood boil.

Of course, it was that bastard Jeongpil, who had somehow crept up behind him.

‘……..I’m boiling with rage here, and he finds joy in watching me fight? Is this guy seriously the same person who’s been through so much with me? He really must hate me, right?!’

Glaring at Ilay’s broad back turned away from him, Taeui swallowed down a flood of curses and reluctantly turned his head back, feeling a growing discomfort.

There, standing arrogantly leaning against the wall, was Jeongpil. Slouching as he looked into the glass booth, Jeongpil immediately noticed Ilay putting down his gun and stepping out. He commented with casual indifference, as though he had everything figured out: “Oh, that guy. Looks like he’s never learned how to shoot properly.”

Then, without hesitation, Jeongpil shifted his gaze toward Taeui.

“Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you going in?”

“……..” 

‘This bastard, you’re just here to watch, aren’t you.’

Jeongpil, that damned guy, was always exceptionally skilled at shooting. For that reason alone, Taeui had hated shooting drills since their school days. Because every time it was Taeui’s turn, this jerk would somehow show up from somewhere, casting that arrogant look just to watch.

(Meanwhile, Ilay, who had just stepped out of the glass booth, stood off to the side, blatantly watching as if he truly came here just to see a fight.)

“So, you’re just standing there waiting to see when I go in? If you’re done, get lost. Why do you always have to stick your nose into other people’s business?”

“Hmph, just come to see if you’ve improved at all. If you don’t want to die from a teammate’s stray bullet, it’s best to stay away from the lousy shooters.”

Jeongpil gave a slight nod, urging Taeui on. Taeui shot him a fierce glare before stepping into the booth when it was his turn. ‘Damn it. I’ve always hated shooting drills.’

‘—Especially when I have to show my lack of skill in front of the person I despise the most.’

[‘Prepare, begin.’]

The mechanical voice echoed through his headphones, and everyone in the booth quickly started moving their hands. They had done this several times already, so everyone’s movements were fluid. Taeui quietly disassembled the magazine, unlocked the safety, and separated the major components.

Thinking back, it seemed like Morer had stepped into the booth next to him earlier. He was probably happily dismantling parts by now.

Taeui glanced to the side. In the booth next to him, Qing was disassembling a Colt, the same type of gun Taeui was handling. Morer was probably using the same model as well, since everyone had been assigned the same conditions.

……..Or maybe Morer was dismantling the gun with a gloomy expression on his face, too.

[‘One minute remaining.’]

*Beep*—the brief mechanical sound chimed. Oh no. Realizing he’d been lost in thought, Taeui quickly resumed moving his hands.

After finishing the reassembly, he pressed the bell, and the target appeared instantly. He aimed at the five green dots on the target.

Red marks appeared on the target, accompanied by the dull sounds of gunfire through his headphones. When he saw that the red dots were slightly off from the green ones, Taeui clicked his tongue in frustration.

Then came the second target. It was farther away than the first and moved in a predictable pattern. Taeui continued hitting the targets as they swayed. Finally, the third target appeared, moving unpredictably, with only one chance to hit each point. When the last of his five bullets had been fired, the target disappeared.

“……..―.”

Taeui set the gun down and removed his safety gear. As he took off the headphones, a short sigh escaped his lips – but only for a brief moment. He quickly adjusted his expression, then calmly stepped out of the booth.

And, as expected, Jeongpil was still standing there, arms crossed. His face was smug, with a hint of mocking amusement he didn’t bother to hide.

……..And, as if genuinely prepared to watch some drama unfold, Ilay stood a little further away, holding a ceramic cup – where he got it from, Taeui had no idea – watching the scene intently. Even though Taeui had told him not to get involved in any fights with Jeongpil, and of course, not to be involved right now, Ilay’s delighted expression as he watched only made Taeui’s blood boil.

No matter how Taeui looked at it, he couldn’t imagine having a relationship with Ilay close enough to live together for years.

“I thought you’d gotten a bit better, but turns out you’re still the same. If I were on your team, I’d be more worried about getting shot by my own teammate.”

“………”

Taeui glared silently at Jeongpil, the annoying jerk who wouldn’t stop rambling, then glanced at the score sheet. The score wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was slightly above average. But because Jeongpil was such a skilled shooter, the gap between their scores seemed glaringly obvious.

“Hah, with skills like that, and you’re thinking about becoming a terrorist? Oh wait, that’s right. You’re not shooting a gun, you’re firing a cannon. You don’t even need to aim. Just close your eyes and blow things up, right? Who’d trust you enough to be on your team?”

‘You mean the guy standing just a few steps away, watching with that amused look on his face?’ (Although, to be honest, Taeui couldn’t recall ever participating in any terrorist activity.)

“I’d rather face off against you in a hand-to-hand combat drill……..”

When it came to that area, Jeongpil had an overwhelming advantage. Taeui would’ve felt far more comfortable in a grappling or takedown drill. Tonight, he’d probably have to sincerely pray to be matched with Jeongpil in a physical training session next time.

“Haha, you think you’d beat me in hand-to-hand combat training? What a ridiculous dream. And, yeah, I hate those drills too. Just thinking about wrestling with a ‘gay’ guy like you gives me goosebumps.”

Seeing Jeongpil’s exaggerated shudder, Taeui didn’t hesitate to unleash a sharp curse.

“Shut up, you useless premature ejaculator!”

“You bastard, what did you just say――!”

Jeongpil clenched his fists and took a step toward Taeui. Just then, the control room door burst open, and the shooting instructor stormed in, his face furious.

“WHO’S THE IDIOT WHO SKIPPED THE GUN CHECK AND JUST STARTED SHOOTING AWAY? AND WHO THE HELL IGNORED THE SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND FIRED LIKE A LUNATIC? YOU GET NO POINTS FOR THIS!”

The instructor, clearly having already reviewed the list of who’d entered the booth and skipped the procedure, glared directly at the booth Taeui had just exited, his eyes narrowing as they locked on Taeui.

Caught in the middle of the brewing argument, Taeui quickly raised both hands in surrender, insisting: “It wasn’t me”. The moment the instructor mentioned skipping the gun check, Taeui’s eyes instinctively darted toward Ilay, who stood a few steps away. The instructor followed his gaze.

“Huh?”

Where all eyes now turned, Riegrow arched an eyebrow. As soon as the instructor caught sight of Riglow’s face, his expression instantly changed, his mouth snapping shut, eyes wide with shock.

“It’s you? Riegrow…….. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

The instructor’s face twisted in displeasure before he suddenly shouted. The fact that someone who wasn’t part of the training was standing here left him utterly confused.

Taeui suddenly recalled his days as a cadet, when there was a fellow classmate in his group – a son of a three-star general. The guy wasn’t a bad person; in fact, he was exemplary. But despite that, the professors had always seemed incredibly uncomfortable around him.

Those memories flooded back into Taeui’s mind because the feeling he got from the instructor right now was exactly the same as what those professors had felt before.

The instructor was clearly frustrated, unable to reprimand this man, even though he was technically part of the training program. And this man wasn’t just a typical problem student; he was the most troublesome of them all.

It wasn’t just Taeui who noticed – likely, the long-standing members who stood watching this scene were thinking the same thing. Life is full of unexpected surprises, and this was definitely one of those moments.

“Perhaps he’s unfamiliar with handling firearms, which caused the mistake. It seems he’s not accustomed to this type of training.”

The one who spoke these warm words, expressing camaraderie and understanding, was none other than Jeongpil, the very person who had just been in the middle of a heated argument moments earlier.

Perhaps Jeongpil wanted to defuse the tense atmosphere the furious instructor had brought in, or maybe he felt sympathy for Ilay, whom he’d only just met but who now found himself in a tight spot. Stepping forward with a serious expression, Jeongpil spoke up.

At that moment, the entire atmosphere became incredibly awkward and cold.

‘What’s with this guy? Where did he even come from? Is he joking?’

In the fragile silence that only those aware of the truth could understand, Taeui found himself temporarily speechless.

Jeongpil had completely misread the situation. This misunderstanding would surely be cleared up if he spent just a few days living with Ilay. But up until now, during this training session, Ilay hadn’t caused any trouble. Well, that’s because he had other responsibilities, which meant he hadn’t had the opportunity to create problems here.

‘It’s true—ignorance does breed courage. This situation is proof of that.’

However, Taeui didn’t intend to mock Jeongpil. The guy had genuinely tried to help, with sincere kindness, so Taeui merely scratched his head, feeling conflicted as he looked at him.

Thinking back, during their time at the military academy, Jeongpil hadn’t been known for anything negative. Quite the opposite – he was fairly popular. Classmates, seniors, juniors alike all liked him. His academic performance was always at the top, and with his cheerful, energetic personality and natural leadership qualities, there were always people around him. Just like now, he was willing to go out of his way to help a teammate in trouble, however he could.

Strangely enough, despite Jeongpil being well-liked by everyone…….. for some reason, when it came to Taeui, he always seemed to be at odds, as if ready to tear him apart at any moment.

“……..It’s your first time here, right? You’ve never been stationed in another unit before, have you?”

The instructor suddenly spoke, as if he could understand Jeongpil’s background just from his remarks. Without waiting for an answer, he turned away, seemingly deciding to ignore Jeongpil’s illogical statement.

‘……..Wait…….. but why is the instructor turning to me now?’

“Jeong Tay. Ah, so you’re here. That explains why Riegrow is in this place, doesn’t it?”

“………”

Taeui didn’t know how to respond when the instructor suddenly accused him so directly, leaving him momentarily speechless with his mouth agape.

IT’S SO UNFAIR! But at the same time, the instructor’s words weren’t entirely wrong, so he couldn’t exactly deny it either. That overwhelming feeling of injustice washed over him, leaving him silently mouthing words he couldn’t say out loud.

“Actually, it’s true that I’m here because Taeui is here, but I don’t think it’s fair to make this difficult for him because of that, sir……..”

‘Strangely touched, but backing me up in this situation feels kind of awkward’ 

And, as expected, the instructor narrowed his eyes and gave a dry laugh. Being a seasoned instructor who had served at the Asian branch, he was well aware of the time, a few years ago, when Ilay had stormed off to find Taeui with bloodshot eyes, as if ready to kill him.

“I can’t believe the person who once eagerly set out to kill this guy could say something like that. At the time, I thought the moment he caught him, there’d be a huge uproar. But you let him go……..?”

“Well…….. there was never really a right moment,” Ilay responded vaguely, giving a slight shrug.

This was such an awkward situation—while Taeui was practically pulling his hair out in frustration, his eyes met Jeongpil’s, who was watching them with a strange expression. Jeongpil’s half-lidded gaze, devoid of any brightness, was fixed on them as he nudged the teammate standing next to him and whispered quietly.

“Those two close or something? Looks like they’ve known each other for a while.”

Unfortunately for Taeui, the person standing next to Jeongpil was none other than Morer – who was always meticulously wiping down his gun with an ultra-fine cloth but had now paused to clean his glasses. He stopped, frowned, and replied:

“They’ve been through life-and-death situations together. If they don’t see eye to eye, they’re ready to kill each other on the spot. Just being around them makes my back ache and my soul feel utterly drained. I doubt I’m the only one who feels that way. Thinking about all the times I suffered because of their brawls…….. good grief. Their relationship is definitely more tense than yours with Tay, that’s for sure.”

‘This bastard always speaks in such vague riddles at crucial moments! Hey! Do you not remember that you sold me out to him for a gun?!’

Taeui suddenly recalled that old betrayal, and a part of him thought that someday, he should raid Morer’s room and toss his precious collection into the Hong Kong sea as revenge. But then he reminded himself that Ilay had probably already avenged him—in a rather unpleasant way – and, feeling somewhat satisfied, he had let that plan go for now.

“Their relationship really that bad? No wonder there’s always this weird tension whenever those two are in the same room. Hmph, Taeui with his temper, making enemies wherever he goes.”

Jeongpil sneered as he glanced at Taeui. If Taeui were to sneak up and smack him on the back of the head right now, it would definitely result in the already-angry instructor blaming him entirely. And that wouldn’t end well for Taeui.

‘Hold it in, hold it in. Three times of restraint……..’

With the patience of someone chanting mantras, Taeui tried to maintain his composure and stared straight ahead. But the mocking voice continued from behind him.

“And yet Taeui went and fought with some desk jockey who doesn’t know a thing about real fighting? What a coward.”

Unable to hold back any longer, Taeui had no choice but to throw a punch right into Jeongpil’s face.

*********************************

“………”

Taeui silently stared at the ointment tube that Luther handed him. Kyoho from the medical division, who had been swamped with work as usual, grumbled irritably as he returned to his desk. Meanwhile, Taeui continued to fix his gaze on the ointment.

“What are you doing? Put it on. Don’t tell me you think I’m going to apply this for a tiny bruise like that? Do it yourself.”

“I can’t reach my back.”

“Ask your friend to help. I’m busy.”

Not only had Luther’s cold demeanor remained unchanged since before, but even the tiger balm – the cure-all for every ailment – was still the same staple here.

“Give it to me. Take off your shirt, and I’ll apply it for you.”

Changoh, who had accompanied Taeui to the infirmary, took the ointment and moved behind him. Taeui quickly pulled off his shirt.

“Whoa…….. that’s a nasty bruise. Oh, and here too. Does it hurt?”

“Ow! Of course it hurts! Why would you ask and then press down so hard?!”

Taeui yelped as his back was twisted in an awkward way. Changoh apologized with a casual: “Oh, sorry”, but continued to apply the ointment roughly. The pungent smell of the balm soon filled the air.

“Another friend of mine is injured too. Could I get some extra ointment for him?”

Changoh’s question to Kyoho was probably on behalf of Jeongpil, who had stubbornly refused to come to the infirmary and had been left behind. While it wasn’t clear how Jeongpil was being punished, Taeui was already certain that he’d be summoned by the instructor and face some kind of consequence when he got back.

The instructor, likely frustrated at having no way to vent his anger on Ilay, would see the two troublemakers as perfect targets for his wrath.

‘Damn it. This is all Jeongpil’s fault.’

“He won’t even come to the infirmary, and you’re still planning to bring him ointment? Just leave him be.”

Taeui grumbled irritably, letting out groans of “Oww, ahh!” every time Changoh’s hand passed over one of his bruises. But Changoh, who had always remained neutral between them, simply replied calmly, “He’s probably all bruised up too.”

As Changoh casually applied ointment to Taeui’s back, waist, and neck with his graceful hands, Taeui’s thoughts drifted back to that damned Jeongpil, triggering old memories.

He remembered the time they had a big fight right before he was discharged, and how he had endured his final days in the military with a weary spirit.

Back then, even though he was rolling around the training grounds, covered in bruises, no one had been there to apply ointment for him. As a cadet, he had plenty of close friends, so he hadn’t given it much thought. But after graduation, when he officially took on his duties, he started to feel more and more isolated.

‘I won’t eat it’.……. Although they often grumbled jokingly as if they wouldn’t accept anything even if Taeui offered, being silently isolated among a crowd, under scrutinizing gazes, was not an easy experience to endure.

……..And the anger surged once again toward the one who caused all of this.

“Changoh, can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“That Jeongpil guy—why does he treat me so horribly? Thinking back, even before the rumors about me being gay, he was already awful to me. Why? Did I do something wrong that I don’t know about?!”

As he sifted through old memories, Taeui dredged up every past grievance, then suddenly turned around to face Changoh with a sharp, bewildered gaze, angrily shouting.

Changoh, seemingly finished with the ointment, gently rubbed the last bit into Taeui’s bruised forearm before closing the lid on the tube. He looked up at the ceiling and mumbled softly:

“Now that I think about it, the two of you weren’t so bad at first.”

“What? When? No way! We’ve been enemies from the start!”

Taeui frowned in immediate protest, but Changoh just silently tossed the ointment jar into the air and caught it again.

“You’ve twisted your own memories…….. But I remember, a few months ago, when I was looking through an old album. When you both first entered the officer’s academy, you got along pretty well. You two ate together several times, even took special leave to hang out on Saturday afternoons. I remember one time you guys went to a club, got caught by the supervisor, and had to run laps around the stadium as punishment. Don’t you remember?”

“……..”

In truth, Taeui vaguely remembered that event…….. He had been punished with laps so many times during his academy days that he didn’t recall every instance clearly, but the time they went to the club stuck with him.

Wanting to keep his sexuality private, he had gone to the club with a few classmates. While they busied themselves reserving spots and flirting with girls, Taeui sat alone, looking around the room, sighing to himself: ‘There are so many people who fit my taste more in this ordinary world…….. If only one of those cute girls dancing over there would show up in the bar I usually go to’. And then, he had drunk himself into a stupor, spending the rest of the night quietly watching men instead.

Taeui frowned, thinking: ‘Was Jeongpil one of the people who went with us back then? But he couldn’t remember clearly.’

“No, I was never close to him. It’s always been like this from the start.”

As Taeui frowned and shook his head, Changoh slipped the ointment back into his pocket and tilted his head, asking: “So, what’s the first memory you have of him?”

“He kept asking about my brother.”

“Huh?”

Changoh looked confused, and Taeui blinked, trying to piece the memories together.

He couldn’t recall exactly when they first met, but at some point, after they’d grown familiar with each other as classmates, Jeongpil had started striking up conversations with him—strangely often. However, most of those conversations revolved around one person: Jeong Jaeui, Taeui’s older brother.

“Hey, I heard your brother is pretty amazing, right? What’s he up to now? I heard some research institute tried to recruit him, but he didn’t go? Is he planning on turning down other offers too? What would you do if he went abroad?” – Jeongpil was always talking about his brother.

Because of this, Taeui thought it was best to avoid him altogether, whether he liked it or not.

It was a reaction Taeui had learned through years of growing up. People who were overly interested in his brother never led to anything good. (Normal friends would ask something like: ‘So, your brother’s a genius, huh?’ and then move on to talking about the new game at someone’s house or the pretty girl who lived next door to a classmate. That was where their real interests lay.)

So, Taeui had skillfully distanced himself from Jeongpil and kept him at arm’s length…….. But somehow, every time they met again, their relationship became more strained, escalating to the point of fighting. At least after that, Jeongpil had stopped bringing up his brother.

“A lot of people were curious about what happened between you two. You were close, and then suddenly, you drifted apart…….. What was it? Was it because of your brother?”

“I told you, I was never close to him! I don’t remember any of that!”

“What are you talking about? After you two stopped getting along, Jeongpil even bought food and beer to try and make up with you. But didn’t you throw it all away?”

Hearing Changoh mutter: “I remember thinking you were a bit harsh at the time,” Taeui’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“He made that up?! I never got any food from him! I’m not sure about everything else, but I definitely remember the beer! Is he spreading lies about me?!”

Just as Taeui was fuming, his anger boiling over, he suddenly paused, blinking in realization.

Now that he thought about it, there was a memory from long ago, on a hot summer day. After returning to the dorms from a weekend leave, he had found a box of pork hocks and beer left at his door.

The pork hocks were crawling with maggots, and the beer cans had fermented in the sun, swelling up and eventually bursting open, spraying all over Taeui—his face, his clothes, even his hair.

“……..Now that I think about it, someone did leave pork hocks and beer in front of my door once.”

“Yeah, that must be it. I was with him at the time. Jeongpil said he bought the pork hocks to make up with you.”

“Pork hocks full of maggots?! That was his way of making up?!”

Of course, Taeui had thrown it all away. He had no idea who left it there, but the food was crawling with maggots, and the beer had practically given him a shower. He had grumbled about some jerk playing a cruel prank and tossed everything out…….. but then, he vaguely recalled Jeongpil punching him for no apparent reason. Since Kim had thrown the first punch, Taeui saw no reason to just stand there and take it. He grabbed Kim by the collar and punched him right back.

“……..”

“……..”

Changoh silently watched Taeui. Taeui stared back, and for a brief moment, the two faced each other in an awkward, almost embarrassed silence.

“……..After that, Jeongpil even bought movie tickets to make peace with you.”

“Oh, right! I remember that! Yes, that bastard gave me a movie ticket! But then that scumbag――.”

Taeui’s blood started boiling again. This time, he remembered the incident all too clearly.