George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 205

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“Are you fucking kidding me?”

‘Japan’s constitutional amendment finally surfaces! Is Japan reviving conscription?’

‘Troop service days must be increased. The Ministry of National Defense is extensively reviewing plans to increase service days for soldiers.’

These were the headlines of all the mainstream newspapers in Korea. It was just clickbait trash, but this news had naturally spread to soldiers all over the country.

“Hey, look at the National Defense Daily.”

“Sergeant Kim, you’re practically a civilian in two days. Why are you reading so hard? Even if the service days increase, it won’t affect you.”

“Hey, hey, time isn’t passing! And, you punk, I’m worried about the future of this Republic of Korea! The future!”

The expression on the junior soldier listening to him was as if he were looking into the slop bucket of the cafeteria. A guy who routinely dodges work with all sorts of excuses, worrying about the future? The worst part was that this guy was smart, so he knew things that even the officers or the specialized soldiers who worked on their equipment every day didn’t know, as if it were natural. Especially CCTV stuff.

“Man, I miss Kim Viper.”

He swore a lot, but he also worked his ass off. He even took care of his juniors with his own money, and influenced by that, Kim Jihoon, while not exactly taking great care of them, at least didn’t enforce any toxic military culture. As long as you didn’t cause trouble, he basically left you alone.

More than that, what I still remember is that incident. When the US president flew in on a fighter jet and inspected the place. Thanks to that, all the end-of-service leave was cut, and it was a complete mess. I still remember the curse Kim Viper uttered, filled with the wishes of all the soldiers.

Kim Jihoon himself had the same name as the president at the time, so he unfairly took all the abuse, but he knew it was a joke, so he just brushed it off. In fact, the magazine he handed over at the end, which couldn’t be officially obtained in the military, played a big part.

“Hey, Lee Hongyeol.”

Thanks to that, you can see this rare scene. Even though it’s a holiday, a mere private is lying in his bed, munching on potato chips.

“What’s up?”

The military is truly a mysterious place. He answers even while sleeping.

“Whose side are you on?”

“Man, I told you not to do that.”

Even though it’s a laissez-faire attitude, you can’t just swear at your senior. Actually, they were pretty close friends even before enlisting in the military, so it was possible. Because there are eyes watching, they usually use formal military language, but when there are no officers around, they always mess around like this.

“Wow, a traitor. A traitor.”

There’s always one in each class. A person of mixed foreign nationality, but enlisting in the military to obtain Korean citizenship. Lee Hongyeol was such a person. He was born in Japan and lived there for half his life, but he lived in Korea for the other half.

“Man, if it weren’t for the advanced military culture. This is so unfair. Isn’t that right, Gyeongshik? Go kick that traitor in the back of the head for me.”

“Corporal Kim Gyeongshik! I think it’s time for Sergeant Kim to take his medicine!”

“Wow, this is insubordination! Woojin! What do you think!”

“Hey! Son Woojin! Think carefully, you punk! That guy is leaving in two days!”

It was something that everyone experiences at least once when they’re a private. So the countermeasures were all similar. Son Woojin decided to make the wisest choice.

“Private! Son Woojin!”

“Don’t just say your rank and name, answer me, you punk.”

“Private! Son! Woo! Jin!”

The seniors are just bored, so if you answer like this, it usually resolves the situation. Anyway, Kim Jihoon, who had lost interest, decided to change his target from the clueless chick private back to the traitor and continue the story.

“What do they say in your Japan?”

“Man, stop it.”

Lee Hongyeol glared. Because his family was in Japan, he had consistently heard about it every time he talked to them, whether he liked it or not. Just today, he had been talking on the phone he had hidden in the ceiling. In fact, most of his salary was going to international call charges.

“They’re all voyeurs. They’re reporting on the increasing combat power of the Self-Defense Forces and our increased service days, right?”

“The increased service days aren’t confirmed yet. Isn’t it just a rumor right now?”

“That’s why they’re voyeurs. How closely are they watching each other to pick up on even these ridiculous rumors and report them so extensively? They’re completely crazy.”

The point was that Lee Hongyeol thought they were both fucked up. As someone who had lived exactly half his life in Japan and half in Korea, he dared to say that people are the same everywhere.

Whether it’s Korea or Japan, if five people gather, there’s always one piece of trash, they’re interested in each other because they’re close, and they bite at the slightest flaw because they have grudges against each other. This wouldn’t change much even if you replaced Korea and China, or Japan and China. There were cultural differences, but it didn’t seem like their actions changed much.

“Well, won’t the term be extended?”

“Man, don’t talk shit about leaving. I’m already anxious enough.”

“No, think about it, you punk. They’re already producing more tanks and armored vehicles to create new mechanized units. The Ministry of National Defense is saving money, so I’m still using the dirty canteen and blackened mess kit that the US military used during the Korean War, but they’re producing dozens more of those expensive tanks? They’re making a fuss about unifying with North Korea, so why do you think they’re making this?”

“When hasn’t the Ministry of National Defense produced them?”

Lee Hongyeol sneered, his heart twisted. Who would welcome an increase in their service days?

“At least not to the extent of reporting it extensively in the news. They’ve already given it a name. Was it called the ‘Gaema Division’? I was embarrassed to see it. They said it was named the Gaema Division because it was scheduled to be deployed to the Gaema Plateau, but I think that’s 100% bullshit. It must be taken from Gaemamusa [mythical armored warrior].”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“I don’t like it.”

“Man, who cares! I want to be discharged!”

Lee Hongyeol kicked the blanket. He wanted to say, ‘Excuse me? Lee Hongyeol? My name is Takamura Ryuichi. Who’s that?’ and boldly give up his citizenship, but he enlisted because his father threatened to kick him out of the family registry if he didn’t. Takamura Ryuichi is the name his mother gave him, and Lee Hongyeol is the name his father gave him.

“Hehe, I’m getting discharged. You can work your ass off, Takamura Japanese bastard! This hyung [older brother/male friend] is going home in two days.”

“The guys being born now are lucky. They don’t have to waste their lives like this.”

“What nonsense. They’re all going to the military.”

“We’re unifying soon. Until last year, what we heard so much during character education was that the reason why South Korea’s conscription system is maintained is all because of North Korea. You know that, right?”

“Uh-huh, you innocent monkey friend. Let’s say we unify with North Korea. Then who are we bordering?”

“China and Russia. What’s wrong with that?”

“What do you mean? The land is ridiculously small, so we need a lot of troops. The East, West, South, and North are all military powers that are among the best in the world, so how can we abolish conscription? Even North Korea needs to be managed after unification, and we can’t use the North Korean army as it is. We have to disband most of them. And then what? We need troops to guard there. So who will that be?”

“The Gaema Division?”

“That’s right. Although it’s partial, what do we need to do to maintain that division?”

If you say that much, even a moron would understand. Lee Hongyeol, who is quite quick-witted, couldn’t possibly not understand.

“This is bullshit. I was going to brag about how I was in the conscription system, but even that’s gone.”

“You’re going back to Japan after you’re discharged anyway. Soldiers are respected there, right?”

“Guys like you are why anti-Korean sentiment keeps spreading. If you come to Japan to see me later, don’t go hunting. You need looks [waku – slang for face in Korean military], not a job.”

Waku is a Japanese word meaning frame. However, in Korea, it is used as slang for face, but it is not used in Japan. Therefore, his usage was a perfect localization. However, the pronunciation itself was inevitably the flavorful pronunciation of a local Japanese.

“Oh, this bastard is using Japanese.”

“Do you want to walk out on your discharge day?”

In the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, regardless of the Army, Navy, or Air Force, there was a beautiful custom of being rolled up in a blanket or mattress and beaten on the day of discharge. In other words, the karma you’ve built up is coming back to you. For reference, the angelic senior Kim Viper was beaten formally, as if executing a nobleman in the Joseon Dynasty.

Recently, after an evil senior died that way on discharge day in another division, the blanket rolling has slowed down, but the beatings are still the same.

“Tell me! Takamura Ryuichi! Whose land is Dokdo [disputed islands between Korea and Japan]?”

“Dokdo is our land.”

“Our land? Our laaand? Hey! This Japanese bastard says Dokdo is their land! Hey! Son Woojin! What do you think!”

“Private! Son Woojin!”

“Hey! Woojin! If you harass that bastard who’s being discharged in two days, you can go to the PX [military store] and use the public phone as you please from today! No! I’ll just lend you my cell phone!”

Indeed, he couldn’t help but be tempted by those words. He was so worried that his girlfriend might put on rubber shoes backwards [Korean slang for cheating], so he was desperate for a phone call. Therefore, even though he knew it was a joke, he seriously considered whether he should hit that sergeant in the back of the head at least once in his heart.

At that moment. Suddenly, the siren sound ‘Weeeeeeng!’ that they only heard during training assaulted their ears. Moreover, the volume was at its maximum, so their ears were collectively ringing.

“Man! Annoying! Who’s on duty today? What bastard is ringing the siren on a holiday?”

“Man, what the hell. What newbie touched it.”

Complaints erupted among the soldiers. It wasn’t sweet, but it was a holiday that came twice a week, so it was understandable. After tapping the microphone a few times in a row, they heard the sound of breathing into the microphone, testing if the microphone was working properly.

“The duty officer from the administration office is broadcasting! Real situation! Real situation! Part 1! Round House! Round House! Part 2-!”

Everyone turned pale when they heard this. No one could come to their senses at the word ‘real situation’. However, their bodies were completely trained, and from the private who had transferred in a week ago to the sergeant who was being discharged in two days, they were already changing into their combat uniforms.

“What the fuck?”

Even while instinctively changing clothes, Kim Jihoon’s mouth uttered a curse and a question.