Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 412

413

“Huh…”

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun, taking a smoke break in the lounge, couldn’t help but chuckle humorlessly.

No matter how he looked at it, the situation was absurd. Tomorrow, his military service would be over, and he’d be reporting to the brigade for his discharge.

As someone left, someone else had to take their place. That’s why a new recruit had arrived today. When he’d first seen him this afternoon, he couldn’t have been happier. The reason? The new recruit was a junior from his school.

And not just any junior, but someone he’d connected with through the school newspaper a few months back, making his joy even greater. He’d even diligently shown him how to organize his locker. Up until then, everything was perfect.

But then a problem arose.

The trouble began right after the new recruit’s welcoming ceremony ended. It had been a surprisingly enthusiastic welcoming ceremony, a rare occurrence these days. As a result, the duty NCO [Non-Commissioned Officer] had given the new recruit a gold card.

For some time now, the company had a tradition: the gold card system. The new recruit received the card for 24 hours upon arrival. If used, all company members had to unconditionally obey the recruit’s orders.

He didn’t know who started it, but it was likely intended to ease the new recruit’s anxiety. But until now, nobody had paid it any mind, because no recruit had ever used the card.

But today, the first user had finally appeared.

Kim Hyun-sung.

He was the one who used the gold card. But what was truly absurd was that the target of the card was none other than Sergeant Oh Sang-geun himself. How could he not sigh at a moment like this?

Just then…

Knock knock!

Two figures entered the lounge after knocking. They were Sergeant Choi Han-il and Sergeant Yoon Hee-soo, the company’s second and third in command.

Sergeant Choi Han-il spoke first.

“Sergeant Oh, we’re done preparing.”

“Preparing? Preparing what?”

“What do you mean, preparing? The discharge party, of course.”

“Did you say discharge party?”

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun was dumbfounded. Of course, they had planned a small discharge party at midnight. That was another tradition passed down. The day before reporting for discharge, the company’s second and third in command would prepare simple snacks and drinks.

It was perhaps a chance to receive final farewells from the juniors for all the hardships they’d endured. It was a tradition, so two months ago, Sergeant Oh Sang-geun himself had prepared a discharge party with Sergeant Choi Han-il for the senior officer being discharged.

Of course, since it wasn’t an official event, they had to be mindful of the duty officer. But the duty officer was aware. The right way to put it would be that he just turned a blind eye even though he knew. That’s how it had always been, and there had never been any problems.

But that was only until today’s new recruit welcoming ceremony. There had never been a case like this before, but today was different. Today, the new recruit had clearly used the gold card and told them not to have a discharge party.

But a discharge party? It was absurd.

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun looked at Sergeant Choi Han-il and continued, “Sergeant Choi, what are you talking about?”

“No, Sergeant Oh, why are you acting like this? Of course, we’re doing it. Are you perhaps doing this because of that new recruit’s gold card?”

“Of course. It’s the company’s tradition. If we break that, does that make sense? Besides, who are we? We’re the highest-ranking seniors in the company anyway. We…”

“Sergeant Oh, stop it. We’re not kids. Does it make sense that we’re not having a discharge party because of what that new recruit said?”

Before Sergeant Oh Sang-geun could finish, Sergeant Choi Han-il interrupted, dumbfounded. Then, Sergeant Yoon Hee-soo, standing right next to him, immediately echoed Sergeant Choi Han-il’s words.

“Sergeant Oh, Sergeant Choi is right. The discharge party is a clear tradition of our company. And frankly, what does the new recruit who came in today know? I guess he just wanted to stand out, but does that make sense?”

“Yoon, why are you being like this too?”

“Sergeant Oh, you’re the one being weird today. Anyone can see that Sergeant Oh is being sensitive.”

“Sensitive?”

“Yes, of course, I understand how you feel, but frankly, what’s the problem even if we get caught having a discharge party? The duty officer, as well as the duty commander, turn a blind eye, don’t they? It’s not like this is the first time this has happened.”

Sergeant Yoon Hee-soo’s words weren’t entirely wrong.

Even if they were caught on patrol while having a discharge party, there had never been any consequences. After all, even the battalion acknowledged the discharge party to some extent, even if they didn’t say it out loud.

That’s why Sergeant Choi Han-il and Sergeant Yoon Hee-soo couldn’t agree with Sergeant Oh Sang-geun’s stance.

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun continued, “Do you guys think I’m just doing this because of that?”

“If not, then what is it?”

“Sergeant Choi and Sergeant Yoon, let me ask you something. What do you think tradition is?”

“Huh? That’s from before…”

Sergeant Choi Han-il stopped trying to define tradition. He knew he wasn’t being asked because he didn’t know the definition.

Then, Sergeant Oh Sang-geun continued, “Yes, there’s no need to explain the definition of tradition. Then, what do you think we should do with that tradition?”

“Of course, I think we should keep it. But there’s another problem. The discharge party is also a tradition of our company. Do you acknowledge that?”

Sergeant Choi Han-il’s voice carried a serious tone. He was genuinely concerned about this issue.

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun nodded and said, “Of course. I definitely acknowledge it.”

“Then the new recruit’s gold card and the discharged soldier’s discharge party are in conflict. Right?”

“Yes, Sergeant Choi is right.”

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun nodded again.

Then, Sergeant Choi Han-il spoke again. “Then which side are you on, Sergeant Oh? No, since you’ve already said it, you think the new recruit’s gold card is more important than the discharged soldier’s discharge party, right?”

“If I had to choose one of the two, I would choose the new recruit’s gold card. Do I have to explain why?”

“…”

Sergeant Choi Han-il shook his head slightly instead of speaking.

There was no need. He understood the reasoning behind the choice, even without an explanation.

In fact, the discharged soldier’s discharge party lacked justification. If you tried to force a justification, you could argue it was a form of compensation.

It was a time to comfort them the day before they left, acknowledging their hard work. Of course, it was debatable how much comfort it actually provided.

But the most important thing was that it wasn’t entirely above board. The battalion might turn a blind eye, but an inspection from higher-ups would spell disaster. It was a one-way ticket to the military correctional facility.

While such a case had never occurred, the possibility always existed.

On the other hand, the new recruit’s gold card had a completely different purpose. It was intended to stabilize the new recruit’s unstable mind and body, making it a legitimate tradition.

Tradition, by its nature, is a system of desirable ideas, customs, and behaviors passed down from the past within a group or community. In that sense, the discharged soldier’s discharge party might not qualify as a true tradition.

The answer was clear. When two things conflict and only one can be chosen, the right choice must be made.

Sergeant Choi Han-il was about to speak after gathering his thoughts.

“How about this method?”

Sergeant Yoon Hee-soo, who had been silent, spoke up.

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun and Sergeant Choi Han-il turned to him. Sergeant Choi Han-il was the first to respond.

“What method?”

“Do you remember what the new recruit said when he used the gold card, that he would explain it after 1 o’clock?”

“Of course. But why?”

“I was wondering if we could have the discharge party after 1 o’clock. It wouldn’t be too late to hear the explanation from the new recruit at 1 o’clock and then have the discharge party. That way, we can keep both traditions.”

Pfft.

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun chuckled. After considering it, the method wasn’t bad. They could preserve both traditions.

He didn’t know why, but when asked why he used the gold card, the recruit said he’d explain after 1 o’clock. As Sergeant Yoon Hee-soo suggested, they could hear the explanation and then have the discharge party.

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun nodded and said, “That’s a good idea. If we do as Sergeant Yoon says, we can keep both traditions. What do you think, Sergeant Choi?”

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun looked at Sergeant Choi Han-il.

Sergeant Choi Han-il nodded and said, “I agree too. Even if it was a tradition passed down in our company, I was worried about giving one up. But if we listen to the new recruit’s story and have the discharge party after 1 o’clock, like Sergeant Yoon said, there won’t be any problems.”

“Good, then let’s do that and head in now. It’s five minutes before 12 o’clock, so let’s wait one more hour. Anyway, it’s a tradition, so it can’t be cut off in our generation.”

“Yes, Sergeant Oh. I understand.”

The three men left the lounge together and headed back to the barracks.

Some time later.

Hyun-sung checked the time in his sleeping bag. It was just past 12:30. Soon, the intelligence officer from the brigade would come barging in.

Fortunately, Sergeant Oh Sang-geun, as well as Sergeant Choi Han-il and Sergeant Yoon Hee-soo, had kept their promise regarding what Hyun-sung had said.

Around 11:30, they had left and hadn’t returned for a long time, leading him to believe they weren’t listening. But thankfully, he didn’t know what they discussed, but they came back before 12 o’clock and were quiet.

If they hadn’t listened and had a discharge party, the situation would have been far more difficult. If he knew and couldn’t stop it, he would have regretted it immensely.

The next day, the three would be in the military correctional facility, and not only the duty NCO and the duty officer, but also the duty commander would be reprimanded, ruining the atmosphere of the company and the battalion.

In that case, some of the responsibility would surely fall on him, because he didn’t stop the discharge party. After all, a scapegoat would be needed.

‘Hoo!’

Hyun-sung sighed in relief in his sleeping bag.

Swoosh.

He quietly poked his head out and looked around.

‘What?’

The guard on duty, who should have been there, was nowhere to be seen. But at the entrance, a K2 rifle was placed on the bed. Perhaps the guard on duty had gone to the bathroom.

Hyun-sung immediately checked the time again. It was 12:35 now, and in a few minutes, the intelligence officer from the brigade would arrive. This was far worse than a discharge party.

A rifle left unattended was a guaranteed trip to military prison. It was unthinkable for a soldier to leave their rifle unattended.

‘What do I do?’

Hyun-sung’s 고민 [worry] didn’t last long. He couldn’t replace the guard on duty. A new recruit standing guard could cause another problem. There was only one option.

Thump thump.

Hyun-sung ran barefoot to the entrance, grabbed the rifle, and headed to Sergeant Oh Sang-geun’s bed. It was the best solution for now.

“Sergeant Oh Sang-geun!”

Hyun-sung called out in an urgent voice.

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun raised his head and looked at Hyun-sung.

“Hey, Private Kim. What’s going on? At this hour…”

“Sergeant Oh Sang-geun, listen carefully. Right now…”

Before Sergeant Oh Sang-geun could finish, Hyun-sung rapidly explained the situation. And finally, he said, “There’s less than five minutes left. Please hurry…”

At Hyun-sung’s urgent plea, Sergeant Oh Sang-geun responded with action. Despite the absurdity of the situation, Sergeant Oh Sang-geun got out of bed and started dressing without asking questions.

Chuck!

In less than a minute, he was fully prepared. He put on his boots and slung his rifle over his shoulder. Then he looked at Hyun-sung and said, “Explanation later! To your position!”

“To my position!”

Hyun-sung returned to his seat, 복창 [repeating the order].

Was this the feeling that came from experience? Hyun-sung couldn’t help but lower his head, impressed by Sergeant Oh Sang-geun’s instinctive actions. It defied logic that someone about to be discharged would move without question at the command of a new recruit.

Whirly!

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun began sprinkling water on the floor with a watering can while carrying his rifle. He was likely addressing the dry indoor air caused by the heater.

About a minute passed.

Creak!

Several people entered as the door opened. The intelligence officer from the brigade was at the front.

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun was also a driver and recognized him from trips to the brigade.

“Advance! Total 40 people, 4 on duty…”

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun reported the numbers in a slightly trembling voice. The intelligence officer nodded and began to survey the barracks.

Then he spoke. “Did you sprinkle water in the barracks?”

“Sergeant Oh Sang-geun, yes, that’s right. The indoor air is…”

“Um, good! Keep up the good work.”

The intelligence officer nodded and addressed Sergeant Oh Sang-geun.

Sergeant Oh Sang-geun immediately finished with a salute. “Advance! I will continue to serve.”

The intelligence officer was about to leave the barracks when…