The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 315

Meanwhile, the assistant instructor, who had been eavesdropping outside the barracks, smirked.

‘The squad leader has been decided.’

Usually, the first trainee is assigned as the squad leader during the first week.

Then, it either gets taken over by a strong-willed trainee, or the assistant instructor appoints someone if there are no volunteers.

If a professional athlete comes in, they would always make that trainee the squad leader.

It’s because they are strong, used to organizational life, and they are exemplary in training due to their natural physical abilities.

Professional athletes are usually older and even famous, so there were no trainees who wouldn’t follow them.

Son Jinhyuk was young, so they were worried, but it was unnecessary.

He was good at talking, strong, and even took the initiative to give autographs, winning people over. And he’s incredibly smart, right?

Maybe this batch will do well this time…?

No way. There’s no way those clueless trainees would. The assistant instructor shook his head.

Besides, when a celebrity enlists, the training intensity increases several times over. There was also an order from the division commander to make it even tougher if Son Jinhyuk enlisted. Along with rumors that pressure had come from an absolute power.

The assistant instructor, with a wicked smirk, quietly walked away towards the administration office.

***

Just four weeks.

Jinhyuk had been pushing his body to the limit every day with harsh training.

His modest plan to just enjoy the military camp seemed to be going smoothly, along with taking control of the barracks.

“First squad! Get down!”

Thump, thud-!

“Put your feet on the lockers!”

“Who didn’t flush after taking a dump-!”

“A cigarette butt was found in the bathroom-!”

“It’s collective responsibility!”

Wow, the Korea University guys must be upset.

Even though it was punishment, it was bearable, so Jinhyuk had the leisure to crack dad jokes in his head.

Huh-uh-uh-.

Squeak-.

“Who’s making dog noises!”

“What did the squad leader do!”

“It’s the squad leader’s fault even more!”

Suddenly?

No, assistant instructor, you pushed me to be the squad leader, so why are you yelling at me! This is so unfair, isn’t it?

‘I’m a medalist! And a perfect SAT scorer!’

I miss my mom!

His face was almost upside down, flushed red, and the sweat from his neck flowed down his chin, peeking into his nostrils.

Sniff-sniff-.

Efforts to push away sweat droplets were detected everywhere.

“Who’s sniffing like a dog!”

Ah, the punishment is bearable, but the assistant instructor is too scary.

‘Tess, why is the world doing this to me?’

To think that he’d have a trainee life filled with punishment because of meeting strange comrades.

It was a completely unexpected turn of events.

But who can he blame?

This is the military. Not the Special Forces Training Unit, but an old recruit training center that he had never experienced even in his past life.

A place where youths deprived of freedom have their personalities and human rights trampled on, and where they engrave the word ‘patience’.

‘Cold, hungry, sleepy… I miss my mom.’

Mom, mom, mom-.

In the deep night of the recruit training center barracks, sleep-talking voices calling for their mothers could be heard everywhere.

Mommm-!

In other squads, there were guys screaming in their sleep.

Jinhyuk’s heart also wavered at that sound.

Pat-pat-.

The depressing night rain even poured down, making the youth feel more melancholic.

It meant that the patheticness was maximized.

‘Sigh-. Let’s think of it as a rite of passage. Everyone goes through this.’

He pulled the blanket up to his forehead.

His feet peeked out.

‘Ugh! Annoying!’

The military sucks, seriously!

*

Although his comrades were unreliable…

The basic military training was less than child’s play compared to the training Jinhyuk usually did.

But that doesn’t mean he took it lightly. Because Son Jinhyuk is someone who always does his best.

He’s the type of person who would sprint even when racing his younger siblings on the track by the waterway.

He did basic drill training in the still-cold training field. He also relearned bayonet techniques.

“Hey- you little bitch! Do it right!”

“Who’s dragging their combat boots!”

Why do the assistant instructors pronounce things like that?

They put strength in their lower jaw and stick it out a bit while yelling, but their diction is crystal clear.

‘It feels like these 20th-century assistant instructors are only targeting me?’

The curses were directed at the comrades who made mistakes, but their eyes were fixed on Jinhyuk.

So, he trained even harder with more tension.

The fact that the rifle wasn’t the K1 he used in his past life was also unique for Jinhyuk.

The official name was SAR2A5. This assault rifle, with a design similar to the K2 rifle, was developed and improved by Sein Technica. It was evaluated to have higher accuracy and significantly reduced recoil during rapid fire compared to the K2 rifle. In addition, it was about 20% lighter than the K2, which made it very popular among combatants.

The marksmanship training he was doing after a long time helped with breathing control and concentration.

Tick-. Tick-. Tick-.

When the sound of triggers being pulled was heard from everywhere, the assistant instructor’s harsh orders would fall.

“Make sure the Go stones don’t fall off the barrel!”

Forward unsupported stance is essential in marksmanship training.

Unlike the explanation that the purpose of the training was to learn shooting positions for each distance… the time spent maintaining a posture with the rifle parallel to the ground while bending at the waist was longer. Because of this, comrades complained of back pain.

‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m actually going through this training.’

It was punishment disguised as training.

However, it seemed that ‘ruthless’ was a requirement for selecting assistant instructors. The assistant instructors didn’t seem to have any intention of lowering the training intensity until someone died.

Then, if someone looked like they were about to collapse, they would release the posture.

“Forward march!”

“Backward march!”

Yeah, moving is better.

“Don’t swing your rifle when retreating! Always keep the muzzle facing forward!”

“Don’t drag your feet!”

It feels like the assistant instructors are getting more and more vicious.

“Two hundred and fifty, fire!”

Very occasionally, they would give orders that matched the purpose of the training.

*

After finishing the preliminary training, they moved to the shooting range.

Bang-! Bang-. Bang-!

The musty smell of gunpowder made his old military service days clearer, and he realized that the tension of the shooting range was still alive.

“For zeroing, you will fire three single shots under the control of the shooting control officer.”

“After the first round of shooting, retrieve your target and have it checked by the senior assistant instructor.”

“Adjust the clicks according to the senior assistant instructor’s instructions. Easy, right? It’s all been taught.”

The assistant instructors must be tired too.

Even though it’s training that proceeds like a parrot following a scenario, the comrades have expressions that say, ‘What the heck is that?’

‘How long has it been since I’ve done live-fire shooting?’

He had handled research rifles a few times at the Saktok Research Institute, but he hadn’t done live-fire shooting because there were too many eyes watching. How much he had regretted that back then.

Jinhyuk, receiving the magazine, gently stroked the live round exposed at the top with his index finger.

The feel of the 5.56mm standard round, which he hadn’t touched in a long time, was welcome.

And the design. Isn’t it a design and color that you’d want to sneak away?

His heart was pounding because he wanted to shoot quickly.

It’ll definitely be fun.

Thump-thump-.

[Firing commences from the ready shooter.]

As if waiting for it, a comrade from another firing point fired.

Tu-ta-tang-!

It’ll be fun…

Wow, who the heck fires all three zeroing shots in one go?

Jinhyuk squeezed his eyes shut.

[All firing points cease fire. Set the safety. Remove the magazine. Bolt to the rear. Assistant instructors, heads down.]

The shooting control officer’s smooth commands continued.

How many times must he have done this to be like that?

Ha-, they say it’s not good to sigh while looking at people. But seeing these Tang Dynasty [referring to the historical Chinese dynasty, implying they are out of touch] comrades, he couldn’t stop sighing.

His military life is getting twisted, twisted.

The assistant instructors’ eyes were bloodshot.

How embarrassing it must be to be punished in front of the trainees.

[Who’s firing in bursts? Didn’t you check the selector switch?]

Perhaps because he was using a megaphone, the shooting control officer never raised his voice.

Jinhyuk bit his lip to hold back his laughter.

He had learned that you should never show your teeth at the shooting range, and now he was in the military a few years earlier than in his past life. Of course, he had to be more careful.

No, but still. They teach and practice so much, but the trainees just don’t listen. To think that there would actually be someone who would fire all three live rounds given for zeroing in one go.

‘Sigh-. One of the blessings of military life is the blessing of comrades. I have no comrade luck at all.’

Listening to the assistant instructors whispering, he learned that it was something that often happened during recruit training, even if they weren’t public service workers.

The company commander, who was the shooting control officer, also didn’t look happy.

Murderous intent flowed through the voice coming from the megaphone.

[Who’s the assistant shooter? Aren’t you checking the selector switch? You too, heads down.]

[Shooter, why aren’t you doing it?]

[Damn it, just everyone, heads down, you little shits.]

The company commander never raised his voice, but he tended to suddenly explode.

Does he have a hormone problem?

Jinhyuk was just being careful not to stand out.

[Squad leader trainee. Why aren’t you doing it?]

He was just standing there blankly and got noticed.

Ah, he said everyone, right?

Damn it, damn it, damn it. It’s so uncomfortable to do it with a helmet on.

Indeed, you learn to swear naturally when you come to the military.

*

After a storm of punishment passed, they gathered their resolve and finished the first zeroing shooting.

With the hope that no more comrades would cause trouble.

[Target change.]

“Target change.”

Jinhyuk shook his head after looking at his comrades’ targets.

Some of them had only one or two holes, let alone a grouping.

‘You can hit it even by throwing a rock, how can you not hit it?’

Sigh-. As a trainee, he sighed carefully.

The senior assistant instructor tilted his head while looking at Jinhyuk’s target.

“Squad leader trainee, why are two shots grouped in the center, but one shot is off?”

“I shot the first shot and then moved and shot!”

“Oh… is that so?”

The senior assistant instructor nodded.

Occasionally, when working as an assistant instructor for reserve forces training, there are reserve force seniors like that. People who check the target 25m away after the first shot with their excellent eyesight and adjust their virtual aiming point themselves…

“You have good eyesight. We’ll adjust it like this.”

“Yes! I understand!”

…Son Jinhyuk was also that kind of reservist in the past.

He received the target with the direction and numbers to adjust written in red pen.

[Adjust the clicks.]

“Adjust the clicks!”

When the shooting control officer gave the order through the megaphone, the trainees would repeat it, and the training would proceed.

[Shooter to position.]

“Shooter to position-o-o-o.”

Did that guy come from doing pansori [Korean traditional narrative singing]?

[Who’s the trainee putting a melody at the end of their words? Did you come here to plant rice? Assistant instructor, give him punishment.]

Still, they finished the shooting without any gun accidents and conducted a safety check.

[Bolt to the rear and forward two or three times.]

“Bolt to the rear and forward two or three times!”

[Rifle on the shoulder.]

“Rifle on the shoulder!”

[Why is only trainee number one repeating? Repeat the orders of the company commander.]

“Yes!”

[Yes?]

The company commander, as well as the assistant instructors, could be felt clenching their teeth.

Jinhyuk also tightened his jaw. It was as if they were doing it on purpose, his comrades were so out of it.

[Hoo-, rifle on the shoulder.]

“Rifle on the shoulder!”

[Selector switch to single.]

“Selector switch to single!”

[Fire all at once.]

Bang-!

[Which bastard…]

Damn it, these problem trainees. The assistant instructor with a fiercely distorted face bit his lip.

Because it was obvious what order would come down next.

[Assistant instructors. All of you, gather at the training field with full gear.]

***

The assistant instructors, who had done 40 laps around the training field in full gear, were even more enraged.

“You, you idiot!”

The enraged assistant instructors of the recruit training center were scarier than the instructors of the Special Forces Training Unit. The instructors Jinhyuk remembered didn’t swear like that. Perhaps the assistant instructors’ personalities had also worsened because of the level of the trainees.

“Hey-! Did you come here to play!”

“Who’s showing their teeth!”

“Do you want to die?”

“Do you want to die?”

“This is the military! Do you understand!”

Later, he heard that the assistant instructors would intentionally swear more when training public service workers. It was because they were jealous that they enlisted late but would be discharged first? Of course, believe it or not.

Still, he had heard that the training atmosphere was softer when there was a famous person mixed in, but it didn’t seem to apply to this batch.

“Gas! Gas! Gas!”

“Remove gas masks! Execute!”

“Execute! Ugh-!”

Cough- cough-.

The CBR [Chemical, Biological, Radiological] training was also an ordeal for Jinhyuk.

Even though they were using CS gas that was weaker than the one used in the non-commissioned officer training, his eyes and throat, as well as his exposed skin, were stinging and burning.

“Ugh-!”

“Ugh- save me-.”

“Ugh- I was wrong-.”

“Mom…”

Jinhyuk felt the same as his comrades.

Squeak-squeak-. Please save me… Still, as his last bit of pride, he endured without screaming or running out. He was the squad leader, after all. He had to set an example.

“First squad! Exit!”

How can the pain of CBR training be expressed in words?

He just deeply felt the preciousness of fresh air.

“Hoo-.”

“Kuek-.”

The trainees who came out of the CBR chamber bent over, crawled on the floor, and shed tears and snot. The thick, stringy saliva was also a must.

‘Hah-, I’m alive. Hehe.’

As he looked up at the blue sky, the assistant instructor raised his voice.

“Is there any trainee who wants to experience gas again?”

Jinhyuk raised his fist high.

“Trainee number one!”

“That’s like a squad leader! To your position!”

“To your position!”

His comrades looked at him like he was a pervert, but strangely, it was addictive.

Jinhyuk mixed in with the next group and entered the CBR training chamber again.

“Remove gas masks! Execute!”

Ugh-.

“Prepare for recoil! Sing a military song!”

Squeak-!

“The military song is! Real! Man!”

Squeak-!

“Start the military song! One! Two! Three! Four!”

Squeak-.

The comrades couldn’t come to their senses.

Inevitably, Jinhyuk took courage.

“Cool-! Squeak-.”

“Man-! Squeak-.”

Squeak-.

‘Ah, why did I say I’d do it again?’

He analyzed it as being to inhale the fresh air more deliciously.

“Let me out-! Squeak-.”

There were comrades who tried to escape by pushing the assistant instructor, but it was a hopeless attempt.

“Love is hot! Love is hot! I am the man! Cool man!”

Jinhyuk, who had finished singing the military song, smiled like a fool.

Hehe-. Cough-cough-.

With his mouth wide open, he drooled.

‘I sang a different song, but the assistant instructor didn’t say anything.’

Well, that’s how we adapt to each other.

Isn’t that the human world?

Cough-cough-.

The longer he wore the camouflage uniform, the more he felt like he was going crazy.