I wonder if it has ever occurred to society what truly goes on inside the military base. Mostly, it is seen as a site of order and discipline. But, I see it as something else. 

I have already witnessed a cold, lifeless body be dragged and transferred outside of the base. The report was suicide. Was it not murder? Who were the ones that tormented the poor recruit for being scrawny, feminine and weak? Who were the ones that beat him during night watch? The s that dare to bow their heads and give condolences to the grieving family. These sergeants have no shame. This military base is close to becoming hell.

These so-called sergeants protecting our citizens did exactly what they were not meant to do. How can they smile and claim honor as heroes? 

"Kim Myungsoo!" I hear my name. I bow at the framed photo of soldiers that lost their lives at battle or...have lost their lives battling against their own men. I turn to see my friend, Sergeant Jang Dongwoo, who looks to be excited. "New recruits have arrived!"

"Is that today?"

"Yeah! Fresh meat! C'mon. Let's go see them."

➳➳➳➳➳

It's already the last few months of my service. Becoming Byeong-jang¹ meant I had to train the new recruits. I was given team B, with 10 recruits. I walk down the hall, over to the quarters of my new team. Walking down this same hall reminded me of when I first arrived as a recruit in this base. I was made fun of for my looks. Being handsome meant being the target of ridicule and incivility. I can hear chattering inside the quarters. I'm going to be handling another group of high-spirited youths. Nothing changes.

I open the door and all the young faces look at me. Some are seated, some are not. The room already a mess. I see the shoes, bags and clothes scattered around. Some look young, some look mature. They all had one thing in common. All are inexperienced.

"ATTENTION!" As soon as I raise my voice, all the young men stood up. They fell in a straight line. With my hands behind my back and chin up, I show them my authority as I walk down from the door to the other end of the room. I scan through their faces and bodies. Some seem capable, some need training. I notice one whose head is still down. He's not tall, his skin fair and smooth.

"You are all here as recruits. Your military service started since you were all physically examined." I keep a straight face and strong voice; however, I see it in their eyes they do not take me seriously. I know how to take care of these types of recruits. I walk to one of the recruits and stand in front of him. He had been smiliing since I came in. "Hoon-ryeon-byeong², is this fun?"

He doesn't respond.

"REPLY!"

"ANIMNIDA!³"

"If you think this is a game, go home. We do not need men like you here. Is this a game?!"

"Animnida..." "Anim..." "A-Ani..." I hear muffled answers, one after another.

"AGAIN! IS THIS A GAME?!"

"ANIMNIDA!" They say in unison.

"Good. Sit down." They all leisurely sat in their own pace. This is not the right way to respond to an order. "Stand up." Some thought it was ridiculous but they didn't respond fast enough. "Sit down!" They sat faster but not fast enough again. "Stand up! STAND UP FASTER!" They stood up and no one made a single smile. I'm finally getting to them.

"SIT DOWN!" They all sit with fear in their eyes and sweat dripping on their temples.

"The one at the back." I catch the attention of the fair-skinned recruit.

"M-Me?"

"STAND UP." He stands on order. "State your recruit number and name."

"R-Recruit 120 Lee Sungjong..."

"AGAIN! LOUDER AND WITH CONFIDENCE!"

"RECRUIT 120 LEE.SUNG.JONG."

"Good." The recruit, Lee Sungjong, smiles. Initially, if they smile, I reprimand them. However, Lee Sungjong's smile captivates me. There's something about him. Ah--I'm getting distracted. "The rest of you should do the same. State your number and name with a loud, clear voice. NEXT!"

➳➳➳➳➳

Dinner time. I bring my team of 10 recruits to the cafeteria. Before they line up, I explain to them. "You are not allowed to eat until at least 20 of you have been seated. That's the rule. If I catch anyone eat before 20 have seated, I'll take your dinner away and throw it. Understood?"

"YE!!⁴"

One after another, the recruits get their tray and sit down. A lot of them look tired out and hungry, salivating over their metal tray. Others look uncomfortable as the only utensil offered is a spoon. I scan through each recruit to see if they are breaking the rules. Luckily, none of them are dumb enough to start chowing down their rice and side dishes. But... one recruit catches my eye. Recruit 120 Lee Sungjong. His disposition shows he's uncomfortable in his surroundings. How come? His back is hunched and head lowered so no one can see his face. The 20th recruit sits down and everyone starts munching on their meal. Lee Sungjong takes his spoon and downs the soup slowly. I spot others laughing and joking, one of the recruits placing his arm over Lee Sungjong's shoulder. I took a step, wanting to get in-between them. Wait--I shouldn't jump into situations. I need to be clear about what I'm doing. I walk over with my signature authoritative stance.

"What are you doing?"

The guy who placed his arm over Lee Sungjong straightened his back and removed his arm. "Nothing, sir" He responds.

"No roughhousing or else I take your food away."

"Ye."

They all quiet down and continue to eat their supper. I walk away. I feel as if someone is staring at the back of my head. I turn around and I notice a quick reaction from Lee Sungjong. I should feel insulted for being stared at but... I only smile. 

➳➳➳➳➳

TO BE CONTINUED...

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I hope you all have an idea what the military service is like by this. As you know, I was inspired by "Real Men" (진짜 사나이), a military reality program. The first episode is what I used as reference for this one-shot. The scene where Myungsoo forces all recruits to introduce themselves was taken from this cut. I hope you enjoyed! PLEASE COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE & UPVOTE ;) You can also REQUEST A STORY. 

TERMS USED

1. Byeong-jang (병장) = "Sergeant"; Highest rank for an enlisted soldier. 

2. Hoon-ryeon-byeong (훈련병) = "Recruit"; Rank for on-going training soldiers

3. Animnida (아닙니다) = "It is not"

4. Ye (예) = "Yes"; Same usage as Ne (네)

DISCLAIMER: Anything within this one-shot that is related to an actual event or person/s is pure coincidence & unintentional. Events and terms used in this one-shot come from online research and second-hand experience. This story does not depict an accurate portrayal of military service/army life. Please keep an open and creative mind. Thank you.