𝕎𝔸𝕐 𝔹𝔸ℂ𝕂 ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔼 ||𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋||

Chapter - 20

As Yeon-hwa and Na-ra walked back to their barracks, their steps heavy with the weight of the day's events, they noticed Yu-jeong approaching them with a troubled expression etched on her face. In her hands, she held several covers, her grip tight and fingers trembling.

They walked over to the class president. Yu-jeong looked up, sensing their presence before her. Yeon-hwa was the first to speak up, her face etched with concern for Yu-jeong. "Yu-jeong, are you alright? You look troubled."

Yu-jeong's voice quivered as she replied, her words laden with unease. "I'm fine. Yeon-hwa, Na-ra, let's go to the boys' barracks. I... I have something important to tell you all."

Curiosity mingled with a sense of trepidation as Yeon-hwa and Na-ra followed Yu-jeong, their hearts pounding with anticipation. What could be so urgent that it required them to gather at this late hour?

Inside the boys' barracks, the atmosphere was tense, a palpable sense of unease settling over the room. Yu-jeong approached each member of the platoon, passing out covers with their names written on them. The room fell silent as the covers were distributed, and confusion filled the air.

With a tremor in her voice, Yu-jeong addressed the platoon, her words laced with a mix of fear and responsibility. "I... I need you all to write your wills." She attempted to ease the mounting anxiety. "Apparently, writing a will is... only a formality before an operation," she explained, her words punctuated by hesitancy. "Also... cut your fingernails or your hair to submit them in these covers. These are for... these are for your funeral when they can't find your body."

Shock and disbelief washed over the room as Yu-jeong's words hung heavy in the air. Fear and uncertainty gripped the hearts of the students, their minds racing with thoughts of mortality and the harsh reality of the mission ahead.

Park So-yoon's voice trembled with fear as she voiced the question that haunted their thoughts. "Wait! What? Are we going out to die?" Her eyes darted anxiously around the room, seeking reassurance.

Yu-jeong shook her head vigorously, desperate to dispel their rising panic. "No, that's not it," she insisted, her voice strained with uncertainty.

Lee Soon-yi, her voice quivering, implored Yu-jeong to stop sowing fear among them. "Stop scaring us," she pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears.

Yu-jeong let out a weary sigh, the weight of their doubts pressing upon her shoulders. "It's a formality..." she began, her voice trailing off as she struggled to find the right words.

Hong Jun-hee, her frustration mounting, interjected sharply. "Exactly! Why do we need to do it if it's only a formality? It's because it's going to be dangerous!" Her voice carried a mixture of anger and apprehension.

Soon-yi, her confusion deepening, voiced the concerns shared by many. "I thought we were being discharged. Why are they sending us for an operation?" Her words hung in the air, a poignant reflection of their collective uncertainty.

Yu-jeong found herself at a loss for words, her gaze shifting anxiously from one worried face to another. "I'm not sure about that. But---"

The room crackled with tension as Ha-na abruptly stood up, her voice quivering with a mixture of anger and fear.

"Hey, ask them again if you're not sure. Ask them if this is necessary!" Ha-na's voice rang out, her voice trembling with anger and fear.

Bo-ra attempted to intervene, reaching out to stop Ha-na, but Ha-na pulled her arm away forcefully, her voice escalating into a scream. "She is the class president! Why don't you even ask them such things?"

Hee-rak, his own discontent fueling his words, scoffed at the situation. "You had the nerve to just accept these, huh?" he sneered, his voice filled with defiance.