Astronomy // Duty After School

Chapter Twenty-Six.

The vehicle reached the army base midmorning when the sun had fully risen. So-chul and Jang-su opened the latch for the others, who hopped right out of the back. The group of ten that had not been trapped on a mountain for over half a day took it upon themselves to carry the backpacks of the exhausted students. Yeon-ju and (Y/n) supported So-yeon and they headed toward what they guessed to be their camp.

"Oh! Hyeong!" Hui-rak shouted upon spotting Won-bin.

"Hey!" Won-bin was on his feet in an instant. The excited kids ran to greet their instructor, who they had been worrying about since he hadn't been able to get on the first vehicle with them. Yeon-ju and (Y/n) lead So-yeon into the girls' tent while Chun-ho quickly cleared a space for her to sit.

"Hey, is everyone okay?"

"Didn't you get hurt?" Jun-hi asked.

"I didn't," Won-bin denied.

"Hyeong, you look much older than before!"

"I got older while waiting for you guys," Won-bin said, making the group laugh. "Are you all right, everyone?"

"Oh! Guk Yeong-su?" Sun-yi called.

"You're back," Yeong-su smiled.

"Hey! Then were you hoping we wouldn't come back?" Il-ha frowned. "What a selfish punk. This punk would have clapped if we didn't make it. He'd rather have thought that there were fewer competitors left."

"Cut it out," (Y/n) sighed, placing a hand on Il-ha's arm and silencing him. Won-bin smacked Il-ha's chest scoldingly.

"Yeong-su!" Won-bin called, jogging to the boy. "Didn't you clean up everything alone for the kids? Thank you for your hard work. Yeong-su was... worried about you, too. So please don't resent him."

"Thank you, Yeong-su," (Y/n) said pleasantly. "I would have been too tired to do it myself..."

"Me, too," So-chul agreed. The group murmured and nodded in agreement.

"Attention!" Won-bin clapped his hands together. "Good job coming back alive! This is the male barrack and this is the female barrack," he said, gesturing to one side and then the other. Go back to your positions!"

"Are we going to rest here?" Jun-hi gaped. "Even though we barely survived?"

"You can't help it, even if it's uncomfortable," Won-bin said. "Placement is... on a first-come, first-serve basis. Go back to your positions!" They didn't move right away, exchanging glances with one another. Yeong-shin slowly crept toward the boys' barrack, opting to get the first pick of beds.

"Damn, that sly punk!" Hui-rak huffed, jogging into the boys' barrack as the others did the same. The girls went and chose their beds, too.

"Beside me, (Y/n)," So-yeon requested. (Y/n) nodded, sitting on the bed right beside So-yeon's. Seeing that So-yeon's was one away from being at the end of the row, this left (Y/n) with someone to her right and someone to her left.

"It's comfy," Jun-hi admitted, bouncing on her bed. (Y/n) set her backpack down on her bed as the girls clustered around So-yeon, chatting to each other. Ae-seol slowly paced toward the girls' barrack and Chun-ho watched the girls.

"I really want to take a shower. We have everything here."

"Loyalty," Won-bin said, saluting Chun-ho.

"Loyalty," Chun-ho repeated, also saluting Won-bin.

"You did a good job," Won-bin said. Chun-ho grinned and Won-bin attempted to hug him. Chun-ho dodged him and pushed him towards the girls. Won-bin pretended as though that was his original plan.