Astronomy // Duty After School

Chapter Thirty.

"(Y/n)!" Na-ra jogged over to (Y/n) and Bo-ra, who returned around half an hour after the others had last reached their barracks. "Your lunches are in there," she said, pointing out a crate.

"I'll wait until dinner," (Y/n) said. Bo-ra nodded in agreement.

"You're sure?" Yu-jeong asked. The girls nodded. "Deok-jung, Tae-man, you're free to eat those," Yu-jeong called out to the boys.

"(Y/n), you're back!" Tae-man greeted cheerfully as he and Deok-jung came over.

"Mhm," (Y/n) hummed, keeping her hands in her pockets but stretching her arms a bit. She opted to get in some more of the class's adjustment to their new living situation.

"But, (Y/n)..." Yeong-su said. He had on his helmet with a flashlight stuck onto it so he could study even in the dark. "We'll be taken to the shelter before we take the college entrance exam, right?"

"Most likely," (Y/n) nodded, not having the heart to tell Yeong-su that CSAT exams were most likely canceled due to there not being any open colleges they could even get into.

"Then we don't have much time left," Yeong-su said. "I didn't even start Math 2." Il-ha came over and pressed down on Yeong-su's helmet, making the flashlight fall.

"Can you study in this situation?" Il-ha seethed. "What the...?" He looked at (Y/n) as though expecting her to agree. She, instead, offered Yeong-su a sympathetic smile.

"Come on, Il-ha, it's the only normalcy he has in this place," (Y/n) said, gently trying to diffuse Il-ha.

"...Whatever," Il-ha muttered, a bit dismayed (Y/n) wasn't siding with him but also not arguing further. (Y/n) held her hand out and Il-ha took it, pulling her to her feet.

"Find something you used to be able to do that you can still do here," (Y/n) said. "Did my group make much progress?" she asked Jang-su, who perked up upon seeing her. Jang-su nodded.

"Chi-yeol took over your digging," Jang-su answered. (Y/n)'s head turned toward the boy and she jogged over.

"Kimchi! You didn't need to do the extra digging," (Y/n) said. Chi-yeol smiled reassuringly.

"It's fine," Chi-yeol insisted. "If your guys' trench wasn't up to standards, you would have had to stay later to keep digging..."

"You're too sweet," (Y/n) said warmly, heading over to the girls.

"Hey, it's gone!" Jun-hi wailed as (Y/n) entered the tent, pointing the camera around at the girls after making sure none of them were getting dressed or undressed. Ha-na, So-yeon, and Bo-ra paused their conversation to look questioningly at Jun-hi.

"What?" Bo-ra asked.

"My undies!" Jun-hi exclaimed. "Oh, gosh!" An accusatory look came to her eyes as she spotted Chi-yeol outside the tent a little ways away. "Hey, you guys took them, right?!"

"Oh, it's not me! It's really not me!" Chi-yeol insisted.

"Stop lying!" Jun-hi exclaimed. "Such pervert punks!"

"Hey, here it is!" So-yun said after only a bit of digging through Jun-hi's belongings. "It's so dirty!" She threw the underwear at Jun-hi, resulting in Chi-yeol immediately looking away for Jun-hi's privacy and his own embarrassment. Sun-yi suddenly turned (Y/n) and her camera around.

"I heard we're going to be discharged soon," Sun-yi said. "Is it true? Yes?" she asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure..." (Y/n) admitted, making Sun-yi pout but turn her questioning into Yu-jeong.

"Oh, Yu-jeong!" Sun-yi took Yu-jeong's arm.

"Yes?" Yu-jeong asked, smiling. She held a basket full of toothpaste and (unused) toothbrushes that was meant to be passed out to them. (Y/n) couldn't help but wonder why they were being handed out as late as it was.