Astronomy // Duty After School

Chapter Thirty-One.

Platoon 2, fully decked out in their uniforms, stood before some of the higher-ups in the military. Most people had their hands clasped behind their backs while the ones in the back two rows didn't care about posture considering they were mostly out of sight. The girls with longer hair had their hair pulled back into ponytails while the girls with shorter hair kept it as is or tied it half-up.

"The military and the people are well aware of your hard work," said the lieutenant colonel. "Many sacrifices have been made, but you are the proud sons and daughters of the Republic of Korea, who are protecting this country from the threat of strange creatures. So, please be proud of yourselves."

"Hey," Tae-man leaned forward and whispered to Hui-rak and Il-ha, both of whom leaned closer.

"To end this war faster..."

"What's he trying to tell us with that long introduction, huh?" Tae-man asked.

"By any chance, are they going to send us home?" Hui-rak wondered. Yeong-su wound up leaning in to also hear their conversation.

"Really?" Tae-man asked hopefully.

"No way," Il-ha denied.

"I'm nervous about this," Yeong-shin admitted to Jang-su.

"Oh, Lord. We got Lieutenant Colonel Yappington up there," (Y/n) muttered. Wu-taek's lips turned up.

"We will deliver important operation details now," continued the lieutenant colonel. Tae-man, Hui-rak, and Il-ha then noticed Yeong-su's attempt to join their conversation. Yeong-su quickly straightened up under the three's glares. "At 7:00 on the ensuing day, the 2nd Platoon recruits of Sungjin High School 3-2 will carry out an operation to remove the sphere in Iri-eup."

"What?!"

"Operation?"

"What's this? Is he saying we're going to war?"

"No way!"

"They said they were sending us home."

"What does 'the ensuing day' mean?" Na-ra whispered to Chi-yeol.

"Tomorrow," Chi-yeol answered. Na-ra nodded slowly.

"(Y/n), where's Iri-eup?" Wu-taek asked.

"Iksan," (Y/n) answered. "Hasn't been called 'Iri' since the '90s, though."

"What? That's the, like, opposite direction of Seoul," Wu-taek frowned.

"Be silent, everyone!" barked the lieutenant colonel. "Second Platoon Leader." Chun-ho straightened up and faced his platoon, taking a moment to think about how he would address them. He paced forward and stood before them, looking at their confused and almost tearful expressions.

"Our second platoon will leave the area at 7 o'clock a.m. the following day," Chun-ho said. "We will join the First Batallion of the 3rd Brigade in the Iksan area and be scheduled to deploy in... the operation to remove the sphere. The goal of this operation is to move from Iksan to Maesong-si through nearby densely populated areas and remove... as many Cells as possible.

"As you know, the situation isn't good," said the lieutenant colonel. "Most of the nation's infrastructure has already collapsed and the loss of troops is so great that riflemen are desperately needed. Don't forget that you're a soldier, too."

"Excuse me," Yeong-su spoke up. "But what about the entrance exam?" Several people scowled back at him. "I really need to take the entrance exam."

"Is he crazy?"

"What the hell?"

"Once we're done with the operation, everything will be on schedule," answered the lieutenant colonel. "If the operation is completed successfully, not only will you receive extra points for the college entrance exam, but everyone will also return to their family's arms." Frustration and weariness were visible on every face. "You are dismissed!" Reluctantly, the kids set off to get their dinner. Hardly anyone had the appetite to eat knowing