“Though I say that, it’s not as if I’m forced into military life against my will.”His tone suggested he was managing all right. Taeui leaned his head against the wall in relief.“Well, starving yourself is one thing, but you can’t starve your wife… marriage, huh…”Marriage was a concept far removed from Taeui’s life. Chang-o fell silent awkwardly. He wasn’t the kind to hurl “faggot” at every greeting like Kim Jeong-pil, but as a typical person in a typical society, he likely shared a basic aversion.Taeui stared at the ceiling and munched his bread in silence before glancing back at Chang-o with a playful smile.“Like it?”“Huh? Oh… yeah, it’s good.”Chang-o hesitated, then blushed and laughed.“Not everything’s rosy. It can be tough. Your life isn’t entirely your own anymore. You give up what you used to love, do things you hated… but I figure it’s part of the package. Everyone thinks that when they marry.”Chang-o’s jaw and midsection had softened slightly since Taeui last saw him, but he looked better than before, at least to Taeui’s eye.“Chang-o.”“Yeah?”“You’ll make a good uncle someday.”“…Not a good husband, not a good father, but a good uncle?”Chang-o shook his head in mock disbelief and tapped Taeui lightly on the back of the head. Taeui retorted, teasing back and forth until their words trailed off.After a pause, Chang-o murmured, “You… you won’t get married, right?”“Right.”Without hesitation, Taeui’s answer drew a wry smile from Chang-o.“Where’s Jeong-pil? I was waiting to hear ‘What marriage for a faggot?’ by now.”“He went to fetch drinks. If he’s late, the mess must be packed.”“Hope he got trampled a bit.”“Tch, he’s not that bad…”“He is to me.”Chang-o bit his lip, knowing Taeui wouldn’t be swayed in Kim Jeong-pil’s defense, and fell silent.He changed the subject. “Is it going well with that person you’re seeing?”Taeui hesitated. If he spoke of real danger—living under threat—it would turn into a long explanation. He chose the safest reply.“Yeah… it’s going well.”“Oh yeah?” Chang-o nodded. “What’s he like? A good person?”“Yeah.”If he’d said, “By normal standards he’s someone you should avoid within miles, but personally ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) I see shades of good,” the conversation would either die or drag on. He chose the blunt answer and spent a second resenting his own growing ease with lying.“You been together long? He treats you well?”“Yeah, a few years now. He’s good to me.”At least that was no lie. They’d lived together for years, and Taeui had witnessed genuine kindness in him.But this topic hurt more the longer they talked. Taeui decided to change course. “Anyway…”“Fuck, I don’t need to hear your faggot-lover brag, Chang-o. My ears are bleeding.”As he opened his mouth to pivot, a dull thud rattled through the chair beside them. Taeui froze, then turned his head after the kick on the next seat subsided.There stood Kim Jeong-pil, one juice pack in each hand, glaring at Taeui with raw displeasure. Taeui furrowed his brow.“I thought you’d let it slide today, but you’re just begging to get your eyes gouged out…”“My eyes gouge themselves, asshole.”Taeui clicked his tongue, scowling.“Do you two fight every time you meet? Cut it out. There are people around.”Chang-o scrambled over between them. Passersby glanced curiously as they passed.Taeui sighed and rose. He had time, but this was pointless. He left a quick goodbye for Chang-o and turned—but a loud “Hey!” boomed from behind.“Have some shame. Bragging about your faggot-boyfriend in public?”This shit always lay at his feet… Taeui half-turned and glared at Kim Jeong-pil. Jeong-pil smirked, one corner of his mouth curling.“Better than bragging about being a limp dick.”“You bastard…”Jeong-pil snatched and hurled a juice pack. It struck Taeui’s temple and burst, splattering juice everywhere.Silently, Taeui felt droplets run down his hair and clothes. Part of him wanted to dump the mess on the floor, but he had no time for a fight—yet his feet rooted in place.He inhaled deeply. Namu amida butsu… Fine. If this was a lover-brag contest, Ilrey would win hands down. He could endure this. It was nothing.But.He drew another deep breath, then let his gaze drop from the ceiling to Jeong-pil—and smiled broadly. Jeong-pil’s brow shot up in confusion at the unexpected grin. Taeui stepped forward, slipped an arm around Jeong-pil’s shoulder, and spoke in slow, clear English.“Jeong-pil.”“—What the hell…”“It’s not my fault Chang-o won’t go for you. Grow up and move on. This looks pathetic.”“What?!”The mess hall entrance was a swirl of onlookers—those who’d watched the tense exchange and the juice attack. Murmurs ran through the crowd: Is that an old rival? A love triangle?Jeong-pil froze, then fumbled, “No, that’s not—” before whipping a fierce glare at Taeui.“You bastard! What did you say?”“Sorry, Chang-o. You’re married—no risk of getting hitched now.”Taeui ignored Jeong-pil and offered a meek apology to Chang-o, who blinked in confusion.“That bastard!”Enraged, Jeong-pil grabbed Taeui’s collar. Taeui sneered back.“Why provoke someone who’s minding his own business and force him to hear garbage, you asshole…”Before he finished, Jeong-pil swung a fist into Taeui’s face. The blow was solid enough to draw blood.“You hit me…?”Taeui tasted iron and glanced sideways at Jeong-pil. His bad luck persisted.A circle of spectators formed, cheering, mocking: “Don’t lose, Taeui!” “Don’t call the instructor yet—let it play out.”Only Chang-o tried to intervene. “Taeui, Jeong-pil, stop—” but they were locked in each other’s grips.“You asshole, why crawl out here from Taereung to start this shit?”“Faggot’s fighting back!”They tumbled and rolled, punches and insults flying. A few unlucky onlookers got clipped amid the fray. The brawl intensified, the crowd shifting to follow the fight’s shape like a living ring.Neither combatant noticed the growing throng. Taeui was a hair’s breadth from snapping, and Jeong-pil was equally unhinged.“Hey, stop this—”Chang-o’s voice was lost to them. He begged, but no sound reached Taeui—they were beyond hearing cheers or jeers.Then—thud. A fist connected squarely with his right jaw. Though if he’d ducked slightly, it would have stung less, he had held on to Jeong-pil’s collar with both hands and taken it full force.Stars flashed before Taeui’s eyes. He toppled backward. Screams rose as spectators fell over or got hit by stray limbs.“What a soft-minded punch, faggot—acting tough…”Jeong-pil panted and swore, but even he looked shaken.“Well then, take that soft punch properly.”Taeui ground his teeth, yanked Jeong-pil’s collar again, and clenched his right fist—ready to flatten that smug face. He drew his arm back in a wide arc.But at that moment—Just as the crowd had receded to give space, someone remained behind. Taeui’s elbow swung back and struck a hidden bystander with a heavy thwack—more a whip than a graze.“Ugh…”Even in the frenzy of the fight, this blow was undeniable. Someone was down and hurt.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.