Chapter 13 …
Life Reset, Military Police!
“Actually, there’s one thing.”
“Go ahead.”
“It’s about Private Choi Kang-ho who came with me.”
“Oh, Choi Kang-ho? Don’t worry. The battalion commander already gave special instructions, so he’ll probably serve much more comfortably than his previous unit. And he’ll most likely be assigned as a headquarters company administrative soldier.”
“Administrative soldier… yes, understood.”
“Other than that, do you have any special requests for me?”
At that, Oh Sang-jin paused for a moment before speaking.
“There’s a martial art I’ve been practicing since I was young. It’s a traditional martial art passed down at the temple.”
Captain Lee Tae-jun crossed his arms, intrigued, and nodded.
“From a temple? Something like the Ho-beop-mu the warrior monks used during the rebellion?”
“It’s similar. I can’t reveal the name, but if I don’t train my body in that way, energy will accumulate badly.”
“So?”
“After duty, please allow me to practice alone in a space where no one else is present.”
A brief silence passed.
Captain Lee Tae-jun looked into Oh Sang-jin’s eyes without a word. They were clear, unwavering, and completely honest.
“Alright. If that’s the case, I’ll give special permission.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“But…”
The company commander added.
“Do you have any specific preferences? A place, or a time?”
“No, just saying it is enough.”
“Good. Then…”
The company commander stood from his seat.
“Go back to the platoon leader and greet the platoon members.”
“Yes, sir.”
Oh Sang-jin straightened his posture and gave a formal salute.
“Yes, sir! Private Oh Sang-jin. I’ll be going now.”
Not long after Oh Sang-jin left, the door opened again.
“Captain, may I come in?”
“Yes, enter.”
Lieutenant Park Joo-ho quietly stepped inside. His face showed curiosity about what had just happened in the hallway.
Captain Lee Tae-jun looked up at Lieutenant Park Joo-ho and smiled briefly.
“That kid’s quite unusual, isn’t he?”
“Yes. He seems solid, in every sense.”
“Yeah. That kind of solidity can lead to trouble—or accomplish something big. So make sure you keep an eye on him.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And I heard he’s trained in traditional martial arts. Did you know that?”
Lieutenant Park Joo-ho froze for a moment.
“Ah… no, sir. I’m sorry, I hadn’t realized.”
“That’s fine. It’s not like he was hiding it just from you. Anyway, he wanted to continue his training, so I gave him special permission.”
“Ah… yes, sir.”
“During physical training or personal maintenance time, make sure he has a quiet space to practice.”
Lieutenant Park Joo-ho couldn’t hide a slightly flustered expression.
“Sir, but Private Oh Sang-jin is still just a private…”
At that, Captain Lee Tae-jun’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“And what’s the problem with that?”
The air in the room turned cold at that one line.
“I personally delivered the battalion commander’s orders to you, didn’t I?”
Lieutenant Park Joo-ho immediately apologized.
“Y-yes! It’s my fault for not fully understanding the intent.”
“Lieutenant Park.”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain Lee leaned back in his chair and spoke firmly.
“Do your job properly. Don’t let something like the last incident happen again where the unit can’t handle an accident and I get scolded by the battalion commander.”
“That won’t happen, sir. I’ll take full responsibility and manage it properly.”
“Good. Now go.”
“Yes, sir!”
Lieutenant Park Joo-ho wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and exited the company commander’s office after saluting. Only after closing the door did he let out a light sigh.
‘I didn’t think the company commander would get that worked up over just one private.’
At that moment, he caught Oh Sang-jin’s eyes at the end of the hallway.
“Alright, let’s go. To 1st Platoon.”
Lieutenant Park Joo-ho took the lead, and Oh Sang-jin quietly followed behind.
Upon arriving at the 1st Platoon barracks of the 2nd Military Police Company, 13th Military Police Battalion, Lieutenant Park Joo-ho opened the door wide without knocking.
The air in the barracks immediately stiffened.
It was a cramped space with ten soldiers, each already sitting on their assigned bunk.
‘From Cheorwon?’
‘Transferred here? And suddenly too.’
Most of them had already heard the rumors, but today was the first time they were seeing his face in person. Lieutenant Park Joo-ho looked at them all and spoke firmly.
“Alright, receive the new soldier.”
Oh Sang-jin raised a salute and spoke loudly.
“Yes, sir! Private Oh Sang-jin!”
His voice echoed through the center of the barracks, filled with military discipline. But the soldiers’ expressions were uniformly reluctant.
Lieutenant Park Joo-ho ignored the atmosphere and continued.
“Private Oh Sang-jin has been transferred from the frontlines in Cheorwon. He’s endured a tough military life, so make sure to welcome him properly. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
The responses were loud, but sincerity was lacking. Especially Sergeant Kang Tae-min, the highest-ranking soldier in the barracks, had a subtly hardened expression. Lieutenant Park Joo-ho glanced at him.
“Sergeant Kang Tae-min.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Come with me for a moment.”
“Yes, sir.”
Before leaving, Sergeant Kang Tae-min said to the others.
“Hey. Help the new guy unpack.”
“Yes, sir.”
He went out with Lieutenant Park Joo-ho to the smoking area outside. Park took out a cigarette and lit it, standing in silence for a while. Kang also had a cigarette but didn’t light it yet. Between them, a brief pause lingered.
“Tae-min.”
“Yes?”
“Have I ever made things especially difficult for you recently?”
“No, sir. Please don’t say that.”
“Good. I rely on you a lot. Stabilizing platoon life mainly depends on the sergeant.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Lieutenant Park exhaled smoke and glanced away, then looked back at Sergeant Kang.
“But listen. I saw your face just now.”
“……”
“Oh Sang-jin. He’s new, so things might be uncomfortable. But as you’ve heard, he didn’t come here for nothing.”
Sergeant Kang nodded silently.
“He was sent with the special order, ‘No accidents under any circumstances.’ Even if he’s inconvenient, don’t show it on your face.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And give Oh Sang-jin some special consideration.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s trained in traditional martial arts. He apparently wants to continue practicing. I’ve said it before: manage it so no trouble happens. Understood?”
Sergeant Kang gave a small, awkward laugh.
“Martial arts… like Taekwondo?”
“Taekwondo isn’t really martial arts, I’ve heard. Anyway, just watch him, don’t push him too hard.”
“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll handle it well.”
“Good. For now, just keep an eye on him. Let’s go back in.”
“Yes, sir!”
Sergeant Kang saluted and turned back. On his face was a mix of curiosity about Oh Sang-jin and unease about a new situation.
Back in the barracks, Kang clapped his hands.
“Alright, everyone, let’s do a quick self-introduction. Oh Sang-jin, our new platoon member, you go first.”
Oh Sang-jin immediately straightened and saluted.
“Yes, sir! Private Oh Sang-jin, transferred from Cheorwon’s 101st Infantry Division. I look forward to working with you!”
“Good. I’m squad leader Sergeant Kang Tae-min. If you have any questions in the barracks, ask me first. Don’t bother the others unnecessarily. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Alright, everyone else, say a word.”
Most gave formal greetings, but their tone and eyes showed clear caution. New soldiers getting special treatment weren’t looked upon kindly. Moreover, the lack of hazing or punishment created an unusual tension among the platoon.
Yet Sergeant Choi Sung-ho sat quietly on his bunk reading the newspaper, and Squad Leader Kang seemed to suppress the atmosphere by remaining seated. Their inaction sent a clear message: “Don’t mess with him.”
Still, there was one who couldn’t resist mischief.
“Hey, Kim Jin-soo.”
Corporal Park Sung-ho nudged him lightly.
“Yes?”
“You remember that last time with the dirty underwear?”
“No, that wasn’t dirt… it was just sweat buildup, wasn’t it?”
“Ah, stop talking. Bring it here.”
Kim Jin-soo reluctantly pulled a gray, raggedy pair of underwear from under his blanket.
“Oh Sang-jin.”
Corporal Park spoke sternly.
“Private Oh Sang-jin, right? You trained at a temple?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Temple… I guess you did a lot of laundry too?”
Oh Sang-jin sensed the intent but answered calmly.
“Yes. I’m confident in hand-washing.”
At that, Corporal Park chuckled and threw the underwear.
“Really? Then let’s see your skills. This one’s impossible to clean with a washboard. Let’s see how well you can do.”
The underwear was yellowed and stained with what looked like mud. Clearly, it was something no one wanted to wash.
“Should I do it right now?”
“Sure. If you can clean it, I’ll admit it.”
Laughter rippled through the platoon. It was an obvious light hazing ritual.
Oh Sang-jin didn’t flinch or frown. He calmly picked up the underwear and left the barracks.
The Military Police Battalion had washing machines—two of them. They were decent, but insufficient for the battalion’s numbers. After training, laundry piled up, and small items like underwear and socks were usually hand-washed during showers.
Private Lee Min-woo guided Oh Sang-jin to the washroom.
“Here, Sang-jin. Do it here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Just as Oh Sang-jin was about to dip his hands in the sink, Private Lee Min-woo leaned in and spoke quietly.
“Hey, that… it’s not going to get clean.”
“What? I didn’t hear you.”
“You got that underwear from Corporal Park Sung-ho, right?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Ah… he’s always the same. He deliberately gives the new guy something beyond cleaning, stuff he’s meant to throw away. That one? It won’t come clean, no matter how much you scrub.”
“I see…”
Oh Sang-jin glanced at the underwear with a calm expression. No matter how you looked at it, it was closer to waste than wearable clothing.
