READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 239
Right after the gathering ended and I got back home, I got a call from the Minister.
As the sisters had mentioned, it was a call to ask about attending a military base cooperation event. Since it was a high-paying gig, both Siyeon and I took it lightly.
But more than that, I was annoyed that I knew nothing about the plan beforehand.
When I brought up what happened during the gathering and asked why they hadn’t contacted me earlier…
“Well, it seems the Student Magical Girls were in the middle of their final exams, so we wanted to wait until exams were over nationwide before reaching out, so they wouldn’t be distracted from their studies.”
As soon as I asked, a smooth, rehearsed answer flowed through the phone.
The intention was to avoid distracting the Student Magical Girls with unnecessary thoughts during their study period.
Honestly, how many Student Magical Girls are seriously studying when they already have a path to becoming public officials…?
‘Maybe some are?’
At least I knew we weren’t, as I patted Junie’s butt.
With my other hand, I pressed the phone tightly to my ear and raised my voice slightly so it could be heard on the other end.
“So, what’s the exact schedule?”
“July 28th and 29th.”
Hearing the dates, I glanced at the paper calendar hanging on the wall next to the dining table.
The end of July, smack in the middle of a weekday, when Korea’s hellish summer of high heat and humidity rears its head.
At the same time…
‘It’s during vacation.’
It also coincided with the most welcome event for students—summer vacation.
Whether they were being considerate of the still-student magical girls or it was just a coincidence, either way, as someone getting paid, I’d welcome it with open arms.
Still, given the location, I couldn’t shake off this uneasy feeling.
I hated the idea of being dragged there, but now I’m going there willingly.
Honestly, as someone who somewhat “understands” that group, it’s more like I’m just going to have fun.
But what worries me a bit is Siyeon.
Since one person goes per unit, it’s not like I can keep an eye on her.
If it were a boys’ high school, maybe, but how much would a girls’ high school student even understand about the military?
Worried, I immediately asked Siyeon.
“You’ll be okay, right? There’ll be a lot of soldier uncles.”
“Why?”
“You won’t get nervous and say something weird, will you?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
Siyeon, seemingly thinking nothing of it, casually said she’d be fine.
And so, summer vacation arrived amidst my worries.
Outside the window, the scorching sun and the buzzing cicadas announced the true start of summer.
The kind of weather that makes you not want to step outside even for a moment, and the day of our promised military base visit arrived.
“Ugh, I really don’t wanna go…”
Complaints naturally spilled out in the morning.
They say people change when they go in and out of the bathroom, and this was exactly that situation.
I agreed to go for the money, but seeing the weather outside made me not want to step out the front door.
“Hua, when are the uncles coming?”
“They’ll be here in about 20 minutes.”
Even Siyeon, who’s weak in the mornings, got up, yawning and stretching in the early morning.
Her voice sounded oddly high, and I realized she was more excited than I thought.
From a woman’s perspective, the military is an unknown world.
Unless you’re a military family member or a female officer actually serving, it’s hard to imagine what it’s like inside.
But there’s no need to know. The more you know, the deeper the abyss.
“Where are we going?”
While waiting in thin clothes for the pickup car, Siyeon, curious about the military, asked me while looking at me.
Junie, comfortably resting her butt in Siyeon’s lap, closed her eyes peacefully.
What a silly question.
“Probably Gangwon-do.”
Nine out of ten military bases are stuck up there in Gangwon-do.
I’ve heard rumors of people being assigned to bases close to home, but that’s a very rare story.
Like someone discovering an unknown illness and getting a 4th-grade rating instead of active duty—it’s that rare.
And even if there were such bases near the capital, why would they spend a fortune and bring people in just to lecture the soldiers?
This is undoubtedly, 100%, Gangwon-do.
The soldier inside me was screaming that it had to be.
“Maybe… can I shoot a gun there?!”
“Haha, absolutely not.”
Does she think shooting a gun is that easy? Siyeon’s inexperience was showing.
As someone who served in the military in a past life, it was laughable.
You won’t even get to see a gun, let alone shoot one.
By now, everyone, from officers to soldiers, is probably cleaning the barracks and cafeteria like crazy because outsiders are coming.
The kind of day where you clean the barracks spotless for the division commander’s visit, only to sit there with no one showing up.
Muttering about military life, the 20 minutes passed by.
Two sedans arrived in front of the apartment complex’s common entrance.
“We’re going now~?”
“Meow~”
Siyeon, crouching down, spoke to Junie, who had come out to the entrance to see us off.
Click, opening the door and sticking her head all the way in, she glanced at the food and water bowls.
“Did you give her enough food and water?”
“Yeah, filled to the top.”
Siyeon, as if to emphasize she packed it down, said “filled to the top” while pressing her palm down on an imaginary pile.
Was it necessary to add that gesture? But it was cute, so whatever.
Beep, the sound of the AC turning off, and we stepped out the front door.
“Alright, let’s go. They’re waiting.”
As soon as we stepped outside, the sticky humidity of summer hit us, even in the early morning.
The discomfort was immediate after leaving the AC.
At least the sun wasn’t blazing yet, but it was still unpleasant.
In front of the common entrance, two cars idled, engines still running.
Clearly here to pick us up, I walked over to the first car without a second thought.
“Which one of you is Mari?”
“Oh, that’s me.”
The driver rolled down the window, and a friendly-looking uncle asked us.
I answered in a flat, monotone voice.
The kind uncle pointed his finger outside the window and gestured to the backseat door.
“Then you can get in this car.”
“Okay~”
A drawn-out reply, like a part-time worker.
Dragging my voice, still low from waking up early, I grabbed the backseat door handle and pulled it open.
Clunk, the sound of the door opening, and Siyeon’s voice from the other car.
“See you tonight~!”
“Hey, don’t cause any trouble.”
“Okay~!”
Exchanging our usual greetings, I got into the backseat and closed the door with a thud.
The door-open indicator on the dashboard turned off.
I clicked the seatbelt into place and leaned back against the seat.
The car started moving, and I felt my body tilt back as we drove off.
No need to worry about the fare like in a taxi, and too lazy to look at the scenery outside in the morning.
I just closed my eyes.
Even though my eyes were closed, I didn’t fully fall asleep in the uncomfortable car.
How much time passed in that uncomfortable state?
“Mari, do you need to use the restroom?”
The kind uncle’s question made me open my eyes groggily.
‘Restroom? A rest area?’
Looking out the front window, we were definitely in the middle of the highway.
One thing I realized after becoming a woman is that holding it in is much harder than when I was a man.
I don’t know the exact reason.
It’s just that the body feels different, that’s the only way I can explain it.
Scientifically, it’s something about the urethra being shorter and the muscles around the sphincter being weaker…
But honestly, you just know it when you experience it.
Anyway, it’s not like I can use a bottle in the middle of the highway.
Even if I don’t feel the urge, it’s good to empty it occasionally, so I nodded quickly.
“I’ll go.”
“Alright, got it.”
After hearing my answer, the uncle slowly changed lanes toward the end of the highway.
Thinking about it, there was a time when Siyeon almost had a bathroom emergency when she was little.
That’s a memory now.
Wasn’t that also on the way to Gangwon-do?
If I told Siyeon about this, she’d probably yell at me, asking when that even happened.
Leaving the straight highway, we entered a curve leading to the rest area.
Imagining Siyeon getting mad, I chuckled and clicked the red “Press” button on the seatbelt.
Click, the seatbelt retracted.
At the same time, I felt a rumble in my stomach.
Come to think of it, I fed the cat but didn’t eat breakfast myself.
“Can I grab something to eat?”
“What time is it… Oh, sure. We have time, so that’s fine.”
With the uncle’s permission, I emptied my bladder in the restroom.
Then I bought some snacks—symbols of rest areas—and retreated to the car to escape the heat.
Potato snacks, fried chicken skewers, deli sandwiches, peanut snacks, and walnut snacks.
I filled my stomach with as much as I would’ve eaten for breakfast, having a feast in the car.
Even after eating that much with the uncle, there wasn’t a single crumb left in the car.
After finishing, I looked around to make sure no crumbs or pieces had fallen.
“What’s wrong?”
The uncle, watching me curiously through the rearview mirror, asked.
Unless it’s family, there’s nothing more annoying than someone leaving crumbs in your car.
I kept scanning the floor as I answered.
“Just checking if any crumbs fell.”
“Wow, you even think about that?”
“It’s basic manners.”
Honestly, it’s best not to eat in the car at all…
But how can you resist rest area walnut snacks and deli sandwiches?
They don’t even sell them on the streets much these days.
This might be the first time I’ve had them in months.