EBCGM 08

Chapter 8

Things Money Can Buy, Things Money Cannot Buy – (2)

One of the good things about becoming a clerk in the Logistics Department instead of a tank driver.

……That was none other than this.

“Who on earth could it be? I heard the hospital bills aren’t cheap. And on top of paying all of it, they even admitted him to what is said to be the best hospital in Korea—”

On the way to the Division Headquarters.

Under the excuse of going to the division to handle some work, I was able to leave the guard post and get some fresh air outside.

If I had remained a tank driver, this would only have been possible during training.

But now that I had become a clerk in the Logistics Department, I was going to be able to go outside much more often than before.

“I really can’t guess at all.”

“Is something wrong, sergeant?”

“No, nothing’s wrong with me. I’m talking about the sponsor.”

“If you’re talking about the sponsor, do you mean the next-term senior private first class—?”

“Yeah. Let’s go for now. Keep your eyes on the road.”

“Yes, sir!”

Even while listening to the conversation between the logistics supply officer and the senior driver, I tried to keep my mouth shut as much as possible.

“Isn’t this why you should live a good life?”

“Are you asking me—?”

“There isn’t a single guy who doesn’t have a sponsor. You haven’t been at your unit for that long yet, but don’t you feel anything?”

“I think he’s a good senior.”

“Now that guy can finally feel a little less burdened. Whoever it is, he’s really a grateful person. A very grateful person……”

Sergeant Do Gi-chan.

He was the same age as me, and he had also enlisted late…… so among officers around our age, he was one of the lower-ranking ones.

“Is anyone bullying you?”

“Not really.”

“I heard from someone that Cheon Gyeong-tae was going crazy because he couldn’t get to you. Has that bastard still not come to his senses?”

Rumors really did spread fast.

Well.

It wasn’t just me. Cheon Gyeong-tae had a bad reputation because he also picked on other junior soldiers.

“If it gets to the point where you really can’t stand it anymore.”

“……?”

“Just headbutt the guy.”

“I’m sorry?”

“That’s better. Coming to the army is already frustrating enough, and there are many soldiers who end up having bad thoughts…… or deserting after being bullied by people like that. It’s much better than that.”

At the logistics supply officer’s words, the senior driver laughed out loud.

“I’ll take care of the consequences. Neither I nor the officer in charge can stand watching someone mess with our guys.”

“Doesn’t the Logistics Department really take care of its own people terribly well?”

“Doesn’t the Transport Department do the same?”

“……Sigh, don’t even get me started. You know our transport officer.”

“Hmm, we’re almost there.”

The Division Headquarters, which I was visiting for the first time.

When the car stopped at the entrance, a military police officer came over and completed the inspection.

“Good work—”

“Charge! Argh!”

I followed Sergeant Do Gi-chan, the logistics supply officer, around.

The Division Headquarters building, where the food supply warehouse was, where we had to receive fuel, where we had to go for matters concerning uniforms and tools.

I put each thing into my head one by one.

“This guy next to me is the new recruit in our Logistics Department. You’ll be seeing him often from now on, so treat him well whenever you meet him.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“I’ll ask you about it later.”

“Haha, would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Let’s stop drinking that damn coffee. I’m going to throw up.”

Just as each person had their own assigned duties at the battalion level,

the same was true for the division.

Even though we were all soldiers, the people at the division, who were basically ‘old guys’ to me, didn’t hesitate to say they were jealous of my physique.

Just like my senior soldiers had when they first saw me at my unit.

“So, how does the division look to you?”

“Private Han Tae-pyeong.”

“Ah, come on. You and I are the same age. When it’s just the two of us, relax a little. Don’t be so stiff.”

“Even so—”

“I said I’m fine with it. Anyway, how is it?”

“It seems bigger than I expected.”

“That’s all?”

“Then what should I—?”

“You don’t look nervous at all even after coming here. Are you even capable of getting nervous? Anyway, the place we just visited is where we receive the food supplies related to Class 1 supplies. Today we need to pick up unleaded fuel, solvent, and coolant, so let’s go to the division fuel depot—”

The senior driver who had come to the division with us was already waiting in front of the fuel depot.

“Charge!”

“Uh, I don’t know how many times I’ve said this today. The guy next to me is the new recruit in our unit’s Logistics Department……”

Empty drums and waste oil were returned.

The other types of fuel were received from the division.

“The amount we need to take today is—”

“Three drums of unleaded fuel, and one drum each of solvent and coolant.”

“You answered before I even finished speaking. Hey, pull the vehicle in closer!”

This was much easier than I expected.

Wasn’t this practically a dream posting?

I didn’t have to be trapped inside the battalion fence, I could get some fresh air outside, and time naturally passed while doing it.

“Now we can carry them together.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Huh? No, let’s do it together.”

“I can really do it by myself.”

Bang, bang, bang!

There were only five drums, after all.

I didn’t really need any help.

“……You really are strong.”

“I lined them up properly.”

“Hmm, wait. Since we’ve come all the way here, and this is also your first time coming to the division headquarters. Let’s have lunch outside and then go back.”

“Outside?”

“Well, is there anything you’ve wanted to eat? There’s pretty much everything around here.”

At the logistics supply officer’s suggestion that we eat civilian food instead of army food……

the senior driver beside me had a smile from ear to ear.

“Really?! Then I would like—!”

“Stay quiet. Did I ask you?”

“That’s too harsh, sir.”

“Don’t worry about money. Just tell me comfortably.”

For a moment, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Had I ever heard someone tell me not to worry about money in my entire life?

“What? Why are you laughing?”

“Ah—it’s nothing. I was just happy.”

“So, what do you want to eat? I’m hungry. Ugh—ugh!”

I should come here to handle division work as often as possible.

Heaven really was on my side.

Becoming a clerk in the Logistics Department was the right choice.

Something I had heard from my father so many times since I was young that my ears hurt.

He always said that in this world, there were things money could buy and things money could not buy.

……Especially when it came to people’s hearts, he said they could not be bought with money.

You might be able to buy someone’s heart for a short while somehow with money…… but eventually, there would be a limit.

That was why I had to move the other person’s heart first.

“Ha, ha, ha—!”

The people sitting around me were breathing heavily.

It was the short break after the first half of the soccer game.

“Here, some water.”

“I’m fine. You should drink first, Private First Class Cha—”

“I’ve already had enough.”

“Thank you.”

“But didn’t you say you weren’t confident in sports that involved using your feet?”

“I don’t think I ever said—”

“Of course, you were playing goalkeeper. But you were much better than I expected. In the second half, don’t play goalkeeper. Try playing offense.”

I drank a few sips of water, grateful for Private First Class Cha’s consideration.

Meanwhile.

“……Honestly, when you first came to the unit, I couldn’t really take to you for some reason. But as time goes by, I like you more and more.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Whatever job you’re given, you move quickly and properly like a soldier. And no matter what anyone says to you, you don’t show that you’re offended.”

“That’s only natural for a new recruit—”

“No, it’s not natural at all. There are so many guys with no common sense. There are more than a few who start slacking off from the moment they’re privates just so they can rest a little more.”

When one of my senior soldiers praised me, the other seniors nearby joined in.

“Same for me. At first, I didn’t like how everyone was praising him so much for no reason. But the more I see him, the more I think he’s a decent kid.”

“He slammed a dunk when we played basketball. And when we put him in goal, it was like there was a spider standing there. A spider with long arms and legs. Honestly, there were quite a few dangerous moments, but he didn’t let in a single goal.”

“Is his reflexes just natural?”

“That’s not all. I thought what happened earlier was incredible.”

“You mean that goal?”

“Yeah. I mean…… even if the opposing goalkeeper had come far outside, he threw the ball with one hand from that distance and scored. How does that make any sense? Even a shot-put athlete couldn’t do that.”

“Didn’t he say he played American football?”

I had just been lucky.

I felt like it was the right moment, so I threw the soccer ball with all my strength.

I never expected it to actually shake the net.

Anyway, just as they say that praise can even make a whale dance,

I was secretly pleased by my seniors’ words.

But I controlled my expression so they wouldn’t notice.

“That aside, ah…… I wish I could shorten the rest of my military service with money.”

“With money? Is this private first class a beggar or something?”

“……You little punk. Do you want to die?”

“Hehehe!”

“Don’t hit him with the facts so hard. I’m just saying. If you could do that, you’d do it too, wouldn’t you? Even if you had to take out a loan?”

“That is true.”

Listening to my seniors, I even found myself thinking about something funny.

What if that were really possible?

Couldn’t I get discharged from the army today?

“Do you know what you can’t buy with money?”

“Time?”

“That’s pretty similar to what we were talking about earlier.”

“What else is there?”

“Health.”

“Come on, that’s not true. If you have enough money, you can buy as much health as you want—”

“I phrased it a little strangely. More precisely, I’m talking about dead people. Someone who is already gone from this world can’t be brought back to life. No matter how much money you have.”

“……Ah, I’m sorry for bringing that up so suddenly.”

“No, I guess I made the mood too dark. Come on, let’s go out and play the second half!”

When he was young,

one of my seniors had to send his mother to heaven.

Seeing him get up while brushing off his pants, I also stood up.

“Hey, hyung—”

“Private Han Tae-pyeong.”

“This time, go on offense with me!”

“Is it really okay for me to do that? I’m not very good at kicking the ball—”

“Well, if you think about it, we’re all pretty similar. It’s not like we have any professional soccer players here. Hey, someone else, go play goalkeeper this time!”

I didn’t know about other units, but our unit had certain forms of hazing.

For example, you could only play forward in soccer after gaining a certain amount of seniority……

you had to at least become a private first class before you could go to the PX alone, and you couldn’t directly report a senior to an officer over most matters.

There were things you could notice at a glance, as well as things that were quietly accepted among the soldiers.

“Private First Class Cha, are you really trying to put a new recruit as a forward?”

“Yeah, why?”

“No matter how well this guy is doing in the army, he still doesn’t have enough seniority—”

“Ha…… Hey. Don’t you think we should change a little too?”

“I’m sorry?”

“How long are we going to keep worrying about things like that? I’m sick of it. Really sick of it. Aren’t you? There’s no harm in trying him out for a bit and judging afterward.”

Private First Class Cha had once told me this.

Because of the nature of the military as a group, there might always be some forms of hazing……

but he wanted to be different from the others and gradually get rid of those practices, even if only a little at a time.

“……Once it starts, don’t look back. Just run toward the opposing goal. I’ll send the ball straight up to you.”

Tap, tap.

Just as Private First Class Cha told me, as soon as the second half started, I began running quickly toward the opposing goal.

“Here it comes—ah!”

Bang!

Private First Class Cha also did exactly what he had said.

He raised his voice so loudly that it seemed to shake the parade ground and sent the ball high through the air toward me.

“Ugh!”

“What the hell? This tank-like bastard!”

“Not only is he huge, he’s fast too…… What the hell is this!”

I lightly kicked the ball far ahead of me.

As I watched the seniors running toward me get knocked aside, I charged forward like a tank with its accelerator fully pressed down.

There was no time to look back.

And how much time had passed after that?

“Kehehe! Nice—ughhhh!”

Private First Class Cha, who had passed the ball to me and quickly followed behind, shouted once again.

Tap.

Roll……

Swish—