Chapter 26: That's All for Today
Seo Juhwan's mind raced through countless thoughts in an instant.
'How does this hyung know that I was intimate with Sora noona? Did Captain Park Gyeongsu see us together? Is that how the rumor spread?'
If that was really the case, it would be problematic. For himself, it didn't matter much, but Jeong Sora's position would become extremely awkward.
Seo Juhwan decided to play dumb for now.
"What are you talking about? Where did you get that from?"
"Didn't you go? You said you were jumping to Yeongyang County, so I thought you went there."
"Wait, what jump? Where am I supposed to go?"
"Where else? To that kind of establishment."
Lee Junghoon said it as if it was obvious. Meanwhile, Seo Juhwan was confused about what this sudden comment meant. Then he remembered the rumor that had quietly circulated through the base around this time.
"Ah, you mean... Russia?"
"Yeah. You didn't go?"
Lee Junghoon asked with a completely composed expression.
Seo Juhwan realized he had completely misunderstood and slapped his forehead. At least Lee Junghoon didn't know anything about the relationship between Jeong Sora and himself. What he was talking about was a new establishment that had opened in Yeongyang County around this time. There were supposed to be Russian women there, so it had become a topic of casual conversation for a while.
Seo Juhwan let out a long sigh and spoke.
"Why would I go there?"
"Well, I saw you jump to Yeongyang County alone in civilian clothes, so I naturally thought you went there. You didn't?"
"...I didn't go. I have no interest in those establishments."
"Come on. Just a few months ago you came to me asking if there was a decent place."
"...Me?"
"Yeah, you. You said you wanted to lose your virginity, right?"
"Crazy."
Seo Juhwan cursed under his breath, his face flushing red with embarrassment. Memories were coming back to him.
In the military, when the guys got bored, they'd talk about explicit things. Apart from him, there was no one around who was still a virgin. Feeling unnecessarily inferior about this, he had once considered going to an establishment to lose his virginity. And it was Lee Junghoon, the person he was closest to, who he had asked for information.
Now that all the memories came flooding back, Seo Juhwan was overwhelmed with shame. At least if he had actually gone, there would be no regret. But he never went to the establishment in the end. Why did he even ask about a place he was too scared to go to anyway... He started banging his head against the pillar at the guard post.
Lee Junghoon looked at Seo Juhwan as if he were crazy, then chuckled and said.
"Well, I'm glad you didn't go anyway."
"...Why is that?"
"I felt a bit uncomfortable about it. If you have your first experience at a place like that, you'll usually regret it later."
Seo Juhwan nodded. He agreed that if his first time was at an establishment, he would likely regret it later. It would probably hit him hard. On the other hand, his first experience with Jeong Sora had become a good memory. It would probably remain an unforgettable memory for the rest of his life.
As he was smiling while recalling that time, Lee Junghoon suddenly said:
"Want to go hunting together later?"
"Huh? What do you want to do with me? Hunting?"
Seo Juhwan wondered if he had heard correctly. Lee Junghoon clarified his suspicion.
"You're discharged in February and will have a break then. Let's meet up then. Want to go clubbing together?"
"I'm in!"
Seo Juhwan jumped at the bait. He thought that if he went with Lee Junghoon, it would definitely be fun. On top of that, he also harbored the hope that he might finally experience what he'd only heard about—a one-night stand.
The two made plans for February. Seo Juhwan was already looking forward to that day.
"But hey, what are you going to do after you're discharged?"
"After discharge?"
"Do you have any plans?"
"Well, I haven't thought out the details, but I have some ideas."
Lee Junghoon's question was something Seo Juhwan had been thinking about ever since just after his regression. The difference was that it wasn't just about life after discharge, but about the direction his life would take from now on.
Seo Juhwan's previous life had been miserable. And it wasn't just his own misery—it was the kind that dragged those around him into it too. Ever since he became aware of this, he had always lived in suppression. He was afraid he might harm others, so he shut himself away inside his house.
Perhaps it was compensation for that. In this new life, he wanted to do everything he wanted to do. Since he had come from the future to the past, the ways to make money were endless anyway. With no financial worries, he wanted to enjoy as many fields as possible.
'I want to live happily. Do everything I want, as I please. However I feel like it!'
This was a second life. He should live it well, right? The problem was that even he wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to do, but fortunately, he had the excellent ability of 'acquiring talent from those he had slept with,' so he could think about it slowly going forward.
For now, however, he wanted to finish the work he hadn't completed before his regression.
"I'm going to write."
"Write?"
"I'm going to write a novel."
Before his regression, Seo Juhwan had worked in web novel management. However, due to his innate bad luck, he barely lasted a year before quitting. After that, he worked as a freelancer, writing web novels himself.
Contrary to expectations, being a web novel writer suited Seo Juhwan well. He had always enjoyed novels, comics, anime, and such, and since he watched most web novel genres without discrimination, he had gained considerable knowledge. Especially helpful was the fact that at twenty years old, as a hobby, he had completed two web novels.
Of course, whether it was due to his innate misfortune or lack of skill, he wasn't a best-selling author, but he did have people who could be called his fans.
However, the fact that he couldn't show those fans a conclusion before dying weighed on his mind. Even though the work hadn't been serialized yet at this point in time, the fact that he hadn't completed it bothered him like a thorn in his eye.
'Let me finish it. I put a lot of effort into it anyway.'
Seo Juhwan made that resolution. Based on his personality, if he didn't finish something, he'd think about it forever.
On the other hand, upon hearing Seo Juhwan's words, Lee Junghoon's eyes widened in surprise.
"You can write novels?"
"I started when I was twenty and wrote one before enlisting. It's not anything special, just fantasy."
"What do you mean it's not special! That's amazing! I know a novelist now."
Seo Juhwan was a bit taken aback by the more intense reaction than expected.
"It's just a web novel. Anyone can write one..."
"So what if it's a web novel? I actually prefer web novels to regular novels."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I really like web novels. Actually, I tried writing one back in the day, but I only wrote a few chapters before giving up. I just couldn't come up with the story."
This time it was Seo Juhwan's eyes that widened. Lee Junghoon likes web novels? He would never have thought so—the guy seemed like a typical extrovert. It seemed like he had no connection to subculture at all.
"Where did you serialize yours?"
"I serialized it on Geul Sesang."
"Really? I read a lot from there too. Can you tell me the title of the novel you wrote?"
"Um... The title is kind of childish, so I'm embarrassed..."
"What does it matter? I wrote one too, remember? The title of the novel I wrote in middle school was 'Death Deathicide.'"
'Death Deathicide'—the cringey middle school vibes hit him all at once, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Heh... Ah, sorry."
"You're laughing at me? If you tell me yours, I'll forgive you."
Despite his words, Lee Junghoon's expression was unbothered. He really was an easygoing guy. Seo Juhwan told him the title with a lighter heart.
"It's 'Blaze Chronicles.' The title is pretty childish, right?"
"...Blaze Chronicles? Wait a second. Your pen name wouldn't be 'Seohwan,' would it?"
"Huh? How did hyung know that?"
Seo Juhwan suddenly got goosebumps. Who was it that said it? A bad premonition is never wrong.
"...Author. Was the military you were going to here all along?"
Lee Junghoon was his passionate reader.
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