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Ijin can't help but smile as he listens to Grandpa and Dayeon talk animatedly about their days at school and work. With Ijin's busy schedule and Dayeon's cram school, they rarely had time to have dinner together, but today everything lined up perfectly.
Dayeon had made Jjigae, the meat cooked to perfection, and the broth was a beautiful reddish-orange color, with a perfect blend of spicy and savory. The tasty soup was served with a bowl of fluffy rice and a variety of amazing side dishes. It was truly perfect.
The moment Ijin took the first bite, he felt the day's stress melt away, and the calm, kind voices of his family helped soothe the tension built up from school and work. In moments like these, he can't help but think back to his other families.
His first family, the Numbers, how they're off in the Middle East again, taking missions or hunting 003. He wondered if they were having dinner now, too; he should bring them some food the next time he sees them.
Then, he thought about Evelyn and the mercenaries at the village. It hasn't been that long since the ambush, so he hoped they were able to get back on their feet. They told him not to visit anymore, but maybe he should call and check in. Just to make sure they're okay.
"Ijin?"
Oh, his current family is calling him.
"Yes?" He asks, looking up to meet Dayeon and Grandpa's gazes.
"Is everything okay? We were calling you for a while." Grandpa asks, his voice kind.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I'm fine, just thinking."
"You looked upset. Did something happen at school?"
"No, no, school was good. Really, it's nothing." Ijin replies, smiling reassuringly.
"Alright then." Grandpa relents, smiling back at him.
A loud rapping at the door interrupts their peace.
"We aren't expecting anyone," Grandpa states, a tad confused. He shakily stands to answer the door before Dayeon quickly bolts up.
"I'll get it, Grandpa. Please sit down." She calls out, already walking to the door.
Ijin eyes the short hallway warily, subtly tapping into the nearby security cameras from his phone.
It's too late, though; Dayeon has already opened the door.
"Oh, hello." Dayeon greets.
"Hello, is Ijin Yu here?" Two men, clad in military fatigues, stand at the door, looking past Dayeon into the house.
"Grandpa!" Dayeon calls out instead, glancing towards the dining room.
Grandpa quickly stands and shuffles his way to the door. Ijin follows, keeping out of sight of the military men. Kang would've told him if his men were coming to his house.
"What's this all about?" Grandpa asks.
"Hello, sir." One of the men states, bowing ever so slightly to the elder, "I am Captain Kim, and this is my partner, Sergeant Major Lee. We are here looking for Ijin Yu for his mandatory military service. Is he here now?"
"Mandatory military service? Ijin hasn't even graduated yet." Grandpa points out, tilting his head at the men.
"Yes, but he was selected for an earlier service, and he has yet to respond to our calls to call him in. Now, is he here?" Captain Kim's voice sounds annoyed.
Ijin looks down at his phone, still displaying the security camera feed. He doesn't answer random calls.
"He just got back from being missing for 10 years. Surely he's not eligible to be sent away yet!" Grandpa argues.
"That doesn't matter, sir. He must serve his country. If you won't answer, we will be forced to enter to find him ourselves." Sergeant Major Lee retorts.
"But-"
"It's okay, Grandpa." Ijin appears, glaring at the men who spoke so harshly to his grandfather but smiling down at the elder.
"Are you Ijin Yu?" Lee asks, looking the teen up and down.
"Who's your commanding officer?" Ijin asks instead, staring them down with a blank expression.
"General Chin-Hae Wong. May we see your ID?" Kim asks.
Ijin eyes them warily before patting his pants, finding his wallet missing. He briefly snaps his gaze to the kitchen table, seeing it resting on the table next to his half-finished meal.
"Dayeon?" He asks calmly, "Could you grab my wallet off the table, please?" He'd get it himself, but he didn't want to take his eyes off the men.
"Sure," Dayeon replies, smiling at him, concern welling in her eyes.
Once she returns, he takes his ID out and hands it over to the men. They take a photo of it and wait until their phones confirm something.
"Ijin Yu, please come with us." Captain Kim orders, staring the teen down.
"Could I have some time to pack?"
"No, you've held off long enough; you must come with us or face prison time."
Ijin looks to his grandfather and sister, their faces filled with concern. They don't look willing to let him go, but they understand that they don't have a choice.
"Dayeon, please call Mr. Dushik and explain what's happened," Ijin tells her calmly, smiling at them, passing his phone to Dayeon. She nods at him, looking at the phone in her hand.
He nods to the men as he's walking to the door. Grandpa grabs him and pulls him into a hug. Dayeon joins in as well. Ijin stands still, his hands hovering behind them awkwardly.
"Be safe, okay?" Grandpa asks, cradling his face as if it were the most precious treasure. Dayeon cries behind him, her hands rubbing at her eyes.
"Of course, I'll get this settled as soon as possible. Don't worry." He smiles softly, trying to reassure them.
"Let's go." Captain Kim orders. Ijin nods, waving goodbye to his family before stepping out into the cold air.
The moment the door closes, his face drops back into his usual emotionless expression, his body language tense. He notices the two men exchange a glance before walking towards a waiting car. They take the front seat, leaving Ijin to sit in the backseat. It's not ideal, but he doesn't have a choice.
"Making us come all the way out here..." He hears the Sergeant Major mutter, annoyed, under his breath. The Captain sends a glare to his subordinate, silencing him, but they can agree on one thing.
There's something off about this kid.
He sits uncomfortably still, his gaze focused outside, watching the area change around him. His back's straight, shoulder square, as if expecting something to happen. Teenagers don't sit like that; they spread out, get comfortable, they take up space. They don't sit like they're in a business meeting. Especially not the teenager who dodged all their calls.
And what kind of kid asks about your commanding officer?
His eyes are the most unnerving to the men. His eyes now look so empty, nothing compared to the almost golden glow they had around his family. He looks like an empty doll, devoid of life and purpose.
The drive there is silent; the Captain answers a phone call halfway through, confirming that they have the teen. Ijin tries to listen in but can only catch a few of the other person's questions. Not nearly enough to formulate a plan.
He needs to find a way to get in contact with Major Kang. As far as he knew, the man filed some papers that made him exempt from the service due to his time as a child mercenary and the 6 months he spent doing missions with the men.
Ijin considers his options. Right now, his main priority is his family. Dushik and his men can only last so long; they're not trained as bodyguards. If someone came looking to get a hostage for 001, they won't be able to protect them.
He also needs to get in contact with SW and have them send someone to bring his family to a secure location.
And what if 004 stops by again? How is he going to meet him if-
Shit...
He forgot about the Numbers.
If he doesn't answer their calls, they'll come to his house and find him gone. They might ask Grandpa and Dayeon, but they're too socially inept to actually have a conversation with them, so they'll probably just hunt him down to drag him back themselves.
Damn, he just has to hope that they don't call while he figures everything else out.
The car stops outside an average-looking building; it's not a military base, so his guard is higher.
"Basic military examination. See if you're fit to serve, because you also didn't do that." The Sergeant Major reports after Ijin catches his eye.
That might work in his favor. The scarring makes his body less than optimal, and he has plenty of mental illnesses that might set him apart.
They walk through the building, the officers walking on either side of them as if expecting him to bolt. They enter a sterile white room with a woman sitting at a computer. She looks up when they enter. She has dark circles under her eyes and looks annoyed with the world.
Definitely a military doctor.
"Let's get started. Get on the table." She stands, pointing to an exam table. Ijin complies, hearing the paper crinkle as he sits down. The officers standing by the door are just watching him.
She shines a light in his eyes, muttering, "Clear." She writes something on a clipboard that looks longer than 'clear.'
She puts an ear-checking device in one of his ears, humming at whatever she sees before turning to the other, having the same reaction. She takes out a rectangular device and a pair of cheap headphones.
"Put these on and raise your hand when you hear a noise." She orders.
He raises his hand 4 times. She hums longer this time, muttering, "Recovered blown eardrums..."
She checks his reflexes, finding them perfectly fine.
She next checks his throat, finding damaged vocal cords, but that's not enough to exempt him.
"Take off your shirt." She says, tugging at the stethoscope around her neck and putting it to her ears.
Ijin looks around at the men, then at her, before pulling off the garment. Her eyes immediately widen at the sight, and she wheels back in her chair. The officers stare as well, with similar looks of shock.
"Damn, you must've been a shitty kid..." Sergeant Major Lee comments, tracing the scars with his eyes, "Really pissed your dad off, huh?"
Ijin looks at him, his expression shifting to one of annoyance for the briefest of seconds before he fixes it.
The doctor's eyes scan over his frame, lingering longer on the bullet holes, but she keeps her face professional.
"Was your father in the military?" She asks.
"Yes," Ijin responds, confused, remembering the photos he saw of his father in a military uniform.
She examines some of the scars on his arm, a slight grimace on her features. She takes his heart rate, muttering, "Heart rate good."
He puts his shirt on and watches as she wheels over to the computer and pulls up his file, her eyebrows furrowing as she reads on.
"Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder, and a myriad of anxiety disorders." She reads off, turning in her chair to look at him. Ijin blinks at her. He'd heard his diagnosis before, but he wasn't so keen on the military men knowing them. Wasn't that a violation of privacy?
"Schizoaffective Disorder?" Mr. Lee asks, looking between the kid and the doctor.
"Schizophrenia symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, along with mood disorders like mania and depression." The doctor explained, watching Ijin's face intently.
"Damn," The man mutters under his breath.
The doctor sighs and pulls out a different clipboard, filling in some information before asking, "Do you have any suicidal ideations?"
"No," Ijin responds immediately.
"Really?" The Captain asks, sounding genuinely confused.
Ijin doesn't respond, just continues staring at the doctor.
"Any previous suicidal ideations?"
"Yes,"
"What changed?"
"My family."
"Okay." She mutters, writing something on the paper.
"Do you have any fantasies about hurting others?"
"No."
"And how do your mental conditions affect your day-to-day life?"
"They don't." He responds, his face carefully blank.
"I don't believe that." She accuses, staring him down.
"I was diagnosed with those disorders while still experiencing the violence. I've been away from it for almost a year. They don't affect me as much anymore."
The doctor looks him up and down, searching for any lies in his features. Finding nothing.
"Very well, I'll put you down as a 3; it's the lowest level allowed to participate in field work." She replies, quickly signing the paper and turning away.
"Thank you," Ijin says, bowing slightly.
She sends the officers a look, silently telling them to keep an eye on him. The officers seem to take that advice and lead the teen back to the car. They drive for a while in complete silence, finally arriving on a military base. The sky was completely dark, but the stars were bright now that they'd left the bustling city.
They exit, the officers already walking away, and Ijin quickly catches up, scanning the area constantly.
It looks no different from any other base he'd been on. If the schematics were correct, they were heading to the barracks, likely to change into the fatigues.
He was correct.
They walked into an old-looking barrack filled with a bunch of neatly made beds. One stood near the corner, looking untouched, most likely his. It's better than the barracks he was used to; half the time they didn't even get beds.
"This is where you'll be staying for the next 5 weeks. Since you arrived late, you get the last bed. Everything you'll ever need is located in that chest." The Captain explains, pointing to the medium-sized black chest at the foot of his bed. "Get changed quickly and meet us outside."
Once they leave, Ijin kneels to open the chest. It has a few pairs of basic fatigues, black shirts, and camo pants with a pair of combat boots, and a small bag of toiletries, like toothpaste and floss, and basic first aid materials. It's all very similar to Camp.
He looks around the barracks. He quickly spots a few cameras hidden about, one in a light, another in the wooden panel lining the windows. He slowly gets changed, formulating a plan.
The closest outside phone is in the administrative building, but only secured personnel have access to it. If this place operates according to routine, then some of the higher-ups will come to visit the recruits in a few days, which hopefully includes the Major.
Right now, he should focus on blending in and learning more about the intricacies of the base.
"Hurry up in there!" Banging on the door pulls him from his thoughts. He quickly pulls on his boots, folds his clothes neatly on the bed, and exits the building.
"Sorry," He mutters, rubbing a hand on his neck, trying to appear sheepish. They seem to believe it as they walk off after only glaring at him.
He quickly catches up, watching as they lead him to the courtyard where about 30 people around his age stand at attention, facing a man who's yelling at the group. As they approach, he can pick up some of the scoldings.
"THIS IS THE MOST LAZY, LACKLUSTER, PATHETIC GROUP OF RECRUITS I'VE EVER SEEN!" A man dressed in a pristine dark green uniform stands there yelling in the faces of the recruits, who are beginning to look really pissed.
He doesn't seem to notice them as they approach, only turning to them once the Captain clears his throat. He whips his head around, immediately stiffening at the sight of his superior and saluting the man.
"Greetings, Captain Kim!" He says loudly.
"Hello, Sergeant Choi, we caught the rat." The Captain replies, jabbing his thumb in Ijin's direction.
"I see, so you're the one who slipped all our calls to duty," Choi replies, staring the teen down. Ijin pretends to look around, alarmed at the attention.
"Get front and center, I want to see you." Choi orders, his hands folded behind his back.
Ijin complies, walking to the center of the courtyard, just in front of the Sergeant. The man looks him up and down as if scrutinizing a piece of meat.
"State your name, age, and rank!" Choi calls out.
"Private Ijin Yu, 19." He responds instantly, his voice calm. In actuality, his true rank is closer to Major than Private due to all his missions, but they didn't need to know that.
"Do you think it's funny, Private, to betray your country and avoid military service!?" He yells, getting in Ijin's face.
The teen keeps his face carefully neutral, "No, sir." He replies, staring the man in the eye.
"I can't hear you!" Choi yells again, goading the kid to yell louder.
"No, sir." He tries to say louder, but the damaged vocal cords prevent much shouting.
Captain Kim grabs puts a hand on the man's shoulder, quickly whispering something into his ear, but pulling back, eyeing the recruits.
"Why didn't you answer any of the many calls calling you to service!?" Choi orders.
"I don't pick up calls from unsaved numbers," Ijin calls back.
"Oh, you don't pick up calls? Well, that makes everything just fine. NO. I should put you in the command center so you learn how to answer the phone!" He's standing so close that pieces of spit are flying off and hitting Ijin in the face. Ijin closes his eyes as spit lands close, apparently angering the man more.
"DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME 50, RAT BASTARD!" He explodes.
Ijin complies, dropping down immediately. Normally, he can do 50 in a few minutes, but he intentionally struggled, stretching the normal 4-5 minutes into a little over 20, all while the man yelled insults down at him.
"Enough! You all are pathetic. The higher-ups are coming tomorrow; you'd better not make a fool of me! Get out of my sight!" He yells to the group, turning around, annoyed.
He walks off with the other officers, leaving the recruits to find their own way back to the barracks. The other men look exhausted, likely having never experienced this level of exercise.
Ijin watches as they trek in the direction of the barracks.
He should do a bit of looking around after everyone's asleep. But that'll be difficult with Firewatch...
Ijin walks into the barracks to find some of the men throwing the contents of his chest on the ground. They grin smugly as he walks up, an eyebrow raised at their antics.
"Hey, Rat Bastard. Nice of you to join us." A man by the name of Kyu-Bong Eom, according to his nametag, spoke up, grinning smugly. He had bleached blonde hair cut into the common buzzcut, but his dark roots were peaking through. There was a tattoo barely peaking out from his collar. He looks to be a bit older, trying to bully the younger kids. A typical wanna-be tough guy.
Ijin looks between the mess on the floor and the group, still grinning before looking around the room. Everyone either has a similar grin or is trying their damndest to fade into the wall.
He blinks, waiting.
He could either wait for them to get bored and leave, or he could take care of the issue itself. The cameras in the barracks are the only thing holding him back from just smashing their heads against the bed frames. So he just waits.
Rat Bastard. Now that was interesting. He's had many nicknames throughout the years, ranging from 001 to Cockroach to every insult known to man. It's part of life at the bottom of the food chain, and even after all these years, he's still there. Still just a recruit.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Kyu-Bong yells, raising his hand to strike Ijin, but the young man smoothly dodges. Kyu-Bong probably had his ego hurt during the training and needed to take his inferiority out on someone else.
Ijin sighs. He really didn't have the time or patience for this, so when he ran up again to strike, he kicked the man's knee, causing him to fall to the ground, letting out a pained noise.
"You bastard!" His lackeys yell, all advancing at the same time.
Ijin dodges one person's punch, using his palm to redirect the strike to hit one of the other perpetrators. It connects perfectly. The struck one recoils, clutching a bloody nose. Another tries to kick him in the side, but he quickly ducks behind a different one, causing the kick to land on his fellow man.
"Watch where you're aiming!" The kicked yelled.
"I'm trying, dammit! The slippery bastard keeps dodging!"
"Arghhh!" They yell as they all fall, being struck down by their own attacks. Ijin stands above them, unscathed, glaring down at them, before silently walking off to tidy his area.
Stomping footsteps can be heard a few minutes later as Ijin finishes up.
"What the hell is going on in here!" Sergeant Choi angrily asks, eyeing the still recovering men on the floor. A skinny-looking man wearing the recuits uniform walks in behind him, looking sheepish. He likely snuck out during the conflict.
"He attacked us!" Kyu-Bong yells, pointing an accusatory finger at Ijin, who was rummaging through his chest a few feet away. He looks up at the commotion with a calm expression.
"All of you?" Choi asks, a bit surprised at the extent of the men's injuries.
"Well- yeah..."
"What do you have to say about this?" Choi asks, walking towards Ijin menacingly.
Before Ijin can respond, Choi grabs his hair, pulling hard, "I said, what do you have to say about this!?"
Ijin grits his teeth, memories of Camp filling his mind, "I did no such thing."
"Oh?" The older man asks, using his hair as leverage to shake his head, "So, they magically got beaten up? Huh?"
"It wasn't him, sir!" A short but burly man spoke up from a nearby bunk, "They started attacking each other at random, sir!"
"Oh? And who are you?" Choi asks, glaring at the short man.
"Private Hye Su, sir!"
"As in Colonel Shin-ll Su?" Choi's voice lowered, his body language tense.
"Yes, sir!"
Choi looks between Kyu-Bong and his lackeys to Hye, standing properly at attention, then to Ijin, who's trying his damndest not to break the man's face in.
"Fine, don't make me come back in here." He says, finally, releasing Ijin's hair. He walks out, leaving the shitty group staring at his back, fear making way onto their faces.
The son of a Colonel?
Ijin turns to look at Hye, who he finds is also staring at him. Hye smiles at them, then motions with his head to the door. Ijin takes the hint and walks out behind the shorter man.
They meet out back, facing a small forest. Hye takes out a pack of cigarettes and lights one, offering one to Ijin, who declines. Hye takes a puff, looking over at Ijin, who was staring out into the forest, watching for any movement in his surroundings.
"You're a soldier," Hye states. It's not a question.
"What?" Ijin asks, feigning ignorance.
"The way you moved back there. No regular kid could do that, and all the while keep out of the camera's direct view. Only an experienced soldier can do that." The shorter man also watches the forest, listening to the sounds of the trees swaying.
"I'm not a soldier," Ijin replies after a moment of silence. He indeed had the skills of one, but he'd never worked as an actual soldier.
Hye side-eyes him, "Uh-huh, well, Firewatch switches at 24:00, 3:00, then 6:00, I've got last watch, do with that what you will." He says, finally, snuffing the cigarette under his boot before walking away, disappearing around the building.
Ijin watches as he leaves, staying out a bit longer to formulate a plan.
If Hye was right, then he could sneak out at 3:00 to get a feel for the place, but he'll have to return right at 6:00. The only issue would be dodging the security cameras and security personnel, no doubt scattered about. The timeline for this mission is tight, but possible.
He checks his watch, 22:00. He should wait until 24:00 to get a sense of the shift changes.
Ijin heads back into the barracks to find the wannabe gangsters sitting on their beds, fresh bandages on a few of their faces. They look over when he walks in, quickly averting their eyes when they realize it's him.
The shift change for Firewatch is no different than any shift change he's ever seen, so he opts to sleep until 3:00. It'll only be three hours of sleep, but he's worked with less.
At 2:55, his body woke him. Perfect timing. He takes the dark pillow case off his pillow and quickly wraps it around his face before dropping low to the ground and crawling under the beds to avoid the cameras.
He watches as the current watch closes their eyes for a second, likely having never stayed up this long, and he takes the opportunity to slip past them, pointedly avoiding the surveillance towers nearby.
He sneaks around effortlessly, quickly ducking out of view of security cameras and guards. The base looks normal, similar in some ways to the one he shared with Kang but different in some ways. Overall, he quickly and easily maneuvered around without much trouble. He had to knock out a few too curious guards, but it won't leave any lasting injuries.
At close to 6:00, he made his way back to the barracks. The sun was coming up on the horizon, and he could see Hye wandering around the building. He tries to sneak around him, but Hye spots him. Ijin freezes in place, preparing to stop Hye if he tries something, but he doesn't. Hye nods in his direction and turns around, choosing to ignore him.
That choice gave Ijin enough time to slip in and organize everything back into place before any officers came to check on them.
At exactly 6:00, the door opens, and Choi walks in, banging two metal pans together.
"Up and at 'em, Recruits! Bed checks in 10!" He yells, startling everyone awake.
Ijin pretends to wake with a start, his hair intentionally messed up. He looks around, and the other recruits look annoyed, glaring at the loud man, and reluctantly get up to start the day.
Ijin quickly gets himself and his bed area ready for inspection, while the others are much slower in their efforts. He feels someone staring at him and looks over, finding Hye looking at him again. His bed area and person are just as neat. Likely having grown up with this kind of treatment.
"Inspection time!" Sergeant Choi yells, stomping into the room. The unprepared men quickly scramble to the front of their beds, unable to properly finish.
Choi starts with the man closest to the door, getting in his face for his unkempt appearance and bed, making him do pushups until he learned how to be a decent human being. Whatever that meant.
He goes down the line, finding flaws in everything, but he pointedly ignores Hye. Probably out of fear of his superior officer. He stops in front of Ijin, looking him up and down again, scrutinizing his very being, searching for flaws in him. Oh, how similar Camp and the military were.
"Looks like you're actually good for something, Rat Bastard." He smirks, looking down on him.
Ijin doesn't move or say anything; he just clenches his fists behind his back.
Choi scoffs at him before moving on to the next poor recruit. Once he's finished, he orders everyone to chow.
Ijin had expected maybe a piece of bread, but was pleasantly surprised to find they received proper meals. He can hear some of the recruits muttering complaints under their breath. Honestly, the people in this country are so spoiled.
"Listen up!" Choi yells, drawing everyone's attention, "There's a group of superior officers waiting outside to monitor your training. When you get out there, you will stand at attention and salute. You will answer any questions they have with a yell, and I mean a yell." He eyed Ijin, who had already finished eating and was just watching him intently.
"Do not embarrass me today. Do you understand?" He warns, glaring them all down. A chorus of 'yes, sir' rings out in the canteen.
They all walk in formation to the courtyard. Ijin can see around four figures in the distance; their features get clearer as they approach. Thankfully, he spots Major Kang among them.
Everyone stops in front of them, saluting the officers. Ijin's in the fourth row, not completely hidden but not easily spotable.
"Greetings, recruits!" A man with many glowing badges and greying hair spoke up, addressing the group.
"Greetings, sir!" They all say in unison.
The man turns to the Sergeant, who steps up,
"This is Colonel Shin-ll Su," He gestures to the older man, "Major Hamchan Kang, Captain Daeshin Kim, and Sergeant Major Chung-Ae Lee."
"It's nice to see you all," Captain Kim starts, watching them. He continues to ramble on about something, but Ijin stopped paying attention.
Ijin feels someone's gaze on him; he looks around to find Colonel Shin-ll Su staring intently at him before recognition lights up in his eyes, and he elbows Kang. Kang looks over at them, then follows his gaze to see Ijin. His eyes widen, a look of confusion crossing his face, and they have a brief whisper conversation before Kang steels his expression.
"If I may," Colonel Su interrupts. Here it goes. "I think Major Kang has something to say."
"Oh- of course," Kim replies, stepping back from where he was lecturing the recruits, letting Kang come front and center.
He can see Kang take a deep breath before calling out, "You, the boy with grey hair." He points to Ijin, his voice was loud but not commanding, "Come here."
The other recruits stare at him as he makes his way through the crowd to stand before the man.
Kang looks the same as the last time he saw him, but he was wearing the military uniform he always complained about. He was staring Ijin down, no doubt trying to figure out why he was here.
"What's your name, young man?" Kang asks, his voice softer now.
"Private Ijin Yu, sir," Ijin responds, as loud as his throat would let him, which wasn't much.
"Don't expect much from him, sir." Choi adds, staring him down, "He apparently has vocal cord damage, but I don't believe it. Don't worry, I'll make him get over it soon."
A flash of anger crosses Kang's features before he quickly covers it, but Ijin can see his fists clench enough to turn his knuckles white.
"Ijin, would you mind explaining to these men the importance of checking everyone's paperwork thoroughly?"
The recruit and officers share confused looks. It was an odd question.
"It's very easy to miss exemption paperwork if you don't look closely, sir."'
"You disrespectful-" Lee tries to start, but he's cut off by the Colonel raising a hand.
"And how do you know this, Ijin?" Kang continues as if he hadn't been interrupted.
"Because Captain Kim and Sergeant Major Lee missed my paperwork when checking me in, sir."
The aforementioned men sputter, "Wha- there was no paperwork like that!" Lee calls out.
"Yes, there was because I'm the one who filled it out, and Colonel Su signed off on it," Kang replies, turning to glare at the two men.
He can hear shocked mutterings behind him, but he keeps his gaze strictly on Kang.
"Ijin, why don't you introduce yourself by the name the world knows you by?"
Ijin closes his eyes for the briefest of seconds before opening them to find every eye on him, all awaiting an answer.
"I need to use your phone," Ijin replies instead.
Kang immediately takes his personal phone from his jacket pocket and hands it to the teen. The air around them is tense as he dials each number.
It rings for a few seconds before someone picks up, "Did you think we wouldn't notice your little disappearing act?" 002's cold voice asks on the other line.
"What have you done?" Ijin asks, his voice tense and angry.
"More than you did. You're lucky 004 went to visit them and found them all alone, or who knows what could've happened." 002 replies, a smirk evident in his voice.
"Where are they?" Ijin demands, his voice like ice.
"They're safe, that's all you need to know. But I'm warning you, if you don't get home soon, the same won't be said about those people you sent to protect them." 002 hangs up, not letting Ijin get another word in.
Ijin sighs, running a hand through his hair, "My name is Ijin Yu, but I used to go by Mercenary Jin. I worked for 5 years in the Middle East before I was found by Major Hamchan Kang and his team and was taken back to Korea."
The recruits minus Hye look confused; they don't know Jin. But the officers know, anyone worth their salt in the combat field knows who Jin is. Those who didn't know who he was gape openly at him.
Ijin hands the phone back to Kang, saying, "I need to leave." As he's already walking off.
"You can take my car," Kang replies, walking next to him, leaving everyone flabbergasted.
When Ijin got back and called 002 through his burner, he received the news that his family had been transported to a vacation home owned by SW. Turns out, 004 had gone AWOL again and went to the Yu house to get a free meal. When he found out that Ijin wasn't there, he called the Numbers and organized safe travel for his family. The men Mr. Cha sent were perfectly fine, as well, if not a bit upset, having been scolded by Dushik for letting 004 get into their house.
Major Kang helped me was the only response Ijin gave to his family on how he got home, but they were just relieved he was back safely.
It's safe to say that it was made very clear in his file that he was exempt after that whole experience.