Chapter 41

Late-Night Snack

The division commander burst into hearty laughter at Bong-tae's words.

"Haha! We'll have to let our Sergeant Kim go home before anyone else."

"R-really, sir?"

"Of course. Let's all work together to end this war quickly. That's the only way everyone gets to go home. Myself included. I'm going crazy because I miss my daughters so much."

The division commander placed a hand on Bong-tae's shoulder and stood up. The medical company commander rose and saluted. After visiting the wounded soldiers in the medical battalion and offering them a few brief words, the division commander left.

Before following the division commander out, Choi Pil spoke to Bong-tae.

"Go see your battalion members. They've been worried sick about you."

"Yes, sir."

Bong-tae sprang to his feet. He stripped off his wet combat uniform and put on the new one. The sergeant's insignia on his collar felt terribly unfamiliar.

The four straight bars had been reduced to a single one, and even that was bent at an odd angle, yet the rank insignia felt much heavier. Hwang Gi-tae, who had been standing right beside Bong-tae, began vigorously kneading his shoulders.

"Ow, ouch! Are you crazy?"

"Our platoon leader! Looking good!"

"Bullshit. You wanna die···?"

Bong-tae grimaced and pushed Hwang Gi-tae's hands away. Even so, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised. Hwang Gi-tae chuckled at the sight.

"Let's hurry. We have to eat too, right?"

"Uh···. Now that you mention it, I'm fucking starving···."

"None of us ate properly either because we were worried about you, hyung. No, wait. Sergeant Kim. Shall we eat together?"

"You bastards, we have to eat first."

Since the battle, the only thing Bong-tae had properly swallowed was the fishy water from the stream. He'd been too tense to notice his hunger before reaching the encampment, but the moment he relaxed, it hit him all at once.

After saluting the medical company commander, Bong-tae headed toward the tent housing the 33rd Battalion. Word had already reached the battalion members that Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je and Hwang Gi-tae had gone to escort him back.

When he pulled aside the tent entrance, familiar faces all looked up at once.

"Sergeant Kim!"

"Where have you been?"

"I heard you captured a prisoner! How could you do that without us?"

The members of the 33rd Battalion surrounded Bong-tae. Lee Jin-gu was so overwhelmed with emotion at seeing him that he tried to hug him, but the fishy smell coming from Bong-tae's entire body made him clamp a hand over his nose.

"Ugh···. Sergeant Kim, what's that smell? Did you join the Navy or something?"

"A lot happened···."

"Huh? What's that on your combat uniform?"

Lee Jin-gu pointed at Bong-tae's rank insignia. Hwang Gi-tae called him insolent, grabbed his finger, and bent it downward.

"You insolent brat. Do you have any idea who this man is?"

"Huh?"

"This is Sergeant Kim Bong-tae, the 8th Division's war machine."

"What···?"

"S-sergeant?"

The soldiers all looked dumbfounded. In particular, those who had served with Bong-tae in Headquarters Company clutched their stomachs and giggled at him.

"Hahaha!"

"Fate really is cruel. So cruel."

"After all that talk about officers being the enemy, who knew he was destined to become one himself?"

"Shut up."

"Congratulations, Platoon Leader."

The members of 1st Platoon applauded quietly and congratulated Bong-tae.

"Anyway···. Thank you. None of this would have been possible without your help. From now on—"

"Wow···."

Lee Jin-gu's mouth fell open. He had never imagined that such words would come from the mouth of the devil sergeant who had tormented them ever since their Headquarters Company days.

Apparently, Jin-gu wasn't the only one thinking that way. The other soldiers also looked incredulous.

"Now that he's actually become an NCO, even the way he talks sounds like one."

"Hey, Jin-gu. Does this mean the Bong-tae virus has evolved?"

"It's mutated into a malignant strain···. We're all fucked."

Bong-tae's brow furrowed again.

"You fucking bastards···. Want me to show you what being truly fucked looks like?"

"N-no! We're just congratulating you, hahaha! Ouch!"

Bong-tae pinched Lee Jin-gu's cheek and twisted it from side to side. Then he swept his gaze across the members of the 33rd Battalion. Everyone he remembered was present. Still, wanting to make sure nobody had been injured, he asked Hwang Gi-tae.

"You said nobody was hurt, right?"

"Yes. Everyone in First and Second Platoons is safe."

"Thank goodness."

Only then did Bong-tae let out a relieved sigh. Hwang Gi-tae moved close beside him and whispered quietly.

"I heard the neighboring battalion has some wounded···. And some men died too···."

"···."

The 8th Division had succeeded in carrying out its planned withdrawal almost exactly as expected.

Some vehicles had been damaged by drone attacks during the retreat, and there had been soldiers who, like Bong-tae, had fallen into the stream or had the misfortune of encountering the enemy. But overall, the losses were far smaller than had been feared beforehand.

From tonight until dawn, the 8th Division planned to pour every bit of firepower it could muster into western Namyangju. And that operation began at the very moment Bong-tae returned to the tent.

Rrrrrumble—

Rrrrumble—

The sound of thunder came from the sky. The soldiers inside the tent all raised their heads at once.

"Thunder?"

"Is it going to rain?"

But the soldiers who stepped outside and looked up at the sky soon tilted their heads in confusion. The night sky over Namyangju was clear, without a single cloud. There was no lightning, not even a rain cloud.

"Ah."

Bong-tae realized it first. That wasn't thunder. It was artillery fire. So many guns were firing simultaneously that their reports blended into a rolling rumble resembling thunder.

The 8th Division's Artillery Brigade was positioned around Geumju Reservoir in Pocheon. It consisted of five battalions in total. Excluding the directly subordinate unit, each battalion was assigned eighteen K9 self-propelled howitzers.

That made seventy-two guns altogether, but one battalion had been held in reserve, and some howitzers had been destroyed since the war began. As a result, forty self-propelled howitzers were operational tonight.

By 2029, the Republic of Korea Army's frontline infantry divisions had completely converted their artillery forces to K9s. The 8th Division in particular, true to its designation as a mobile division, had been among the first to replace towed guns and older self-propelled artillery that couldn't keep pace with tanks.

The K9 was capable of a high rate of fire of six to eight rounds per minute if necessary. But tonight's mission was to give the enemy no chance to catch its breath until the armored brigade's attack began at dawn.

The 8th Division's Artillery Brigade would maintain a sustained rate of fire of two rounds per minute, shelling western Namyangju throughout the night.

The self-propelled howitzers would periodically relocate to new firing positions and continue their missions. The division's ammunition stocks and the shells continually supplied from the rear were expected to last until daybreak.

Tonight, at least several thousand 155mm shells would rain down on the heads of the North Korean soldiers.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

Even at the 8th Division's encampment, which was quite far from the North Korean forces, the vibrations and sounds carried clearly. Every soldier inside the tent fell silent.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

The artillery reports pounding in their ears sounded like their own heartbeats. Silently, they recalled the events of the day. They had nearly died so many times.

With just a little less luck, they might now be lying inside black body bags like the men from the neighboring battalion, rather than sitting in this tent.

And they knew that the moment the artillery fire stopped, they would have to enter the city again. While everyone lowered their heads, weighed down by gloomy thoughts.

"Hey."

Bong-tae was rummaging through a field ration packet with a frown.

"Where's the kimchi? Fuck, did they pack this wrong···? There's no stir-fried kimchi."

"···What did you say?"

"Have you gone deaf from the artillery? Somebody open another ration pack. I want kimchi, kimchi. Expecting me to eat this greasy stuff without kimchi is ridiculous."

"Pfft."

Someone couldn't hold back a laugh. The laughter quickly spread throughout the tent.

"Ah, seriously···. I can't tell you how glad I am that he came back alive."

"Agreed."

"What the fuck are you bastards talking about? Why does everyone look like they've eaten shit?"

"I wish I had nerves of steel like our platoon leader."

Bong-tae sucked on his plastic spoon once, then spoke with a perfectly indifferent expression.

"Hey, want me to tell you what happened to me today?"

"Yes! Where the hell did you go? I saw you get onto a truck last."

"Bring me some kimchi first, and I'll tell you."

"I'll give you some."

Hearing a voice from outside, Bong-tae turned toward the tent entrance. Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil and Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je entered with smiles on their faces.

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je was holding a large metal tray. As they came inside, an irresistibly appetizing aroma filled the tent.

"Everyone, gather around."

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je set the tray down on a field cot.

"···What's that smell?"

"Smells fucking delicious."

Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil grinned and lifted the lid. The soldiers' eyes widened simultaneously. The tray was piled high with boiled pork. And it came with kimchi.

"Meat?"

"Is that boiled pork? God, it smells amazing."

"What···? Boiled pork?"

Bong-tae scrambled toward the cot on all fours. The soldiers thought he was much faster than most dogs, but none of them voiced that observation.

"N-no, wait. Yesterday we had stir-fried pork, and today we're having boiled pork···. I think we're eating better since the war started than we did back at our regular base."

"Hehe. You're right. Wow, there's so much of it."

"Where'd they get it? Do they even supply things like this?"

The soldiers' eyes sparkled.

Wartime rations didn't mean that soldiers received nothing but field rations. Units at division level and above had their own food service and logistics systems. They stockpiled considerable amounts of rice, kimchi, vegetables, fresh and frozen meat, and even seasonal fruit.

Fresh meat in particular, which was difficult to store for long periods, was cooked and distributed to soldiers before it could spoil. Ahead of the large-scale attack planned for dawn, the commander of the 8th Division had decided to boil all the pork the division had in storage.

"This···. Isn't it like the Last Supper or something? They do say a well-fed ghost looks bet—"

The tent instantly fell silent at Lee Jin-gu's thoughtless remark. Every battalion member turned to stare at him.

"···."

"Oh, for fuck's sake···. That spoiled little brat."

"The Last Supper?"

Bong-tae vigorously ruffled Lee Jin-gu's hair, then glared at the other battalion members.

"Hey, who's Lee Jin-gu's immediate senior? Step forward. Lee Hwan, is it you?"

"No, sir. Kang Min-jun is his immediate senior now."

"Kang Min-jun! Want to die? Why aren't you keeping Lee Jin-gu in line?"

Suddenly finding himself the center of attention, Kang Min-jun scratched the back of his neck, unsure what to do.

Kang Min-jun hadn't originally been a member of the 33rd Battalion's Headquarters Company, and it hadn't been long since he'd met Lee Jin-gu.

Yet Bong-tae naturally treated him as Lee Jin-gu's immediate senior, as though those circumstances didn't matter in the slightest.

"Hey, Kang Min-jun. Get your act together."

Kang Min-jun's face turned red. But he didn't dislike Bong-tae's scolding. It gave him a sense of belonging, as though he weren't merely a soldier who had joined the battalion later, but a fellow member of the 33rd Battalion.

"Uh···. B-but I'm not really in a position to teach anyone either···."

"True. If you'd done your military service properly, would you have had to enlist twice?"

"Hahaha!"

In the end, the entire tent erupted in laughter. The heavy atmosphere created by the artillery fire moments earlier vanished without a trace.

"Eat plenty."

"Yes, sir! Thank you for the meal!"

"Thank you for the meal!"

"Yes!"

Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil and Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je watched the soldiers eagerly devouring the meat with satisfied expressions before quietly leaving the tent.

"Hey, don't we have chopsticks?"

"What do you need chopsticks for? Just eat with your hands."

"Ah···. You filthy bastard."

"You do realize you're the smelliest one here, right? You absolutely reek of fish."

"Just pretend it's salted shrimp and put up with it."

Bong-tae casually wrapped a piece of meat in kimchi and put it into his mouth.

"Fucking delicious···."

"Ah, so what happened to you today? Tell us already."

"Mmm, mmm. All right, everyone, listen carefully. Because seriously, fuck, that was the closest I've come to dying since the war started."

Bong-tae thought for a moment about where to begin, then started recounting the day's events to the battalion members with exaggerated expressions and gestures.

Before they knew it, none of the members of the 33rd Battalion paid any attention to the artillery fire outside.

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