Ch.244244. Strange Sounds Emerge

“……ugh.”

Hwa Nabi, who had been carefully observing my lips, seemed to finally realize something and trembled while still in my arms. I wasn’t sure if she was doing this because she felt wronged or because she was enjoying it. I was hoping for the latter. What’s the point if I’m the only one having fun? I want Hwa Nabi to enjoy herself too.

I wrapped my right arm tightly around Hwa Nabi’s waist, pulling her close until our bodies pressed together. With my left hand, I held my phone to my ear and continued the conversation.

[Oh, right. Yeah, I got a call from my unit right after your wedding ended yesterday. They said North Korea launched several missiles into the East Sea and made military provocations. So soldiers on leave were ordered to return immediately, and I had no choice but to come back without saying goodbye.]

Im Hansol was explaining rather calmly, but he couldn’t hide the subtle anger beneath his words. Understandable. If you were ordered to return from a rare leave because of North Korean provocations, I’d probably be angry too.

As a Korean man in his twenties who had experienced military service, I could understand his anger. No, not just understand—I deeply empathized with it. The fact that both Im Hansol and I were dragged into the military was because of North Korea’s existence. Non-military men, veterans, and active-duty soldiers alike. It’s natural for everyone to shudder at the mention of North Korea…

‘…Husband, your eyes just got really intense?’

As I was exercising my empathy skills after a long time, I unconsciously gripped my phone tighter. Seeing Hwa Nabi watching me with a slightly concerned look, I quickly collected myself and responded.

“If that’s how it is, there’s nothing you can do. So you made it back safely?”

[Yeah, I’m in the base now]

“Good that you got back safely. Everything okay?”

[Yeah, well. Jeong-eun’s provocations are like an annual event, so nothing really changes. Just stricter discipline, that’s all?]

So Hansol also refers to Kim Jong-un without his surname. Well, that’s common among all soldiers. Anyone who’s been drafted can’t possibly view Kim Jong-un favorably. While military service isn’t completely without benefits, you lose much more than you gain, so it’s fortunate he’s not using worse names.

“I see. Are your seniors treating you well? How about the officers?”

[Hmm, the officers are okay. None of them are the nitpicky type, and the platoon leader is newly commissioned so he’s busy trying not to upset the senior soldiers. And as for the senior soldiers…]

Hansol’s voice trailed off as he whispered something. But since I was taking the call in the bathroom, the water sounds mixed in whenever Hwa Nabi or I moved slightly, making it hard to hear properly.

“The senior soldiers, what?”

I asked again while glancing at Hwa Nabi. She seemed displeased with the situation of being in my arms without being able to say anything, expressing her dissatisfaction by fidgeting with her lips.

She still hasn’t come to her senses. While waiting for an answer, I moved my fingers. My target was Hwa Nabi’s lower abdomen. As I gently caressed her soft stomach with the hand that was holding her waist, she twisted her body with a strange sound as if ticklish. I raised my index finger from the phone to my lips—a gesture to stay quiet during the call.

‘Are you going to keep doing this…?’

‘Why not consider yourself lucky I’m not doing anything worse?’

If I weren’t on the phone, I would have touched more than just her abdomen. I was really startled when she almost fell. To compensate for my mental shock, I should be touching her bottom, not just her stomach, to break even.

With those thoughts in my eyes, I gazed at her leisurely. Whether she understood my intentions or not, Hwa Nabi was just trying hard to remove my fingers from her lower abdomen.

[Hey, why aren’t you answering? What did Han Siwoo ask?]

“…Huff, ah. Really, why is your finger strength so intense?”

[Well, um… he’s asking how the senior soldiers are.]

“I’m not strong, you’re just weak.”

[You just need to answer, right? Why, don’t you want to?]

“Look at your husband’s forearm! He could knock out a cow with his bare hands. It’s not that I’m weak, it’s that you’re strong!”

[It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just a bit difficult to say myself…]

While we were chatting in lowered voices, a loud noise came through the phone. Wondering what was happening, I gestured to Hwa Nabi to be quiet and waited silently for what would come next.

[Then I’ll say it. Ah, Han Siwoo. Can you hear me?]

“I can hear you. There was a sound just now, what happened?”

[Probably just the sound of switching phones? Anyway, you asked how the senior soldiers seem, right? Want me to answer for you?]

“How would you know to answer?”

[Because I was just talking with them?]

I was surprised by the unexpected answer to my casual question. After all, Im Hansol said he had returned to his unit. It didn’t make sense for him to be with Jinhee.

“Wait. But why are you together? Didn’t you say Im Hansol returned to his unit?”

[Why would we be together? Obviously I came to visit him.]

The military is known for unofficially allowing things that are technically against regulations, and situations vary widely between units… but a unit that recalled soldiers from leave wouldn’t allow outside visitors. How is this possible? Curious, I probed further.

“The duty officer allowed visitors in that situation?”

[No, at first they said visits weren’t allowed because of some alert status or whatever. I was about to leave, but I called my uncle just in case, and he said it would be fine? So I’m visiting now.]

“Is your uncle someone important…?”

[Well, I’m not exactly sure either. I heard he’s some kind of chairman… of the Joint Chiefs or something?]

“…”

Could Jinhee possibly be the niece of someone holding the highest military position? The answer was beyond my imagination, leaving me speechless. At the same time, I understood why Jinhee was able to visit Im Hansol.

If the chairman’s niece wants to visit… would North Korean provocations matter? They’d probably come out even at dawn to sweep and clean the path for her.

I was already more than half certain, but I still needed to confirm. Clearing my throat, I carefully asked.

“…Is it the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?”

[Oh, I think that’s the right name. But what is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?]

“Husband, what is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?”

The questions from Jinhee over the phone and Hwa Nabi overlapped. I glanced at Hwa Nabi and held the phone close to my face, answering loudly so both could hear.

“Well, simply put, it’s the highest-ranking person in the military…”

Strictly speaking, the Commander-in-Chief of the military is the President. But if I started explaining from there, the conversation would get too long, so I skipped that part. I finished my explanation as briefly as possible so both Hwa Nabi and Jinhee could understand easily.

Their reactions were exactly two different types. Jinhee remained calm with a “Hmm, I see” despite realizing her uncle was such an important figure, while Hwa Nabi was surprised, asking “Really? So the Chairman ranks higher than a division commander?”

Their contrasting reactions were somewhat amusing to watch. But my amusement quickly disappeared with Jinhee’s following question.

[By the way, who’s with you? I think I just heard Nabi’s voice.]

“……”

My body froze at the sudden question. The same happened to Hwa Nabi beside me; the call volume had been so loud that she must have heard Jinhee’s voice.

Hwa Nabi was no less flustered than me—perhaps even more so—as she rolled her eyes around. She seemed to want to make an excuse quickly but couldn’t think of anything appropriate. If I were to put her gestures into words, it would be something like “Huh, how did she know? Husband, what should I say?”

But asking me wouldn’t help, as I didn’t have any good solutions either. While Hwa Nabi and I hesitated, Jinhee’s voice came through the phone again.

[Hello? Can you hear me?]

“Uh, yes, I can hear you.”

[Oh, I thought it was broken. If you can hear me, why aren’t you answering? Is Nabi really there with you?]

This time she sounded almost certain. Well, in this situation, no answer is an answer. I made eye contact with Hwa Nabi. Her eyes were trembling slightly, showing she was already half resigned to the situation.

There’s no point in denying it. Let’s just be straightforward. With a whatever-happens-happens attitude, I gently tickled Hwa Nabi’s lower abdomen. She was focusing her attention elsewhere, so she was startled and let out a high-pitched scream while her waist trembled.

“…Eek! Hup.”

She looked at me with disbelieving eyes and belatedly covered her mouth, but it was too late. Once she had let out that cute high-pitched scream, everything was already revealed. With a slight smile, I readily admitted to the phone.

“Yeah, that’s right. She’s sitting next to me right now.”

And not just sitting there, but with only a towel covering her chest.