How Can a Soldier Be So Fair? (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
The senior soldiers’ barracks was nothing short of a silent battlefield.
On one side, recruits stood at attention with their heads bowed, receiving punishment, while on the other, senior soldiers trembled uncontrollably in fear.
The floor was a mess of scattered dried meat and broken liquor bottles, and amidst the chaos, Gap Dol had a firm grip on Yeon Woo’s collar.
Geon’s sudden appearance brought an icy silence to the barracks.
Just his presence alone filled the cramped space with an oppressive atmosphere that weighed heavily on the soldiers’ chests.
It felt as if an invisible hand were squeezing their windpipes, leaving them breathless.
If air could have weight, this must be what it felt like.
Geon cast a cold, downward glare at Gap Dol beneath him and let out a low, dangerous voice.
“Go on.”
“G-G-G-Gwang Ho, my lord….”
Just hearing Geon’s voice made every hair on Gap Dol’s body stand on end.
Under Geon’s icy gaze, all strength drained from Gap Dol’s body.
At the same time, his grip on Yeon Woo’s collar naturally loosened.
There was only one thing Gap Dol could do to survive this situation.
“I—I have committed an unforgivable sin! P-Please, just once, spare me!”
Gap Dol dropped flat onto the floor and began begging, clutching Geon’s leg.
At the sight, Geon frowned in displeasure, his refined eyebrows creasing.
Even with his frown, his face retained its handsome features.
Looking down as if at a contemptible insect, Geon spoke in a deep, low voice.
“If you’ve committed a sin worthy of death, then you should die.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Geon lifted the leg Gap Dol was clinging to and kicked him hard in the stomach.
“Kuhhk!”
With just a single kick from Geon, Gap Dol’s large body flew into the air and crashed into a corner of the barracks.
A loud crash followed as furniture collided with and shattered against Gap Dol.
None of the soldiers in the barracks dared to help him up.
Not only did they feel no urge to assist, but they were too busy worrying about not getting caught in the fallout themselves.
Geon pointed at Gap Dol and addressed all the soldiers in the barracks.
“Bury that fool in the ground for three days—only his head above the surface.”
The rumor that Prince Gwang Ho buried those who displeased him was clearly no lie.
Geon continued.
“From now on, anyone who disrupts military discipline without my orders—regardless of reason—will have their head severed!”
This was also a clear warning against hazing customs like the initiation ritual.
He intended to nip this toxic unit culture in the bud before it could take root.
The killing intent radiating from Geon left no soldier brave enough to utter a reply; they all kept their mouths tightly shut.
Like frogs that had swallowed honey, the soldiers remained utterly silent, only nodding their heads vigorously up and down.
Just as Geon turned toward the exit, seemingly done with what he had to say, Yeon Woo finally let out a sigh of relief.
It seemed that Geon, regarding Yeon Woo as merely an insignificant recruit, had already forgotten about the earlier gossip.
But it was still too soon to relax.
Geon abruptly halted his steps toward the exit and turned back toward Yeon Woo.
His gaze locked precisely onto Yeon Woo, who was crouched on the floor—it was no mere coincidence.
‘I’m doomed….’
Yeon Woo muttered inwardly upon meeting Geon’s eyes.
Calling him a mad tiger, a brute, claiming he devoured live animals—it didn’t matter whether any of it was true. She shouldn’t have said those things.
Of course, she hadn’t known the person she was gossiping about was the very man himself, but now that the words were out, there was no taking them back.
In that brief moment, Yeon Woo’s mind raced with all sorts of wild thoughts.
‘Is he going to kick me too? Or will he bury me in the ground? Or maybe just behead me…!’
Amidst her frantic imagination, Geon finally spoke.
“You were wrong.”
“Huh?”
Caught off guard by this unexpected response, Yeon Woo answered with a dazed expression.
Geon looked straight at her and spoke clearly, word by word.
“I don’t devour live animals.”
After dropping that single remark, Geon turned and walked out of the barracks without another word.
“W-What…?”
At first, Yeon Woo could only stare blankly at Geon’s retreating back.
Only after a long while did she realize his words were a direct reply to her earlier gossip.
She had thought he’d forgotten—but clearly, he’d been paying attention the whole time.
The soldiers, unaware of what had transpired between the two, looked on in confusion at the spot where the thunderbolt had just struck.
After the initiation incident, Gap Dol was buried in the training camp courtyard with only his head sticking out of the ground.
His punishment served as a stark example—no senior soldier dared to haze recruits anymore.
Bi Young, who only later heard about the initiation ordeal, summoned Yeon Woo to the training officer’s barracks.
Inside, Yeon Woo sat on a simple stool, sipping the warm tea that Bi Young had prepared.
After a long silence, Bi Young set down his teacup.
“That could’ve turned out dangerously.”
When he first heard what Gap Dol had done to Yeon Woo, Bi Young barely managed to keep his composure.
It was fortunate Geon arrived just in time.
Had Geon not appeared, the situation could easily have escalated into something far worse.
At that moment, overwhelmed with frustration, Yeon Woo emotionally voiced her thoughts.
“That Gap Dol fellow was utterly unreasonable! He grabbed people by the collar over every little thing, threw food I’d prepared with care onto the floor, and even unfairly punished innocent recruits!”
The more she thought about it, the more infuriating Gap Dol seemed.
She’d never met anyone so rude and devoid of common sense in her life.
With plenty more to say, Yeon Woo continued voicing her grievances.
“He has no idea how precious both people and food are. How could anyone just quietly obey such a brute?”
“That’s not what I’m reproaching you for.”
Bi Young gently chided her, then asked,
“Why didn’t you tell me about it?”
His calm tone forced Yeon Woo to suppress her emotions.
Fiddling with her teacup and looking downcast, she replied,
“…I didn’t want to worry you, older brother.”
“…I thought as much.”
Bi Young sighed, as if he’d expected that answer, and set his cup down.
She could’ve leaned on him—he could’ve helped her easily enough.
Ever since they were young, Yeon Woo had never been quick to reveal her difficulties.
She was such a strong-willed child that relying on others probably felt awkward and uncomfortable—but from Bi Young’s perspective, it only left him feeling hurt.
The guilt of not having protected Yeon Woo from a potentially more dangerous situation kept gnawing at him.
“Didn’t you say I’m family? You can rely on me as much as you need. Next time, please don’t hide anything—just tell me everything.”
Seeing Bi Young’s concerned expression, Yeon Woo suddenly felt guilty for causing him distress.
“Yes. Please don’t worry too much, older brother. I didn’t expect things to blow up this much either.”
Just as Bi Young said, life in the unit was far tougher than she’d anticipated.
She’d thought it would be enough to simply hide the fact that she was a woman—but in Prince Gwang Ho’s unit, there were countless things to watch out for.
Seeing Yeon Woo’s gloomy expression, Bi Young’s own heart grew uneasy at the sight of her dejected demeanor.
He raised his large hand and gently ruffled her hair.
“Anything else troubling you? Any questions you want to ask?”
At his touch, Yeon Woo blinked her big eyes and looked up at him.
Her gaze was so endearing that Bi Young unconsciously smiled warmly.
His handsome face, when smiling, was strikingly radiant.
Seeing Bi Young’s gentle smile, Yeon Woo’s own mood lightened, and she gave a soft, happy chuckle.
“Not right now. If anything comes up, I’ll ask.”
“Alright. I’ve kept you here too long already. Go on back now.”
“Yes, older brother. Rest well.”
Yeon Woo rose from her seat to return to the recruits’ barracks.
Just as she was about to leave the training officer’s barracks, a question suddenly crossed her mind.
“Oh, older brother! I do have something I’m curious about.”
“Alright. What is it?”
Hesitating briefly, Yeon Woo finally spoke.
“Ah… What kind of person is Prince Gwan Ho exactly?”
“Prince Gwang Ho?”
He’d expected a question related to recruit life.
Surprised by this unexpected inquiry, Bi Young tilted his head slightly before answering,
“He’s like a sharpened blade. They say he keeps even his subordinates at arm’s length and rarely speaks to anyone about anything unrelated to the unit. Why do you ask?”
“Well…”
When Bi Young pressed her about her motive, Yeon Woo hesitated again.
Ever since the gossip incident with Geon, Yeon Woo had felt like she was sitting on a bed of nails.
Prince Gwang Ho was a royal prince of the nation—and she’d openly called him a mad tiger and a brute behind his back.
She could’ve been punished for royal defamation and had no grounds to complain.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—she hadn’t seen Geon since the initiation incident, so there’d been no chance of running into him.
Yet, part of her constantly feared he might suddenly appear and drop trouble right onto her head.
Yeon Woo shook her head and said,
“Ah, never mind.”
She decided not to mention the gossip incident to Bi Young.
He was already busy enough with training the new recruits.
She’d already burdened him with the initiation issue—she couldn’t possibly trouble him further.
But Bi Young, understanding her unspoken concerns, asked,
“Is it because of the rumors about his lordship?”
“…Yes.”
Since Bi Young’s guess was mostly correct, Yeon Woo nodded in confirmation.
Her real worry was about the gossip concerning Prince Gwang Ho.
But at its core, it stemmed from the rumors of his violent temperament—so it wasn’t an inaccurate assumption.
Trying to reassure her, Bi Young spoke gently,
“His lordship is stern, yes—but as long as you don’t cause any trouble, you won’t cross paths with him. He has no interest in people personally, so don’t worry too much.”
“Yes, I understand…”
But she’d already caused trouble.
She’d thoroughly gossiped about Prince Gwang Ho right in front of Geon—if that wasn’t “causing trouble,” what else could possibly count?
Hearing Bi Young tell her not to worry only made Yeon Woo feel more distressed.
But if she showed it now, she’d only cause him more concern—so she left the barracks without revealing a thing.
Bi Young watched Yeon Woo until she disappeared completely from view.
Once she was entirely out of sight, the warmth in Bi Young’s eyes vanished without a trace.
His expression changed so drastically it was hard to believe it belonged to the same man.
Bi Young called out to his steward, Soon Deok, who was outside the tent.
“Soon Deok, are you there?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
At Bi Young’s call, Soon Deok quickly entered the barracks.
With a serious expression, Bi Young gave him an order.
“Investigate that man, Jang Gab Dol. Report every detail you uncover to me—without missing a single piece.”
“Yes, understood.”
Soon Deok bowed deeply and swiftly left to carry out his task.
Alone now in the barracks, Bi Young tapped his fingers lightly against his desk.
Then, in a voice too soft for anyone else to hear, he murmured,
“Jang Gab Dol….”
Three days after the initiation incident, Gap Dol was finally able to crawl out of the ground.
The first thing he did after regaining his strength was punch an innocent tree.
“Argh!”
But venting his anger on the tree only hurt his own fist.
Gap Dol scowled painfully at the throbbing ache in his hand.
Having been trapped motionless in the ground, every muscle in his body felt stiff and sore.
He hadn’t bathed or even relieved himself during those three days—his body reeked of a stench so foul it stung the nose.
Worst of all was the humiliation of being buried in front of so many soldiers, head sticking out alone.
Spending three days staring only at others’ feet felt like sheer torture to Gap Dol.
Shaken by this unforgettable disgrace, Gap Dol trembled with rage.
“This is all that Hong Yeon Woo bastard’s fault! If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have suffered such humiliation!”
Gap Dol refused to believe his punishment was his own fault.
He blamed Yeon Woo entirely for the miserable state he was in.
In his mind, none of this would’ve happened if not for “that guy.”
“I can’t just let this go. I can’t live without getting revenge.”
There was only one way to quell his displaced fury:
Revenge was the only answer.
“But how do I take revenge?”
The real problem was that he couldn’t think of a good way to do it.
Ever since the initiation incident, many eyes kept watch over him.
More importantly, Geon had outright banned bullying within the unit.
If he caused trouble again and got caught, it might not just be burial with his head sticking out—he could end up with his head separated entirely from his body.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, a few clever schemes came to mind.
With these methods, he was sure he could successfully get back at Yeon Woo without getting caught.
“Heh heh. Looks like I won’t be bored for a while.”
Gap Dol grinned with malicious satisfaction—just imagining it filled him with glee.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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