CHAPTER 14- GUILTY CONSCIENCE

"Noooo! Don't do that!" "Let me be!" The shouts echoed through the room like a bad dream. Ji-ho stirred under the covers, groaning. His brows furrowed as the commotion grew louder. "Would you two shut it already?!" another voice finally exploded from across the hall.

Ji-ho cracked one eye open and blinked into the blurry morning light. But as his vision cleared, what he saw made him shoot upright in bed, heart skipping a beat like he'd just seen a ghost. Two boys were wrestling on the floor in a mess of limbs, tangled sheets, and poorly suppressed yells. One had his arm twisted around the other's neck, while the other tried to grab at something hidden beneath a pillow.

They froze the moment Ji-ho sat up. "What… in the world… is going on?" he asked, eyes wide. The two untangled themselves, dusting off as they stood awkwardly. "It's not what it looks like!" Dae-chul said quickly, holding up his hands. "Bora was just… still pissed that you hit him so hard during the staged scene, few days ago."

Bora crossed his arms, glaring. "I mean, seriously. It was just an act, you didn't have to go that hard." Ji-ho chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Fine, fine. My bad. How about I make it up to you both? Lunch's on me once we're free." Dae-chul beamed. "That's more like it!" Bora scoffed. "Why are you so happy about a free meal? Aren't you supposed to be rich or something?" Dae-chul sighed dramatically. "Well… turns out I'm completely broke." He let out a nervous laugh, scratching his messy hair.

After he explained why, Ji-ho and bora, froze and stared at him. "Huuuh?!" they shouted in unison. "You fool," Bora muttered. "I actually think that's kind of courageous," Ji-ho said with a nod. "Walking into the unknown with nothing? That takes guts."

"Thank you! Finally, someone gets it," Dae-chul said, grinning and pointing at Ji-ho. Just then, Ji-ho remembered. His eyes widened. "Oh crap I forgot to call Ye-rin yesterday." He scrambled to find his phone, knocking over a book and nearly tripping on his bedsheet. He dialed quickly. Ring… Ring The call connected.

"You idiot!" Ye-rin's voice blasted through the speaker. "Why didn't you call me yesterday?! Not that I was worried or anything…" Ji-ho winced. "Sorry! I passed out the moment I hit the bed. I'm still adjusting." Before she could fire another complaint, her voice softened. "Wait… where are you? Is that your room?"

Ji-ho smirked. "Here, let me show you." He flipped the camera, giving her a slow 360-degree view of his room. Clean, modest, but structured. White walls, matching beds, a shared wardrobe. "Wow," she said, visibly impressed. "Looks pretty nice. "I knew you'd like it," Ji-ho teased. "Still mad, though," she pouted. "Alright, alright. I'll make it up to you too."

She noticed the two boys behind him. "Who are they?" Ji-ho turned the camera. "My roommates. Say hi, guys." "Hiiii," they chimed awkwardly, waving stiffly. Ye-rin squinted. "Your voices sound familiar…" Dae-chul's smile twitched nervously. "Is that so?" "Wait, I remember now!" she said, clapping her hands. "The duel at my father's house!"

The boys instantly relaxed. "Oh thank god," Bora muttered under his breath. "What was that?" Ye-rin asked, suspicious. "Nothing!" Bora snapped quickly. After a bit more teasing and Ji-ho's constant apologies, Ye-rin finally sighed. "Fine. Just don't make me wait again. Call me every now and then, and come back soon." "Will do," Ji-ho promised.

As the call ended, Dae-chul nudged Ji-ho with his elbow. "Sooo… she your girlfriend?"

Ji-ho coughed. "Kinda… I guess." "Well," Bora said, smirking, "Dae-chul over here has a crush on her." Ji-ho raised a brow. "Oh Talked to her before?" "Are you crazy?!" Dae-chul looked horrified. "She's the retired chief director's daughter! That man's terrifying."

"Well… she's kind of taken now. Sorry, bro," Ji-ho said, laughing. Dae-chul laughed too. "It's fine. A man can dream."

Later that morning, after a quick bath and a change into their official uniforms, sleek blue tunics with golden trim and reinforced plating at the shoulders, they stepped out into the crisp air. The uniform fit well. It was snug, breathable, and screamed authority. Ji-ho admired his reflection on a hallway window for a second. "Looking good," he muttered.

Dae-chul led him through the dormitories, acting as his unofficial tour guide. "You're in the Iron Warden team," he explained. "Iron Warden?" "Yeah. So the EDC's fighting force is split into three main ranks: Iron Wardens, Crimson Valiants, and the Obsidian Blade." Ji-ho's eyes lit up. "I saw the Obsidian Blade captain before. Well he looked like kinda weird, tho i did sense a huge Ethereal flow coming from him."

"Yeah, those guys are monsters," Bora added. "So are we like… the lowest rank?" Ji-ho asked. "Basically," Dae-chul said, laughing. "But it's more of a progression thing. Iron Wardens are rookies. Every three years, a new batch joins." "And not everyone makes it to the next stage," Bora chimed in. "Those who don't get pass cut are shipped off to the defense unit, the administrative unit or the technology unit." Ji-ho paused. "That sounds demotivating."

"Well kinda," Dae-chul said. "But it's also a chance. If you complete missions, stand out, or get recommended you move up." Ji-ho nodded slowly, thinking. "How many make it to Crimson?" "About a hundred officers right now," Bora said. "Some are overseas, on missions, or advanced training. Obsidian Blade is even stricter, only about fifteen active members."

"Damn, it's tough," Dae-chul said. "But that's how it is." Ji-ho glanced at them. "So who's expected to advance?" " Well given we all been here for about a month, well You could say, Seo-jun, Ha-eun and Byung," Bora replied, gritting his teeth. Ji-ho noticed the look. Another story there, he thought.

They spent the afternoon exploring. Ji-ho was fascinated by the scale of the facility, wide training grounds, tech rooms, weapon lockers, medical bays. It was like a self-contained city. At one point, Ji-ho tripped while turning a corner and collided with a girl. "Oh sorry!" he said quickly. She looked up, pale and startled. "No problem…" she mumbled, then quickly turned and ran off.

"Strange girl," Ji-ho muttered. "Don't get involved with her," Bora warned. "Who was that?" Ji-ho asked, now curious. "That's Park Hyun-woo's sister." "Hyun-woo?" "Special ninth grade," Dae-chul explained. "Top of the top." Ji-ho blinked. "Oh." He remembered Ye-rin had briefly mentioned them. "Pinnacle of power, right?" "Exactly. And if you value your life, don't talk to her," Bora said seriously.

That evening, all sixteen rookies were summoned to the operations hall. Captain Ryu Hwan stood in front, arms behind his back, face unreadable. "Mission assignments," he said. "Each team will be deployed to different locations tomorrow at dawn. Duration, three days. This is Will be Your second official mission, do well and Don't die." He said, as he laughed.

Papers were handed out. Ji-ho's eyes scanned his team sheet. "Ji-ho. Dae-chul. Ji-an." He blinked. Ji-an? He turned to look at Dae-chul, who was stiff as a statue, lips pressed tight. "Everything okay?" Ji-ho asked quietly. Dae-chul didn't answer. He just stared straight ahead, jaw clenched. Ji-ho felt something shift in the air. Whatever history was there, he had a feeling this mission wasn't just going to be about survival. It was going to be personal.