I’m already a Marine Corps veteran, and here I am, about to head back into another training cycle with the unit. It’s early morning, still drizzling from last night’s heavy rain, and I’ve got maybe thirty minutes to check in with everyone before I have to move out. Yesterday was a blast. I had that duo broadcast with Kkaebi, and we even got a congratulations shoutout—that doesn’t happen often.
I made sure to lather on the sunscreen before heading out, even with this weather. The wind is actually worse than the rain right now. The timing is brutal. We finished up so late last night that I didn’t get home until almost 1:20 AM, and I had to be up again this morning.
Taking a taxi during rush hour, in the rain, would’ve been a nightmare for both time and money. So I just geared up, grabbed something to eat on the way, and took the bus instead. Today the whole crew is gathering for the training event. The representative’s notice went up in the middle of the night.
Counted it out: Se-eun, Kamang, Yun-seung, Kkaebi, and then Su-yeong, Nabin, Dang-gi, and Pang-rin. That’s eight of us, plus the representative—nine total. I’m waiting at a convenience store now, just killing time for about twenty minutes before I head over. I asked the manager quietly if I could hang out here while I livestream.
He said it was fine, no rules against it, as long as I kept it low-key. I ordered something small, found a spot with a charger, and settled in. Some of the others are already on the move too. I saw Kkaebi’s status update and figured he was probably in a taxi right about now, heading this way.
I just told everyone to stay safe and come back without any injuries. This might be the last big party for a while, so we’re making the most of it. I spotted Se-eun in the chat and asked if she wanted a drink. She said yes, so I told her I’d buy her one from the café nearby.
She laughed, said it wasn’t like I was secretly doing it anyway, and we’d catch up later. To be honest, these guys are always the ones treating me. Even when I try to pay, most of them insist on sending the money first. Since I do a lot of collaborations with them, I usually get an extra share of support, so I try to return the favor.
But this is already the third time this month we’ve all gotten together, and I never expected that. We used to say once a month, but with the unit events it keeps happening more often. I’m just grateful for the time and the effort everyone puts in. I’m a bit older than most of the others in the group, so I try to keep it professional.
They’re all so young, I can’t just goof off and act like one of them all the time. I have to stay somewhat measured. The weather’s actually cooperating. It’s cloudy, with a light drizzle, so it shouldn’t get too hot.
The rain’s supposed to stop in an hour or two. As long as they don’t throw any ridiculously harsh training at us, I think I’ll survive. I might even be able to come back home later and do a quick follow-up stream. I’m wearing this cheap five-dollar shirt from the market, just a basic “athleisure” look.
Since we have to wear these under our fatigues anyway, I figured I’d grab one in case. Time flew by. Before I knew it, it was already 11:20. I checked in with some of the others—Sira showed up early today, which is rare, since he’s usually active late at night.
We joked about whether people were taking planes, trains, or boats to get there. I grabbed a couple of snacks and a chocolate latte to go, thanked the store staff, and started getting ready to head out. By the time I checked, it was around 11:26. I told the chat I had to run—I needed to get to the assembly point.
I said my goodbyes, gave a few quick shoutouts to the regulars, and promised I’d catch everyone at the representative’s broadcast later. One last thing before I go. I was asked who my “best” is today, and I teased that my best is always Se-eun today because of this event. But I told the chat not to worry—the people who support me are all equally appreciated.
I said my usual joke about how my favorite changes every two weeks. They tried to get me to say that Pang-rin was the “worst,” but I wouldn’t take the bait. I said it was just a joke, that Pang-rin is actually one of my favorites too. I even thanked her for pushing me to start this stream earlier when she was wrapping up her own.
Then it was time. I stood up, said goodbye to the chat, thanked the store staff again, and started walking toward the meeting point. I’m off to training again, but I’ll be back soon.
I’ll see everyone again at the representative’s broadcast.