Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Year-End Party (3)
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I spotted Ye-hyeon too.
There was a reason I hadn't noticed him right away. He was surrounded by a bunch of Black Badgers.
And with a faint smile on his face, he was dozing off.
While holding something like a Choco Pie in his hand.
"He's popular, huh."
"One third are the bootlickers, one third are the ones trying to pour drinks on him to get him blackout drunk, and one third are the ones who just like Ye-hyeon."
Clear-cut explanation.
I observed Ye-hyeon, who was dozing off like a sick chicken but faintly smiling whenever a subordinate spoke to him. He was handing the Choco Pie he held to someone talking to him.
Then he nodded off again.
"Does he sleep when he gets drunk?"
"He grins like an idiot and passes out."
Well-mannered drinking habits.
"Do you drink well?"
"Not really."
My conscience hurt even more.
I pressed my lips into a straight line and watched Ye-hyeon hand a marshmallow to another subordinate. After passing it to the subordinate's hand, the boss closed his eyes and nodded off.
I let out a small sigh.
"Going over to apologize would be tactless, right?"
"It'd be insane. You'd just get on the bad side of all the surrounding Badgers."
Yeah, probably.
"There are already quite a few who hate you for getting special treatment."
I figured as much.
I'll apologize on the 26th. Even if I did now, it doesn't seem like Ye-hyeon would remember. He looked busy just accepting the people around him.
I grabbed some french fries and turned my gaze away.
Whoa.
Little John Murlern had kiddie bulbs strung around him.
"He's drinking well."
I looked up at Yoon's low voice.
I met the eyes of my master, who was observing me with his usual face.
"Yeah, tell me about it. Come to think of it, I do enjoy vodka."
"Did you take care of Lee Seung-hyun's request?"
I nodded quietly.
"I nearly died. No joke, for real."
"I figured you'd end up back in the hospital. You've got some skills."
"The TV broke, the sofa broke, but I came back alive."
"I thought your neck would snap."
Thud!
I whipped my head toward the massive noise.
Some nameless seniors were sprawled on the floor. Looked like they crashed into each other while running through the hall. People around them gathered haphazardly and helped them up.
Next to us, a liquor bottle shattered. At another table, bomb shots toppled over like dominoes.
Humans starting to lose it.
Chewing on a sausage, I checked on people I knew. Tom, whose face had been flushed red for a while, was laughing like a maniac next to Angela. Swinging his arms with movements much bigger than usual.
Hessi, drinking with the HR Director and seniors, was breaking yet another glass—who knew what number it was.
"Uh, I didn't mean to do that."
Crash!
"Ah, that wasn't on purpose."
Shatter!
I turned my head.
There was Barbie. With a perfectly sober face, she was cheering across from Walker as she popped a cork. Ricardo and Jonathan Kudo sat in the corner drinking sake, with Kudo constantly dropping utensils. Ricardo grinned and teased him.
"Ah, why'd they only bring this crap for booze!"
I heard Jason Tvein's drunken voice too.
"Who does Ye-hyeon think he is? Can't he stock up on something decent?"
"The booze came from the general affairs department."
"Who's talking back?"
His sparkling personality was shining even brighter.
"If you can't drink, stay put quietly!"
"You psycho, don't get mad."
Chen giggled as he pulled Tvein along.
"You gotta treat the rookies well."
Asil was cleaning.
While he diligently gathered empty bottles and picked up caps, someone started talking to a massive liquor bottle. Crouching and mumbling to it pitifully.
He might get kicked by a dancing person's foot.
"Drink more!"
At the table right next to us, someone who seemed like a veteran kept pouring drinks nonstop.
"Why can't you hold your liquor? Drink more!"
Elsewhere, people were flailing their arms wildly.
"Uwaaah! I'm falling!"
"Grab him! Grab him!"
A collapsing pyramid of plastic bottles.
Next to the pyramid, someone was trying to balance chopsticks on top of chopsticks.
Total chaos.
Yoon walked slowly through them.
"Commander."
My master called Ye-hyeon in a low voice.
The Badgers around Ye-hyeon turned their heads toward Yoon. I could see the people at the head table simultaneously shut their mouths.
"Whoa! He's going!"
Someone whose face was beet red simultaneously shot up an arm in cheer.
"Boss is coming!"
"Ah, shut up, you idiot!"
"Freedom!"
Next to the one trying to stop him, another jumped up cheering.
"We're free!"
Even with the boozy reactions, the head table didn't flinch.
No one spared a glance at the rowdy Badgers. Yoon looked down at Ye-hyeon and muttered something so low it was inaudible.
Ye-hyeon looked up at Yoon with sleepy eyes and blinked.
Then he handed Yoon a shark-fin-shaped jelly from the opponent's hand.
Did he pick out the shark one?
Yoon naturally set the jelly back on the table and hoisted Ye-hyeon onto his back in one swift motion.
"Sleep well!"
A drunk Badger shot to his feet and saluted Ye-hyeon.
The Badger next to him sprang up too and saluted along.
"Have a peaceful night!"
"Wanna game?"
A voice from right next to me startled me.
I turned my head to see unfamiliar seniors. Reeking of booze from every pore, but they didn't seem totally gone.
They were looking down at me with eyes full of anticipation before I knew it.
"You're good at games, right? Wanna team up with us?"
"Uh, sure. Sounds good. What game?"
"Pump."
"Pardon?"
That Pump I know?
"DDR."
They brought DDR machines?
I turned my head where the senior pointed and saw game machines in one corner of the hall. Two machines side by side, flashing brilliantly.
What the hell.
Why didn't I notice them earlier?
I let out a small chuckle and slowly stood from my seat.
"That sounds perfect."
"Hey. If you break that machine, you're paying for it."
"Yes, sir."
I replied half-heartedly to the senior who spoke in an unfriendly tone.
No way I'd break it.
Thrilled, I followed the seniors to the DDR machines.
***
Yoon returned to the year-end party hall.
He had put Ami and Ye-hyeon to bed in the command staff bedroom. He timed it perfectly again. After decades of repetition, he now instinctively knew when to return to the party hall.
The ones who were heading home had long gone, and the ones passed out drunk had been carried on comrades' backs to the Badger lounges.
Past midnight, the quiet hush of a dying party had settled in.
Choi Yoon walked slowly toward the survivors.
"Did you collect Ami okay?"
Ska, slouched lazily in a chair sipping whiskey, grinned.
Yoon nodded quietly.
Then he turned his head and scanned the hall.
"Where's Hildebert?"
The massive table in the center of the hall. The survivors looked up.
The usual crew. Ska Owen, Richard Green, William Walker, Samuel Han who joined late and got an overwhelming cheer.
And Shu Diamond, who hadn't touched a drop of alcohol.
Shu answered.
"He was pumping out perfects on DDR, then suddenly said he needed air and vanished."
"What's DDR."
Yoon replied in an exasperated tone as he pulled out a remaining chair and sat.
Shu sipped her orange juice.
"The seniors brought it saying they wanted to play DDR. He was insanely good. Didn't see after combo 200 though."
"Doesn't he get drunk?"
"Gotta keep eyes on the deputy handler."
Richard nagged at Yoon's mutter.
The ever-upright man slammed down his glass.
"Your deputy handler drank for the first time, and you leave her alone? Call her and drag her back now."
"Yeah, yeah."
Yoon replied half-heartedly.
He knew rational counterarguments wouldn't fly. He lazily crossed his legs and pulled his phone from his pocket.
Samuel set down his fork with shrimp on it.
"You taking good care of your kid?"
"Of course."
Yoon answered promptly.
Richard shot him a displeased look, Samuel an incredulous one, but he ignored them.
The hall littered with trash haphazardly.
Amid the snoring of employees sprawled on the floor, Yoon called Hildebert and switched to speaker. The ringtone blared loudly through the hall.
Everyone stared at the phone screen.
It didn't take long.
"Hilde."
Yoon called out, recognizing the call connected.
"Where are you?"
[Ah, were you looking for me?]
The voice from the phone sounded fine.
The remaining ones breathed sighs of relief.
As gazes dispersed from the phone, the Badgers relaxed their tensed muscles for a moment.
Until Hilde continued.
[I'm on the rooftop.]
Yoon reacted first.
He sprang from his seat. Didn't ask anything more of the person on the call, didn't say a word to those around.
The man gripped his phone and bolted to the stairs in huge strides.
The others reacted a beat late.
"I told you to keep eyes on him!"
Richard roared as he chased after Yoon.
"You can't let your guard down just 'cause he looks fine!"
"Shu! Grab the hoverboard!"
Ska ordered Shu as he followed Richard.
Shu nodded sharply and ran to the opposite stairs. Samuel spewed a torrent of curses as he dashed to the elevator. Walker tossed his chicken leg and headed for the stairs.
Naturally, Yoon arrived first.
The rooftop with not-so-high railings. Yoon kicked open the door, strode toward Hilde who stood at the edge looking down.
Then grabbed Hilde's nape and roughly yanked him back.
"Urk."
The rookie dragged along made a choked noise and widened his eyes.
Then looked up at his master's cold eyes, speechless. A blank face failing to grasp the situation.
His beautiful golden eyes confirmed the following seniors and grew even larger.
"Why is everyone... here...."
Hilde slowly straightened his body.
He stared blankly at the panting seniors and muttered.
"No way, were you worried?"
Bewilderment and surprise dripped from his voice.
No one answered. They all stopped in place, breathing heavily as they stared at Hilde. His fluttering white hair and vivid golden eyes. His refined features radiating presence even in the dark.
The one whose name had crossed every Badger's lips at least once.
"Sorry. I wasn't that drunk...."
Hilde rubbed his neck as he spoke.
"I just wanted to recall something...."
Smack!
A sharp friction sound shook the dawn air.
Hilde touched the back of his head with rabbit-wide eyes and looked at Yoon.
Yoon shoved the hand that smacked the back of Hilde's head into his pocket.
"Wanna fall to your death?"
His voice mixed anger and chill.
Surprise filled Hilde's eyes. He blinked wordlessly.
The seniors kept silent until the kind rookie found his voice.
"I'm sorry."
The apology that finally broke the silence rang with sincerity.
"I'll be more careful from now on. Really sorry."
"You should be sorry!"
Richard exploded.
"What were you thinking drinking and coming up to the rooftop?!"
"I'm sorry."
"You wanna go down in history as the rookie who fell to his death before even taking the promotion exam?!"
"No, sir. I'm sorry."
"Get your head straight!"
"Yes, sir."
"You too, Choi Yoon! You should've kept eyes on your deputy handler who was drinking for the first time!"
"Why'd you come up here?"
Ska gently blocked Richard's rage.
The aide kept his eyes on Hilde and smiled bitterly.
"Was there some memory you had to recall up here on the rooftop?"
The rookie shut his mouth.
Silence returned. The one at the center of gazes reluctant to open his mouth easily. Even as Samuel finally arrived cursing up a storm, the silence held. Even as pale Shu flew in on the hoverboard, Hilde said nothing.
"Now that I've recalled it, I'm fine."
He finally spoke after Shu landed.
"I won't do this again."
"You weren't having weird thoughts, right."
"Ah, yes. Not at all. No need to worry."
At Ska's question, the rookie replied in a hoarse voice.
"Really, I have zero intention of doing something so irresponsible."
The seniors added nothing more.
His response was rock-solid. No point pressing; the tone guaranteed no other answer.
But they didn't lighten the mood easily. Through experience, innate sharpness, quiet observation, the Badgers caught the odd ominous vibe. Hard to name easily. Not the sharp precariousness from PTSD-afflicted Badgers, but unease from his composed, matter-of-fact demeanor.
A bearing that made you think he'd carried heavy sorrow for ages.
"Uh, I'll go down and clean up."
The seniors observed him silently until the rookie bowed his head and took a step.
Without taking their eyes off Hildebert Talib.