Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Birthday Party (1)
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Angry Yoon was terrifying.
Even as I cleaned up the year-end party venue and headed to the Badger dorms below, I had to apologize again. I knew I'd messed up, but I hadn't expected him to get this mad, so I was a bit shocked.
No way he was genuinely worried.
...Nah. He was clearly pissed that his test subject nearly slipped away pointlessly.
In any case, I was dragged by my seniors' hands and shoved into the Badger break room.
"Drunk driving means three years on suspension."
Richard said firmly.
"Revenge driving with a real sentence means termination."
The break room was packed.
We somehow squeezed in and slept. The dark space reeked of booze, filled with loud snores. It wasn't comfortable, but I was so tired that falling asleep wasn't hard.
A shallow sleep.
***
I had a dream.
I was standing on a rooftop with Ray, looking down at the city. The dazzling nightscape spread out below our feet. Even at this late hour, the roads were jammed with passenger cars. Pedestrians looked like tiny dots.
It was the end of the year.
"How is it?"
Ray asked, his golden eyes sparkling.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
I turned to look at my comrade.
My old war buddy. The guy who'd always griped about keeping that boyish-young-man look no matter how time passed. He wasn't wearing his usual silver armor anymore. He was dressed like the people here. Right now, in a navy striped suit that fit him perfectly.
He liked suits.
He never said why, but it was probably because they made him look older.
"Suits, huh? They suit you well."
"This one's killer. Shame I won't get to wear them much."
"...What are you talking about?"
"You know."
Carol songs echoed from below.
"You understood Kyle too."
The world we'd lived in had collapsed.
Not many had escaped. I hadn't thought even Kyle or I would survive. Leading so many, I'd hidden my anxiety, but when we jumped through the open portal, I hadn't expected solid ground on the other side.
It was a natural reaction.
But we'd arrived on Earth.
An amazingly beautiful place, in an astonishing way.
"We can do it again this time."
Ray walked over lightly and patted my shoulder.
His short, spiky white hair fluttered in the winter breeze.
"We always have."
"You fully support Kyle's position too?"
"Of course."
My comrade, who'd fought back-to-back with me, smiled with that signature sparkling confidence in his eyes.
"Why are you acting out of character?"
Ray gripped my shoulder firmly.
"Don't worry. The momentum's definitely on our side."
"Kyle thought so too."
"He said times would come when we could laugh about the hard days."
My war buddy's eyes widened as his bright smile grew.
"Let's come back laughing. To this place."
That time never came.
I wiped away tears and woke up.
The break room still reeked of booze. With the hangover weighing me down, I dragged my heavy body upright.
I took in my seniors, each lost in their own sleep.
Pale winter light filtered through the half-open blackout curtains.
It was Christmas Eve.
***
That evening, I visited Hesy's house.
As Hesy said, it wasn't far from HQ. The house sat right at the foot of a mountain slope. A wooden house with several bare trees standing in the yard.
Naturally, there was a basketball hoop in the yard.
Hesy's father, who had three stars on his uniform, greeted me with a kind smile.
"Take good care of Hesy."
The man with neatly combed white hair, exuding a soldier's discipline, led me into the living room.
"He's good at heart, but his temper's a bit much. He probably won't have a smooth ride in the organization."
"I don't think you need to worry too much. I've heard he's got a good reputation with the seniors so far."
"It's my little brother!"
As I replied politely, Hesy came from inside, bringing his blond younger brother.
"Luke Lyle! Luke, this is my colleague Hilde. Say hi."
Unlike Hesy, the younger brother was quiet.
I bowed slightly to the shy-faced kid, who only nodded faintly, and we exchanged distant small talk. Thanks for selling the scooter cheap. Glad you're riding it well. Let me know if it breaks. That kind of thing.
Once the brief chat ended, Hesy dragged me up to the second floor before dinner, saying he'd show me his room.
The moment I stepped into Hesy's room, I blinked.
"What the hell, so many shoes?"
That was my first impression.
"You wear all these?"
"I rotate them."
"No joke. These pairs are crazy expensive."
The neatly arranged colorful shoes were shocking.
When I picked them up one by one and asked, Hesy rattled off the release years precisely, leaving me even more impressed. He was this serious about it.
"You're not normal either."
"It's like your games."
Hesy shrugged it off and carefully placed the Jordan High back.
"I like games decently too. Just not as much as you. If you'd gone pro in E-sports, you'd be a star by now."
As Hesy said, dinner was excellent.
Thanks to his father and Luke's great cooking skills. I kept thanking them for the invitation and the fantastic meal as I chewed the perfectly grilled barbecue.
They were like a picture-perfect family. A homely, respectable father. A leadership-driven eldest son. A thoughtful, prudent younger brother.
His mother had gone to her parents' house to visit her grandmother.
Naturally, the white-haired general asked about my parents.
"I don't know much."
That was the honest truth.
"I've never seen my parents' faces."
Instead, I'd grown up in a monastery.
I'd recently vaguely recalled running around the spacious temple, helping the priests. It felt like ancient history now, so the details were fuzzy. In any case, my childhood memories weren't bad. I was probably a war orphan.
The priests had raised me with love, taking me from my dying parents.
I swapped priests for priests and nuns in my answer.
The kind-faced general listened quietly.
"You grew up well."
"Thank you."
I replied to his gentle words.
The unconditional love I'd received back then had become a solid foundation for my life.
"I was raised with love."
At my light boast, the general smiled faintly.
After dinner, we naturally played basketball. My skills didn't even reach Hesy's ankles, but since he was a basketball nut who knew how to play with total newbies, I didn't need to worry.
He even praised my skills, saying I was amazing for a beginner.
What an honor, even if just words.
"Join the club."
"Sorry."
I shot down his casual invitation flat.
"I'm planning to join the gaming club."
"There isn't one."
What an unfair world.
I slept in the guest room.
A small, warm room with a cozy comforter. Completely unfamiliar, yet somehow comforting, I slept dreamlessly. Good thing—no dreams. Lately, dreams made nights scary.
Eve falling asleep in the soft warmth of human affection.
The visit to Hesy's house ended the next morning with exchanging Christmas gifts.
"Uwaaaah!"
Hesy saw the gift I offered and dropped to his knees, wailing.
"How did you get this! How! Howwww!"
"Calm down."
I soothed Hesy, who was on the verge of fainting over the four front-row NBA tickets.
"I went when they opened and bought them."
"How the hell did you snag these seats!"
"Click fast."
I placed a hand on Hesy's kneeling shoulder.
"Play a lot of games, and your clicking improves naturally."
Then I added solemnly.
"Friend, games have perks like this. So how about gaming together?"
My sales pitch was rejected on the spot.
What a heartless guy.
***
For Christmas lunch, I returned to the cabin.
Without stepping foot outside, I opened gifts from people and replied to messages. Thankfully, many seniors had sent me presents.
Ami gave me a gaming keyboard, a farming game, and an amusement park management game chip. Hesy gave me a pair of sneakers, Tom sent a bong kit. Barbie's high-end restaurant voucher, Lee Ho's coffee brand card, Asil's capsule machine.
Ricardo sent a neat wallet, Sca a sleek Zippo lighter.
Spitfire gave a cigar box, and Suhoi chose 30-year-old Valentine.
And Colton...
...Is this a car key?
"Insane."
This car brand was even the same as the sedan I'd crushed with a truck before—Colton's car.
"It's gonna blow up someday."
Of course, I didn't have the guts to refuse.
I carefully set down the sleek car key. There were exactly two gifts I was scared to open. Gotta check the last one.
I steeled myself and opened Yoon's gift.
Surprisingly, it was perfectly fine.
"...Looks ridiculously expensive."
A watch.
"He wouldn't take it back anyway."
Before the social gathering, he'd commented that his wrist felt a bit empty.
I couldn't bring myself to try on the watch and closed the luxurious box. Then I checked the last remaining gift.
It was from Ye-hyeon.
[Now, I'll return it.]
That was written on the card.
[Merry Christmas.]
This small stone was from my world.
A small, hard piece of obsidian. Something I'd used to sharpen blades.
I held it for a long time before standing up.
I carefully organized the gifts I'd received. After assigning each item its place, I sat in front of the beanbag. I sent thank-you messages to everyone who'd given gifts, then started gaming. I didn't want to waste the rare holiday.
Especially since I had to face Jaeyeon tomorrow.
I planned to give Ye-hyeon's Christmas-slash-birthday gift tomorrow too.
***
It was a truly great roguelike game.
Thinking that, I woke up refreshed and spotted someone humming.
A woman with slender blond hair neatly braided.
She was bustling in the kitchen. On the counter: eggs, coffee, bacon, potatoes.
My groceries.
I stared at her back dumbly.
The woman glanced sideways and saw me up.
"Sleep well? How do you want your eggs?"
Rubbing my neck, I walked to the kitchen.
"Sunny-side up. Don't cook the yolk at all. Coffee with oat milk."
"Oat milk?"
As I approached Jaeyeon dumbly, tousling my hair, the open fridge door closed, and Ye-hyeon appeared with a sad face. I jolted back.
"No oat milk, looks like."
"Commander!"
No.
She'd dragged him here.
My superior, with eyes mixed resignation and sorrow, took out milk and asked.
"Milk okay too?"
"Yes. That's fine. I drink Americano fine too. But I clearly said I hate formal speech.... No, before that, how did you end up in this cramped, shabby place first thing in the morning...."
"I said I'd throw you a party!"
As Jaeyeon beamed back at us, the oven dinged!
The annoying creature ran to the oven with innocent cheer and pulled out a massive roast chicken.
"I baked a cake too!"
Stop.
Protests fell on deaf ears, and minutes later, we sat around the cabin's round table.
A cake way too big for three, roast chicken, and various foods.
Steam rose from the warm lattes with milk.
Ye-hyeon and I stared glumly at the table.
Candles were densely stuck into the cake's surface.
"Okay, time to blow out the candles?"
The only excited one was the blond-bouncing Jaeyeon.
"Happy birthday, Ye-hyeon!"