Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Vintage (1)
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There were no more words. He naturally slipped into the flow of pedestrians.
Our patrol area was a bustling district a bit away from Black Badger headquarters. There were places that weren't bustling, too. The size of the patrol area varied depending on the Badger's proficiency, and I'd heard Jonathan Kudo was a genius at patrol work, so he covered a considerable region even on his own.
That meant we'd be walking and driving a lot today.
I awkwardly lowered my outstretched hand and followed behind him.
The road was chaotic with people rushing to work and cars.
Even while heading to work, people glanced at us in our Badger uniforms.
Ignoring the piercing stares, I stood beside my senior.
A silence enveloped us, as if shrouded by a wall of urban noise.
He wasn't planning to stay silent like this all day, was he?
But the senior kept quiet the whole way through three blocks.
He didn't seem like the type to speak first.
I didn't think I was the type who couldn't handle silence, but staying completely mute all day was another matter.
Walking on the sidewalk warming up under the early summer sun, I cautiously tossed out a question.
"Do you usually eat lunch at a nearby place during patrol?"
Kudo's eyes rolled toward me.
No change in expression.
"Usually, yeah."
Silence again.
I smiled brightly at the senior.
"What do you like?"
The answer didn't come right away.
Maybe he didn't like it.
But there was no sign of that. The delay in responding somehow reminded me of John Mulaney.
Should I just keep quiet?
The moment I thought that, a flat reply came.
"Udon."
Aha.
And now more silence, I bet?
It was.
I turned to look at him again and grinned.
Now I had a rough idea of how our conversations would go all day.
"Do you know any good udon spots?"
This time, I didn't expect an immediate reply.
Sure enough, it came after the usual pause.
"Four blocks ahead, turn right—udon there's good."
"How about we go there for lunch today?"
His dark eyes rolled toward me again.
I smiled without dodging it. The morning rush hour was over now. The sidewalk wasn't as crowded, and the sunlight had grown a bit hotter.
The senior nodded.
No way.
Dealing with Creatures seemed easier than spending time with this guy.
I thought that as I walked down the whitening street.
Amazed that Choi Yoon felt like someone with exceptional social skills by comparison.
***
One thing I realized while on patrol duty: there were more minor Creatures than I'd thought.
Right away, Creatures that weren't seriously dangerous—level 1 to 3 ones. I encountered quite a few. Core citizens knew how to avoid them and how to report their locations to the nearest Badger. Kudo and I handled several such cases over a few days. They made for decent boredom relief.
There were days when we didn't deal with any Creatures at all. On those, we'd thoroughly cover the patrol area and call it a day.
Days so mundane they felt like just waiting for field mission assignments.
As those days piled up, I picked up bits of trivia about Jonathan Kudo. I'd bombard him with one-sided questions whenever the silence got tedious.
The senior answered well enough.
"Do you like gochujang?"
"Nah."
"Aha. So, what're you craving for dinner? Besides udon, what else do you like?"
Kudo liked neat Japanese food so much it was surprising he couldn't use chopsticks.
I had no complaints about Japanese food either, so we mostly ate at unpretentious spots.
No post-meal coffee, and when thirsty, we'd buy water at a convenience store. Kudo wasn't picky about food. He never suggested a restaurant or a menu.
But he did have foods he disliked.
Especially after we impulsively ducked into a franchise noodle shop post-Creature cleanup, he furrowed his brow.
Across from me, eyes wide, devouring it mindlessly because it tasted amazing.
"Why is this so good?"
Unfortunately, it suited me perfectly.
More than perfectly—it was shockingly delicious.
I'd ordered the basic flavor, and it was the best choice.
This is insane, right?
"What is this? Why's it so good? If it's this good, why isn't there a line?"
"It's not lunchtime for office workers right now. This place gets pretty popular—wait times from opening, though not huge lines. Owner started with one shop, it took off, and now it's franchised. Already four in the south, and a new one's coming to the north soon!"
Maybe we looked odd—me eating rapturously, him miserably across—so the part-timer who'd been watching us answered my mutterings.
Her brown hair in a single braid, she grinned and held up her index finger.
"Chili pork topping's the most popular!"
"Topping? It's plenty good basic."
"You're unusual. This #1 basic is usually the least sold."
The server looked down at me, thick brows furrowed.
Across from me, Kudo wore an expression like, 'Would a topping really make this good?'
Senior eyeing the menu skeptically.
As if rebutting him, the server pointed at the menu on the table.
"For real. I keep telling the owner to drop the #1, but no dice. Place blew up with the chili pork topping version! Try it next time. Total flavor change."
"Nothing's topping the basic, I bet."
It was that good.
So good I nearly teared up unwittingly. Ignoring my senior's puzzled stare, I even asked the server,
"Is the owner here by any chance?"
"Nope. Owner rarely shows up."
Living the good life, huh.
"But really, who orders basic?"
***
It took a full three weeks of patrol duty for Jonathan Kudo to bring up a topic first.
On a night patrol assignment.
That day, too, I'd joined Kudo on time and was walking the area. Amid the silence, I reflected on the past, checked mobile news on the land reclamation war's progress, replied to Shu's text asking if I could get 'From E' back soon since she missed Easter eggs.
With tasks done, I walked hand on sword hilt.
Then the silence dragged.
I wanted to hear a response at least.
I tossed out a random question.
"What do you usually do on off days?"
Walking under a streetlamp, Kudo didn't turn.
After the familiar pause, he replied slowly.
"Play with Ricardo, or if Ska's free, the three of us hit a bar."
"You three must be really close."
No reply meant yes.
No need to ask again. No jokes either. He wasn't the type to play along.
A chilly dawn with no signs of life.
Another question popped up.
"You three are recruits together, right?"
Nod from him.
"Long history. Must suck if you're posted to different Cores and split up."
"...Ricardo's been paying you a lot of attention."
Unexpected reply.
First time he'd said something beyond answering my question.
I was openly surprised. Mouth agape, I whipped around to him. Our eyes met—he'd already been watching me.
But the surprise and faint joy didn't last.
I gave a bitter smile and faced forward.
"That's all old news, Senior."
No contact from Ricardo since that day.
"You haven't seen him lately, huh."
Kudo stared blankly at me.
An inscrutable gaze. Different texture from Yoon's piercing one, but I'd grown used to this too, so I didn't mind.
Conversation over, I figured.
Nope.
"Saw him yesterday."
What.
Saw him yesterday and still ghosting me?
We communicating properly here?
Eyes blinking at the incomprehensible answer.
Naturally, senior had no clue what the issue was. My fault for expecting. Hollowed out by his obliviousness, I quickly accepted reality.
A small laugh escaped.
Three weeks later, and it still hits.
Glancing at him, I asked softly,
"He doing okay?"
Kudo stared long.
"Why not ask him yourself?"
Reflex bitter smile at the reply.
Hand on waist-hilt, gazing at the night city. Dark and distant between streetlamps. The lamp-lit path seemed endless.
"You wouldn't like that."
Kudo blinked to show confusion.
"But glad he's safe since you saw him yesterday."
Fearing he'd dig deeper, I muttered then swiftly changed topics.
"Anyway, Senior, I've been wondering—that phone model of yours is super old, right?"
Pretending not to notice him struggling with the abrupt shift.
"Not changing it?"
"Nope."
Answer came without pause, surprisingly.
Firmer than any before.
Did I offend him? Conversation ending here today, huh.
But senior turned forward, eyes on the endless street, adding one more word.
"I like this one."
Unbreakable stubbornness in that reply.
***
A month into these odd patrols with my peculiar senior.
Surprisingly, the day before a week of patrols, I got word Jonathan Kudo was taking a day off.
Guy who'd never been a minute late in a month, taking vacation.
Curious, I asked control handling schedules, got a breezy reply.
[Probably his wedding anniversary.]
Ah.
Come to think, he'd said he 'was' married.
Widowed? Off to commemorate his late wife? Past tense suggested no remarriage.
Not something to pry into anyway, so I said got it.
Normally, I'd patrol solo then. If a Creature I couldn't handle solo popped up, request backup from HQ. If really uneasy, request extra personnel for a temp partner for the day—but I didn't.
I could handle most alone.
If not, just call for support...
Thinking that, I patrolled calmly solo, then at lunch, witnessed a shocking scene.
So shocking I froze in place, staring blankly.
My senior—smiling.
Senior seated at a restaurant window, smiling peacefully, beautifully.
Never imagined it possible—Jonathan Kudo with a gentle, perfect smile.
And across from him, a woman in her prime softly holding his hand.