Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Vintage (2)
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I didn't really want to see such a private side of him.
Snapping out of my shock, I whipped my body around.
An impulse to get away from this area took over me. I started walking quickly wherever my feet took me.
Until my phone rang.
"Shu."
[Hilde. Busy? I got the game from the locker.]
Good.
I'd agreed to lend the game to Shu for about three days. It had been hers to begin with, so it made sense to give it back when she needed it. Our schedules hadn't lined up, so I'd left it in the Black Badger locker with the password. Looked like she'd picked it up fine.
After saying it was a relief, I lowered my voice.
The scene I'd just witnessed had been pretty shocking, and I wanted to ask someone about it.
"But does Senior Kudo have any kids, by any chance?"
A puzzled sound came from the other end of the line.
[No, he doesn't.]
"Huh? He doesn't?"
[I heard his blood family all passed away.]
The senior explained, then casually asked back.
[Why?]
I objectively described what I'd seen.
I didn't mention the wedding anniversary or the vacation—just that I'd seen him at a restaurant smiling softly at some woman. That much should be okay to share.
Shu didn't sound surprised; she just went, "Ah," like she got it.
[Isn't it his girlfriend?]
The shocking answer came back.
[There are occasional sightings. Him dating a blonde woman.]
Dating?
But he'd said it was probably their wedding anniversary.
Taking vacation specifically for the anniversary to go on a date with his girlfriend?
The mismatched info only added to my confusion. Phone to my ear, I walked on with a puzzled look.
He didn't seem like the type with such weird tastes...
There had to be some false info mixed in.
I wasn't planning to dig deeper, though.
As I thanked her and was about to end the call after saying we'd talk later, Shu continued.
[But it's best not to bring up Senior Kudo's marriage.]
"Huh?"
I hadn't mentioned the wedding anniversary at all—how did she know?
I was about to ask, but her next words cleared up my doubts.
[You know his wife died in the war?]
"Ah... No. I just guessed."
[He still wears that wedding ring from back then. Richard Senior once nagged him to take off all accessories before crossing a portal.]
Richard Senior could be pretty strict.
[But Senior Kudo was stubborn about it.]
"Ah, he didn't want to take it off?"
[Yeah. He wouldn't budge, so pissed-off Richard Senior said something like, 'It's not just your family that died.']
My goodness.
My jaw dropped. I stopped dead in the street, forgetting to even take a step.
Passersby gave me weird looks as they went by.
It was lunchtime, when office workers flooded out.
The senior explained matter-of-factly.
[That's when Senior Kudo went off on him, I heard.]
"He hit him?"
[Hard.]
That sounded about right.
[He lost it completely—beat Richard Senior to a pulp. If the other seniors there hadn't jumped in to stop him, it would've been bad.]
"Ooh... So what happened?"
[One-month suspension. Richard Senior admitted his fault, and Senior Kudo bowed his head in apology to the command staff, so it wrapped up okay.]
"To the Commander?"
[Yeah. Sca Aide... well, he wasn't an aide back then, but anyway, Sca Aide and Sordi Senior dragged Kudo Senior along, and the three of them lined up to bow and apologize to Commander Ye-hyeon.]
Richard had already forgiven him—did they really need to go that far?
For a moment, I was puzzled, but then it clicked.
"Richard Senior must've been squad leader back then."
[Right. So it got classified as insubordination during a mission—could've been a big deal if they'd pushed it.]
I let out a small chuckle.
Better not bring up 'Saw you at lunch yesterday' or anything during tomorrow's night patrol. He's got a hot-tempered side I didn't expect. And plenty of landmines to step on, apparently.
I thanked her for the useful info and wrapped up the call with Shu appropriately.
***
Shu hung up and clutched the game pack carefully.
She pocketed her phone and started down the hall. She couldn't wait to get home and boot up the game. The newly discovered Easter egg was supposed to be pretty significant, and she was excited.
The Easter eggs in From E had all been minor so far.
Shake the frame on the third floor of the castle, and the eyes in the picture move; set the grandfather clock right, and a hidden attic with an item appears. Little things like that. But the community was buzzing that this new one felt different. And they hadn't even fully solved it yet.
Gotta try it first and tell Hilde.
Lost in thought as she walked the hall, the opposite end grew noisy.
She blinked at the men filling the corridor as they approached.
A thick smell of dirt and sweat wafted over.
"Hey, isn't that the hoverboard kid!"
Black Badgers who looked like they'd just come back through a portal approached.
An all-male group. They walked in disheveled uniforms, their bodies caked in dust and dirt, even though the hall wasn't narrow.
Shu knew all their names now.
Dante, Henry, Tianlin, Karsten.
Ricardo Sordi.
She bowed her head to the approaching seniors.
"Where you headed? Patrol?"
"No. Off today..."
"Going to play games, huh!"
As she answered Dante's question, Tianlin pointed at the game pack in her hand.
"Right?"
"Yeah. Gonna play when I get back."
"What game? New release?"
Shu slowly shook her head.
She knew Tianlin gamed. Not her type of games, but they chatted about it sometimes.
So she casually explained what From E was.
After naming the genre, she added,
"Hilde's in it."
The men halted in the hall and shot her puzzled looks.
But Shu didn't bother explaining further. Instead, she pulled out her phone, searched the game, and showed screenshots.
Being under 160 cm, even reaching up didn't get it to their eye level.
They bent down, craning their necks.
Soon their eyes widened.
"What's this?"
Dante snatched the phone from her hand.
"No way, looks exactly like that rookie? Wow, that kid must be obsessed with this game."
"Hey, even the name's the same!"
"How's that possible?"
Dante, Henry, and Tianlin flipped through screenshots, bursting into laughter.
Karsten stared down at Shu with round eyes.
"When was this game released?"
"Before the Second War, I think."
"Huh? So it's older than that white-haired rookie?"
Karsten shoved Henry aside and peered at the phone.
"Means the rookie copied this character, right?"
"No. Hilde was super shocked when he saw it too."
Shu cut in to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings.
"He didn't know it existed. So maybe his parents named him after it."
The group fell silent, mulling her words.
The hall smelled of dry athletic fields.
Henry broke the silence, frowning as he scratched his head.
"Named him that 'cause of his white hair, huh."
A hint of reproach in his narrowed eyes.
"Tan skin and white hair matches the color... If that's it, his parents were kinda harsh, no? I mean, not cool to say about the dead, though."
"They're gone?"
"Yeah, orphanage kid."
"But the eye color's exact too?"
"Nah, opposite. Got tanned skin and yellow eyes, so named after this character."
"So the white hair's dyed?"
The four men huddled over her phone, chattering. Shu just looked up at them calmly.
She'd been shocked too when she first saw Hilde, so she got their reaction. She watched them chatter among themselves impassively.
But one senior's reaction was off.
Ricardo stood silently beside the noisy group, wearing a strange expression.
What's with that face?
Hard to read his emotions. Maybe reliving his first meeting with Hilde. He'd been there with her when Hilde showed up.
Only one mission together back then, but he was still a tough read.
Lost in thoughts like that, Dante suddenly stuck his head toward her.
"Your hair's dyed, right?"
Shu blinked her blue eyes.
"Yeah."
"Why always this two-tone? Trying to look like a game character?"
"Not root touch-up?"
"It's two-tone."
"This kid looks like she stepped out of a game too. Did that on purpose, huh?"
"Yeah."
"What's it called? Some fashion term, right?"
"I know. Fairy fashion."
"Quit talking crap, you idiots~."
As Henry closed in to join, Ricardo elbowed Henry and Dante aside.
Tianlin and Karsten looked up from the phone.
Ricardo smoothly took Shu's phone from their hands.
"Go change... you stink~."
The green-eyed senior handed the phone back to Shu while scolding the guys. They looked sheepish, brushing off their uniforms.
Until Dante went, "Ah," like he'd remembered something.
"Soccer match today, right?"
Realization dawned on the others' faces.
Shu watched the seniors rush past her toward the end of the hall. Off to catch the game. Shouting excitedly about beer and snacks—they planned to make the most of their day off.
Beer sounds good.
As she turned to go, Ricardo blocked her.
"Diamond~."
"Yeah."
The Badger who'd stayed back grinned.
Shu met his smile without surprise. She'd half-expected him to call out.
Ricardo lazily shoved his hands in his pockets.
His gaze fixed on the game pack in her hand.
"Mind lending me that game later~?"
Called it.
She wasn't surprised. Wasn't offended either, but didn't agree right away. She had to return it to Hilde in three days.
Plus, she had another idea.
Shu lowered her voice a bit.
"You game, Senior?"
"Hm? Nah~... hardly ever~. Suck at it~."
"Wanna watch me play it now, then?"
Surprise flickered in Ricardo's green eyes.
"Gonna play right away—wanna spectate?"
***
The week passed without incident.
And I was thrilled.
Noodles were freaking delicious.
As soon as the mission ended, I bolted to that noodle shop and ordered the basic menu. So excited for solo dinner that I'd been glancing at my watch nonstop for the last 30 minutes of work.
God's hand in the kitchen. Chef genius.
Naturally ignored the chili pork whatever. Basic was plenty tasty—why add toppings?
The basic noodles came quick, and the familiar smell感動ed me.
I ate them happily.
So happy I forgot reality for a bit.
Until my phone rang in the pocket of my Black Badger uniform.
[Creature sighting in 17th District Sector A.]
Huh?
[Creature sighting in 17th District Sector A.]
That's my patrol zone.
[Black Badgers, deploy to 17th District advised.]
[Level 4 Creature. 'Ashen Cloak']