Chapter 207
Chapter 207
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: Kairos (2)
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I squeezed into a seat.
It was a bit away from the circuit. Sitting down made me feel a little better.
I stared blankly ahead, frowning at the dizziness clouding my brow.
Once I get home, I should order more clothes.
As I shivered, the event start time arrived quickly.
I straightened up to watch the drivers entering the circuit.
I worried I might miss Kairos's entrance in my daze, but it was a needless fear.
The fans erupted in a massive cheer the moment he appeared.
“Black Jack! Black Jack!”
Several people jumped up from their seats all at once.
The male fans seemed to dominate, their heavy shouts shaking fists in the air.
“Black Jack! Black Jack!”
He’s so popular.
Still got that power to drive the crowd wild.
I let out a sigh and stood up. The standing audience blocked my view of his face.
Glad I’m tall, I thought, craning my neck.
There it was—the sight I wanted. The drivers walking onto the circuit, helmets tucked under their arms.
Ah.
There he is.
“Jack!”
The person next to me—impossible to tell if man or woman—cupped their hands around their mouth and shouted.
“Jack! Look over here! Jack!”
Kairos didn’t look our way.
I stared blankly down at Kairos waving to the stands. Helmet under his left arm, gloved hand waving. His stubbled jaw and wind-tossed orange-tinted red hair looked familiar. Even those nicely curved orange eyes were the same as before.
But he didn’t glance my way.
Rare for someone so sensitive to instincts.
“Jaaaack!”
The fans’ cheers grew frenzied, pounding my ears.
“Jack! You’re the best today too! Jack!”
He doesn’t want to face me, huh.
Kairos turned his head, still smiling and waving to the crowd.
He never once looked my way. With a smile lingering, he walked on, greeting and shaking hands with the staff, preparing for the race.
The cheering crowd settled back into their seats one by one.
Everyone getting ready to watch the race.
I stood there long after.
Until the guy behind me tapped my back and grumbled.
“How long you gonna stand there, buddy?”
“Sorry,” I said, bowing my head before sitting.
I slumped into my seat, staring blankly at the circuit below. The announcers’ voices from the track washed over me. I couldn’t even make out what they were saying.
I thought I’d come prepared.
Guess I was hoping deep down without realizing it.
That’s why I hadn’t sorted out my longing, my hopes, or even that slight disappointment. But even though he must have sensed my emotions clearly, Kairos didn’t blink.
Humans might not get it, but this was basically a rejection.
No words to respond.
I didn’t even watch how the event ended.
Too stunned to think of leaving, I just sat there like an idiot.
***
“You a Jack Black fan?”
After the event wrapped and the drivers circled the track before heading back in.
The androgynous person next to me tapped my shoulder.
I blinked and turned.
“Huh? Oh… yeah.”
“Figured. You knew my fruit line. Looked like you weren’t into the race at all.”
Yeah.
I’d been out of it since that shock earlier.
The race was over. People were starting to file out. Being a sponsor event, it was just a few light laps to wrap up.
Popping sounds.
Guess I should go too.
As I thought gloomily, the person next to me nudged my arm.
“Black Jack’s about to come out! Let’s go see him!”
“Huh?”
“Look! He’s coming!”
They grabbed my arm and pulled.
“Let’s get closer!”
I stumbled up and followed.
I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t shake off their hand. Couldn’t even make the excuse that my body hurt. If anything, I felt faintly grateful to this stranger dragging me along.
Maybe he’d forgotten how to use his instincts, like I did when I lost my memories.
Living inside all this time, no need for them, so he didn’t sense my presence.
I got swept into the crowd pressed tight against the fence by their firm grip.
It’s freezing.
“Jack Black!”
Kairos was slowly exiting the track, cap pulled low.
People thrust phones, hands, and autograph pads toward him.
“Black Jack!!”
“Be careful.”
He said it to a fan leaning half over the fence.
He even flashed a grin at a kid waving wildly.
“Don’t press too close to the fence—it’s dangerous.”
The distance shrank.
The person next to me pulled me even closer to the fence. They had some serious agility. No idea how, but I ended up gripping the fence, and thanks to them, I could see Kairos much closer amid the crowd.
Just a few steps away.
Close enough to smell him.
He’d pass right in front of me any second.
“Kairos.”
I couldn’t hold back.
“Beast Tamer.”
Jack Black walked past me.
With a bright smile, casually greeting fans. He passed right by.
His red hair fluttering in the wind.
In that moment, I was just another anonymous fan.
The man who brushed past didn’t look back. The distance grew quickly. Speechless, I watched Kairos’s back as he headed to the locker room.
The person who dragged me here squealed, “Isn’t even his back view too cool?” and smacked my arm.
Ah.
The headache’s brutal.
Ignoring them, I turned away. Let go of the fence and pushed through the crowd.
Then plopped into the nearest empty seat in the stands.
I looked up. Clear sky.
Crisp, cool late autumn air.
I breathed it deep into my lungs and stayed still for a long time.
Wait till the dizziness passes, till everyone’s gone.
I thought, closing my heavy eyelids.
After the drivers and staff leave.
After everyone’s gone….
***
Today’s my last day off.
Even a long day off feels too short, Ami thought, knocking on the cabin door.
No answer. But she just opened it and went in. Hilde had long ago shared the passcode with the neighbors across the way. So Ami could come and go freely.
He’s probably sleeping hard, so I should make him some abalone porridge.
But inside, she faced an empty cabin.
“Huh?”
Ami blinked.
“Hilde? Where are you?”
No reply.
She could tell no one was inside. The air told her.
Still, just in case, she searched the cabin top to bottom.
No Hilde.
He must’ve stepped out.
“He’s still feverish!”
Freaking out, she called him on her phone.
“Why didn’t you ask us to get whatever you needed!”
But Hilde didn’t pick up.
Not even after ten calls.
By then, Ami was seriously worried.
She knew the older rookie didn’t take care of himself, which only ramped up her anxiety. Ami gave up calling Hilde. Instead, she started dialing people who might know where he was.
Hessy, Tom, Ricardo, Kudo, Yoon, Ye-hyeon, Ska, Joo, Samuel, Shu, Barbie, Lee Ho, Asil, Karl, Sophia.
She called everyone Hilde knew in the Core.
But none knew where Hildebert was.
If anything, they freaked out in their own ways at Ami asking.
[Senior! No? Haven’t heard from him in a bit…. Huh? He’s sick? A cold? But he’s not home?]
[Senior. Uh…. No. No idea. Didn’t even know he was sick. He didn’t tell me….]
[Damn it, I told that guy to stay put in the cabin~.]
[I’ll look. Can you send the cabin address?]
[Got a car? Then he couldn’t have gone far. Wait a bit more.]
[Not at the cabin? You asked Yoon? I dropped off chicken soup and haven’t been back since….]
[Heard the Commander on the line. No clue. Let’s wait a little.]
[No idea. Maybe he stepped out to buy something? Anyway, it’s been forever since we talked, Ami. You doing good? Nice hearing your voice.]
[Where’s that idiot wandering without listening to the doc? Give him an earful when he gets back!]
[Senior. …No idea. I’m still out on the outskirts…. Yeah. Heading back to HQ for the event season. Hilde sick bad?]
[Senior~? No clue? Maybe out drinking? He’s not a kid—don’t worry too much!]
[Eh? Haven’t seen him lately…. Maybe to the nearby pharmacy?]
[Haven’t seen him…. Cold that bad? Probably nothing to worry about, but if he doesn’t come back, I’ll check with my old work buddies.]
[Didn’t he say he was bedridden from the blue sickness? I’ll ask around HQ.]
[No.]
After one round of calls, she sat in the cabin waiting, but no word.
Tried calling Hilde again multiple times—no answer.
Replying to worried messages with “No contactㅠㅠ.”
The Badgers growing concerned.
And so, without Hildebert knowing, the “Search for the Missing Hildebert” began among the Badgers.
***
“Black!”
The manager urgently called after the driver heading back to the track.
“Jack Black! Where you going all of a sudden!”
The redhead didn’t respond.
Just strode off on his own whim, like always. Didn’t look back, didn’t answer. Still stubborn about weird things. If nothing set him off, he was the model celeb otherwise.
But once hooked on something, no stopping him.
Seemed worse than usual today. So the manager dropped the questions and hurried after Jack Black.
Center Core’s top driver entered the empty track. Weirdly, not the players’ tunnel but the audience corridor.
He waved hastily to surprised staff and kept walking.
Into the empty stands, then down the steps two at a time.
Space left only with cleaners picking up trash.
He crossed it quick, stopping in front of a seat by the fence.
In front of a man passed out in his seat.
“Who’s that?”
The panting manager caught up and peered down at the man.
Jack Black didn’t answer. Cap low, head down—face hidden.
The manager wiped sweat from his chin with his hand, then peeked at the driver’s face under the black baseball cap brim.
“Know him?”
First words seeing Jack Black’s face.
“Friend? Then why’s he out cold here…. Huh? You sick?”
The manager looked closer at the fainted man, then jolted back.
He called for the ambulance quick. Asked nearby cleaners for help too.
All the while, Jack Black stayed put.
Silent, staring down at him for a long time.
Until the medics arrived to transport the feverish man.
***
I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.
Bad sign.
Even thinking that, I couldn’t get up for a while. Fever back up—senses dulled. Head ached, body heavy.
Wasn’t this bad before.
Guess the mental shock hit hard.
I let out a self-mocking laugh.
Thought I was prepared. Thought if he was happy, that was enough.
Reality was different.
Guess I never mature no matter the age.
I gave a wry smile. Time to sort my feelings. Accept it now. Seeing him happy is reward enough—gladly head back.
Staring blankly at the ivory ceiling.
Then a weird sound.
Beep-woo.
Hm?
Beep. Beep-woo.
I turned toward it.
Found a cute, nostalgic creature. Small furry thing that cries often. Walks on four legs, looks just like an Earth kitten but with round ears, not pointed.
Popular pet Magical Beast.
It stared up at me from the floor.
I knew this crybaby’s name.
Looks like a kitten but it’s full grown. No combat power apparent, but gathers strength for massive blasts.
It beep-wooed, crawling toward the bed.
“Milk.”
I chuckled low, reaching out.
“Been well?”
Went to pet its head.
My reaching hand got caught. By a strong, large hand.
I widened my eyes, rolling them.
Fever dulled my senses—didn’t notice approach.
Didn’t expect it. Didn’t think he’d be here. Planned to recover a bit, get up quietly, and slip out.
Respect the doc, pretend not to know.
Thought he understood words well.
Guess I misjudged big time.
The one holding my hand slowly dropped to one knee.
Knelt by the bed, then kissed my hand’s back.
Perfect etiquette.
“Captain.”
Kairos looked up, meeting my eyes.
“My captain.”
Dazzling orange eyes like the sun.