Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Juni
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Zain said,
“I’m sorry about last time.”
Aiden, who had just stepped out of the company building, looked at her.
He had come all this way because he thought he needed to apologize face-to-face.
Aiden glanced at Zain, then let his gaze drift to the other side of the road.
“That person…”
Torah had been waiting in front of her house even before she left and had followed her here.
As you could see, he was now waiting across the street. His eyes wide open like a husband keeping watch, suspicious they might do something together.
“Are you in some kind of trouble?”
Aiden asked, then added with a smile,
“Or is it me causing it?”
Zain started to say something but just apologized instead.
“I’m sorry.”
She wanted to say it wasn’t like she was two-timing, but then thought there was no point. She hadn’t forced herself to meet him while having another man in her heart.
She deserved to be called a wicked woman. But far from cursing her, Aiden said,
“No, it’s fine. I enjoyed meeting you too, Ms. Summer.”
Then he looked at Torah and gave a troubled smile.
“Anyway, looks like it wasn’t meant to be.”
He really was a good guy. She could have lived the life they dreamed of together, but she couldn’t understand why she didn’t feel even a twinge of desire to hold onto him as he walked away.
“Zain.”
Just then, Torah’s voice called from behind. Zain ignored it and kept walking. Then she heard heavy footsteps following.
“Have you ever been stalked?”
In the end, Zain turned around and said,
“I’m hungry.”
Torah said something irrelevant. Zain was exasperated.
“You think you can just brush it off like that?”
“We’re friends.”
Friends, my ass.
She’d thought it was bullshit from the moment he said it, but now he’d just given her more ammunition.
“That’s the face of someone thinking ‘what bullshit.’”
Torah quickly picked up on it.
“You got me.”
Where in the world do friends kiss like that?
But then Torah suddenly turned serious and said,
“I’ve been thinking, though. You might be right, Zain. So do whatever you want. I can’t force you into anything.”
Torah changed tactics. He’d been so unfamiliar with genuinely liking someone that he’d forgotten his specialty: seducing women.
Of course, Zain wasn’t just any ‘woman’—she was different in personality and meaning to him—but he decided to think simpler.
If she pushed him away, he’d just seduce her, right? Especially since she wasn’t pushing him away for real.
So if he could seduce her into giving in, everything would be fine.
At that moment, Zain narrowed her eyes like she sensed something.
“I’m suddenly feeling uneasy for some reason.”
Torah grinned.
“Probably just your imagination?”
Then he casually asked,
“So, wanna grab some food?”
Zain sighed.
***
Watching Torah unwrap his hamburger, Zain said,
“I’ve noticed this since last time, but you really like hamburgers.”
“It’s the most civilized-world food. And high in calories.”
Vampires needed a lot of calories beyond blood alone.
It was a bit inefficient, cost-wise.
Blood was essential like taurine for cats, but it didn’t provide enough energy. So vampires ended up spending more on food than you’d think.
Torah asked,
“Did you want something else?”
“Not really. Hamburgers are America’s soul food, right?”
That reminded him of something, so Torah asked,
“Speaking of which, your mom’s side is East Asian?”
“My grandma was from Taiwan. Grandpa was Irish-American.”
“Even so, your East Asian features stand out a lot.”
Zain looked close enough to Asian to pass for half instead of a quarter.
“Guess so.”
Torah studied Zain a bit more.
Today, she was dressed head to toe in black. She didn’t usually go for the socially conventional ‘feminine’ style, but this outfit made her look especially sleek.
That didn’t mean she lacked femininity, though.
Zain exuded her own unique femininity. The kind that made you want to call her ‘big sis’—strong and solid, giving off an elegant charisma instead.
“I want to kiss you.”
The words slipped out before he knew it.
Zain’s face showed surprise.
“What…”
Realizing his mistake, Torah covered the top of his head with his hand and bowed his head.
“Damn it.”
Seduction was supposed to be subtle and sneaky. But thinking ‘just seduce her’ was easier said than done with Zain.
It would’ve been better if she joked or said something, but Zain was silent.
That was when it happened.
“Lieutenant?”
Some passing female soldiers greeted her.
“Oh.”
Zain looked at them as if snapping out of a daze. The women glanced at Torah and said,
“On a date?”
“Nah. Just feeding a stray I ran into.”
Torah was dumbfounded.
“I’m a dog?”
All the women turned to look at Torah. A dog? …
“Mind if we join?”
The women asked half-teasing Zain, half with a bit of interest.
Zain looked at Torah. Being alone together was definitely dangerous.
“Sure.”
At Zain’s permission, the women quickly sat down. The spot wasn’t huge, and with Torah’s build, they ended up squeezed in pretty tight.
“You’re the Ituha captain, right?”
One of them asked.
By now, Torah and Rato were fairly well-known on base. After that mess they went through and came back from, rumors were inevitable—and for good reason no one needed explained.
The women bombarded Torah with questions. He answered them all surprisingly diligently.
Then one said,
“I know Sani from your Ituha unit.”
“Oh, Sani. She’s in First Squad.”
Torah replied.
“She didn’t say a word at first, so I was scared, but she takes really good care of everyone.”
“That’s Sani for you.”
Now he doesn’t even look at other women?
Truth be told, Torah’s gaze wasn’t special—it was closer to looking at a roadside pebble—but direction-wise, he clearly wasn’t looking at other women.
Zain was utterly floored. Even by her own growing dislike of it.
If things got this bad now, imagine if they actually dated… Her job allowing her to carry a gun would be even more dangerous.
As she thought that, one woman casually asked Torah,
“Mind if I get your contact?”
Torah smiled brightly. Zain sighed inwardly. Yeah, that smile to seduce a woman…
“No can do. I like Summer.”
The moment those words dropped, everyone gasped and looked at Zain. She was just as shocked.
“Torah!”
Zain’s tone sharpened, leaving Torah puzzled.
“Why?”
“Don’t… say stuff like that.”
“Why? It’s the truth.”
Torah wouldn’t back down. This was bad. By end of day, the whole base would hear the Ituha captain liked an SAU officer.
“Oh my…”
The women, far from conventional ‘girly’ types like Zain, couldn’t help girlish reactions.
One said admiringly,
“Calling her by her last name sounds like a nickname.”
Her tone was so sweet, that’s how it came across.
Torah, as if waiting, said,
“Summer’s a pretty last name anyway.”
The women reacted all girly again. Zain seriously wanted to grit her teeth and mutter ‘Fucking Summer.’
“Lieutenant scored.”
A voice cut in suddenly.
It was a fellow officer she didn’t get along with, just passing by.
“Lieutenant, you studied your ass off to get into Ituha. Figured that type was your taste.”
She snarked loud enough for Torah to hear. Zain was used to these misunderstandings.
“So any Ituha guy would’ve done?”
Torah muttered. The mood turned awkward. The women glanced at Zain. She said nothing. Better to let them think what they wanted.
Then suddenly, Torah slammed both elbows on the table, leaned forward, and asked like he was genuinely curious,
“But I’m the one who made Ituha. So why not me?”
Zain pressed her brow. Her head… hurt.
Overwhelmed by sudden fatigue, she lifted her eyelids until the crease deepened. Then she said to the women,
“Mind if I head out first?”
“Oh, sure.”
Zain stood and left. Torah followed as if it was natural.
“Why are you following?”
“What else?”
His answer was so matter-of-fact she had nothing to say.
“Don’t you have work?”
“Ituha’s still under movement restriction.”
God, holy shit.
***
Zain was tired. More than when she’d wandered outside alone with wild, thunderbolt-like Torah.
These past few days, he’d been trailing her. Trailing, trailing. Now everyone took it for granted.
Zain turned to look at Torah following her again today.
“No matter the restriction, shouldn’t you check on the unit?”
“Ituha was organized to operate independently. Even the action leads are separate. They don’t really need a captain.”
That was the secret to Ituha functioning even when Torah was on the island, but right now, it was a huge bummer for Zain.
Torah said,
“In other words, that’s me. The face of the group.”
“There’s a term for that: puppet boss.”
“Face of the group sounds prettier, no?”
Damn his smugness—it made her chuckle despite herself. Who could truly hate this guy?
“You laughed.”
Torah said it like he’d witnessed a mystery, then started to add something.
“Pre…”
“Don’t say it.”
Zain cut him off immediately. Torah was stunned.
“Isn’t it my freedom to speak?”
“You’ve got the freedom not to listen.”
“Fair.”
Torah surprisingly agreed. Then he smirked, mouthing it silently.
‘Pretty.’
“Torah.”
Zain glared. But Torah innocently said,
“I didn’t say anything.”
Zain just turned away. Her ears felt like they were burning.
That was when it happened.
“Rato.”
Torah suddenly said, looking behind Zain. She turned to see Rato passing by, with two MPs trailing him.
“What’re you doing?”
Rato asked.
Same tone as Torah, but the feel was different enough to tell even with one ear. Amazing how similar voices could give such different vibes.
“Remember her?”
Torah pointed at Zain, and Rato looked at her.
“Lt. Zain Summer, right?”
“Yes, you remember.”
They shook hands.
“You’re the one who saved us.”