Chapter 125: A Fleeting Spring Dream (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 125: A Fleeting Spring Dream (8)
From the moment she left A’s house until she arrived at her own, Red didn’t allow herself a single thought. It wasn’t because she was angry at A for shouting at her without explaining anything. It wasn’t because she was disappointed in him, either.
No, she was disappointed. But the target of that disappointment wasn't A—it was herself. She had voiced her resentment toward him for working every day and frequently staying out overnight without telling her, his own girlfriend, anything. But her train of thought had screeched to a halt the moment he spoke.
She was hiding the most important thing about herself from her boyfriend. She was a Superhuman. Even now, four months into their relationship, she was still keeping that vital truth a secret.
Red knew better than anyone how much the world hated Superhumans because she had experienced it firsthand. That was why most Superhumans lived in the shadows of society, concealing their identities.
Most hid who they were simply because they couldn't bear the weight of the public's gaze if they were ever found out.
Red was no different. Having been alone since the moment she was born—or at least since her earliest memories—she had tried to preemptively block out every problem that being a Superhuman might bring.
Even so, because her face was known to the public, people occasionally recognized her. No matter how much she tried to live without caring, she couldn't escape the stinging glares and the indiscriminate vitriol.
To someone like her, the existence of a boyfriend was more precious than anything. The mere thought of him looking at her with that same discriminatory gaze filled her with an unbearable sorrow. Just imagining it was enough.
A wouldn't be like that. He wouldn't look at me with prejudice just because I'm a Superhuman; he would see me for who I am. Even though she believed this, she couldn't bring herself to speak.
In the end, she kept putting off the revelation day after day. The moment she heard A’s words, the guilt of deceiving him that had been building up inside finally came crashing down.
When he asked if she was a girlfriend who could be proud of herself, she hadn't been able to answer.
Her depression lingered throughout the night and showed no signs of fading the next day.
As the members of Team Hunter Killer arrived at the locker room one by one for their scheduled duel, they all walked on eggshells around Red. Her expression was so dark it was impossible to hide.
Even when things were difficult or exhausting, Red usually never let it show in front of the team. Seeing her in such a low mood made everyone wary.
Though she was the youngest in terms of age, she was the undisputed leader of the team, and she had always fulfilled that role faithfully. That made her current state—standing there in stony silence—feel even more alien.
"Red. Is something wrong?"
Blue, the eldest of the group, was the one to finally approach her. Red, who had been standing there blankly, finally realized she had been drowning in her own gloom.
"Huh?! Oh, what is it?"
"You look troubled. I was wondering if something bad happened."
"Ah, no! It's nothing. I just have a few things on my mind. You don't need to worry."
"Alright. But if anything happens, tell me. I might not be able to fix it, but I can at least listen."
"Yeah. Thanks."
Responding to Blue’s encouragement with her usual bright expression, Red picked up her helmet from the locker. "If everyone’s ready, let’s head out," she said, leaving the locker room first.
The other members prepared to follow her. Pink whispered to Blue.
"Is she going to be okay? She seemed in a really bad mood."
"She says she's fine. For now, we just have to keep an eye on her."
"…I guess."
Despite Blue’s words, she was just as worried about Red, but she decided to wait until Red was ready to talk about the problem herself. They might find out by observing her, but since it could just be a one-off bad day, she decided not to jump to conclusions.
Besides, the other members had their own concerns, so they couldn't focus entirely on Red. They were all worried about their boyfriend, who had seemed remarkably lethargic lately.
When they slept together, he often seemed unable to rest properly, staring off into space. His recent condition weighed on their minds. They wanted to ask if something was wrong, but he always acted as if nothing was amiss the moment they spoke, making it difficult to broach the subject.
It wasn't that they hadn't checked. Whenever they asked about his health while watching over him, he would only say he hadn't been sleeping well because work had been busy lately. Since he said it was just a sudden spike in workload and that he’d be fine soon, they decided not to show their worry while they were with him.
But the moment they turned away, the worry returned. Even if he said he’d be fine, it bothered them that they couldn't do anything to help the man who had supported them through their own hard times now that he was suffering from exhaustion.
And so, all of them set out for the duel, each harboring the same secret anxiety.
The location for today's duel was a park not far from the Olympic Bridge. For once, Team Hunter Killer arrived before Spacetro. They took off their helmets to catch the cool breeze while they waited for their opponents to arrive.
A moment later, they heard a massive roar in the distance, followed by a vibration that shook the earth. They immediately turned toward the source of the noise.
Buildings blocked their view of the exact location, but the direction was unmistakable.
"What was that? Was that an explosion?"
"Did an accident happen?"
It sounded like a gas explosion, but the tremors felt through the ground were far too powerful for that. It felt as if a massive bomb had gone off. Every nerve in their bodies stood on end, their eyes fixed on the rising smoke.
Then, another explosion followed in rapid succession. Now they were certain—this was no gas leak. These were clearly the sounds of deliberate bombings, orchestrated by someone.
The sound of murmuring crowds nearby was soon drowned out by distant screams. The explosions stopped, but the chaos spreading through the city showed no signs of subsiding.
"What's going on? Over there, that's…"
The site of the explosions was near the Han River. Specifically, right where the Olympic Bridge stood. With the duel imminent, the members were torn by the sounds of a disaster that likely involved casualties.
Should they prioritize the duel, or should they head to the scene to assess the situation and rescue civilians? Of course, Team Hunter Killer had no official obligation to do the latter. The role of Superhumans was to duel Spacetro within set rules to determine victory or defeat, not to perform search and rescue during emergencies or disasters.
However, any decent human being would try to save lives in a crisis. Yet, if they left their posts and Spacetro arrived, today's duel would be recorded as a forfeit. For Hunter Killer, who had never lost a single match, the win-loss record was extremely important.
"Let's go."
But they couldn't weigh the outcome of a duel against human lives. Their ultimate mission was to protect the Earth from invaders; if the people they were supposed to protect were gone, saving the planet would be meaningless.
Having made their decision, they headed toward the parking lot where their bikes were stationed. Just as they were about to put on their helmets, a familiar figure entered their vision.
Even with his face obscured by bandages, they recognized him instantly. Indigo, who was supposed to be hospitalized in the research institute for treatment, was sitting on the ground next to their bikes, smoking a cigarette with a sleazy grin on his face.
"You're here?"
He looked as if something wonderful had happened. With a sinister smile, he scanned the members of Hunter Killer up and down with his usual predatory gaze.
They should have been used to it by now, but his eyes were so repulsive they couldn't help but scowl.
"What are you doing here?"
Pink stepped forward first, questioning Indigo’s sudden appearance at the duel site. With an accident having just occurred nearby and every second counting, they couldn't simply ignore his presence.
"Don't glare at me so fiercely. We worked so hard for your sake."
"What are you talking about?"
Unable to grasp his intent, the members of Hunter Killer continued to watch him with sharp, suspicious eyes.
"You'll find out if you wait a bit. Is it because of the commotion? The kids are running a little late."
"We don't have time to deal with you, so get lost."
At Yellow’s irritated remark, Indigo crushed his finished cigarette into the ground and stood up. Usually, he would try to pull something and then tuck his tail between his legs when intimidated by Yellow’s aura, but today he seemed strangely confident.
Seeing that, the members realized Indigo was up to something. At that moment, the sound of the explosions from moments ago flashed through their minds.
Indigo had committed various crimes and never hesitated to do crazy things, but they hadn't imagined he would go this far. Or rather, they had thought of it but wanted to believe he wouldn't.
They didn't trust him one bit, but they hoped that for once, he wasn't the cause. That hope was shattered in mere seconds.
Indigo pulled a smartphone from his pocket, tapped the screen a few times, and immediately, another explosion roared in the distance.
"Hahahaha! Isn't it great?! You can do all of this remotely now."
In that instant, Red felt her blood boil with a surge of pure rage. The veins in her neck bulged as she screamed.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
It was an action that defied all common sense. Everything Indigo had done up until now had been irrational, but this crossed a line that shouldn't even exist.
He had committed a terrorist bombing in the middle of the city. A Superhuman, whose mission was to fight to protect the Earth, had done this in a place crowded with civilians.
Just then, a van pulled into the parking lot. Driving recklessly and ignoring its surroundings, the van screeched to a halt behind Indigo. The battered vehicle was one the members of Hunter Killer knew well.
It was the transport used by Team Guerrilla, looking just as old and filthy as the last time they had seen it.
The van door slid open, and Gainsborough, covered in black soot, stepped out. Indigo let out a stifled laugh, looking like he was about to burst.
"How did it go?"
Certain that their plan had succeeded, Indigo asked the question, and Gainsborough let a smirk spread across his face.
"Hahaha! Yeah. That son of a bitch..."