Chapter 148: Quintessential A (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 148: Quintessential A (3)
The atmosphere was grim. To be precise, it had been grim from the moment I arrived home and locked eyes with Su-ah.
I’d felt like the air was gradually becoming easier to breathe as we talked, even if my personal issues weren't being resolved, but I was dead wrong.
Through Yubin’s words, I realized that from the moment I stepped into the house and stood before the five of them, everyone had been engaged in a subtle game of nunchi. Naturally, I was the cause.
The reason I’d call it a game of reading the room rather than a battle of wills was because even Eunha, who was on the timid side, was constantly scanning everyone else’s reactions, even if she remained silent.
While I was busy checking on the quiet Eunha, the others had been locking eyes. I’d caught glimpses of those moments and felt the chill in the air, but I hadn't been certain they were actively sizing each other up.
Until now. After hearing Yubin’s words, Su-ah stood up, her eyes narrowing sharply. The two women glared at each other.
Yubin’s eyes were slightly rimmed with red, having just poured her heart out, but she didn't look like she was losing an inch of ground to Su-ah’s intensity.
Su-ah was about ten centimeters taller than Yubin, creating a clear difference in their eye levels, yet Yubin wasn't intimidated in the least. Su-ah, of course, stared back with a ferocity that matched her rival's.
As the atmosphere froze in an instant, Yura, Hayoung, and Eunha all turned to look at them. I, too, was caught off guard by how quickly things had escalated and could only look up at the two of them, speechless.
"What did you say? In this mess, you’re saying I was 'clinging' to him?"
"You used the excuse of keeping him restrained to stay glued to Oppa. Did you think no one would notice you sticking to him more than necessary?"
"Then why didn't you hold onto him? Why are you taking your anger out on an innocent person?"
"You were doing something that didn't need to be done in the first place."
Neither gave way. They glared at each other with eyes so sharp that anyone standing between them felt like they might get sliced open.
I had to think fast. I needed a way to calm them down.
However, I couldn't just jump in and start pointing fingers. The moment I took a side, the other would undoubtedly feel betrayed. Even if I jumped in just to stop them without any logical argument, I doubted I could settle them down in their current state.
"Now, now. Both of you, calm down."
While I was deliberating for about half a second, Hayoung stood up and stepped between them. She was the shortest among them, but her quiet words were enough to draw the attention of the two combatants. She moved into the space between them, forcing them to keep their distance.
"This isn't the time for us to be fighting among ourselves, is it? Our priority should be figuring out the situation."
Hearing Hayoung, the two glared at each other for a moment longer before finally breaking their stare. Yubin sat back down on the bed, and Su-ah sat on the floor across from the sofa instead of behind me.
Conflict, then a lull—there wasn't a single moment where I could let my guard down.
If I had said those words, they would have carried zero weight. I was grateful to Hayoung for mediating at that perfect moment.
But as soon as Hayoung settled them, the moment arrived where I had to speak more about the situation. I had no idea what to say first.
The group was currently split: those who were okay with polygyny, those who weren't, and those who hadn't expressed an opinion yet.
Honestly, considering I was in a position where I wouldn't have a right to complain even if I were beaten to death the moment we met, I couldn't brazenly ask, "So, what do you all want to do with me?"
If a guy who was dating five members of the same team simultaneously gathered them all and said, "Tell me which option each of you prefers," even a mistake that might have been narrowly forgiven would become unforgivable.
In the vastness of space, where all sorts of things happen, polygyny was a common sight, but apparently, that wasn't the case on Earth.
I still hadn't grasped how strong the concept of monogamy was for Earthlings, which made speaking up even more difficult.
Why hadn't I watched a single Earth drama since arriving here, despite seeing them so often back in space? Dramas don't capture every aspect of a culture, but they're built on its foundations; I should have used them as a reference...
Of course, even if I had watched them, I doubt it would have changed much about my current predicament. Watching dramas based on other planets' cultures never changed my own values, after all.
And above all, I’d had zero dating experience before meeting Yubin.
"Shall we start by hearing everyone's opinions?"
The situation moved forward thanks to Hayoung. If I had suggested it, I would have been a dead man, but coming from Hayoung—one of the parties who actually had to make a choice—the others were willing to listen even amidst their tension.
"Like I keep saying, I don't mind. As long as you love me," Yura said.
Yura’s opinion remained unchanged. However, the phrase "as long as you love me" bothered me a bit. Since love isn't something that can be measured in degrees, I didn't know what her standard for "love" was.
The only reason I was worrying about standards now was simple: all my relationships had been exposed.
From now on, depending on the situation, I was in a position where I couldn't just pour affection into one person at a time; I had to act fairly toward everyone.
"I have one thing I want to ask before that."
Everyone’s eyes turned to Su-ah, and as Su-ah looked at me, every gaze in the room followed.
It was a tense moment. I swallowed hard, the sound echoing in the quiet room, as I waited for her to speak.
"You still don't really get what the problem is, do you?"
She was right. I was still wondering if dating five people at once was really that big of a deal. I recognized it was a problem. But as I’d thought before, I just didn't know the scale of it.
I nodded—honestly, but too afraid to say it out loud. Su-ah let out a long, deep sigh.
"Honestly, once I found out about Spacetro, I figured there would be a difference in values. But I never imagined it would be this huge."
If Su-ah was going this far to point out the difference in values, it clearly was a massive issue.
"What's there to talk about values? Obviously, since I was the first one he dated, it's only right that he stays only with me, isn't it?"
While Su-ah was lost in thought for a moment, Yubin spoke with a sharp edge to her voice. The quiet Su-ah narrowed her eyes again and glared at Yubin.
"So you're saying you don't care what happens to everyone else?"
"That's..."
Yubin was momentarily lost for words. If I did as she wanted and dated only her, the others would no longer be in a relationship with me. If that happened, my original goal of 'everyone being happy' would vanish.
Furthermore, the one person I ended up dating might be subjected to the glares of the others for a long time. It might be self-importance on my part, but I couldn't afford not to think about the potential fallout.
"First, let me explain just how wrong your actions were."
That was the most welcome thing I’d heard so far. No matter how many planets I’d visited or how long I’d spent in space, there were things I simply didn't know. Just because I’d had many experiences didn't mean I knew everything, just as I could encounter a new culture and be completely ignorant of its norms.
"If any one of us stabbed you right here, right now, people would applaud."
In other words, by Earth's standards, dating five people simultaneously without revealing the truth was a crime for which I had no defense.
"Honestly, we could all just curse you out and beat you to a pulp, and you'd have no right to complain."
I turned my head in shock at Yura’s comment from the side. I suddenly wondered if Yura, who had agreed to the polygyny idea, had only done so because she was planning to kill me.
"I'm talking about the extent of the wrongdoing. I'm not saying I'm going to do that."
Seeing my wide-eyed shock, Yura waved her hand with a smile.
It wasn't a detailed explanation, but I got the gist. On Earth, a guy who dates five women at once is the ultimate scumbag, and monogamy is that important here.
"I'm sorry..."
I had nothing else to say. Yura smiled and patted my shoulder, but I had committed an act that Earthlings would find monstrous within their culture. A hundred apologies wouldn't be enough.
"As long as you understand."
Su-ah, who I thought was about to curse me out and beat me, moved on surprisingly coolly. I didn't know what would happen later, but for now, it seemed I’d avoided being beaten to death.
"So, what does Yellow want to do?"
When Hayoung asked for her opinion, Su-ah closed her eyes and stroked her chin. It seemed she needed time to think.
Judging that Su-ah would take a while to reach a conclusion, Hayoung turned her gaze to Eunha. Eunha, who had also been lost in thought, jumped in surprise when she felt Hayoung’s eyes on her.
"Huh?! Me?"
"Yeah. What about you, Green?"
Eunha couldn't answer immediately. She looked at me, then Yubin, then Yura, then back to me. After looking at everyone in the room in turn, she hung her head low.
"...I'm still not sure."
"I see."
I could understand Eunha’s position. I didn't know how much the members had talked among themselves, but she clearly hadn't organized her thoughts yet. Being suddenly confronted by me, it wouldn't be easy to give an immediate answer on what she wanted to do.
"And Red, your opinion hasn't changed?"
"Of course not. What about Blue? Are you still the same as before?"
Yubin had no intention of giving me up to anyone else, and she turned the question back on Hayoung. Hayoung, who had previously expressed that she might be okay with polygyny, didn't answer immediately and fell into thought.
"Sorry. Let me think about it a little more, too."
Hayoung’s opinion, which had seemed to favor polygyny, had shifted. It seemed she, too, was finding it difficult to give a firm answer on the spot, with various thoughts crossing her mind.
As a result, the current situation was split: one for polygyny, two for exclusivity, and three undecided.
A thought suddenly occurred to me: even if everyone’s opinions were clear, was there anything that could be decided right now?
After a long silence, Su-ah raised her head.
"My opinion is the same as Red's."
Now there were two for exclusivity.
And at this point, a major concern arose. Suppose everyone’s opinions unified and they all agreed to polygyny. In that case, I would just have to take full responsibility for everything moving forward.
There were major issues like Spacetro and Superhumans, but right now, personal relationships were more important.
If everyone remained undecided, I could have more time to think, and in the meantime, I could meet them one-on-one to hear their individual thoughts. But what if everyone wanted exclusivity?
The worst-case scenario was if everyone chose exclusivity. From an Earthling's perspective, it was a perfectly normal choice—in fact, it would be perfectly normal if no one chose me.
I had no idea what to do if every single one of them declared they wanted me all to themselves. From the moment I’d arrived home and faced them, I’d been flying blind, surrounded by the unknown.
When on earth did I start under the delusion that I understood women even a little bit? Thinking back, I really didn't know the first thing about them.
"That's why you were sticking to him like glue in front of everyone, refusing to let go."
At Yubin’s jab, Su-ah glared at her again. Yubin glared back, refusing to back down, and the two who had declared for exclusivity began another fierce battle of nerves.
"You... Haaa, never mind."
Su-ah started to say something but suddenly sighed and suppressed her anger. I wondered if she, as the older one, was trying to be more patient and listen to Yubin’s thoughts. But that thought was short-lived.
"I guess it's the kind of thought a girl who dragged him to a motel herself and whined would have."
"What?"
I’d forgotten over the past month that Su-ah wasn't exactly a pushover.
I knew that stories about me had circulated among the Hunter Killer members. They must have talked about how we started dating or our first times.
It was true that Yubin had cried when we first had physical relations at a motel. My feet had been caught by the sound of her sobbing when I tried to leave her to rest in the room.
"Why? Is that why you're the only one who thinks I was 'clinging' just because I was close to him?"
However, the description of her "whining" clearly rubbed Yubin the wrong way. Her brow furrowed deeply, and she looked ready to explode, but then she flashed a cynical smile.
"My apologies. Since you're the woman who pounced on him for your first time, I thought you wouldn't mind rubbing up against him in front of others."
It was true that Su-ah had been the one to suggest sex first for her first time. It was also true that she had practically pounced on me, but...
Just how much had these girls talked about?
Even though it seemed they’d shared everything, it was surprising they hadn't realized they were all seeing the same guy. At the same time, I felt relieved that everything hadn't been exposed back then.
"You were so happy back then, saying it went well. Now that you know he was your boyfriend, I guess you're losing your mind?"
I didn't know how the situation would turn out or what I should do next, but one thing was certain: there had been absolutely no communication among the Hunter Killer members during the month I was gone.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be having this kind of nerve-wracking standoff. If they had communicated and were still acting like this, that was a whole other problem...
Regardless, I couldn't just keep watching the two of them fight, so I decided to intervene.
"Let's not fight for now. Okay? From Yubin’s perspective, she might not have liked seeing Su-ah and me so close, and from Su-ah’s perspective, she might be unhappy with what Yubin suddenly said. Let's resolve this calmly through conversation. Conversation."
"Don't call her so familiarly. What's with 'Su-ah'? It's Su-ah-ssi."
"That's my line. What? 'Yubin'?"
"Uh, uh?"
I never imagined they’d complain about me even using their names. But if I suddenly started calling them Red or Yellow here, it would only grate on their nerves.
"No, I mean, it's your names... I should call you properly."
Caught in a difficult spot between the two, unable to move either way, Eunha slowly raised her hand.
"Oh! Eunha. What is it?"
Hoping to change the atmosphere, I called out to Eunha loudly and asked what she had to say.
"Ah, well... I'm still not sure, but I still want to be with Oppa."
She hadn't firmly decided between polygyny or exclusivity, but Eunha’s opinion was that she didn't want to give me up just yet.
All that was left was Hayoung’s opinion. Just as I was about to wait for her to speak, Yubin pressed close to me.
"So, Oppa, who do you like?"
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the burden of giving an opinion shifted to me. I knew this moment would come and that it was unavoidable, but speaking in this ice-thin atmosphere made my heart feel like it was going to burst.
If I chose one person here, the atmosphere would turn into a total madhouse in an instant. Choosing one of the two who wanted exclusivity, Yubin or Su-ah, was a problem, and choosing Eunha or Hayoung, who were still undecided, was also a problem.
So, would choosing Yura, who was okay with polygyny, solve everything? No. Even if it was polygyny, there was a high probability that Yura, being the first to speak up, would claim priority. In the end, choosing Yura would mean choosing a polygynous relationship with Yura as the number one priority.
I felt like I could hear a voice from the heavens saying, 'This is the harem you chose, so suck it up and deal with it.' I wanted to scream curses at the sky, but venting my anger now wouldn't change anything.
If I chose one person, someone else would be hurt. No, to begin with, I was someone who viewed polygyny as the default.
Just as I didn't think I could change their values immediately, they couldn't change mine immediately either. In fact, a person's values are things that don't change easily even if they resolve to change them.
I had only one answer.
"...Can't I have everyone?"
A heavy silence filled the house.
I’d summoned all my courage to choose 'everyone,' but I was so scared that I ended up phrasing it as a question at the end.
In the end, it was an ambiguous answer—neither a firm decision nor a proper question—and sighs of exasperation broke out from all sides simultaneously.
"Fine, let's start by organizing things."
Yubin, having lost even the energy to be angry at my ridiculous answer, stepped up to organize the situation.
"Blue, you're still undecided, but it's true you want to stay with Oppa, right?"
"Yes."
"And for the others, even if there are slight differences in opinion, it's true that you all want to stay with Oppa for now?"
"That's right."
"Then..."
Yubin fell into thought with her arms crossed and eyes closed, trying to get a clear grasp of the current situation.
As the conversation focused on one point after another, I felt grateful that everyone had still chosen me so far, while simultaneously feeling a complex mix of emotions. I reaffirmed my vow to move quickly for everyone's sake.
Yubin, who had been lost in thought with her eyes closed, finally seemed to reach a conclusion. She opened her eyes and spoke in a firm voice.
"Let's divide him into five."
....................Excuse me?