Chapter 158: Quintessential A (13)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 158: Quintessential A (13)
They say a bad gut feeling is never wrong. I knew this day would come eventually, but the actual pressure and tension when it arrived were beyond anything I had imagined.
The moment I locked eyes with Su-ah and heard her curse at me, I realized anew that the process of meeting the others and hearing their individual stories had been incredibly smooth sailing until now.
Of course, Su-ah didn't pressure me excessively or try to beat me to death. However, I was so tense that I swallowed hard, unable to think of a single way to smooth out that deep furrow between her brows.
"What are you just standing there staring for, moron?"
"I just got called a son of a bitch the moment I walked in. How am I supposed to just casually go over and sit next to you...?"
"Did you think you wouldn't hear a single curse word?"
It wasn't that. My initial thought was that everyone I met would swear at me and scream. I knew that by Earth's standards, what I’d done was very wrong, but I hadn't been able to gauge exactly how they would react.
And while I felt relieved seeing reactions that weren't as violent as I'd expected, I could also feel that everyone was being quite considerate of me.
The problem was that this was a level of consideration I had no right to expect in the first place, and the person in front of me right now was Su-ah—someone who had absolutely no intention of showing me that kind of mercy.
It goes without saying, but being considerate about this whole situation was an incredible gesture in itself. If the other person chose not to be, I had no right to complain. Why? Because seeing multiple people at once is considered wrong on Earth.
"I only said one thing and you're already shaking. Just come here and sit down."
Su-ah, who had been staring me down while lecturing me, turned her gaze back to the TV where a game was running. Keeping a close eye on her mood, I cautiously approached and sat beside her.
Su-ah was dressed comfortably in a T-shirt and dolphin shorts. Watching her lying there playing games, I couldn't feel any difference in her at all compared to before.
Was Su-ah not that conscious of my absence? If so, why did she choose exclusivity over a harem?
No, regardless of whether it was a harem or exclusivity, there had to be a clear reason why she still chose me.
"Have you been playing alone this whole time?"
I asked while watching her play, my eyes fixed on the screen.
"Of course I've been playing alone. Who else would I play with?"
Her answer was laced with a bit of irritation. I let out a hollow laugh, realizing I’d asked something incredibly obvious.
Games played the biggest role in how she and I became a couple. We became friends while gaming together, and as her desire to maintain that relationship grew into affection, we became lovers.
Thinking about it that way, was the reason Su-ah chose me still just because of games?
I shook off the thought for a moment, grabbed the pad sitting on the table, and started a fighting game with her. Since I hadn't played properly for a month, my skills hadn't just stagnated—they had regressed. There was no way I could beat Su-ah, whom I couldn't even beat at my best.
"I knew it."
Su-ah clicked her tongue at my playstyle, which was so bad it sucked the fun out of the match. I could only offer an awkward smile while gauging her reaction.
"Won't I get better if I play for a bit?"
"...Just keep going for now."
After one defeat, the game started again. Su-ah didn't say much while we played.
Before, she used to nag me the moment a match ended, but today, she just played in silence.
Since I knew my skills had dropped significantly from not playing for a month, I didn't feel even a hint of frustration at losing to her.
More than anything, I couldn't focus on the emotions derived from the game because my head was filled with thoughts of what Su-ah might be thinking.
"Hey, Su-ah."
After suffering several more defeats, another match ended. I stopped my hands and called out to her cautiously.
As if responding to my voice, Su-ah stopped her hands and turned her head. Our eyes met. Her sharp gaze felt like it was piercing right through me, making it very difficult to bring up the topic.
"What? If you called me, say something."
Her voice was still edged with anger, as if her temper hadn't cooled. I took a deep breath, exhaled, and spoke.
"Want to go one more round?"
"......If you want."
Even a month ago, when I met her to play games, I didn't walk on eggshells like this. There was nothing to be wary of back then.
Before I knew it, I had reached a point where I could talk back when she nagged me, and as our unchanging relationship continued, I felt a certain sense of comfort.
But was it because of the "sin" I’d committed? The atmosphere was nothing like before. Trying to talk about the current situation in this state was difficult because I didn't know what kind of verbal lashing I might receive.
Su-ah, who had been looking at me, gave a blunt reply with narrowed eyes at my suggestion of another match, then turned her gaze back to the TV.
An awkward silence filled the room as we played a few more rounds. I couldn't tell if Su-ah didn't want to hear anything in particular, or if she just didn't have much to say right now.
She remained silent throughout the games. I would have preferred it if she nagged me like usual so I could at least pivot to another topic, but the unchanging atmosphere was stifling.
Then another match ended. As soon as it was over, Su-ah set the pad down on the table and stood up abruptly.
"!"
I watched her silently. She glanced at me and then trudged toward the kitchen. Since the living room and kitchen were connected, it wasn't hard to follow her with my eyes.
In the kitchen, Su-ah opened the large refrigerator, rummaged around, pulled out some drinks, and returned to her seat. Sitting back down on the sofa, she placed one of the cans in her hands in front of me and popped the other one open to drink.
I stared at the can she set down for a moment, lost in thought, then reached out to grab it and took a sip.
A small, ordinary gesture. It was an action that wouldn't feel special in daily life, but this act by Su-ah gave me the opening to speak.
"...I'd like to talk about what's been happening."
By doing something she often did in the past, it felt like she was telling me her current state wasn't that different from usual.
It might be an overinterpretation, but the fact that she gave me a drink truly made it possible for me to speak up.
"And what do you want to do?"
The bluntness had vanished from her tone. At her sincere question, I told her exactly what I had felt while meeting the others.
"Honestly, I wish we could all be together. I know it's wrong on Earth, but even so, my mind hasn't changed."
I spoke seriously without shrinking back. I expected another round of cursing since it was an incomprehensible statement to her, but Su-ah just sat there silently after hearing me out.
She seemed to be contemplating my words.
"You know it's impossible in Korea, right?"
"Yeah. I know."
This was a conversation that went beyond just dating and into marriage. Since it's legally impossible to be married to multiple people at once in Korea, you eventually have to choose just one person in the end.
Of course, that was assuming I entered into a legal marriage with them in Korea. There was no guarantee the current relationships would last forever, and breakups could happen as time passed.
But as long as we were currently in a relationship, I couldn't just ignore the topic of marriage.
"I still don't want to accept it. Seeing multiple people at once."
Su-ah's stance hadn't changed much. She still wanted exclusivity rather than a harem. Since I couldn't tell her what to think, I just listened quietly to what she had to say.
"I don't understand Red's argument either. She says you should date her because she met you first? Then what about me?"
Since she also advocated for exclusivity, Su-ah found Yubin even harder to understand. Even though they both wanted the same thing, there was a difference in their arguments.
Yubin's stance was that I should date her regardless of anything else, while Su-ah's stance was that while she wanted exclusivity, the opinions of others should also be heard.
Neither argument was wrong. In fact, you could say both were right.
Surely the two of them knew that neither of their arguments was inherently flawed.
"What I understand even less is the opinion that a harem is okay. Why? Why is that okay? It means I have to voluntarily give up my time with you to someone else. Why should I have to do that?"
Su-ah's eyes wavered slightly as she spoke to me. Despite everything, her words made me feel how much she liked me. Rather than thinking about how to solve her dilemma right away, I felt happy just knowing she still cared for me this much.
"So, you hate the idea of a harem because you feel like your time with me will be stolen?"
"Of course. Is there any other reason?"
To Su-ah, games were important. It wasn't a joke; games were truly precious to her, and I, someone who could enjoy those precious games with her, was irreplaceable.
For Su-ah, who felt that even playing together every single day wasn't enough, the idea of voluntarily giving up her gaming time with me was simply unimaginable.
Dividing time equally is a problem that can't be solved now or in the future. Since there's only one of me, the time I can share is limited.
However, looking at the long term, there was one option that could solve it. I just didn't know if Su-ah would listen and be convinced—or if she would even allow it.
Still, thinking it might be an option to alleviate some of the frustration she was feeling, I gave it one more thought and then spoke up.
"You know..."
"What?"
Perhaps feeling frustrated by the situation with no visible solution, there was a strange tremor in Su-ah's voice.
"If—and this is just a 'what if'—if you were to join Spacetro, the marriage problem might be solved."
I didn't know if we would actually get married in the future. However, it might be an option to solve the problem Su-ah was currently agonizing over—the desire to spend a long time together having fun.
In the past, I wouldn't have dared to suggest joining Spacetro to her, a member of Hunter Killer. But meeting Hayoung yesterday and hearing her say she would join Spacetro had influenced me.
During the many invasion activities, there were many planetary residents who changed their affiliation to Spacetro. I wasn't just talking about a few people; the number of those who had joined Spacetro was countless.
There was no reason the members of Hunter Killer couldn't join Spacetro. The only difference was that those who had changed their affiliation before did so after all invasion activities were over, whereas Earth and Spacetro were still in a hostile conflict.
Su-ah might not accept it, and even if she did, it might be difficult to bring her into Spacetro immediately. But there was no harm in bringing it up.
"In what way?"
Su-ah demanded specifics, and I explained Spacetro's marriage culture as she wished.
The moment she heard that multiple marriages were not a problem as long as the individuals involved agreed, Su-ah said:
"Fine. I'll join Spacetro."
I was the one who ended up flustered by her response, which was much faster and more concise than I’d expected. I just stared at her with a blank face.
"What? You're the one who brought it up."
I was indeed the one who brought it up, but I wondered if it was really okay for her, who had been active as a superhuman for the Earth Defense Union for years, to make such a sudden decision.
I had been surprised when Hayoung brought it up, but seeing Su-ah accept a suggestion I’d made—fully expecting her to refuse—without a hint of hesitation made me even more bewildered.
"Is it really okay? You've been a superhuman all this time. Can you really decide just like that?"
"Who gives a damn."
"Weren't you fighting to protect Earth?"
It was a bit ridiculous for the guy who made the proposal to be saying this, but as someone belonging to the hostile force—and as her boyfriend—I had to ask.
Su-ah, who had been talking seriously without scowling, suddenly furrowed her brows deeply.
"Why the hell should I protect them?"
Then, as if venting all her pent-up frustration, she poured out her words like rapid fire.
"My parents abandoned me because I'm a superhuman. People discriminate against us. They pay us like shit while making us fight every single week. Why should I protect those bastards who have never done a single thing for me?"
Just as she said, there was no proper welfare for Superhumans on Earth. They fought every time to protect the planet, but no one in the world applauded them.
By now, they didn't even expect applause or cheers. But the hatred toward Superhumans never stopped. I knew it started because of a few bad apples, but just because some Superhumans caused trouble didn't mean all of them deserved to be pointed at.
It was only natural for Su-ah to feel this way.
"I understand. But think about it a little more..."
It was the same as when Hayoung said she would join Spacetro. Rather than joining immediately, it wouldn't be too late to join after doing everything they could while still part of the Earth Defense Union.
And if her mind remained unchanged then, I intended to do my best to help.
Anyway, since I’d just brought it up and it wasn't something that could be changed right away, I was about to suggest we decide after thinking it over a bit more when...
The doorbell rang.
"?"
I looked toward the intercom and then at Su-ah. Su-ah also tilted her head, wondering what was going on.
"Did you order something?"
"No. I didn't order anything. I'm not expecting any packages either."
Su-ah got up from the sofa and headed to the intercom. I stayed seated and watched her back, wondering who it could be.
"What the...?"
At the sound of her irritated voice, I approached Su-ah, who was talking to the person on the other side of the intercom.
"Huh?"
The person on the screen, standing in front of the front door, was none other than Yura.
— I know you two are in there. Open up, quickly.
Why was Yura here right now?
With the same thought in mind, Su-ah and I looked at each other, and then Su-ah pressed the button to open the front door.