Chapter 172: Little by Little, Slowly (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 172: Little by Little, Slowly (7)
My face burned bright red; I felt like I was going to die of embarrassment. It wasn’t the fact that I had spent the last ten years as a subordinate to Luche, who used to be my trainee.
Spacetro is an organization that prioritizes ability above all else. It’s not uncommon for someone with the right skills to outrank those who joined much earlier.
I myself serve under my childhood friend and peer, Seira, as my superior. Given my past disciplinary records and my wilder days, the fact that I’m still a regular soldier isn't an issue. If anything, I’m proud that Seira has reached the level of Team Leader.
So, where did the embarrassment come from? It was the fact that I hadn't realized Luche was A.T. Back then, I had acted like her training was no big deal, treating it with a blunt and nonchalant attitude. But I hadn't remembered A.T. as just some random person I’d passed by in life.
We had gone through a major incident together, so I remembered A.T. quite well. Of course, I didn't think about her all the time.
Just as you don't think about precious or special people twenty-four hours a day—and as time passes, you think of them less and less—I simply hadn't had a reason to think about A.T., so she hadn't crossed my mind.
However, once I did remember, the things that happened with A.T. automatically surfaced in my head, and I would reflect on those days.
But back to the point.
For the past ten years, I had been Luche’s direct subordinate. We had spoken and worked together countless times.
And in all that time, the thought that Luche might be A.T. had never once crossed my mind. Honestly, it would have been weirder if I had thought that.
Before coming to the 6th Fleet, Luche was famous as an ace pilot who had been active in many different units. She joined the 6th Fleet just before it landed on Earth to begin invasion activities.
I didn't meet her immediately upon her arrival, but ten years after the fleet landed—specifically, when Team 3 was reorganized ten years ago.
After spending ten years with her, suddenly thinking, "Luche must be A.T.," would have been random and strange.
But now that I knew Luche was A.T., I could see glimpses of A.T. in the countless moments we had shared. The reason it only occurred to me now was exactly what I said before.
The way I looked at Luche was different from the way I looked at A.T.
However, the moment I aligned my perspective of Luche with my memory of A.T., I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't noticed sooner. I felt incredibly stupid, and the thought that Luche had been watching me be this dense all this time made the embarrassment unbearable.
"Wait a minute..."
Suddenly, I wondered how Roy knew Luche was A.T. when he’d only joined Team 3 two weeks ago. He had even spoken as if he assumed I already knew.
Was it really that obvious? I couldn't contain my curiosity. Rather than chasing after the Luche who had bolted, I opened the office door to find out what had happened with Roy first.
"!"
The moment I stepped out, I locked eyes with Roy, who was hiding behind an office partition.
"Is something wrong? The Team Leader just ran out of here like a bat out of hell."
It seemed he hadn't gone to the workshop after we parted but had followed me instead, as he knew Luche had left. Without even thinking of answering his question, I strode toward him.
"Hey. You... how did you know the Team Leader was A.T.?"
"Huh? No, I’m the one who’s curious. How did you not know?"
Roy’s counter-question left me speechless. Was it really so obvious that I was the only one who didn't know? I didn't think so. Neither Theo, whom I’d met at the entrance earlier, nor Kruger, who had worked with me in Team 3 for the last ten years, had ever breathed a word about A.T.
Those two had worked with me constantly back when I was in charge of A.T.’s lifestyle training; there was no way they wouldn't have noticed.
"I’m asking what made you realize it."
Seeing me question him with such intensity, Roy broke into a cold sweat. He swallowed hard before finally speaking.
"I mean, if you just look at her, she’s clearly A.T."
I didn't understand. I could only assume Roy recognized her because of some connection they shared as fellow Kaijin.
After all, Luche’s vibe was completely different from how A.T. was twenty years ago. Back then, A.T. was less than 150cm tall and had black hair. While she occasionally acts like a child now, she never showed that side of herself in the past.
I simply couldn't understand how anyone could conclude Luche = A.T. just by looking at her.
"Ah, this is driving me crazy."
The thought that I really was the only one who didn't recognize her turned from doubt into a sense of injustice. Even Roy, who hates complex thoughts and prefers thinking simply, had recognized her instantly, yet I hadn't for ten years.
Only me? Why?
I desperately wished the bedridden Kruger would wake up and say, "I didn't recognize her either." Realizing what I had to do, I pivoted and ran at full speed.
"Senior?!"
Ignoring Roy’s voice calling after me, I threw open the emergency exit next to the elevator and sprinted up the stairs.
The fourth floor, where Team 4’s office was located, was empty. I ran at full tilt every second except for when I was opening doors, eventually reaching the Team Leader’s office and bursting inside.
"Seira!"
"!!!"
I shouted her name the moment I opened the door. Seira, who had been sitting quietly, jumped at my sudden intrusion and the volume of my voice.
"Hey, you! Knock first!"
She must have been eating a snack; she quickly gulped down some water from a cup on her desk to clear her throat. I didn't care about her situation, though. I marched right up to her, slammed my hands on her desk, and asked:
"Luche is A.T.!"
If someone asked me what the biggest news in my life was lately, I’d say it was finding out Luche was actually A.T. It was that big of a deal. Honestly, I had a lot to say about "big news" in general, but this was just that shocking to me.
Having cleared her throat, Seira stared at me silently. I stared back, my eyes demanding an answer.
Seira’s wide-eyed surprise gradually shifted into a flat, unimpressed expression. She narrowed her eyes and looked at me as if I were pathetic.
"You're just now figuring that out?"
"Huh?"
Seira knew too. This was the moment it became certain that I was the only one who hadn't known Luche’s true identity. I wanted to ask why she had never told me, but I was so shocked that the words wouldn't come out.
"More importantly, you're on break. Why are you at work?"
"I came to check on the headquarters and..."
"How did you find out Luche was A.T.?"
I answered her question blankly, explaining the sequence of events that led to the realization. Meeting Theo at the entrance, then Roy. Getting that cryptic hint from Roy.
And then realizing it while talking to Luche.
"...Why did that mutt have to go and say something?"
"You knew?"
"Of course I knew. I’ve known for ten years."
"Then why didn't you tell me all this time?!"
To be honest, I felt wronged enough to hold a grudge. It was a huge shock that Seira, who had known me longer than any other sentient being in the universe, hadn't told me. It was an even bigger shock that she had known since they first met during the Team 3 reorganization ten years ago.
"Because Luche begged me not to say anything."
"The Team Leader did? Why?"
Why would she go out of her way to hide the fact that she was A.T.? And for ten years, no less. Wouldn't it have been much easier to just come clean once? Since the person in question wasn't there, I had no way of hearing it from her, but I was certain Seira knew the reason. Seira let out a deep sigh.
"Honestly, what kind of battle was I even fighting..."
"What?"
I tilted my head at her quiet mumble. Seira didn't explain her comment and instead glared at me.
"Why do you think? Do you remember the last thing you said to A.T. when you two parted?"
I searched my memories of the past. Since it was a very long time ago, it didn't come to me instantly, but like a childhood memory that never fades, I traced back my thoughts of A.T. and found it quickly.
"Don't forget what happened here...!!!"
The moment of realization hit me as the words left my mouth. Seira, watching me, just shook her head.
A.T.—Luche—had wanted me to be the one to remember her first.
"Since you never caught on and time kept passing, it became harder for Luche to bring it up herself."
She explained it as if she’d read my mind, but something felt off.
"Wasn't it that when a Bioroid becomes a Kaijin, their memories are turned into data? Why does she... how does she remember everything from back then?"
"Ask her that yourself. So, where did Luche go?"
"When I called her A.T., she just screamed and ran away."
"Ah, so that scream earlier was Luche."
My own scream had been contained within the office, so it wouldn't have reached Seira’s room, but Luche’s scream had echoed loudly through the hallways. It must have been heard throughout the entire building.
"Ah... Aaaaah!!!"
The embarrassment washed over me again. I slumped onto the sofa, buried my face in my hands, and let out a low groan. Seira, who had been watching me from her desk, got up, walked over, and sat across from me, observing my misery.
"What? What’s the problem now?"
"I’m just remembering every single moment from the last ten years where I acted without having a clue she was A.T."
"And?"
"...It’s so damn embarrassing."
"It should be. Me and the other Team Leaders have been watching you do that for ten years."
At those words, my face, which had finally started to cool, flared up red again.
Back when I was in charge of A.T.’s training, I was under Esmeralda, and Esmeralda was very well aware of A.T.’s existence.
Even Angelica, who wasn't my direct superior at the time, had seen A.T. a few times when she visited the unit.
"Was I really the only one who didn't know?"
"No. I don't think Kruger noticed. And Theo probably wouldn't have known unless someone told him."
"...Honestly, it makes sense not to recognize her. She’s completely different from back then."
"That’s true. I never dreamed she was A.T. until I checked her personnel file..."
Seira suddenly stopped talking. For a brief moment, the atmosphere felt heavy, making it hard to breathe.
"But I also think it makes no sense to not notice for ten years."
I had no rebuttal. The very point of my embarrassment was that I was the only one who hadn't realized Luche was A.T. while serving as her subordinate for a decade.
Now that I knew she was A.T., I should have felt happy to see her, but I couldn't feel that right now.
Before meeting Luche today, I had been worrying about what to talk about. Now, in a different sense, I was worried about what to say the moment I saw her again.
Should I give her a warm greeting? Or should I playfully ask why she never told me? Should I buy her snacks like usual and try to lead into a natural conversation?
I didn't think any of those would work.
"This is madness."
As I scratched my head in frustration, Seira, who had been watching me, stood up as if she’d lost interest and went back to her seat.
"If you have time to worry like that, why don't you go find your Team Leader who just ran off?"
I had been so caught up in thinking about what to do when we met that I’d forgotten Luche had just bolted from the office. It had happened less than ten minutes ago, yet my mind was so chaotic I’d already lost track of it.
"Yeah. Right."
I decided that finding Luche was more important than figuring out what to say. I planned to leave Seira’s office and see if anyone had spotted her.
"I'm going, then."
Just as I said goodbye to Seira and moved to leave, the office door swung open before I could even touch it.
"Seira!"
Luche burst into Seira’s office. She and I froze like statues the moment our eyes met.
"Um..."
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
Before I could even get a word out, Luche, her face crimson, sprinted across the middle of the office and disappeared through the emergency exit. I was left standing there with a blank expression.
I slowly turned my head to look at Seira. She was looking back at me, her brow furrowed.
"Did you two conspire to stop knocking before entering my room?"
Her eyes conveyed how frustrated she was with both Luche and me, while her mouth voiced her complaint about the lack of knocking. Then, as if she truly didn't care anymore, she went back to her work. I stared blankly at the hallway where Luche had vanished.
Will I even be able to talk to her today?
I couldn't think of a single way to calm Luche down right now.