Chapter 180: A Woman's Enemy Is... (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 180: A Woman's Enemy Is... (2)
The moment Esmeralda and Angelica locked eyes, everyone fell silent. The two women stared at each other without saying a word. Then, Esmeralda let out a soft chuckle, and a smile played on Angelica’s lips as well.
Their gazes then shifted back to Luche.
The reason Luche had questioned them about A wasn't to cheer them on or offer encouragement.
There was no need to ask Seira. Despite her desperate denials, her feelings were written all over her face for anyone to see.
More importantly, Luche, who had been engaged in a psychological tug-of-war with Seira for a long time, understood her thoughts better than anyone. While she didn't know everything, she knew Seira well enough to sense her intentions instinctively.
But Esmeralda and Angelica were different. Luche, who didn't know what kind of superior-subordinate relationship they had shared with A in the past, suspected that even these two—who kept their thoughts hidden—might harbor romantic feelings for him. That thought made Luche uneasy.
In short, Luche’s question was a form of reconnaissance, a way to gauge the feelings they were harboring.
Though Esmeralda and Angelica hadn't spoken, they realized Luche’s intent the moment she asked. While they couldn't read each other's minds perfectly, a single look into each other's eyes was enough to tell them that they were on the same page.
"Don't worry. What you're thinking isn't going to happen," Esmeralda said flatly.
Only then did Luche, who had been focusing intently with sharp eyes, realize that her intentions had been laid bare.
"I understand why you're asking, Luche, but I think the way Esmeralda and I see A is a bit different from how you two see him."
Angelica also made it clear that she wasn't getting along with A for any ulterior motive.
"But you two agreed when I said I wanted to bring A over, didn't you?"
However, Luche wasn't so easily swayed. Ten years ago, when Team 3 was being reorganized, Luche had singled out A as a new team member. At the time, Esmeralda and Angelica, who were at the Seoul Branch, had agreed with her.
One could argue they agreed simply because they recognized A's abilities, but the way the two of them occasionally acted around him didn't seem like mere professional respect.
"I've watched A since he first enlisted. It's true I've grown fond of him in many ways, and I agreed because A is the kind of kid you just can't leave alone. Right?"
Angelica, who had been A's direct superior long ago, explained her reason for bringing him to Team 3 and then looked at Seira as if asking for confirmation.
Since Seira knew A better than anyone, she answered with a dejected voice, "Yes." Luche, who knew nothing of A's distant past, looked back and forth between the two women as they exchanged words laden with shared history.
"Then how do you think of A, Angelica?"
What Luche wanted was a definitive answer. Of course, she knew that human relationships couldn't always be defined by a single word.
But sometimes, a single word can eliminate psychological insecurity. That was why Luche hoped for a clear answer. Angelica, who had never defined her thoughts on A in one word, stared into space for a moment, lost in thought.
"A troublesome younger brother?"
"I think so, too."
Having reached a conclusion after some thought, Angelica said she saw A as something like a bratty younger brother. Esmeralda, who had been waiting for the answer, nodded in agreement.
"Luche. I think I have a rough idea of what you're thinking, but what you're worried about won't happen."
There was a strange weight to Esmeralda’s calm words. Luche listened without moving a muscle.
"Should I say our positions are different? It's true I have positive feelings for A. I believe it's the same for Angelica."
"Yeah. I think A is a good man, too."
"Then why?"
Luche couldn't understand why they claimed their positions were different from hers and Seira's, despite having positive feelings for him.
Luche’s feelings for A had remained unchanged for over twenty years. Therefore, the claim that their positive feelings were "different" from hers was incomprehensible to her.
"Not all positive feelings are romantic. If what you feel is 'love,' you can think of what we feel as 'affection.'"
Despite her various experiences, the limited environments Luche had lived in hadn't allowed her to develop a broad perspective on such things.
Having encountered far fewer social situations than she hadn't, Luche had a habit of trying to understand unfamiliar moments by assuming they were "common occurrences in the universe." She accepted Esmeralda’s words as something she didn't personally know but that could be common for others, and she didn't press further.
"Anyway, Angelica and I are rooting for you and Seira. Give it your best shot. I couldn't do it even if I wanted to."
As the conversation seemed to be winding down, Esmeralda threw out a light comment to ease the tension, even though she wasn't usually one for jokes. At those words, Seira’s brow furrowed.
"Captain."
"Yes?"
Their eyes met, and Esmeralda realized she had chosen the wrong topic. Angelica’s expression also turned uneasy as Seira stared at Esmeralda with a dead-serious gaze.
"If you say that to A... he'll definitely get angry."
"...I suppose so."
With a hollow smile, Esmeralda took a sip of water. Feeling a phantom pain in her right eye, she fell silent.
It seemed they were talking about something that happened in the past, but Luche, who couldn't possibly know a history that had never been shared with her, looked around at the suddenly heavy atmosphere.
"The food is here."
Just as the heavy silence threatened to linger, the dishes they ordered arrived. Angelica intentionally spoke in a bright voice to change the mood.
Knowing that Esmeralda and Angelica’s feelings for A were different from hers, Luche wondered if Seira was her only rival. But then, she remembered the members of Team Hunter Killer who had already made their move.
Those thieving bitches.
After a long wait, she was finally in a position to get closer to A. If Seira had become A's lover first, Luche might have been frustrated, but she wouldn't have felt it was unfair.
But while she was waiting for a destination that wasn't even in sight, her enemies—the ones she fought every time—had beaten her to the punch. Luche felt a surge of resentment and vowed to take A back no matter what.
*
The living room, which had been filled with all the members until just two days ago, was now a hollow space again. Yellow was lying on the sofa, silently playing a game with a controller in her hand.
Perhaps because the members and A had been staying in this large house, she had been feeling a peculiar sense of emptiness since yesterday. Yellow wasn't the type to feel lonely or crave company, but the time spent with the members and A had been so intense that the house felt exceptionally vast.
Naturally, that emptiness turned into a desire for A to arrive quickly. Since she had only heard he would be coming in the evening, there was nothing she could do but wait for the sun to set.
"Fuck."
She cursed for no reason after a match that didn't satisfy her, even though she won. She gulped down the drink on the table and slammed it back down.
The sun was high in the sky. Perhaps because she was waiting for A, time seemed to be moving at a snail's pace.
Part of her wanted to grill him about where he was and what he was doing before coming over in the evening, but her personality made her feel like she’d die of embarrassment if she actually did that. She suppressed the urge to tell him to hurry up.
"I'm hungry."
Mealtime had long since passed, and since she had skipped breakfast, her stomach was signaling for food. She glanced at the refrigerator in the kitchen visible from the living room.
She didn't want to order anything because there were still ingredients Blue had bought in the fridge, but she lacked the talent to cook for herself, leaving her hesitant.
"Why is he only coming in the evening?!"
If A weren't coming, she would have just ordered something. But knowing he was on his way, she wanted to save room for dinner with him.
Then, she suddenly felt like a woman who was pathetically clinging to A and shook her head vigorously. But denying it didn't change the fact that she was, to some extent, obsessed with him.
If he’d just finished his work quickly and come early, we could've eaten together. She vented her frustration at the absent A, but getting angry in an empty room only led to a wave of cold reality.
Clicking her tongue and giving up on being annoyed, Yellow was about to start another game when she heard the sound of the door lock's keypad.
Thinking A had arrived earlier than expected, she fixed her eyes on the monitor, pretending to be uninterested as she usually did when he came over.
Soon, she heard footsteps in the hallway. Yellow listened closely and sensed the footsteps stop the moment they entered the living room. She glanced over.
"...What?"
"Hey."
The person standing there wasn't A. But it wasn't a stranger either.
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
"That's a relief."
Blue was standing there, her hands full of bags. She smiled at Yellow, who was sitting up on the sofa staring at her, and walked toward the kitchen.
Yellow was dumbfounded by Blue’s sudden appearance. She got up from the sofa and watched Blue organize the items she had bought.
"How did you get in?"
"Huh? I just punched in the code."
The only person on Earth who was supposed to know the passcode to Yellow’s front door was A.
But Blue answered nonchalantly, as if she had known the code for a long time.
"Did A tell you?"
"No. You told me, Yellow."
"What?"
Yellow tilted her head at the claim that she had told her. No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn't remember ever giving the passcode to the members.
Was Blue lying? No. As far as Yellow knew, Blue wasn't the type to lie, nor was she the type to enter someone's home without permission.
"I told you? When?"
"You posted it in the group chat on Saturday."
As Yellow searched her memory, it hit her. A few days ago, when all the members and A were gathered at her place, Yellow had gotten annoyed at having to get up and open the door every time someone came or went. She had shouted into the group chat:
"From now on, just punch in the code and let yourselves in when you come to my place!"
It had happened in such a flash, and the events that followed were so shocking that she had completely forgotten something that happened only three days ago.
"You could've at least let me know you were coming."
"I did. I called you several times."
At that, Yellow looked around and realized her smartphone wasn't within reach.
She had woken up just before noon, heard from A that he’d be coming in the evening, and left her phone in the bedroom. Since she had been absorbed in her games, she hadn't needed it and didn't even realize she’d left it there.
"Why are you here?"
"To eat together."
"What about the others?"
"Green and Pink said they're with their boyfriends and told me to have a good time. Red said she doesn't have time because of her assignments."
Having realized Yellow’s love for gaming on the day they all had sex, Blue figured Yellow would still be gaming or sleeping. Since she had been given permission to enter, she had come straight to her house.
"What if I wasn't here?"
"Then I guess I'd be out of luck. Still, it's better than eating alone at home, right?"
Blue finished organizing the fridge while they talked, washed her hands, and came out to the living room to sit beside Yellow on the sofa.
Usually, Blue didn't make her feel uncomfortable, but was it because they had all had sex together? Yellow felt a strange awkwardness and stole glances at her. Blue smiled at the observing Yellow.
"Why are you acting so uncomfortable, Yellow? This is your house."
"We were all buck-naked together just two days ago. Wouldn't it be weirder if I felt perfectly normal?"
"I guess you're right."
An awkward air began to fill the living room. Blue stole a glance at Yellow.
"I'm sorry if I upset you by coming in unannounced."
Even though she’d been told to just use the code, Blue apologized, thinking it might have been rude to enter without a word. Yellow shook her head.
"Forget it. I don't really care when you come."
A was already entering by himself as she had told him to, and Yellow had grown accustomed to that. For Yellow, having people let themselves in was much more convenient than having to go to the intercom and open the door.
More importantly, Yellow, who had been starting to feel bored alone, was secretly glad Blue had come, even if she didn't show it.
"But did you really just come here to eat?"
"I thought we could eat and... talk a bit..."
Blue trailed off and fell silent. Certain that Blue had more to say, Yellow stopped what she was doing and looked at her. Their eyes met, and Blue spoke while looking straight into Yellow’s eyes.
"Yellow, are you still against the harem?"
"Yeah. Why?"
After the group sex, Yellow hadn't given much thought to the issue of A's harem. It wasn't that she wasn't interested, but rather that she knew asserting her opinion wouldn't change anything right now, so she deliberately avoided thinking about it.
That didn't mean it had dropped in priority. She just wasn't dwelling on it; her stance against the harem remained unchanged.
She wondered if Blue had come to persuade her. While she waited for Blue to speak, Blue stood up from the sofa, unplugged a controller from the console, and sat back down.
It was the controller A usually used. Blue, holding the controller awkwardly, looked at Yellow.
"Can I try playing, too?"
"......Sure, go ahead."
Just as boredom and emptiness were setting in, Blue had arrived and asked to play together. The complex thoughts that had momentarily filled Yellow’s head vanished in an instant.