Chapter 2: Convenience Store Red (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 2: Convenience Store Red (1)
Beep!
A few days had passed since our defeat at the hands of Team Hunter Killer. Today, as usual, I was at the convenience store getting my items rung up by Red. The red-haired woman scanned the barcodes in silence.
When I stopped to think about it, it was a truly bizarre sight. Red, a member of Team Hunter Killer—the group that defended Earth against Spacetro, the organization that had come to conquer Seoul—was working a part-time job at a convenience store. Meanwhile, I, a member of Spacetro, was buying snacks and having her process my payment.
As I stood there absentmindedly watching her, she suddenly stumbled, dropping the triangle kimbap she was scanning onto the counter.
"Ah."
She let out a small sound as she picked it up to scan it again. There were faint dark circles under her eyes; it was obvious at a glance that she was soaked in fatigue. I had no reason to worry about her, nor were we in a relationship that warranted it, but I couldn't help but be a little concerned.
"You look very tired today."
"Yes. A little."
I hadn't expected her to actually answer. Since I’d been coming in at the same time for over a month, she must have found me suspicious.
Then again, since I wasn't doing anything strange, she might just see me as a regular who happened to visit at the same time and think she’d misjudged me. Still, in my opinion, I definitely looked like a suspicious person to her.
"You look like a student."
"Yes. A college student. I have a lot of assignments lately."
The June sun was scorching, and it seemed to be the busiest time for college students—exam season. I hadn't seen any other college students besides her, so I didn't know if everyone was in this state, but according to our preliminary research, college students experience extreme exhaustion during exams.
"That must be tough."
"I have to do it. It's my job."
The card I handed her processed the 10,700 won payment. I took the card back and picked up the bag containing my purchases.
"Goodbye."
"Yes."
I replied to her farewell and left the store. After walking a short distance away, I observed her through the glass window.
"Nothing unusual today either..."
There was nothing strange about her behavior. However, the fact that she was feeling fatigued during this period meant that we might have a chance of winning when the next opportunity for a duel arose.
I entertained that fantasy for a moment, but it was a useless thought. There had been a few times when one or two of them were missing during a fight with Team Hunter Killer, but even then, it only slightly prolonged the battle; the conclusion that we lost remained unchanged.
"What's the problem?"
I thought back to when we invaded other planets before coming to Earth. Back then, we’d finish an invasion in a month at the shortest, and five years at the longest. This current situation, having taken twenty years, was unprecedented.
Anyway, thinking back to those previous invasions that took about four or five years, I hadn't really done much. I was just a grunt who would get knocked out with one hit, and I never particularly distinguished myself back then either.
In fact, many issues were resolved immediately once the high-ranking officials stepped in, so a grunt like me had nothing to do but work inside the ship. Since losing is a daily occurrence even when I'm out in the field like this, I couldn't help but think it would be better to just work on the ship.
Ring~
Hearing my smartphone ring, I pulled it out of my pocket to check the caller. The screen, which fit perfectly in one hand, displayed 'Senior Luche.' I answered the call.
"Yes. What is it?"
「How's Red doing?」
"Not much different from usual. But I just suddenly got curious about something."
「Hm?」
A grievance had suddenly bubbled up. Excluding the executives, there were about forty subordinates of the same rank as me assigned to the Seoul Branch in our team. Out of those, only about twenty, including myself, were regularly deployed.
"Why do I have to do both surveillance and deployments?"
To be honest, we weren't short on manpower for the work we did. It would be more efficient to have one person dedicated to surveillance while I only handled deployments, or vice versa.
「...Because your place is close.」
My thoughts froze at those words, and I couldn't find a retort. As Luche said, my studio apartment was significantly closer to the convenience store where Red worked compared to everyone else. How close? It was a one-minute walk from my front door.
"Is that the only reason?"
「The others live far away, so I can't send them all the way there for surveillance.」
The reason we lived scattered about was to avoid exposing our identities. If we lived close together and moved in groups, we would definitely stand out, which could lead to various interferences or obstacles. Of course, since Earth has a 'No-kill Rule' and we are only allowed to fight on designated days, there's virtually no chance of an ambush or a major accident. Still, having our location discovered wouldn't feel good.
"Then what if I only handle surveillance and someone else does the deployments?"
「...Can't you just do it for me?」
I heard a voice that sounded like it was on the verge of tears over the phone. I really couldn't tell if this person wanted to show us a charismatic side or a weak one.
"Fine! I'll do it, so please don't cry."
「Okay.」
"So, is that all you called for?"
「Yeah. It's about time for your surveillance shift, so I just wanted to check in.」
There was nothing else worth reporting. I could have mentioned she was tired because of exams, but I didn't think our power level was high enough to beat Team Hunter Killer just because of that, so I left it out of the report.
Since there was no deployment today, I decided to continue my surveillance from a slight distance, keeping an eye on the convenience store. Because the sun was hot, I kept moving to find shade while watching. The people passing by didn't seem to find me particularly suspicious.
To them, I probably just looked like someone standing in the middle of the street messing with his phone.
Since it was summer, the days were long. It was around the time the sun was setting and the sky was turning orange that Red finished her shift, swapped with the next part-timer, and left the store to head home.
I contemplated whether or not to tail her, but I figured that would look too suspicious. If she, with her sharp intuition, noticed me, she would become more guarded, making future surveillance difficult. I decided against following her.
"I should head home too."
Watching her figure grow distant, I returned to my cramped studio apartment.
*
The next day, I visited the convenience store at the same time.
The bell chimed as I opened the door, and I heard Red's voice saying, "Welcome."
Today, too, I picked out items while pretending not to pay her any mind. She stood up, putting down the book she had been reading.
"......"
I stole a glance at her, and at that moment, my eyes met hers. She was already looking at me. I immediately looked away, picked out a lunch box and something to drink, and went straight to the counter to set them down.
Beep!
The sound of the barcode scanner had become familiar to my ears. As I listened to that accustomed sound, my gaze drifted downward and landed on the book Red had set aside.
The title was Deep Space Technology Theory. From that, I could tell her major was science—specifically, space-related science. However, this kind of information was of no help in dealing with her.
"That looks like a difficult title."
I wondered if I’d gone crazy.
During our invasions of other planets, I had worked on the ship and knew quite a bit about deep space navigation technology. If I had attended a university, I had delved into it deeply enough for it to be considered my major.
A lot of people were needed to operate a ship, and since it was essential personnel, I had studied it, feeling it would be good to learn.
The desire for knowledge had blossomed the moment I saw her book, and before I knew it, I was talking to her.
Realizing I was talking about her book, she stopped scanning, looked at the book once, and then raised her red eyes toward me. I tried to look away, but I could feel her gaze on me, and as if possessed, I slowly met her eyes.
"It is hard. My seniors say this is the most difficult subject among the first-year courses."
In Korea, the youngest age for a first-year college student is twenty. Some are twenty-one or twenty-two because they couldn't go to school right away, or even older, but generally, first-year equals twenty years old.
In other words, we had been losing every single time to a girl who was barely over twenty. That meant she was a minor just last year.
"Deep space technology is difficult. The initial theories are quite grueling."
The excitement over the knowledge I possessed made me run my mouth. I didn't even stop to think that what a first-year Korean college student was learning might be different from what I had learned; I just got excited in spite of myself.
"You seem to know a lot about it?"
It was then that I snapped back to my senses. Realizing my mistake, I avoided her gaze, but she was already looking at me with a hint of interest in her eyes.
"Yes. A little..."
I figured I should give a vague answer and get out of there. As soon as the barcodes were all scanned, I handed her my card.
"I noticed you come in at the same time every day."
I had already predicted she would notice me coming in at the same time. Unless she was an idiot, it would be abnormal not to notice.
"Yes. Well..."
As soon as the payment was finished, I grabbed the bag and left the store. I rushed out before I could even hear her farewell. Only after I was some distance away did I realize I still had the task of surveilling her. More than anything, I hadn't even been able to properly check her condition today because I was too busy avoiding her eyes.
Just as I decided to at least check her through the glass window, my eyes met hers again as she watched me from behind the glass.
"!"
Unable to hide my shock, I hurriedly ran toward my studio apartment. However, the entrance to my building, which was only a minute away, was very visible from the convenience store. I couldn't be certain, but given the gaze I felt, it seemed she had been watching me until I entered the building.
As soon as I got inside, I leaned against the wall and let out a sigh.
My job was to keep my distance and just monitor her condition, but I’d gotten excited because I saw a book about something I knew and ended up speaking to her first.
I had spoken to her yesterday too, but that was strictly to check her condition.
I hadn't even expected an answer; the original goal was to observe her reaction even if she didn't reply. The fact that she did answer was just a bonus process that provided additional information depending on the content.
But today was different. Without realizing it, I had provided information that could allow her to identify me. On top of that, she already knew I came in every day she worked, at the same time.
"I need to be careful."
Ring~
Without fail, my smartphone rang. And without fail, the caller was Luche.
For the report... I told her there was nothing unusual for now.
*
Another day passed. Red worked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons. Since she wouldn't be at the store from Monday to Thursday, today was the last day I could conduct surveillance this week.
Something flustering had happened yesterday, but I couldn't just stop the surveillance because of that. And to make a report that would make up for yesterday's mistake, I needed to observe her closely today of all days.
I entered the convenience store as usual. Upon seeing me, she greeted me with a "Hello."
"Hello."
I responded to the greeting and walked further into the store. Feeling strangely uncomfortable, I picked out a lunch box and a drink without looking at her.
When I set the items on the counter, she began scanning the barcodes, her gaze fixed on me.
"......"
Feeling a bit intimidated, I lowered my gaze and saw the same textbook from yesterday sitting on the chair she had been occupying.
"Do you happen to know the orbital calculation formula for asteroids during deep space exploration?"
"The distance between stars and the planet the asteroid is orbiting...!"
I answered reflexively to the question that came while I was staring at the textbook in a daze. Languages differed by country and planet, but the laws of physics never change in the universe, so physical knowledge on Earth is identical to physical knowledge in space. Having studied it intensely while on duty, there was no way I wouldn't know the formula she mentioned. I stopped mid-sentence, realizing my mouth had moved faster than my brain.
When I raised my head to look at her, she was staring at me with sparkling eyes.
"You actually know it?!"
"Ah, yes... a little."
I wasn't used to a beautiful young woman looking at me like that. I couldn't meet her eyes and looked away.
"Do you happen to work from home?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes. Something like that..."
I didn't work from home, and I clearly belonged to an organization, but since I couldn't tell her that, I just agreed for now.
"I thought so. I saw you going into that studio apartment building in front of here yesterday."
I knew it. She had watched me all the way as I ran away in a panic yesterday. This was going to make future surveillance difficult...
"Then, I'm really sorry, but if you have some time, could you take a look at my major with me?"
"What?"
Unable to hide my bewilderment, I replayed what she had just said in my head.
In human relationships, there is something called 'internal intimacy.' To her, I was just a customer who came to the store every day until yesterday, someone she didn't really know, but because of the words I’d spoken yesterday, a small connection had been built. If there were no internal intimacy, I could have just brushed it off, but after seeing me come to the store for over a month, and me seeing her, a strange sense of familiarity had developed between us.
No matter if I was the one surveilling her, I couldn't help the fact that this familiarity had formed. Stockholm Syndrome? There's a syndrome where a kidnapped hostage feels sympathy and intimacy toward the captor and identifies with them—should I view this as something similar? No. It's different. It's definitely different, but whatever the reason, the conclusion was that I was in a very awkward position to refuse her request.
"Yes. Well, if it's just for a moment..."
I ended up accepting her request.