Chapter 20: Pink, But Not a Slut (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 20: Pink, But Not a Slut (6)
When I arrived home, Yubin was there, just as I expected. She didn't look angry, but she didn't look particularly happy either; there was a heavy, sunken feeling about her.
"Did something happen?"
I spoke up first after coming out of the shower and seeing that her mood hadn't changed. I already knew the cause, but since I couldn't admit that, I had to listen to the story from the beginning as if for the first time. I didn't find it particularly tedious or bothersome. Hearing the story again from Yubin's perspective might reveal a way to resolve things.
"You know that place where I go to work?"
"The office assistant job?"
"Yeah. There."
She referred to her work with Team Hunter Killer as a part-time job in administrative assistance. From the moment she started talking, I began mentally translating her words to fit the context of the hero team.
"There are a few other people there who work part-time like me."
If the "office" was the Seoul Headquarters of the Earth Defense Union, then the "other part-timers" she was referring to were the members of Team Hunter Killer. Or perhaps she was including other teams as well.
"But they don't show up on time, and they don't keep their promises."
From what I’d observed of Yubin, she was never late. If her teammates, who were supposed to be working diligently, constantly broke their word, even someone with her level of patience and good nature was bound to hit a limit.
"Something happened this morning, and they broke their promise again, so I was a bit harsh."
"Did you curse at them?"
Since I hadn't seen the actual texts Pink received, I didn't know exactly how severe the exchange had been. Judging by Pink's reaction and Yubin's current mood, I guessed some rough words had been traded.
Yubin simply nodded. I didn't know the extent of the profanity, but the fact that they were swearing at each other meant things had gotten incredibly heated.
Unaware of the situation and not knowing that I knew Yubin, I had taken Red's side while talking to Pink and even got angry on her behalf. I’d made a huge mistake. Come to think of it, I wasn't even in a position to butt in like that.
For someone as quick-witted as me, I’d made a surprisingly thoughtless blunder.
"That’s not right of them. Breaking a promise you all made together."
I sat down on the bed next to Yubin and placed my hand over the back of hers. She glanced at me and then interlaced her fingers with mine.
"No... I know they have their own circumstances. I was just too harsh."
Though she had been angry in the moment, Yubin’s head had cooled down with time. Now, only the discomfort of an unresolved situation remained.
"Are you going in tomorrow too?"
"Yeah."
Once the work week began, Yubin would head to the Hunter Killer headquarters. I didn't know if Pink would show up tomorrow, but since I didn't know the specific details of their relationship or the overall situation, there was only one thing I could say.
"If you think you were in the wrong, try apologizing first tomorrow."
She listened quietly, seemingly organizing her thoughts, then gave a small nod and a reply.
"Now, fix that face. You haven't eaten dinner yet, have you?"
I grabbed her sulky cheeks and gave them a light tug. Her expression, which had been gloomy all evening, finally brightened.
"No. Let's eat."
Since we both had finished our "part-time jobs," we were hungry, and we shared dinner together again today. And what we did after dinner... there was only one thing.
Lately, I hadn't been turning into a total beast, and as I gained a bit more control, I was able to enjoy it just the right amount. For the past few times, neither of us had complained of back pain afterward.
*
Monday morning, 3rd floor of the Earth Defense Union Seoul Headquarters.
When Red swiped her card and entered the conference room, she saw two people: Green and Yellow.
"Where are Pink and Blue?"
She asked about their whereabouts as she took her seat, but Yellow didn't react at all, and Green simply shook her head, indicating she didn't know.
Red knew their general schedules, but they were vague. Since they never gave clear details on when or how they would be available, she was always left with nothing to do but wait.
Blue’s excuse was always that she had to look after her nephew, and even she didn't seem to know exactly which days she could make it. She showed up reliably on days when there was a Duel, but she was almost never seen otherwise.
"Blue-unni probably can't make it today because of her nephew again, right?"
Red’s mood had been foul during every meeting lately. Green, who at least attended the meetings regularly, knew Red’s state of mind better than anyone and spoke up cautiously, sensing the atmosphere.
"Probably."
Pink always said she was working a part-time job. No one knew exactly where or what she did, and since the team members didn't share personal details, it felt awkward to suddenly ask now.
"At least there are three of us today."
Yellow was the most problematic of the three who skipped meetings. Regardless of whether her schedule was known, she was fundamentally difficult to communicate with. Sometimes the team members wondered if she had forgotten how to speak entirely.
She never said a word about her schedule, and once, when Red asked her to please attend the meetings, she had only one thing to say:
"As long as we win, it doesn't matter."
This was the atmosphere of Team Hunter Killer. Though they had grown accustomed to each other over the three years they’d been together, they knew nothing about one another because of the lack of communication.
Because they simply left things in this state of "familiarity," the team dynamic shifted constantly. Red, who had to lead the team, inevitably had days where she felt immense stress.
The meetings had essentially become meaningless, but since they had to fight for the fate of the Earth every time, she couldn't just let go.
Just as she was about to start the meeting, thinking that having three people was better than usual, the door opened.
"What? Even Yellow is here."
The person who walked in with a comment about the unusual sight was none other than Pink. Her eyes met Red’s for a split second, but they both quickly looked away.
Pink pulled out a chair as far away from Red as possible and sat down. Red glanced at her briefly before proceeding with the meeting. The meetings for Hunter Killer usually involved analyzing Spacetro’s power and devising strategies by synthesizing data from other teams' Duels and international battles.
Duels were happening every day all over the world, so there was plenty to discuss just by going over the compiled data.
Yellow remained silent throughout, but Pink spoke up whenever new information was presented. With Red and Green adding their input, the meeting proceeded smoothly.
As they were finishing up and preparing to go their separate ways, Pink approached Red.
"Can we talk for a second?"
Red looked up at Pink from her seat. She didn't look away, meeting her gaze directly before standing up.
"Sure."
When they took the elevator up to the rooftop, the sun was blazing, but a cool breeze was blowing. Pink sat down first on a bench under a shaded canopy, while Red stood a short distance away, just watching her.
"What are you doing? We can't talk if you're that far away."
Red needed a moment to organize her thoughts, but at Pink's voice, she stepped under the canopy. Since the mood wasn't exactly right for them to sit side-by-side, Pink remained seated while Red stood, and a brief silence followed.
Both knew exactly what had led to this situation. However, neither knew the other's current feelings or thoughts, so the words wouldn't come out easily.
Red recalled what A had told her yesterday. She agreed that she had been the one to speak aggressively first, and as A said, if she felt she was wrong, it was right to apologize first.
Even after hearing him take her side, she had still concluded that she was the one at fault.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry."
The same word burst from both of them simultaneously. Having spoken without being able to look each other in the eye, they now looked up and met each other's gaze.
"Huh?"
Pink hadn't expected to hear an apology from Red. While Red had been harsh, Pink hadn't exactly behaved in a way she could be proud of either.
"Why are you...?"
"What about you, Pink? Why are you apologizing?"
Red, likewise, hadn't imagined Pink would apologize first.
Silence returned, but as they stared at each other, they both suddenly burst into inexplicable laughter.
"What's this? Were you actually feeling sorry?"
"And you... I never dreamed you'd apologize."
As the atmosphere softened, Red sat down across from Pink.
"A friend told me while I was working yesterday. Shouldn't I, as the older one, be more understanding? They said since I was also in the wrong, I should talk it out and clear up the misunderstanding."
Since this was the first time they had ever attempted to reconcile like this after a problem, Red listened quietly.
"I actually ended up arguing with him right then, but when I got home and thought about it, he was right. I clearly wasn't in the right, so what gave me the right to be so angry?"
Pink had argued with A while working the day before, but by the time the shift ended, she was already aware she hadn't handled things well. After going home, she had been worried about both Red and A. Having decided that apologizing was the right thing to do, she had skipped her morning part-time job to attend the meeting.
Hearing Pink's words, Red nodded. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and looked Pink straight in the eye.
"An acquaintance told me the same thing. That if I felt I’d done something wrong, it was right to apologize first. I'm sorry. I was too harsh yesterday."
Having accepted each other's apologies, their conversation came to an abrupt halt, leaving only an awkward silence.
"This is the first time we've actually talked like this. Even though we've known each other for three years."
At Pink's remark, Red laughed, finding it absurd that it had taken three years to have a proper conversation.
"You're right. We said our hellos when I first joined, but after that, there wasn't much in the way of real talk."
Thinking back to the past, Red looked at Pink. On the day Red first joined the team, they had introduced themselves properly, but from then on, the team members were always busy with their own schedules and skipped meetings. Red, who had been under a lot of stress because of it, had eventually decided to just get used to it.
"Do you remember? I used to call you 'Unni' back then."
"That's right. You didn't join as the leader at first; you joined as the maknae."
As they reminisced about the past, their conversation began to bloom. They shared stories they hadn't known about each other and discussed events they had both experienced but from different perspectives. It was their first real dialogue.
"I'll do a better job of sharing my schedule from now on. Even if it's still hard for me to attend."
"Just letting me know is enough. It's better than waiting around without knowing anything."
Realizing how much they hadn't known about each other, Pink committed to keeping Red informed of her schedule. Of course, her busy daily life meant her inability to attend meetings wouldn't change, but Red's frustration hadn't been about the absence itself, but rather the lack of communication. Pink's promise to keep her updated was more than enough.
"I'll try to clear my schedule at least one day a week. As you know, the Hunter Killer salary is so low that it's hard to get by without a side job."
"I know."
"Well then... I should go apologize to my friend too."
Feeling guilty toward A, Pink pulled out her smartphone and sent a text to the number she had received from the Boss.
"Me too, just a second."
Red also pulled out her phone and sent a text.
*
"What's this?"
I was lying down watching TV when the smartphone on the coffee table vibrated. I checked the messages. There were two. One was from Yubin.
[Oppa. I made up with my friend.]
Before I could reply, I checked the other message. It was from an unknown number.
[It's me. Kwon Yura. Sorry about yesterday. I made up with Red thanks to you.]
It seemed they had been talking and were together until just now. I wasn't thrilled about the enemy's internal atmosphere improving, but I felt good knowing the two of them had reconciled.
"Why did they have to fight in the first place?"
I replied to both of them and went back to watching TV.
In this week's Duel, thanks to their unprecedented teamwork, our team suffered another crushing defeat.