Chapter 213: What I Want to Do (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 213: What I Want to Do (2)
The cold wind blew with enough bite to make one's fingertips and the tip of one's nose sting just by standing still, yet Seira waited outside the convenience store for Red’s shift to end.
It seemed Red wasn't entirely comfortable making Seira wait, especially since she had come with a specific purpose. Even while working, Red kept stealing glances at Seira through the window.
She couldn't stop wondering how Seira had found her and, more importantly, what she had come to say.
Given their last encounter, there was a high probability it involved A. Red found herself pondering what kind of conversation they could possibly have at this point.
However, there were so many potential topics that she couldn't settle on just one. Time slipped away, and soon, it was time for Red’s shift to end.
When the next worker arrived and took over, Red stepped outside. She had wondered if Seira might have given up and left halfway through, but Seira was still there, approaching her.
"Are you finished now?"
"Yeah. Should we move somewhere else first?"
"Sure."
Both felt awkward around each other, but they couldn't simply avoid the situation forever.
Seira had sought Red out because she had something to say, and Red also had plenty to discuss with Seira regarding A.
"But how did you know I was here?"
"It was a coincidence. I was looking for you, but I only stopped by this convenience store because I happened to be in front of A's old place."
"Oppa moved out a long time ago."
"I know. But he didn't tell me where he went, and the only place I could think of was his old house."
It was true she had gone to A's former residence, but it was now clear that Seira’s ultimate goal was to meet Red.
"Should we go to a cafe?"
"A cafe? Would that be okay?"
Red suggested a nearby cafe for their talk, but then immediately realized the problem.
A Superhuman and a Spacetro officer talking in a cafe. Even if they were discussing A, their conversation wouldn't sound like that of ordinary people.
While most people in a cafe wouldn't care what others were saying, unusual topics tended to draw ears. Moreover, neither of them felt confident they could keep their voices down when the subject was A.
"I guess it can't be helped."
Red sighed and glanced at Seira.
"Follow me."
Red took the lead and started walking. Not knowing where they were headed, Seira silently followed behind her.
Without paying much mind to Seira following her, Red’s first stop was a grocery store. She bought some simple ingredients for a meal and came back out, but not a single word was exchanged between them during the process.
In truth, their relationship was far too awkward to strike up small talk.
Until quite recently, they had been pointing weapons at each other's throats in A's house. The emotions from that day hadn't been resolved at all; from Seira’s perspective, Red was an eyesore, and from Red’s perspective, Seira was equally unwelcome.
The place Red eventually led Seira to was none other than her own home.
When they entered the studio apartment and Red flipped on the light, Seira saw a neatly organized interior.
"Is this where you live?"
"Yeah."
"Is it really okay to bring me to your house?"
"If you have any sense, you won't attack me here."
When they had clashed at A's house, both had been flustered, and since it was shortly after A had returned from recovering after the terror incident, neither had been thinking rationally.
But now, both were well aware of their respective positions.
Red was a leader of a team, and Seira was also a Team Leader.
If two people holding significant ranks in the conflict caused a scene, it would likely lead to major trouble. On the day of their first clash, if A hadn't returned home, they probably would have leveled the place.
"So, what is it you want to say?"
Red sat down across from Seira, handing her a cup of hot honey water.
Taking a sip of the honey water, Seira felt her body, chilled by the wind, begin to melt.
"As you've probably guessed, it's about A."
"I figured. There's no other reason for you to seek me out unless it involves Oppa."
As they began to talk, the awkwardness didn't entirely vanish, but it wasn't stifling. While they were uncomfortable with each other, neither felt the need to walk on eggshells. If anything, their mutual desire not to lose to the other helped cut through the tension.
"First, let me make one thing clear: I have no intention of giving up on A."
"What?"
The moment she heard Seira’s declaration, Red’s brow furrowed. Red understood that Seira and A had maintained a close relationship for a long time.
But that was a separate issue from a romantic relationship. Red was the one who had become A's girlfriend first. She was already at a loss as to how to handle the situation with her own team members; hearing that Seira wouldn't give up either was not good news.
"I'm already dating him. So are my members. Are you saying you're going to try and take him for yourself regardless?"
"I don't know yet. But as I said, I have no intention of looking away and giving up."
The tension, which had felt like a tug-of-war from the start, turned icy in an instant.
Red didn't want to hand over her boyfriend, A, to anyone.
Seira wanted to be with A no matter what.
Though they hadn't spelled out their specific plans, they could roughly grasp what the other was thinking. Because they understood, both of their expressions were grim.
"Fine. Let's leave it at that for now. But that's not the only reason you came to see me, is it?"
Before saying she wouldn't give up on A, Seira had said "First."
In other words, that declaration wasn't the primary reason for her visit.
Deciding there was no point in getting worked up over something that wasn't even the main point, Red chose to focus on Seira’s actual purpose.
"There are many things I want to know. How much you know about A. What you think of him."
"I don't see any reason why I should tell you that."
"Well, I have a reason why I need to hear it from you."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then I'll report A's current situation to headquarters."
It was a trap. Red immediately saw through Seira’s threat.
If she were going to report it to headquarters, it wouldn't have been strange if she'd done it long ago. She had already heard from A that nothing had been reported to the higher-ups yet.
In short, Seira had no intention of reporting A's circumstances from the beginning. Red realized that mentioning the report was just a tactic to pry information about A out of her.
"Are you threatening me right now?"
"Yes."
Seira’s voice was firm. She was so desperate that she was willing to use a threat that could potentially harm A.
Red could understand Seira’s desperation to some extent. She knew Seira had spent more time with A than anyone else, so seeing him suddenly dating someone else must have made her anxious.
Red figured Seira was feeling something similar to what she felt when she, despite being the first to date him, heard that A was also dating her team members.
"You're calmer than I expected. You didn't seem like this when we first met."
Despite her desperation, Seira’s attitude was composed and steady. It meant Seira knew very well that getting emotional wouldn't gain her anything.
"I was a bit shocked back then. A Superhuman suddenly popping out of A's house."
"Logically, someone who came to attack wouldn't just open the door so casually."
"How was I supposed to think that far in the heat of the moment?"
Seira pressed her fingers to her forehead, as if remembering how she had attacked Red that day without a second thought.
"Besides, when you've been looking after A for as long as I have, you have no choice but to become calm, whether you want to or not."
Watching Seira speak as if her current state was only natural, Red’s brow, which had relaxed slightly, furrowed again.
While pretending to answer Red’s comment about her being calm, Seira was subtly flaunting how long she had known A.
"I suppose so. Being by Oppa's side means dealing with more than a few troublesome things."
Hearing Seira’s refusal to back down, Red had no intention of losing ground either.
In response to Seira’s claim of being used to A after all their time together, Red mentioned her own closeness, implying she knew exactly what Seira was talking about.
The two women, neither willing to budge an inch, locked eyes.
It felt as if sparks were flying between their gazes.
"Then let me ask you one thing. Do you want to keep staying with A like this?"
"Of course. If I didn't, I wouldn't have started dating him in the first place."
"You probably didn't know A's true identity when you started dating, right? Now that you know he's Spacetro, your mind hasn't changed?"
"No. It hasn't. Just because he's Spacetro doesn't mean the person himself has changed."
To Red, who had already suffered much at the hands of the people of Earth, A's identity as Spacetro no longer mattered.
She had certainly been shocked when she learned his identity and that he was dating her members, but even considering all that, Red wanted to stay by A's side.
Though she was currently at odds with her members over the harem issue—Red being against it—she still held onto the thought that she would eventually have him all to herself.
"From my perspective, that's hard to verify. Someday, Spacetro's invasion will end, and we will leave Earth."
"Isn't that something to worry about when the time comes?"
"What if Spacetro were to leave Earth tomorrow?"
It was a hypothetical, but Red knew Seira wasn't just nitpicking.
To Seira, who cared for A at least as much as Red did, the issue of A's girlfriend was incredibly important. That was why she had gone as far as mentioning a report to headquarters to hear Red’s true feelings.
"That hasn't happened yet. So let me ask you. If Oppa says he's staying on Earth when Spacetro leaves, what will you do?"
"That will never happen."
There wasn't a hint of hesitation in Seira’s answer. It was a response she could give only because she had watched A longer than anyone and knew there was zero chance of him staying on Earth.
"Just in case..."
"There is no 'just in case.' A will not stay on Earth."
"...What do you mean by that?"
The moment she felt their conversation wasn't aligning, Seira tilted her head.
"What? Did A not tell you properly...? I see. Knowing his personality, he probably didn't."
"What do you mean? Don't just talk to yourself, tell me clearly."
"I'm saying there's a definitive reason why A continues to wander through space."
"Is it the same reason why he stays in Spacetro?"
Before their duel, Red had once asked A why he remained in Spacetro. But A hadn't answered, and Red hadn't tried to force it out of him.
She had assumed he had a reason he simply couldn't talk about.
"Do you know it?"
"No. I don't. Oppa didn't tell me."
Seira fell into thought. Since it was A's personal business, she couldn't speak of it lightly.
However, no matter how much she disliked her, the current Red deserved to know A's circumstances.
And she felt that only by telling this story could she truly see into Red’s heart, which she was so curious about.
"...I'll tell you. But keep it to yourself."
"My lips are sealed, so don't worry."
At the promise of learning about A's circumstances that she hadn't known, Red let go of her hostility and focused on Seira.
"Do you know why Spacetro wanders the universe?"
"I heard it's because your homeworld was destroyed."
"Correct. Our homeworld was destroyed by an attack from creatures existing in space called 'Predators.'"
"Is he in Spacetro to get revenge on them?"
"Listen until I'm finished."
Though her voice didn't change much, Red was becoming slightly agitated. She felt no curiosity about these unknown creatures; her only desire was to know A's story, and she urged Seira to continue.
Seira calmed Red down, took a deep breath, and continued.
"It's true that revenge is the reason A stays in Spacetro."
She still hesitated over whether to speak, but she concluded that telling the truth was better than dragging out an ambiguous story.
"A's parents are dead. That's why he's seeking revenge."
"...Against those 'Predators'?"
"No. Our homeworld was destroyed by the Predators, but A's parents weren't killed by them."
"Then who?"
"A's parents died at the hands of pirates. On the very day the homeworld fell."
Faced with this new fact, Red couldn't find any words.
The homeworld was destroyed by creatures called Predators. And on that same day of destruction, his parents were killed by pirates.
A remained in Spacetro to hunt them down.
Feeling as if she were listening to a story from a completely different dimension, Red fell silent. Seira, watching Red, grew tense, wondering if she had said too much, and let out a sigh to try and ease the pressure.