Chapter 22: Pink, But Not a Slut (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22: Pink, But Not a Slut (8)
One thing I’ve realized while traveling through various galaxies, visiting different planets, and meeting countless people is that no one in this world is truly strong. While someone can be physically powerful beyond measure, I’ve felt that a truly unshakable, rock-solid inner self simply cannot exist.
Any creature possessed of intelligence and emotion is bound to be hurt. In the case of humans, whose way of life is often dictated by their feelings, no matter how mentally resilient they may be, it is impossible for them not to have someone they resent or someone they dislike.
Today, Pink was shunned by friends she had known for a long time. It wasn’t because she had done anything wrong. She had likely acted exactly as she always did—the version of herself her friends were familiar with. The only difference was that today, she told them she was a Superhuman, a fact she had previously kept hidden.
From my perspective, I couldn't understand it. Is someone really a friend if they can discard you in an instant just because your "flaw" is a little different from that of an ordinary person? Besides, it wasn't even a flaw. The difference between a human and a Superhuman is merely physical; what exactly is it about Superhumans that Earthlings find so distasteful?
"Uuuugh..."
I glanced back at Pink, who was groaning as she clung to my back, then turned my eyes forward again. I didn't know where she lived; I only knew the general direction she took when we left work. If she didn't snap out of it, I was going to be in trouble.
"Is this the right way to your house?"
Still groaning, she managed to lift a hand and point in a direction. Assuming that was the way, I began walking as she directed. Honestly, I could have just left her in front of the convenience store, but even if she was a Superhuman, she was still a girl. Leaving her like that weighed on my conscience.
More importantly, I couldn't just abandon her when she was clearly hurting and not her usual self.
"Haa..."
Perhaps she was sobering up a bit from being carried, as the body that had been completely limp against my back regained some tension. She lifted her head to check where we were going.
"Are you feeling any clearer?"
"No."
The bluntness of her answer made it clear she wasn't joking; she was genuinely still out of it.
"Just hang in there until we get to your place."
If she fell asleep again, I’d have no way of finding her apartment. If that happened, I’d seriously have to consider leaving her on the sidewalk.
"...Mr. A, what do you think about Superhumans?"
Her pronunciation was a bit slurred from the alcohol, but I heard her clearly. I took a moment to consider my answer.
"I told you before, didn't I? I don't care if you're a Superhuman or not. Superhumans are just people too, so what is there to think about?"
"It would be so nice if everyone thought like that."
She leaned against me to get more comfortable and continued to gesture the way to her home.
"Everyone in the world thinks differently."
"I guess..."
There were many emotions packed into that short reply. I could feel a sense of complexity that I wouldn't dare try to fathom.
"Mr. Aaa~"
She let out a nasally, drunken whine. Normally, I would have frowned and given a sharp retort, but just for today, I decided to play along.
"What?"
"Am I pretty?"
I wondered what she was getting at, but it seemed the alcohol had brought out her usual narcissism.
"Yeah. You're pretty."
I had intended to indulge her whims today, but within seconds, my response came out as perfunctory as ever.
"Do you really need to hear that you're pretty that badly?"
I expected an immediate "yes," but Pink went quiet for a moment. She tightened her grip around my neck and pulled herself closer.
"Well, it’s the only thing I have."
I could sense the sorrow in her small voice. It felt strangely tragic to hear her say that because she was a Superhuman—with so many things restricted and so much taken away—the only thing she could take pride in wasn't her abilities, but her natural looks.
Being beautiful is certainly an advantage. Throughout the history of the universe, countless incidents have been sparked by beautiful women. But Pink needed other options. She felt as though she had nothing else.
Normally, she would never show this side of herself to me. To her, I was just an ordinary human, a common man you could find anywhere. But now, wounded and drunk, the "strong" facade she usually wore was nowhere to be seen.
"When did you first realize you were pretty?"
I figured it was best to just humoring her self-absorption and keep the conversation going today.
"In high school. I was really popular."
I could believe that. With her beautiful face, a body that caught every man's eye, and a bright personality to boot—she was the ideal woman any man would want to talk to at least once. There was no way she wasn't popular.
"Even at my first part-time job as an adult, everyone liked me."
Pink spoke with a hint of a smile as if reminiscing, but then she fell silent again. I didn't rush her, simply walking in silence until she was ready to speak again.
"So, for the first time, I told them I was a Superhuman. And everyone... they hated it."
Because she felt they genuinely liked her, she believed they would accept everything about her. What she got in return was a cold shoulder.
"Men would approach me at first because they liked me, but as soon as they heard I was a Superhuman, they turned their backs immediately."
Pink let out a hollow laugh. Even though it was in the past, it didn't sound pleasant or interesting. It only filled me with a sense of loathing toward people who could hurt others so easily.
"You know what? When men approach me after looking at my body, I can see it in their eyes. I can feel that they just want to sleep with me."
Being a man myself, I couldn't say I didn't understand the impulse at all. However, I couldn't condone acting on those intentions so indiscriminately just because a woman is pretty.
"Maybe I'm just imagining it, but those kinds of people... they run away as soon as they hear I'm a Superhuman."
They probably realized that a person they intended to take advantage of—physically, if they got the chance—was someone they couldn't possibly handle physically, so they gave up quickly. Or maybe it really was just because she was a Superhuman.
"What did I do wrong? All I did was fight for people, for the Earth."
I knew. Even though we were enemies and we lost every time, I knew better than anyone that the members of Hunter Killer fought more desperately than anyone else. It’s frustrating and pitiful when someone’s efforts are ignored and unrewarded. Even if that person is an enemy.
But even with those thoughts, I couldn't give her an answer. Because I was a soldier of Spacetro.
"My teammates must be having a hard time too."
It wasn't just Pink; the other members of Hunter Killer, and likely all Superhumans in a broader sense, were probably being treated poorly like this.
Living on Earth for twenty years, from the moment the first Superhuman appeared until now, I had always collected information while fighting them. From an alien's perspective, seeing that the perception of Superhumans in human society had improved was merely looking at the surface.
I had believed it simply because the media and various outlets weren't churning out negative reports.
Or perhaps this was a special case. Somewhere, there might be a place where Superhumans are treated with the utmost respect, communicating with people and dueling for the sake of protecting the Earth. I didn't know if such a place actually existed, but listening to Pink, I couldn't picture it at all.
"My teammates... they've all had it rough."
Not long ago, Pink had fought with Yubin and then made up; since then, the atmosphere seemed better. According to Pink, there was very little communication between the Hunter Killer members. But even without much talking, you don't stay on a team for three years without learning at least a little about your teammates' backgrounds.
"Some were abandoned by their parents, some have a lot of debt..."
Pink fell silent again, simply leaning her head against my shoulder.
"But it's okay. Now I have the people at the cafe."
At the cafe, they didn't discriminate against her for being a Superhuman. I was likely included in that group of "people at the cafe" she was talking about. For someone who had lived her life being discriminated against for being a Superhuman, the cafe where she worked was a precious sanctuary.
"Yeah. Not everyone looks down on Superhumans."
I didn't have any grand words of comfort for her. I didn't have the gift of gab, and strictly speaking, I had no reason to go that far. But I wanted her to know that there was a place she could lean on when things got hard.
"Yeah. At first, I tried to hide that I was a Superhuman, but some jerk started making a scene, so I threw him out. But the Boss told me it didn't matter at all. The others even thanked me."
Today, Pink had told her high school classmates the truth and was shunned and hurt. Ironically, the ones who understood and accepted her weren't her old friends, but the people at the cafe where she worked.
"Here!"
After walking for quite a while, Pink called out, her voice much louder, and pointed to a nearby officetel building.
"Which floor?"
"Room 702."
When we reached the entrance, Pink reached out and punched in the passcode, and the door opened. We went inside, took the elevator to the 7th floor, and stood in front of Room 702. Still on my back, Pink reached out and entered the passcode for the door lock.
"Okay, get down now."
"I request your assistance until we are inside!"
She shouted her answer, completely wasted. I figured arguing would only annoy the neighbors, so I just carried her inside.
The two-room officetel was reasonably well-organized and significantly larger than my studio apartment.
"Nice place."
Admiring the size of the interior, I took off my shoes, went in, and laid her down on the bed in the main room before taking off her shoes.
"You really are a handful."
"Hehe!"
Even though I spoke with a voice full of annoyance, Pink just laughed as if she were having the time of her life. After placing her shoes by the front door and returning to the bedroom, I found her still sprawled out on the bed.
"You asleep?"
"Not yet."
Her voice was thick with intoxication. Honestly, it was impressive she could even respond after drinking five bottles by herself, but seeing her sprawled out like that, I couldn't help but shake my head.
"I'm leaving now, so wash up and go to bed."
"Mr. A~"
The moment I turned to leave, her voice called me back. I looked again, but Pink remained still, not moving an inch.
"What?"
I answered, but she didn't speak immediately. She seemed to be thinking about something for a moment.
"...We're friends, right?"
From my position, that was a very difficult question to answer. Only I knew the truth of our respective roles, but Pink was asking because she considered me a friend. In a situation like this, I couldn't bring myself to say no.
"Of course we're friends. What else would we be?"
"Hehe! Okay~"
She waved a hand from her lying position as if telling me to get going. I checked on Yura one last time before heading out.
On the way home, I couldn't calm my racing thoughts. I had heard many things, but they were all stories that tugged at my heartstrings too much to be used as mere intelligence.
"This is bullshit."
*
The next morning, I couldn't open my eyes right away.
I had acted sober while taking the drunk Yura home, but the delayed effects of the alcohol hit me the moment I got back, and I passed out. I didn't wake up until well into the afternoon.
My throat felt like it was on fire. I was drinking water to settle my stomach when my smartphone started ringing.
Checking the screen, I saw it was a call from Yubin. It seemed her morning meeting had just ended.
"Hello?"
I answered with a voice that was still raspy. Yubin's voice came through the phone.
— Oppa. Did you drink yesterday?
"Yeah. A little bit with someone from a partner company."
— If you got home, you should have at least sent a text. Do you know how worried I was when I couldn't reach you all morning?
"I'm sorry. I passed out as soon as I got home. I wasn't in any state to call. Is your work finished?"
As I chatted with Yubin, my mind gradually cleared, and I suddenly remembered the day we first went to a motel together. The way she had clung to me, desperately begging me not to leave her alone.
Surely, her past wasn't normal either. I didn't know what kind of history she had yet, but the day might come when I would find out.
— Red!
While we were on the phone, I heard someone calling Yubin from a distance. I recognized the voice instantly as Yura's.
— Oppa, I'm sorry. I have to hang up for a second.
Yubin hurriedly ended the call. For some reason, it felt like the atmosphere between the two of them had turned peaceful, and a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.