Chapter 37: Safety Zone (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 37: Safety Zone (7)
A week had already passed since I first ran into Green in the park.
Ever since I first started having proper conversations with the team members, we began meeting in the park every day as if by unspoken agreement. Each time, Green would pour out stories about Hunter Killer.
Since it was all personal talk, I couldn't dig for any tactical information, but on one hand, I was happy to hear that Yubin and Yura were getting along well. I was also relieved to know that Green was doing fine, contrary to my worries.
They weren't the kind of feelings one should harbor for an enemy, but as one human to another, I couldn't help but feel sympathy when I thought about how these Superhumans weren't being treated properly.
And today was the day of a duel.
Today’s duel took place at the Han River. As usual, people were scattered about, and we restricted access just before the duel began to ensure no civilians were harmed.
Perhaps it was because I was becoming more conscious of how the general public perceived Superhumans, but today, my attention was drawn to the eyes of the people watching the Hunter Killer members as they managed safety control.
They didn't openly direct hostile glares while standing in front of Hunter Killer, but the expressions on their faces as they turned away after being guided away from the duel site lingered in my mind.
For a fleeting moment, I saw expressions of avoidance and contempt, as if something harmful to their health was approaching. I couldn't understand why they looked at them that way.
Hunter Killer must have seen those expressions countless times while dueling us. We’ve had so many battles, so why am I only noticing their expressions now? It was clear that I, too, had no interest in anything beyond what was right in front of me and hadn't even bothered to try and understand.
“Alright. You guys ready too?”
Luche, who always maintained a triumphant attitude right before a duel, stood tall today as well, holding her great scythe in one hand.
I couldn't help but notice Red, Pink, and Green on the opposing side. Out of the five enemies we were facing, three were people I had a relationship with.
It was a bit ambiguous to say I had a "relationship" with Green, but since we had been seeing each other in the park for a week, it felt wrong to just dismiss her as a complete stranger.
“Come at us.”
Seeing Red draw her sword, our team took up battle stances. Perhaps it was because I had grown accustomed to losing, but my only thought was that I wanted to get this over with quickly so I could go back and check more data.
“Here I come!”
I took the lead and ran toward Red with my sword raised. She was my girlfriend, but in this moment, we were Spacetro and Hunter Killer, so there was no hesitation in my movements.
However, having a mindset without hesitation didn't mean my physical abilities suddenly spiked.
I arched my back to dodge Green’s spear flying in from the side, only for Red’s downward strike to come for me. My condition was good today, so I saw the move clearly. The moment I rolled to the side, I was knocked flat by a shot from Pink.
“Ugh!”
After that, it was the usual chaotic brawl. I was battered by the attacks of Red and Green, who fought at the vanguard, and by the time our defeat was confirmed and I got into the car, I was a total wreck.
Is Luche going to cry again today? I wondered as I looked at the passenger seat. For some reason, she was sitting still without crying. I thought it was unusual, but seeing her desperately holding back her tears, I realized things were the same as always.
A repetitive daily routine doesn't change much until there's a specific stimulus.
After returning to headquarters, all we did was tidy up our clothes and head home as usual. The only difference was that I was waiting for Seira in the first-floor lobby so we could look through the records together.
“Team 4 is today...”
Checking the weekly schedules for each team on the lobby bulletin board, it seemed Team 4 also had a duel with another team today.
“They’re running simultaneously again.”
It was rare for two teams to have duels on the same day, but seeing it happen often lately, it might not feel so rare in the future.
“Huh?”
While looking at the schedule, I noticed something a bit peculiar. Below the entry for Team 3’s duel against Hunter Killer, the details for Team 4 were written. Team 4’s opponent was Team Guerrilla.
During the various duels, each team usually has a specific team they are in charge of. While it’s not impossible for them to switch, it almost never happens unless there’s a special circumstance.
Originally, the team in charge of the Earth Defense Union’s Team Guerrilla was Team 2. Since I had almost never seen the matchups change, it caught my eye.
“That’s unusual.”
“There are a lot of people on vacation this week.”
A familiar voice drifted from beside me. It was a voice that felt like a refreshing breeze—the kind of voice you’d get if you could melt kindness into sound. I turned my head toward that familiar voice.
A woman with long silver hair tied up, wearing a Spacetro uniform, stood there. I reflexively offered a salute.
“2nd Team Leader. Good afternoon.”
“Right. A. It’s been a while, hasn't it?”
Since we were in the same branch, I had seen her face occasionally before. There was no awkwardness at all in meeting her again, given our deep history.
“Yes. I haven't had much reason to see you lately.”
“I suppose so. Today was your duel day, right? How was it?”
“The same as always. Not much has changed, then or now.”
Back when we were on the homeworld, before Seira became a Team Leader and was the same rank as me, this woman was our direct superior.
“Has Captain Angelica been doing well in the meantime?”
“Yes. I don't have a duel this week, but even when I do, it’s the same as usual.”
Captain Angelica replied with a gentle voice and a smile, and I naturally felt my tension melt away.
“The duel is over, so what were you doing in the lobby?”
“I was waiting for Seira... I mean, the 4th Team Leader, to do some data research.”
She knew that Seira and I were in the same class, but I couldn't just call Seira by her name in front of a superior who was also a Team Leader. Even when not in front of a superior, I basically used formal speech with Seira unless we were alone.
When she first became Team Leader, I used formal speech even when it was just the two of us, but she forced me to use informal speech, saying it was cringey and annoying.
“A, you’re hardworking in everything you do. That part of you hasn't changed at all.”
Captain Angelica stepped closer and patted my head with a gentle smile. I was taller than her now and much older than before, but to her, it seemed I was still just a young subordinate.
“I think I haven't changed in any way, actually.”
“Hmm? No. You used to be like a sharp, wild beast, but now you’re like a round ball.”
If I were to compare my past self to my current self, I couldn't judge objectively. I thought there wasn't much difference, but it seemed Captain Angelica, my former direct superior, thought otherwise.
“If you treat him too much like a child, he’ll pick up bad habits, Captain Angelica.”
I turned my head at the sound of Seira’s voice coming from the lobby entrance. She was sweating, likely having just finished her duel. As soon as her eyes met Captain Angelica’s, she offered a salute.
“Stop that. We’re both Team Leaders, what’s with the saluting?”
“Habits are hard to break, aren't they?”
According to Spacetro regulations, if you are the same rank, you are on completely equal footing regardless of your class year. And if the ranks are different, it becomes a complete hierarchy even if you are from the same class.
However, Seira also had the memories of her time under Captain Angelica’s command ingrained in her body, so she took a respectful stance whenever she was before her.
“You’re going to go wash up, right? I’ll head to the office first.”
“Do that.”
“Then, Captain Angelica. I’ll be going now.”
“Yes. Good work to both of you.”
I saluted Captain Angelica and went up to Seira’s office first.
After that, I started researching data with Seira, who had washed off her sweat in the shower, but as expected, I didn't achieve any significant results today either.
I kept organizing the data I checked while looking for new material, but most of it was similar content, and it was hard to find new information or anything more detailed. On the contrary, there was plenty of detailed data in fields I had no interest in; it felt like looking for a lost remote control. It’s never there when you’re actually looking for it.
“Sigh.”
Letting out a deep sigh, I left the headquarters for a short break and headed to the park as usual. Green will be there today too. Confident in that thought, I arrived at the park, but Green was nowhere to be seen.
I want to go somewhere and just rest.
With that thought, I sat on the bench and idly organized the thoughts in my head as usual. I couldn't concentrate because of the cicadas' buzzing ringing in my ears, and by the time I snapped out of it, Green was sitting on the bench next to me.
“?!”
“Hello.”
Since I hadn't sensed her presence at all, I was startled by her appearance. She gave me a small smile and greeted me.
“When did you get here?”
“About two minutes ago? You seemed to be deep in thought, so I didn't want to disturb you.”
“You could have said something.”
Green smiled and replied, “Then I’ll say something next time,” before looking at the tree across from the bench as she always did. Seeing her sit there for a week staring at that tree, I wondered why she sat there and stared at it so intently.
But for some reason, I felt like I shouldn't ask, so I hadn't until now, and I had no intention of asking right this moment either.
“Did something bad happen today?”
I felt her voice was lower than usual, so I asked just in case. She widened her eyes and looked at me as if wondering how I knew.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yes. Very.”
I scratched my cheek with an awkward laugh, and she let out a sigh.
“I had a bit of an argument.”
“With your coworkers?”
I had never heard of Green arguing with the Hunter Killer members before. More than anything, the fact that someone with such a gentle and quiet personality had gotten into an argument was surprising.
“They’re coworkers, but from a different department.”
By "different department," she meant a team other than Hunter Killer. Since I didn't know the structure of the Earth Defense Union, I didn't know which team she had a conflict with, but if I were to deduce based on what I knew, it was likely Team Guerrilla, who had fought Team 4 today.
“May I ask what the argument was about?”
“Yes.”
She explained the circumstances of the fight.
She spoke of Team Guerrilla as another department and the Earth Defense Union as her workplace, and I pieced the fragments of her explanation together in my head.
The conclusion was this: Team Guerrilla had returned after being completely defeated by Team 4, and they happened to run into Team Hunter Killer, who were just about to head out.
“Oho, looks like our Hunter Killer ladies are heading home now?”
Those were the first words Indigo of Team Guerrilla spat out upon seeing the Hunter Killer members. There wasn't anything particularly special about it, but from Hunter Killer’s perspective, just him speaking to them was unpleasant.
Beyond human-to-human interaction, it felt more like they simply couldn't physiologically tolerate his behavior.
“Looks like you got trashed again today?”
When Pink, who disliked Team Guerrilla’s debauched ways, spoke sarcastically, Indigo’s brow furrowed.
“Unfortunately, we only face powerful enemies every time. We’re different from you lot, who are in charge of fighting the weakling team.”
At the comment insulting her team, the leader, Red, clenched her fists. She had no intention of fighting, but if given the chance, she wanted to plant a fist in Indigo’s face right then and there. That was how poorly Team Hunter Killer viewed Team Guerrilla.
Furthermore, what made them even more upset about this comment was that it insulted Spacetro, who, even if they were enemies, fought with everything they had. In reality, they might be the weakest team, and one could see it as Hunter Killer getting results only because they faced them. However, at the very least, both sides were doing their best on the field.
Since Indigo, who didn't even know that, came back after a defeat and said such things, Red couldn't help but find him utterly loathsome.
“I doubt it’ll happen, but if you guys ever fight the team we’re in charge of and lose, you won’t have anything to say then, will you?”
Suppressing her annoyance, Red spoke with a warning tone, telling him to watch his mouth, but Indigo only snorted.
“We’ll see when the time comes.”
The moment their eyes met in a glare, Indigo’s gaze dropped slightly. Realizing he was looking at her with lecherous eyes, Red decided to ignore him and focus on heading home with her team, turning away.
“Since we don't know how strong each other is, don't we need to prove it? How about it? If it’s on top of a bed, I can really kill it.”
Red’s patience, already thin from Indigo’s obnoxious behavior, reached its limit at his sexual harassment. Just as she was about to scream at him—
“I think it would be best if you shut that mouth.”
Yellow, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
“What?”
Indigo turned his head to glare at Yellow, but her cold gaze only stared him down.
“Maybe your ears are stuffed with food scraps and you can't hear well, but I said it would be best if you shut that mouth.”
“Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?!”
The moment Indigo approached Yellow with a threatening aura, his vision spun, and he realized a moment too late that he had been slammed onto the floor by Yellow.
“If you have the confidence to spout that crap to our leader, come back after actually winning. Of course, even if you come back after winning, if you spout that crap again, I’ll rip that smug mouth of yours all the way to your ears, so you’d better watch what you say from now on.”
Her golden eyes were usually warm, but now they glared down at the fallen Indigo with more coldness than anyone. The other Hunter Killer members watched the scene in shock at the sudden action from Yellow, who was usually quiet and reserved.
“Let’s go. We need to head home.”
Leaving Indigo on the floor, Yellow turned away, and the Hunter Killer members began their commute together.
“If he does that again next time, give him a good wallop.”
Yellow, passing by Red’s side, patted her shoulder and said a few words, and Red gave a satisfied smile.
Green, following behind, looked back at Indigo, who was still sprawled on the floor, before following her teammates out of the headquarters.
While looking through recent data, I knew there were those among the Superhumans whose behavior was poor, and that Team Guerrilla of the Seoul Branch was one of them. But hearing this, I realized they were far worse than I thought.
No, let me correct that. It was true they were bad people, but I felt an uncontrollable rage at the fact that he had made such a sexually harassing comment to Yubin. I would likely lose in a physical fight, but even if I were to lose, I felt like I wanted to land a punch on that face I didn't even know.
“Mr. A?”
Green called out to me as I sat there listening with a grim expression. I had been briefly suppressing my anger, but I reacted to her voice.
“Ah, yes. They’re quite strange people. In this day and age.”
“Right? I really don't understand them.”
The fact that people working in the same headquarters were like that must have been stressful even for the good-natured Green, as she let out a heavy sigh.
“It’s so exhausting. I want to go somewhere where there’s none of that and just rest.”
I, too, was full of a desire to rest because my work wasn't progressing. To be precise, I wanted to play.
One might ask how someone who usually has no work and only recently started looking for things to do could already be wishing for a break, but I believe the desire to clear one's head when things aren't going as planned has nothing to do with how long one has been working.
Was it because my heart wanted a break even more strongly after hearing her say she wanted to rest? After listening to her, I spoke up.
“Should we go somewhere?”
“Pardon?”
The moment our eyes met, silence filled the air, and only the sound of the cicadas echoed between Green and me.