Chapter 52: Until the Blue Sky Comes (12)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 52: Until the Blue Sky Comes (12)
While looking for a house with Blue, I identified the kind of home she considered ideal. It was a bit large for someone living alone, but moving out would be a huge step toward her independence, and I wanted to help her with that.
Providing financial assistance wasn't particularly difficult. It feels a bit odd to say it myself, but I’m a person with almost no material greed, so I could easily use my own money to help her right now.
However, I didn't think helping her that way would actually benefit her in the long run. Even if I ignored that, it was obvious Blue would adamantly refuse.
Then, a brilliant idea struck me. I could provide financial support in a form that wasn't purely my own money—a temporary payment that I could eventually get back whenever she decided to leave that house.
It was also a way to stabilize Blue’s life, as it wouldn't be easy for her to secure living expenses immediately after finding a place and moving in.
The day after we looked at the house, I went to work at the Spacetro Seoul Headquarters and swung Luche’s office door open without knocking.
"Kyaaaah!"
I don’t know what she was doing, but Luche let out a loud scream the moment she saw me and hurriedly hid whatever was in her hands.
"My ears are going to ring."
"Don't you know how to knock?"
"It’s an emergency. A real emergency."
I immediately sat on the sofa in her office. Luche, wondering what was going on, approached and sat across from me.
"What is it? You’re not acting like your usual self."
"The relocation support fund I mentioned before. Can you find out what happened with that?"
The method I had come up with was the support fund provided by Spacetro. Compared to the Earth Defense Union or many other corporations, Spacetro’s working environment is excellent.
With the workload centered around executives, the soldiers—who make up the general staff—don't do anything beyond what is necessary. However, because the intensity of that necessary work is quite high, the salary is pretty good.
On top of that, various support funds are well-distributed. Since many employees live alone and are scattered all over the place, the support related to securing housing was quite generous.
"Are you planning to move?"
"Not exactly. I’m looking into something regarding real estate, and I was wondering if the support fund would still be granted in that case."
In truth, there weren't many breakthroughs. I didn't think it was realistically possible to receive a relocation support fund without actually moving. However, if a fund was granted, or if I could get a related grant, half the plan would already be a success.
"In that case, it might come out as something other than a relocation fund. You do have significant work experience, after all. But why the sudden interest?"
It wasn't strange for Luche to be curious. Fundamentally, I’m not the type to take initiative or go out of my way to meet people, nor am I the type to start projects to grow my capital.
I was the type to just do what was required and take my share, and Luche knew that about me very well.
"Well, how should I put it? I guess you could say there’s something I want to try doing. Anyway, the support fund will come through, right?"
"It should. Do you want me to look into the details?"
"I’d appreciate that."
Luche went over to her computer to check what she could find right away. The moment I tried to follow her to see the screen, she reached out and stopped me.
"Don't come closer."
"Anyone watching would think I’ve committed some unspeakable crime."
Luche let out a dry cough, perhaps feeling embarrassed for speaking so sharply.
"Just stay there. I’ll look it up."
As I’ve mentioned before, Spacetro server accounts allow for the storage of personal data, so people often keep private materials there.
Thinking Luche might be doing the same, I sat back down on the sofa and waited for her as she tapped away at the keyboard, checking the information.
"There’s also a business-related support fund. Is what you’re trying to do a business?"
"There’s no way I’d dabble in business."
I have zero confidence in management, so I’ve never once thought about starting a business. However, in order to receive the fund, I needed a solid way to professionally frame the series of actions I was taking to help Blue.
"I do surveillance missions, and I even created a program using deep space technology before, didn't I?"
"Before?"
Even if I said "before," Luche probably wouldn't know. Even when I was in space, I knew of Luche’s high reputation, but at the time, I had never met her; we were total strangers.
"You know. Back when his personality was a total mess."
I turned my head at the voice coming from the office door. Seira was standing there, having opened the door and entered without knocking.
"Did you all make a pact to stop knocking before entering my room?"
Luche expressed her dissatisfaction at the intrusion, but Seira didn't even pretend to listen. She walked up to Luche and handed her some documents.
"The 1st Team Leader told me to give these to you."
"What is it?"
Luche frowned as she checked the documents Seira gave her.
"What’s wrong?"
Sitting on the sofa, I also got curious about why Luche was grimacing and peeked over. The documents were none other than our team’s performance approval papers. It seemed Seira had run into the 1st Team Leader, Esmeralda, while coming up from the first floor and taken them from her.
"You take care of delivering them."
"Fine."
Seira, who was standing near Luche, caught a glimpse of her monitor.
"Support funds? Was there still a fund left for your team to receive?"
Since we were a team with no results, the support funds we received were significantly lower than other teams. Of course, this didn't affect individual salaries; there just wasn't any additional funding for team operations.
"It’s not for our team. A asked me to look into it, so I was checking."
"You? What does a support fund have to do with back when your personality was a mess?"
She always had to put things that way. Of course, it was true that there was a period during my service in space when my personality was a bit off.
"Could you say I was 'sensitive' instead of 'a mess'?"
Since Seira had been in the same team as me back then, she knew me very well. In our prime, she was in the combat branch piloting fighter jets while I was a maintenance soldier, so we crossed paths quite often.
"Why? Back then, Luche—"
"Ahem!!"
The moment Seira was about to say something, Luche cut her off with a loud cough. Seira, wondering what was going on, looked back and forth between Luche and me. I, also not knowing why Luche had interrupted her, simply stared at the two of them.
"Forget it. This guy doesn't even remember."
I don't remember? Did I actually meet Luche back then?
"Really? You don't know that? No way."
Even Seira, who usually bickered with Luche, widened her eyes in surprise for once. She looked at Luche and then turned her gaze to me. I just sat there blankly, having no idea what they were talking about. Seeing that, Seira muttered, "I guess it’s true."
"Have I met you before, Luche?"
"See?"
"Wow."
"What is it?! Would it kill you to tell me?"
The two of them kept the story they both knew to themselves, and I had to endure their cold stares over something I couldn't even remember.
"So, are you trying to get a workshop for work?"
Seira, not knowing the full story, grasped my situation based only on the context she heard when she walked in. As she said, claiming I was getting a workshop for work seemed like a persuasive excuse.
"Yes. Why?"
"I always tell you, it’s better if you don't do anything."
I instinctively frowned at those unpleasant words. That phrase was the reason I had stopped taking initiative in anything. Since our Academy days, she had constantly repeated those words, and I had to hear them every single time during our long years in the same unit.
Even after coming to Earth, I thought I wouldn't have to hear that from Seira anymore once I moved from the Pacific fleet ship to Seoul. But after being scouted by Luche—whom I only knew by name at the time—and coming to Seoul, Seira ended up at the Seoul Branch too. For the twenty years we'd been on Earth, I had to hear that almost every time I ran into her.
"Why are you being like that to A? He’s so good at the tasks he’s given."
For some reason, Luche took my side. Seira turned her head and met Luche’s eyes. It felt like sparks were flying between them. It was an awkward situation, and I wanted to leave quickly, but I couldn't since I had asked Luche to look up information for me.
"You might not know, but it’s best for A to do absolutely nothing."
"And have you considered how A might feel hearing that?"
"Who are you to judge whether he feels bad or not?"
It was true that I felt bad, but I knew I shouldn't say that now, nor could I just leave the two of them like this. I don't think I’d feel this much of a chill even if I were standing on thin ice in the middle of winter.
"Please don't fight. It’s not like I’m planning anything big. 4th Team Leader, don't worry too much."
In the midst of that, Seira frowned again at the fact that I was using formal language with her.
"So what if he does something? I don't think the 4th Team Leader has the right to argue about it. A is my direct subordinate, after all."
"What?"
The plan to just check on the support fund and leave was getting increasingly tangled. Before I knew it, Luche’s hands had stopped moving on the computer. In a situation where I couldn't do one thing or the other, a deep sigh escaped me.
"Fine. I’ve delivered what I needed to, so you two do whatever you want."
Seira grumbled and left the office. Luche stared at the door that had been slammed shut, then turned back to the computer to look for the support fund information. I watched her carefully in the awkward silence.
"Um... Luche. Please don't take it to heart. Even if she talks like that, the 4th Team Leader isn't a bad person."
It was true that her words hurt, but Seira was the friend I had known the longest in the entire universe. And I didn't want her to fight with Luche, a boss who viewed me positively.
"I know. But still, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. She could at least try to be polite."
"She’s always spoken like that, so just try to let it go."
Luche’s gaze shifted from the keyboard to me.
"What? Are you taking the 4th Team Leader’s side because you’re childhood friends?"
I could tell instantly from the mix of annoyance, grievance, and petulance in her voice. If I didn't take her side here, she would definitely sulk, and if it went further, she might even cry.
"How could that be? If I’m taking anyone’s side, it’s obviously yours, Luche."
Ever since becoming Luche’s direct subordinate, I had learned how to manage her moods. The best thing I could do here was to say what she wanted to hear. She wasn't a fool, so she knew I was saying it just to make her feel better.
But even knowing that, it seemed to work. I wondered how I had ended up mastering the art of controlling her.
"?"
The moment Luche quietly shifted her gaze back to the computer without answering, I felt like something flashed through my mind. But it vanished like dust almost immediately.
"Luche. Have we met before we came to the Seoul Branch?"
"...Try thinking hard with that lacking brain of yours."
I thought I had finally cheered her up, but did my question trigger something? Completely sulking now, Luche didn't give me a single glance and just stared silently at the computer.
It was a headache. Even if I wanted to apologize, I didn't know the cause, so I didn't know what to say.
Honestly, even if we had met before, I wondered if not remembering it was such a grave sin.
Still, knowing Luche might feel hurt, I racked my brain, but no matter how much I searched my memories of my time in space, I had no recollection of meeting her.
"..."
I just sat back down on the sofa and waited for her to finish looking into the support fund.