Chapter 93: Just Like Everyone Else (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 93: Just Like Everyone Else (4)
Hearing the sudden news of her birthday, I desperately tried to think of something I could do for her, but nothing was feasible right away. If I’d had even a little time to prepare, I could have at least given her a small gift.
Even with just a moment's thought, it was clear that Green wasn't the type to go around broadcasting her birthday. I figured that even if she did celebrate, she’d just hold a small, quiet gathering with a few acquaintances.
But my assumption was proven dead wrong. The only acquaintances of hers I knew were the members of Team Hunter Killer, and Green hadn't even told them it was her birthday. Far from holding a small gathering, she hadn't even entertained the thought of being congratulated.
For reasons unknown, Green wanted something slightly different from the norm today just because it was her birthday. It wasn't just a figure of speech; for her, a birthday was merely an excuse to create a tiny bit of specialness.
The proof was the look of surprise on her face when I reflexively wished her a happy birthday. It was the face of someone who had never even imagined they could be celebrated on the day they were born.
And it made sense. Green’s home life hadn’t just been bad; it was a disaster of a level rarely seen. Growing up in such an environment, there was no way she could have received birthday wishes from her family—especially not from that father of hers.
Combined with her introverted personality, she had lived through a continuous cycle of never spending a birthday with anyone else. It wasn't just that she didn't know being celebrated was a good thing; the very concept of being celebrated on one's birthday didn't exist within her.
Furthermore, the "slight specialness" she desired, which differed from her daily routine, was incredibly modest.
Even if it was Green’s birthday, I couldn't suddenly derail my schedule to take her somewhere. As much as I wanted to do something for her right then and there, I’d become a bit sensitive after realizing the reality of my current environment. I decided I shouldn't recklessly change my plans.
One wrong move, one single mistake, and I could arouse suspicion; I was in a situation where my identity could be exposed at any moment. In fact, I was in such a precarious state that my identity might be revealed even without a mistake on my part. To keep my secret from Green, who believed me to be an ordinary office worker, I had to stick strictly to my schedule.
Regardless, for those reasons, it was difficult to go anywhere with Green. I asked if there was anything she wanted, and her reply was a request to hold my hand.
Holding hands wasn't difficult, but from my perspective, I couldn't help but wonder why she’d asked for that of all things. The answer came quickly. Green believed that this was the limit of the special treatment she could enjoy on her birthday. It might have just been my guess, but seeing her expression as she smiled with genuine joy the moment our hands met, I couldn't help but feel certain.
To be honest, it was just holding hands. It was an act people could do normally even if they weren't dating, or in a special or close relationship. There were so many things I could have done for her on her birthday, and even if she didn't have a request ready, I was more than willing to do whatever she wanted.
Green’s mood was gradually improving, and seeing her slowly change made me want to support her even more.
What she wanted was to hold hands. It was something I could do for her right then and there, but on the other hand, it felt bittersweet that holding hands was all she hoped for on the special day she was born.
However, just because I felt that bitterness didn't mean I could act rashly. Because I was in an unusual situation, I had to be more cautious than anyone, and because I’d realized that quite late, I had to be more vigilant than anyone.
"Hey."
"..."
"A!"
I was sitting there blankly, wondering if there was anything else I could do for Green, when a sharp voice snapping at my ear made me turn my head in surprise. Kruger was looking at me from the side with a deep scowl. I stared back at him, wondering what was up.
"What?"
"What do you mean, 'what'? I called you and you didn't answer. So I shouted."
"So, why'd you call me?"
"Called you to fill this out."
The tablet screen he handed over was filled with various survey questions. It was a performance evaluation for the soldiers regarding the recent training. This was the reason Kruger, who unlike me usually had no reason to be at Headquarters on weekdays, was in the office.
"You done?"
"Yeah. Didn't take long."
"Really?"
Engaging in light conversation, I began the survey, clicking the screen with the stylus. Kruger sat quietly in his seat, saying nothing more after our brief exchange.
I wasn't exactly the talkative type, but I wasn't silent either, and Kruger was definitely on the louder side if anything. Since he was usually the one setting the mood within the team, his silence felt even more awkward.
The reason we were maintaining this awkwardness was because of the company dinner we’d had not too long ago.
"You're not hurt anywhere?"
I asked while keeping my eyes fixed on the screen. Kruger, who had been looking at his computer, stopped his hands and looked at me.
"I'm fine, but what about you?"
"I've always been sturdy."
"As long as you're not hurt. It's a relief no one was seriously injured, I guess."
"True. I never dreamed things would turn out like that at a dinner party."
Once the topic was broached, the awkwardness and discomfort vanished. It wasn't as if we’d done anything wrong to each other; we’d simply experienced a messy situation that was difficult to talk about.
I’d served in the same unit as Kruger for a long time, so we’d fought plenty. By now, we didn't bicker over trivial things, and he was the person I talked to the most in the team. Moreover, he was the guy who had sided with Luche and joined in when she and I were bickering in the car a few months ago.
"Let's stop thinking about it. It's not like thinking will change anything."
"I'm not saying we should dwell on it, but are you sure it's okay not to report it?"
My hand stopped at Kruger's words. This was something I had been agonizing over as well. Looking at the situation alone, it happened during a dinner—outside of working hours. What happened there was purely our business, so there was no need to report it to Luche.
The problem, and the reason I hesitated to report it, was that the people we had trouble with were Superhumans. Even though we were Invaders, our actions weren't as strictly controlled as one might think, so we didn't necessarily have to report a scuffle with Earthlings outside of work hours. However, in principle, engaging in conflict with Superhumans outside of official duels was prohibited.
The same rule applied to the Earth Defense Union, but since they wouldn't have a clue that we were Spacetro, bringing it up would only make things complicated.
Regardless, mindful of that rule, we hadn't laid a finger on the Superhumans. A momentary flare of temper could cause a situation to spiral out of control instantly, and the person who would suffer most during the fallout wouldn't be us, but our direct superior, Luche.
"Nothing good comes from telling Luche."
In reality, we could just write it off as a scuffle with Earthlings and move on. Honestly, all the reasons I mentioned were just excuses; the biggest reason our team wasn't reporting it was that we were afraid Luche would be shocked to hear we’d been beaten up while she wasn't there.
Spacetro had spent a long time in space, and because of the relativity of time, the hierarchy within Spacetro wasn't determined by age. It was determined solely by rank. While seniority was respected to some extent, seniority was meaningless among our team members, all of whom were seasoned veterans from various Spacetro units.
Luche was our direct superior, but even though we didn't care about age, we couldn't help but be mindful of the fact that she was the youngest in the team. Above all, there were times when her youth was evident in her actions. Despite that, she was a dignified leader, and we didn't want to create a situation where she’d be hurt.
We felt sorry to Luche in our own way, but Luche, in turn, felt sorry to us, always thinking that the reason for every defeat was her own fault.
"If you don't plan on saying anything, I'll keep my mouth shut for now too. It seems the other guys are leaving it up to us as well."
Even among fellow soldiers, it was impossible not to have specific roles. Kruger was a leader figure among the soldiers, and he tended to respect my opinion as his peer. And since I considered the chain of command important, I always followed Luche's orders.
I’d been in the military longer, but it was a fact that Luche's tactical abilities were far superior to mine, and I had no intention of disputing or rejecting that. In the end, she was younger than me, but her ability and rank were both above mine. There was no reason for me, whose only boast was experience, not to follow her.
"What do you mean, 'leaving it up to us'? I'm just glad the consensus is not to report it."
Regardless of how the opinion was formed, I was glad we were unified.
"...You've really mellowed out a lot."
"Me?"
I couldn't help but react to Kruger's words, spoken with a smirk. It sounded as if he was saying I’d changed after weathering the storms of time. I’d been losing my temper less since a few years before coming to Earth, but it was only recently that I started hearing people say I’d changed.
"If it were the old you, you would've gone ballistic about the soldiers 'leaving decisions' to anyone, wouldn't you?"
"It's not like I don't have complaints now."
Spacetro was built on a strict hierarchical structure. We weren't just a normal company; every time we went to another planet, it involved combat, and in some cases, we fought with our lives on the line. That made the hierarchy all the more important.
When a large group of people gathers, an internal order is bound to form. I believed roles could be divided among soldiers, but I didn't like the idea of a priority of importance being established. As Kruger said, if it were the old me, I probably would have started with "Don't give me that shit" and gone on a rant.
"I'm saying it because your way of expressing yourself has changed in many ways, man."
At Kruger's words, I wondered if any of my recent actions had been so different that I was unrecognizable.
"If anything, wasn't I the abnormal one before?"
"I guess you finally realized?"
The moment I heard his laugh-filled answer, I lashed out with my foot and kicked the leg of his chair.
"I was just saying. You're really trying to make me out to be a freak, aren't you?"
"Hey, damn! You're gonna kick my chair while I'm sitting in it?"
"Why is it so noisy in here?"
Just as our usual lighthearted banter was about to escalate, Luche poked her head out from the office door.
"It's nothing."
The others in the office were already looking at Kruger and me. Since they obviously knew we were the source of the noise, I spoke up first to clarify that we were the cause and signaled that she didn't need to worry about it.
I expected Luche to give a half-hearted response and go back inside. Contrary to my expectations, however, she opened the door and stepped out.
"Are you two fighting again?"
"What do you mean, 'again'?"
"She's right. Compared to how much A and Luche fight, this isn't even a disagreement."
"When did I ever fight?!"
Luche, who didn't consider their usual bickering to be fighting at all, spoke with a tone of genuine grievance. Of course, Kruger didn't actually think Luche and I were fighting for real either. Just as it was a common sentiment in our team not to burden Luche, teasing her was also a shared pastime.
"You fight every single time. You fight in the parking lot before we leave, you fight in the car, and you fight when we get back."
Listening quietly to Kruger, I realized we bickered far more than I’d thought. The mention of fighting suddenly brought back an old memory, and I let out a chuckle. When I suddenly started snickering, Kruger looked at me as if I were a madman.
"Why are you laughing all of a sudden?"
"No, I just remembered something from the old days."
"What old days?"
Luche, who had first met me after we arrived on Earth, took an interest in the "old days" I’d experienced. However, it was a story only those who were there at the time would understand.
"It's nothing special."
"What is it? Tell me."
"You know, back when we were with the fleet. When the new Bioroids arrived."
At the mention of a story she knew nothing about, Luche pursed her lips, while Kruger also let out a chuckle as he remembered.
"That was fun. I think that was when you were at your most unhinged."
"I lost my shit because of you more than once back then too, you bastard."
Just as I was getting into the old story and about to really start talking, Luche suddenly kicked the chair I was sitting in.
"!!!"
Unable to react to her sudden move, I tumbled straight to the floor. Kruger nimbly dodged as I went down.
"Serves you right."
Kruger's reaction as he looked down at me laughing was annoying, but my primary concern was Luche, who had kicked my chair.
"What was that for?!"
"Hurry up and finish that survey and submit it!"
I was stunned into silence by her sudden demand to finish something that only needed to be done by the end of the day.
"What!"
Before I could even think of how to complain about this, I just stared at Luche with a blank expression. Luche raised her voice even louder, and having missed my timing, I pulled my chair back up and sat down.
"If you're given a task, you should do it quickly instead of gossiping."
"You know that's a completely nonsensical nitpick, right?"
Perhaps realizing herself how ridiculous the fault-finding was, Luche fell silent. However, seeing her stay by my side while I continued the survey instead of leaving, it didn't seem like she was actually upset.
"Did you do the survey, Luche?"
"No. I was working until just now, so I have to do it now."
"Then bring your tablet. Let's do it together."
"...Okay."
Luche, who had been standing still, scurried back to the office to grab her tablet.
It wasn't like we were going to collaborate on a survey, but I figured doing it together would at least give us something to talk about.
With that thought, I waited for Luche to come back out. Kruger stared at me with narrowed eyes.
"What are you glaring at?"
Seeing a look that clearly held no good intentions, I spoke in my usual manner. Kruger let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
"This guy... you haven't changed a bit since the old days."
"You just said I changed earlier!"
I honestly couldn't tell if I’d changed or not.