Chapter 94: Just Like Everyone Else (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 94: Just Like Everyone Else (5)
It is a tragedy to be unable to do the mundane things everyone else does, or to miss out on the ordinary experiences everyone else has. It is an inexpressible misfortune to desire those things and yet be unable to achieve them, and there are no words to describe the state of not even realizing what one is missing.
Green fell into that very last category.
To her, a birthday was simply "the day one was born." It was nothing more and nothing less. It was merely the date she entered the world; she knew nothing of receiving congratulations or enjoying the day with friends.
This was the result of her extremely restricted environment. Despite living in such conditions, she had never caused any trouble or problems until now. She would rather endure hardship herself than cause inconvenience to others.
For Green, who had lived this way and considered it natural, the most special day of her life had finally arrived.
There was no date, no fancy meal, and no birthday gift. She had simply heard "Happy Birthday" from A and held his hand once, but for Green, it was an experience she had never had—and never even dared to hope for—in her entire life.
When Green arrived at the meeting room the next day, she wore a bright expression throughout. Seeing her looking exceptionally better than usual, the members were certain that something had happened.
"Green, did something good happen?"
As the members looked at Green with curiosity, Pink was the first to speak up. Green, who had been sitting with a smile, turned her gaze toward her.
"Yes. A little, yesterday."
"Yesterday? Was it a special day?"
At the mention of "yesterday," the members took an active interest in her affairs. Even with everyone’s eyes on her, Green didn't falter and said with a smile, "Yes. It was my birthday yesterday, and I received some well-wishes."
Receiving birthday wishes is a common occurrence. However, while common for ordinary people, it was something quite special for a superhuman living a life far removed from normalcy.
"Birthday wishes?! From who?"
Green was startled by Red’s intense reaction, but she soon smiled and began to explain calmly.
"From the person I mentioned before. He even held my hand."
When the words "held my hand" came from Green—who usually maintained a mysterious distance when it came to romance—the members wore peculiar expressions. Though no one said it aloud, they were all imagining themselves holding hands with their own boyfriends on a date.
Birthday wishes and holding hands. These were incredibly ordinary, unremarkable things, yet for these women, there was no better story to get emotionally invested in.
"Why didn't you tell us it was your birthday?"
Blue looked somewhat hurt that Green hadn't said anything, which flustered Green. Just as she hadn't expected A to congratulate her, Green had never once imagined a situation where she would tell the members it was her birthday.
Above all, she had never once in her life spent a birthday properly with someone else.
"Oh? That’s..."
Unable to find the words to answer Blue’s hurt tone, Green let her voice trail off. Pink gave Blue a playful poke in the ribs.
"Obviously, she wanted to spend it with him."
"I get that, but it would have been nice if she’d told us it was her birthday."
One might think they had been neglecting each other's birthdays all this time, but the members of Hunter Killer were all people who had never really looked after their own birthdays. Since they didn't even take care of themselves, the idea of telling others was foreign to them. Of course, there was one exception.
Pink did observe her birthday, but only in the sense of giving herself a gift. She didn't tell the other members, either. That was simply the level of distance the Hunter Killer members had maintained until now.
"I'm sorry. I thought no one would care..."
Green wondered if it was actually a good thing to tell people about one's birthday. She felt sorry that it seemed like she had intentionally withheld the information. However, the members understood how she felt.
Since they had never celebrated each other's birthdays before, none of them expected the others to care even when a birthday rolled around.
"Let's definitely spend your next birthday together. And happy birthday, even if it's a bit late."
Disappointment was one thing, but a celebration was another. Following Blue’s lead, the members each added a word of congratulations. Green felt bashful yet happy to be celebrated by her teammates.
It seemed like a small thing, but the members were progressing bit by bit, even promising to be together for the next year's birthday.
"But, can I ask you all something?"
When Green asked shyly, watching their reactions, the members tilted their heads.
"How did you all start dating your boyfriends?"
At that single question, the members looked at one another. Although Yellow still insisted he wasn't her boyfriend, the aura she gave off and her tone when talking about A were unmistakably those of a girlfriend.
"In my case, I confessed first."
Starting with Red’s blunt account, they each began to share their stories.
"There wasn't really a confession; we just started dating."
Pink, whose sexual relationship had preceded the romantic one, conveniently left out the part about having sex first. Honestly, it wouldn't have mattered if she said it, but Pink wanted to see how the others fared first.
It was a subtle war of nerves. A competition without a winner, where each wanted to highlight how their relationship with their boyfriend had blossomed.
"My boyfriend confessed to me first."
Even Blue, who seemed like she would speak without reservation, didn't mention that she had meticulously set the mood beforehand. She was delivering the result while omitting the process, but since Green had asked how they started dating, giving the result wasn't technically a problem.
The psychology behind delivering the result without the process was this: by removing the effort they put in, they were implying, 'My boyfriend loves me this much.' And the other women were well aware of this.
Red, who had finished her story most bluntly, clicked her tongue. Yellow, whose turn was last, pondered how to start. In truth, Yellow didn't have much to say. She had already put her foot down saying he wasn't her boyfriend, yet she had already admitted to having sex.
Of course, the members didn't believe Yellow. It wasn't that they didn't trust her; they just didn't believe her claim that he wasn't her boyfriend. Whenever the fierce and prideful Yellow talked about that man, she became excited and bright, so there was no way they could see them as anything other than a couple.
"Well, I've already told you guys, so I'm good, right?"
With that one sentence, the winnerless competition was settled, and Yellow came out on top.
She had skipped the process and delivered only the result, but Yellow’s words carried a strong intent of: 'Do I even need to explain?' Because Yellow had talked about herself incessantly for several days, the members already had a decent grasp of the dynamic between her and her boyfriend.
The members recognized the relationship between Yellow and her man as "two people who say they aren't dating but act exactly like a couple."
Of course, Green, who had asked the question, wasn't interested in their competition. To be precise, she didn't even notice they were competing and was simply listening to their stories.
"But why do you ask?"
"Are you going to confess?!"
The moment Red tried to grasp the intent behind the question, Pink, who had sensed the mood first, asked loudly. Green, who had been listening quietly, lowered her head deep. From that reaction alone, the members could guess what Green was planning to do.
"How are you going to do it? When? Today?"
Pink was consistently the most interested in the members' romantic lives. After all, the catalyst that had brought them closer, with Red at the lead, was their talk of romance. She felt that every time they shared these stories, they became a more joyful and fun group.
Furthermore, she wanted all the members to feel the emotions she felt through her own relationship, and she hoped that everyone who had found an opportunity around the same time would seize it.
"No. I'm not going to confess."
"Why?"
At the completely unexpected answer, Pink’s voice dropped slightly.
"Well, it’s just... dating me would be a bit much, wouldn't it?"
"What? What's wrong with you, Green?"
Even though she knew she liked him, Green was forcibly drawing a line in her heart. She worried that a rash action might ruin their current relationship, and a part of her felt that she wasn't good enough.
"Anyway, I'm not going to confess. I'm just... going to tell him I like him."
"Huh?"
Looking at the bashful Green, it was clear she wasn't joking. Because they knew Green was more sincere than anyone, the members reacted with confusion. Seeing their bewildered faces, Green looked at them as if wondering if she had made a mistake.
"So, Green, you like that person, right?"
When Yellow asked with genuine curiosity, Green gave a slight nod and answered, "Yes."
"Then you're confessing?"
"No, I'm not going to confess..."
"But you said you're going to tell him you like him?"
"Yes. I want to tell him."
Green answered clearly despite the rapid-fire questions from Blue and Red. The members exchanged glances. First, they understood that Green was sincere. However, they couldn't figure out how to interpret her contradictory words.
"Listen, Green."
Green was likely in a state where her budding true feelings were clashing with her rational mind trying to control them. Thinking this, Pink made up her mind to clearly explain the nature of Green's intended action.
"You really like the person who helped you, and you want to tell him that you like him, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"That is a confession."
"......"
As her desperately controlled rationality collapsed, Green belatedly realized that she wanted to date A and hung her head low. Seeing her reaction—her ears turning bright red—the members found her adorable, but they couldn't bring themselves to say it.
Just realizing her own true feelings had pushed Green’s embarrassment to its limit. To the introverted Green, the fact that her actions were essentially advertising "I like him, so I'm going to confess" was incredibly mortifying.
"If you're going to confess anyway, just go for it."
"Huh?"
Green, who had been sitting with her head down, slowly looked up at Yellow’s words.
"Did I not tell Green how I ended up having sex?"
"You did."
The members already knew everything about how things had progressed between Yellow and her boyfriend. The moment Yellow had said, "I just told him let's have a go at it," Green had been shocked by her unique method, yet felt a sense of respect.
"Just go for it. It'll work out for you, Green."
It was a gentle tone from Yellow, who had been sharp all this time, and because it was so gentle, Green felt a surge of certainty.
Among the members, Yellow felt a particular fondness for Green. It wasn't that she liked her more than the others; her affection for all the members was equal. However, after hearing about Green’s family situation, she felt a sense of guilt as a comrade for not being able to do anything, which made her more attentive.
When she first heard about the man helping Green, she worried he might be a weirdo. But after listening to Green’s stories and seeing her expression while telling them, she came to feel he was a good person. Though she had never met him and likely never would, Yellow didn't doubt for a second that the man Green liked would take good care of her.
"Yeah! Just do it. And if it doesn't work, just pounce on him!"
Pink knew Green couldn't possibly do that, but she cheered her on in her own way regardless.
"I think you should do it too."
"You're a kind person, Green. I'm sure he'll like you back."
Red and Blue also offered their words of encouragement, and bolstered by them, Green made her decision. Green, who had been introverted all this time, was able to find confidence in this moment.
"Yes! Okay."
Filled with maximum confidence from her teammates' support, Green stepped outside the headquarters after the meeting ended and sent a text to A. Upon receiving a reply that he could meet her at the park, Green took a deep breath.
The members' encouragement played a part, but Green had her own reasons for agonizing and needing to make a decision. At this moment, she desired a deeper relationship with A more desperately than anyone else.