Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: It's Not a Self-Deprecating Broadcast
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“Yelena, this won’t be spicy. I made it fresh.”
“.......”
“Uh... why that face? This really isn’t spicy at all?”
“Sis, you eat first.”
“Ah, okay....”
In the end, I had no choice but to make a kid-friendly sandwich.
After removing all the finely chopped peppers I’d put in, it finally turned into a sweet and salty sandwich.
But it felt like all the trust I’d painstakingly built with Yelena had come crashing down.
The poor girl who’d fallen victim to the spiciness was staring at me like I was a scheming eunuch from a historical drama.
“Spice wimp.”
“Sukka’s disqualified as a Korean.”
“Woo woo, illegal immigrant.”
The squad members around us just roared with laughter at the sight.
As expected of pure-blooded Koreans, their tongues were wrecked even inside the game.
But it was too unfair to get treated like an illegal immigrant just for not handling spicy food.
I pouted with my duck-like beak and just munched on the sandwich.
[Kukudas: Uwaaa! I’m sorry! It clearly said it was only as spicy as Shin Ramyun!]
Of course, Shin Ara—who’d only shared the recipe—wasn’t at fault at all.
She’d just adjusted it to Korean tastes, and sure enough, all the squad members had scarfed it down deliciously.
They simply hadn’t realized I was this weak to spice.
Looks like they hadn’t picked up on the fact that our house only stocked mild ramen.
“How’s it? Not spicy this time, right?”
“Uung! This is totally my style!”
“The fire’s still going, so let’s grill some meat too. The tankers prepared this.”
“Meat? Yay! But can you save some for my sis too?”
“Of course I saved some for Irina. It’s set aside, so don’t worry.”
“Ooh! Gammany sis is so cool!”
And so, we kicked off a barbecue party right there on the beach.
With the cool sea breeze blowing and delicious food in hand, it felt just like what a trip to Jeju Island must be like.
Of course, I didn’t forget the fan meet-and-greet with the viewers either.
To check for any shady characters, I shook hands with everyone, scrutinizing each one carefully.
Fortunately, none of the viewers who’d gathered this time seemed suspicious.
Sadly, I couldn’t let go of my doubts entirely, but they looked fine to recruit as squad members.
“I sent out invites while shaking hands. Anyone who wants to join Sukka Platoon, just accept. No pressure at all, so feel free to decline. I’ll make sure to protect the anonymity of anyone who does.”
“Kuh... Our platoon leader’s so considerate. But looks like everyone already accepted?”
“Huh? Really? The party headcount’s at 45. Thanks, everyone, for becoming my squad members. Looking forward to working with you all.”
“Please take care of us!”
Soon enough, the Sukka Squad—which had only been 7 strong—grew into a full-fledged platoon of 45.
If Ttalgwi hadn’t banned viewer participation, it would’ve ballooned past company level into battalion size.
Sure, there’d be some viewers two-timing me and Ttalgwi, but anyone showing the enthusiasm to come all the way to Odessa deserved a pass.
With that in mind, I pulled out one proposal for everyone to help with squad assignments.
“How about we play some ball now?”
“Ball game?”
“Yeah, now that we have new squads, we need to pick squad leaders. How about selecting two through a friendly match?”
“More Sukka volleyball?”
“Ah, no. Dodgeball, please....”
The game I chose for selecting squad leaders was dodgeball.
It let me gauge their eagerness for promotion, plus check their survival skills as potential leaders.
The 8 who’d brought tanks would go under Wardaddy, so I just needed two from the remaining 30 infantry.
Of course, joining the squad leader tryouts was voluntary, so anyone intimidated by the role would naturally sit it out.
“We’ve got seventeen, so it’s an odd number. Could one more person join?”
“Ah! Then I’ll referee!”
“Oh, you’re quick on the uptake. You’d make a great scout too. Alright, teams of eight for the match. Squad leaders get friend adds as a bonus, so give it your all.”
“Wooo!!”
Soon, the dodgeball match to select squad leaders kicked off.
With friend adds dangled as a special reward, everyone hurled balls at each other like they were out for blood.
I worried it might sour some friendships, but luckily, the vibe was pure and innocent, like kids back in the day.
It was perfect content—not just entertaining the squad members, but the stream viewers too.
“Sukkaa niiim!!”
Just then, a cheerful voice rang out from somewhere.
It was Ttalgwi, who’d been peeking at my stream right up until moments ago.
I turned with a light smile, and sure enough, there was one more figure behind Ttalgwi.
The skull-masked macho man, Ghost. His arrival meant Irina wouldn’t be far behind.
“Gimme a Sukka-made sandwich too!”
“Ah, sure. I saved some for you too, Ttalgwi sis. Plenty left, so eat as much as you want.”
“Aaah! If I’d known it was this good, I would’ve logged in sooner!”
“Uh... Don’t tell me you held off because you didn’t want my cooking?”
“N-no... I tried it last time....”
“.......”
I handed Ttalgwi the sandwich, making my sulkiness crystal clear.
She’d unusually skipped logging in right away this morning—must’ve hesitated over my cooking.
For the crime of dissing my food, I wasn’t talking to her for the next 10 minutes.
Resolved on that, I headed to Ghost with the rest of the sandwiches.
“Here’s yours too, Ghost. Thanks so much for escorting Irina.”
“I’ll partake gratefully. Your cooking skills have improved leaps and bounds.”
“That’s why I like how honest you are, Ghost. So, where’s Irina right now?”
“She’ll be here any minute. I shadowed her without her noticing, then pulled ahead. Perfect timing—there she is.”
I followed Ghost’s gaze and turned my head.
Irina was hesitantly stepping onto the beach.
Joy bubbled up into a smile, but memories of past encounters made me waver.
Then Irina spotted us and yelled in horror.
“Y-, Yelena! What are you doing there!”
“Gasp!”
“Hey! Get over here right now! You’re bothering the soldiers!”
“N-no way! You’ll spank me again! And Gammany sis said it’s fine!”
Hearing Irina’s voice, Yelena ducked behind my back.
Of course, with our similar builds, there was no hiding from Irina’s view.
Soon, Irina closed in to snatch her little sister.
But because Yelena clung to my waist and wouldn’t let go, I ended up sandwiched between the Morozova sisters.
“Where’d that outfit come from? Don’t tell me you stole it from a shop? What’s gotten into you!”
“Hmph, didn’t steal it! This sis bought it for me! I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“Forgot the promise you made with me? No getting involved with soldiers—no, no bothering the soldiers!”
“Gammany sis is a good soldier! She said she came because she wants to marry us!”
“What? What kind of nonsense is that!”
Irina stomped her feet and cried out in a pleading tone.
With so many soldiers around, she couldn’t act rashly either way.
But Yelena was already on friendly terms with me to a degree.
This adorable girl had chosen power over blood to protect her own rear.
“G-Gammany sis... Can’t you help me out a bit? You’re higher up than her, right...?”
“Yeah, I’ll speak for you.”
I nodded at Yelena’s cry for help.
Betrayal and despair flickered across Irina’s face, but since my plan of ‘befriend Irina through Yelena’ had failed, it was time to move to the next strategy.
If I couldn’t win her over through friendship and take her along, I’d persuade her as best I could. And if persuasion failed, I’d drag her by force.
Steel myself with that resolve, I turned to Irina and began explaining the situation.
“Irina, I’m in civilian clothes today, but you remember who I am, right?”
“Y-yes... You’re the Federal Hero who came looking for me. But I’ve never met you before? Aren’t you mistaking me for someone else?”
“No mistake. I came here precisely to protect you and Yelena. I’ll mobilize every resource I have to take responsibility for both of you.”
“Th-thank you so much for saying that... But I work at a factory, you see? We’re not well-off, but we can get by on our own.”
“No. War with Germany is coming soon. When it does, every Soviet factory will relocate behind the Ural Mountains—including the munitions factory where you work. But Odessa here is the first city the Germans will hit. That makes the munitions factory a prime target for their bombers. Sadly, survival won’t be easy.”
In reality, the moment Germany invaded, the Soviets uprooted every factory to the rear lines.
They dismantled all the equipment piece by piece and shipped it bit by bit via rail.
But the odds of Odessa’s munitions factory making it to the rear were slim.
After all, Odessa got encircled by the Germans right as the Soviet-German war broke out.
If this world followed Eastern Battlefield’s storyline to the letter, Irina might survive, but Yelena would end up sacrificed.
What’s more, even if they planned to hold a defensive line, Sevastopol would’ve been the better bet—so we needed to flee far from Odessa while France was still holding out.
But disappointingly, Irina saw things a bit differently.
She replied to me in a polite but firm tone.
“Our motherland signed a non-aggression pact with Germany, didn’t we? Plus, I heard the war’s already over. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but please give up. I have no intention of abandoning the house my parents left me.”
As expected, Irina was every bit the stubborn woman I’d anticipated.
She wouldn’t take a Federal Hero’s word at face value—exactly as I remembered her.
In that case, what we needed now was time.
The Irina I knew would quickly grasp how dire things were, so she’d follow us even without me forcing her.
But disappointingly, it seemed we didn’t have much time left.
Through the distant sounds of the squad enjoying their dodgeball game came a conversation I couldn’t ignore.
“Huh? What’s that? A plane?”
“Yeah, right. If I turn, they’ll chuck the ball.”
“No, look over the sea! It’s a real plane!”
“Yeah, no way I’m falling for it. Gonna friend Sukka.”
Reflexively, I scooped Yelena into my arms and looked toward the sea.
It might’ve been a ploy to draw attention, but my instincts were ringing alarm bells too loudly for that.
Soon, an aircraft appeared in the sky over the Black Sea.
At the sight, I grabbed Yelena and ran, shouting urgently to everyone.
“That’s a German recon plane!! Don’t clump up—scatter!!”
Yellow paint job and black Iron Cross.
Messerschmitt, Bf 109.