Evil Organization’s Extra Mr. A – Chapter 30

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Had I been too complacent? The alcohol had led to this mess, and the moment I saw Yu-bin as I returned home, my heart sank. I still hadn’t fully processed everything.

From Yu-bin’s perspective, I’d gone out drinking and returned home the following evening, but I, having just slept with Yu-ra, was consumed by guilt and anxiously gauged her reaction.

I had been complacent. I’d taken the situation too lightly, despite being on a surveillance mission. I’d even justified sleeping with Yu-ra by blaming it on the alcohol.

While I was fully aware of my actions, I couldn’t tell Yu-bin the truth. And I couldn’t mention Yu-bin to Yu-ra either.

“…”

“So, you were drinking with them all night?”

I had no choice but to lie to Yu-bin again. I told her I’d been drinking with clients, not that I’d spent the night with Yu-ra.

“Yes.”

I couldn’t meet her gaze as I knelt before her, her eyes looking down at me.

She was probably glaring at me, her eyes narrowed.

Unable to keep my head down, I slowly looked up at her. Her eyes were wide, staring intently at me.

“…Are you mad?”

“Yes.”

I’d asked, worried she might be angrier than I’d anticipated, but her immediate, sharp reply sent a shiver down my spine.

Despite her anger, Yu-bin didn’t look away. I wanted to avoid her gaze, but I felt like I couldn’t, so I just stared back.

“I’m sorry.”

All I could do was apologize. Saying anything else would be strange. Honestly, even if she suspected I’d been at a hostess bar instead of a business meeting, she had no way of proving it.

“You’re not just saying that, are you?”

“No. I’m sorry for drinking all night.”

I bowed my head again, and Yu-bin remained silent. I looked up, and she was now glaring at me.

“That’s not it.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not mad because you were drinking.”

My mind raced, trying to figure out what was wrong. I’d texted her that I was going drinking, but I hadn’t said I’d be out all night. I’d assumed she was angry about the drinking, but apparently, that wasn’t it.

“…Can you tell me? I won’t do it again.”

“Contact.”

“Contact?”

She nodded when I repeated her single word. Contact? I’d contacted her about the drinks, hadn’t I? Then it hit me; I’d apologized for the wrong thing.

While I’d told her I was going drinking, I hadn’t said I’d be out all night. She wasn’t angry about the drinking itself, but about the lack of communication.

“I’m sorry. I’ll definitely contact you next time.”

I couldn’t use being new to relationships as an excuse. Communication was essential, regardless of experience. I wished I’d realized that sooner.

It hadn’t been easy to contact her while I was with Yu-ra, but it was still better to know what upset her.

I apologized sincerely, and Yu-bin’s glare softened as she stared at me, then she opened her arms.

“?”

Normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to hug her, but today, I hesitated, unsure if it was appropriate, and she frowned when I didn’t immediately respond.

“I’m sorry.”

I apologized for both the lack of communication and my hesitation, then embraced her. I buried my face in her soft, ample breasts, and she stroked my hair.

“I’m only forgiving you this once. Got it?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Being in her arms eased my anxiety.

I knew there would be more challenges ahead, but I resolved to avoid making the same mistake again.

And at the same time, another thought crossed my mind.

If this happens again, there won’t be a next time.

I looked up, and Yu-bin kissed me softly.

The next morning, Tuesday.

Pink and the owner sat across from each other at a table in the quiet, empty café. Two cups of coffee sat untouched between them as they sat in awkward silence.

The owner broke the silence. The middle-aged woman with short, blonde hair, exuding an air of elegance, took a sip of her coffee, placed the cup back on the table, and looked at Pink.

Pink, sensing her gaze, continued to stare at her own cup.

“Are you quitting?”

“…Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

The owner was concerned about Pink’s resignation, as she was the cafe’s longest-serving employee. Knowing Pink was a superhuman and didn’t have many options, she couldn’t help but worry.

Of course, she didn’t express her concern outwardly, which only made Pink more anxious.

“I don’t think… the others like me very much…”

Pink didn’t want to admit that she’d been insulted for being a superhuman. And she didn’t know if they’d insulted her because she was a superhuman, because they disliked Kwon Yu-ra as a person, or both.

If she wasn’t welcome at the café, it was better for her to leave.

“Shall we step outside?”

The owner took out a cigarette and a lighter, and they went out the back door. The memory of overhearing her coworkers’ gossip just days ago resurfaced.

The owner lit her cigarette under the awning. The tip glowed red, and she took a drag, exhaling a cloud of white smoke.

“They don’t like you… I think you already knew that.”

Pink was shocked by the owner’s words. She’d believed everyone liked her and treated her without prejudice. The thought that she might have been wrong all along, that no one had actually liked her, made her head spin.

“But they don’t particularly dislike you either.”

The owner took another drag of her cigarette and exhaled, a sigh escaping her lips along with the smoke.

“This is just my opinion, so just listen. The decision is yours.”

The owner, who was usually a woman of few words, seemed to have a lot to say, her tone serious as she smoked, and Pink, unknowingly, felt a surge of anxiety as she waited.

“I don’t particularly like or dislike superhumans. I feel the same way about everyone.”

The owner’s gaze, fixed on the ground, lifted, meeting Pink’s anxious eyes.

“It’s inevitable that people will have prejudices against superhumans.”

The owner was right. Pink wanted to be accepted without prejudice, but the social stigma surrounding superhumans was deeply ingrained. While everyone was different, it was common for an entire group to be judged based on the actions of a few.

“But I think my staff are decent people. They have their prejudices, but I think they see you as you.”

The owner took a sip of her coffee, another drag of her cigarette, and continued,

“And those two already had it out for you.”

Pink hadn’t revealed who’d been talking about her, but the owner already knew.

“I’ve overheard them gossiping about other part-timers, too, not just you. So, I asked the counter staff to test the waters.”

The two women who’d badmouthed Pink were notorious for their gossiping, disrupting the cafe’s atmosphere. The owner, aware of this, had asked the counter staff about their opinions of not just Pink, but other part-timers as well, and their responses had been filled with negativity.

And that’s when Pink had overheard them talking about her.

“Do you have another job lined up?”

The owner asked if Pink had another job to go to, and Pink shook her head. While ordinary people could easily find part-time work, Pink had never had an easy time finding and keeping a job.

“Then stay. I’m firing them anyway.”

“…Are you sure? About keeping a superhuman around?”

The owner, having finished her cigarette, put out the butt in the ashtray, dipped her fingers in the condensation on her coffee cup, and flicked the water at Pink’s face.

“I think I told you when you first started working here, didn’t I? I hire pretty people, even if they’re not good at their jobs.”

She walked past Pink, opened the back door, and was about to go back inside when she stopped and turned around.

“If I was going to fire you for being a superhuman, I would have done it a long time ago. What are you doing? The delivery’s coming today; you need to organize the storage room.”

She closed the door and went back inside.

Pink, left alone, was speechless, her mind blank.

She had assumed everyone was talking about her behind her back and that she deserved to be fired for disrupting the cafe’s atmosphere.

But the owner needed her. There was genuine concern beneath her indifferent tone.

“…”

Pink smiled and placed her hand on her chest, feeling the rapid beating of her heart. The realization that someone wanted her to stay filled her with joy.

Overcoming the prejudice against superhumans would be a long and arduous process. If another social issue related to superhumans arose tomorrow, the path would become even more difficult.

But even so, there were people who valued her, who’d seen her efforts at the café. The owner, and the long-time staff, saw her not just as Pink the superhuman, or Kwon Yu-ra the person, but as Kwon Yu-ra, the superhuman.

She couldn’t deny her superhuman identity, no matter how much she tried to hide it. But Pink had been fighting to be seen as Kwon Yu-ra, a person, and now, there were people who saw her that way.

They didn’t reject her. They had their prejudices, but prejudice existed even among ordinary people. But having prejudice didn’t mean everyone viewed those with differences the same way.

To the people at the café, Pink was just Yu-ra.

Lost in thought, as she was about to go back inside, the back door opened again.

It was the owner.

“And ask A if he can work longer hours on weekends for a while.”

“Me?”

“Yes. And I’m thinking of hiring a weekend manager. Let me know if you’re interested.”

The owner went back inside.

While the owner had spoken out of a desire for Pink to stay, the choice was ultimately Pink’s.

Having been seen as just Yu-ra, the thought of quitting the café had vanished.

She wanted to keep working at this place, where she’d formed bonds, and the feeling that washed over her was pure joy.

Pink took out her phone, her heart overflowing with emotion, and contacted the first person who came to mind.

[I’m going to keep working at the café for a while.]

She sent the message and waited anxiously. The moment she felt her phone vibrate, she checked the screen.

[Okay. See you on the weekend.]

Pink smiled at A’s reply and went back inside, ready to continue proving herself.

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