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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Most of life is a coincidence. Planned events, unplanned events and the moment a process yields a result, I believe it’s all coincidence.
Coincidence can lead to failure, or it can lead to success.
Coincidence is essential between process and result. But what about the beginning? Beginnings usually arise from plans, but sometimes, they are triggered by unplanned coincidences.
This unexpected encounter with Green had paralyzed my thoughts. I hadn’t intentionally sought her out for surveillance and had no idea she’d be here. And the fact that we met in a park just 10 minutes from headquarters… was this the meaning of the Korean saying, “It’s darkest under the lamppost”?
“It’s quite hot today, isn’t it?”
We’d exchanged greetings after making eye contact, and perhaps feeling awkward about just turning away, Green initiated a conversation. She had no idea who I was or what I did, so there was no need for me to appear flustered.
“Yes, but thankfully, it’s not too humid this year. Last year was incredibly humid.”
“It rained a lot last summer. I heard the monsoon season is starting next week.”
Her clear, refreshing voice reached my ears. While we’d fought numerous times, this was the first time I’d heard her speak outside of combat.
Yu-bin, as the team leader, always gave orders during duels, so I’d heard her voice often, and I hadn’t paid much attention to Yu-ra before we met personally.
I was aware of Green, having been on the receiving end of her attacks several times, but I’d never seen her speak during a duel. Maybe she had, and I hadn’t heard, but this was the first time I was hearing her voice in a casual setting.
“The monsoon season…”
I disliked rain. It had rained twice recently, but thankfully, I hadn’t been alone then, so I hadn’t had a reason to complain. I tended to become listless on rainy days. It wasn’t that I felt unwell or lacked energy. I simply disliked the rain.
Green fell silent after my noncommittal response. I also didn’t have anything to say, but I couldn’t help but steal glances at her, knowing Green of Hunter Killer was sitting right next to me.
When I discreetly looked at her, she was staring blankly at the trees swaying in the breeze. She didn’t seem lost in thought; she just looked… blank.
Wondering what she was thinking, I observed her for a moment, and Green, sensing my gaze, seemed to snap out of it and turned to look at me, a smile in her eyes.
It was my first time encountering someone I had just fought in a duel outside of combat. Perhaps that was why the awkwardness was amplified.
“Ahem!”
I coughed, avoiding her gaze, and looked at the tree she’d been staring at.
“It’s fascinating, isn’t it? The way they sway in the wind.”
“Excuse me?”
Was she being philosophical? Her unexpected comment made me turn back to her.
Green was looking at the trees again, but unlike her previous blank expression, there was a hint of a smile on her face. While you could usually read someone’s thoughts to some extent from their expressions, it wasn’t always possible.
I usually had a general sense of what people were thinking, but I couldn’t decipher Green’s thoughts. I wasn’t particularly curious either. I wasn’t monitoring her, and this was just a chance encounter during my break.
However, it was natural to observe someone’s expressions during a conversation, whether they were friend or foe.
“It’s just the wind, isn’t it?”
I gave her an obvious answer. What was so fascinating about trees swaying in the wind? It was a common occurrence on any planet with an atmosphere.
“Right?” Green replied with a short, smiling affirmation, her gaze still fixed on the trees. I suddenly thought her green hair matched the natural surroundings. Was that why she kept looking at the trees?
“The wind must be nice.”
When Yu-bin had initiated conversations, I had wondered about her intentions.
When Yu-ra had approached me, I’d been overwhelmed by her energy.
With Green, I couldn’t figure her out at all.
Her words made me realize she wasn’t looking at the trees, but at the wind. While you couldn’t see the wind itself, you could tell it was there by the swaying trees.
Unable to comprehend her cryptic statements, I just stared at her blankly, and Green, seemingly realizing my confusion, seemed to snap back to reality and turned to look at me.
“I’m sorry. Did I say something strange? It’s been a while since I’ve had a proper conversation with anyone.”
Had it really been a while since she’d had a conversation? Didn’t she talk to her team members? From what Yu-ra and Yu-bin had said, Green was one of the most active members in Hunter Killer meetings, along with Yu-bin. So, what did she mean by “it’s been a while”? Was she more reserved than she appeared?
But if she was reserved, why was she talking to me, a stranger?
“No, I don’t mind.”
Her cryptic statements weren’t offensive. She hadn’t harmed me or asked anything inappropriate. She’d just asked a question I didn’t know how to answer, so I wasn’t bothered enough to warrant an apology.
What I was curious about was why she was here after what seemed like a duel and the end of her workday.
It wasn’t my business where she went or what she did. But since we’d met, I couldn’t help but wonder.
But I couldn’t just ask, so I let it go. It wasn’t like we’d meet again after this.
“…”
Just as I stood up to leave…
“Have a safe trip back.”
Green smiled and said goodbye. Was it a trend among young people on Earth to be so polite to strangers?
“You too.”
I nodded and left the park, slowly walking back to headquarters. After walking a short distance, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease and looked back. She was still sitting there, looking at the trees, or rather, at the wind.
I turned my back on her and returned to the office. My first day of researching superhumans had ended without any results.
But my perspective had shifted. I’d become curious about something. Having interacted with Yu-bin and Yu-ra, members of Team Hunter Killer, I now wanted to learn more about not just superhumans, but Hunter Killer as a whole.
Of course, as an enemy, a subject of research.
Friday. I decided to relax at home today. Yu-bin came over after her shift at the convenience store.
“Oppa~”
She called out in a sweet, singsong voice and rushed into my arms as soon as she entered.
“You worked hard today.”
I stroked her red hair, feeling her warmth as she snuggled against me. Holding Yu-bin in my arms always felt good.
“Are you staying over tonight?”
“I have my office assistant job tomorrow morning, so I’ll leave later.”
It seemed she had a Hunter Killer meeting tomorrow morning. Yu-bin still hadn’t told me she was a superhuman or a member of Hunter Killer. Thinking about Yu-ra’s experiences, she was probably afraid to tell me the truth.
Of course, I was also deceiving her, so I couldn’t judge her. The difference was, Yu-bin didn’t know I was lying, while I knew she was hiding something from me.
“What’s wrong?”
Yu-bin, sensing my gaze, looked up at me, tilting her head, her red eyes sparkling like jewels.
“Just happy to be with you.”
I nuzzled my cheek against hers, and she giggled, then rubbed her cheek against mine.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Could our relationship have a happy ending?
An invader and an Earthling. Enemies turned lovers. Could we still be together if we revealed our true identities?
I knew Yu-bin’s secret, while she didn’t know mine.
I couldn’t imagine what would happen when the truth, already known to me, was finally spoken aloud.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
It was time for dinner, and we had to decide on a menu. I answered without hesitation,
“You.”
“Huh? Kyaa!”
I pulled her down onto the bed. I chose to enjoy the present moment instead of worrying about the future, and once again, I became an animal.
After our passionate interlude, Yu-bin and I lay naked under the covers, enjoying the luxury of air conditioning and a blanket in the summer, our bodies pressed together, sharing warmth.
“How’s the office assistant job going? You seemed stressed before.”
I was always careful when bringing up Hunter Killer, worried I might inadvertently reveal something I shouldn’t know.
“It’s good. I’ve become closer to one of the coworkers, and the others are the same, but it’s not a problem.”
“I haven’t heard anything about that part-time job besides the bad atmosphere. What are the people like?”
Yu-bin, who had been nestled against me, lifted her head and looked at me, surprised by my unusual question. I wondered if I had done something wrong and briefly reflected on my actions.
“What? Are you curious about my workplace?”
She seemed to think I was asking out of concern for her. And it was true that I cared about her. Regardless of our Spacetroe-Hunter Killer dynamic, she was my girlfriend.
“Of course, I am. I’m worried you might be stressed again and not telling me.”
Yu-bin smiled and snuggled closer. We were pressed flush against each other, our bodies touching, and we exchanged smiles. I kissed her forehead.
“Never mind the people in charge. My coworkers don’t really talk about themselves, so I don’t know much about them.”
While Yu-ra and Yu-bin had reconciled and their relationship had improved, they hadn’t suddenly become close enough to share personal stories.
“Plus, they’re all quite unique.”
I completely agreed. Having met Yu-bin, Yu-ra, and Green just the other day, I could sense their strong personalities.
And for some reason, Hunter Killer lacked team cohesion.
“There’s Eun-ha unni, the coworker I work with the most.”
She was talking about Green. I couldn’t tell from the name alone, but since Green was the one who attended meetings most often with Yu-bin, it was highly likely that Eun-ha was Green.
“Lately, she seems reluctant to go home.”
“Reluctant to go home?”
“Yeah. She and the oldest unni live with their families, but Eun-ha unni always seems to be looking for something to do after work, even when there’s nothing.”
I didn’t know the reason, but she didn’t want to go home. Was that why she’d been sitting alone in the park the other day?
“She didn’t go home right away yesterday either, and when I asked her why, she just said, ‘Just because.’”
“So you were worried?”
“Well, she’s the one who works the hardest, so I can’t help but be concerned.”
I wouldn’t learn anything from asking about the other members. To learn more about Hunter Killer, I needed to focus on Green, whom I’d at least met once.
I was going to the cafe tomorrow, so I could ask Yu-ra. I just hoped she wouldn’t ask me if I was interested in Green again.
“Are you meeting clients tomorrow, too?”
“Uh, yes.”
I responded casually to Yu-bin’s question. I’d upset her last week by not contacting her while I was out, so I had to be more careful.
“Will you be late again?”
“I will be late, but not because of drinks. Because of work.”
I planned to stop by the office after my cafe shift to check if I could access the data.
“Then I’ll go home straight after work tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
I hugged Yu-bin again and mentally reviewed my plans for tomorrow.
The next afternoon.
I arrived at the cafe, greeted the owner at the counter, and went into the kitchen, but Yu-ra wasn’t there.
“Is she in the bathroom?”
There were signs that she had been working, so she must have come in. She was probably just taking a break, I thought, and went to the storage room to change into my uniform. I saw a familiar figure inside, checking the contents of a box of supplies.
“Hey.”
Yu-ra turned around as I entered, our eyes meeting. She put down the box and walked towards me.
Her purposeful stride made me wonder if I’d done something wrong, and I froze. Just as the storage room door closed behind me, Yu-ra grabbed me by the collar, pulled me towards her, and kissed me.
I was startled by the sudden, intense kiss, our tongues tangling, and instinctively tried to pull away, but she was too strong. I gradually relaxed and wrapped my arms around her waist, returning the kiss.
Yu-ra pulled away, a smile on her face.
“Hi.”
She greeted me, her cheeks flushed.
“…Kissing as soon as we get to work? What if someone sees us?”
“Let them see.”
She pulled me in for another kiss.
Escaping was impossible, so I might as well kiss her.
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