Evil Organization’s Extra Mr. A – Chapter 10

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

I didn’t believe in God. Aside from any religious convictions, I simply didn’t entertain the idea that such a being existed. The people of my homeworld had ventured into space and learned that everything was governed by science and technology.

From my perspective, having studied physics, the things attributed to God defied scientific explanation. I could believe in spiritual beings, but the concept of God hadn’t been a part of my life since childhood. Yet, today, for the first time, I found myself seeking out this very being.

Oh God, what is happening?

There happened to be a motel across from where we were taking shelter from the rain, and Yu-bin, complaining about her aching feet, suggested we rest there.

We ended up checking in. They wouldn’t let us get a short-stay room at this hour, so we paid for an overnight stay. I stood there in the lobby, dumbfounded, like a child, while Yu-bin handled the payment. We made it to the room, put down our shopping bags, and now we were in this situation.

We sat side-by-side on the bed, the atmosphere thick with unspoken tension. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how we ended up here. We’d been walking and talking happily before the rain started, but that time felt like a distant memory.

“Oppa… you should shower first.”

Her usual cheerful voice was gone, replaced by a subdued tone. The confident, powerful Red I knew was nowhere to be seen.

“M-me first?!”

I could no longer maintain my composure. My voice betrayed me, rising to an unfamiliar pitch.

“Or should I shower first?”

Our eyes met, and I saw my flustered reflection in her red eyes. Seeing herself reflected in my gaze seemed to bring her back to her senses a little.

This was wrong. Regardless of my role as an observer and Yu-bin as my target, I knew no, I understood, as a fellow human that acting on impulse here was a mistake.

If I acted on my instincts and things went south, it would ruin the relationship we’d built. Even for the sake of my mission, I needed to get out of this situation.

I made up my mind and abruptly stood up. Yu-bin looked up at me, startled. Avoiding her gaze, I walked towards the door.

“I’ll take a taxi home. You can rest here and leave later.”

I once again rejected the thoughts that had been surfacing since yesterday and kept telling myself I had to leave. The door, just a few steps away, felt incredibly distant.

“Ah…”

I heard Yu-bin’s soft gasp, but I didn’t look back. I knew I wouldn’t be able to control myself if I stayed.

I turned the corner and put on my shoes. Just as I reached for the doorknob, a sound from inside the room made me freeze.

From the moment we parted ways after dinner yesterday, maybe even before that, something had shifted within me.

The image of Oppa eating, the image of Oppa saying goodbye… the thought of seeing him tomorrow kept replaying in my mind.

How could I get closer to him? I realized I was still using formal language with him, even though he used informal language with me. Was our relationship not progressing because of my formality? Would he be okay if I suddenly switched to informal speech? Would he dislike it? I hoped not.

The wait for Oppa to arrive felt longer than ever before. I interacted normally with the customers, turning my head at every sound of the door.

Oppa usually arrived around the same time, and even though it wasn’t time yet, I wondered if he might come early today.

I knew it was unlikely that he’d suddenly change his routine after coming at the same time for over a month.

Resigned to waiting, I was ringing up a customer when I heard the chime of the door. I turned my head and saw Oppa, the person I’d been waiting for.

Overcome with excitement, I called out to him. We made eye contact, and there was no way he hadn’t heard me, but he didn’t respond and just walked further into the store. I felt a pang of disappointment, like a fool for having waited so eagerly.

Oppa always left the store right after paying. It was his routine, and it was natural for him to do so today, but I felt disappointed to see him go. I wanted to see him more. Couldn’t he stay?

I’d thought about him constantly even when he wasn’t around, but now that I’d seen him, I wanted to see him even more, even though he was right there.

The thought that once he walked out that door, I wouldn’t see him until tomorrow made me call out to him, and he stayed. Did Oppa come to the convenience store, where I worked, because he wanted to see me, too? I hoped so.

Oppa was staring at me as he heated his lunchbox in the microwave. His blatant staring made me self-conscious.

I texted him, asking why he kept staring, and he replied, “Just because.” There was no other reason for him to look at me. He came to the convenience store where I worked, and he looked at me because I was there.

Why did I want to see Oppa so much?

Because I liked him?

No, it was a little different from liking him.

I wanted to see him… just because. I just wanted to see him.

We ran out of cigarettes at the counter, and as I was returning from the storage room after restocking, I saw Oppa talking on the phone. As I got closer, I heard a woman’s voice. Who was it? A friend? Family? Or maybe a girlfriend?

He said it was his boss at work. Oppa wouldn’t lie to me about something like that, so I trusted him and felt relieved enough to continue working.

As I watched Oppa sitting in the store, I noticed his outfit. Had I really been staring at his face this whole time?

He was dressed normally today. I wished he’d always dress like this. I’d never had a boyfriend before, so I didn’t know my own preferences, but I liked the simple look.

I decided to tell him about his previous outfit.

Seeing his shocked expression, I felt a little bad for being so blunt, but it was also funny. I couldn’t help but stare at him as he avoided my gaze, and he mentioned he was planning to buy some clothes.

“When?!”

I desperately hoped it would be a day I could go with him. I’d even skip work to go with him if it was during my next shift.

He said he was planning to go tomorrow or the day after. I couldn’t skip my shift this week, so how could I convince him to go another day, so we could go together?

“Want to go together?”

His words filled me with joy.

He suggested we go together after my shift tomorrow. This was definitely a date. It had to be. Shopping together after work was definitely a date. There was no other explanation.

“I’ll go!”

I replied enthusiastically, and after we agreed to go together, he went home. This was serious. I was so excited I couldn’t calm down.

As soon as my shift ended, I rushed home. I immediately turned on my old, cheap laptop and searched for men’s fashion.

Having never had a boyfriend, or even a male friend, I knew a little about women’s fashion, but nothing about men’s. I could tell if an outfit looked good or bad, but I didn’t know what styles or colors suited Oppa.

Since Oppa didn’t seem to know anything about fashion either, I had to do my research to help him choose the right clothes so I could continue seeing him looking his best. I wondered if I was being too superficial, but I preferred him well-dressed rather than not.

I watched online videos about men’s fashion until dawn, then finally fell asleep as the sun rose. I slept through the morning, went to work, and an hour before the end of my shift, I started wondering what Oppa would wear.

I’d put some effort into my outfit and hoped he would too, so I texted him.

Seeing the pictures of his clothes, I realized he’d lived a life completely detached from fashion. It wasn’t the worst, though, and I managed to find a decent combination among his options.

As soon as I stepped out of the convenience store after my shift, I saw Oppa. He was wearing exactly what I’d told him to.

I was wearing a turtleneck with a cutout at the chest and a short black skirt. Would he like it?

I was completely focused while choosing clothes for Oppa at the department store. I saw many other couples and suddenly felt competitive. I felt a sense of responsibility to choose the right clothes for him and concentrated, recalling everything I’d learned from the videos.

Oppa tried on everything I picked out and bought the ones he thought looked best.

After we finished shopping for him, Oppa helped me choose clothes.

He was so serious as he looked for something I’d like. Did I look like that when I was choosing his clothes?

I found a dress I wanted, but it was more expensive than I expected. I could afford it, but I wouldn’t have enough money to last until my next paycheck.

It was a dress Oppa had chosen for me. Should I splurge? As I was agonizing over it, Oppa bought the dress with his card. He said it was a thank-you gift for helping him choose his clothes.

It was a black dress, and Oppa seemed to think it suited me.

Whether it suited me or not wasn’t important. What mattered was that it was the first gift Oppa had given me.

We left the department store and started looking for a place to eat, getting lost in conversation.

We walked so far, engrossed in our talk, that we ended up in an area with no restaurants. As we turned back, it started to rain.

Why was it raining on our first date? I felt a little resentful towards the heavens and noticed a motel across the street.

If I went there and spent the night with Oppa, would he stay with me? I was inexperienced, but would it be okay? It would be. Oppa was kind.

Worried he might say no, I quickly took his hand and led him to a room.

Sitting side by side on the bed, I became even more conscious of him. He’d walked a long way after work and had even gotten caught in the rain. Should he take a shower?

Oppa suddenly stood up and walked towards the door.

“Ah…”

I reached out to stop him and realized I’d made a mistake.

I’d gotten carried away, linking arms with him and holding his hand without considering his feelings. What was he thinking while I was being so forward?

I’d relied on his kindness and dragged him around according to my whims, even bringing him to a place like this. He hadn’t intended for things to go this far.

I was always alone, and I hated it. Because there was no one around me. No mom, no dad.

Then Oppa appeared. He answered my calls and never complained, no matter what I did.

I mistakenly assumed he felt the same way.

I couldn’t bring myself to call out to him as he walked away. If he left now, would I ever see him again? He probably wouldn’t want to be with someone as selfish as me.

So, I was alone again. Because I was selfish, even to someone who was kind to me, I ended up alone.

It was better for someone like me to be alone…

I couldn’t lift my head. I felt tears welling up. Just hold on a little longer.

I’d cry after he left. I couldn’t let him see me like this.

“Sob…”

Don’t come out! Don’t you dare come out!

I bit my lip and screamed at myself internally, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

I squeezed my eyes shut, but they kept flowing.

I felt a warmth on my hand and looked up. Oppa was sitting beside me, holding my hand, looking into my eyes.

I’d come to Earth to invade, but I wasn’t a demon.

Even though we were born in different places, I could empathize with the people of Earth.

“Why are you crying?”

Seeing a girl cry couldn’t help but evoke sympathy and concern.

“N-no, I’m not crying…”

I wiped my tears and forced a smile, pulling the corners of my lips upwards.

I was supposed to be monitoring Yu-bin, but I’d genuinely enjoyed spending time with her today, like we were just hanging out.

I briefly considered that this kind of relationship wasn’t so bad.

But if it continued, it would eventually become something I couldn’t handle.

If I touched Yu-bin, who had opened her heart to me, I might inflict irreparable damage, not as an enemy, but as a fellow human being.

Yes, for Yu-bin’s sake, I had to leave.

That was why I’d tried to leave, not to see her forcing a smile like this.

As I held her hand, which she’d been using to force a smile, she started sobbing again.

“Oppa, I-I’m sorry.”

She hiccuped and apologized in a choked voice.

I couldn’t understand why she was apologizing. She hadn’t done anything wrong.

“I like you, but I don’t know what to do… I’m sorry. For being so selfish. I’m sorry…”

I was usually perceptive.

I’d known for a while that Yu-bin had feelings for me. It was obvious.

But I’d deliberately ignored it and denied it every time the thought crossed my mind. I’d thought it was for the best.

I’d acknowledged Yu-bin’s feelings and then dismissed them, and my ignorance had made this girl cry.

“No, I’m sorry.”

I hugged her and patted her back.

How much had she been suffering in silence while I pretended not to notice? How insecure must she have felt, seeing me unresponsive to her affections?

My unconscious and unintentional actions must have seemed significant to her. She’d developed feelings for me because of my actions, and I’d been irresponsibly trying to ignore them.

I’d often seen characters like that in dramas. People who were kind and led others on, then acted oblivious to their feelings and hurt them. Even though they were fictional characters, I hated that kind of person. If they were going to be like that, they shouldn’t have led the other person on…

And yet, I was doing the very thing I despised.

After she’d cried for a while and calmed down, we sat side by side on the bed again. The only difference was that I was still holding her hand tightly.

“I’m sorry. I thought you were leaving… I thought I’d never see you again…”

My attempt to leave, thinking I was being considerate of Yu-bin, must have seemed like I was abandoning her. I hadn’t realized that Red, the seemingly strong and dependable Hunter Killer, was such a fragile girl.

“I won’t go. I’ll stay here with you until morning.”

As if reassured by my words, she leaned against me slightly. The feelings I’d been suppressing erupted, and I tightened my grip on her hand.

Perhaps taking that as a sign, she lifted her head and looked at me. Our eyes met.

“But if I stay here… how should I put it? I might not be able to control myself.”

The girl who’d suggested I shower first was gone. Upon hearing my words, Yu-bin’s face flushed crimson, like the color of her suit, and she lowered her gaze.

Her lips trembled, wanting to say something but unsure what.

“Th-that’s, th-that’s okay.”

Huh?

“It’s okay… because it’s you, Oppa…”

Seeing her struggling to speak, her face still flushed, made it difficult for me to maintain my composure. The outcome was inevitable. A man and a woman alone in a motel room on a rainy weekend. What else was there to think about?

“You’re really okay with whatever happens?”

The moment our eyes met again, I leaned in and kissed her.

Her body tensed, then slowly relaxed. After the brief kiss, I pulled away and looked into her eyes again.

“Um, we haven’t showered yet…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Unable to resist my desires, I gently laid Yu-bin, trembling and blushing, down on the bed.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇