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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Do you have a girlfriend?
Throughout life, we hear and respond to various questions. This exchange is called conversation, and all living beings engage in it.
Of all the questions I’d heard, the one I found most inconsiderate was, “Do you have a girlfriend?” It would be better to simply ask, “Are you single?” Asking if I had a girlfriend felt like forcing me to admit, “I look like I have a girlfriend, but I actually don’t.”
And when you answered no, they’d say, “I knew it!”
It was fine if people in relationships asked this question.
But why the smug look and condescending tone, as if they were superior? Maybe I was just being cynical. But what was I supposed to do about how I felt?
However, since a few days ago, I no longer felt stressed by this question. I could confidently say, “Yes, I do.”
Yu-bin, who appeared strong and reliable as Red of Hunter Killer but was actually quite cute, had become my girlfriend. While I couldn’t confidently introduce her as my girlfriend at Spacetroe headquarters, I could at least answer the question affirmatively.
So, what was my girlfriend doing right now?
She was beating up my Spacetroe comrades in black suits 30 meters away.
And why was I 30 meters away? To answer that, we need to go back five seconds.
It was duel day. I had told Yu-bin I had an off-site meeting and arrived at the scene with my Spacetroe comrades.
Surprisingly, all five members of Hunter Killer were already there, and I naturally looked for Red in her red suit.
Even though we were dating, she didn’t know who I was. And business was business, pleasure was pleasure. How could anyone function in society without separating the two?
With that resolve, I drew my sword and charged towards Red, only to be punched in the face and sent flying 30 meters.
That was five seconds ago.
“She seems stronger than usual. Did something good happen today?”
We’d been texting until this morning, but nothing particularly good had happened. We’d just exchanged mundane messages about what we were doing and whether we’d eaten. It seemed her good mood wasn’t because of me.
“Oof!”
One of my comrades landed next to me after being kicked by Red.
“You alive?”
Even though his combat skills were mediocre, I never doubted his durability.
“Do I look dead? Damn it, my chest hurts.”
We hadn’t slept together since our motel encounter. We were both busy with our own responsibilities. I wasn’t an animal, driven by primal urges after just one taste of pleasure.
“I’m going to get her today!”
We were in the middle of a duel, and I needed to be a Spacetroe soldier, not Yu-bin’s boyfriend. I picked up my sword and charged towards Red again.
Red’s figure, kicking, slashing, and punching my comrades, grew closer. Show me an opening!, I thought desperately, swinging my sword. The next thing I saw was the sky.
“Huh?”
Red had ducked and delivered an uppercut to my jaw, sending me flying. It hurt so much I almost wished I’d blacked out. I could feel my comrades staring at me as I hung in the air.
I finally had a girlfriend, like any ordinary person.
But unfortunately, I was also one of the few people in the world who got beaten up by their girlfriend’s fists and feet.
“Ugh!”
I crashed to the ground. As usual, we lost.
“Sob, sniffle!”
Ruche was crying in the passenger seat of the overcrowded van, as always. While I usually felt a little sorry for her crying every time we lost, today, I was the one who deserved pity.
“Is your jaw okay?”
“Are you crazy? How would I know with my helmet on?”
I asked my comrade, and he responded as if he could see my expression through the helmet.
“…You’re definitely not okay.”
It wasn’t normal to ask if someone’s face was okay while they were wearing a helmet. Another comrade looked at me with genuine concern.
“I’m fine, you idiot. It was a joke.”
It had been a close call, so my joke didn’t quite land, but the van continued toward headquarters in a relatively cheerful atmosphere.
Back at the base, all we ordinary soldiers had to do was change our clothes and go home.
As usual, I went to the locker room, took off my helmet, and put it in my locker.
‘Doesn’t look like there are any injuries.’
A comrade changing next to me glanced at my jaw, so I touched it just in case. It was a little sore, but there didn’t seem to be any visible injuries.
“That’s good. A couple of days of rest should do the trick.”
“Red was brutal today.”
We always chatted while changing. While losing had become almost routine, we tried to maintain a cheerful facade, talking to avoid dwelling on our defeats.
Naturally, after a duel, most of our conversations revolved around the fight.
“Red is always brutal.”
Red was always a formidable opponent, and no one on our team had ever been able to handle her. Even Ruche had never been able to withstand her intensity.
“But didn’t Ruche say she was in an elite unit before?”
“Yeah, she was an ace in space battles.”
“Maybe she can’t perform as well on the ground?”
Before coming to Earth, when I worked on the ship, I knew a bit about the space fighter pilots. Since we sometimes received supplies from other ships during space battles, it was good to memorize the main units.
That was how I first learned about Ruche, from the roster. Of course, I’d only met her in person after arriving at the Seoul branch.
When one of my comrades implied that Ruche was incompetent, everyone in the locker room, including me, stared at him.
“Hey! Ruche is working so hard!”
“I know! I was just saying! Why are you guys like this?”
“We won’t tolerate anyone insulting Ruche, even a comrade!”
“I wasn’t insulting her!”
“Kill him!” “Yes! Kill him!”
They started wrestling, one of them putting the other in an arm lock.
I stood there, counting down.
“10! 9! 8!”
“I surrender! I surrender!”
The guy in the arm lock tapped the floor with his hand, but we showed no mercy.
“There’s no surrendering!”
In the end, despite not meaning any harm, the guy who’d made the comment was beaten up by everyone before he was forgiven. We left the locker room, feeling refreshed.
After changing, I was about to leave when I saw Ruche, in civilian clothes, standing outside.
“Done with your report?”
Her eyes were red and puffy, probably from crying again.
A few days ago, the branch manager had apologized and treated Ruche to dinner after scolding her for our recent losses, but it seemed she’d cried again after reporting today’s defeat.
I could picture the branch manager trying to console her.
“Yes. Is your jaw okay?”
Her voice still trembled as she expressed concern for me, having seen me get punched in the jaw and land right next to her during the duel. I was more worried about Ruche becoming depressed from crying every time we lost.
“There are no injuries, and it only hurts a little. It should heal soon.”
“That’s good. I’ll change your surveillance assignment soon.”
“Huh?”
Her sudden words caught me off guard. I was so surprised I had to replay them in my head.
“The Red surveillance isn’t producing any results.”
“When will the change happen?”
“I haven’t decided yet. When would be good for you?”
Honestly, I wanted to keep the current assignment. It was more comfortable this way. Should I just tell her about my relationship with Yu-bin? No, that would be foolish.
“I’ll do it for this week… no, until next week. Just in case.”
As an ordinary soldier, I had to follow orders without question, even if they were given on short notice. I was grateful that Ruche was giving me a choice and letting me decide the timeframe. It showed consideration.
And the only way I could repay her consideration was… to report the current situation.
But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The only progress was in my relationship with Yu-bin; I hadn’t learned anything about Hunter Killer’s internal affairs.
“…Actually, the atmosphere within Hunter Killer seems quite tense.”
That was all I could report: my observations of Yu-bin and what she’d said, disguised as talk about another job.
“Oh? How did you know?”
“I noticed it during surveillance, but it’s just a guess for now. I’ll look into it further next week.”
“Okay. Let me know if you find anything.”
Ruche sniffled, patted my shoulder, and went into her office.
Knowing I only had about a week left to monitor Yu-bin brought on a mix of emotions.
“Where will I be assigned after the change?”
I’d have to move to a new location with a new target. Ruche, who had started walking towards her office, stopped and turned around.
“Where else? You’ll stay there for now. There’s no relocation allowance.”
If my living situation remained the same, there was nothing to worry about.
“Really?”
“Don’t move using your own money. I’ll look into getting you an allowance.”
“Just look into it for now. I can decide about moving later.”
Ruche nodded and went into her office, and I headed home, feeling relieved.
At the same time, on the 3rd floor of the Earth Defense Alliance Seoul branch headquarters.
“~♬”
Red hummed an unfamiliar tune as she packed her things, and the other team members stared at her.
“Something good happen today?”
“Huh? No~”
Her unusual demeanor and tone made the others exchange glances, wondering if something was wrong with her.
“You were incredible during the fight today.”
Pink, checking her pink hair in the mirror, recalled Red’s performance in the recent duel.
“Was I?”
“You were definitely different today.”
Yellow, coming out of the shower next to the locker room, noticed the unusual atmosphere but didn’t say anything, just took her clothes out of her locker and got dressed.
“Are you leaving early again today?”
“…”
Red asked Yellow, who was getting dressed, and she just nodded silently.
“Sometimes, I wish you’d actually answer me.”
Yellow, seeing Red’s smile, suddenly wondered if she’d made a mistake and looked at the others. They just shrugged, indicating they also didn’t understand Red’s behavior. Red quickly packed her things.
“I’m leaving first.”
Red, who was usually the last to leave, was the first one ready to go today.
“What about the report for the team leader?”
“I asked Blue to do it.”
Answering Pink’s question, Red, having delegated today’s report to Blue, stepped into the arriving elevator and left. The remaining team members exchanged puzzled looks.
“What’s with her today? Green, did you hear anything?”
“No, nothing in particular…”
“Maybe something good happened.”
Yellow, now dressed, left the locker room, and Pink and Green decided not to overthink it, figuring Red was entitled to a good mood.
As I was almost home, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was Yu-bin.
“Hello?”
“Oppa!”
Her cheerful voice was so loud I instinctively pulled the phone away from my ear.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Are you home?”
“Almost there.”
“Then I’ll stop by my place and come over to yours.”
“Okay… wait, what?”
Was everyone trying to surprise me today? I didn’t understand why so many unexpected things were happening.
“I’ll be there in an hour!”
Yu-bin hung up. I gathered my wits and thought about the current state of my apartment.
“I’m screwed.”
All Spacetroe-related items were at headquarters. My apartment only contained my personal belongings, so there was no risk of exposure.
A man living alone typically left his laundry unfolded within reach, did the bare minimum for recycling, and only took out the trash when the bag overflowed. While there might be exceptions, I was a typical bachelor, and I knew my apartment was a mess.
I welcomed my girlfriend coming over. It was sudden, but it was a good thing. A good thing, but could I clean up the place in time for her arrival?
I ran the rest of the way home at full speed.
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