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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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All living beings require cooperation to survive. Humans, especially, are virtually defenseless without tools, lacking the means to protect themselves from predators. Thus, cooperation and collaboration are essential, and human society has always been built through the combined efforts of many.
“Hey.”
It was a quiet Sunday afternoon. The café was mostly empty and quiet, but there was still work to be done. A truck had arrived at the back door, and boxes of supplies were being unloaded. Since I was responsible for the kitchen, I carefully carried the boxes inside, one by one.
“Hey.”
I worked diligently. I had to, because I was doing it all alone. So, what was Pink, my fellow kitchen worker, doing?
“Hey!”
I called out to Pink, who was staring at her phone with a sullen expression, but she didn’t react, her eyes glued to the screen.
“I’m not deaf.”
I’d thought she was completely ignoring me, but she finally spoke, her voice low and subdued. I’d already felt a sense of foreboding from her expression, and hearing her tone made me think it was best to leave her alone.
“…”
Pink stood there, typing on her phone. I didn’t dare approach her and just watched from a distance.
“The boxes?”
“I moved them all.”
She put her phone in her pocket and opened the storage room door. Looking at the boxes I’d brought in, she started putting them away. Physically stronger than I was, she effortlessly moved even the heavy boxes, using her superhuman strength.
“You’re fast.”
I was genuinely impressed by her speed. Pink finished organizing in no time, came out of the storage room, and sighed irritably.
“Why the heavy sigh?”
“Do you know about Hunter Killer?”
Of course, I knew. We fought them every week.
“I know. They’re part of the Earth Defense Alliance, right?”
I didn’t understand why she was bringing up Hunter Killer, especially since she didn’t hide the fact that she was a superhuman. I decided to just give a minimal response and listen to what she had to say.
“We were supposed to have a meeting this morning.”
“A meeting?”
“Yeah. We discuss strategies for fighting Spacetroe.”
We had meetings, too, but they were only for the executives, so minions like me were kept in the dark. I hadn’t realized Hunter Killer had regular meetings as well.
“And?”
This could be a good opportunity to gather some internal information. Even if it wasn’t specific, I might learn something about Hunter Killer’s strength or other teams within the Alliance.
“I’ve told them countless times that I have work on weekend mornings, but they keep nagging me for not attending the meetings.”
I’d already guessed that the atmosphere within the team wasn’t great, based on what Yu-bin had told me.
“Who?”
More detailed information about this could be useful. I might even be able to exploit their weaknesses.
“Red. Our team leader.”
The source of Pink’s conflict was none other than Red, my girlfriend, Hong Yu-bin.
Pink had complained about her teammates not pulling their weight, disguised as a group project, and it seemed she’d been talking about Pink.
“What does the team leader say?”
“The same thing every time. Why didn’t I come to the meeting?”
Pink’s voice was sharp, filled with resentment towards Yu-bin. While I hadn’t heard Yu-bin’s side of the story, it sounded like Pink was in the wrong.
“It’s not like I’m skipping the meetings on purpose! I have work every day! What am I supposed to do? She just doesn’t get it.”
Yu-bin also worked every weekend. In fact, she’d be working right now. Even though it was summer break now, she’d been juggling university, her part-time job, and her Hunter Killer duties until recently.
“She’s acting all high and mighty just because she has it a little easier than me. I’m barely scraping by.”
“I understand there’s a problem. Just calm down.”
Regardless of who was right or wrong, I needed to calm her down. When someone was agitated, neither the speaker nor the listener could properly understand the conversation.
I handed her a glass of cold water, which she downed in one gulp, then she continued.
“Honestly, I’m not the only one who misses meetings. Blue and Yellow skip them all the time, but I’m the youngest, so they think they can pick on me.”
The current Hunter Killer team had been together for three years. I didn’t know if they’d known each other before that, but they’d been seeing each other every week for at least three years. Judging by Pink’s sharp tone, this wasn’t a recent conflict.
“She’s the youngest team leader, and what makes her so special besides having the best physical abilities?”
It felt strange to hear Pink talk about Yu-bin like this, unaware that we were dating. But seeing Pink’s agitated state, I thought I might be able to get some information, so I kept my cool and encouraged her to continue.
“So, the team members rarely show up to meetings?”
“I don’t know. I can’t go often because of work. Even when I did go, everyone was rarely there.”
Yu-bin had another part-time job on weekday mornings and afternoons. She had told me it was an office assistant job, but it seemed she was attending Hunter Killer meetings instead. Since summer break started, she’d been attending meetings every day except Fridays and duel days, so it seemed only Yu-bin, who led the meetings, and Green, who wasn’t mentioned, were regularly attending.
“What’s the point of having meetings when we always win anyway?”
It seemed like there was more to her anger than just the meetings.
It was just a guess, but based on what Yu-bin had hinted at, the overall atmosphere within the organization might be negatively affecting the team members.
Pink’s frustration, unable to find a proper outlet, seemed to be directed at her teammates.
As Pink had said, Hunter Killer was so powerful that they wouldn’t lose even without meetings. While we might be able to momentarily surprise them with unexpected tactics or weapons, they’d always overcome our attempts and emerged victorious.
“Don’t the other team members say anything?”
“I wouldn’t know. We don’t contact each other and only see each other on duel days. How would I know?”
Thinking rationally, could they really have been this deeply divided while performing so well in duels? My answer was a definite no. Their teamwork during duels was undeniable, something that couldn’t be achieved without coordination.
For example, if Red called out someone’s codename mid-duel, they’d immediately launch the next attack without hesitation, creating a seamless flow of attacks.
If this disconnect was a regular occurrence, there were two possible explanations: either Yu-bin had been more sensitive than usual, or Pink had overreacted.
I didn’t know the answer, and even if I asked, Pink probably wouldn’t tell me.
“But your team’s been together for a long time, right? How about apologizing and making up?”
I wasn’t obligated to mediate their conflict, but leaving things as they were would affect my work here, and I wouldn’t be able to handle Yu-bin if she was upset when I got home. While I couldn’t be sure she’d come over after her shift, we still needed to communicate.
“Apologize? Why should I? She’s the one who’s wrong. I’m not apologizing first.”
My pride was slightly wounded by the fact that we’d been consistently losing to a team with such internal conflict for three years.
The information about their internal discord, worse than I’d imagined, wasn’t immediately useful, but it was worth noting.
Since I didn’t know their usual dynamic, this conflict could be easily resolved. Conversely, if it escalated, it would definitely affect their teamwork.
That aside, a strange feeling had been gnawing at me, a sense of discomfort I couldn’t shake off. It had started when Pink first mentioned Red, and it made me frown.
“She’s younger than you. You should be more understanding.”
I didn’t even realize the sharpness in my voice, and Pink’s sharp gaze turned to me. Strangely, I wasn’t intimidated, and I stared back.
“Just because she’s younger doesn’t mean I have to be understanding. She’s not exactly understanding towards me, even though I’m older.”
“Still, it sounds like you’re not entirely blameless either. How about trying to clear up the misunderstanding…”
“Hey.”
My initial attempt to mediate, solely to avoid an awkward situation for myself, had become emotionally charged, and Pink’s irritation was palpable in her voice.
“What are you? Do you know Red?”
“Not really.”
My emotions were getting the better of me, my voice laced with annoyance.
“Why are you taking her side if you don’t even know her? Fine, you don’t have to take my side. But what business is it of yours?”
Her words made me realize the source of my discomfort. I was annoyed that Pink was badmouthing Yu-bin.
While we were on opposing sides, Yu-bin was my girlfriend, and I had received messages from her every day, saying she couldn’t contact me during the day because of her other job. And seeing her dedication at the convenience store, I assumed she was the same with Hunter Killer.
I felt a surge of resentment towards Pink, who was complaining and getting angry instead of apologizing for missing calls and not attending meetings, while Yu-bin was attending those meetings, leading them, and juggling another job.
It was the enemy’s business, and it would normally be beneficial for them to struggle, but hearing Pink complain about my girlfriend’s efforts made me feel a mix of frustration and protectiveness, a tightness in my chest I couldn’t describe.
“It is none of my business, but you were texting while I was moving all those boxes alone! You caused the problem, so why are you acting like you’re in the right?”
“I organized everything after you moved them.”
“We could have done it together! You didn’t help with the initial work and only did the finishing touches. Why should I just let it go?”
I started venting my frustrations, my emotions taking over. I hadn’t been upset about carrying the boxes alone. It hadn’t bothered me.
It was true that Pink had organized everything neatly afterwards. But by bringing it up, I had created a problem where there hadn’t been one before.
“…Whatever. Let’s just work.”
Pink, about to say something, stopped and went back to the kitchen. My sudden outburst of anger fizzled out, leaving me feeling deflated. Continuing the argument would only lead to a fight, so I sighed and followed her.
The awkwardness lingered, and we worked in silence until the end of our shift.
“A.”
The owner called me as I came out of the break room after changing.
“Can you work both morning and afternoon shifts next Sunday?”
“Yes, I can, but is something wrong?”
I had nothing planned for Sunday afternoon, so working a longer shift wasn’t a problem. But I was curious why she was asking me, someone who’d only been working there for two weeks, to come in early.
“Yu-ra can’t work next Sunday. Someone from the evening shift will come in early to cover her afternoon shift.”
“Ah… I see.”
Then there was no reason for me to come in early. I was only working here to monitor Pink. While working a longer shift would normally be beneficial, it would be pointless if Pink wasn’t there.
But I’d already agreed, and it was just one day, so I decided to go along with it.
I wondered why Pink, who hadn’t spoken to me for most of today, wasn’t coming to work next Sunday. I hadn’t heard anything from Yu-bin, so it probably wasn’t Hunter Killer related.
I looked at Pink, and our eyes met, then we both quickly looked away. My earlier anger had subsided, and the lingering awkwardness made me want to break the silence, but I couldn’t speak, unsure of what Pink was thinking.
“…You can go.”
“Uh, yeah.”
Unable to find the right words, we just awkwardly said goodbye and headed home.
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