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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Yellow seemed to have a strong impression of me now, which meant close-range observation would be difficult. However, I wasn’t ready to give up without at least checking her reaction, so I decided to go back to the arcade.
Since there was a chance she wouldn’t be there in the morning, I couldn’t waste my time in an empty arcade, so I went to headquarters and reviewed the training materials.
Just before lunchtime, as I was wondering what to eat, I received a text message from Green.
[Are you coming to the park today?]
Hunter Killer had their morning meeting today. Green usually came to the park after the meeting, around lunchtime, and since it was almost lunchtime, I decided to go out for a bit and replied with a simple, “Yes.”
I figured I’d arrive just in time if I left now and headed out of headquarters.
Back at the office, after A left.
“What? A left already?”
Ruche, coming out of her office, noticed A’s empty workstation and asked another soldier.
“Yes, he just left.”
“Really? Okay,” Ruche replied and left the office.
The persistent heatwave made me want to minimize my outdoor activities. While meeting Green at a nearby cafe would have been perfectly acceptable, I felt like our meetings had to be at the park.
It was just my feeling, something I hadn’t discussed with Green, and I wasn’t sure why I felt that way, so I hadn’t mentioned it.
When I arrived at the park, Green wasn’t there yet, so I sat down on a bench and waited.
Feeling the oppressive heat, I thought we should meet at a cafe next time.
About five minutes later, I saw Green hurrying towards me, sweating under the scorching sun.
“Take your time, take your time.”
“Hello. Did you wait long?”
“I just got here. It’s so hot out; you should have gotten something cold to drink and taken your time.”
I told her there was no need to rush, seeing her sweating, and she smiled, her face flushed from the heat and exertion.
“I’m okay. I have good stamina.”
While I knew Hunter Killer members had enhanced physical abilities, that wouldn’t change the fact that it was hot.
I just nodded, seeing her nonchalant attitude.
“You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? Should we grab something to eat?”
“Huh?!”
Green’s eyes widened in surprise at my suggestion, prompted by my growling stomach. Was it that surprising?
“Lunch? Oh, have you already eaten?”
She seemed to think I’d already eaten, and she quickly shook her head.
“No, not yet.”
“Then let’s eat together.”
It wasn’t a big deal, just having lunch together, but Green still looked surprised.
I had some questions for her, so we left the park to find a place to eat.
After lunch with Green, I saw her off. I brought up the incident with Yellow during our meal and asked Green about her, but she didn’t know much, having neither a long history with Yellow like Yu-ra nor any direct conflict like Yu-bin.
While I’d hoped she might know something, having been on the team for three years, I realized that in a team with such poor communication, even years of working together didn’t guarantee any meaningful connection.
She did offer one interesting observation, though.
“She seems complicated on the surface, but I think she’s actually quite simple.”
While it could apply to anyone, I focused on the fact that Green had said that about Yellow. I had a feeling her assessment wasn’t about a typical level of complexity or simplicity.
I trusted Green’s judgment; she wasn’t the type to speak carelessly about others.
On my way back, I decided to stop by the arcade to check if Yellow was there.
When I arrived, I found her playing a game alone. The arcade was empty except for her, and after our encounter yesterday, I didn’t want to risk another confrontation, so I kept my distance, observing her from behind other game consoles.
She was completely engrossed in the game, her expression blank as she expertly manipulated the joystick and buttons, her movements unchanged from the two days I’d observed her.
I couldn’t stay there, staring; it would be too suspicious, especially after yesterday’s incident. Moreover, lurking behind arcade games, watching someone, would make anyone look suspicious, so I sat down at the fighting game console where I’d failed to defeat the final boss yesterday.
I’d tried to be quiet as I approached, hoping she hadn’t noticed me, and I sat there, hoping she wouldn’t recognize me. While I could have played any game, I’d chosen this one because of Yellow.
I also needed to gauge her reaction. Knowing her tendency to resort to violence, I hoped she wouldn’t hit me.
“You’re really bad at this.”
A while later, as I was getting beaten up by the boss character, I heard Yellow’s voice from across the console.
“I thought you wanted to learn how to play, but you don’t even know the basics.”
I couldn’t argue with her assessment. I was too uncomfortable to even speak.
“Why are you even playing if you’re just going to waste your money?”
…It was a valid point, but why was she speaking to me so informally?
I could understand her informal tone yesterday. I was a suspicious stranger who’d been following her, so there was no reason for her to be polite. But today felt different.
“You’re not even trying any combos. You don’t seem to know any special moves. I don’t understand what you’re trying to do.”
I was annoyed, but after yesterday’s incident, I knew anything I said would be pointless.
And I realized Yellow, while remembering me from yesterday, the guy who’d asked her to teach him how to play games, wasn’t going to help me.
I hadn’t come here to play games, so her refusal to teach me didn’t matter. I’d barely played this game before and didn’t mind being bad at it. But I still felt a pang of wounded pride.
“I can still play even if I’m not good at it. You’re so naggy.”
I realized why I felt so annoyed. It wasn’t about the game; I already had a negative impression of Yellow. I’d found her behavior baffling and had unconsciously judged her, even while observing her.
I disliked her because she’d caused trouble for Yu-bin and the other Hunter Killer members. While it might sound like I was rooting for Hunter Killer, it was because I’d become close to them.
How could I not be offended when someone insulted my friends?
My suppressed resentment towards her had finally surfaced, and I’d snapped at her. And my initial request to teach me had been based on the assumption that I didn’t know how to play. Her nagging, after that, had been annoying.
But I hadn’t meant to be so aggressive, and I was surprised by my own words. She fell silent, and I tensed, listening for her response, the only sounds the background noise of the arcade.
“Have you been watching videos or something?”
Her unexpected question, after the tense silence, made me say, “Huh?”
“I asked what you’ve been watching. Tournament videos? Gameplay videos? You must have a character you want to learn, right?”
“…No.”
“And you’re complaining about me nagging? You should at least come prepared if you want to learn.”
I couldn’t argue with her. She was right.
It was like asking a master for guidance and then saying you had no specific requests.
While my annoyance stemmed from other reasons, Yellow, unaware of my true feelings, probably just saw me as an idiot who didn’t like being nagged.
I’d deliberately chosen a console across from her, and she came over, sat down at the console next to mine, and inserted some coins. Her unexpected action stunned me into silence, and she spoke again.
“What are you waiting for? You said you wanted to learn, didn’t you?”
“Uh? Oh.”
I ended up playing against her, my foolish attempt to avoid the situation backfiring.
“? You were here last week, too, weren’t you?”
She asked, after briefly observing my gameplay. She remembered our match from last week, even though I hadn’t been discovered.
“How did you know?”
“I remember being surprised that such a clueless noob challenged me during peak hours.”
She remembered because my terrible gameplay had been so memorable. She’d only remembered the incident itself, not that it was me she’d played against, until now.
“That character is difficult for beginners.”
“Is it?”
After I lost the first round, Yellow helped me choose a character that was easier to use.
I tried to follow her instructions as we continued playing, but
“Seriously, idiot, is it that hard to use a special move after a combo, then use another special move?”
“You’re blocking everything!”
“What kind of idiot just stands there and gets hit? You’re supposed to block or dodge!”
I hadn’t expected her to be patient and encouraging with a beginner, but her constant stream of insults made me want to win, so I followed her instructions while arguing with her.
“Now! Hit now!”
“How can I hit ‘now’ when you’re blocking?!”
“You have to hit before I block, idiot!”
“That’s bullshit!”
Thankfully, the arcade was still empty, but her relentless nagging made me raise my voice, which was unusual for me.
While I’d brought this upon myself, I still didn’t like her, and I didn’t want to listen to her nagging. I decided to retort every time she complained, which only made her nag more.
“Block, then grab and break free, like this!”
“…”
She demonstrated the move, using my character as a punching bag, and my HP bar hit zero. I’d lost for the eighth time.
“You’re really bad at this game.”
Her words stung. I hadn’t played much, and it was natural for her to be better than me.
While it was true that I was bad at the game, her constant criticism bruised my ego.
“One more round.”
“Fine. Let’s see if you can at least reach double digits.”
We started another game, and she continued giving instructions as she played, my inexperienced hands struggling to keep up.
As the arcade filled up with people, she lowered her voice, but the nagging and bickering continued, and I ended up losing 30 consecutive rounds to her on my first day of “lessons.”
“Hey.”
“What?”
As the arcade became more crowded, we left, and I approached Yellow, who was waiting outside. I was exhausted after playing games all day, but I was also frustrated by my constant losses.
“What time are you coming tomorrow?”
“I’ll be here sometime. Why?”
“Okay. Be there. I’ll be waiting.”
I made sure she knew I’d be back for a rematch and, grinding my teeth in frustration, headed home.
I hadn’t come here to play games, but I now had a new goal: to win, at least once. I realized this much later.
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