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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Was it even a fight? I left Yellow’s place after our awkward encounter and didn’t go to the arcade the next day. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what to say to her; I simply didn’t want to see her.
Offering advice was a form of interference, and I knew it could sometimes be unwanted, even intrusive. I wasn’t entirely blameless in the situation.
But refusing to communicate, shutting down completely, felt disrespectful. I didn’t want to say Yellow had been disrespectful to me, though. I’d approached her with ulterior motives; I was the disrespectful one.
Despite knowing that, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed.
Initially, seeing her reaction, I’d thought, “That’s why she can’t get along with her team,” judging her negatively. Had I changed my mind since then? No.
I tended to be more forgiving and accommodating towards those who were kind and friendly to me, but I was also ruthlessly cold towards those who treated me poorly. While all the Hunter Killer members were technically my surveillance targets, my relationships with them, especially with Yellow, were different.
There was no reason for me to try and see the best in her, to force myself to view her positively.
“Oppa?”
Yu-bin was at my apartment when I got home. She rarely came the day before a duel, and even when she did, she usually left before nightfall. I’d been looking forward to spending some time with her, however brief, before she left, but my bad mood, triggered by Yellow, lingered.
“Did something happen?”
I usually tried to hide my negative emotions, maintaining a neutral expression. While I rarely got upset or irritated around Yu-bin, I still tried to mask any negativity with a smile or a playful expression. I didn’t want to ruin the mood.
But my bad mood today was so strong that I couldn’t completely hide it from Yu-bin, who, sensing my unusual demeanor, looked at me with concern.
“Something… unpleasant happened.”
“Really? My poor Oppa, you must have had a rough day.”
I tried to brush it off with a smile, but Yu-bin, worried, hugged me and patted my back.
I leaned into her embrace, trying to shake off the negativity.
She didn’t ask for details. She probably assumed I wouldn’t tell her even if I could. It was better that way; I didn’t want to dwell on it, and Yu-bin, without prying, simply offered comfort.
Being comforted by your girlfriend when you were feeling down was a heartwarming experience, the negativity melting away. I hugged her back, wanting to stay in her arms a little longer, and Yu-bin smiled and held me close.
Thursday arrived, and while my mood had improved slightly, it wasn’t completely gone. Had it been because I’d spent most of the past week with Yellow? I felt even worse now, not necessarily because of who was right or wrong in our argument, but because of the argument itself.
“Sigh…”
“What’s with the heavy sigh?”
“Is it because we lost?”
I sighed in the van on our way back to headquarters after another defeat, my mind replaying the duel, Yellow’s presence a constant reminder of our argument. I’d been in a bad mood from the start, knowing I’d have to face her, even in her suit.
Hunter Killer’s performance had been their usual flawless display of teamwork. Nothing had changed on our side either. And that’s what bothered me. Everything was the same, despite my inner turmoil, and Yellow had probably moved on.
My concern about her reaction wasn’t about her specifically but a natural part of any relationship.
“Yeah, it hurts like hell.”
I forced a smile and spoke casually to my teammates, trying to hide my true feelings. I couldn’t explain, and even if I could, it wasn’t something I could talk about.
“A, is something wrong?”
Ruche, who was in the lobby when I came down after changing, approached me. She looked at me with concern, sensing my unusual demeanor.
“No, I’m just… not feeling well.”
“Really? You should have sat out the duel today.”
“I’m okay. It’s not that bad.”
“That’s good. Tell me if you’re feeling unwell or need anything. I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay. I’ll be going home now to rest.”
“Alright. Get some rest. You know about the training next week, right?”
“Yes, I’ll be there on Monday.”
I bowed to Ruche and left headquarters. I looked back, just in case, and Ruche, who’d been watching me through the glass doors, waved goodbye. I waved back.
“…”
In the Hunter Killer locker room, the members chatted as they changed, their conversation flowing effortlessly from one topic to another. Yellow, subdued, finished changing and was about to leave when
“Yellow.”
Red’s voice stopped her, and she turned around. Red was standing there, a slightly awkward expression on her face, and Yellow looked at her, wondering what she wanted.
“Why?”
“We’re planning a trip next week. If you’re free, do you want to come? We talked about it after the meeting, but you weren’t there, and you didn’t reply to my messages.”
“A trip?”
Yellow, while a dedicated gamer, wasn’t particularly attached to her phone and often ignored it, engrossed in her games. She didn’t have many people to contact anyway, and she’d probably deleted Red’s messages along with the other notifications.
Yellow didn’t react outwardly, just thought about the offer. The other members already knew she’d refuse. Yellow was also planning on declining, but just as she was about to speak, she remembered her encounter with A two days ago.
“…”
She preferred staying home and playing games to going on a trip, and the thought of traveling with her still-distant teammates didn’t appeal to her.
‘You should be more considerate of others, especially your superhuman colleagues.’
A’s words echoed in her mind. She’d lost someone, a potential friend, because of her harsh words, her inability to control her temper.
She’d hoped it wouldn’t bother her, but it did.
She couldn’t change. With her limited social circle and lack of new interactions, there was no opportunity for her to improve her social skills.
‘The problem is…’
Yellow always thought the problem was her. And the fact that she couldn’t change meant she hadn’t tried hard enough. Was it because of her argument with A? She knew that refusing abruptly would only make the atmosphere worse.
She had to try. It was impossible to never hurt anyone with your words. Sometimes, even unintentional remarks could cause pain. But she wanted to learn how to connect with people without hurting them.
‘Just stay like that then. Keep being rude, hurting people, and being misunderstood.’
A’s words came back to her. If she didn’t change, she’d continue to hurt people and be misunderstood. Nothing would change.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
Red, Blue, and Green, who’d been waiting for her answer, and even Pink, who’d been indifferent, expecting a refusal, stared at her in surprise. Yellow, flustered by their sudden attention, looked away, and Red smiled.
“Okay! Let’s go together! We’re leaving next Monday. I’ll add you to the group chat and send you the details.”
Red was genuinely happy that Yellow, whom she’d expected to refuse, had agreed to come. Yellow felt a pang of… something.
‘Are they happy I’m joining their pre-planned trip?’
Yellow, unaccustomed to group activities, wasn’t displeased by Red’s joy. Pink, who had been indifferent towards Yellow, was the most surprised by her acceptance and stared at her from across the locker room.
Just two days ago, after the meeting, as they discussed the trip plans, Green had brought up Yellow.
“Should we… not tell Yellow?”
Red and Blue were also concerned about Yellow, but they hadn’t been able to contact her.
“Why bother? She’ll just refuse. We’ll be lucky if she doesn’t get angry at us for even asking.”
Pink, who didn’t get along with Yellow, wasn’t eager to invite her. While they’d often clashed in the past, they weren’t enemies. Like with the other members, they just weren’t close, but Pink’s opinion of Yellow had plummeted after their recent argument about Green.
The team atmosphere had improved since A’s advice had helped Pink and Red reconcile. While they’d kept their distance for a long time, the years they’d spent together meant they could quickly become closer once the walls came down.
And hearing about Green’s family situation had touched Pink deeply. While they used codenames and informal language, maintaining a professional distance, Green was, technically, the second youngest member, after Red.
And in terms of age order, Pink was the third oldest, and Green was the fourth, so Pink, like Red, felt a sense of responsibility towards Green. That’s why she couldn’t forgive Yellow’s behavior. Yellow, still distant and rarely attending meetings, had essentially said Green shouldn’t be at the meeting.
“Do you really dislike Yellow that much, Pink?”
Red asked curiously, and Pink, without hesitation, nodded.
“I do.”
“I’m over the incident, even if it was about me.”
Green tried to appease Pink, but Pink’s negative feelings towards Yellow persisted.
“Yellow’s not a bad person. She’s just not good at expressing herself. Like… her words are harsher than intended?”
“That’s not being ‘clumsy,’ that’s being a bitch.”
Pink couldn’t agree with Blue’s assessment. Even if Yellow struggled with self-expression, there were limits, and Pink felt Yellow had crossed the line.
“I agree with Blue. When I first joined, she tried to be friendly, but she was very careful with her words. I was sensitive back then and also shy, so we didn’t become close, but… I’ve been observing her since then, and it seems like she genuinely cares but just doesn’t know how to express herself properly.”
Pink also reconsidered her stance, hearing Red’s unexpected perspective, a story she’d never heard before.
“Okay. Let’s talk to her on duel day. If she agrees to come, I won’t complain.”
“Really? Thank you.”
While they weren’t close, they were teammates, and Pink didn’t want to maintain the current strained relationship. And as Red and Blue had said, perhaps the Yellow she knew and the real Yellow were different.
Pink, looking at Yellow, felt her gaze, and they made eye contact, then quickly looked away, both aware of the unspoken tension between them. But neither spoke harshly.
It had been three years since the current Hunter Killer team was formed. This might be their first real chance to bond as a team. The thought of going on a trip with Yellow, with whom they’d clashed so often, made them both smile faintly, and Red, hearing their simultaneous chuckles, looked back and forth between them, puzzled.
Back at my apartment, I was lying on the bed, lost in thought, the hours slipping by.
‘Is Yu-bin not coming today?’
Speak of the devil. Just as I thought of her, I heard the door unlock.
“I’m home.”
Yu-bin entered, took off her shoes, and came straight to me. She was beaming as she looked down at me, clearly in a good mood. Had something good happened with her teammates?
“Something good happen?”
“Yes! One of the unnis who wasn’t going on the trip said she’d come!”
She was talking about Yellow. I’d been assuming she wouldn’t come, based on their previous conversations. I was surprised.
“That’s great. So you’re all going?”
“Yes!”
Yu-bin was happy, and that was all that mattered.
While there wasn’t anything wrong with them going on a trip, I couldn’t help but think Yellow had easily moved on from our argument.
And perhaps sensing my thoughts, Yu-bin’s smile faded as she looked at me.
“Oppa, are you in a bad mood again today?”
“Huh? No, not really…”
I trailed off, and Yu-bin, studying my expression, seemed to come to a decision and looked at me intently.
“Oppa, can you tell me what happened?”
It was a difficult question to answer. Logically, I knew I shouldn’t tell Yu-bin about my argument with Yellow, but I wanted to talk to her, hoping she might offer some insight, a solution.
So, I decided to be vague.
“…I had an argument with a colleague at work.”
“What happened?”
“She was being rude, and it caused some friction with the others, and I tried to offer some advice, and… things escalated.”
“Hmm…”
Yu-bin listened intently, her expression thoughtful. She might be thinking about Yellow. Yellow was the only person I knew who used harsh language. Or maybe I was projecting, assuming she’d think of Yellow because I was thinking about her.
“There’s this unni I work with at my office assistant job… she’s also going on the trip with us…”
As I’d suspected, she was talking about Yellow. But this was the first time Yu-bin had talked about Yellow at length. It might offer a different perspective from Yu-ra, Ha-yeong, and Green.
“She was really nice to me when I first started working there.”
“Okay.”
It was hard to imagine Yellow being nice to anyone.
“She uses harsh language, but she was very careful with her words around me because I was younger.”
I listened attentively as Yu-bin recounted her first encounter with Yellow years ago.
“But I was a bit sensitive back then, so I kept my distance, and we didn’t become close. But I’ve been observing her since then, and it seems like she genuinely cares about people but just doesn’t know how to express herself properly.”
She held my hand as she spoke, looking at me, and her warmth spread through me.
“So, I usually don’t react, no matter what she says. I don’t want to discourage her. If you think about her intentions, you might see a different side to her.”
“…She and my colleague might be different.”
While it was the same person, I wanted to know why Yu-bin trusted Yellow so much.
“If my brother was so worried about the argument, he must be a good person.”
“I was worried?”
“Yes, you were very worried.”
I hugged her as she leaned against me. I’d wanted to understand her perspective on Yellow, but it turned out she’d been talking about Yellow because she trusted me.
I hadn’t tried to understand Yellow’s intentions. I’d judged her negatively because of the incident with Green and hadn’t considered her perspective. I’d told Yu-ra it was important to understand the other person, yet I’d been judging Yellow based on my own biased observations.
I’d been criticizing and interfering, telling her she was wrong, without even knowing the whole story. Yu-bin’s words weren’t just about giving Yellow the benefit of the doubt; they were a reflection of my own behavior.
I should go to the arcade tomorrow. I might not be able to see her.
I knew where she lived, but I couldn’t just show up uninvited. She might not even let me in.
But I had to try. And if I had a chance to apologize, I would.
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