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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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I started to question whether my current approach was right. I was getting closer to Red, but it was only on a personal level. There was no progress in my surveillance mission.
I’d forgotten something obvious. Red must have undergone extensive training to become a member of Team Hunter Killer; it was natural for her to be tight-lipped about internal information.
Of course, the things she mentioned about internal affairs, disguised as group projects or other part-time jobs, could be useful depending on how I used them, but reporting them now wouldn’t change anything.
I needed substantial information that would help us defeat Team Hunter Killer. But Red wasn’t likely to divulge that kind of information, no matter how close we became.
After spending over a week getting closer to Red, all I’d learned was that she was stressed and the team atmosphere wasn’t great.
“I need a big break.”
I lay on my bed, wondering what kind of information I could get, when I glanced at the clock. 3 PM. It was time to go to the convenience store.
“Convenience store, convenience store.”
Muttering to myself, I picked up the clothes I’d thrown aside. Or rather, I tried to. Seeing the worn-out, shiny black tracksuit I’d been wearing for days, even I knew I couldn’t wear it again.
I tossed the tracksuit into the washing machine and opened my closet to look for something else to wear. Damn it, I had nothing decent.
“Should I buy some clothes?”
It wasn’t that I didn’t have any clothes. I had a coat, jeans, t-shirts, and other clothes hanging in the closet, but didn’t everyone feel this way? Opening your closet to find it full of clothes, yet feeling like you have nothing to wear.
“Let’s see, let’s see.”
Living alone had increased my tendency to talk to myself, and I even started humming along. I wondered if I’d look pathetic if anyone saw me.
Since I didn’t have anything particular to wear, I pulled out a pair of jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt from the corner of my closet and headed to the convenience store.
As I approached the store, I resigned myself to the idea that I wouldn’t get any information today, as usual. They said negative thinking was bad, but when you repeatedly failed at the same task for a month, you couldn’t help but lose hope.
“Sigh.”
I sighed deeply and opened the door to the convenience store.
“Oppa!”
Red’s cheerful voice startled me. I looked at her, surprised by her sudden outburst.
A customer at the counter turned to look in the direction of the voice. I made eye contact with the customer before Red.
“!”
I hadn’t done anything wrong, but I instinctively turned away and pretended not to see Red as I walked further into the store.
As I browsed, I heard the customer leave. Even though I had my back turned, I could intensely feel Red’s gaze on me.
I tried to ignore her and brought my chosen items to the counter. Red was looking at me with a sullen expression.
“Uh, uh? Wh-what’s wrong?”
Had I done something wrong? Had my identity been exposed? Red’s meaningful look always made me overthink, and I stammered without realizing it.
“Why are you ignoring me?”
“Huh? Ignoring you?”
“I just said hello, and you ignored me.”
She suddenly switched to informal speech, even though she’d been using formal language just yesterday. While it wasn’t a problem, and I didn’t mind her speaking informally, she could have at least given me some warning.
“There was a customer.”
“Still, I said hi because I was happy to see you.”
“We saw each other yesterday.”
I stared at Red as she grumbled and scanned the barcodes. What was she thinking? Her reactions were hard to follow.
I noticed the band-aid I’d given her yesterday was still on her cheek as she scanned the items.
“How’s the cut?”
“I haven’t taken it off yet, but it wasn’t a big cut anyway, so it should heal quickly.”
“That’s good to hear.”
The beep of the scanner echoed with each item, and I watched the price tally up.
“Do you come to the convenience store because I’m here?”
As I took out my card after she finished scanning, she suddenly asked me a question. I didn’t know her intention, but it was true that I only came when she was working. My mission was to monitor her.
“Yeah.”
I replied casually and handed her my card. Red grinned and inserted it into the card reader. Was something good happening?
After the payment, Red smiled and bagged my items. As I turned to leave…
“Are you leaving already?”
I heard her voice behind me, stopping me. I almost made a big mistake. I hadn’t been able to do anything because I was too focused on Red’s reactions, and I almost went home just like that.
“Uh, why?”
But I needed to confirm her intention. The fact that I hadn’t accomplished anything and the fact that she called me back were two separate things.
“Just… I thought you were leaving early.”
I usually left the store immediately after paying and observed from outside. What was different today?
“I don’t have to leave early. Is something wrong?”
I turned back and stood in front of the counter again, still holding my bag.
“Did you encounter another problem you don’t understand?”
“My exams ended yesterday.”
I asked, thinking she might have questions even if they weren’t related to the exams, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“Then what’s bothering you?”
Her voice trailed off. Wondering what was going on, I looked up at the ceiling.
Red remained silent. Unable to figure it out, I made a decision.
“Then I’ll stay a bit longer.”
“Really?!”
Red’s sullen expression instantly brightened. Again, I couldn’t understand what had triggered her mood change. Was my presence here really all it took?
“Here, drink this while you work.”
Feeling awkward, I placed one of the two sports drinks I’d just bought on the counter and headed to the seating area.
“What about you, Oppa?”
“It’s buy-one-get-one-free. You just rang it up yourself.”
“Oh, right…”
For a man living alone, saving money was essential. Even if it wasn’t your preferred choice, picking a product with a bonus was the best way to go. But had she been so distracted that she forgot what she’d just scanned? It seemed like Red had something planned, so I decided to observe her carefully. It would be a disaster if she discovered my true identity.
I was usually perceptive, so if I observed Red closely, I should be able to figure out why she was acting this way.
Thinking this, I watched her as I heated up my lunchbox in the microwave. After finishing with another customer who had just entered, she looked down at her phone.
“Huh?”
My phone vibrated. It was a message from Red.
[Why do you keep staring at me?]
Oops. She’d caught me. I hadn’t realized that staring so blatantly would backfire.
She hadn’t seemed to mind my gaze when we had dinner together yesterday, but this time, my eagerness had made her notice.
This wasn’t the time for such trivial thoughts. I needed to reply to her message. As I was thinking about what to say, Red took a sip of the sports drink I’d given her and kept her eyes on her phone.
“Oh well.”
I had nothing to lose at this point.
[Just because.]
I’d exchanged text messages with various people throughout my life… or rather, not that many, but this felt like the most idiotic message I’d ever sent. It offered no explanation, and if Red had any specific intentions, my reply wouldn’t address them.
Cursing inwardly, I stared at the “Just because” on my phone screen, then looked up.
Red was looking at me, and when our eyes met, she smiled.
Whatever. I’d just smile back.
Another customer entered the store. Red wiped the smile off her face and greeted the customer. I took my heated lunchbox out of the microwave.
An hour had passed since I sat down in the convenience store. How much longer did I have to stay here?
Just then, Ruche called, and I answered as usual.
“Where are you?”
“Where else? The convenience store.”
“You’re inside the convenience store?”
“Yes.”
Why was she asking so many questions when she usually just wanted the results?
Sitting in the convenience store for an hour without any purpose made me sound curt.
“How’s it going?”
“Same as always.”
“You, too… Alright, call me if anything happens.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
She hung up after a brief exchange. It seemed even Ruche had given up on expecting any results from my surveillance. I thought to myself, She better be prepared when I do deliver something big.
However, I wasn’t confident I’d ever have anything significant to report. I was aware that things weren’t going well.
“Who was that?”
I jumped and turned around at the sudden voice behind me.
Red was standing right behind me, holding a box of cigarettes.
“Huh? What?”
“The person you were just talking to on the phone.”
I couldn’t tell her it was Ruche, a Spacetroe executive and my direct superior, even if my life depended on it. I couldn’t decipher her expression. Was she suspicious, or just genuinely curious?
“My boss at work. He asked if the job went well.”
There was no lie in my answer; I just omitted the subject.
“Oh, your boss. I thought it might be someone else because it was a woman’s voice.”
I watched her walk away with the box and sighed in relief. She’d even heard the voice. If Ruche had said anything unnecessary, I would have been exposed. I should avoid answering Ruche’s calls when I was with Red.
“So, am I just supposed to stay here?”
I couldn’t figure out why Red had kept me here. I’d initially thought it was just because she wanted me there, but there had to be another reason.
She kept me here. Why? Because she wanted me here. Why? Why?!
I couldn’t come up with a second answer. It felt like the line of questioning had been abruptly cut short.
“Sorry. You can go if you have something to do.”
Red, who had been arranging cigarettes behind the counter, turned around, startled. I waved my hand dismissively.
“No, I’m done with work. I was just asking.”
Technically, being here was my job, and honestly, I appreciated her wanting me to stay, but I still needed to understand her intentions.
“We had dinner together yesterday, and you’ve helped me with so much, so I just wanted to chat.”
If that was the reason, I didn’t need to rack my brains. I felt relieved, the tension leaving my shoulders.
“You should have said so earlier. I was worried something was wrong.”
“Really? Sorry.”
Red smiled slightly and went back to arranging the cigarettes. I decided to observe her without any pressure.
I had been genuinely worried something was wrong, even suspecting she might have discovered my identity, but it seemed she just wanted to talk in person after I’d helped her with her studies through text messages.
After finishing with the cigarettes, Red came out from behind the counter to throw away the box. She glanced at me as she walked past, then looked at me again on her way back, and stopped.
“You’re dressed normally today.”
“Huh?”
Her sudden comment about my clothes made me look down at what I was wearing. I just threw something on, so it was pretty ordinary.
“Yeah, I didn’t have anything else to wear.”
She stared at me, then closed her eyes and frowned, as if in thought, before opening them again.
“Your outfit when we went to the bookstore was really bad.”
“Uh…?”
I was shocked. I’d put some effort into my outfit that day, excited to go out properly for the first time in a while, even if it wasn’t for a date. Hearing such a comment from a woman was jarring.
“I thought I looked okay…”
I couldn’t meet her eyes, embarrassed by her reaction to the outfit I’d been so confident in.
“Do you have a lot of clothes?”
“…Not really. That’s why I was thinking of buying some new ones.”
“When?!”
Red’s face suddenly came close to mine.
“Uh, uh? I-I was thinking tomorrow or the day after. Since it’s the weekend.”
I stammered again, flustered. Hearing that I planned to go on the weekend, Red pondered, rolling her eyes.
“I don’t have much time on weekends because of work… Should I ask for a shift change? Now that it’s summer break, there are plenty of times I could switch.”
Her mumbling, less than a meter away, reached my ears, and I felt compelled to speak.
“Want to go together?”
Our eyes met. I’d considered the possibility, but I tried to dismiss it, swallowing hard.
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