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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Winning a sport you’ve never played before is difficult, especially against opponents with equal or superior physical abilities.
I’d never seen the Hunter Killer members wrestle, nor had they ever mentioned knowing how to wrestle during our conversations. Thinking about it now, it would have been strange for me, a supposed foreigner with no knowledge of Korean sports, to suddenly bring up ssireum.
Anyway, the Hunter Killer members, being Korean, would have at least some basic knowledge of ssireum, unlike our executives, so our chances of winning were slim.
“What? They don’t know how to wrestle at all?”
They’d chosen ssireum, assuming it would be an easy win, but they hadn’t expected us to be completely clueless. It was a reasonable assumption; they probably thought we, their longtime rivals, would have extensive knowledge of Korean culture and combat techniques, having been in Korea for so long.
And they weren’t entirely wrong. We did have information on general Korean culture, and we’d studied the Hunter Killer members’ individual fighting styles.
“Did you think we knew how to wrestle?!”
Seira, easily defeated in the first match, snapped. Yu-ra also had a temper; I hoped this wouldn’t escalate into a fight.
“Referee.”
Yu-ra’s voice made me jump. It wasn’t her usual playful, affectionate tone; her serious, emotionless voice was strangely chilling.
“Can we replay the first match as a practice round?”
“?”
I was stunned by her suggestion to nullify her victory. It was a very Yu-ra-like thing to do.
But Seira, who didn’t know Yu-ra well, just glared at her as she stood up, brushing the sand off her clothes.
“What? Are you mocking me because it was too easy?”
“Yes, it was too easy, so I want to do it again.”
She’d chosen ssireum because she’d wanted a quick win, but Yu-ra, despite her competitive spirit, couldn’t stand unfairness. Moreover, she loved having fun, and she wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to play with someone, even if they were the enemy.
I didn’t mind replaying the match as long as everyone agreed.
“Are you sure?”
“It’s just a game. I can teach her the basics.”
“What if she uses it against you in a real duel?”
“…If I was going to lose because of a few pointers, I would have lost already.”
Yu-ra exchanged glances with Su-a, and Su-a smiled at her last comment. I hadn’t heard about their reconciliation; had they made up without me knowing?
The other Hunter Killer members also seemed to agree with Yu-ra.
On our side, while Seira looked annoyed, the other executives didn’t mind replaying the match.
After confirming with the team leaders, I nodded to Yu-ra, and she said, “Thanks,” and smacked my shoulder. While it was meant to be a friendly gesture of gratitude, there was a clear difference in force between a friendly pat from my girlfriend and a smack from a Spacetroe soldier.
“Come here.”
Seira, feeling humiliated by having to replay a match she’d already won, stood there, staring at the sand, refusing to approach Yu-ra. Yu-ra, impatient, tugged at her satba.
“Eek!”
Yu-ra was much stronger than Seira, so Seira, unable to resist, was pulled towards Yu-ra and ended up sitting across from her again.
“I’ll teach you the basics. Try to figure out the rest yourself.”
And so, an unusual scene unfolded: Yu-ra teaching Seira how to wrestle. Ruche and Esmeralda, also clueless about ssireum, watched intently, trying to learn.
The sudden shift to a friendly atmosphere left me, the referee, with nothing to do, and I just stood there, watching them.
“?”
I suddenly felt a shadow over me and looked up. A large beach umbrella had appeared above me, and I turned my head to see where it had come from. Green stood there, holding the umbrella, a slightly awkward smile on her face.
“It must be tough being the referee, especially with the mask on.”
I knew Green was shy but kind. But I hadn’t expected her to be considerate of me, a supposed stranger, and I felt a surge of warmth, having been worried about her lately.
Unable to speak because of my mask, I just nodded vigorously, and Green, smiling, bowed her head slightly and returned to her teammates.
“You don’t have to be nice to the enemy, you know.”
“But he’s standing there alone in the sun, being the referee.”
“Too kind for her own good.”
Yu-bin hugged Green, praising her kindness, and I couldn’t tell who was the older sister. It showed how well Yu-bin, as the team leader, fostered a positive team dynamic.
It had been difficult to imagine Yu-bin interacting with her teammates, since she kept her Hunter Killer life a secret from me, but seeing her now, some of my assumptions were correct, while others weren’t.
“…”
Su-a’s sharp gaze made me realize I’d been staring at Yu-bin and Green. I’d momentarily forgotten I was a Spacetroe soldier, caught up in the warm, fuzzy feeling of seeing them interact.
Then, on second thought, I was glad I was here as a Spacetroe soldier. If I’d been here as A, the foreigner they knew, it would have been a disaster.
“Ready?”
“Okay, let’s do this.”
Ha-yeong had also joined them on the sand, teaching ssireum along with Yu-ra, and both teams, seemingly having learned the basics, were ready to start.
I pushed aside my mixed feelings of happiness and anxiety and focused on my role as referee.
Yu-ra and Seira sat facing each other, gripping their satbas, and as soon as I confirmed their readiness and stepped back, they both stood up.
I looked at them, their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills, the tension palpable, and blew the whistle, signaling the start of the match. They lunged towards each other, their bodies colliding.
Yu-ra was physically stronger and had some knowledge of ssireum, but Seira’s experience wasn’t to be underestimated. She held her ground, withstanding Yu-ra’s initial attempt to push her over.
“!!”
Yu-ra seemed slightly surprised by her unexpected resistance, her planned attack thwarted.
Then, her eyes narrowed, a competitive glint replacing her earlier surprise, and I wondered if that was the look she had behind her helmet during duels.
Seira tried to trip Yu-ra, but her attack was blocked, her expression contorting in frustration, and Yu-ra, seizing the opportunity, tripped Seira and pushed her down.
As Seira fell, Yu-ra landed on top of her, sand flying everywhere.
“That was a bit tougher than I expected.”
Yu-ra’s words were genuine. She hadn’t been able to underestimate Seira, who’d quickly adapted and used a new technique, and had had to use all her strength to win.
“Your breasts are too big! It was hard to get close!”
“I was using them to push you over! And yours aren’t exactly small either.”
Their banter about their breasts made my gaze drift downwards, and I quickly looked up, knowing Seira would kill me if she caught me staring. I blew the whistle, signaling Yu-ra’s victory.
Yu-ra, still on top of Seira, offered her a hand, and Seira, taking it, stood up. Despite being rivals, competing for territory, their sportsmanship was a pleasant sight.
“I lost. Sorry.”
“It’s okay, it was your first time.”
Ruche stepped onto the sand, ready for her match, her competitive spirit burning. Yu-bin stepped forward for Hunter Killer, and they faced each other, their second match-up of the day, after the swimming relay.
“Three events in a row. Aren’t you tired?”
“A leader has to lead by example.”
Yu-bin exuded confidence, but I knew she had no experience with ssireum.
We hadn’t explicitly discussed it, but I remembered her saying, “I don’t know anything about ssireum,” while watching a news report about the sport on TV.
It had been a casual comment, so I hadn’t responded, and we’d moved on to a different topic, but I’d remembered it now.
The problem was, Ruche was also inexperienced. It was a match between two novices, making the outcome unpredictable.
“Have you ever wrestled before?”
Ha-yeong asked Yu-ra as she brushed the sand off her clothes, and Yu-ra nodded confidently.
“Yes.”
I was also curious. Who had she wrestled with? You couldn’t wrestle alone.
“Back when I first became a superhuman, I used to settle arguments with wrestling.”
As I’d thought countless times before, it was best not to anger any of them. I didn’t want to face their wrath.
“Be careful with your swimsuit.”
Ha-yeong adjusted Yu-ra’s slightly askew bikini top, a gesture I would have normally stared at, but I knew better and looked away. I still made a mental note to forbid her from wearing that swimsuit again.
The second match began, and surprisingly, Ruche won. While they were both inexperienced, I’d expected Yu-bin to win, but Ruche had seized the opportunity when Yu-bin’s foot slipped and had quickly pinned her.
“I’m sorry. I could have ended it if I’d won.”
“It’s okay, there’s still one more match.”
The other members tried to comfort Yu-bin, who was dejected after her loss. Seeing her lose made me feel bad; I’d seen how much she’d been looking forward to this trip. I wondered if losing really mattered, since the competition was just a way to decide who got to use the beach.
“Leave it to me.”
Su-a stepped forward for Hunter Killer. At over 170cm, she was the tallest member of the team. Esmeralda stepped forward for Spacetroe. She was also the tallest among the female executives, slightly taller than Su-a.
I was looking forward to this match. Esmeralda had been known for her exceptional combat skills ever since she was my superior in space. And Su-a was the only Hunter Killer member whose fighting style involved hand-to-hand combat.
Having been on the receiving end of both their attacks, I couldn’t help but be excited.
They exchanged polite bows, then knelt down, facing each other, and gripped each other’s satbas. They were showing respect, despite being enemies, competing against each other, but that was just Esmeralda; Su-a had probably just reciprocated out of courtesy. I hoped Su-a wouldn’t start cursing during the match.
I blew the whistle, and they pushed against each other, their bodies tense, the force of their collision visible even from a distance. Their initial struggle for dominance quickly shifted into a more fluid exchange, each carefully observing the other’s movements, maintaining their grip. The tension was palpable, even just from watching their movements, and the final match added to the excitement.
“Yellow, fighting!”
“Go, Yellow!”
“You can do it, Esmeralda!”
“Team Leader 1, fight!”
Both teams cheered for their respective members, and while Su-a and Esmeralda listened to the cheers, their focus remained on each other, their eyes locked, their bodies poised. A single mistake would decide the match, but it was impossible to predict when or how it would happen.
It was like watching two assassins facing each other, their weapons hidden.
The cheers subsided, the atmosphere charged with anticipation, the spectators holding their breath, afraid of breaking their teams’ concentration.
And I, the referee, watched with bated breath, the tension mirroring that of the wrestlers. I had to be observant, to make the right call, to be fair and impartial.
Su-a shifted her weight, pushing against Esmeralda, but Esmeralda twisted her body, using Su-a’s momentum against her, attempting to throw her off balance. Su-a, bracing herself with her foot, countered, using her weight to push Esmeralda down.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye, a three-second exchange, and the onlookers gasped, stunned by the sudden shift. I’d had the clearest view, and I had to make the call, a fair and impartial judgment, even if it disappointed one side.
I blew the whistle and raised Hunter Killer’s hand, signaling their victory, and the Spacetroe members sighed, their disappointment palpable.
It wasn’t the disappointment of losing the beach; it was the disappointment of losing a fair fight. The competition had become more than just a turf war.
“Yay!”
The Hunter Killer members cheered, hugging Su-a, who looked slightly embarrassed by the sudden physical contact. While her reaction was amusing, I couldn’t help but smile behind my mask, seeing their genuine joy at their first team victory.
I knew I’d be hearing about this for weeks, each member recounting their version of the story, but I’d listen patiently, enjoying their excitement.
“That was fun.”
Esmeralda, representing Spacetroe, approached the Hunter Killer members and offered a handshake, and Su-a, who’d won the final match, shook her hand.
While we were enemies, and the competition had started as a turf war, there was a newfound respect between the two factions, and I, having witnessed their sportsmanship, applauded. Others joined in, their claps echoing on the beach.
We were enemies, and this had been a competition for territory, but we’d learned we weren’t so different.
“Should we head back?”
Esmeralda’s words prompted us to start packing our things.
“Wait.”
Just as we were about to leave, a voice called out, and we turned to see the Hunter Killer members looking at us.
“It’s a big beach, and it feels a little… empty with just us, so how about another game of beach volleyball?”
Yu-bin suggested, and the team leaders exchanged glances, then Ruche stepped forward, a cynical smile on her face.
“Don’t cry if you lose again.”
It seemed our moment of peace would last a little longer.
I felt a sense of gratitude, this temporary truce between Spacetroe and Hunter Killer, this shared space, and I packed my things, ready to return to the lodging.
“Referee! Where are you going?!”
Yu-ra’s loud voice made me stop and turn around.
My time in the spotlight wasn’t over yet, it seemed.
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GG!!!✌️