Chapter 120

The day passed without finding any clear answers, and time slipped away. The next day, I met Hayang on a weekday, which was rare. During lunch, I met Milky Way, and afterward, SuA. I planned to meet her after work, as usual.

There wasn’t any particular reason for the meeting. Hayang said she was going to the supermarket, and I decided to go with her.

While it’s common to meet individually at each other’s homes, it’s rare to go out together. It felt slightly different from usual.

I didn’t want to meet outside because there might be someone who could recognize them as hyper-humans. They were sensitive to people’s gazes, and they rarely talked about wanting to do something outside.

Only SuA and Yubin didn’t mind the gazes of others. After dating, we mostly played games at SuA’s house, but that didn’t mean we never went to arcades. Even on days when we didn’t meet, SuA often went to arcades, so it’s hard to imagine she cares about others’ gazes.

Yubin was a type who didn’t care about being called a hyper-human. Yura was similar, but she preferred not to go out unless necessary.

Yubin also spent more time indoors with me, but she wasn’t hesitant about shopping or going out.

Another reason was me, not being a HunterKiller member. If someone discovered and recognized me with them, it would be very dangerous.

Spacystro isn’t revealed, but if the rumor spreads, it could expose that I’ve met all the HunterKiller members.

Interest in hyper-humans has declined over time, but it hasn’t disappeared completely. Many hyper-humans, including those in Team Guerrilla, cause incidents, and negative views exist in society. Someone might recognize a known hyper-human from media exposure.

Just being cautious isn’t enough, and I couldn’t just hide away if someone recognized me. So, I decided to go grocery shopping with Hayang.

Partly, I wanted to feel the same feeling as when we looked for furniture together before she moved.

Lately, I had been having trouble sleeping and felt exhausted, so I hoped for a moment of peace.

“Hey!”

When I arrived at the agreed-upon supermarket, Hayang waved to me from afar.

She had changed her hairstyle from her usual updo to a half-ponytail. She wore a neat sky-blue dress over a white T-shirt, which suited her hairstyle well.

“You’re early?”

Despite arriving 10 minutes early, Hayang was already there. She hugged me tightly and smiled when I approached.

“Yes. Seeing you on a weekday is exciting, so I came quickly.”

I hugged her and held her hand, then we entered the supermarket together. Hayang had experience shopping with her nephews, so she confidently grabbed a cart, and I followed her with it.

“This is our first time shopping together?”

“That’s right.”

Hayang was excited about shopping together. She remembered that apart from looking at furniture when moving, they hadn’t gone on a proper date.

Even though they had dinner dates, she thought it would be better to plan a proper date sometime.

“What are you planning to buy?”

“I made a list.”

She took out a note from a small bag, filled with items she needed to buy.

“You need a lot!”

“Yes. I’m planning to invite the members over soon and cook something delicious.”

Yesterday, no one was met because the HunterKiller members gathered to play. Though I don’t know what they did, it seemed they had fun.

Progress has been significant compared to when they used to be reluctant to talk about their members. Seeing them get along well made me smile.

“Were you guys having fun yesterday?”

Excited, Hayang nodded when I asked about the time spent with the members. Her smile showed how much she enjoyed it.

“We chatted at a café and took lots of photos. Look.”

She took out her smartphone and showed me several photos taken with the members. There were many stickers and various expressions in the photos, making me feel good seeing the happy members.

“Here’s a sticker photo.”

Sticker photos with various effects were on her phone. Some were funny, others pretty.

Their distinct hair colors made all the photos look vibrant.

“…Come to think of it, we didn’t take any photos together.”

“Oh…”

Seeing her gaze, I avoided her eyes. She probably wanted to take photos, but taking photos was complicated.

If the members shared photos, it could cause problems, so I deliberately avoided taking photos. Besides, I generally dislike taking photos.

Though I dislike taking photos, I should have a reason to refuse even when possible. It was hard to explain, and I felt sorry for Hayang.

If anyone else suggested taking photos, I would say the same thing.

“Why?”

Hayang tilted her head, curious about why I disliked taking photos.

“…Taking photos can make you sick.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say I disliked the awkwardness of posing for photos. It felt embarrassing, and afterward, I thought it would have been better to be honest.

“I see.”

Hayang nodded, understanding my ridiculous explanation. She likely thought I had a strong reason to avoid photos.

“Let’s find the things to buy first?”

“Sure.”

We changed the subject quickly. Since photos couldn’t be taken now, Hayang helped push the cart as we walked around the supermarket.

Items were gradually added to the cart. Hayang checked off items and placed them in the cart. Seeing the growing pile, I wondered how much they ate.

Yura and SuA ate quite a bit, but this amount was still more than usual.

I stood for a while, waiting for Hayang to finish checking items from afar.

!

Suddenly, a headache hit, causing me to wince. The pain didn’t last long, but the unpleasant sensation distorted my face briefly.

I glanced around, wondering if anyone might recognize Hayang as a hyper-human, but no one seemed to notice. Perhaps thinking someone might recognize her was too paranoid.

I should plan better dates. Even if scheduling becomes harder, careful planning will ensure everyone is satisfied.

What kind of date should we have? I wasn’t sure. There were still many things to learn about the five members.

While choosing items, I slowly approached Hayang, who was hesitating.

“Try this.”

I turned toward the voice and saw a supermarket employee offering samples. On the grill were delicious-looking brown meats.

“It’s free. Would you like to try some?”

“Oh, sure.”

Since I hadn’t eaten dinner, I felt a bit hungry. I took a piece of meat with a toothpick and put it in my mouth.

The tender meat released its juicy flavor, and I chewed vigorously.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

After deciding on a product from two options at work, Hayang found me eating a sample and joined me, putting her arm around mine.

“I tried it since it’s a free sample.”

“Would you like to try it? The meat is very tender.”

“Go ahead.”

I picked up another piece with a toothpick and fed it to Hayang. She brightened up as she tasted the meat.

“Tasty. Should we eat this at home?”

“I like it.”

“Boss, two packs, please.”

“Yes. Are you newlyweds?”

Two packs of meat were placed in the cart. When the employee asked if we were newlyweds, Hayang blushed.

“Newlyweds?”

She had been mistaken for a couple when looking for furniture before, and she couldn’t hide her happiness.

She glanced at me, and since she felt good, she silently smiled.

“Yes. We are newlyweds.”

Hayang finally answered, saying we were a couple. The employee added, “You two look perfect together,” and we thanked him before continuing to shop.

After hearing we were a couple, Hayang seemed even happier, humming as she looked for items we hadn’t bought yet.

“Did hearing you’re a couple make you so happy?”

I smiled and asked, holding a milk carton. She turned to me with blue-tinted eyes.

“Yes. You look like a good match.”

“Of course. Anyone would think we’re a couple when we shop together and call each other.”

I let go of the cart and leaned my chin on Hayang’s shoulder.

“Do we really need to buy milk?”

I teased, trying to make her blush, but she firmly shook her head.

“No. Mine is yours.”

“It’s an honor. Didn’t you come out much today?”

“I slept enough this morning.”

My gaze naturally shifted to her chest, and noticing my stare, she looked up at me.

“We’re in public.”

“I know how to behave.”

Her words made me wonder if she thought I couldn’t distinguish between appropriate times and places.

I kissed her lightly, then continued shopping.

After over an hour of browsing and selecting items, we left the supermarket with a full bag of groceries.

“There are so many people. Can we catch a taxi?”

Even though it was a weekday evening, the supermarket exit was crowded. Carrying the bags, we debated whether we could catch a taxi.

“This week’s weekday sale. Let’s catch a taxi over there.”

Holding my arm, Hayang led me to the taxi stand. We got into a taxi, and Hayang gave the address to the driver, starting our journey to her place.

Feeling more sensitive due to fatigue, I stared blankly out the window, pondering the discomfort I felt before getting into the taxi.