A’s house left and returned to her own home, Red didn’t think about anything. It wasn’t because she was angry at A for making a loud noise without telling her anything. She wasn’t disappointed either.
No, she was disappointed. But the object of her disappointment was not A, but herself. She felt sorry for not telling her girlfriend, who was also herself, about her daily work and frequent business trips. She had expressed her disappointment loudly, but the accident stopped when A spoke.
She had been hiding one important thing from her boyfriend, A. That she was a hyper-human. Even after four months of dating, she still kept this crucial secret.
Red knew very well that people in the world hated hyper-humans because she had experienced it firsthand. Therefore, most hyper-humans hid the fact that they were hyper-humans in society.
Most hyper-humans hid their identities out of fear of the gaze they would receive if others found out they were hyper-humans.
Red also hid the fact that she was a hyper-human. Since she had been alone since birth and had no memories, Red tried to block all problems associated with being a hyper-human at their source.
Despite this, people occasionally recognized her due to her face being known, and she couldn’t avoid the stares and indiscriminate criticism.
Her existence as a boyfriend was invaluable to her, and the thought of having to endure discriminatory looks made her feel an unbearable sadness, even just imagining it.
A wouldn’t do that. She believed A would see her for who she truly was, not through the lens of discrimination. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to speak about it.
Eventually, she kept postponing revealing her identity as a hyper-human, and when she heard A’s words, the guilt of deceiving her boyfriend welled up.
She couldn’t answer the question of whether she was a righteous girlfriend to herself.
Thus, her melancholy continued through the night and did not end the next day either.
The members of the HunterKiller team, who had come to the changing room for the confrontation, each arrived one by one, and everyone looked at Red. Her expression was unmistakably visible, despite her attempts to hide it.
Red, who never showed signs of fatigue in front of the team, looked disheartened, and the members noticed.
Although she was technically the youngest member, she was the leader of the team, and she always fulfilled her role diligently. Thus, Red’s silent demeanor was even more unsettling.
“Red, what’s wrong?”
Blue, the oldest member, approached Red while observing her. Stunned, Red realized she had been lost in melancholy and hadn’t thought about anything.
“What? Why?”
“Your expression doesn’t look good. I thought something bad might have happened.”
“No, it’s nothing! Just some things on my mind. Don’t worry about it.”
“Alright. If anything happens, let me know. I can’t solve it, but I can listen.”
“Thanks.”
Encouraged by Blue, Red answered with her usual bright expression and picked up the helmet from the cabinet, saying, “If we’re ready, let’s go.”
The members soon prepared to leave the changing room as well, and Pink quietly asked Blue.
“Will she be okay? She doesn’t seem to be feeling well.”
“She says she’s fine. We should keep an eye on her for now.”
“…Alright.”
Though worried about Red’s assurance, Blue decided to wait until Red brought up the issue herself. They could observe her state, but Red might just be having a bad day today, so they wouldn’t jump to conclusions.
Moreover, the members had their own concerns. They were worried about their boyfriend’s recent listless demeanor. He often appeared vacant and unable to sleep properly when they slept together, which troubled them.
They hesitated to ask what was going on, fearing he would immediately deny any issues.
Of course, they hadn’t ignored it entirely. When they asked about his health, he would say he was busy and couldn’t sleep much lately. He assured them that things would improve soon, so they decided not to show concern during their meetings.
However, worrying about him when they weren’t around was inevitable. Even though they believed he would be fine, it bothered them that they couldn’t help him when he needed it due to his work.
So, with everyone carrying these worries, they set out for the confrontation without speaking.
The park near the Olympic Bridge, not far from it, was today’s confrontation site. Surprisingly, the HunterKiller members arrived earlier than Spacystro and waited without helmets, hoping to catch a cool breeze.
After a moment, they felt a loud rumbling sound and vibrations from afar, turning their attention towards the source.
While the building obscured the exact location, they could accurately determine the direction.
“What’s that? Not an explosion?”
“Did an accident happen?”
The sound resembled a gas explosion, but the vibration felt different from one caused by a gas explosion. The sudden vibration made everyone tense, and their eyes remained fixed on where the explosion sounded.
Then, another explosion followed. This time, they were sure it wasn’t a gas explosion; it was a clear bomb explosion, likely triggered artificially.
From nearby, people murmured, and from afar, screams echoed. The explosion had ended, but the chaotic noise spread throughout the city.
“What’s happening? What’s over there…”
The explosion occurred near the Han River, precisely where the Olympic Bridge stood. With casualties possible, the members debated whether to prioritize the confrontation or investigate the incident and rescue citizens.
HunterKiller members weren’t obligated to handle such situations, as their role was to fight within the rules defined against Spacystro. However, human instinct compelled them to save lives in emergencies.
But if they left, the day’s confrontation would be recorded as a loss, which was unacceptable for a team undefeated thus far.
“Let’s go.”
Yet, they couldn’t weigh a person’s life against the confrontation’s outcome. Their duty was to defend Earth from invaders, and if they failed to save those they needed to protect, saving Earth itself would be meaningless.
With this resolve, they headed toward the parking lot where their bikes were parked. Just as they were about to put on their helmets, they saw someone familiar.
Even with bandages covering his face, his identity was instantly recognizable. Indigo, who should have been hospitalized for treatment in the lab, sat on the ground beside their bikes, smoking a cigarette with a silly smile.
“Here you are?”
He grinned wickedly, scrutinizing the HunterKiller members with suspicious eyes as usual.
Though accustomed to it, his gaze still made her frown.
“What?”
Pink stepped forward and suddenly addressed Indigo, who was unexpectedly present at the confrontation site. Given the recent accident and the urgency, she couldn’t ignore Indigo’s presence.
“Stop looking at us like that. Don’t you remember how hard we’ve been working for you?”
“What are you talking about?”
Indigo’s ambiguous words left the HunterKiller members staring at him sharply.
“Just wait a moment. Is it because of the commotion? The kids are late.”
“Right now, I don’t have time for you. Go away.”
Indigo, having finished his cigarette, threw it on the ground and stood up. Usually, he would try something, but today, he seemed unusually confident under Yellow’s stern look.
Seeing this, the members suspected Indigo had ulterior motives. At that moment, the explosion they had heard moments ago came to mind.
Though Indigo committed various crimes and reckless acts, they never imagined he would go this far. Still, they hoped it wasn’t true.
Despite his lack of trustworthiness, they believed this time would be different, but that belief shattered in mere seconds.
Indigo pulled out his smartphone and tapped it several times, and soon, another explosion was heard from afar.
“Hahaha! Isn’t this amazing?! Everything can be done remotely.”
At that moment, Red felt a surge of anger and raised her voice, veins bulging in her neck.
“What kind of act is this?!”
It was an incomprehensible action. Everything Indigo had done before was incomprehensible, but this went far beyond the line.
In the middle of the city, he had carried out a bomb attack. A hyper-human who fought to protect Earth was attacking civilians in numerous places.
At that moment, a minivan entered the parking lot. Without paying attention to its surroundings, the van sped in recklessly and stopped behind Indigo. The old minivan was familiar to the HunterKiller members.
It was a vehicle used by Team Guerrilla while moving, and it looked exactly the same as when they last saw it—old and dirty.
As the door opened, Gainesboro, covered in black dust, stepped out, and Indigo laughed uncontrollably.
“How did it go?”
Believing their plan had succeeded, Indigo asked Gainesboro, who smiled.
“Hahaha! Now you know what happens when you mess with a dog, right!”
“Carkey, take it out.”
Gainesboro said to Carkey, who was inside the car, laughing uncontrollably. The HunterKiller members couldn’t hide their unease as they watched, unsure what Team Guerrilla was planning.
Finally, Carkey got out of the car, carrying someone in a black suit on his shoulder. The person’s face was hidden due to the limp state, but the HunterKiller members recognized the suit.
It was the standard uniform worn by Spacystro soldiers during confrontations. However, traces of explosions were evident, and blood dripped from the head, indicating injuries.
Unable to utter a word, the HunterKiller members watched the scene, and Indigo laughed loudly, as if enjoying it.
“Curious? You must be curious. Suddenly showing up with a Spacystro soldier.”
Soon, Carkey threw the Spacystro soldier to the ground. Though the face was still hidden, the HunterKiller members felt uneasy. They guessed the identity from the outline visible.
They didn’t believe it. It couldn’t be. There was no way this person would appear here in this outfit. Yet, as Indigo grabbed the person’s hair and lifted them, reality crumbled for the members.
The heavily injured person could barely open one eye and stared at the HunterKiller members amidst the bustling city center. Red’s single word broke the silence.
“Older Brother…”
At that moment, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Pink turned their gazes towards Red. After confirming each other’s expressions, Red glanced back at them.
“Familiar? Of course, you wouldn’t know you were being toyed with by a low-ranking soldier and were too engrossed in your relationship!”
Laughing wickedly, Indigo scattered a bundle of papers given by Gainesboro into the air. These weren’t ordinary papers; they were photos fluttering everywhere. Photos of A with Blue, A with Green, A with Yellow, A with Pink…
The members silently looked at the fallen photos. Their eyes were fixated on the photos below, as if they had forgotten how to blink, and their lower lips trembled.
“Wouldn’t it have been better if you had stuck with me? Instead of getting caught by some idiot?”
The members of Team Guerrilla couldn’t hide their laughter. As they wondered what was happening, Indigo took out a photo from his back pocket and showed it to the members.
“A very familiar face, isn’t it? How do you feel knowing the person you couldn’t get rid of is actually your enemy?!”
The photo showed a couple: A and Luche, whom they encountered in every confrontation.
All of A’s efforts to improve the situation ultimately led to the worst possible outcome.
