Two weeks had passed since part of the Olympic Bridge collapsed. Communication within HunterKiller remained nonexistent, and no one had seen or spoken to each other during this time.
In the living room of a penthouse apartment on the top floor, a large TV displayed a rapidly moving game screen.
Yellow, sitting on the sofa, had their hair loosely tied back with a headband and was quietly controlling the gamepad while wearing training clothes. Their blank stare was fixed on the screen.
Yellow wasn’t talkative when playing games. They didn’t get excited over victories or upset by losses. Even if they felt those emotions, they didn’t show them outwardly.
There was no particular reason for Yellow to suppress their emotions while gaming; they simply found it wasteful to expend energy on feelings that wouldn’t be shared with anyone else.
Even if they celebrated a hard-fought victory alone, there would be no one to share in their joy. If they lost a game they were determined to win, there would be no one to commiserate with them.
Games were a refuge from a life without allies, but even there, Yellow strictly controlled themselves. After all, there was no one to share these moments with.
Their harsh words only surfaced when someone was around. Accumulated emotions would suddenly pour out upon encountering others, making Yellow push people away.
Even when someone finally played games with Yellow, they would soon leave.
Yellow knew their flaws and issues, but they didn’t try to change or find someone suitable for them. They were used to spending time alone.
Then, an unfamiliar figure appeared.
A, refuting Yellow’s harsh words, started hanging out with them. Yellow, who no longer expected to meet anyone, ended up finding a new friend and possibly a partner.
“…”
When the victory message appeared on the screen, Yellow put down the gamepad and glanced at the adjacent seat. It had been two weeks since that person, who always added a word of encouragement regardless of the outcome, left.
Yellow thought they were accustomed to loneliness. Perhaps they didn’t feel loneliness at all, which made it hard to handle the emptiness left by someone dear.
“Crazy bastard.”
When Yellow returned home after reluctantly accepting an unpleasant fact, they blamed him. Why? Why did it have to be HunterKiller members?
Why must they, who had already endured a difficult life, go through this again? Why was A a Spacystro? Why were they destined to become enemies?
The next feeling was despair.
Yellow believed that nothing had changed in their life. Any fleeting change was just a process leading to new challenges, not better days.
The changes in Yellow’s life as a hyper-human were merely to make them suffer more because they were getting used to their existence.
It felt like a demand to lower expectations about themselves and life. Even when such thoughts arose, Yellow didn’t cry.
If the situation were simply sad and frustrating, Yellow might have cried. But experiencing complex emotions, Yellow understood their current circumstances.
They vented frustration and played games for days, staying indoors and not contacting anyone. They closed off the world and sat on the same sofa where they used to play games together with him.
Without anyone to celebrate their victories or laugh with them after losing, Yellow gradually felt more miserable and lonely.
“Why did you do that? You bastard.”
Why did he have to leave after making Yellow like him so much?
“Why couldn’t I say I liked you? Stupid woman.”
The anger wasn’t directed solely at A. In a confused state, Yellow also felt anger towards themselves.
Eventually, the anger turned into overwhelming longing.
Yellow wanted to ask him if everything Indigo said was true. Had they been toyed with from the beginning?
A pebble thrown by the unconscious A struck Yellow’s eye. The same pebble that fell on Pink’s foot in hope of saving A’s life.
And the image of A saying “it won’t work.”
Was it true that A had deceived and manipulated them all along? Was there ever any genuine emotion from A?
Yellow had never been interested in relationships and was experiencing all this for the first time. Clearly, the other members felt the same. Thus, they didn’t know how to proceed.
Yellow missed A and wanted to spend time with him. They yearned to relive the joy of playing games together.
But the person who used to sit beside Yellow, sharing happiness regardless of wins or losses, was gone.
Yellow would have preferred even rough exchanges or fights if it meant having A by their side.
“Ah…”
Sighing, Yellow picked up the gamepad and resumed playing. The character on the screen moved vigorously, filling the room with intense sounds.
Yet, contrary to the chaotic scene on the screen, Yellow’s demeanor was utterly calm. Like standing still by the windless sea, they watched the screen and operated the controls without any other movement.
At that moment, the smartphone on the table vibrated. Glancing indifferently, Yellow froze at the sight. Though it wasn’t a big reaction, it was enough to show their surprise.
After nearly two weeks of silence, a single message appeared in the HunterKiller group chat. It was from Red.
[Let’s have a meeting.]
Those few words conveyed the chaos of the past two weeks. Red must have endured and deliberated deeply before sending that message.
Yellow imagined the other members were also struggling through tough times.
Comparing the love stories they shared and what Yellow knew about A, it was clear they had all loved A deeply.
Yellow’s reply was brief: [Okay.] There was no need for anything else. Adding any postscript could trigger unexpected words.
Two days later,
They concluded it was impossible to hold the meeting in the headquarters due to the crowd outside. They decided to find another location.
Yellow suggested holding the meeting at their spacious home. Members began arriving one by one after receiving the address.
Green arrived first.
“Hi.”
“Hey. Come in.”
Impressed by Yellow’s spacious home, Green explored curiously.
“Wait here until everyone arrives.”
Yellow ended the ongoing game and nodded at Green, who then sat at a table set up in the living room, admiring the city view through the window in silence.
Red, Blue, and Pink arrived next, and all HunterKiller members gathered at Yellow’s place after two weeks.
Though they felt glad to see each other, the awkward silence was unbearable.
“Are we having the meeting?”
“For now, let’s start with what we received from Team Guerrilla.”
Red briefed the team on the current situation as communicated by SpecialForce Team. Although the members were already aware, this was a chance to review the events collectively.
“So, nothing has changed or been officially announced since then?”
Yellow concluded. Indigo remained unconscious, Gainesboro was missing, and Kaki and other Team Guerrilla members refused to answer questions.
Ironically, it might have been fortunate that the public didn’t learn about Team HunterKiller dating a Spacystro soldier.
“Yeah. They only announced the meetings between Spacystro and Earth Defense Union. No details about what was discussed.”
The crowd gathering at the Seoul headquarters was due to this lack of transparency. Official meetings took place, but no information was shared about what transpired.
Journalists flocked to Union headquarters worldwide to gather any scraps of information.
“Protests and petitions everywhere.”
Governments worldwide saw petitions demanding the dissolution of Earth Defense Union, and protests erupted on foreign streets.
The living room filled with a heavy silence as Yellow spoke last. Members looked around aimlessly.
During the meeting, they noticed no significant changes despite the major event. Realizing they had all been concealing their feelings, they understood the gravity of the situation.
Everyone felt like the end was near, and they were doing their best to hide their emotions, especially regarding A.
But the meeting’s momentum broke, leaving only one topic left to discuss.
A topic crucial to everyone and central to the current event.
However, no one dared to speak first. The mere thought of speaking made them fear they would both crumble.
The invisible wall of silence they had built seemed to collapse instantly, leaving them unable to maintain composure.
“What a nice place.”
Blue broke the heavy silence with an awkward smile, complimenting Yellow’s home. Yellow responded awkwardly with a nod.
“Yeah, thanks.”
After exchanging short words, the silence returned. It felt suffocating, yet familiar faces made it hard to breathe.
Then, Pink spoke from the sofa.
“…Did you play games together there?”
Pointing to the gamepad on the sofa and table, and the TV and console below, everyone except Yellow turned their gaze toward the sofa.
“…Yeah.”
Yellow answered softly. They had anticipated this moment since proposing to hold the meeting at their home. It was something they felt needed to be addressed.
Although A wasn’t present, everyone connected to him was there, including close friends. Yellow believed they had to confront this issue rather than avoid it.
Hearing Yellow’s response, everyone’s expression darkened. Thoughts of A’s traces remaining in this spacious home and in others’ homes brought back the avoidance of discussing their encounters.
“…What kind of person was Older Brother to the others?”
Red’s sudden question silenced everyone. Despite little conversation, Red’s words halted any attempts to speak.
“…A good person.”
Blue’s calm response made everyone bow their heads silently. The weight behind the calmness was unimaginable. Pink’s empty eyes, void of any focus, prevented anyone from speaking further.
“Guh… Huhu…”
Green’s stifled sob caught everyone’s attention. Pink, who had been comforting Green, had tears welling up. Accepting the harsh reality was too heavy.
“I miss him… I miss Older Brother so much…”
It had been two weeks since they last met. For some, seeing him weekly or daily, his absence felt like a massive void.
A had indeed met with all members, but no one present could blame each other immediately. Who could have imagined that their beloved boyfriend was the same person?
“Shall we talk about this later?”
Yellow’s usual sharp tone softened. Everyone’s gaze shifted to Yellow, who smiled faintly.
Over the past two weeks, Yellow had missed A and longed for him, anticipating this meeting.
But the situation was far worse than expected. Both the members and Yellow themselves were severely affected.
Though they hadn’t exchanged many words, their expressions revealed their state. Each member felt extreme loneliness due to A’s absence.
“…Yeah. Let’s talk about it later.”
Red agreed, acknowledging that they weren’t ready to discuss it now.
None of them had recovered from the longing for A. They decided to take time to process their emotions, given the uncertain possibility that A might never return.
