Chapter 152

“Although she didn’t forgive me for the situation up to now, Yubin chose to give us time considering my and the HunterKiller members’ feelings.

There was no need to think anymore about how polygamy on Earth was unusual and meeting multiple people at once was wrong.

For them, it had already been wrong, and with the time given to me, my task was to listen to their stories as best I could.

What thoughts they had. What they wanted in the future. What choices would be good.

Since the future is unpredictable and cannot be foreseen by anyone, one must even consider the worst-case scenario.

Not having to hide facts and travel to various places every day made physical and mental fatigue much less compared to before.

But this isn’t the end. I have to work harder to create a result that satisfies everyone without making the worst-case scenario happen. It might be a much harder process than before, but this is something I have to bear.

They say that if you try to satisfy everyone, no one will be satisfied. But there are acceptable choices in culture and human relations, even if not all can be 100% satisfied.

It’s difficult to derive that result, but it’s not impossible. That is, the result will come out as much as I think and work hard.

Just because time has been given doesn’t mean I should take it for granted and treat the relationship with the HunterKiller members lightly. If I do, no one, including myself, will be satisfied with the outcome.

The first thing to consider to get a proper result was who to meet first.

Originally, I planned to go to the hospital and headquarters, then contact them the next day. But since Yubin came to find me, we ended up spending a day together already.

Even just meeting is sensitive now. The moment balance is broken, someone will have complaints, and to meet those complaints, certain actions must be taken.

And other complaints can arise during the process. This vicious cycle needs to be stopped somehow. Of course, considering their personalities, they wouldn’t bring up issues easily over minor things.

That’s the biggest problem. If they suppress their dissatisfaction due to thinking about me and the burden I feel, it will definitely become a festering wound. The burden I feel is something I have to carry.

I can’t make them struggle because of consideration for me.

After finding my smartphone and talking with Yubin, I went home that evening and informed everyone that I found the smartphone.

I didn’t immediately tell anyone I’d meet them and spent some time thinking alone.

Since I couldn’t come up with an answer alone, I decided to decide based on the first thought that came to mind.

“Yes!”

When I knocked on the front door, I heard a startled voice from inside and footsteps approaching the entrance.

Soon, the door lock was released, and the door opened. Eunji looked at me with wide eyes.

“Hello.”

“Yes, please come in.”

She cautiously guided me inside and into her house, which I had visited several times before.

It felt awkward coming here after a month, or maybe because I was found out as Spacystro. Or perhaps both reasons.

Eunji also seemed awkward knowing I was in her house. In the silence, unsure of what to say, Eunji led me to the sofa.

“Did you rest yesterday?”

I thought she was feeling tired and thinking about various things when I saw her silent yesterday.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Like when we first met after a week during our trip before dating, Eunji seemed like she was seeing me for the first time again, carefully observing me.

As expected, accepting that the boyfriend who helped her and she started dating was actually an enemy and that he met her team members wasn’t easy.

“Are you going to stand there?”

I asked her, standing hesitantly beside me. Eunji let out a startled “Ah!” and cautiously sat down beside me.

Even though it’s her house, she seemed uncomfortable, making me feel uneasy as well. Maybe it would have been better to meet outside rather than inside.

“Is your brother okay? You said you were going to the hospital yesterday…”

I hadn’t explained the reason in detail when I mentioned going to the hospital. Only Yubin knew exactly why I went to the hospital, but saying it wasn’t because of a health issue made it seem like I went due to a problem.

“No, I’m fine. I didn’t go to the hospital because I was sick.”

Then I explained to Eunji why I went to the hospital. Due to the incident that day, a colleague fell unconscious and was hospitalized, so I went straight to check his condition upon arriving in Seoul.

Eunji listened silently, showing surprise when I talked about the incident and the colleague’s unconscious state. Even after seeing her reaction, I continued explaining.

“So, you’re fine now?”

Still worried about my body? Eunji kept looking at me with an anxious gaze. To show her I was fine, I moved my arm dramatically.

“Don’t worry. All the injuries are healed.”

Why was she so worried? When I met them that day, I was severely injured right after being caught in an explosion.

Injuries that could have been fatal for a regular person, and the HunterKiller members, who fought against Spacystro without major injuries, would have been surprised to see such wounds.

“How have you been? Have you been okay? Not sick or anything?”

Seeing Eunji worried about my health, I naturally became concerned about hers too. Perhaps, due to her lack of expression, her health might have been affected negatively.

“Yes, I’m fine…”

Her voice trembling, Eunji held her own arm and spoke, and I felt a strange unease from her behavior.

But I couldn’t deny that she was fine right away, so I nodded.

“It’s good to hear that.”

Eunji still seemed anxious, and her eyes kept shifting nervously. She seemed to have something bothering her deeply, and asking carelessly might make her hesitate to speak.

“Yesterday, I went to the hospital with Yubin. I tried to go alone, but she waited for me in front of the house in the morning.”

“You two went together?”

To change the mood, I brought up what happened yesterday, but Eunji’s reaction was subtle.

It wasn’t that she disliked it, nor did she fully approve. Her response was ambiguous, and I lost my words and couldn’t continue speaking.

“Oh, sorry. I thought you two went together.”

Seeing my lack of reaction, she seemed to realize I was watching her and quickly explained that her previous reaction was unintentional.

“Yeah, so… ”

I thought about continuing the story from yesterday, but it seemed endless if I kept circling around the topic.

If it were someone else, they would speak their mind directly, but with Eunji, it’s better to guide her to speak.

It’s not that she has any problems with her personality or that she’s different. People have different personalities and ways of expressing themselves, so conversations need to be tailored to each person’s style.

Not everyone lives meticulously, but everyone adjusts their communication styles slightly to build relationships.

Eunji has her own way.

“Eunji.”

“Yes?!”

Startled by my sudden stop and calling her name, Eunji looked at me with wide eyes. I looked at her seriously and said,

“What do you think about this situation?”

Even though I intended to bring up the conversation, it was hard to directly ask ‘What do you think about monogamy?’ It scared me momentarily.

I had already repeated in my head that it’s something I need to take responsibility for, but it wasn’t easy to bring it up.

“I don’t know.”

Eunji’s answer remained unchanged from two days ago. However, when facing everyone simultaneously, I couldn’t pay close attention. Now, meeting alone, I noticed something odd.

“Can I ask what ‘don’t know’ means?”

Her ‘don’t know’ didn’t sound like she was unsure about making a decision.

“Meeting everyone together or meeting me alone is fine. It doesn’t matter either way…”

Eunji trailed off. Her gaze, which had been uneasy, suddenly shifted greatly, and she tightly clasped her trembling hand with the other.

Rather than urging her for an answer, I waited for her to speak. Given her difficulty in expressing her feelings, she likely had many thoughts inside.

“…I wonder if I should be there…”

It felt like being hit by a mallet. Even as her girlfriend, I realized how little I knew about her.

Eunji wasn’t worried about competition or exclusivity. Two days ago, when everyone was together, she had been wondering whether she belonged in that place.

Her hand was still trembling, and her gaze avoided mine, directed towards the floor.

“…I think I’ll only be in the way and won’t be helpful…”

I simply listened to her. I wanted to refute her immediately, but to understand her thoughts, I needed to hear her out completely.

I had gotten to know her somewhat and felt she was improving. Even two days ago, I thought she was doing well. But that was just my perspective.

My complacency about immediate problems had ignored her struggles, and I felt ashamed for not realizing her thoughts.

“…The other members are pretty, but I’m not. I wonder if I can fit in if everyone meets together…”

Eunji, struggling to hold back tears, paused briefly and then continued with difficulty.

“…I think others might dislike me if I stay…”

Eunji still believed she might be disliked. Despite spending time together, she hadn’t shaken off her anxiety.

Over the past month, she had been fighting her anxiety alone. My presence had slightly alleviated her worries, allowing me to see her brighter side.

But what was she thinking during the times I wasn’t there?

Surely, she had gone through extremely difficult and painful moments alone.

Eunji finished speaking, her lips firmly closed. Her hand was still trembling, as if waiting for my response.

Slowly, I reached out and took her hand, and as I did, I noticed her sleeve had slightly rolled up, revealing a bruise on her arm. Only then did I notice a bruise near her neck.

“…Eunji.”

Her voice trembling, I called her name. She closed her eyes tightly and slowly turned her head towards me.

I embraced her.

“!”

Surprised, Eunji momentarily held her breath and stayed motionless in my embrace.

The human who could be considered her father was no longer by her side. There had been no battles or meetings with members in the past month.

Her bruises were self-inflicted.

I couldn’t ask. I understood why she hurt herself without needing to ask.

To shake off extreme anxiety, she chose self-harm.

Why she chose that method, I couldn’t understand. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t comprehend it.

I felt I couldn’t leave her like this and held her tighter in my arms.

“Brother…”

She softly called me, and I whispered to her.

“I won’t be a bother. I don’t dislike you.”

Whether she felt relieved or shocked, her body trembled slightly, and her hand, which had nowhere to go, slowly pulled me closer.