### Chapter 16
Out of all the HunterKiller team members, Pink was the one I knew the least about. To be precise, I didn’t have any information about the other members either, but among them, I knew particularly little about Pink.
Our team always gets defeated by HunterKiller, but we still have our own strategies, positions, and assigned opponents to handle. My main opponent is usually Red, and occasionally, I deal with Blue or Yellow. As for Green, I’ve heard a few things from other teammates who’ve fought against them, but the information isn’t particularly helpful. Still, it’s better than knowing nothing.
However, Pink was different. Even teammates who had fought her before barely knew anything about her. Of course, if I talked to them at headquarters, I might gather some information, but unfortunately, right now, I knew absolutely nothing about Pink.
The café kitchen was where dishes were washed, ingredients for drinks were prepared, and supplies were organized. Since it was my first day, instead of actually doing any work, I was there to receive training from Pink, who worked in the kitchen.
Rewinding a bit from when Pink was chatting away, it was around 1 PM when I had just arrived at the café. The owner handed me a uniform. It wasn’t anything special—just a black shirt and a black apron.
The owner, a middle-aged woman, had entrusted all new part-time employee training to Pink. When I entered the kitchen with my uniform, I had my first proper encounter with Pink.
“Hello. You’re the person starting work today, right?”
She greeted me with a bright, friendly smile, and I nodded lightly in response. She was wearing a loose jumpsuit with a black apron over it, and her vibe felt a little different from when she was in her suit. I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, but it was noticeable.
“I’m A, starting work today.”
“A? That’s a unique name. Did you live abroad?”
“Yes, but I’ve lived in Korea longer, so you don’t need to worry about communication.”
Concealing my name was impossible from the start, as my real name was already on the health certificate I had to submit for the part-time job. Still, I couldn’t reveal my true information, so I fabricated a story about myself.
“I’m not a full-time employee, just a kitchen part-timer. My name is Kwon Yura, and I’m 25 years old.”
It was the same age registered on my documents. Looking back now, even before my relationship with Yubin started, I had lied about my age somewhat, but it was fortunate that the age on the documents matched. I hadn’t paid much attention to the registered age before, but luckily, it came out exactly as I had memorized.
Anyway, just from what I’d heard so far, I had some information about Pink. It had taken over a month to uncover Yubin’s personal information, but seeing how quickly I was gathering information here, it seemed the plan of joining the café as a part-timer was quite good.
“I’m 25 too.”
“Really?! You’re the first person I’ve met who’s the same age as me while working!”
Her voice suddenly rose in surprise. Since she was wearing a mask, only her eyes were visible, and I couldn’t help but focus on them. Her light purple eyes were clearly looking at me.
“Yeah… I guess.”
I didn’t have a proper response, so I just gave a vague reaction. She took a step back and continued to stare at me. Her gaze felt like she was evaluating a junior part-timer, and I wondered if I should’ve responded more properly. But once the words were out, I couldn’t take them back, so I waited for her next words.
“A, you’re the quiet type, aren’t you?”
After asking, she furrowed her brows and seemed to notice something odd rather than waiting for my answer.
“I’m calling you by your name, but calling you ‘A’ feels a bit off.”
I hadn’t thought about it before, as no one had ever added ‘-ssi’ to my name like that. Yubin always just called me “oppa.”
“I don’t mind how you call me.”
“Don’t you have a Korean name?”
“Nope.”
I hadn’t even thought about a pseudonym. It’s not like one just pops up when you need it. Pink, unable to find a proper way to address me, pondered for a moment and then suddenly raised her head as if she’d thought of something.
“Why don’t we just speak casually?”
From the way she asked “Why not?” it was clear she was already being casual. I couldn’t exactly refuse. If I said, “That’s a bit…” the atmosphere would become awkward. While I’m not particularly proactive in relationships, in situations like this, it’s better to read the mood and go along with it.
“Sure. We’re the same age anyway, and it’ll be more comfortable to speak casually as we work together.”
“You’re straightforward. I like that.”
She lightly slapped my arm with her palm. I had been curious about her personality, but I hadn’t expected her to be this lively. Lively? It felt like she had no walls when interacting with others.
“I’ll give you a nickname when we get closer. That is, if you don’t quit by then.”
She then told me to follow her and took me to the storage room to explain the locations of items, frequently used things, and occasionally needed supplies. Since I was a guy working in the kitchen, it seemed she’d mainly assign me tasks requiring strength. Carrying items was nothing to me, so I calmly listened to her explanations.
Watching Pink explain things, I noticed she had been working here for quite a while. I couldn’t tell exactly how long, but she knew everything precisely without any hesitation or confusion while explaining to me. The fact that the owner had entrusted her with training without any instructions also showed she was highly trusted.
“When I was coming here today…”
Her explanation started to drift slightly. She began talking about guys who had been eyeing her as she came to the café on a weekend morning.
“At first, I thought it was a misunderstanding. But even with a mask, I guess my beauty still showed, huh?”
I had seen Pink’s face once before during a battle. Well, she was undeniably pretty. Anyone would think so, but listening to her talk so narcissistically, I couldn’t bring myself to nod.
“Just in case, I waited outside the café for a bit, and then one of them came up to me, asking for my number.”
“And?”
It wasn’t a topic I was interested in, but I figured if I engaged in the conversation, I might get something useful. Although it was a topic that seemed unlikely to yield anything, I held onto a sliver of hope and listened.
“I said no, but he kept pestering me. So, I cursed him out.”
“What did you say?”
“I said, ‘Hey, you lowlife, don’t you have anything better to do on a weekend afternoon than chase after women? I’m not interested, so if you don’t want your head bashed in, go play somewhere else.’”
I had asked, but the sudden direct string of curses made me question what I had just heard.
“But then he started cursing at me? I said no, but he kept bothering me. That bastard.”
“Right?”
“So, I cursed him out again and ignored him, then came to the café.”
I had assumed she was just lively, but this was on another level. It’s amazing how people can surprise you. You can’t judge someone’s character based on a single instance. Pink had every right to be angry, and that guy deserved to be cursed out. In that situation, all she did was curse him off, so it’s not fair to hastily judge her personality.
“What a strange guy. He messed up and then blamed you.”
“Right?”
I decided to agree with her. I had nothing to add about her situation, nor did I need to. In times like this, just listening and nodding along is enough to keep the atmosphere from getting awkward. Continuing this way might lead to more personal stories, and who knows what information might come out. But I shouldn’t be impatient. I learned patience during the month I spent silently observing Red. Being impatient here might lead to misunderstandings with Pink, which wouldn’t be good. After all, today was the first day of surveillance and our first proper conversation.
Who would spill their whole life story to a guy they just met?
“And then yesterday…”
This was where it was at.
The mix of training and personal stories left me somewhat confused about what I’d actually heard. When we returned to the kitchen, we found a pile of dishes waiting to be washed, and I immediately put on rubber gloves.
“Let me show you where the cups go.”
As soon as there was work to be done, Pink stopped her personal stories and showed me where the washed dishes should be placed. The difference from washing dishes at home was that everything had to be completely dried before being put away to avoid water stains.
“What did you do before coming here?”
This time, instead of talking about herself, she asked about me. Honestly, why would she want to talk so much with a guy who might quit today?
“Are you chatting again?”
The owner, who had been at the counter, came into the kitchen. She walked toward the fridge, presumably to get something, and Pink just laughed at her remark.
“Yura tends to talk a lot. She’s also not shy, so it might be a bit overwhelming at first, but you’ll get used to it soon.”
“Okay.”
I nodded in response to the owner’s explanation.
Pink scratched her cheek and showed me where to place the cups I had washed.
“Also, newbie, if any trouble arises when you’re out front, call Yura.”
With those words, the owner left for the counter, and I quietly acknowledged her while glancing at Yura standing beside me.
“Leave it to me.”
She confidently said to leave it to her, as if she would handle troublemakers with some incredible method. Since most of the work in the kitchen was washing dishes and organizing, I doubted I’d have to deal with customers out front. Still, I stored that information in my mind.
But I couldn’t help but wonder. I’d never done this kind of work before, so I didn’t know how to handle troublesome customers. Back when I was on my home planet, I was a soldier. But recalling what my friends in service jobs had told me, it seemed the best way was to deal with them appropriately and send them on their way. I don’t know how it’s done on Earth, but from my experience traveling across the universe, people tend to act similarly wherever you go.
Pink seemed lively and unguarded in her personality, so she likely handled troublesome customers smoothly. The fact that the owner immediately handed it over to Pink also showed she was highly trusted.
“So, what did you do before coming here?”
I thought the topic was over, but it wasn’t. Should I tell the same lie I told Yubin? No, even though I’d heard from Yubin that the atmosphere within the HunterKiller team wasn’t great, it was still just speculation. The HunterKiller team had worked together for years, so they might share personal stories.
Especially since I was Yubin’s boyfriend, there was a good chance Yubin might talk about me. If I told the same lie to Pink here, I’d only increase the risk of exposing my true identity.
“Just did various part-time jobs. I don’t have a steady job, so…”
“I see. What kind of part-time jobs?”
Why was she digging so much? Even as I tried to think quickly, there were limits. I had no experience with part-time jobs on Earth since this was my first time.
“Just convenience store stuff.”
The only thing that came to mind was the convenience store, thanks to Yubin working part-time there.
“Have you ever done any unusual part-time jobs?”
“Not really, nothing that’s particularly unusual…”
I tried to vaguely wrap up the topic, and Pink seemed to pick up on my intention not to continue, so she stopped asking.
Then, an awkward silence followed. Normally, a pause in conversation wouldn’t be a big deal, but after she had been so talkative, her sudden quietness was hard to ignore.
I stopped washing the dishes, turned my head slowly, and saw Pink drying the cups and dishes I’d washed. She noticed my gaze and looked at me.
“What? Do you think I’m pretty too?”
She pulled down her mask to reveal her face. I couldn’t figure her out at all.
“Uh, well… yeah, you are.”
I couldn’t exactly say no, so I just agreed and went back to washing the dishes.
“Right? I’m pretty.”
What confidence… I could tell she was pretty. Normally, when truly beautiful or handsome people fall into self-admiration, it doesn’t feel annoying. Instead, responses like “Yeah, you’re pretty” or “You’re handsome” are common, but truly beautiful people rarely say such things themselves.
Maybe it’s just my bias, but at least from what I know, that’s usually the case.
But judging from how firmly she declared her own beauty, it seemed she was either extremely proud of her looks or just talking without much thought.
“I’ve got quite the eccentric one to watch,” I thought to myself.
“Yura!”
A voice called from the counter, and Pink, who had been drying the cups, responded and headed out. Curious, I peeked out from the kitchen while still wearing my rubber gloves. At the counter, there was another part-timer, the owner, and a male customer.
“Hey, let me get your number.”
The part-timer at the counter was also a fairly pretty girl, and it seemed the customer wanted to get her number.
The owner, familiar with the situation, quickly explained, and Yura, stepping out from behind the counter, grabbed the back of the man’s neck and dragged him out.
“What the hell?!”
“Sir, this isn’t a pickup bar; it’s a café.”
She dragged the man making a scene, opened the café door, and threw him out.
“You see this?”
I hadn’t seen it, but later found out that under the menu board outside the café, there was a sign that read ‘No Pickups.’
This was my first part-time job, but I could still tell this wasn’t a normal situation. The scene unfolding before me was understandably awkward, and everyone in the café was now looking at Yura.
I turned my gaze toward the owner at the counter, hoping she could help ease my awkwardness, and she calmly explained to me.
“Yura is a Hyperhuman.”
Hyperhuman (超常人). Among Earth’s humans, these are individuals with physical abilities strong enough to fight off alien invaders. They belong to the Earth Defense Union, and the members of the HunterKiller team are also Hyperhumans.
From my research, Hyperhumans with such physical abilities usually don’t reveal their true identity in their daily lives. Pink, however, seemed to openly display her Hyperhuman status without any reservations.
