In a stifling atmosphere where one cannot speak rashly, the thought of having to tell the truth weighed heavily on my mind just by thinking about it.
I had entered the sickbay with the resolve to talk, but I couldn’t even bring myself to mention the word “hyper-human.”
When could I find the right timing to speak? When could I make Silver leave his seat?
The more I thought about it, the more I regretted holding back Silver from leaving.
And the more such thoughts consumed me, the less I could focus on the conversation, leading to no progress in our dialogue.
Even the pointless chatter I usually had with Klugger became difficult, and I had to constantly watch their expressions.
Both Klugger and Silver seemed to have noticed that I was reading the atmosphere.
Seeing their eyes flicker slightly, I realized they too were checking the atmosphere.
But given all my speculations were guesses, I couldn’t discern their thoughts just by looking at their eyes.
I wished someone, including myself, would openly act suspiciously.
“Is there nothing else to say?”
Startled by the sharp tone of Klugger’s voice, I swallowed hard, feeling tense.
Klugger was waiting for me to speak. He expected me to tell him what I had to say.
However, an unexpected person was in the sickbay, making it impossible for me to speak.
Klugger knew that my girlfriend’s name was Yubin, but he didn’t know she was Red from the HunterKiller Team.
Essentially, I couldn’t share the most crucial information, nor could I inform him.
Despite this, Klugger urged me to speak.
Did he really think I was investigating hyper-humans on the side of the Earth Defense Union as he believed?
Even though Yubin’s name came up, I couldn’t mention her being Red while Silver was present. The specific situation was unclear to Klugger, but discussing hyper-humans with one beside me was very delicate.
Silver probably doesn’t know we are Spacystro.
Unexpectedly, he might know our identities, but if he did, the atmosphere wouldn’t be so calm.
If Silver found out that I am dating a member of the HunterKiller Team and that we are part of Spacystro, it would cause immediate problems for us in the hospital and make things very difficult for the HunterKiller Team.
Although I expressed my intention to switch sides, the HunterKiller Team remains affiliated with the Earth Defense Union, and staying there is beneficial for further investigations.
Regardless of the larger goal, I couldn’t disclose certain things.
While I don’t know the specifics of the relationship between the SpecialForce Team and the HunterKiller Team, Silver considers Yubin a friend.
It’s hard to say, but few of my girlfriends can be called friends.
Due to being a hyper-human, I couldn’t make friends, and even those I did make left because they were just hyper-humans.
There are parts of me that can fill the void, but there are also parts I can’t.
Once all my girlfriends join Spacystro, the friendship will end, but I don’t want to rush it.
And I didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere by taking hasty actions on issues that might resolve themselves.
Klugger is a dear friend and colleague to me. Although I have girlfriends now, the moments I’ve shared with Klugger are incomparable.
I feel a deep bond and camaraderie, but the HunterKiller Team is different. My girlfriends need protection.
This isn’t just self-awareness speaking. They support me, and I must support them.
“Yes.”
I had nothing else to say. To be precise, I had nothing I could say.
Though I resolved to speak, I had to postpone the detailed discussion.
Making a phone call would be difficult. This conversation needs to happen face-to-face.
Otherwise, misunderstandings could arise. Even if words are reassuring, not seeing each other’s eyes could hide true intentions.
Thus, visiting Klugger in the sickbay only left me with a disquieting feeling.
After A left the sickbay, Silver remained alone with Klugger, who looked at the closed door before turning back to Silver.
“Was it better for me to leave the room?”
Silver felt uneasy despite being told it was okay to stay.
When he noticed the heavy atmosphere, he wondered if it would have been better to leave.
Of course, that moment had passed, and during the heavy atmosphere between A and Klugger, Silver merely observed.
“No, it’s fine.”
“But it’s been a while since we last met.”
“We’ll see each other soon.”
Klugger was also concerned about Silver. With her around, they couldn’t discuss A and the hyper-human in detail.
Klugger understood why A couldn’t continue the conversation properly. Having worked together for a long time, Klugger shared many experiences.
He was adept at reading atmospheres, but what worried Klugger most wasn’t A’s inability to speak due to Silver’s presence.
His suspicions had grown since before, but now they were even stronger.
Sitting next to him was Silver from the SpecialForce Team.
He predicted and confirmed that a hyper-human named Yubin was A’s girlfriend.
Today, A directly stated that Yubin, a hyper-human, was his girlfriend.
This revelation shook Klugger’s doubts.
He didn’t want to doubt A, but he had seen too many cases where people from invaded planets developed romantic relationships with planet citizens.
Some found happiness, while others betrayed Spacystro and sided with the invading planet.
“The atmosphere was strange today. It’s not usually like this. Today, A seemed awkward.”
“You don’t need to worry about it.”
Silver waved off Klugger’s concern with a smile.
Klugger pondered, ‘If he turned sides…’
A’s girlfriend being a hyper-human was certain.
Having witnessed the explosion of A’s parents’ transport ship firsthand, Klugger understood his reasons for fighting.
But seeing A hiding important details made him reconsider.
Maybe A truly betrayed Spacystro and was investigating for Earth’s sake.
“Would you like some water?”
“Huh?”
“You look troubled. Drinking something might help.”
“Sure, let’s go.”
Klugger removed the blanket covering his lower half and stood up from the bed.
He concluded he needed to sort out his complex thoughts and decided to observe Silver nearby.
The next day.
Reports had surely already been sent to higher-ups.
Feeling nervous, I went to the headquarters, but the team leaders said they had no news.
Sitting at my desk in the office helped ease my tension.
“Ahhh—”
A deep sigh escaped from my abdomen.
“The earth is crumbling.”
Theo, noticing my sigh, peeked over the partition.
“Let it crumble.”
“Why do you look so burdened today, as if carrying the world’s troubles?”
“There are reasons.”
I planned to tell Theo about my girlfriend being from the HunterKiller Team, but I couldn’t share the issues with Klugger and me yet.
Even if it’s fine to tell him, Theo would likely scold me, so I decided not to.
“Why are you here?”
Unlike me, who came for work, Theo has no reason to come to headquarters on weekdays.
Curious about his reason for coming despite it being fine, especially since the hyper-human investigation had paused.
“To check on the facilities.”
“Busy.”
“I’ve always been in technical roles.”
Before Spacystro came to Earth, Theo, Klugger, and I lived in the same unit. We were all engineers, but our backgrounds differed slightly.
I joined as a soldier, then became a trooper wearing battle suits with strong firepower, later a pilot, and then an engineer. Currently, I live as a regular soldier.
Klugger joined as a commander, then switched to a soldier, following a similar path as me.
Like me, Theo started as a soldier, then became an engineer, pilot, and now a soldier again.
Though we spent time together, there were differences among us.
Theo, naturally talented with machinery, stayed an engineer even when Klugger and I were selected as soldiers ten years ago.
While programming was my and Klugger’s forte, Theo excelled at physically handling machines.
Recognized for his engineering and programming skills, he became the hangar engineer team leader. However, I could relax freely when Theo was in the hangar and I wasn’t.
“Why are you sitting?”
“Just finished reporting and resting. Tired?”
Without responding, I mindlessly spoke my thoughts aloud.
“Can I say something?”
“What is it?”
“I’m dating the HunterKiller Team.”
“Really?”
Surprised by how bluntly I said it, even more so by Theo’s indifferent reaction.
Turning away, I was more surprised than myself.
“You’re not surprised?”
“Isn’t it common for invaders to become lovers? It’s surprising it’s you, but not enough to make a fuss.”
As he said, many similar cases existed.
Theo nodded, recalling my obsession with hyper-human investigations and Yubin visiting headquarters.
Confirming his puzzle pieces fit, he muttered, “Ah, I see.”
Would Klugger react similarly?
Probably not. Theo’s calm reaction stems from not facing the HunterKiller Team long enough.
Predicting Klugger’s response became uncertain.
“So, who is it? Since Red came, is it Red?”
“Who is what?”
“Which member of the HunterKiller Team?”
“HunterKiller Team? All of them?”
“… Silence.”
Theo remained silent.
