On the way back home from headquarters, I usually sit in the subway and read news articles. Since the embezzlement scandal, issues related to hyper-humans have been continuous, and checking for new articles has become a routine.
Just reading articles doesn’t necessarily bring special content. They were mostly about investigations and who was involved in the embezzlement. More than half of the articles contained information I had already spread, and any new updates would first reach me through my girlfriends.
The reason I check these articles is to observe people’s reactions. Ideally, I’d like to change people’s perception of hyper-humans.
Given that hyper-humans have had a bad reputation for nearly 20 years, I didn’t expect dramatic changes overnight.
I hoped that amidst negative articles, there would be some positive ones. Changes were more significant than I anticipated.
Most people who once accused hyper-humans of being tax thieves felt guilty when they heard that hyper-humans hadn’t even received proper payment. They empathized with their situation and criticized the Earth Defense Union.
Of course, not everyone felt this way. There were still more people who did not sympathize with hyper-humans’ situation. Some refused to change their opinions despite knowing the facts, but it was encouraging that the number of people criticizing hyper-humans decreased visibly.
One reason for criticizing hyper-humans was money, and whenever issues related to money arose, it inevitably drew public attention.
Now, various communities that previously only reported on hyper-humans’ misdeeds began to feature their good deeds as well.
It seemed that posting positive stories alongside negative ones was daunting, but the variety of posts allowed me to learn more about the actions of many hyper-humans.
Teams like HunterKiller, which consistently wins battles, are rare. Many hyper-humans, despite having strong wills, couldn’t prove their victories in every battle, so they expanded their activities.
For example, I read an article about a hyper-human who helped workers in harsh conditions using their physical abilities, without taking any payment.
Another story mentioned a hyper-human who engaged in volunteer work across different regions. Initially hiding their identity, they eventually revealed themselves, and their actions changed people’s perceptions.
Other examples included hyper-humans who rescued people at accident sites, searched all night to rescue stranded individuals in the mountains, and saved children from near-accidents.
The articles on various communities were diverse and plentiful.
Even though the impact of these articles isn’t huge, seeing positive stories despite the current isolation of hyper-humans from society is somewhat encouraging.
Some people started sharing their positive experiences among negative ones, leading others to become aware. Reactions were varied, but not all were negative.
Noticing these small changes makes one feel better.
When I returned home today, as expected, no one was there.
After the battles, thinking about the busy girlfriends at headquarters made me worry.
While my girlfriends are resilient physically, mental strength doesn’t always follow.
I think my girlfriends have relatively strong mental fortitude.
But everyone has limits. Even if they’ve endured tough situations before, it doesn’t mean they’ll always handle difficult circumstances well.
I wish they would openly share their struggles, but it seems they don’t unless it’s really severe.
Since they’re busy and have a lot on their minds, I should also be considerate and busy. It seems they don’t want to show their struggles intentionally.
I’m not in a position to say I’m fine, so I appreciate their concern for my situation, yet I wish they would share more.
I need to keep an eye on my girlfriends’ situations, but I hope they don’t overthink them too deeply.
Sitting on the living room sofa, I waited for my girlfriends to come home. It might take until evening, so I had some time alone.
After spending so much time together recently, being alone felt awkward.
Before meeting my girlfriends, I used to spend days alone at home, and now it feels distant.
Feeling lonely when alone, despite never feeling lonely before, made me want to see my girlfriends, making me shake my head.
Just then, I heard the door unlock as Hyang came in.
“Did you come?”
Hyang’s voice; I didn’t hear anyone else.
I heard rustling in the hallway and quickly got up from the sofa to meet her.
Holding bags full of groceries, Hyang entered the living room, and our eyes met.
“I’m back.”
“Welcome. Where are the others?”
“They’re still at headquarters. I came ahead so we could eat right away.”
It seemed the others were still at headquarters working. Preparing dinner suggested they would return home after finishing their tasks.
Hyang, who came home early, bought ingredients to cook dinner for everyone.
“Is it okay for me to come alone?”
“Yeah. Everyone said they wanted to eat right away when they get home, and it’s boring for me to be alone.”
Though she didn’t know the details, it seemed unnecessary for everyone to be present.
Tired from work, the girlfriends wanted Hyang to come home first, perhaps considering my loneliness.
“What did you buy?”
I looked inside the bags she brought. As it was ordinary ingredients, I was curious what she planned to make.
Hyang’s tone became slightly higher as she spoke about cooking.
“I’m going to make some side dishes for the hot pot. It’s hard to cater to everyone’s tastes.”
Hyang, who enjoys cooking, thought about what dishes would suit us each time.
Seeing her change side dishes every time she cooked, I noticed her efforts.
“Do you need help?”
“No… Just stay by my side.”
“Okay.”
I wasn’t very helpful with cooking, so I just stood beside her.
Living alone, I mostly ate convenience store food or delivery meals.
My experience with cooking was minimal, and I couldn’t do much to help Hyang when she cooked.
Realizing this, Hyang asked me to stay beside her. Smiling, I agreed and went to the kitchen with her.
Hyang put on an apron and turned around to face me.
“Tie it for me.”
I immediately reached out to tie the apron strings, but instead, I hugged her waist.
“Why?”
Startled, but with a gentle smile, Hyang turned around to look at me holding her from behind.
“It’s been a while since we were alone like this?”
“Yeah.”
Since the radio base attack, we spent more time together rather than individually. Although Yubin and Hyang aren’t living together yet, living with the girlfriends means we’re often in groups rather than alone.
Unconsciously, being alone felt like a secret moment between us.
Without physical contact for days, I felt excited and wanted to hold her immediately, but I needed to keep my composure to prepare dinner for when the others returned.
“Feels like when we’re alone at your place?”
“Yeah. At your place, you always hugged me from behind.”
Since coming to SuA’s house frequently, those moments felt like the past. Thinking about the past times we spent alone before things got complicated, I felt nostalgic.
“Have you thought about living together?”
Despite being busy, Yubin decided to move in, but Hyang hasn’t made a decision yet.
I wasn’t pressuring her or urging a response. She cherished her current home, and if she wanted to stay, I respected that.
However, I wished for a quicker decision. I wanted to live together.
My desire to wake up, eat, and spend everyday with my girlfriends won’t disappear even if everything else is realized.
“I’m still thinking. The situation isn’t ideal for moving yet.”
At home, I can have a normal life, but at headquarters, there’s no time for leisure. Seeing my girlfriends at headquarters confirmed this.
Moving involves a lot of work. Even if preparations are complete, it’s still challenging. Hyang, who already has furniture, has more to consider.
Seemingly simple tasks like deciding what furniture to move or organize are crucial.
“We’ll talk about it after this issue is resolved.”
The resolution of the embezzlement case would allow us to discuss things more calmly.
“But you practically live here already.”
Smiling, I briefly replied, “Yeah.”
Hyang visits SuA’s house daily and often stays overnight.
While she returns home more frequently, staying at SuA’s house has increased.
We can’t say we live together yet, but the atmosphere feels like cohabitation.
Releasing the hug, I tied Hyang’s apron strings and faced her.
She, the shortest among my girlfriends, looked up at me with a loving expression, making it hard to resist.
Pressing against each other, we stared into each other’s eyes, getting closer, and kissed passionately.
Her soft lips and gentle tongue were stimulating.
Our warm breaths mingled.
“Mmm, hmm.”
Her light breathing was incredibly arousing.
Hugging her tighter, I felt her body.
Despite her small size, her curves were noticeable. Every touch was soft, and we closed our eyes, continuing to kiss and explore each other’s tongues.
“Ugh, hmm, uh. Mmm.”
Was Hyang also excited in this private moment?
She kissed passionately, and her cheeks flushed.
If we lost control, I might take her right away.
I assumed Hyang wouldn’t object.
Maybe just a moment? My hand moved to her chest.
Just as Hyang’s small hand touched my face, we stopped kissing.
“Darling.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to?”
“Yes.”
Without hesitation, I nodded, and Hyang smiled understandingly.
“But we need to prepare dinner now. We can wait a little. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Her comforting voice carried a hint of regret.
There was no need to feel bad about suppressing my desire to hold her.
Perhaps Hyang felt the same desire to hold me.
Though our hearts were aligned, thinking about the members being watched at headquarters, I felt preparing dinner for them was more important.
“When you’re free, if you want, I’ll do it anytime. Just say so.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. If necessary, I’ll do it without permission.”
“…Really?”
Hearing her pure intentions made me even more excited.
I wondered if it was okay to do it without permission, but looking at Hyang’s gentle smile, the urge to try without permission naturally arose.
“Really.”
Since she gave permission, maybe it’s okay to try once.
