The tension was palpable in each seat where at least one member of the HunterKiller Team, SpecialForce Team, or Endurance Team was present. While the tension was real, it was hard to express because each person felt it for different reasons.
The HunterKiller Team was wary of questions about the team their boyfriend was part of. The main reason wasn’t just that he was a member; it was also because the intentions of the Endurance Team, who came after the Guerrilla Team that had been stalking A, didn’t seem pure.
Dusk and Dynamo from the Endurance Team, who asked the questions, showed no signs of tension on their faces.
Gold viewed the current atmosphere unfavorably.
The tension felt by the HunterKiller Team, aside from the biggest reason of questioning about the team A belonged to, was similar to what Gold felt.
The negative reason for the question from the Endurance Team was the question itself.
It wouldn’t be unusual to ask about the enemies mainly dealt with within the branch where the new team was assigned. However, the hyper-humans were never in a cooperative relationship to begin with.
Though categorized under the same category of hyper-humans, there weren’t many places where exchanges between hyper-humans were active. Each team operated independently and did not disclose their unique information to the outside.
There were official reports and the method of gathering necessary information was reviewing the reported content rather than mutual exchange.
The lack of cooperation among hyper-humans was largely influenced by social atmosphere.
As people developed a negative view towards hyper-humans, trust among them ceased to build up.
One might think this is due to individual differences. Certainly, there must be hyper-humans who actively engage in mutual exchanges somewhere, but most hyper-humans believe they should take responsibility for their own domains.
While this can be seen as a lack of cooperation ability, since there was no culture of exchanging combat information to begin with, no one found it strange. Instead, they found it strange that anyone would ask about such secret information.
The reason why the HunterKiller Team and SpecialForce Team had no interaction despite being in the Seoul Branch for several years was also due to this.
They didn’t ask about combat information, and without other verifiable information, there was no reason for them to talk to each other.
Although the atmosphere improved recently due to increased incidents, the newly arrived Endurance Team was not particularly welcomed.
“Overthrow them?”
“Yes, it’s Spacystro, right? Aren’t we supposed to overthrow them as hyper-humans?”
“That’s correct.”
What Dusk said to Red, who openly showed her wariness, was not wrong. Despite the psychological barrier easing somewhat due to working secretly with her boyfriend and being part of the same team, Spacystro Team 3 was still considered an enemy by the HunterKiller Team.
“I understand the reasons for caution. We know there’s no exchange among hyper-humans either.”
Dusk, who had participated in many operations across multiple teams while being in the Seoul Branch for a long time, understood better than anyone else how little exchange there was among hyper-humans.
“But for us to win, mutual exchange is necessary. Information is power, and soon it becomes tactics.”
“I get what you’re saying, but I can’t give you all our information just because you don’t know much yet.”
Red spoke firmly, and behind her, Yellow kept a steady gaze on the two from the Endurance Team.
Noticing the bad atmosphere, Gold quickly directed a question at Dusk.
“There are several teams we face in the Seoul Branch. Why are you only curious about Team 3?”
The members of the HunterKiller Team focused intently on Dusk’s response to Gold’s question.
“When I received my assignment to the Seoul Branch, I reviewed all the reported data. Among them, I thought Team 3 was the one we needed to be most cautious about.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Even though they haven’t operated abroad, I looked into various cases overseas to find opportunities for collaboration with other teams. And I judged that the HunterKiller Team’s capabilities are among the top in the world.”
No one denied the abilities of the HunterKiller Team. They had an unprecedented record of never losing a single battle, and even from the official reports, one could see how many strategies were present within the team.
“I didn’t think Team 3’s strength was lacking, even if they’ve never won against the HunterKiller Team.”
The HunterKiller Team members had been listening to the base manager’s meaningless talk until now. Especially Red was slightly impressed by Dusk’s analytical skills.
By checking the report and inferring from his own assumptions, Dusk had grasped the relationship between the HunterKiller Team and Team 3 to some extent. The unwavering tone in his voice conveyed that he had accumulated a lot of experience through many operations.
“From the report, I immediately realized that Team 3’s strength was considerable when they responded to the HunterKiller Team.”
The HunterKiller Team’s report was quite detailed.
A had submitted flawless reports even before dating, and the detailed nature of these reports was largely due to the pressure exerted by the base manager.
For a while, the team had been pressured to achieve results, and Red always submitted accurate reports to avoid making the base manager unhappy.
“Still, I don’t get it. Your team will be in charge of dealing with Spacystro Team 4. Why are you curious about Team 3?”
“My goal is to eliminate all Spacystro.”
Dusk’s eyes became sharp, and the HunterKiller Team members also stared back sharply. Only Green seemed to want to stabilize the atmosphere, but there was no way to calm the tension.
“Objectively, my abilities are far below those of the people in the Seoul Branch. But I am also a hyper-human and have the mission to eliminate Spacystro to protect the Earth.”
Dusk’s statement was positive enough to be appreciated. However, none of the others present, except Dusk and Dynamo, could empathize with his words.
“Protecting the Earth?”
“Yes.”
They had suffered too much to protect the Earth and people, and the idea of protection had become almost lost.
This wasn’t just limited to the HunterKiller Team and SpecialForce Team.
Even though the atmosphere had changed slightly recently, there were still many people who showed disdain towards hyper-humans.
People on the street were so used to hostility towards hyper-humans that they wouldn’t find it odd if someone cursed when asked about their opinion on hyper-humans.
Whether it’s the loss of a sense of responsibility or the use of exceptional physical abilities for morally questionable actions, many hyper-humans engaged in such behaviors.
It was unclear whether the disdain towards hyper-humans came first or their improper actions, but a negative public opinion towards hyper-humans had formed long ago.
“I think I’m a bit unusual myself. There’s disagreement within my team too.”
Dusk, who had always felt the guarded gazes of both civilians and other hyper-humans, shrugged off the stares of the two team members looking at him.
“But there are people out there who don’t view hyper-humans negatively. I realized that.”
It was impossible to know what experiences Dusk had undergone. He didn’t particularly want to know.
But the HunterKiller Team members and Gold were paying close attention to his words.
“There are people out there seeking help, and I have the power to help. It’s natural for those with power to help those in need.”
No one reacted to Dusk’s statement.
Feeling the awkwardness, Dusk tried to change the mood with an awkward smile.
“Of course, I’m not forcing everyone to think like me. I’m aware that many hyper-humans have gone through difficult situations.”
Dusk’s words gave everyone a chance to reconsider the power they held as hyper-humans.
However, they had no intention of providing any combat-related information to him right away.
“There are many ways to help people without fighting. We are doing our best to implement these methods.”
Having opened up, Dusk looked around at the HunterKiller Team members who remained silent, realizing they had no intention of sharing combat-related information.
“Please let me know later if you have the chance.”
Thinking that staying in this position was impolite, Dusk quickly concluded his conversation, bowed, and left with Dynamo by his side.
“It’s tough.”
Everyone nodded silently at Red’s low comment.
Only Pink could fully empathize with his statement.
At least, the people she worked with in the cafe didn’t hold any prejudices against her as a hyper-human.
But when she looked around, the group gathered in front of headquarters made it impossible to view everything positively.
Certainly, there were people who viewed hyper-humans positively. But feeling the pervasive negativity, she couldn’t focus solely on those few positive views.
“He is strong.”
Gold shared the same thought.
Nothing had been verified, but if Dusk’s words were true, the Endurance Team’s abilities might be inferior to those of the teams that had been in the Seoul Branch.
However, from their brief conversation, it was clear that he possessed strong mental fortitude and beliefs.
When the girlfriends returned home after work, having prepared dinner for them, Hayang spent some intimate time with her. As time passed, the sun set, and the sound of the front door opening and the girls’ footsteps could be heard.
“You all must be tired.”
She didn’t know what happened, but she expected today wasn’t smooth for them. Although their expressions weren’t entirely cheerful, the atmosphere was a bit different from usual.
Since they didn’t want to show it outwardly, she didn’t ask and greeted them as usual.
“Tired—”
Yura, who came into her arms and urged for a kiss, received a light peck on the lips, causing a smile to spread across her face.
Hayang thought the matter would resolve itself quickly based on Yura’s reaction, but she was curious about what happened.
From her boyfriend’s perspective, she thought it was reasonable to ask, but she prioritized giving them space.
With curiosity in mind, she had dinner with the girlfriends after they finished bathing.
The topics of conversation were the same as usual, but no one talked about what happened at headquarters.
To be precise, nothing out of the ordinary was discussed.
The only things mentioned were the headaches caused by reporters and the extensive discussions needed for legal procedures.
After dinner, she let Hayang rest after preparing the meal, and she cleaned up. The girlfriends went to their rooms, and SuA was the only one left playing a game on the sofa.
Today, it felt awkward to speak, so she stared intently at SuA who was playing a game.
Feeling her gaze, SuA turned her head away from the TV and the gamepad.
“Why?”
“No, you seem a bit down today.”
SuA frowned at her words. It was a clear expression she rarely showed, which surprised her.
“What do you think about hyper-humans?”
“Hyper-humans?”
This wasn’t something SuA usually asked. Since SuA didn’t often ask questions, she pondered deeply about what SuA meant.
“Are you asking me as someone with a hyper-human girlfriend, or as someone who considers hyper-humans enemies?”
Despite this, the person answering wasn’t confined to just one perspective.
“Both.”
“About hyper-humans…it’s a difficult topic to answer.”
It was indeed difficult to answer. If considering them enemies, they were troublesome opponents due to their superior physical abilities. If considering them girlfriends, the very fact of being a hyper-human posed issues.
“No, forget it.”
SuA seemed to want to avoid answering as she pondered for a while.
“What happened?”
Finally, she could express her curiosity since the girlfriends returned home.
“I’ll tell you when I’ve sorted my thoughts.”
Clearly, something had happened. Perhaps she was thinking about the concept of hyper-humans, but without knowing the exact details, further questioning was difficult.
Most importantly, SuA needed time to think. Trying to force answers would likely result in anger.
“Alright.”
There was no need to rush her for an answer.
After finishing the dishes and drying her hands, she headed to her room. Just then, Yubin, who had been in her room during the cleanup, opened the door and peeked in.
“Did you stay alone?”
“Yeah.”
She hugged Yubin, who was spending time alone in the room, before sitting on the bed.
Yubin also seemed to have a lot on her mind, and her expression wasn’t good.
“Something happened at headquarters?”
“Yeah.”
Yubin’s complex thoughts were evident in her eyes, even as she gave a quick reply.
“Brother, are there people who view hyper-humans positively?”
“Sure, there are.”
She could say this confidently. Recently, with the heated discussion around hyper-humans, various opinions emerged.
There were many negative views, but there were also positive ones.
“But I’ve never met such a person directly.”
It seems I don’t fit this description. Yubin’s reference to someone viewing hyper-humans positively clearly refers to an Earthling, not a Spacystro like me.
Although she couldn’t know specifics, the mention of discussions about hyper-humans at headquarters confirmed her suspicions.
Even if she couldn’t directly relate to what Yubin experienced, she thought it would be good to share her own experience.
“A few days ago, I saw a fan of the HunterKiller Team.”
“Our team fan?”
Looking at Yubin with wavering eyes, she recounted the story of a young boy she had met by chance on the street. The boy admired hyper-humans and loved the HunterKiller Team.
Listening to the story, Yubin maintained a skeptical expression.
Though her thoughts became more complicated, she seemed happier.
“Will I meet someone like that someday?”
“I think so.”
Was she feeling tired from recent hyper-human-related issues, or was it triggered by some event? This might shake the girlfriends’ thoughts about joining Spacystro.
But it was better than seeing them worried.
“…If I join Spacystro, will I be betraying that person?”
From Yubin’s careful question, she could guess what she was thinking. Although she didn’t know the exact trigger, she had started thinking about people who viewed hyper-humans positively and simultaneously about joining Spacystro.
It’s a difficult topic. She couldn’t approach this objectively.
I am her boyfriend, and she is my girlfriend.
I belong to Spacystro, and she is a hyper-human.
“Let’s think about it together.”
She was certain that no matter what she said, it wouldn’t convince her.
At least, for this question, she believed it was right to come up with an answer on her own.
Yubin still wore a complex expression, and the only thing she could do was embrace her.
