Here is the translated text:
“Let’s do it.”
The scheduled match between the three teams began, and the first opponents they faced, who were not yet fully organized, were the SpecialForce Team.
While the HunterKiller Team had the highest win rate within the Seoul branch of the Earth Defense Union, the SpecialForce Team was receiving more attention from the media. There wasn’t any particular reason for this.
Now that the HunterKiller Team has been exposed due to the embezzlement scandal, before that, the SpecialForce Team had continuously appeared in interviews related to the Earth Defense Union, thus gaining frequent media exposure.
Even though it was continuous, there were only occasional interviews, and being the focus of the media did not mean receiving much attention.
With interest in hyper-humans already at an all-time low, even ordinary celebrities received far more attention than hyper-humans.
It’s true that the HunterKiller Team excels in combat capabilities, but the members of the SpecialForce Team are not weak either. It’s just that compared to the HunterKiller Team, their win rate seems lower.
And the day the HunterKiller Team returned to compete was also the day of the match against the SpecialForce Team.
Although he thought his body would be stiff from resting for so long, his extensive activity experience prior to the match quickly reawakened his senses.
While Luche was engaging with Gold and Black from the SpecialForce Team in the front, Kruegger was holding off White and Silver from the rear.
Naturally, Kruegger alone couldn’t manage, so he coordinated with his teammates, but things didn’t go as planned.
“Damn!”
Kruegger, wielding a sword, confronted Silver, who held a long scimitar.
Knowing who his opponent was beyond the suit significantly impacted the duel.
He tried to remain calm and fight, but memories of the time he met her and talked with her in the hospital flooded his mind.
A and Theo. Despite having more experience, Kruegger shared something in common with these two: they hadn’t interacted with planetary citizens during countless invasions.
A had completely adapted, but Kruegger hadn’t.
Though his purpose was to monitor her, conversations with an enemy inevitably lead to emotional connections, and Kruegger, who always maintained composure in battles, felt quite flustered.
“Senior!”
As White and Lloyd were engaged, just as the scimitar was about to strike Kruegger, Lloyd suddenly moved forward and blocked the scimitar swung by Silver.
Lloyd then attempted to attack her with sharp claws, but Gold, who was battling Luche, threw one of his swords at Lloyd.
Unable to attack, Lloyd was pushed back when the sword hit him and Silver’s kick connected. Regaining his composure, Kruegger struck at her with his sword.
The swift slash was blocked by the scimitar’s handle, and neither Kruegger nor Silver budged an inch.
“What a hassle.”
Muttering under his helmet, Kruegger knew that many Spacystro soldiers avoided forming bonds with enemies during invasions whenever possible.
They were aware that such relationships could affect the outcome of duels. Many people formed bonds with enemies, leading to various outcomes, both positive and negative.
Primarily, the Spacystro invasion’s goal was not to conquer or annihilate, but to secure dominance over planetary citizens and coexist, making it beneficial for Spacystro soldiers to form bonds with planetary citizens.
While there were negative perspectives on this, the Spacystro had consistently adhered to this policy since its inception.
Due to its long-standing nature, numerous examples existed, and those who had been active for a long time aimed not to repeat the same mistakes.
Although individual thoughts varied, Kruegger felt this way.
‘Calm down. Stay calm.’
The opponent was an enemy. One to be defeated, which was Spacystro’s objective.
Gazing sharply at Silver, Kruegger strained every muscle to push away her scimitar.
“!”
Silver, maintaining balance, swung her scimitar to attack Kruegger. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed.
Sitting in the headquarters, I stared blankly into space.
The incident at Angelique’s place a few days ago kept replaying in my mind.
When we met at the headquarters, she seemed no different. But it was impossible not to notice.
Every time I saw Esmeralda, memories of the reconnaissance mission came flooding back. Similarly, seeing Angelique brought vivid recollections of the situation at her house, her voice, and the warmth of her hug.
“Ahhh.”
Scratching my head, I looked at the monitor displaying training design data.
My hands wouldn’t move, and despite working since morning, there was no significant progress.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
When I can’t concentrate, changing my mood is essential, but I don’t have time to relax.
Deciding to work late tonight, I realized how long it had been since my last overtime. While working late investigating hyper-humans didn’t feel like overtime, the last time I worked late while in space was different.
“I need to do this.”
Time was already tight, but since nothing impeded my plan, it was feasible to complete everything on time. I didn’t want to hinder what I believed I could accomplish.
If needed, I’d work late. There was no other option.
After messaging my girlfriends, time slowly passed.
Knowing I was busy, none of them asked about my overtime.
Just the mention of it was enough, and I received encouraging replies. This made me even more determined to finish training well before leaving.
“Didn’t you leave yet?”
I hadn’t noticed the sun setting while working at my desk.
After finishing office cleanup, Esmeralda approached me, noticing I was still working.
“Yes. I couldn’t do much today, so I’ll stay a bit longer.”
“Really?”
Esmeralda nodded, acknowledging my overtime. Since no one else remained in the empty office, she glanced around before approaching me for a kiss.
“Work hard.”
Her encouragement after a gentle kiss was heartfelt. Her soft smile gave me strength.
“Don’t we usually do this at headquarters?”
“…It’s fine when no one else is around.”
Understanding Esmeralda’s desire for a quick resolution, I stopped her from leaving after our kiss.
“Wait.”
Surprised but quickly relaxing, Esmeralda leaned into me, entwining tongues. Although it was awkward, it didn’t matter. The kiss reaffirmed our feelings for each other.
“Mmmh, hmm. Ugh.”
In the dimly lit office, our intense kissing stirred up repressed desires.
We couldn’t afford to lose control here, so we ended the kiss and parted.
“Be careful. Sister.”
“Okay.”
With a nod, Esmeralda smiled. After a brief embrace, I heard her heels retreating.
“Huh?”
Continuing footsteps abruptly stopped and hurried away. Looking towards the office entrance, I saw Luche.
“Wh-What?! Senior. When? When did you start with Esmeralda?”
“A… That is…”
Luche knew about my five girlfriends. She was the first to know, and though she didn’t comment on the number, she never mentioned subsequent events.
Deciding to remain silent until training, she hadn’t thought it necessary to discuss.
Since meeting less frequently after joining Team 1, Luche had fewer opportunities to talk.
Blushing, Luche entered the office and approached me confidently.
Feeling her complex emotions, I couldn’t bring myself to speak about Esmeralda.
“How long? Why did you kiss in the office?”
“Calm down.”
“How long?!”
“…During the reconnaissance trip.”
“Oh…. Ah!”
Luche, surprised by the revelation, exclaimed in disbelief. She seemed on the verge of tears.
“Why…. I’ve been restraining myself every day to see you, but you two kissed in the office….”
She cared neither about Esmeralda nor the number of girlfriends. It was unfair that she had to endure alone while I restrained my impulses.
“There were incidents during the reconnaissance, but this is the first time we kissed at headquarters. We agreed to wait until after training.”
“…Really?”
Seeing I was mistaken for doing this daily, I quickly corrected her. Sniffling, Luche looked up.
“Really.”
I hadn’t lied. Esmeralda had been suppressing her feelings, and this was the first time she showed it at headquarters.
“…Alright, I’ll believe you this time.”
Wiping away her tears, Luche sniffled and looked at me.
“But aren’t you leaving?”
“Can’t finish work from earlier, so I’ll do some overtime.”
“You couldn’t finish earlier? Why?”
“With Angelique…”
Relaxing after seeing Luche was relieved, I spoke about my unresolved issues with Angelique. Fortunately, unlike before, I wasn’t caught in an intimate act at headquarters.
“Angelique?”
“A… That is…”
There was no point in hiding. Team Leaders often met, so it wouldn’t be a problem if I told her beforehand.
Looking intently at me, Luche didn’t seem interested in other topics.
Not having decided what to do, I briefly explained my encounter with Angelique. The conversation and sincerity during our visit, my current thoughts, and my unfinished work today.
“Ah, Angelique too.”
Seeing Luche’s calm reaction, I realized Team Leaders likely knew about each other’s feelings. Nodding, she understood my poor performance.
“Even Siera seems to notice your behavior lately.”
“Yeah, I talked to Siera.”
How did we end up here?
“Are you leaving now, Luche?”
“Yeah, I was planning to.”
Bringing a spare chair, Luche sat beside me.
“Seeing you kiss Esmeralda, I want to spend some time with you today.”
Her wish to spend time with me, despite not wanting to disturb, made me smile.
“Alright. Let’s have coffee together after finishing some work.”
“Okay!”
Luche genuinely smiled, happy to be together.
