< Chapter 62 >
Every Thursday is the day for the showdown between the Earth Defense Union’s Team HunterKiller and three teams from Spacystro. While it’s not always fixed, there are occasional changes, but usually, it proceeds every Thursday unless there’s a special reason.
Last week’s showdown was canceled due to heavy rain, and this week, they had also canceled it out of concern for the rain. However, after the rain stopped and the sun finally appeared in the sky after a long time, HunterKiller decided that all members would meet on Thursdays for discussions.
“Hello.”
Blue entered the meeting room with a much brighter expression than usual after moving, and greeted Red and Pink who had arrived earlier.
“Welcome.”
“Are only two of you here yet?”
“It’s still too early.”
The three of them, who had arrived earlier than scheduled, sat down in their respective seats. Noticing Blue’s gaze checking if Red and Pink were talking about something, Red spoke first.
“How about we go on a one-night trip together if nobody has plans for vacation?”
“A trip? Where to?”
Hearing the word “trip,” Blue’s eyes widened.
“We just started discussing this. Nothing’s decided yet.”
The summer rain this year came unusually late, and they hadn’t planned any vacations. The Earth Defense Union generally works throughout the week, recording events. Now, while they follow schedules for showdowns, initially, there were frequent sudden showdowns as well.
“Really? Let’s discuss it then.”
They needed to hear opinions from Green and Yellow who weren’t present yet. HunterKiller, which had never managed to build team harmony despite receiving annual summer vacations, didn’t plan trips together. Even when they thought about it, the environment wasn’t favorable for bringing up the topic. However, the three of them thought that going on a trip together after a few years could be nice.
As the door opened, Green entered. After exchanging greetings with everyone, Green took her seat, planning to talk about the meeting like usual, but Pink brought up a different topic first.
“Green, how’s your work?”
When referring to Green’s work, it meant the family situation everyone was already aware of. This time, Green attending the meeting was her second time since the incident involving her family.
“Yeah, everything’s going well. I might move soon too.”
“Move?”
“Yeah, I can’t stay in that house forever.”
Though the team didn’t know the specifics of Green’s home, they could guess she couldn’t keep living in the same place with her father.
“Do you need anything? Should I help with your move?”
Having just finished moving herself, Blue knew there was a lot to do and suggested helping Green, but Green waved her off, refusing at first.
“No, my schedule isn’t set yet, and I have a lot to finish.”
When mentioning unfinished tasks, a worried look briefly crossed Green’s face. Though the team noticed her change in expression, they couldn’t pry into her personal matters, so they didn’t continue the conversation further.
“How about others? I heard Blue moved.”
Having only received news through calls and unable to attend meetings, Green was interested in Blue’s news.
“Yeah, I moved yesterday and finished everything.”
Though there were things Blue couldn’t tell the team, she assured them that the move was complete. Seeing her relieved expression, the team felt Blue’s affairs were also going well.
Just as they exchanged updates, Yellow quietly entered.
“Did you come?”
“Yeah.”
Smiling warmly, Red replied briefly and then glanced at Green, who had attended the meeting.
Yellow, who rarely showed interest in others, looked directly at Green, causing her to awkwardly check Yellow’s reaction before smiling back.
“Hi.”
“Yeah.”
HunterKiller, known for its lack of communication, found it particularly uncomfortable to greet Yellow, who communicated the least. Yellow responded appropriately to Green’s greeting and took her seat.
“Now that everyone’s here, let’s start the meeting.”
Under Red’s leadership, the HunterKiller team meeting began. With all team members present, her voice carried more strength, and the team focused on the discussion.
Since the showdown was canceled, there was no result report, and the main focus was on future strategies against Spacystro. There wasn’t much change expected from the meeting.
Given each member’s exceptional abilities, the meeting mainly involved confirming strategic content and mutual understanding.
“The front line team, me, Green, and Yellow, should remember the support roles continuously. We rotate.”
Red also mentioned this each time. Since coordinating movements was crucial, she emphasized it during every meeting.
“Green and Yellow should also be ready to react immediately to Pink and Blue’s movements in the rear.”
After displaying tactical content on a large screen and explaining, Red received responses from all team members. While Yellow nodded silently, Red assumed she understood and decided to conclude the meeting.
“We’ll end the meeting here. Does anyone have any proposals or comments?”
No hands were raised. As usual, there were no special proposals, but just as Red was about to finish, Yellow raised her hand.
“I’d like to confirm the rotation excluding Green.”
Initially, everyone’s attention turned to Yellow, then to Green, who was the subject of the discussion.
“Me?”
Surprised by the mention of being excluded from the rotation, Green asked, and Yellow glanced at her before looking at Red.
“It’s not hard to check. Is there a problem?”
Team members occasionally participated in showdowns with fewer members than usual, and they had already completed strategies assuming various absences.
“But you’re attending the meeting now. What if you can’t make it some days? You have a lot to handle.”
Green continued saying she wouldn’t miss the showdown when Yellow’s gaze turned sharply toward her, causing Green to stop mid-sentence.
“Don’t participate in a half-hearted state. It’s disruptive.”
The team fell silent at Yellow’s strong tone. Despite the cool atmosphere, Red, who had hoped for a normal conversation after the meeting, frowned.
“Why did you even come today? If you’re busy, why didn’t you prioritize your own work?”
“…I’m sorry. I thought my absence might cause problems.”
“Don’t you think team members would feel inconvenienced coming when you haven’t finished your work?”
Speechless at Yellow’s harsh words, Green lowered her head.
“Why are you both like this? Green, don’t feel intimidated, and Yellow, regardless of what happened, let’s calm down.”
Even though there was no strict hierarchy, Blue, the oldest, tried to ease the tension. Seeing Blue extend a hand to calm Yellow, Yellow avoided it.
“What’s wrong? Asking because I’m worried?”
Although Green’s situation was a sensitive topic, Blue tried to comfort her. It was unsettling that none of the three-year teammates knew about her situation.
“If I had known sooner, maybe I could have helped more.”
This frustration arose from realizing they could have done more.
“Nobody knew about Green’s situation. She didn’t say anything, and no one else tried to find out. Does that make sense?”
Feeling stressed about not being able to help Green earlier, the team members, including Blue, felt frustrated about their inability to address the situation promptly.
While feeling annoyed and regretful, they didn’t express it outwardly, whereas Yellow openly displayed her emotions.
Though Yellow’s actions were understandable, Pink felt differently.
“Seems like you shouldn’t be saying that.”
Pink, usually lively and perky, looked coldly at Yellow.
“What?”
“Even though I’ve only recently attended meetings regularly, I can’t claim my position when I have the lowest attendance rate. So, you, with the lowest participation, shouldn’t be speaking.”
Pink, who had previously struggled with attendance, knew that Blue and Yellow had the lowest rates. She hadn’t seen them often, only managing to catch glimpses on showdown days.
Though Blue’s attendance was lower than Yellow’s, everyone understood her circumstances. Recently independent, she had been busy taking care of her niece until very recently, so the team tacitly accepted her absences.
But Yellow’s case was different.
“I understand your situation, but you shouldn’t be excusing your absences. Do you have something to say?”
“Are you challenging me?”
“Isn’t that what it looks like? I thought you’d thank me for once stopping Indigo.”
Caught off guard by the sudden confrontation between Pink and Yellow, Green felt responsible for the situation. Wanting to intervene, she lacked the courage to do so amidst the tense atmosphere.
“Then, should I praise you for keeping it a secret? You want to bring an unfinished task to a meeting and proceed with a showdown?”
“Who said that? You’re not in a position to criticize. Even Red, who is closest to Green, isn’t saying anything.”
Their voices rose, but they paused, noticing Red’s presence. Red stood silently, observing the situation.
“Is it over?”
Red’s usually cheerful voice sounded low. Though she was the youngest, she was the leader, and everyone recognized her efforts and abilities.
Her state significantly influenced the team’s mood. They had forgotten she was the leader because she handled issues smoothly and confidently.
“Red?”
Surprised, Pink called her name, and Red clapped loudly.
“Let’s wrap up the meeting and chat for a bit.”
With a stern expression, Red smiled.
“What’s the sudden chat about…”
Unaccustomed to conversations, Yellow reacted hesitantly, but Red smiled nonetheless.
“Just a short chat. Let’s try communicating.”
Red was happy about the current situation.
Usually, only she and Green attended meetings, and the team rarely participated. Although the meeting was due to the canceled showdown, having everyone present was still meaningful.
She had tolerated absences to avoid team conflicts, but the renewed atmosphere was somewhat refreshing.
