[ 63rd Chapter ]
There are several major schedules in Spacystro throughout the year. For example, there’s the ‘Branch Report Review’ where we report to the main headquarters ship docked at sea, and the ‘Annual Performance Report’ where we compile and report all the year’s confrontations.
Most of Spacystro’s work is handled mainly by the executives, but that doesn’t mean I, a regular soldier, don’t participate in any significant events.
“I really don’t want to.”
Even though it’s only twice a year, I couldn’t hide my annoyance as I sat in front of the computer, flipping through the training schedule. Right, it’s training.
The basic job of regular soldiers is confrontation. Given that we fight against the ultra-humans of the Earth Defense Union, combat cannot be taken lightly. From a few years to several decades of training, many soldiers have their combat senses ingrained in their bodies, so they don’t need to conduct separate training sessions during regular times.
Of course, this varies depending on the results of each team’s training. For instance, the Seoul Branch, especially Team 3 which I belong to, has never been in the lower ranks in overall performance despite losing to HunterKiller every time. Even if the results aren’t good, there’s no reason to complain about the lack of support.
Regardless, we usually don’t conduct combat training regularly. However, it happens twice a year—during summer and winter. Each team scatters and performs the drills listed in the manual, then reports the results.
I thought this year’s summer training would be canceled due to the rainy season, but surprisingly, they’re planning to do it in September.
“Checking the training schedule in late August.”
As with most things organized by the workplace, it’s always a hassle. Even if it’s an interesting activity, if it’s something arranged by the company, you end up not wanting to go and finding it bothersome. Although it’s only twice a year, training is quite a hassle.
“Isn’t September not hot?”
A file fell from above, hitting me. I turned my head to the familiar voice.
Looking down at me with slightly opened eyes was Luche.
“Are you resting?”
“Yes. I came out to rest for a moment.”
While I was grumbling about the training schedule, she approached me. The colleagues who had come to work because of the training schedule weren’t around either, as Luche had appeared beside me. Things that usually didn’t bother me.
“Why am I in charge of on-site control this time?”
Since training is done by teams, the manpower required for training is selected within the team. The main classification of the training personnel is between those participating in the training and those preparing and executing it. I had been included in the training participants every year, but this year, for some reason, I’m excluded from being a training supervisor.
It would be nice if I could do something easier, but I felt a bit puzzled by the sudden change.
“I wanted to include you in the training participants, but Team 4 leader said, ‘Don’t assign anything to that guy.'”
As I watched her subtly imitating Siera’s mannerisms, I wondered if Siera had once again interfered with my affairs.
But just as my eyebrows narrowed, I realized something was off.
The relationship between Luche and Siera is bad enough that they barely show any emotion when looking at each other and often speak with a tone of irritation, making it hard not to notice the tension.
Of course, I’ve never seen them physically clash. Whether it’s because of their positions as team leaders or because their relationship isn’t that bad, I couldn’t tell.
In any case, given how bad their relationship looks on the surface, it didn’t make sense that Luche, having heard Siera’s words, would exclude me from the training participants and put me in charge of on-site control.
“The team leader listened to what Team 4 leader said?”
“Don’t even mention it. Team 1 leader said to prioritize experienced personnel for the training supervisors.”
As expected. Luche wouldn’t take Siera’s words at face value.
According to Luche, Team 1 leader said this, but the decision was probably made by the branch manager, and Team 1 leader was merely relaying it.
Luche might not have liked hearing Siera’s words, but since there was an order from above, she followed it and excluded me based on the judgment that I was the most suitable person for the on-site control role. The situation seemed to flow in such a way that it was clear she was acting under the guise of following Siera’s words.
“Where did the other teams go?”
Having not read the entire training schedule, I confirmed that our team was going to the West Sea, but I was curious where the other teams were going.
“They’re all going to the same place.”
“What?”
Usually, summer and winter training are conducted separately by teams, so each team goes to different locations. It was rare for two teams to be in the same place, but for all teams to go to the same location was unprecedented.
“The schedule is difficult to arrange due to the rainy season, and besides, the training is already delayed, so dividing them individually would be too much work.”
Only then did I realize that veteran soldiers were selected for on-site control. Since everyone was involved, the scale increased, and experienced individuals who knew various training aspects and variables were chosen.
“I thought it would be easy, but it seems it’s not always that simple.”
Muttering, I scrolled down and checked the remaining part of the training schedule. I noticed the phrase “entire team simultaneous participation.” There was no mention of Team 3’s schedule; it just said “training schedule,” leading me to assume it wasn’t categorized separately, but it turns out it was integrated.
“It’s lunchtime. Aren’t you eating?”
Upon checking the time in response to Luche’s words, I realized it was almost lunchtime. Although there were many things to check before going out for on-site control, I needed to eat.
“What about you, Luche-san? Are you eating with the team leaders today?”
“I plan to, but what about A?”
“I…”
After hesitating, I looked at the smartphone I had left on the desk.
I checked if I had received any messages, but there were none, so I had to think about it.
“I’ll eat alone.”
There’s no one to eat with anyway, but saying I’ll eat alone sounds too sad, so I just said I’d eat alone.
“Will you eat with the others?”
I momentarily forgot that team members were also coming to work due to the training.
“Yes. Since everyone is here after a long time, we should eat lunch together.”
“Really? Okay.”
I couldn’t understand Luche’s somewhat regretful tone and what she meant.
Luche left to eat with the other team leaders, and I briefly thought about how to handle lunch. There was a situation where I couldn’t join them, despite the team members coming to work.
With a resolve, I went outside the headquarters and headed to the park, facing the sun that would get hotter after the rain stopped.
“How can this be August weather?”
Despite the late and prolonged rainy season, the unusually hot weather made me stick out my tongue. Thinking about how it will get even hotter, I felt like the training would feel like hell.
Arriving at the park, I found no one sitting on the usual bench. Even under the shade, I felt like I shouldn’t have come out due to the heat. Of course, I came to meet Green, whom I hadn’t seen for a while, but the weather was extremely hot.
I didn’t feel like returning to the headquarters at all, so I sat down on the bench and lowered my head. I intended to rest, but the heat made it feel like I wasn’t resting at all. I thought maybe it would be less regrettable to return quickly.
When a cold sensation touched my neck, I was surprised.
“Oh! That’s cold!”
Startled, I looked up to see Green standing in front of me with two cans of drink, condensation forming on the outside.
“Ms. Milky Way.”
“Hello. It’s very hot, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Did you just arrive?”
“Yes. I saw you sitting here as I entered the park, so I quickly bought drinks.”
I thought about what I would do if I had gone somewhere else. Probably, due to the joy of seeing her after a long time, I didn’t even think that far. I’m not sure if Green actually felt that way, but meeting her after a long time made me feel happy.
Due to the rainy season, we couldn’t meet while it was raining, and I only got updates via text. So, I was curious about the progress of previous events and worried about her well-being.
“It’s extremely hot.”
“Yes. Normally, we would expect the weather to improve with the arrival of a typhoon.”
I thought it was a typhoon, but it turned out to be the rainy season. The typhoon, like the delayed rainy season, would come rather late.
Feeling tired of the extended summer, Green and I sat side by side on the bench, feeling the intense heat.
“Were you waiting for me?”
“I thought I’d try, but I just arrived.”
“You should have messaged me.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be busy.”
In the morning, I woke up at Hayang’s house, ate breakfast, and headed to the HunterKiller headquarters since she mentioned a HunterKiller meeting. Similarly, I went to the Spacystro headquarters. Considering it’s better to avoid contacting HunterKiller members when they gather, I deliberately didn’t send a message.
I roughly knew the meeting’s end time, but since the confrontation was canceled and replaced with another meeting, I had a slight hope.
“What’s the matter?”
While feeling glad to meet Green after a long time, her expression didn’t seem entirely relaxed.
It didn’t seem to be due to the weather, and I thought it might be awkwardness from seeing each other after a long time, but it wasn’t that either.
“That’s…”
Seeing her hesitate to answer, I thought I shouldn’t ask. But seeing her look apologetic about telling me about her father’s issue, I decided to listen to her response and met her gaze. Sensing my attention, Green began to speak.
“Because of me, the meeting atmosphere wasn’t good.”
“HunterKiller?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t understand why the meeting atmosphere was affected by Green.
I know she isn’t someone who causes trouble for others, and I’m aware that the members wouldn’t give her strange looks after learning her circumstances.
Gradually, I realized that there was one variable in the information I had. It was Yellow, whom I still had no information about.
“Our team calls each other by code names, distinguishing by color.”
“Yes, I know.”
Some information is exposed to the public, and it’s easy to know that each ultra-human has a code name. It wouldn’t be strange if I said I knew.
“There’s a teammate called Yellow, who’s older than me. She seemed upset because I attended the meeting.”
“Can you explain in detail?”
The first thing that came to mind when I heard there was a problem with the HunterKiller meeting was worrying about Yubin. Yubin, the team leader Red, would likely lead the meeting and maintain balance within the team. Although I heard the recent atmosphere in HunterKiller was improving, I should have anticipated potential issues as the relationship grew closer.
Moreover, since Yellow wasn’t mentioned much, when I heard that the atmosphere was affected by Yellow, I immediately thought negatively about Yellow.
“Yes.”
Green explained what happened at the meeting. No one knew about Green’s situation, and she was unhappy about attending the meeting with unfinished business. In the process, she had a conflict with Yura, so I thought they would have another drink after tomorrow’s part-time job.
She was recounting the situation she experienced, and given her personality, she wouldn’t use harsh words directly. Based on the fact that Yura had a conflict, it seemed the atmosphere was worse than what Green conveyed.
Although Red mediated and concluded the meeting, Green’s expression suggested it didn’t end well.
“Yellow doesn’t seem interested in getting close to the team members. I thought it would be good if Yellow and I became friends too, now that everyone is getting along.”
For a moment, Green imagined becoming friends with Yellow, but she smiled bitterly.
“It would be nice if people working together could become friends.”
Agreeing with her, I figured it would be good to know more about Yellow since I was diving deeper into HunterKiller information.
The information I had was that she is one of the vanguards with Red and Green, using a spear as her weapon. Her main combat style is melee, and she is the tallest among the team members when wearing the suit. That’s all I knew.
From the conversation with Green, I realized she is more assertive than I thought. If put negatively, she could be described as unreasonable.
And she is older than Green.
“Why is Yellow like that?”
“Yellow? She rarely attends meetings, so I don’t know much about her. She’s quiet and speaks up immediately when she has something on her mind.”
She’s quiet. When Yubin and Yura talked about the team, the information about Yellow was very limited. All I heard back then was that she was quiet, but honestly, hearing Green’s story now, I can’t picture Yellow as being quiet at all.
“I see. How is Milky Way? You must have been uncomfortable.”
“I’m fine.”
Smiling and saying she’s fine, I initially believed her.
Although there were some issues at the start of the day, it would be better to talk about the missed conversations during the rainy season.
“Should we move to a different place?”
“Yes. Let’s.”
First, we need to move to a cooler place instead of a hot one.
Regarding Yellow, I might need to investigate her a bit more personally.
Meanwhile, at the dining table where the Spacystro team leaders gathered.
“I’m here.”
Luche approached the team leaders who were already seated and greeted them.
“It’s hot? Sit here.”
Team 2 leader Angelique pulled out a chair, and Luche sat in the offered seat, picked up a glass filled with water, and drank to cool her throat.
“You’re late.”
Esmeralda, the Team 1 leader, asked Luche, who was a bit late. Luche put down the glass and replied.
“A was working, so we had a little chat.”
Seeing Luche’s delay due to chatting with A, Esmeralda smiled faintly.
“You haven’t changed. You and A.”
Recalling the past, she spoke, but Luche’s expression wasn’t bright. Seira, sitting opposite Luche, noticed the atmosphere and spoke.
“Don’t bring that up. That guy doesn’t even remember.”
Hearing Seira’s words, Esmeralda, whose expressions don’t change much, widened her eyes slightly and looked at Luche.
“Really? A doesn’t remember at all?”
“Not even once.”
Watching Luche answer with a regretful tone, Seira sighed irritably.
“Just let it be.”
“Let’s eat! Eat!”
Luche forced herself to raise her voice, and Esmeralda and Angelique, the Team 1 and Team 2 leaders, decided to observe Luche’s situation without getting involved.
