Black Badger

I was dragged around here and there for quite a while.

It was because the excited seniors kept calling me over from all directions. They were thrilled that it had been six years since a new recruit had been made to drink vodka with Ye-hyeon.

No, I hadn't intended to make Ye-hyeon drink vodka.

I wondered if Ye-hyeon was good at holding his liquor and suddenly felt a bit sorry, but it felt awkward to go back and ask him now, and there were just too many people calling me over. I diligently accepted the drinks.

There were so many seniors I'd never met before that I couldn't remember their names.

"Wow, you can really hold your liquor!"

"You're downing that strong stuff without even breaking a sweat."

"Does it even get you buzzed?"

The seniors poured me all sorts of drinks.

"One shot! One shot!"

"Vodka! Woo! Vodka! Woo!"

"Hard liquor! Woo! Hard liquor! Woo!"

"Yoon trained you well."

It was a march to death.

I went around drinking at various tables like that. They each poured me different drinks. It was nice to try a variety, but after chugging nothing but liquids, my stomach felt bloated with water weight.

I longed for some solid food too.

I was feeling down about it when someone grabbed me.

I turned my head toward the person yanking my arm and saw a familiar set of dark circles.

"Seniors, I'm taking the new recruit."

Iho dragged me out from behind.

"And stop feeding him already, seriously."

"Hey! You went on a mission with him too!"

"That's why I want to catch up after so long."

Iho pulled me behind him, and Aki, who was standing there, dragged me off somewhere.

A huge wave of protests erupted, but they pretended not to hear and kept pulling me along. I was seated at another round table. Things were so hectic that I couldn't even figure out where in the hall I was.

Aki and Iho sat on either side of me.

"Eat."

Iho snatched the glass from my hand and shoved a plate toward me.

In my slightly tipsy state, I looked at the plate.

"Beef tartare."

"No way, something this fancy."

I scarfed it down.

The meat melted on my tongue. Iho watched my reaction as I ate the tartare and let out an "Aigoo" of sympathy.

"Who's been starving you or something?"

"No, I've just been drinking liquids, so I wanted something solid."

"Huh?"

Iho's eyes widened, and his voice pitched up.

He stopped uncorking the soju bottle and blinked.

"You haven't had any side dishes this whole time?"

"Yes. There hasn't been a moment to eat."

"This table has the most expensive side dishes, so dig in."

Aki leaned back in her chair leisurely, sipping her wine as she observed me.

She was still cool and collected, with hardly any expression on her face.

"People are gonna get drunk soon and call you over nonstop."

Her words proved true.

I politely poured a glass for each of the seniors who had seated me at the table with the priciest side dishes. After a light toast among ourselves, I was eagerly eating the beef when someone approached.

More precisely, while Iho was grilling me with questions like, "How are you so fine without any side dishes?" someone stopped right next to me.

I turned to look at the familiar face.

"Hilde."

Ami smiled brightly.

"Drink with me too."

"You're drunk."

Iho commented as he gulped down his soju.

"You'll be running wild around here soon."

Ami blinked.

Her face didn't seem flushed, but her reactions were a bit slower than usual.

Ami replied a beat late.

"I'm not drunk."

She was drunk.

"Drink with me too, Hilde."

"Ah, yes. Let me pour you one."

"Hey, what are you doing? Let's go quick!"

Giacomo Ro suddenly popped up behind Ami.

He grabbed Ami and my arms and pulled. I hurriedly greeted Aki and Iho before being dragged to my feet.

We crossed the hall again to a new table.

A table where empty beer and soju bottles were neatly lined up on the floor.

John Mullen was at the table.

"Uh, um, wait a second."

"Ah, sit down quick!"

Ro plopped me down at the table.

He dragged over an empty glass and filled it to the brim with beer.

"Here!"

"Wanna eat some sausage?"

Ami suddenly held out a sausage to me.

I lifted the overflowing glass of beer and let out a wry laugh.

"Thank you."

The sausage was completely cold, but it was delicious.

And fortunately, John, sitting across from me, didn't notice me. He was silently drinking his beer. He hadn't touched the sausages or french fries in front of him.

Sausages and french fries cooling on aluminum foil.

At this rate, I might be able to drink and slip away without him noticing. I thought as I accepted the onion ring Ami offered.

"Don't even think about leaving tonight!"

Ro shouted as he poured beer into John's glass.

"Let's drink till we drop!"

A sudden question popped into my head.

It was something I'd wondered about before, on my own. I hadn't dared to ask back then. Honestly, I was still a bit scared to ask now, but whether it was the alcohol kicking in or not, my mouth blurted out the question on its own.

"How did you two end up living together?"

At my question, Ro turned his head.

Ami burst into laughter.

"It's because Ro did something stupid!"

She completely ignored her colleague, who let out a delinquent "Aang?"

Her small hands happily drummed on the table.

"Ro made Mullen do sit-ups!"

She was really drunk.

Seeing her say something so absurd. It didn't even seem related to my question.

"Hey! That was because you guys have no loyalty!"

While I was thinking, Ro suddenly went off.

"It's only natural to look out for a dimwit in your cohort! With exams right around the corner!"

Exams?

What exams all of a sudden?

"If that halfwit gets his augmented body revoked, what then? You just let him be?"

"Why would he lose his augmented body?"

"Badgers have periodic fitness assessments."

Ami chuckled.

"If your fitness drops too low, you're up for augmented body revocation."

I realized.

But what did that have to do with John Mullen?

This man had received his augmented body due to his exceptional intellect, like Samuel Han. As the creator of the Core that brought peace to humanity. Even with an augmented body like Samuel Han, he wasn't obligated to serve on the front lines. I'd heard he only did the minimum required fitness assessments before and after the implantation.

A completely different standard from most badgers...

Wait a minute.

"No matter how Mullen's case is different from ours, he wouldn't listen!"

Ami laughed wildly as she stabbed a fork into a sausage.

"I told him he didn't have to do sit-ups!"

"No, how the hell did this guy even become a badger?"

Giacomo Ro was genuinely puzzled.

He wasn't listening to Ami at all. I couldn't fully understand the elaborate gestures he made while talking, but it was clear he still saw John Mullen as a "colleague who needs looking after because he's lacking."

"He can't even do three proper push-ups! And not one of you looks after this guy. You... worthless scum. People who don't know loyalty."

"So, Ro. Mullen only needs to do two push-ups!"

"Damn it, three!"

"You're an idiot. Two is less than three!"

What a mess.

It was a conversation that made even my intelligence feel like it was dropping.

Ro was his usual self, while Ami was completely wasted.

I needed to give her a break.

I gave a faint smile and poured sparkling water into Ami's glass.

"Have some of this."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"It's hard to even pretend not to notice that terrible motor skills..."

Giacomo Ro seemed to be thinking about the other (sane) badgers who hadn't helped with John Mullen's training back then.

He shook his head.

"Trash like them."

"Your intelligence is the trash one, Giacomo."

"Eat some sausage." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

I quickly offered Ami a sausage as she tackled him while I set down the sparkling water.

"Tasty sausage."

"Thanks."

"I wonder how long that dimwit can stay a badger..."

Ro pressed a hand to his forehead and looked at John Mullen with the utmost pity.

Heavy emotion weighed in his eyes under thick brows. He was more sincere than anyone. More than anyone...

John Mullen set down his glass.

"Huh? Empty?"

Ro said.

He furrowed his brow, searched for beer, then cursed and grabbed a soju bottle.

"Damn... out."

Even so, Ro kindly poured soju into John's soju glass instead of his beer one and pushed it over.

"Just down this."

John mechanically picked up the soju glass.

The gray-haired man blinked as he downed the soju. Did he even know he was drinking alcohol? From earlier, he'd been drinking beer like it was water.

Was this what being drunk looked like?

"Hep!"

I flinched at Ami's scream.

"Mullen will get drunk if he drinks something that's not beer!"

What?

I blinked at yet another bizarre remark. I had to pause and think to figure out if Ami was just spouting nonsense because she was drunk or if it was truth that sounded like nonsense.

No way was she telling the truth while drunk?

John Mullen emptied the soju glass.

Then he stood up.

"Huh. Mullen must be drunk."

Someone whispered.

"He's heading to the corner."

...John Mullen went to the corner.

And there, he stood gloomily without moving. My jaw dropped. The tall, handsome genius scientist.

The star of the scientific world and mad scientist stood in the corner, observing people without budging.

Was that his drinking habit?

"Mullen tree~."

When I came to, Ami had dragged a chair over and was placing some star ornament—god knows where she got it—on John Mullen's head.

"Christmas~."

"Damn, that's hilarious!"

Ro was gleefully taking photos in front of him.

My mind was getting foggy.

I closed my eyes as I saw seniors trying to fetch little light bulbs.

If I watched more, my intelligence really would have dropped.

In the bustling hall, I took some alone time. I pushed out the noise and meditated when someone approached me.

I could now distinguish this person just by their footsteps.

"Are you collecting her?"

"Not yet."

Yoon maintained his impeccably neat appearance, just like during morning training.

The mentor had his hands in his suit pockets as he looked at his younger sister.

"Once she starts running, then I'll collect her."

"She seems pretty drunk already."

"This much is fine."

He seemed too familiar with this kind of thing.

His expression didn't change as he watched his little sister holding a small bulb and laughing merrily.

Instead, the man, who had observed her condition for a moment, shifted his gaze from his blood sister to me.

His eyes were cold and black, as usual.

"I'll take Ye-hyeon to the high command bedroom."

"Ah."

I recalled the blunder I'd committed.

"Is he really drunk?"

"Thanks to you."

Agh...

I lamented my own stupidity and craned my neck. I rolled my eyes diligently, checking the pale face. My superior in his sleek black suit, with his slender frame.

I didn't see him?

Yoon extended his finger.

"He's right there."