Black Badger

He stared at the ring, then reached out and took it.

I had hoped he would go back and return it to his fellow recruit, but Ricardo put the wedding ring into his pocket and sat down nearby.

Then he stretched his arm toward me.

The senior grabbed my jaw and began inspecting me this way and that.

“I’m thinking maybe I should have dodged a little.”

Since Ricardo was silent as he examined the wounds, I spoke first.

“I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“You do have some awareness, at least...”

Even before being left here, the Choi siblings had lectured me about this and that.

“Well... back then, Richard Green was so shocked he couldn’t fight back either...”

“He was?”

That’s surprising.

But it also made sense. He had probably never experienced something like insubordination in his life. And Kudo normally reacted strangely little to external stimuli, so he wouldn’t have expected such a person to suddenly lunge at him.

Everyone around must have been shocked.

Thinking that, I looked at the crackling campfire.

I was relieved that we managed to reach Carl and Sophia. If even their survival had been uncertain in this situation, things would have been much harder.

“Internal injuries...”

“None.”

Maybe I should have dodged a little.

I didn’t have internal injuries, but I was bruised all over.

For a moment, I regretted whether I’d made a wrong decision because my condition was bad. It felt like I’d caused needless worry to the squad.

If we get through the night safely, we should quickly regroup and move to somewhere with working communication.

Hopefully the transport we pulled out of the train a few hours ago is safe.

“Hilde.”

I was thinking that once the siblings returned, we should start assessing the situation, when Ricardo called me.

I blinked.

“Yes.”

“That guy doesn’t know the full context...”

Ricardo spoke as he looked over the bruise on the back of my hand.

“If I explain, he’ll realize someday that he was wrong...”

“Ah.”

He’s talking about Jonathan Kudo.

I looked at the man now inspecting my arm and smiled faintly.

“It’s fine. His trauma is severe, so I always expected things would turn out badly if I got exposed.”

“You still don’t quite realize which side you’re on, huh~.”

“Oh come on. What difference would °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° it make if he realized?”

“Why wouldn’t it make a difference?”

Ricardo asked sharply.

His sharpened voice surprised me and I stared at him.

His clear green eyes met mine without a tremor.

“If he hears the whole story, he’ll definitely regret it.”

“Senior Kudo?”

“Yes... Jonathan~.”

“Think about it, Ric. You didn’t regret it either, did you.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

My eyes widened.

Ricardo looked straight at me.

“I regretted it to the point it annoyed me, don’t you know~.”

Really?

I stared through his neat features.

He regretted getting angry at me?

And regretted it to the point it annoyed him?

When?

Stunned, I opened my mouth and closed it again. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

He scolded me to wipe that stupid expression off my face.

Well, what am I supposed to do when it’s this surprising.

I was about to reply, but footsteps approached.

That distinct neat and dry sound of footsteps. Long stride.

I turned my head toward the sound. Yun was approaching the campfire with a light attached to his body.

Still looking irritated.

He was alone, carrying a pile of sleeping bags and food items.

“Ami is...”

“She’s organizing the area with two stragglers from the campsite.”

“You’ve joined up. Are Senior Kalak and Senior Kal okay?”

“They’re fine.”

Yun answered gruffly and tossed the items in his hands near the fire.

“Unlike someone.”

...He really is angry.

I wisely avoided making excuses. Instead of talking, I quietly watched the senior preparing for camp.

The shooter dropped Ricardo’s and my sleeping bags beside each of us.

Then he dropped his own sleeping bag next to mine and, with an annoyed gesture, set down a box full of rations.

With his hands free, he approached me and shoved me straight into the sleeping bag.

“Urgh.”

“Sordi.”

Ignoring the noise I made, Yun looked at Ricardo.

“Where is Kudo?”

Why is he asking that.

His expression and voice were ominous.

He’s not planning on going to beat him up, right?

A bad feeling crawled up my spine. Wriggling inside the sleeping bag, I tried to divert Yun’s attention.

Naturally, the shooter didn’t give me a single glance.

Ricardo met Yun’s eyes, then let out a long sigh.

“Senior... I’m sorry my fellow recruit caused trouble. I’ll talk to him well~...”

“You think talking will work?”

“I’ll make it work~.”

The senior sighed and pulled a cigarette from his inner pocket.

“So please consider the circumstances... The kid isn’t exactly normal~.”

Surprisingly, he pulled out a cigarette and offered it to Yun.

Yun stared blankly at the cigarette, then slid it between his fingers.

Without even looking toward me struggling inside the sleeping bag, he grabbed my jaw and warned:

“Don’t put him near this kid until the issue is resolved.”

“Yes.”

“Yes? Near me?”

As Yun put the cigarette to his lips, Ricardo pulled out the Zippo lighter he always carried.

Watching Yun take a deep drag, I let out a dumbfounded sound.

I’m fine though.

“I’m fine with it...”

Neither of the men responded.

Blinking, I observed their faces.

Jonathan wasn’t going to lunge at me anymore anyway. He would probably act as if he didn’t know me again, like before. That coldness would hurt for a while, but I’d get used to it soon enough.

Besides, we had fallen off the same train and would have to gather together once morning came.

I was trying to say all this when Yun pushed me down flat.

“I’m not sleepy.”

He didn’t answer.

“Yun?”

“.......”

“Senior?”

“.......”

“Shooter?”

I glanced at the shooter smoking beside me.

Unable to hold back, I added:

“Are you Daeja’s friend?”

My chin, my face, was seized.

A sense of crisis surged. That grip felt like my jawbone would break—the jaw that hadn’t broken even when Jonathan beat me. I clamped my mouth shut and regretted provoking Yun.

Yun held my face in one large hand and looked down at me.

His black eyes, close to three-whites-eye, felt chilling, and in a low voice he whispered:

“Sir Father.”

Fuck.

“If you don’t want to return to headquarters with your legs broken, shut your mouth.”

I nodded vigorously.

Buried in the sleeping bag, with my face still in Yun’s grip, I obediently expressed my agreement.

Ricardo exhaled a hollow laugh as he sucked on his cigarette.

“You’re not normal either~...”

Why...

In any case, I stayed like that for a while. Buried like a caterpillar in the sleeping bag, staring blankly up at the night sky.

I should stay quiet until Yun’s anger cools down.

More precisely, until Ami returns. Once Ami comes, she’ll stop him.

The smell of cigarette smoke tickled my nose. The cold winter wind. The faint scent of pine beneath it.

We kept a long silence, listening to the crackling of the fire.

Until the scattered squad members walked out of the darkness.

***

The seniors appeared when I was missing the cabin.

More precisely, the heated mattress in the cabin.

I didn’t know when we’d return, but when we did, I would sleep with the heated mattress on. I was thinking about that. I would roll around with Milk and take a long nap on it.

Lost in such useless thoughts, I heard footsteps crunching on snow.

I immediately lifted my upper body.

“Hilde.”

Carl, carrying the motorcycle on his back, called my name.

Behind him came Sophia Kalak and Ami.

“Your face is a mess.”

“Cal. Are you alright?”

“Looks like a caterpillar.”

Ami looked at me buried in the long sleeping bag and commented.

“A giant caterpillar.”

I quickly scanned their appearances.

The squad members approached carrying plenty of items. As Yun said, Carl and Sophia looked fine. Here and there, dried dark blood could be seen, but Black Badgers had excellent regenerative abilities, so they walked with healthy expressions.

Their gait looked normal too.

“Report. No issues on our side. Communication device is dead, though.”

“That’s good.”

I smiled.

“Thank you all for the hard work.”

It seemed Ami had already told them about Jonathan.

The capable ones acted quickly.

Their sleeping bags. Magazines. Bullets. Lanterns. Water. A small purifier to melt snow into drinking water. Canned food that was dented but not burst. The motorcycle. Gasoline. Ami’s boot charger. Communication device. Map. Compass.

Everything necessary was there.

The squad neatly reported the state of the supplies and immediately began preparing the campsite.

Chen’s squad seemed to be camping under the bridge.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t midnight yet. Internally, I clicked my tongue at how long the night ahead would be.

Bending forward, I looked at the map Carl unfolded.

We’d have to march hard as soon as dawn arrived.

Entering the route into my head, someone crouched beside me.

Ami?

No.

The moment I saw the face of the one sitting next to me, my eyes widened.

“You didn’t dodge and just took the hits?”

Senior? I barely managed to say before Sophia Kalak spoke.

Her pitch-black eyes scrutinized the only part of my body sticking out of the sleeping bag—my face.

“Why?”

“Yes?”

I was so flustered I could only answer the question with a question.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked toward us. I felt their gazes gather, but I couldn’t react.

What was she asking?

Confused, I darted my eyes around.

Sophia continued:

“You let him hit you because you thought he had the right to be angry?”

“Ah, well... yes. And I quite liked Senior Kudo. He took good care of me...”

“Then what about me?”

Huh?

What?

Is she asking for a chance to hit me too?

I didn’t understand the words.

Apparently, everyone else interpreted them the same way I did. Carl shot to his feet. Yun turned his body with irritation.

And Ami and Ricardo watched while pretending to continue working.

Bad timing, Senior.

I was about to say that, but the pale senior spoke.

“If you getting beaten up like this makes it possible for me to slowly accept that you did your best, then what does that make me?”

My jaw dropped.

Ami dropped the canteen she was holding. Ricardo blinked, and Carl and Yun stopped mid-step.

Only Sophia remained calm.

Why are you the only calm one after flooring the accelerator like this.

And then she pushed the accelerator even harder.

“If I’m in the process of accepting that you have no guilt whatsoever, then what does that make me?”

Senior...

I was so stunned I couldn’t speak.

Senior. Why are you suddenly doing this.