Black Badger

I really hate this.

I didn’t even bother managing my expression and just stared at the underlined sentence.

Why is Jaeyeon....

...no.

Obviously, it must just be because the couple in front of him is an eyesore. He never gets that kind of treatment from Colton, but Liu O’Neill does.

The way Jaeyeon thinks is always similar. If you twist it as much as possible, the right answer pops out.

A personality with no saving grace.

Ska studied my face, which had cooled completely, in a cautious, slithering way.

Then he folded his arms and spoke in an objective tone.

“Well. They’re kind of an eyesore to me too.”

“Guess they’re excessively sweet.”

“The Elder is dull in public. It’s his underling who doesn’t know how to erase the hearts in his eyes.”

Why is there no normal person?

Don’t tell me Shashinsky is the only normal one?

“But actually, he’s my comrade.”

“Yes?”

“He fought with me in the 2nd War. I thought he’d died, since he went missing in the chaos. But nope. When I attended the raccoon meeting for the first time and saw some guy staring at the Elder with hearts stamped in his eyes, I was so shocked.”

“...What?”

What is he even talking about now.

The more I heard, the more dizzying the information became. I wished I could rewind to a time before any of this reached my ears.

Hm?

But wait a second. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“By any chance, with Ricardo too....”

“Yeah. Rick and Jonathan are also his comrades. They don’t know Liu survived.”

“I know this is rude, but are you seniors....”

“On his memorial day, we put on black suits and go pay respects. Yep. The two war comrades we visit every year—he’s one of them.”

Is this real?

Is this allowed?

I mean, is this humanly allowed.

“Pretend you don’t know. I can’t bring myself to say anything. And I don’t want to tie those two to the raccoons either.... Jonathan seems to have forgotten even his name at this point.”

“...Sir Owen.”

“I was thinking of beating him senseless, you know? But when I saw that blissful face, I just... couldn’t.”

“You didn’t hit him even once?”

“Yeah. Just left him alone.”

So essentially, he cut him off.

Understandable. If I were Ska, I wouldn’t have been able to hold back either—I probably wouldn’t have stopped at one punch. I definitely wouldn’t have held back my mouth.

But I can also see why he hasn’t said anything to Ricardo or Jonathan.

If it were me, I could never...

If they found out, wouldn’t Ricardo stab me to death with the thorn that is Liu O’Neill?

“Anyway, that’s the background explanation. Be careful. Good luck. Since the Elder favors you, you’ll come back with all limbs intact anyway.”

“It’s not favoritism.”

I answered sternly.

Maybe that amused Ska, because he burst out laughing.

“Right.”

He added a firm, unnecessary statement.

“They like you.”

“Why are you saying that to me?”

“When I tried to delay the meeting schedule, all three of them spoke in unison: ‘Let’s set it for the day after Hildebert recovers.’ Do you think lots of people get that kind of special treatment?”

I answered with my eyes, not my mouth, and Ska laughed again.

He laughed for a good while, then stood up, saying he would send me back to my ward now.

While the aide-de-camp delivered my bed into the eight-person room, I stared into empty space, sinking into troubled thoughts.

The hospital was filled with the distinct atmosphere of night, midnight drawing near.

Through the window at the end of the room, a round moon was visible.

Ricardo lazily waved his hand to greet us.

“You’re here~?”

After putting the bed back in place, Ska smiled broadly.

“The scientists, though.”

Ah.

“They were trying so hard to cover for you.”

“Cover for me?”

“Yeah. Seems they realized you’re not an ordinary human. And they were desperately trying to hide it. All of them lying badly together—it was something to see.”

I lost my words and looked up at him.

Ricardo, lying with his arm as a pillow, snorted as if he found this ridiculous.

Ska just gave a faint smile. Almost to himself, he murmured, “You’re well-liked,” then said he’d go work and disappeared.

I stared for a long time at the door he closed behind him.

Silently, I retraced the scientists’ connections.

This time....

Unlike last time, I’m glad I managed to save every one of them.

They’re struggling a lot right now, but at least all of them have their feet on the ground, alive.

I thought that as I stared at the spotless ivory ceiling.

***

“Stay two more days.”

“Why?”

“Because your fever isn’t going down, idiot!”

Smack!

Samuel hit me on the head.

I spread my arms wide, insisting that I was offended, while beside me Ricardo asked if he could be discharged.

Samuel denied that too.

“Whaaat?”

“You get discharged when the inflammation gets better.”

“What difference does it make if I stay here? I can just get outpatient treatment~.”

“Don’t leave me behind, senior.”

I clung pathetically to Ricardo.

“Doesn’t your cute junior weigh on your mind at all?”

“You two get along ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) well.”

“Can you not~?”

I didn’t let go of his arm.

Eventually, Ricardo gave up, and I was admitted to HQ in a slightly happier mood.

Hospitalization after a long time.

Once it became certain I’d be hospitalized, various scattered issues floated up.

First and foremost, Yun and Seunghyun’s condition.

Right after lunch, dragging the IV line, I visited their rooms one by one.

Yun said he would be discharged in two days.

“Oh. Let’s get discharged together, senior.”

“I’m being discharged two hours before you.”

“Please wait just two hours. I’ll escort you home.”

Two hours isn’t long, right? I smiled gently as I said it.

Yun’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

When he looks at me like that, a chill runs down my spine.

“It’s because of that lunatic you’ve pinned inside the cabin.”

Sharp as always.

“Hiding it won’t help.”

“Just give me a little time. That man is a walking pile of information—you mustn’t kill him carelessly. Yehyeon also ordered me to pry open Yoow’s mouth.”

“I have no intention of killing him, so don’t worry.”

That’s even scarier.

“Is Gabby still in the hospital?”

Apparently Lee Seunghyun was told to stay thirteen more days. He protested, but Samuel cleanly ignored him.

Forced into the hospital room, Seunghyun was in a foul mood.

I chuckled at my sulking disciple.

“You can’t win against that doctor either, huh?”

“If not for her orders, I would have already discharged myself and walked out.”

By “her,” he meant Sukhoi.

I untangled the IV line and smiled.

“Rest while you can. Even Yehyeon was really shaken up after seeing your condition.”

Seunghyun snorted.

He was still harsh toward Yehyeon. It was a common snort, nothing special, and yet it felt cruel enough. He must know perfectly well that I wasn’t exaggerating.

Twisted man.

I forcefully pushed down the urge to sigh.

“You won’t come to the meeting, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going in three days. Don’t fight with your son—rest well.”

Seunghyun let out a heavy sigh.

“You should at least set our training schedule before you go.”

“We’ll set it after you recover. You’ve already created a sword strike, so I’m not sure you need more lessons. You might be ready to descend the mountain.”

He shot me a look asking what nonsense I was talking about.

Much fiercer than usual. I knew exactly what he meant, so I didn’t argue and just waved my hand.

“Alright. Once I’m discharged, I’ll definitely set the schedule, so stop glaring like that.”

He swung his gaze up to the ceiling with a sulky “hmph.”

His diligence and desire to improve were unchanged. I gave a bitter smile, told him to rest, and left the room.

It’s nice having people to see when I go back.

In the evening, Ami came to visit.

Dragged in a wheelchair to smoke with Ami, Ricardo looked at her when she said we should eat jjukkumi-samgyeopsal together once he recovered.

“So why is she even hospitalized~?”

“Excuse me? Who are you talking about? Surely not me?”

“Aika says it’s because you inhaled too many times.”

“Does inhaling often cause fever—?”

“You could just ask me that directly. I can answer well....”

“Dunno.”

“You didn’t say that last time~....”

“No. Please ask me, Rick.”

I grabbed my senior by the shoulders and lightly shook him, begging him to acknowledge me.

Ricardo didn’t turn around.

No trust at all.

He must be convinced I’d hide the fact that I’m sick.

Ami spoke boldly.

“Let’s ask Hilde!”

Please, yes.

“Hilde! Does inhaling too often cause fever?”

“No. Normally inhalation makes you healthier, and if it’s good energy, it invigorates you. The fever is just my personal rejection response.”

I’d briefly explained this when describing berserk mode.

I explained in three vague sentences why I have a rejection response.

The seniors did not take it well. Ami shrieked and ran to hug me tight; Ricardo rolled his eyes like he couldn’t believe it.

“You should’ve told us~!”

“Well, no real need....”

“Seriously. I had no idea.”

Ugh.

Hearing the sudden new voice join the conversation, I almost dropped the snack Ami handed me.

Ricardo, who’d been glaring unhappily, also showed clear surprise.

Without needing anyone to speak, we all widened our eyes at the visitor.

Sophia Kalak.

The senior with the cold expression entered the room holding a black plastic bag.

We didn’t move a muscle until she stopped next to my bed.

Ignoring everyone’s reactions, she abruptly held out the bag to me.

“A get-well gift.”

Is this real?

I dropped my jaw and looked up at her.

Sophia raised one eyebrow.

“You don’t want it?”

“No!”

I quickly stretched out both arms and took the bag.

“Thank you. I... didn’t expect you’d visit me....”

“I was passing by.”

It didn’t sound like she was embarrassed. More like she genuinely just thought of it while walking past and dropped in.

It was very her, but still, I was speechless. That she thought of visiting me while passing by.

And it wasn’t just me thinking so. Ami’s eyes were huge; she couldn’t speak at all.

Sophia ignored Ricardo’s murmured, “Well this is surprising~...,” and gave a small nod.

“Then I’ll go.”

“Huh? Already?”

I hurriedly pulled out the bag of steaming steamed buns and carp-shaped pastries.

“Please eat some before you go, senior. They look so good....”

“I ate dinner.”

Her tone made it clear she wouldn’t be persuaded.

And from the way she said it, she really meant it. It wasn’t a lie.

“There’s meat buns and red bean buns mixed, so split them however. The fish pastries are half custard, half red bean.”

Sophia finished speaking and vanished from the room in an instant.

I shouted, “Thank you! I’ll enjoy them!” but she didn’t look back.

A senior who comes like the wind and leaves like the wind. Even after her footsteps faded, we sat in silence for a long while.

Ricardo was first to recover.

He asked for a custard fish pastry.

“Custard? Rick, you have no fundamentals.”

Ami asked for red bean fish pastry and a meat bun.

“Meat buns are the best!”

“There’s so many.”

Why did she buy so much?

“I’ll bring the leftovers to the other two men.”

Not the kind of food that suits cold, stiff personalities.

But that night ended with us eating the unexpected treats from an unexpected person.

***

Discharge day.

Yun ignored my pitiful messages and left two hours earlier.

But of course I already prepared. I rushed into the rehab room, reported the situation, and requested extradition of the criminal.

Thankfully the three of them listened.

Kairos, who had stuffed Yoow into Igor’s house, came to pick me up.

“Ami told me.”

But oddly, he seemed kind of angry.

“I heard you have a rejection response to inhalation.”

Ah.

Oh hell.

I shivered at the sight of the warlock smiling only with his mouth.

I had worked so hard to hide my rejection response from the people of the Empire. Deltei, Yoow, Kyle, and Rei knew, but the rest never knew why I avoided inhaling.

Of course Kairos had been among those who didn’t know—but he was also one of the few who knew I transferred energy to the Emperor more than anyone else at the Emperor’s request.

Because I was favored by the Imperial family, I visited the palace often, and he had witnessed my frequent entrance into the Emperor’s chambers.

“It’s good you’re getting along with Ami!”

“Captain.”

Kairos gently crushed my attempt to change the subject, then gripped my shoulder.

“Let’s talk in the car.”