Black Badger

Punches rained down without pause.

I need to calm her down first.

At this rate I was going to end up making her cry again. I really didn’t want that. I simply took the small punches ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) hitting my torso, letting them thump against me to soothe her.

But apparently, that’s not what the others thought.

Ricardo blinked at the sight of me quietly receiving her punches, then whistled.

Yun went, “Oh,” and said in a tone as if witnessing something fascinating.

“Is this insubordination?”

“It is not!”

At the same time, Ami’s punches stopped cold.

She stared down at me with wide, startled eyes.

Please don’t tell me they think this is actually insubordination.

“...You blocked all of that?”

Ugh.

“I’m sorry.”

“You can see everything?”

Ami murmured to herself.

“Even if I punch super fast, will Hilde block all of it?”

Why is that the point?

The moment I thought that—

Punches came again.

At tremendous speed.

Now it wasn’t about calming her—it was survival. I had to catch every punch in order not to get hit. They came at terrifying velocity, but her fists were small enough that blocking was manageable.

Still—is it okay to block everything?

Ricardo and Yun kept making little impressed noises, which distracted me.

But right as I was about to apologize to Ami, the barrage of punches suddenly stopped.

Ami flopped into her seat, shoulders slumped.

“I’m sad.”

With a gloomy face, she muttered:

“Hilde blocked every punch I threw with sincerity. I guess Hilde was right—I must really be lacking in training....”

“What?”

Startled, I straightened my posture.

“What do you mean, I was right? When did I ever— Did I say something wrong again yesterday?”

“It wasn’t a wrong thing. You just spoke the truth.”

“Scary~. I guess I can't fight comfortably in front of juniors below intake 60 anymore~.”

Yun and Ricardo snickered as they answered.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

“I’m really sorry, but what exactly did I say yesterday?”

“You called Ami a wimp.”

“What?!”

“You said she can’t beat her brother because she doesn’t train enough.”

At Yun’s smirking comment, I felt sick, but Ami spoke quietly with her head down.

“When I asked, ‘Am I really worse than you?’, you gave a tiny laugh and said, ‘Of course, Ami trains less than Yun.’”

Oh my god.

So THAT’S what “he answered honestly” meant.

My eyes shook uncontrollably. My clothes felt damp with cold sweat.

Deltei, please....

Ami continued mumbling:

“And you also said, ‘Talent-wise you seem better than Yun... but Yun trains every day and you don’t. If you trained daily, you could surpass him.... But you have to do it every day.... Training shows even if you miss just one day....’ That part—I couldn’t refute it. Sadly.”

“...I am truly sorry.”

“No, it’s true. I’m actually motivated.”

Suddenly the senior clenched both fists.

Pressing them onto the table, she began burning with determination.

“From now on I’m training every day.”

“Ami, you’re already excellent. I spoke out of turn.”

“No! Don’t give lukewarm comfort! It was true and it was fact!”

Beside the furious Ami, Ricardo covered his face with both hands, laughing silently. Yun pulled the corner of his mouth upward.

I was drowning in cold sweat.

“I’m not joking. I really will train every day.”

“Y-yes, I—I’ll cheer for you.”

“So Hilde, you train more too.”

Hm?

“Train more, surpass Kyle properly, and go out to the battlefield.”

So that’s where this is going?

I stared blankly at the seniors. They were looking straight back at me, as if this had been their main point all along.

Well, it’s not surprising. They’re realistic people. They told me to stay in the rear, but they knew that was practically impossible. They must have already thought of realistic measures.

The problem is—it’s not that simple.

I gave an awkward smile.

“Yes. I’ll try.”

“In your old world, was there anyone stronger than you or that guy?”

Yun asked as he picked up his chopsticks.

Ami and Ricardo also began picking up their utensils. I said, “I’ll eat well,” and nodded.

“Yes.”

Kysis.

“There was.”

“Then try to catch up to him.”

“He was also a swordsman~?”

Yes.

I never managed to surpass him.

I nodded slowly, recalling that blue glow.

The elegant aura that gathered on his blood-soaked blade. The platinum hair scattering like a dragon’s wings. The violet eyes looking down at me. The cruel apology that was so gentle it didn’t suit him.

The back that turned away so coldly.

The world that receded.

Those who chose to fall with that collapsing world....

The people I could not save.

“Hilde!”

I snapped out of it.

“Yes.”

“...Are you okay?”

“Oh. Yes. Of course.”

“...Eat your soup~.”

I should.

Taking the bowl Ami handed me, I swallowed the clear broth.

***

It was nice that the scolding ended like that, but—

The seniors teased me the entire lunch. At first they watched me subtly, then once I started gulping down the blowfish soup, they shifted gears.

I was so embarrassed I could barely lift my head.

I’m quitting plum wine forever.... absolutely....

“You know, even drunk, your stubbornness stayed completely intact~?”

Ricardo said with a lazy grin.

“We told you to call Jonathan, and you refused to the end....”

“Thank goodness I kept at least that much sense.”

I dipped a vegetable tempura in soy sauce and sighed.

“And Ric—shouldn’t you have stopped me even if I had tried? Why would you pressure me to call him?”

“Why not~? It’s not like you wronged him.... And who knows? Maybe hearing your voice would make him realize his mistakes.... Cute juniors soften people up, you know~....”

“Not happening. If anything, he’d like me even less for being bold enough to call.”

His number was probably blocked already.

“Every time he sees me, the resentment probably kills him. Avoiding him is the only courtesy I can offer. Honestly, I’m proud I had enough self-control not to call him while drunk.”

“Courtesy, my ass....”

“And you, seriously,” Yun snorted. “You refused to call Kudo but you did call Gabby.”

Across from me, Ricardo and Ami asked simultaneously, “Who’s Gabby~?”

Ami answered brightly, “A shared acquaintance Yun oppa REALLY hates!”

I froze in horror.

I said that to Lee Seunghyun?

“But... he didn’t hang up?”

“Yeah. Seemed to listen quietly. God, that bastard acting coy in front of you makes me want to puke.”

“What?”

What an absurd thing to say.

“Coy? Lee Seunghyun? He? Pretending? He’s not someone capable of that.”

“I thought so too. Until I saw how he acts around you.”

“He’s just being polite because I outrank him. He’s a strict, formal type.”

“You really don’t know him.”

Yun snorted, picking a bone off his dish.

“Well, I guess it makes sense. If he’s been acting coy around you consistently.”

That could not be coy.

If THAT was coy, humanity was doomed. I pictured Lee Seunghyun smashing a Creature into mush with pure rage. That clenched fist definitely had emotions behind it.

He’d shown me unfiltered competitiveness whenever I taught him swordsmanship.

But explaining all that would go nowhere, so I just grumbled into my soup.

“You should’ve stopped me.”

“It was funny.”

Yun’s personality in a nutshell.

“I even called the world’s No. 1 raccoon. You could have stopped that if not the rest.”

“The world’s No. 1 raccoon?”

All three seniors raised their brows in confusion.

Only Yun realized.

His well-shaped brows tightened, and he raised one eyebrow.

“You called Falcon?”

“...Yes. You didn’t know? You weren’t there? I saw a ten-minute call on the log.”

“Ten minutes?”

Yun repeated.

I understand. I also can’t believe it.

Deltei had claimed I hadn’t said anything incriminating—but I could no longer trust that at all. Her criteria for “incriminating” were extremely high. And she didn’t even know Colton was now the highest Elder; she only remembered the young Colton Wiseman from the old days.

I shut my eyes tight and took another spoonful of hot broth.

At least my stomach felt calmer.

“Ten minutes means he probably did that thing~.”

Reaching for the ladle, I heard Ricardo drawl while leaning against the wall.

“That... that poker story call....”

“I thought the same! The one where you talked about that poker tournament! That call was unusually long.”

“Fuck.”

I almost dropped the ladle.

“I talked about that?”

“You went to a poker tournament with Falcon?”

Across from me, Yun looked nauseated.

“Do I really need to know this kind of TMI? You are never drinking plum wine again.”

“Christ.”

I couldn’t even reply to his disgust—I clutched my head.

“I should smash my phone.”

And then pretend I don’t remember any of it.

Then refined, elegant Colton might overlook everything. He was an undeniable psychopath, but he had manners. If I pretended nothing happened, he might politely do the same.

Good. The moment I leave here, I’ll destroy all evidence—

“I don’t really get it, but don’t be too discouraged, Hilde! That person laughed a little over the phone.”

“What?”

“When Hilde went, ‘I can’t even stand the “Ma” in Macau anymore... if only you hadn’t caught my bluff in the final round...’, it sounded like the other person laughed~.”

I should just die.

I stayed with my forehead pressed to my fist for a long time.

Until Ami shot up and came over to pat my back.

Across from her, the men extended cigarettes toward me in silent sympathy.

***

Reeling from the critical hit, I staggered out of the restaurant and drove back toward the cabin.

I was driving with a blank expression when the phone rang.

Ominously: “Caller ID Restricted.”

I stared vacantly at the letters on the car display.

Then, with a resigned sigh, picked up.

“Yes.”

Wild laughter blasted through the speaker.

I let out a massive sigh.

“I’m hanging up.”

[Hey! Don’t hang up! You have to hear the recording I saved for you!]

Click.

I hung up on Jaeyeon without mercy.

He immediately called again.

[Listen to it!]

Click.

[I’m going to use it as my morning alarm for a while!]

Click.

[You get kind of cute when you’re drunk, you know?]

Click.

After hanging up ten times in a row, he finally stopped calling.

Instead a text arrived. I didn’t open it—I didn’t even spare it a glance.

I’d delete it the moment I got out.

I parked in front of the cabin. After shutting off the engine, I didn’t go in right away; instead, I contacted the Personnel Director. The “drunk honesty strategy” hadn’t completely failed, but it hadn’t succeeded either. I planned to call him in tomorrow or the day after.

He picked up immediately.

As always, his voice sounded like flowers falling.

It seemed he had already heard the story from Yehyeon, because he readily accepted my SOS.

[All right. Then in two days, I’ll bring Byung Yeongbaek with me.]

“Byung Yeongbaek?”

My eyes widened at the unexpected name.

“Why him....”

[I think it’d be good to bring him. And you haven’t seen each other in a while, right? You two should talk.]

“...Well, I’ll trust your judgment.”

I wasn’t thrilled, but since it was Ju, I didn’t refuse.

“I’ll come pick you up at HQ in two days. What time works for you?”

[Around 2 p.m.?]

“Yes. I’ll be there on time.”

[I’ll be waiting~.]

The Personnel Director answered warmly.

[Talk well with Yoow today! See you in two days!]

So he’d somewhat coaxed Byung Yeongbaek already.

Impressive, I thought as I hung up.

Closing the car door, I headed straight for the cabin.

I’d finished today’s training in the morning. In the afternoon, I would clean up this mess, play with Milk a bit, then eat dinner with my kin.

But the plan to play with Milk was brutally canceled.

Because the moment I stepped inside the cabin, Deltei rushed over and said:

“Yoow wants to talk with you.”

Ah. Finally.

My eyes widened with a strange sense of triumph.

All this humiliation hadn’t been in vain after all.