Black Badger

Chapter 210: The One Who Left and the Ones Who Remained (1)

It broke.

Ska, who was smiling faintly, said a few heavy words. Even though he was smiling, it was clear he was angry, and when he was angry, he was downright terrifying.

People who normally don’t get angry are scary when they do.

I offered a polite apology.

Ska exhaled smoke and leisurely accepted my apology.

I should be careful in front of this man.

This person’s mind was truly titanium-alloy level. I could clearly understand why Yehyeon had picked him as a successor.

Yun had talked about it too. That when Jaeyeon, whose mind had snapped, had charged at him, Ska had beaten him without ever tiring. In terms of skill, Jaeyeon was one step above, yet Ska had not stopped turning the rampaging Jaeyeon—burning with madness—into a pulp.

Anyway, he was someone with no grudges, so after smoking, the aide-de-camp laughed and tilted his head.

“Old friend?”

With such a simple question, he asked so many things at once.

I looked at the cabin yard that had become a raccoon den and gave a wry smile.

“Yes.”

“I thought so.”

Ricardo and Yun, who had been quietly smoking, rolled their eyes wide.

I watched the three men observing Kairos. Since they were people I could tell the truth to, I felt somewhat relieved. They were probably gathered in front of my cabin because they already knew the truth.

Still, that guy has no intention of leaving, huh.

I turned my body and called out to the kin who was standing quietly by the car.

“Kairos.”

Kairos ran over as if he had been waiting.

Stopping beside me, my kin introduced himself smoothly.

“Good evening. I am Kairos. I currently work as a driver under the name Jack Black.”

“Good evening.”

Ska lowered the hand holding his cigarette and smiled politely.

Ricardo turned his head and exhaled smoke without responding. Yun narrowed his eyes while smoking and studied Kairos.

Naturally, the one to continue speaking was Ska.

“You’re a celebrity, aren’t you. F1’s best driver. Didn’t you apply to our company recently?”

“Yes. I am currently undergoing the background check.”

“You’re not a real human.”

Yun said abruptly.

Kairos and I blinked at the same time and looked at the speaker.

Yun laughed long as he blew out smoke.

It was a chilling laugh.

“Meeting several of your kind out there made me realize something. You definitely feel different.”

“Huh?”

What is he talking about?

“You can feel it? How...? What’s different? Is it noticeable?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about~....”

Ricardo flicked ash to the ground as he opened his mouth.

Ska also arched an eyebrow and tilted his head.

Looking between Kairos, me, and the two subordinates beside him, the aide-de-camp spoke.

“I have no idea either. If I hadn’t seen you fight, Hilde, I would have never known this man was a Titan.”

“Well~... this senior isn’t exactly a normal human either... you won’t be exposed to people who are normal~ so no need to be overly sensitive~.”

“Sordi, you’ve grown quite informal.”

Yun threw out a barbed remark, then smiled coldly again.

Even the words he added as he lifted the cigarette to his lips were chilling.

“Not wrong, though. Sylvia or Leonard would detect it too.”

Those suffering from antisocial personality disorder.

Of course, I knew well that Sylvia, Leonard, and Yun were people whose intelligence or instincts far surpassed others. Most people with antisocial personality disorder were uncontrollable.

But those three were ones who could be controlled, which was why the Personnel Director kept them instead of discarding them.

Not the most comforting thing to hear.

Yun aside, the other two were people I wanted to avoid as much as possible.

“Aren’t you the third son of the Aitek family, by any chance?”

I was about to ask the aide-de-camp about Sylvia and Leonard’s whereabouts when Kairos suddenly spoke.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the red-haired man at once.

The kin who was staring straight at Yun.

Yun raised one eyebrow.

“I am, yes.”

“Ah. A pleasure to meet you.”

Kairos smiled with an extremely businesslike tone.

He had always been that type. A man who caused disasters in bundles but behaved more professionally than anyone else in official settings or in front of sponsors.

“Our team receives sponsorship from the Aitek family, so I’ve met President Choi Hyunseok often. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Choi Hyunseok sponsors F1 too?”

Yun muttered as if speaking to himself.

“I didn’t know he was interested in that kind of thing. In any case, nice to meet you. Though I doubt Choi Hyunseok said anything about me.”

“Haha. I also meet Chairman Choi Hyunjun occasionally. He’s extremely busy, so I don’t see him often.”

Yun responded only with a soft, scoffing exhale.

Ska asked in a formal tone whether the contract issues were fine.

Kairos answered neatly that internal discussions were ongoing so that he could quit immediately if accepted.

If left alone, this stiff formal conversation would continue, but I had something I needed to say first.

Since everyone was here, I should say it now.

After coughing twice, I cut in.

“Aide-de-camp, I found out who stabbed Ami.”

The change was visible.

The bodies of the men who had been languidly smoking tensed all at once.

The air tightened sharply in an instant.

Their gazes felt like they could stab through me.

Feeling the sharpness of their eyes, I began explaining.

I briefly explained what had happened so far and how I had come to know the culprit. Then, as I mentioned that both the kidnapping incident and the stabbing of Ami were likely done by Yo, Kairos—who had been quietly listening—opened his eyes wide.

He must not have known Yo had been acting so actively.

“He handed you over to an extremist group?”

“He did. The members were ordinary humans, though.”

“And he stabbed a Badger close to you?”

The color drained from Kairos’s face.

I nodded silently.

Then the agent clenched his fist, grinding his teeth. It seemed he thought it was their fault for failing to restrain Yo.

But this wasn’t the kin’s fault.

If anyone, it was mine. The one who dumped a heavy burden on him and left, then returned with everything conveniently forgotten.

Yun, who had remained silent this whole time, pulled out another cigarette.

His low voice, as he exhaled smoke, was evenly soaked with anger.

“So.”

I answered with a hoarse voice.

“We haven’t located him yet. But now that we know who he is, we’ll lure him out at the right time and capture him.”

“Bring him in alive.”

“Yes.”

I had planned to anyway.

I was going to make him apologize to Ami no matter what. After that, Yun would definitely try to kill him, but I planned to beg and bow if necessary to keep Yo alive.

Ska and Ricardo seemed to have no objections to me capturing Yo.

Ska said to report separately to the Commander.

Ricardo let out a small laugh.

“Now you can walk at night without worry~.”

This man.

I looked at the senior with green eyes.

“He hasn’t been caught yet, so please stay cautious.”

“...Don’t you know I was joking~?”

“I know, but I’m saying it so you’ll continue being cautious.”

“Yo stabbed the youngest of the Choi family?”

As Ricardo arched his brow, Kairos suddenly leaned forward.

Everyone’s gaze shifted back to him.

“He stabbed an innocent person with a Grind Dream-coated blade just because she was close to you?”

I quietly looked at his orange eyes.

Clear and honest eyes filled with guilt.

Staring into them, I opened my mouth, about to give a bitter confirmation.

But a voice echoing down the road swallowed my words.

“Lalalannannanannananna, lalalalalalalla! Lalalalalal! Nannannanna nanananananannanna!”

The conversation stopped.

Everyone stared at the approaching voice’s owner.

From the darkened end of the road, beneath the streetlight, someone was hopping toward us.

One hand held a cone ice cream, the other a convenience store plastic bag—Ami.

Her sensitive nose must have caught the smell of alcohol riding the autumn wind.

The smell of alcohol grew stronger. So did the sound of her footsteps.

The rustling sound of her plastic bag in the wind.

Ami hopped across the street toward the house opposite the cabin, without noticing any of the people staring at her.

“Ha~ppy happy happy happy world, lalalalalalalla. Lalalalalal! Nannannanna! Happy happy happy happy world.”

What song even is that.

“Nannananananannannan, lalalalalalala. Lalalalalla! Nannannanna, nanananananannanna.”

Thud!

“Ow!”

Crash!

...Oh dear.

A grand falling sound rang out. We couldn’t see her fall because the gate blocked the view, but judging by the immense crash, she must have collided spectacularly with the ground.

I hope she’s alright.

With an awkward smile, I looked toward where Ami had vanished.

Kairos blinked. Ska and Ricardo let out hollow laughs.

Yun exhaled smoke sharply.

“That girl—”

Ami’s older brother looked up at the sky.

“—when her aging stopped, her brain’s development also stopped.”

I shouldn’t have laughed at that kind of remark.

But I couldn’t help it—I snorted.

Ska and Ricardo also snickered.

Only Kairos stretched his neck trying to see Ami.

“I should go apologize.”

“Later.”

As my kin tried to run out, I grabbed his arm.

“She’s drunk. Talk to her properly later, face to face.”

Fortunately, he listened immediately.

He seemed sharper than before. Maybe because time had passed, or because I had returned after so long.

I didn’t know the reason, ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) and I didn’t ask.

Hearing the answer would only bother me.

Just then, Ska told us not to stand in the cold anymore and to go rest. They must have had enough cigarettes and were planning to head home.

I bowed lightly, then looked back at Kairos, who was ending a phone call.

“Let’s go.”

“Alright.”

Kairos answered brightly and immediately got into the driver’s seat.

Please, go carefully this time.

As I turned to nag him, the red car moved—and pulled up next to my car.

?

“What are you doing?”

“Parking?”

“Why are you parking?”

You need to go home.

But Kairos didn’t understand. He gave me a puzzled look and insisted on parking. After closing the sports car’s door, he walked up to me and stared blankly.

Ricardo, who had watched the whole scene, gave a hollow laugh.

“Aide-de-camp... if that driver ends up joining as a junior, please assign someone else to train him~.”

“Sorry, but I have no power over personnel matters.”

Ska declined his friend’s request neatly.

“And there’s no guarantee he’ll pass.”

The seniors dispersed, clicking their tongues.

I stared at Kairos, speechless.

Aren’t you busy?

“Go home.”

“I’ll go back once you’re fully recovered.”

“You’re not answering your calls? You’re not busy?”

“Not at all. The season is over, and I’ll retire soon.”

Kairos smiled and walked toward the cabin.

After politely greeting the seniors as they left.

Leaving me behind, utterly speechless.

“This is a really nice area. Looks like the house next door is empty—maybe I can buy it?”

Stop.

Stop it, you idiot!

I really did want to see you, but not like this!

***

Kairos went ahead and did it.

He purchased the land near the cabin, then bought the house on top of it as well.

It was far too big a house for one person, but he didn’t care.

Instead, he laughed, saying the resident-only security that kept paparazzi out was extremely appealing.

He sent a message with a smiling emoji saying he’d see me on moving day.

And I gave up.

Do whatever you want....

[Shu Diamond: Is your body feeling better? I’ll be heading up soon.]

My last day of medical leave.

Waiting for Yehyeon’s call at midnight, and Spitfire’s call about two hours before that, I was answering Shu’s message.

A message from my direct senior, who was on a mission outside Center Core.

[Shu Diamond: The event is coming up soon. I’ll come up in time for that, and tell you the rest about the portal then.]

[Me: Thank you. But... what event? There’s an event?]

[Shu Diamond: ? You weren’t told?]

I wasn’t even surprised anymore at this point.

When I admitted honestly that I hadn’t been told, Shu calmly explained.

[Shu Diamond: There’s the Center Core Foundation Day event. The Commander will be attending.]

So it was different from Abolition Day.

I planned to look it up and asked for the date. After giving me the date, she said she’d be coming up near Headquarters five days before the event, and if I had time, we could meet for a meal.

She’d tell me then what she needed to say.

And if possible—because I was close to Yun—there was something she wanted me to tell him.

What?

I was puzzled but didn’t ask right away.

After finishing the conversation with Shu, I polished my sword. My illness was almost fully cured. From tomorrow onward, I would resume full missions.

A light supply mission had been assigned to me.

After that, I planned to visit Nol’s grave.

The graves of my kin.

I had made them wait far too long.

Feeling heavy emotions, I sharpened my blade.

While doing so, my phone rang.

[Prometheus.]

When I answered, Erhart’s soft laughter flowed through the receiver.

[Congratulations on the reunion. Now, shall we talk about From A.]