Black Badger

Chapter 22

Not knowing anything, I quickly changed the direction of the question.

"Why did you apply?"

I asked, looking at my brown-haired and red-haired cohorts.

"Has it always been your dream to become a badger?"

"Of course!"

"Hmm."

The reactions were clearly divided.

Hesi replied with a confident voice, while Tom made a sound like he was pondering the answer, just like me. I blinked and turned my gaze to Hesi, who seemed ready to give an immediate response.

Hesi poured cola into a paper cup with a glug-glug.

"It has been my dream since I was a kid. Our family is military, but I was the only one who wanted to be a badger instead of a regular soldier. My younger brother followed in my father's footsteps and became a soldier." Were there regular soldiers separate from badgers in this world?

Anyway, I nodded with a neutral expression.

The freshly made pizza was hot and savory. Before I took another bite of the pepperoni pizza with its stretching cheese, I asked a follow-up question.

"Is there a particular reason you wanted to be a badger instead of a regular soldier?"

"I wanted to save lives, and I admire Ye-hyeon. I grew up watching him on screens since I was young, and I always thought he was amazing. I still could not believe I got to work under him."

"Really? Why do you admire him so much?"

"From as far back as I could remember, he consistently dedicated himself to rescuing people."

He was a pure guy.

Or maybe idealistic. Either way, I thought it was a bit unusual motivation for applying. Of course, I admired Ye-hyeon too. He had shown me grace by taking a risk on my behalf.

But could you admire someone you had only seen on screens that much?

I still did not fully understand what kind of person Ye-hyeon was. Of course, I knew he was a good and capable person. There was a kindness that emanated from his very presence. But aside from that, I had no sense of what he was like on a personal level.

Well, knowing someone deeply and admiring them were two different things.

In fact, someone like Hesi might have been the perfect fit for a badger. More so than a guy like me who ended up as one by accident.

I nodded silently.

Tom, who had been sitting in the old chair, set down his pizza slice.

"I applied because I wanted to help others too."

He stared into space for a brief silence before he continued.

"...It's an honorable job. My parents have always supported me."

"Ah."

I gave a short reply, not having much to say.

That seemed a bit insincere, so I added a comment.

"Both of you have family cheering you on."

"Yeah. They can't see their grandchildren and won't watch their son grow old, but they were not surprised and understood. My younger brother opposed it at first, but later he supported me even more than my mom did."

"Did your family oppose it?"

Tom cautiously asked Hesi, who was answering proudly.

I inwardly scolded myself for not anticipating the question would come back to me and gave an awkward smile.

"Oh, I don't have parents."

Silence descended in an instant.

I should not have brought up family talk. No, I should not have asked back. Why had I not stupidly realized the arrow of the question would naturally point back at me?

I regretted it as I looked at my cohorts' apologetic expressions. This was entirely my fault for steering the topic wrong.

"Don't worry about it. Since as far back as I can remember, I've had no parents, so it's normal for me."

My cohorts' expressions worsened.

Ugh...

"I mean it, don't worry. Hey, shall we talk about something else now?"

"Sorry. I asked too carelessly..."

"No. It was a totally natural flow. If you had not asked back, I would have felt slighted in that context. So really, don't worry. More cola?"

"Huh? Oh, thanks."

Tom, who had been at a loss, took the cola I suddenly offered.

Hesi, who had been quietly watching me, set down his pizza and scratched the back of his head.

"Hey. I'm really sorry. I was blabbering on excitedly without knowing your situation."

"It's fine, I said! Relax and eat some pizza."

But my cohorts did not relax their expressions.

If I had been in their shoes, I would have felt the same. Anyway, right now, I desperately wanted to break this awkward atmosphere.

I frantically rolled my eyes and scanned the room. There had to be something to change the subject. Anything—a unique poster or even talk about scattered clothes brands...

My gaze landed on one corner of the room.

"Is that a game console?"

At my mutter, my cohorts' heads turned.

Hesi blinked his hazel eyes and nodded.

"Yeah. It's a console I've had since I was a kid. I haven't touched it because I still can't fully control my strength."

"What titles do you have?"

I asked absentmindedly.

Strange memory fragments popped up. Hands gripped a console. Titles scattered on a white floor. I was playing games with someone. When was that? The memory was hazy like fog, my vision narrow like a frosted window.

A voice came from beyond the white field of view.

'You really like games.'

You're better at it. ...At it. Part of the voice was slurred and hard to make out. But it was a familiar voice. Neutral and intellectual. Calm and full of kindness...

"There are a lot. Want to try?"

Hesi's voice brought me back to reality.

I looked at the game console in the corner and nodded.

*

"Why are you so good?"

Tom's mutter fell into my ear in astonishment.

I snapped back to reality.

My concentration broke, and sensations flooded in. The character crashed into an obstacle. The score filled the screen.

Dead. I stared blankly at the screen, still holding the Joy-Con.

Then I came to my senses and looked up at Tom and Hesi.

They stood next to me, looking dumbfounded.

"Sorry. I got too into it."

"Hey, that's a new record."

Hesi was not looking at me.

Instead, he stared blankly at the thin screen. Tom nodded slowly, gazing at the same spot. His blue eyes were fixed on the screen Hesi had brought, unable to look away.

Feeling awkward, I turned my gaze to the screen.

I had just finished a round of the third title, a running action game.

"I've never gotten this far."

"This round was just lucky. If you try a few times, you'll get here quickly. It's not that hard."

"I've been playing this game since elementary school."

Hesi retorted. I shut my mouth, having nothing to say.

Tom, with his mouth slightly open, muttered to himself.

"Were you an aspiring esports player?"

"...Uh. No."

Unsure, but anyway, I chose a more plausible answer.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I quietly set down the Joy-Con in my hand. But my cohorts showed no sign of coming to their senses. Hesi blinked and suddenly started looking for his phone.

It was frantic movement.

"Photo."

He muttered as he picked up his phone.

"Photo. Don't turn it off. Let me take a picture."

"...Okay."

"Seriously amazing."

Tom looked down at me, who was baffled by Hesi's actions.

"If you'd gone into that field, you'd definitely be a world-class star! No thoughts on switching careers even now?"

"Unfortunately, none at all."

"It seems like your true calling."

Tom sounded genuinely regretful.

"Why hasn't anyone scouted you?"

They were both exaggerating.

I watched with indifferent eyes as they made a fuss and took photos of the score on the screen. I watched as they asked my permission—why ask me, I had no idea—and then sat on the bed to try it themselves. I watched their disastrous scores from not fully adapting to their augmented bodies, and their open-mouthed complaints about how hard it was.

It was nearly 11 p.m. when the gathering ended.

On the way back to room 304, Hesi handed me the console and titles, and I did not refuse.

*

Sunday night.

As I was immersed in the game, a gloomy, low voice fell over my back.

"Hey."

I jolted with a silent scream.

"What are you doing?"

"Eek!"

The scream burst out belatedly.

I barely gripped the joystick my cohort had nearly thrown to the floor. I staggered, nearly fell while trying to stand, then turned around like I had been hit.

A man stood behind me without a sound.

I looked at the man who seemed to exude coldness and said in a hoarse voice.

"Senior?"

Yoon just rolled his eyes like a ghost, not twitching an eyebrow.

"That... You said you wouldn't bother me on weekends, right?"

"The situation changed."

The man replied in a voice devoid of any apology.

He pointed at the door with his thumb, looking at me still standing there stupidly, unable to grasp the situation.

"We're leaving now."

"Yes?"

"Outside the core."

There was no further explanation this time either.

"Get ready to go now."

"Now?"

I asked back in a dazed voice.

What time was it...? I turned my head to the electronic clock on the dresser and realized it had just turned from Sunday to Monday.

Midnight?

Still dazed, I looked from the clock to my mentor.

He wore a black windbreaker and had a duffel bag similar to mine slung over his shoulder.

"You can sleep on the way."

My mentor seemed to read the doubt in my stupid gaze.

"We're taking the train, so just pack toiletries or so."

"The train?"

"We need to supply materials."

Yoon said flatly.

"Your cohorts and their mentors are leaving too, so get ready without being too late."

Hesi and Tom were going too?

I jumped up from my spot before asking more questions. I saved the game and hurriedly packed clothes.

Like my mentor, I found a windbreaker and zipped it up. I threw toiletries and a towel into the duffel bag.

"Let's go."

Yoon turned around as I shouldered the duffel bag and stood in front.

I meekly followed my mentor. I had been about to brace myself and sleep, but what was this? Good thing I had showered earlier.

As I stepped into the hallway, the lights turned on. We crossed the quiet hallway with quick steps. We went down to the first floor in short strides, passed the silent lobby shrouded in dim light, and went outside the dormitory.

The cool, fresh scent unique to midnight filled the air. People gathered in the dim darkness softened by streetlights.

Hesi and Tom. And the badgers I had seen in the auditorium.

One of them was the blue-eyed man I had encountered when I first fell into this world.

"Loading complete, sir."

The blue-eyed man reported as soon as he saw Yoon. The man's voice was as low as Yoon's, mixed with a strange metallic tone.

Yoon nodded as he descended the stairs in front of the building.

"Everyone head to your vehicles and assemble at the station. Arrive within 30 minutes."

"Yes, sir."

"What about the new recruit's combat uniform?"

The brunette woman who stood next to Tom asked.

That must have been Angela. I recalled Ami casually saying to Tom in the afternoon, 'You heard from Angela, right?' From the distance, Angela seemed to be Tom's mentor, and the blue-eyed man Hesi's.

If I remembered correctly, his name was Kal Dow.

We had not been formally introduced. Anyway, I nodded slightly to the female senior.

Yoon, hands in his windbreaker pockets, replied dryly.

"I got it."

He pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket.

"Report departure. See you in 30 minutes."

Angela, who had been receiving orders, and Kal, who had been standing silently, nodded and quickly dispersed. Hesi and Tom, who seemed as bewildered by the situation as I was, followed their respective mentors.

At least that was a relief. I was not the only one who came out in a daze.

I followed my mentor with a sense of relief.

The man, who had lit a cigarette by then, stopped in front of a white new car.

"Get in."

"Did you get a new one just recently?"

"Yeah. Bought it yesterday."

Yoon got into the driver's seat indifferently and rolled down the window. I quickly got into the passenger seat.

The car smoothly started as soon as I closed the door. I watched Yoon exhale smoke out the window and stub out the cigarette in the ashtray.

The acrid cigarette scent faded in the wind. My mentor's black hair fluttered this way and that in the breeze coming through the window.

"Do you smoke?"

"...No."

"You wouldn't remember."

"Yes. To be precise, I don't recall."

As I answered, my mentor nodded indifferently and looked ahead.

I waited for an explanation, but silence settled in.

The car sped smoothly and quickly along the road. I waited for the silence to break, then looked away from my mentor. He would explain when the time came.

I took in the city flashing by with my mouth shut.

Current time: 12:05 a.m.

He said to arrive within 30 minutes, so wherever it was, we would get there at dawn.