Chapter 22 - Fellow Recruits (2)

Knowing nothing about it, I quickly turned the question around.

"Why did you two apply?" I asked my brown- and red-haired fellow recruits. "Was becoming a Badger always your dream?"

"Of course!"

"Hmm."

Their reactions were distinctly different. Heshy answered confidently, while Tom sounded as though he was thinking over his answer, just as I had. I blinked, then turned to Heshy, who seemed ready with an answer.

Heshy poured a stream of cola into a paper cup.

"It's been my dream since I was little. I come from a military family, but I was the only one who wanted to be a Badger instead of a regular soldier. My younger brother followed our father into the military."

Did this world have a separate military, too?

In any case, I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. The pizza we'd just ordered was hot and savory. Before taking another bite of pepperoni pizza, its cheese stretching in strings, I asked another question.

"Was there a particular reason you wanted to be a Badger rather than a regular soldier?"

"I wanted to save lives, and I admire Yehyeon. I grew up watching him on-screen, and I've always thought he was an amazing man. I still can't believe I get to work under him."

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

"He's devoted himself to saving lives for as long as I can remember. He's never changed."

What an earnest guy.

Or was he an idealist? Either way, I thought it was a slightly unusual reason to apply. Of course, I respected Yehyeon, too. He'd taken a risk to help me, after all.

But could you admire someone that much when you'd only seen them on-screen?

I still didn't really know what sort of person Yehyeon was. Of course, I knew he was good and capable. There was a goodness that shone through in his very appearance. But that aside, I had no sense of what he was like in private.

Then again, knowing someone inside out and admiring them were two different things.

Maybe someone like Heshy really was the right sort of person to be a Badger. More so than a guy like me, who'd just somehow ended up as one.

I nodded without a word.

Tom, sitting in an old chair, set down his pizza.

"I applied because I wanted to help people, too."

He stared into space in brief silence before continuing.

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

"Oh, I see."

I couldn't think of anything else to say. Then, worried I'd sounded a little indifferent, I added,

"So both your families were supportive."

"Yeah. They won't get grandchildren from me, or even get to see their son grow old, but they understood without even being shocked. My younger brother was against it at first, but by the end, he was cheering me on even more than our mother."

"Was your family against it?"

Beside Heshy, who'd answered so proudly, Tom ventured a cautious question.

I gave an awkward smile, berating myself for not having anticipated the question coming back to me.

"Oh, I don't have parents."

Silence fell in an instant.

I shouldn't have brought up family. No, I shouldn't have turned the question back on them. How had I been stupid enough not to realize it would naturally come back around to me?

Looking at my fellow recruits' apologetic faces, I regretted it. This was entirely my fault for steering the conversation the wrong way.

"Don't worry about it. I haven't had parents for as long as I can remember, so it's normal for me."

Their expressions grew even grimmer.

Ugh...

"Really, you don't have to worry. So, uh, shall we talk about something else?"

"Sorry. That was thoughtless of me to ask..."

"No, it was a perfectly natural question. With the way the conversation was going, I'd almost have been hurt if you hadn't asked me back. So seriously, don't worry about it. More cola?"

"Huh? Oh, thanks."

Tom, who'd been at a loss, accepted the cola I abruptly held out. Heshy, who'd been watching me quietly, put down his pizza and scratched the back of his head.

"Hey. I'm really sorry. I was just babbling away, all excited, without thinking about how you felt."

"I'm telling you, it's fine! Stop looking so gloomy and eat your pizza."

But neither of them brightened.

I'd probably have felt much the same in their place. Still, right now, I was desperate to break this awkward mood.

My eyes darted around the room in a frantic search. There had to be something I could change the subject to. Anything. An unusual poster, even the brand of some clothes lying around...

My gaze landed on a corner of the room.

"Is that a game console?"

Both of them turned at my murmur. Heshy blinked his hazel eyes, then nodded.

"Yeah. I've had it since I was a kid. I haven't been touching it because I still can't control my strength perfectly."

"What games do you have?" I asked, half dazed.

Strange fragments of memory surfaced. Hands holding a console. Games scattered across a white floor. I was playing with someone. When was this? The memory was hazy, as though shrouded in fog, and my field of view was narrow, like looking through a frosted window.

A voice came from beyond the white edges of my vision.

["You really love games."]

You're better at it. Than... Part of the voice was blurred beyond recognition. But it was familiar. Androgynous and intelligent. Calm and full of goodwill...

"Loads. Want to try?"

Heshy's voice brought me back to reality. I looked at the console in the corner, then nodded.

* * *

"How are you so good?"

Tom's stunned murmur reached my ears, bringing me back to reality. My concentration abruptly broke, and the sensations of my surroundings came flooding in. My character crashed into an obstacle. A score filled the screen.

I died. Still holding the Joy-Con, I stared blankly at the screen.

Then I collected myself and looked up at Tom and Heshy. They were standing beside me, staring blankly.

"Sorry. I got a little too absorbed."

"Dude, that's a new record."

Heshy wasn't looking at me. Instead, he was staring dazedly at the thin screen. Tom slowly nodded as he stared at the same thing, his blue eyes fixed on the display Heshy had said he'd brought.

Feeling awkward, I turned back to the screen. I'd just finished a round of the third game, an action runner.

"I've never gotten this far. Not once."

"I got a little lucky this round. You'll get here in no time if you give it a few tries. It's not that hard."

"I've been playing this since elementary school," Heshy replied.

With nothing left to say, I shut my mouth.

His mouth slightly open, Tom murmured almost to himself,

"Were you trying to become a professional esports player?"

"... Hmm. No."

I wasn't certain, but I chose the answer that seemed more plausible.

Feeling awkward, I discreetly set down the Joy-Con. But neither of them showed any sign of coming to their senses. Heshy blinked, then suddenly began searching for his phone with urgent movements.

"Picture," he muttered, picking it up. "Picture. Don't turn it off. Let me get a picture."

"... Sure."

"That's seriously incredible."

Tom looked down at me as I watched Heshy's antics in disbelief.

"If you'd gone into that, you'd definitely have become a world-famous star! Any chance you'd consider switching careers, even now?"

"Unfortunately, none at all."

"It seems like your calling."

Tom sounded genuinely regretful.

"How did nobody discover you?"

They were both being so dramatic.

I watched with an unimpressed gaze as they made a fuss and photographed the score on-screen. I watched them ask my permission—why they needed my permission was beyond me—and sit on the bed to try it themselves. I watched them finish a round with miserable scores, perhaps because they hadn't fully adapted to their enhanced bodies, and gape, complaining that it was too hard.

It was nearly eleven before we called it a night. Heshy pressed the console and games into my hands as I headed back to Room 304, and I didn't refuse.

* * *

Sunday night.

As I sat engrossed in a game, a low, ominous voice descended from behind me.

"Hey."

I jolted with a silent scream.

"What are you doing?"

"Aaargh!"

The scream finally escaped.

I barely managed to catch my fellow recruit's controller before I hurled it to the floor. I staggered, nearly fell as I tried to get up, then turned around as though I'd been struck.

A man had been standing behind me without making a sound.

Staring at him as he seemed to radiate cold, I croaked,

"Sir?"

Yun didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow. Only his eyes moved, eerily.

"Um... Didn't you say you'd leave me completely alone on weekends, at least?"

"Things have changed."

There wasn't a trace of apology in his voice. As I stood there stupidly, still failing to grasp the situation, he jerked his thumb toward the door.

"We're leaving now."

"What?"

"Outside the core."

Once again, no explanation followed.

"Get ready to leave. Now."

"Right now?" I echoed dumbly.

But it was so late... I turned to the digital clock on the dresser and realized Sunday had just become Monday.

It was midnight!

I stared at the clock in a daze, then turned back to my training officer. He wore a black windbreaker and had a duffel bag like mine slung over his shoulder.

"We'll sleep on the way."

He seemed to have read the doubt in my blank stare.

"We're taking a train, so just pack your toiletries and such."

"A train?"

"We've got supplies to deliver," Yun said flatly. "Your fellow recruits and their training officers are coming, too, so don't take too long getting ready."

Heshy and Tom were going, too?

Before asking any more questions, I hurriedly got up. I closed the game and hastily pulled on some clothes. Finding a windbreaker like my training officer's, I put it on and zipped it up, then found my toiletries and a towel and tossed them into my duffel bag.

"Let's go."

Yun turned as soon as I stood before him with the duffel bag over my shoulder. I followed him obediently. I'd just been about to steel myself for tomorrow and go to bed. What on earth was going on? Thank goodness I'd already showered.

The lights switched on as we stepped into the hall. We strode through the deserted corridor, hurried down to the first floor, and passed through the quiet, dimly lit lobby and out of the dorms.

The air had that cool, fresh smell peculiar to midnight. People stood together in the darkness softened by the streetlights.

Heshy and Tom. And the Badgers I'd seen in the auditorium.

One was the blue-eyed man I'd encountered when I first fell into this world.

"They report that loading is complete."

The blue-eyed man reported as soon as he saw Yun. His voice was as low as Yun's, with a strange metallic edge.

Yun nodded as he descended the steps outside the building.

"Take your own cars and assemble at the station. Be there within thirty minutes."

"Yes, sir."

"What about the new recruit's combat suit?" asked the brunette standing beside Tom.

That must be Angela. I recalled Ami casually asking Tom that afternoon, ["You heard from Angela, right?"] Judging by where they stood, Angela seemed to be Tom's training officer, and the blue-eyed man Heshy's.

If I remembered correctly, his name was Karl Doe.

We hadn't exchanged names, though. In any case, I dipped my head to the female senior.

Yun reached into his windbreaker pocket and answered dryly,

"I've got it."

He took out a pack of cigarettes.

"Report that we're heading out. See you in thirty minutes."

Angela, who'd been acknowledging my greeting, and Karl, who'd stood silently in place, nodded and quickly went their separate ways. Heshy and Tom followed their respective training officers, looking as bewildered by the situation as I felt.

Well, that was a relief. Apparently I wasn't the only one who'd come out in a daze.

Reassured, I followed my training officer.

He had already lit a cigarette by the time he stopped in front of a new white car.

"Get in."

"You've bought a new one already?"

"Yeah. Went and bought it yesterday."

Yun casually got into the driver's seat and rolled down the window. I quickly climbed into the passenger seat.

The car pulled away smoothly the instant I closed the door. I watched Yun exhale smoke out the window, then grind his cigarette out in the ashtray.

The acrid smell of tobacco thinned in the breeze. His black hair blew every which way in the wind coming through the window.

"Do you smoke?"

"... No."

"You don't remember, you mean."

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

At my answer, he nodded indifferently and looked ahead.

I waited for an explanation, but silence settled instead.

The car sped smoothly along the road. After waiting for him to break the silence, I looked away. He'd explain when the time came, surely.

Keeping my mouth shut, I watched the city slip past.

The time was 12:05 a.m.

He'd told everyone to arrive within thirty minutes, so wherever we were going, we'd get there in the early hours of the morning.