Nana didn’t really understand why Tom and Hesh were freaking out.
Wasn’t it normal to sell a ga console if you didn’t need it anymore?
She herself had bought one on a whim not long ago, barely played it, and ended up selling it.
But apparently, this was different.
Hesh grabbed Hildebert by the shoulder.
“Man, you’re in really bad shape.”
“You’re at least eating properly, right?”
Tom also stared at Hildebert with worry-filled eyes.
It was only after seeing Hildebert’s reaction that Nana realized they weren’t joking.
The handso senior gave an awkward smile and answered,
“I’m eating, so don’t worry. I’ve just been busy lately and don’t have ti to play gas, so I figured I’d sell it while I’m at it.”
“But still, you selling a ga console....”
“There’s really no need for that.”
Jack cut into the conversation.
“I told you there’s no need to sell it. Hilde, anyway, my accounts are all being handled by my accountant and lawyer.”
“Yeah, Hilde. If you’re short on cash, just tell us.”
“Let’s eat dinner first!”
Hildebert smiled as he tried to calm everyone down.
“The juniors are watching!”
This is going to drag on.
Nana Dol quickly resigned herself to that fact.
After thanking the seniors once more with proper politeness, she sat down at the six-person table, tense from head to toe.
Maybe because Jack Black and Hildebert were there, people who stopped by the café kept sneaking glances in their direction.
At least no one was coming over. That much was a relief. How did Jack live his life constantly receiving looks like this?
Of course, this particular classmate probably wouldn’t care what kind of looks people gave him.
“You sold your car too?”
“Recently. I either use the scooter I bought from Luke a while back, or hitch a ride in Jack’s car.”
“But even if you’re on leave, you still get part of your salary, don’t you?”
“That’s blocked too.... But really, you don’t need to worry. You don’t have to think about it.”
It’s kind of nice when they keep the conversation going among themselves.
Nana sat there blankly, listening to the seniors talk until the nu arrived. Thankfully, drinks and food like toast ca out before their small talk ran dry.
Now, when things got awkward, she could just eat what was in front of her.
I hope they just talk to a little.
After saying thank you, Nana looked down at the toast-and-sausage set the seniors had bought for her.
She had to be careful cutting the sausage with her knife so she wouldn’t slice the plate too.
She couldn’t afford to make a mistake like that in front of her seniors....
“Dol.”
Hildebert suddenly called her.
“If you don’t have anything special to do after dinner, I can take a look at your sword.”
Nana folded her knife shut.
“Aaah!”
“Ah—”
“Oh.”
Beside her, Luke and Tom let out sounds of shock.
I’m screwed.
This is so embarrassing....
As she froze in place, unable to move, Hesh smiled and kept repeating that it was okay, that it was fine. Jack spun the broken knife out of her hand with a grin and took it away.
And Hildebert, who was sitting across from her, panicked.
“I’m sorry.”
The white-haired senior looked at her, completely at a loss.
“Did I startle you? I’ve been in frequent contact with Leeho lately. People who use swords are rare, you know. I thought it might help, even a little, if I took a look....”
“I-I’m not actually that good with a sword.”
Nana hurriedly corrected his misunderstanding.
Inside, she was screaming.
Leeho Chang!
I clearly told you I didn’t want this!
“As you can see, I still break even a dining knife like this. I’m nowhere near good enough to show soone. I only learned a bit of kendo as a childhood hobby, so it just looks like I know what I’m doing....”
“Being bad at controlling your strength has nothing to do with swordsmanship.”
Luke said.
Please be quiet!
And how does it have nothing to do with it? Of course it has sothing to do with it!
She was shouting internally with all her might when Jack added his own comnt.
“He’s right. You’d probably like it if you saw her. I was surprised when I saw Dol’s skills too.”
“Really?”
A look of genuine delight spread across Hildebert’s face.
anwhile, Nana completely failed at managing her expression. She desperately wanted to grab the collars of the two classmates sitting beside her.
Jack! How would you even know whether I’m good with a sword or not!
If the seniors hadn’t been sitting right in front of her, she really would have done it.
You’re not even the type to ddle like this! What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?!
What she thought was a moderate glare must have been filled with far too much sincerity.
The corner of Jack’s mouth curved up even more, and Hildebert let out a small laugh.
“It might feel burdenso to show it when you’re not prepared, but having soone watch can help you notice problems you weren’t aware of yourself.”
This is bad.
Nana realized that unlike Jack Black, Hildebert was the type who carefully observed others and genuinely took interest in them.
That realization made his presence feel even more burdenso.
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse a senior’s offer outright. Direct seniors were always the scariest. It was a truth about life she’d learned while working part-ti at a franchise burger place right after becoming an adult....
At this point, there was no helping it.
I’ll just be embarrassed for a mont and get it over with!
She squeezed her eyes shut, about to say that she was lacking but would appreciate the guidance—
But Hildebert spoke first.
“Or does it make you uncomfortable?”
Ugh!
Did he notice?
“Now that I think about it, it could be a physiological aversion. I’m sorry. I didn’t consider that.”
“...Pardon?”
“You grew up facing Creatures as enemies, so I understand if you feel an aversion toward .”
“No!”
Flustered beyond asure, she raised her voice without thinking.
The three seniors sitting across from her widened their eyes at the sa ti. Only the classmates sitting beside her didn’t look surprised, letting out quiet laughs instead.
“That’s absolutely not the reason. Not sothing that ridiculous.”
No matter how her classmates reacted, Nana was too busy explaining herself.
“Really. I’ve never thought that way even once. Please believe !”
“Calm down.”
Hildebert replied smoothly.
For so reason, he sounded like soone who had dealt with people suddenly spiraling out of control many tis before.
She was probably overthinking it. Either way, thanks to his response, Nana cald down a little and sank back into her chair, which she had half risen from.
Then she cautiously watched Hildebert’s expression.
The senior gave a bitter smile.
“I’m glad that’s not the case. Still, I’m sorry for bringing it up so suddenly.”
It seed he’d noticed that she was feeling pressured.
“Show your swordsmanship next ti, when there’s a chance.”
This is bad.
I think he’s still misunderstanding.
Nana cursed herself for having so obviously looked uncomfortable earlier.
It felt like she’d given her senior a completely absurd misunderstanding.
Thinking about it, his reaction was only natural. Ever since his identity had been exposed, how many people must have shown disgust toward him? And since she was his junior, he probably thought she couldn’t be honest about it.
That’s really not it....
Maybe she looked like she was about to cry, because Hildebert reassured her again that it was fine.
Hearing the apology in his voice, Nana suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.
She was shy by nature and bad at human relationships, and had spent her whole life observing people. Because of that, she could tell that Hildebert only half believed her words, and that regardless of the truth, he was grateful that she had denied it so fiercely.
But it really wasn’t that.
Unable to endure it anymore, Nana blurted out the truth.
“It’s just that you’re too handso, Senior....”
Hildebert blinked.
“That’s why I feel uncomfortable....”
Luke covered his mouth with his fist and started laughing silently.
Jack smiled serenely as he cut the whole potato on his plate. Nana felt irritated every ti her classmates reacted like this.
That was why she vented her complaints whenever the three of them trained together. They’d grown close enough for that now.
But with the seniors right in front of her, she had no choice but to manage her expression.
An “oh” of admiration from Tom, and Hesh bursting into laughter.
Hildebert, surprisingly, wasn’t all that shocked.
“Ah.... I see.”
He did look a bit flustered, though.
“Thank you.”
“Wow, I’m jealous.”
A voice she didn’t recognize cut in.
“So this is how handso people live.”
She hadn’t even heard any footsteps.
Nana jolted in surprise.
Then she was even more startled when she realized that not one, but three seniors were standing beside their table.
She was naturally sensitive to others’ presence, able to pick up on people approaching unless she was deeply focused on sothing. She’d even been told it was unsettling back in her school days.
And yet, she hadn’t noticed them at all.
The mont she took in who the seniors beside them were, her mild surprise turned into shock.
The one who had joined the conversation with a smile was Leonard.
Standing beside him with a cold air were Sylvia and Yun.
The Black Badgers’ infamous deserter capture unit.
And one of them was a first-generation Badger, lofty as the sky itself.
“Guh....”
“Ah, Senior.”
Hildebert naturally greeted Leonard, who was smiling broadly.
“You arrived early. Didn’t you say it would take a while?”
“Things wrapped up quickly because Yun tagged along.”
Leonard answered lightly.
There was no malice to be found in his tone, but for so reason, just hearing his voice sent a chill down Nana Dol’s spine.
“Made it a bit less fun, though.”
All mbers of the deserter capture unit had sothing about them that subtly made people uncomfortable.
It didn’t seem to be just her impression. Before she knew it, the café had fallen into an uneasy silence. Everyone knew that three people who preferred solo operations gathering together was never a good sign.
Like reptiles.
She even saw a few people hurriedly leave the café.
“So you ca early, but you’re busy buying food for the juniors?”
“Yes. We’ll head out shortly.”
“But didn’t you say all your financial transactions were blocked? How did you buy food, then?”
“That’s why my classmates treated the juniors and .... I apologize for omitting the details in my answer.”
“It’s fine. I do that sotis when reporting upstairs too. There’s no need to go into detail about how you caught a deserter Badger, right?”
“I’ll be leaving first.”
Sylvia, who had been standing with her arms crossed and staring off into the distance, cut into the unusual exchange between Hildebert and Leonard.
She looked down at those seated at the table with cold eyes.
“I don’t have anything in particular to say.”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work, Senior.”
“So this must be the one from the rumors.”
Sylvia’s emotionless gaze shifted to Jack.
“You sll the sa as him.”
Huh?
Nana was dumbfounded.
Sll?
Jack Black always had a faint trace of his signature fresh cologne.
But Hildebert didn’t sll like cologne at all.
What on earth was she talking about?
Nana wasn’t the only one confused. Tom, Hesh, and even Luke furrowed their brows, clearly puzzled.
Strangely enough, though, Hildebert and the two deserter-capture seniors seed to understand Sylvia’s words.
Jack, the person in question, also wore a peculiar smile.
Not the refreshing grin he always wore, but sothing colder.
What kind of strange conversation is this...?
“Wrap it up.”
Her small confusion was abruptly cut off by a cold voice.
“Is this really the ti to be having a friendly little et-and-greet with brats?”
“Yun. Don’t make the kids uncomfortable.”
Hildebert complained.
“This isn’t a et-and-greet. You know that.”
Nana nearly scread when she heard the way Hildebert spoke to the most senior of seniors.
To most Badgers, a first-generation senior was soone so lofty you couldn’t even raise your head properly. Especially for rookies like them, there was almost no chance to speak with first-generation Badgers in daily life, and working missions together with them was virtually nonexistent for nearly ten years. Having them check your training was sothing you’d boast about for the rest of your life.
Ami, Jack’s ntor, was a bit of an exception.
But aside from her, that’s how first-generation seniors were, or so the sixtieth-generation seniors had explained....
Maybe it was because he was his ntor?
Among the first generation, Yun was considered the hardest to approach—no, soone you were explicitly advised not to approach—and yet he rely snorted at Hildebert’s shocking attitude.
“The situation’s changed.”
The man spoke in a low voice.
“Has it? Did sothing happen? From your expression, it doesn’t look like a failure....”
“Choi Jeseok is dead.”
Hildebert’s hand, which had been reaching for his iced Aricano, stopped dead.
“Thirty minutes ago.”
Choi Jeseok—the founder of Aitek.
The adoptive father of Choi Yun and Choi Ami.
As far as Nana knew, he’d been bedridden for quite so ti, so it was certainly surprising news. Still, she didn’t understand how that ant the situation had changed, or what it had to do with Hildebert.
But it clearly was related.
Hildebert imdiately asked for everyone’s understanding and stood up.
He handed the bag containing the ga console to Jack, asking him to sell it, then turned to his juniors and apologized to each of them in turn.
“I’m really sorry I couldn’t even buy you a proper al.”
He looked genuinely apologetic.
“But I’ve heard that both of you are highly capable. If you keep going like this, you’ll beco excellent Badgers.”
He didn’t include Jack—probably because they were friends.
“Take care of yourselves. I have sothing to deal with, so I’ll be going first. Tom, Hesh. Thanks for the al. Sorry to get up in the middle when it’s been a while since we t.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but just handle it properly! And contact us if you’re short on money.”
“Watch yourself too. So weird group might target you again, like last ti.”
Hesh and Tom spoke in turn.
Nana heard Luke politely say his goodbyes in a daze. She registered Jack saying he’d leave later with the sa vacant expression.
Only then did she realize that she, too, needed to say sothing.
She hurriedly straightened her posture.
“Senior!”
When she called out, Hildebert whipped his head around.
“Could you take a look at my sword soday?”
For so reason, she felt like she ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) had to say this to a senior who sounded as if today might be their last eting.
She didn’t want him to keep misunderstanding her.
Perhaps her intention got through, because Hildebert smiled faintly.
The man, wearing what looked like a bitter smile, looked down at her and spoke gently.
“Of course. If the opportunity cos.”
The yellow-eyed senior turned his body and walked toward those waiting for him.
“Don’t lose the sharp sensitivity you have now, Dol. It’ll definitely be a great help to you.”
Nana’s eyes widened, but she had no chance to ask what he ant.
Without looking back, Hildebert left the café.
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