Black Badger - Chapter 12

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

◈ Black Badger ◈

Chapter 12: Senior Partner (4)

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There was no way happily getting beaten up by mushroom tentacles for three hours was normal.

I watched with haggard eyes as Ami began shaking Yoon violently. Without changing expression, Yoon looked down at his younger sister.

“He's fine. Just tired.”

Ami snapped at his calm reply.

“What if he ends up traumatized? I’m telling Ye-hyeon and Joo!”

Ami really was the only one I could trust.

As I was touched by this, Ricardo came over.

“You okay~?”

“Ah. Yes, I’m fine.”

I took in the man beside him and the unfamiliar faces, all of whom looked thoroughly shocked.

Ricardo looked me over from head to toe without losing his smile.

“You look like a mess...”

“I looked worse a few minutes ago. I made a huge scene trying to kill that thing alone.”

“Were you scared~?”

“It was annoying.”

“Really? Then you must have talent~.”

Ricardo smiled, his eyes narrowing.

Thinking about it, this man was just as hard to read as my senior partner, though in a different way. I couldn't tell whether his encouraging words were sincere or sarcastic.

Not wanting to think too hard about it, I nodded.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Mm~. What do you think? You’ll have to do this for the rest of your life.... Will you be okay~?”

Ricardo asked brightly.

I felt everyone's eyes turn toward me. There was an edge to his question. My first impression that he had a bad personality had not been entirely wrong.

Looking into his green eyes, I answered slowly.

“I don't know.”

Ricardo looked at me without losing his smile.

“I don't think there’s much point in guessing now. Still, I didn't have many choices, so I don't think I'll regret this one later.”

I had answered seriously, then noticed the stares pouring down on me.

I was doomed. I should have just said, “Of course I’ll be fine. I’ll work hard, Senior!”

Just as I tried to smooth it over with an awkward smile, the man with wide eyes spoke up.

“Is this the rookie everyone’s been talking about?”

There were already rumors?

“Yep! This is Hildebert Taleb!”

“Didn't you say he was only officially assigned today?”

“That’s right!”

“And he's functioning normally without any problems?”

I couldn't understand what he meant.

I widened my eyes and observed the man I had never seen before. He looked tired somehow. His skin was dark, as though tanned by the sun, and he had light stubble above his lip. He wore comfortable-looking black pants like hiking clothes and a gray anorak. At a glance, he looked to be in his early to mid-thirties.

In a voice unable to hide his amazement, he continued.

“It should take at least three months to adapt to the body.”

“That’s a valid point. Hilde is an unusual case....”

“And Hilde killed this? A real creature? It hasn't even been a day since his official schedule started. Don't rookies normally face creatures only after six months?”

“That part is entirely Yoon oppa's fault.”

Ami pointed out.

The unfamiliar man's gaze shifted to Yoon. His expression still held unconcealed disbelief. But Yoon merely met his gaze without even blinking.

“Nothing happened, so stop making a fuss. He finished it well without my help, and he's mentally fine.”

“No, Senior Yoon.”

The man called to Yoon in flustered disbelief.

Yoon did not react. Instead, Ricardo, standing beside the man, casually rested a hand on his shoulder as he looked at me.

“You haven't introduced yourselves, right?”

I nodded sheepishly.

“No.”

“Lee Ho Chang. He’s your senior~. Lee Ho, this is Hildebert Taleb, the rookie everyone's talking about.”

“Hello. I look forward to working with you.”

“Huh? Ah.”

Lee Ho turned away from Yoon and replied to me.

He stared at me closely before opening his mouth.

“But how did you even...”

“Ah! Hilde will introduce himself next week!”

Ami's clear voice rang through the training room.

“That’s when Hilde's unusual circumstances will be explained!”

While the male seniors turned toward her, I was horrified.

What was that supposed to mean?

“But most of the explanation will be done by the Head of Personnel. So you don't need to make that face.”

“But I have to say a few words too, right?”

“Yep.”

Aaaah.

Beside my despair, Ricardo tilted his head.

“When is it? I haven't heard anything official yet.”

“Probably next Friday!”

Damn it. One week left.

“Will it be official? Does the Head of Personnel agree to this?”

“It reflects the Commander-in-Chief's wishes. They’re going to tell every Badger without duties to attend if possible.”

“The Commander-in-Chief?”

Lee Ho was horrified. So was I. It was never good when something became a bigger deal. My memories had been completely wiped, but a strange instinct remained. The instinct that things only got worse when important people became involved. My past self had definitely experienced office life, even if only briefly. I was trembling with dread and fear.

Couldn't I just take on another mushroom instead?

“Do I have to go too?”

Yoon asked dryly.

“Of course! You're Hilde's senior partner.”

“Yoon is Hilde's senior partner?!”

Lee Ho was horrified again.

Ami nodded, her eyes wide. Ricardo watched Lee Ho's jaw fall open with amusement.

Lee Ho looked back and forth between the impassive Yoon and me, then asked in a stunned voice.

“Are you okay?”

I had to answer this well.

Gathering every ounce of my strength, I gave him a bright smile.

“Yes! He treats me very well.”

“Wrong. You’re already walking on eggshells around oppa.”

“Ah.... They’ve only known each other for a few hours, and already....”

“What is the Head of Personnel thinking?”

Please believe me!

Or at least pretend to believe me, people. Couldn't they see I was trying to stay on the good side of my emotionless senior partner?

But contrary to expectation, Yoon did not seem particularly offended.

He stood there with his arms folded, looking sullen. When our eyes met, he gestured with his chin.

“Use the shower next door, then come back. Grab fresh workout clothes from over there before you go in.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Oppa, you're buying Hilde dinner, right?”

“He'd probably rather eat alone.”

“Hilde doesn't have any money!”

That cut right to the bone.

But where was “over there”? Looking around for the workout clothes, I saw Ricardo and Lee Ho point in the same direction. At the tips of their fingers was a basket. I hadn't noticed it before, but a basket sat to the left of the firmly closed training room door.

After bowing my head in thanks, I hesitated for a moment.

Ami, who had been grabbing her actual brother by the collar, turned only her head and smiled brightly.

“Out of the shower room and to the right! You’ll see it right away. Go wash up.”

“Yes. Then excuse me for a moment.”

“Good work~.”

Ricardo waved lazily.

Lee Ho nodded as well, looking me over closely.

“Still, you look pretty fine for someone who went through that. Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?”

“Ah, I'm fine. I feel all right now.”

I smiled awkwardly, said goodbye, and turned away. Dragging my legs, heavy with soreness, I headed for the door.

Behind me, I heard Ami scolding her older brother. Hadn't he been able to bring an easier creature? Oppa! That creature has poison! Neutralizing it doesn't make it safe!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Pretending not to hear the heavy sounds of fists, I picked up the biggest set of clothes from the basket. Then, without looking back, I fled the training room.

It felt like early evening, as if the sun had set while I was inside. Pale sunset light seeped into the corridor.

I was hungry. I wanted to shower quickly and eat dinner. Thinking that, I headed for the showers.

*　　　*　　　*

I had dinner with my senior partner.

Since I couldn't remember what food I liked, I was treated to expensive beef, a universally popular choice. We took my senior partner's car to the restaurant. Following him as he strode ahead, I saw a black car and opened my mouth slightly at the sight of its sleek brand.

Wasn't this an incredibly expensive brand?

“Your car... is amazing.”

“You remember car brands?”

Yoon asked as he got into the driver's seat.

“Lamborghini.”

“So you were an Earthling after all.”

“...Didn't I look like one?”

“I’m not even sure you’re a normal human.”

He started the car in a calm voice.

The pitch-black car pulled away smoothly. Though my senior partner had not touched the wheel, it moved neatly out of the underground parking lot.

“Your recovery is poor, yet you've adapted safely to an enhanced body. That alone is bizarre.”

“...Is it really that bizarre?”

“Maybe we'll have to open you up later.”

Yoon said something deeply strange.

...Open what up?

Questions bubbled up one after another, but I forced myself not to say them aloud. I did not want confirmation that he meant what I thought he meant.

Instead, I forced up the corners of my mouth.

“As you can see, I'm harmless enough to get beaten up by a mushroom.”

“We'll see.”

Yoon did not even turn his eyes toward me.

“Even you don't know what you were.”

“...Yes.”

“You adapt well.”

His low voice pointed it out without much emotion.

“That’s a commendable attitude.”

While we ate dinner at the restaurant, he gave me a brief explanation. He told me about tomorrow's schedule and how Black Badger trained its rookies. Normally, rookies were given six months to adapt to their enhanced bodies. But for some strange reason, I had already adapted, so there was no need to worry about that. They would run my training on the assumption that my adaptation was complete.

“There’s a mountain of things to teach you, but not everyone has the stamina to charge in like an idiot for three hours straight. A few of the reactions you showed while charging in didn't look like those of a complete novice, either.”

“My reactions?”

“One or two physical reactions.”

What reactions had I shown?

There was no way I would find an answer by thinking it over. All I remembered were the writhing tentacles, the huge mushroom stalk, and the strange smell it gave off.

But my senior partner did not explain further and changed the subject.

“Keep your introduction simple. This is unprecedented, so there’s nothing special I can tell you.”

“Isn't that something every rookie goes through?”

“We rent out an auditorium under the Head of Personnel's supervision and have them introduce themselves to their seniors. But this is the first time the Commander-in-Chief has ordered every available Badger to gather.”

My stomach twisted at those words.

Yoon added something even more troubling.

“Looks like Ye-hyeon is determined.”

Aaaah.

The more I heard, the more troubled I felt, but it did not seem like I could avoid it. Still, there was nothing I could prepare right away, so I pushed the coming introduction into a corner of my mind.

After dinner, we returned to headquarters in Yoon's car.

At Yoon's instruction to get my belongings, I rushed up to the break room, shoved everything into the bag I had set aside, and came back down.

I made sure not to forget the medication packet I had found in the showers before being dragged off by the creature.

Once I was inside the sleek Lamborghini, I showed it to my senior partner to fight off the sleepiness washing over me.

“Someone left a medication packet in the shower room. Do you know who it belongs to?”

And for the first time, I saw my senior partner look surprised.

He turned his head and casually looked at the medication packet I held out. His eyes widened slightly.

It was not as noticeable an expression as most people's, but the emotion in his eyes was clearly mild surprise.

The surprise soon changed into an expression that looked strangely tired and angry.

He let out a long sigh, then took the medication packet from my hand.

“I can pass it on.”

To whom?