Ch.27The Time Without Him

# 27. While That Man Was Away

The sun rises and sets even in a city of xenomorphs with human personalities, without exception.

With the xenomorphs completely removed from the beautiful night view of Albrant, the two city women, accustomed to the dull night scenery of a city where not a single star could be seen, were appreciating the flawless night view with their eyes half-closed.

“Unni.”

“Hmm?”

“If he said he’d be back soon but hasn’t returned yet, that counts as being late, right?”

“He is late, but the captain’s definition of ‘soon’ might be different from ours.”

“Oh, come on. What’s that? Are you secretly defending Captain Gong?”

Isn’t that the fate of being second-in-command?

Kutjukyeora brushed it off with a chuckle. Saex sighed.

“Unni. Since it’s just the two of us now, why don’t we get a bit more honest? How about a truth game?”

“I’ve been honest and truthful all along, Yuri.”

“Come on, Unni. I know that, but I mean let’s reveal something more from within. We’ve gotten closer than when we first met, right? To commemorate that.”

Yuri, what’s the meaning of casually restraining my limbs while saying that? Is this how you treat someone who even did your laundry?

Trapped in soft yet firm biological shackles, Kutjukyeora realized the youngest wouldn’t give up.

“Fine. What do you want to talk about?”

“Oh, you know~”

“I really don’t~”

“About someone who said he’d be back soon but isn’t.”

Saex leaned in close to Kutjukyeora’s ear, who was docilely trapped in her arms.

“You know, I like Captain Gong who gave me freedom, and Unni who taught me kindness and consideration. This past week has been the most free and happy days of my life. Aside from my sore feet from walking so much and feeling gross from not being able to wash properly.”

“Me too. Not as much as you, but my life wasn’t very fun or satisfying either.”

“But you know, this tower where we were kidnapped. The captain stubbornly calls them residents, but honestly, from my perspective, they still feel like really convincing NPCs, you know?”

“And?”

What is Saex trying to say with all this build-up? I have a vague idea, but…

“It feels like being stranded on a deserted island. Like surviving on an uninhabited island filled with countless game monsters and trials?”

“Limiting it to Earth humans, that’s not wrong. The captain did say other raid captains might come in too.”

“I’m not interested in them, and it’s none of my business. Anyway, being on this deserted island called the tower…”

Saex hugged Kutjukyeora a little tighter and whispered.

“A man like Captain Gong. He seems really decent.”

Good build-up, our youngest.

So honest it’s almost embarrassingly direct.

“His physique is pretty good. His face isn’t extremely handsome, but it’s decent enough. He’s full of responsibility. He’s not effeminate. He’s knowledgeable. Not just knowledgeable, but also takes action. He’s not blindly optimistic but realistic. He’s not too blunt, and he’s not boring.”

“…”

“The chance of going back isn’t 100%, and even if we could go back, we don’t know when that would be… I’m a woman too. And a person stranded on a deserted island.”

“What about you, Unni?”

Kutjukyeora, who had been listening quietly, gently placed her hand on Saex’s arm. With a slight pressure, Saex took the hint and loosened her grip.

Freed from Saex’s embrace, Kutjukyeora calmly brushed down her long straight hair, naturally half-covering her face.

It was a bit awkward to face Saex directly with this topic.

“What’s there to say? I’ve seen him longer than you have. It was just the two of us, not three.”

“Oho.”

Saex laughed as if finding it amusing.

“So?”

“I should be the one asking. Yuri, what’s your intention in telling me this?”

“Obviously, I’m calling dibs.”

Kutjukyeora looked up. Their eyes met.

“Honestly, even I can see that you’re too perfect, Unni. Like you were created with everything men would like. Plus, you were with him before me. The only thing I have over you is maybe a bit more muscle? So I have to make my move first.”

“I can’t say anything about your feelings and will. But the captain will find it troublesome.”

“Why? How come?”

“Because it’s a source of conflict.”

“Source of conflict? Aha! That means you admit you’re the same as me? Officially from Seon Se-yeon?”

Kutjukyeora remained silent. They both knew that silence meant consent in this case.

“So you have feelings but don’t express them because it might cause conflict?”

“Yes. And to add, it’s just a crush for now. I won’t deny that it might deepen over time.”

“You could just tell the captain your position and acknowledge it cleanly. Whether he chooses one of us, or neither.”

“No matter the outcome, the atmosphere won’t be the same as before. Even if we acknowledge it cleanly, people can’t just cut off emotions like with a knife. Residual feelings will remain and torment us somehow. I don’t want that. I like the captain, but I also want to maintain a good relationship with you, Yuri.”

In a way, Kutjukyeora was trying to control Saex’s confession. However, since Kutjukyeora was also controlling her own confession with the same logic, Saex found it hard to argue against.

Especially since Saex also acknowledged Kutjukyeora’s point.

So she threw a curveball.

“But you know what?”

“What?”

“We didn’t get rewards for floors 1-2, but if we get another S-rank reward next time and choose someone else… it could be another woman.”

“…No way.”

“That’s what I thought, but you can’t help but flinch at the possibility, right?”

At Saex’s speculation, Kutjukyeora thought of the remaining four members, saying “no way” while still considering it. Saex’s declaration of dibs was already pushed to the background.

“Yebeop, Muldabal, Mulchi, Dwitmun.”

“It’s just a hunch, but I think at least two of them are women.”

“What? Two of them?”

“There are cases where women speak less to hide their gender, or where they’ve absorbed the speech patterns from playing games with men. Don’t you know that, Unni?”

If pressed, Kutjukyeora would be the former, and Saex the latter. Kutjukyeora nodded for her to continue.

“First, Yebeop is uncertain. Hard to tell. They speak so tersely. And Muldabal’s gender is ambiguous, but they’re definitely older. So that’s also uncertain.”

“So you’re saying Mulchi and Dwitmun are women?”

“Yeah. Not certain, but by intuition. Dwitmun feels like a girl around our age, and Mulchi seems like a woman around the captain’s age?”

“My goodness.”

Saex shrugged at Kutjukyeora’s reaction.

“So what?”

“I should be asking you. Yuri, what’s your intention in telling me this?”

“Obviously to stake my claim.”

Kutjukyeora looked up. Their gazes met.

“Honestly, even I can see that you’re too perfect, Unni. Like you were created with everything men would like. Plus, you were with him even before me. The only thing I have over you is maybe a bit more muscle? So I have to make my move.”

“I can’t comment on your feelings and intentions. But the captain will find it troublesome.”

“Why? How come?”

“Because it’s a source of conflict.”

“Source of conflict? Aha! That means you admit you’re the same as me? Official confirmation from Seon Se-yeon?”

Kutjukyeora remained silent. They both knew that silence meant consent in this case.

“So you have feelings but don’t express them because it might cause conflict?”

“Yes. And to add, it’s just a crush for now. I won’t deny that it might deepen over time.”

“You could just tell the captain your position and acknowledge it cleanly. Whether he chooses one of us, or neither.”

“No matter the outcome, the atmosphere won’t be the same as before. Even if we acknowledge it cleanly, people can’t just cut off emotions like with a knife. Residual feelings will remain and torment us somehow. I don’t want that. I like the captain, but I also want to maintain a good relationship with you, Yuri.”

In a way, Kutjukyeora was trying to control Saex’s confession. However, since Kutjukyeora was also controlling her own confession with the same logic, Saex found it hard to argue against.

Especially since Saex also acknowledged Kutjukyeora’s point.

So she threw a curveball.

“But you know what?”

“What?”

“We didn’t get rewards for floors 1-2, but if we get another S-rank reward next time and choose someone else… it could be another woman.”

“…No way.”

“That’s what I thought, but you can’t help but flinch at the possibility, right?”

At Saex’s speculation, Kutjukyeora thought of the remaining four members, saying “no way” while still considering it. Saex’s declaration of dibs was already pushed to the background.

“Yebeop, Muldabal, Mulchi, Dwitmun.”

“It’s just a hunch, but I think at least two of them are women.”

“What? Two of them?”

“There are cases where women speak less to hide their gender, or where they’ve absorbed the speech patterns from playing games with men. Don’t you know that, Unni?”

If pressed, Kutjukyeora would be the former, and Saex the latter. Kutjukyeora nodded for her to continue.

“First, Yebeop is uncertain. Hard to tell. They speak so tersely. And Muldabal’s gender is ambiguous, but they’re definitely older. So that’s also uncertain.”

“So you’re saying Mulchi and Dwitmun are women?”

“Yeah. Not certain, but by intuition. Dwitmun feels like a girl around our age, and Mulchi seems like a woman around the captain’s age?”

“My goodness.”

Saex shrugged at Kutjukyeora’s reaction.

“Anyway, if even one more woman is among those four, we’ll be one of three, not one of two, Unni. By then, it’ll really be too late.”

“There’s no guarantee that woman would like the captain.”

“Unni, why are you being so naive? Besides the captain being a decent man! Hey? This place is like a deserted island! Hey? There’s only one man in the raid team!”

Saex pressed on like a storm.

“Unless the man is really unattractive, things will naturally develop that way. Look at us! It took me a week. You probably took about the same time. Maybe even less.”

“Yuri.”

“If a third raid member is summoned, will our unexpressed feelings be resolved? What if that person isn’t human like us and just blurts out the ‘first’ confession?”

Both women involuntarily imagined the scene. Both grimaced.

Kutjukyeora took a breath and responded calmly, but…

“I don’t think our raid members would be that inconsiderate.”

“You never know until you see. If they can lie about gender and age, don’t you think they could put on an act?”

Saex’s unrestrained rebuttal immediately defeated her.

“So what do you want to do?”

“Honestly, I want to be selfish. But I don’t want to ignore your wishes either. So since asking directly would be like confessing, I want to test the waters.”

“How?”

“You know, that thing where you say, ‘I have this friend who…’ and so on.”

Kutjukyeora made a sour face.

“No matter how inexperienced he is with dating, wouldn’t he see right through that?”

“I’m inexperienced too, so it’ll sound genuine!”

“Hah… I really don’t know what to do.”

“Pfft. Unni!”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh, why~”

As if she hadn’t been so pushy before, Saex hugged Kutjukyeora again. With mixed feelings, Kutjukyeora asked:

“Even if that method works, Yuri. You’ve officially declared us love rivals. Doesn’t that bother you?”

“If it’s you, Unni, I might be able to gracefully accept defeat?”

“I… don’t think I could do that.”

“Well, everyone’s different. But after all this excitement, it would be funny if the captain had no interest at all. Right?”

Could that be… possible? With me, and you?

Even while thinking this, Kutjukyeora secretly hoped she would be excluded.

“Sigh. We’ve been chatting for quite a while, but he’s still not back.”

“Yeah. I wish he’d come soon.”

“Ah! I have a good idea!”

Kutjukyeora tried to back away with a start. But she was already caught.

“Yuri. No. Don’t say it.”

“Instead of using the ‘my friend’ approach to test the waters, why don’t we just wear as little as possible and wait by the door to see his reaction?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Saex!”

“Hey, hey! How much are you planning to take off?!”

Kutjukyeora couldn’t stop Saex.

But she didn’t want to lose either.