I’m scared.

“Already forgot that your recovery rate is low?”

“I’m sorry....”

“Or did killing a mushroom suddenly give you confidence?”

“No, sir. I’m sorry.”

“Ric.”

Ami tugged at Ricardo’s sleeve.

He rolled his green eyes and met hers.

“Hilde’s reflecting already, don’t scold him too much.”

The senior raised his brows.

I dropped my gaze again, staring at the spotless floor of my superior’s house. Right now, I was sitting stiffly on the sofa in Yun and Ami’s living room.

My injured arm was neatly wrapped in bandages.

My cabin was shattered beyond repair.

The cabin... that one week had been fun...

“No, what’s going through your head? Can’t believe how our wounds heal right away? Or do you keep forgetting yours don’t?”

“It’s fine.”

Ami turned attention back to me, since she couldn’t calm Ricardo down.

She placed her small hand on my shoulder, as though I were a condemned criminal sitting there rigidly.

“He’s just worried for you.”

“Indulge a rookie too much and he’ll get spoiled. Next thing you know, he’s throwing himself into danger whenever other Badgers are at risk, without thinking~.”

“He won’t do it again. Right, Hilde?”

I nodded hard and added:

“I’ll stay sharp.”

Ricardo’s eyes narrowed. When he was in a bad mood, he was downright frightening. I forced myself not to flinch from his icy gaze.

After staring into me with that deadly look, he spoke:

“Don’t ever do that again.”

“Yes, sir.”

“A chick who hasn’t even fought in a reclamation war trying to shield someone... the only ones you protect are civilians.”

“Yes. I’ll remember.”

“You’re lucky it hit your arm. If that knife had gone in deeper, you’d have suffered for a long time. Me? I’d be fine no matter where it landed....”

“My thinking was shallow.”

“And why the hell did you yank it out to use?”

At the time, I had acted on pure instinct—even I couldn’t explain myself.

But saying that would only make it worse.

So I answered politely:

“I’m sorry.”

A sigh fell.

Sensing the mood, I kept my head low. Ami patted my shoulder softly. I pressed my lips tight and sat still.

The cool air after the rain had settled into the living room.

Footsteps broke the silence.

“Sunbae, why don’t you say something too~?”

Ricardo’s eyes flicked toward Yun, who appeared suddenly in the living room.

My superior, who had gone off carrying a pair of butterfly wings to the basement, turned his head.

Ricardo muttered as he watched him:

“Some superior you are...”

Yun looked at us calmly.

Then he came toward the sofa. I raised my head and watched him approach. It seemed while Ami treated me and Ricardo scolded me, Yun had been handling cleanup—the cabin wreckage, the Lamborghini, all of it.

“The wound?”

“It’s not too bad, but Samuel should check it.”

Ami answered his dry question.

Yun nodded slightly, then fixed his piercing gaze on me.

Eyes impossible to read.

Without inflection, he declared:

“Stay here tonight.”

“I’m fine.”

The words I had been dreading slipped out, and I nearly leapt up in shock.

Ricardo pressed my shoulder back down. Even with the lightest push, his grip was heavy. I sank back onto the sofa.

Yun’s voice was as flat as always:

“Yehyeon’s not coming home anyway. Tomorrow I’ll put you in the Badger dorms. Tonight, stay in the guest room.”

“But...”

“Right! I’ll make you shrimp-ball-cheese-tteokbokki! Hilde, do you know shrimp-ball-cheese-tteokbokki?”

Shrimp-ball-cheese-tteokbokki?

I just stared blankly at Ami’s round eyes.

“...No, first time hearing it. Maybe because most of my memory’s gone....”

“Don’t be fooled. That dish doesn’t exist.”

Yun cut in firmly.

Ricardo gave a short snort. At what, I couldn’t tell.

We sat gathered at the sofa in the wide living room. Yun came closer, then tossed a black bag onto the seat beside me. I glanced at it—something solid weighed it down.

Ami and Ricardo also turned their eyes toward the bag.

Only Yun’s gaze never left me.

“You.”

Me?

I turned my head—his mouth curved faintly.

Damn. Was this the first time I’d seen a positive expression on his face?

I stared up stupidly at my superior’s smile.

“...Yes?”

“Doesn’t seem like you were just a normal civilian.”

He gestured at the black bag with his chin.

I fumbled it with my good hand. The PVC bag’s contents were easy to recognize by touch. Familiar. Anyone would.

A kitchen knife.

“You wield weapons far too naturally.”

He spoke and chuckled low.

“Like it’s second nature.”

“Me?”

When I asked, he nodded.

My face must’ve gone even dumber.

What—so I actually was a Badger before? Then having an enhanced body would make sense. My poor recovery rate didn’t, but still... Maybe I’d been some super-strong Badger who lost his memory in an accident and ended up thrown into the future.

Like some fantasy novel setup...?

No. Wait.

“Would such a man really get smacked 34 times by a mushroom?”

“Because usually you’re pathetic trash.”

...Harsh.

“Anyway, let’s watch a bit longer. You’re a research subject in more ways than one. Got questions? If not, go wash up.”

“I do.”

The answer burst out before I could think.

Everyone’s eyes shifted to me. I met Yun’s raised brows.

It was something I’d wondered from the moment Ami treated my arm, through Ricardo’s scolding. Hard to ask, but... I couldn’t let it go.

I braced myself and spoke:

“Don’t you think the creatures are only targeting me?”

Silence fell.

So it wasn’t my imagination. This wasn’t the silence of “what nonsense is he spouting?” but the silence that comes when someone blurts out a truth others wanted hidden.

I bit my lip.

The one who broke the heavy silence was Yun.

“A bit, yeah.”

Great.

“There’s a pattern. Not all, looking at the mushroom and shark—but overall, the stronger ones, or the ones that seem to come from outside... they gravitate to you. What are you doing?”

“Making a call.”

I pulled up ‘Yehyeon_PrivateNumber’ in my contacts and tapped it.

I put the phone to my ear. The plain dial tone rang.

Ami tilted her head. “Who’re you calling?”

Before I could answer, the ringing cut off.

A husky voice came through.

[Hilde?]

“Commander.”

At my heavy address, shock flashed across everyone’s faces.

But I ignored them. There was something I needed to say to the Supreme Commander, even if Ricardo and Yun beat me afterward for dialing him directly.

He’d told me himself: if I had something to say, don’t hesitate.

So I said it, earnest:

“I have something to tell you.”

[Yeah. What is it?]

“Were you aware creatures are clustering around me?”

A pause.

[...That tendency’s been noticed. You called to tell me that?]

“Please terminate my enhanced body.”

Ami’s jaw dropped.

Ricardo shut his eyes tight and pinched his brow. Yun narrowed his eyes, boring into me.

Silence. Even on the line.

I pressed on, ignoring their reactions:

“My recovery’s low.”

[...And?]

“So I’ll be a burden to other Badgers anyway. And now I’m drawing creatures too. I’m a walking bomb.”

Not to mention, I was basically a parachuted fraud hire.

Every oddity about me screamed that one day, someone would get hurt because of me. It was a grim but certain premonition.

I could already imagine it: someone getting injured trying to protect me, or a crisis sparked because creatures swarmed toward me.

“Commander. I’m just a stray rock. Before something happens, destroy my enhanced body.”

The living room went dead still.

No word from Yehyeon either. I sat with my throbbing arm, waiting in heavy silence.

Even the seniors seemed to be holding for his judgment.

Finally, the cold voice of the highest authority among Black Badgers:

[No.]

“...No?”

[You’re under my command now. Your disposal is my decision.]

His voice hardened.

[Hilde. I understand your reasoning, and it’s sound. But my decision won’t change. You’re my soldier, so you’ll obey. From now on, focus on training. Nothing else.]

“...Yes, Commander. I overstepped. I’m sorry.”

[You’ll do fine.]

Yehyeon’s voice softened at once.

The authority and chill melted like snow.

[Right now I know more than you. Trust me and follow.]

“Yes, sir.”

[Good. Who’re you with? Alone?]

“Ah, no. With Yun, Ricardo, and Ami.”

[You called me on this number while sitting next to Yun?]

Suddenly, Yehyeon burst out laughing.

Why was that funny? At a loss, I froze, until he calmed and spoke gently:

[Put me on speaker.]

I hurried to press the button and turned the screen toward the seniors. Ricardo smirked at the display, Ami lit up shouting “Yehyeon oppa!”

Yun shoved one hand in his pocket and looked at the phone.

“This brat’s hilarious.”

“I’m sorry. I just felt I had to say it....”

“Amazing... you actually thought to use the Commander’s private number. Bold rookie~.”

[He was scared of burdening others. It’s fine. Anyway—what happened? The cabin?]

“Smashed to bits!”

Ami answered easily.

Since it was the private line, they spoke casually.

“Not a trace left. Hilde’s cabin.”

[So it’s gone. Hilde, stay at my house tonight.]

Ah... so it came to this.

But there was no way I could refuse.

I shut my eyes and answered:

“Yes, Commander. Thank you.”

[I won’t be there, don’t worry. And Yun, you heard, right? He’s wrestling with thoughts like this. Make sure he doesn’t get ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ any more stupid ideas. Train him properly. If you don’t want to, hand him to another Badger.]

“I’m not handing him off. He’s a subject worth observing up close.”

For once, there was a note of amusement in Yun’s voice.

My eyes snapped open. I looked up at him in shock, just as Ami and Ricardo turned their heads too.

We stared at the tall man, usually unreadable.

He was smiling faintly at the phone.

“Even if someone told me to hand him off, I wouldn’t. Don’t worry about that.”

[...Huh. That wasn’t what I meant.]

Yehyeon muttered after a pause.

Then, after a thoughtful hum, he addressed Ricardo:

[Keep an eye on Yun, would you? So he doesn’t dissect the rookie.]

“Mmm~. If it came to a fight, I’d lose to Yun... but I’ll try.”

Ricardo’s lazy reply. Ami chimed in brightly: “I’ll watch too!”

I stared at them in shock, Yun’s earlier words echoing in my head.

Open it when you have time. Open it, open it, open it....

Open what?

And why did the word “dissect” come up?

Dissect... me?

I sat frozen in shock.

Until Yehyeon finished praising their creature subjugation, said he had to go, and hung up. Until Ami ran to the kitchen promising her weird tteokbokki. Until Ricardo muttered lazily about training harder to stop me. Until Yun coolly replied, “Try.”

I stayed on the sofa, forgetting how to move.