The shrimp-ball-cheese-tteokbokki was delicious.

In the end, I spent the night at Yun’s house. The Commander never came home. Ami showed me to the guest room by the front door, then brought me a green bowl with white speckles filled with tteokbokki.

Wearing the T-shirt and jogger pants Yun tossed me — “Just keep them.” — I ate tteokbokki while mourning my demolished cabin.

Ricardo didn’t touch the tteokbokki. He left without eating. I apologized again before he went, but he just waved a hand without looking back.

His point was clear: he wanted to get as far away from his superior’s house as possible.

“I’ll buy you replacements for what flew away.”

Ami, the salt and light of my life, said that while eating.

“We’ve got money, so don’t worry. Look, Oppa’s already picking his next car like he’s ordering takeout.”

“They say it’ll take a month to ship in.”

Yun frowned slightly, muttering:

“I’ll have to grab another brand for now.”

Shameless as it was, I decided to accept their help.

The night was heavy. The truth my seniors confirmed weighed on me. I tried desperately to recall the past.

It was a grueling effort. The harder I tried, the blurrier it became.

I kept chasing fragments. When the butterfly closed in, whose voice had spoken from my memory? It was not the same as the one who spoke on the rooftop. Yet it wasn’t unfamiliar.

Would the day come when I remembered everything?

I wrestled with questions that had no answers until morning came.

***

I arrived at the Badger dorms around 3 p.m.

In the morning, Ami and I went shopping. Truly, she is the world’s salt and light. We bought essentials at an outlet, then had lunch: rice bowl topped with fried eel.

After cleaning my plate, we had coffee, then drove to the dorms in her car.

She said I’d be living with other Badgers. On the same floor as rookies like me who hadn’t seen action yet.

Her blue car entered District 1. It stopped on a quiet street, a little apart from HQ.

A plain ivory building came into view.

“The old dorm.”

Ami shut her car door brightly.

“Nine floors total. Hilde, your room’s on the third!”

“Thank you for bringing me.”

“Nope. Let’s go up together.”

All my belongings fit in two duffel bags. I took one from her hand and carried it inside.

We got off on the third floor.

A quiet hallway stretched out. Ivory walls, stained yellow-brown in places from age.

“Here.”

Ami skipped ahead and stopped at Room 304.

“Has everything but a bathtub.”

She threw the door open.

I followed her and looked inside.

Fresh air drifted in through the open window.

It wasn’t as cramped as I feared. A bathroom by the entrance, a plain bed under the window. Shoes off, I stepped in and saw a sink and small fridge. A dresser stood beside it.

Just like Ami said, everything was there.

“Right, the washing machines and dryers are in the laundry room by the elevator.”

“Nice.”

I set the duffel down and scanned the room.

“Much better than I expected. Thank you, again.”

“It’s nothing. Let’s unpack.”

Ami plopped down by a duffel and yanked the zipper open.

She began pulling things out. I sat down too and unzipped the other bag. Tissues, dishes, pajamas, toiletries. One by one, we spread them across the floor.

We were halfway through when someone stirred by the open door.

“Uh...”

We both ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) turned.

A red-haired man stood there. Pale skin, faint freckles, soft blue eyes framed by long lashes. His expression was cautious.

He wore gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt.

Ami’s eyes widened happily.

“Tom! Hi!”

“Ami sunbaenim.”

His tense face softened. He smiled down at her like at a little sister.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yeah. How’ve you been?”

She stood up.

“Perfect timing, I was gonna introduce you later. Tom, this is Hilde. Hildebert Taleb. Hilde, this is Tom Husson. Same intake as you. Tom, you heard about Hilde from Angela, right?”

“Yes. I heard he was coming today....”

Tom glanced at me.

I quickly stood and bowed my head slightly.

“Hello, sunbaenim.”

“Oh, no, don’t call me that.”

His voice flustered.

“I heard you got your enhanced body before us. And finished adaptation training? Technically, that makes us juniors. But Badger ranks are by field deployment, so officially we’re classmates.”

But I only just got here...

“Right.”

Ami cut off my inner mumbling.

She planted herself between us and clarified.

“You two are classmates. So drop the formal talk and be comfortable. The closer you are to your intake mates, the better. And Tom — Hesh lives here too, right?”

“Yes, but he went into the city to see family.”

“Got it. When he’s back, introduce him to Hilde, okay?”

Tom smiled and nodded.

When our eyes met again, he looked away.

Shy type. His curly red hair swayed as he stared at the floor. I cleared my throat, unsure whether to speak casually or politely.

We stood awkwardly, Ami between us.

She looked back and forth, then fixed her eyes on me.

“Hilde.”

“Yes.”

“Say, ‘Nice to meet you, Tom.’”

Like that?

I forced a faint smile and mumbled:

“Nice to meet you, Tom.”

“Uh—yeah. Same here.”

“Handshake!”

Ami grabbed our hands, pulling them together.

“Shake hands!”

“Handshake.”

“...Glad to meet you.”

I smiled faintly and said, “Handshake,” and Tom grasped back. Like elementary schoolers, we shook under Ami’s direction.

We sat among the scattered belongings and chatted. About the outlet trip, local restaurants near HQ, cafés, shops by the dorms.

Only after the conversation loosened did Ami leave us.

***

Tom, still shy, gave me a tour.

“Here’s the vending machines and ATM. It’s open 24/7, but fees are high.”

“Ah.”

“Third floor’s just us, so laundry’s free whenever.”

I nodded.

At the vending machines, he glanced at me. His blue eyes met my yellow.

“That’s most of it.”

I smiled faintly. “Thanks.”

“What room are you?”

“304.”

“Mine’s 307.”

“Close. And... the other classmate, Hesh, also lives here?”

“Yeah. 301. Should be back soon....”

He checked the clock above the vending machine.

Past 6 p.m.

“We planned pizza together.”

“Me?”

I echoed in surprise.

I’d never even met this Hesh.

Tom added:

“We all knew you’d arrive today. Our mentors told us.”

“Ah. Right.”

“Hesh loves people. Said we should bond over pizza. He’s due back around six, but if not, I’ll call him.”

“Sure.”

I watched him take out his phone.

“Maybe wait until twenty past.”

He nodded.

Awkward silence fell.

What to say? Yun’s silences hadn’t felt awkward, but this one suffocated.

I pulled out my phone.

Huh? A message?

Who? Not Ami—we’d just split. Certainly not the Commander. Yun wouldn’t on a weekend...

I tensed and opened it.

From an unknown number.

[Congrats on coming back! Today’s my birthday :D]

What?

I froze, staring at the screen.

A weird feeling crept over me. I couldn’t pin down why.

Who sent this? Spam? A wrong number?

Most likely the latter.

I typed back:

[You sent this to the wrong person.]

[Not even a birthday wish?]

What kind of person is this?

Exasperated, I tapped out:

[Happy birthday, whoever you are.]

[Let’s meet the day after Christmas.]

Nonsense.

[I’ll throw a huge birthday party then!]

But... you said today’s your birthday. Christmas is far off. A lunatic?

Feeling stupid for replying at all, I closed the message.

“Hey, Hesh!”

“Tom.”

I looked up. A man with short brown hair and a soldier’s bearing strode up.

“Sorry I’m late. So you’re the famous Hildebert?”

“That’s me.”

“Good to meet you. Hildebert Taleb.”

“Talk casually. I’m Hesh Lyle.”

He thrust out a firm hand.

“Not many classmates — let’s get along.”

Solid guy.

I shook his calloused hand, nodding. As we exchanged greetings, the odd message slipped from my mind. When they suggested pizza in my room, I agreed.

***

“So why did you apply to be a Badger?”

Hesh asked suddenly as we ate.

I looked up, mid-bite, cheese stretching from the slice.

“What?”

The truth was, I hadn’t applied at all. I’d had no choice. And right now, my head was full of doubts about my very identity.

The Commander said I’d manage, but with so many flaws hanging on me, could I really?

Of course, I couldn’t just blurt all that out.

“Well...”

I stalled, mind racing.

“I always lived an unstable life. Then I happened across the recruitment notice....”

But wait—how does Black Badger usually recruit people?