Evil Organization’s Extra Mr. A

[ Chapter 26 ]

Words can have a significant impact on people. Even if someone hears ninety-nine insults, a single sincere compliment can make them feel good, and conversely, even if someone hears ninety-nine compliments, a single unreasonable insult can hurt them.

Jealousy, envy, and hate can lead to baseless insults that leave deep, indelible wounds in a person’s heart. Sometimes, words spoken without much thought can become a great source of pain for someone.

Yura, who had been crying bitterly for a long time, remained silent even after she stopped crying. Since it wasn’t an appropriate time for conversation, I sat beside her and waited silently.

The trust that Yura had built up was shattered, and starting to rebuild that trust with me again must have been terrifying for her. Perhaps she doesn’t attach much significance to the trust between us. But when everything is lost, she didn’t know how to fill the emptiness in her heart.

So, she grabbed my arm, though with a weak, uncertain grip.

I might detest the hyper-human just as much as she does. She probably thinks this way:

At the moment, saying anything could shatter the fragile reality she’s created. If the new friendship she’s formed with me turns out to be her dream and a delusion, all she would be left with is betrayal from those she trusted at the cafe and a wounded heart.

Even while Yura was crying, I kept holding her hand, which was trembling. She bit her lower lip hard, raised her head from looking at the floor, and looked at me with a smile.

“I’m sorry. I grabbed you suddenly.”

Her usual smiling face seemed only more sorrowful. I can’t fully understand what she’s thinking. What is Yura thinking now?

“Now it’s okay. I’m going to catch the last train.”

“Are you really okay?”

Yura’s eyes trembled at my soft-spoken words, and she couldn’t meet my eyes. It seems she isn’t sure if she’s truly okay, and she keeps thinking about it.

“No. I’m not okay.”

Seeing Yura force a smile while saying she’s not okay made me relieved. There was no need for her to put on a strong front. It’s better to say when something hurts or when one is struggling. Because, judging by her appearance, she looked both hurt and struggling.

Compared to when she was crying uncontrollably, she had calmed down significantly. With a stern expression, she turned her head toward the window where rain was still falling, and her hollow expression reflected in the window.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Maybe it’s easier for her to blame herself. Other people aren’t at fault. She thinks that all her actions have caused harm to others and that everyone has been pretending not to notice, which is better than being ignored and denied because she’s a hyper-human.

“You haven’t done anything wrong.”

But I didn’t want her to think that way. In the month I’ve observed her closely, I haven’t seen any wrongdoing on her part. On the contrary, she deserves praise for doing well, teaching newcomers, and creating a positive atmosphere.

As someone who was there with her, I didn’t want her to doubt her own actions. Although it might be my selfishness, I couldn’t let her deny her actions.

“Who did you wrong? I don’t know. And I don’t know what you did wrong. You deserve even more praise for doing well.”

She smiled at me, turning her head away from the window, and a tear rolled down her cheek. I took a tissue from the table and wiped away her tears.

“Really. Who taught you your job, who helped you when you made mistakes, who drove away troublemakers?”

Thinking back on the time we spent together, I couldn’t find any fault in her actions.

“It’s those women who talk behind others’ backs who are wrong. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Mm…”

She sniffled and used the tissue to wipe her tears. I felt my grip on her hand tighten unconsciously.

“I’m sorry. I keep crying.”

“It’s okay. Cry as much as you need to.”

Seeing Yura cry over the women who criticized her didn’t sit well with me. They didn’t deserve to make her so sad that she would cry. But this is my perspective, and Yura’s feelings may differ.

She believed that her colleagues at work accepted her, but in reality, they didn’t. Hearing those she trusted speaking ill of her behind her back, who could understand her sadness?

“I’m sorry…”

Suddenly, I felt choked up and held her hand, which was wiping away tears.

“Don’t apologize. Have I ever done something wrong to you?”

With wet eyes, she looked at me and her voice trembled.

“I’m afraid… I might make another mistake, and if I don’t apologize, you might dislike me…”

Her voice trembled, and tears flowed from her eyes. Yura is scared that even I might disappear. She thinks that everything she’s doing is wrong and that I might reject her because of it.

The joyful look Yura had while drinking with me today was slightly different from her usual lively demeanor. Usually, she made the atmosphere lively, but today, she seemed to enjoy the lively atmosphere herself.

It was a pleasant sight. Seeing someone happy and positive gives energy, and their bright image stays in my mind. The happier Yura looked today stayed imprinted in my mind, and I thought it would be nice to see that again.

But the sight of someone who was once bright and active crumbling was too fragile. One cannot always demand that she be strong and energetic. Everyone has moments of weakness.

In those moments of weakness, who can Yura rely on?

“I don’t feel bothered or dislike it. So, don’t apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

When I first met her, I felt she was just strong. When I started getting closer to her for surveillance, I noticed she had no weaknesses. But she was more vulnerable than anyone else. Yubin and Yura were in the same situation.

There is a sense of anger towards the Earth Defense Union. What have they been doing while these people were struggling?

With a firm voice, I spoke to Yura, and she burst into tears, as if her sadness had exploded.

“I’ve given up so much! I worked hard and tried to earn recognition, but now I don’t know anymore… How much more should I do to be liked? What should I do? I don’t know anything…”

Yura slowly shared her past with me, starting from the changes when she became a hyper-human, talking about her parents, friends, and her journey from joining the cafe until today.

For the first time in her life, she found a place that accepted her. From being rejected as a hyper-human, she finally got the chance to try and be recognized as a person. She worked hard, more than anyone else.

And she believed. Even with such a low salary that she couldn’t even sustain her living, she believed that fighting to protect the Earth and being recognized as a human, Yura, instead of a hyper-human, Pink, would eventually be acknowledged by people.

But reality didn’t accept her.

“It’s okay. You’re doing well.”

Working with Yura and fighting against the hyper-human Pink, I could feel how hard she worked. I acknowledge her. She is stronger and more passionate than anyone else.

Not acknowledging her relentless efforts, which made her weep endlessly, would mean the world is wrong.

It’s not a big deal for me to acknowledge her efforts with a simple word. That’s all it takes. But Yura, who experienced being acknowledged for her efforts for the first time in her life, was different.

She held my hand and cried again, this time not because of rejection from someone she trusted, but because she was recognized for her efforts.

I don’t know if this feeling is joy or a sense of disbelief that such a simple thing could be heard. All I know is that my words reached her.

I waited until she calmed down again. After crying for a long time, she seemed exhausted and drained, so I helped her brush her hair aside.

“Go and wash up. How long are you going to stay like this, soaking wet?”

She nodded silently and remained motionless, sitting on the sofa.

“I’ll stay with you tonight.”

“…What?!”

Yura, who was listlessly sitting there, looked up in surprise when she heard my words. She looked at me with wide eyes, and I slapped her forehead lightly to dispel her strange misunderstanding.

“Don’t get any wrong ideas.”

“So, staying together means…?”

“Do you think you won’t be anxious if I go home?”

Realizing she couldn’t say it, she closed her mouth firmly.

“See? If you’re really anxious, I’ll stay until tomorrow evening. Stop imagining things and go wash up.”

“Okay.”

Feeling embarrassed about the misunderstanding, she blushed and stood up from the sofa.

She went to the bedroom to gather clothes to change into, glanced at me sitting in the living room, and then went to the bathroom. I turned my gaze to the rainy window outside.

“The last train has already left.”

Though it’s within taxi distance, I still felt too uneasy leaving her like this. Although I was performing surveillance, it felt like I was only uncovering her mental vulnerabilities, not physical ones.

As my mind grew cooler, I began to piece together the information Yura had shared.

I knew the Earth Defense Union’s internal atmosphere was poor, but initially, I thought it was just a matter of differing personal opinions.

However, the Earth Defense Union provided such meager wages that it was barely enough for basic living. This led to a gradual deterioration of the internal atmosphere.

There might be people in the Earth Defense Union who are genuinely fighting to protect the Earth. But without proper compensation, their efforts have limits.

The peaceful invasion method of Spacystro didn’t oppress them, and as the invasion prolonged, fewer people were worried.

In this situation, unjust demands continued, causing chaos within the organization.

“There’s a need to investigate the hyper-humans.”

Until now, I had only investigated their abilities and skills as enemies. Through Yura, I realized that people’s perception of hyper-humans hasn’t changed much since they first appeared twenty years ago.

There must be a clear reason for this. People’s anger and hatred surface when specific individuals cause negative issues socially.

This might be a good opportunity to investigate the issues surrounding hyper-humans. Unintentionally, I have gathered material worth reporting.

While I was busy organizing my thoughts, time passed, and I didn’t notice the sound of the bathroom door opening. Yura came out after changing into her pajamas, her hair wrapped in a towel.

“You look pretty.”

“What?”

Startled by my casual comment, I was surprised myself. I guess I was so distracted that I couldn’t remember how I usually reacted.

“Why are you surprised? Don’t you ask me if I look pretty every day?”

“Oh! Right. I do look pretty.”

She blushed and nodded, then peeked out from the bedroom into the living room.

“You should take a shower.”

“But I don’t have any clean clothes to change into.”

Since she’d have to put on wet clothes anyway, it’s better not to bother.

“I’ll look for some big clothes.”

“Would your clothes fit me?”

“Still, you should take a shower! You can’t sleep wearing those.”

Taken aback by my sudden command, I nodded involuntarily. Yura went into the bedroom to find clothes.

As she said, it wouldn’t be possible to sleep in wet clothes, so I decided to take a shower first. I’ll worry about finding suitable clothes later.