BLB Chapter 16

Truthfully, I was told I don’t need to say much.

Joo said he would mostly handle the explanations. He mentioned that after briefly hearing from me, he would take the mic again and wrap up the event. It wouldn’t be long, and they definitely wouldn’t make me sing or anything like that. Yoon would also be standing next to me….

My heart sank a little.

Though it didn’t completely unravel the knots in my stomach.

“Shall we go in?”

Joo looked at me with a bright smile.

Since I had (unofficially) become an official Black Badger, he was now my superior. Ever since that day, Joo had been addressing me casually.

“It’s not quite time yet, but you’ll be able to see our kids entering the auditorium. Let’s go wait there.”

“…Do we have to?”

“Of course! Come on, let’s go.”

Joo gave me a gentle push on the back.

With a heavy heart, I stepped onto the dimly lit stage, facing the vast audience seating.

The auditorium was filled with a buzz of chatter. Sounds of chairs being pulled out, people plopping down, and footsteps intermingled.

Joo spoke from behind me in a bright voice.

“Anyone you know?”

I stood under the shadow of the curtain at the edge of the stage, scanning the audience.

People of all sorts walked into the seating area. Their races, hair colors, eye colors, heights—everything was incredibly diverse. The senior Black Badgers took their seats, throwing glances at me on stage.

I made a valiant effort to ignore their piercing stares.

As I swept my gaze across the audience, I searched for familiar faces.

There were only a few, but…

“Ricardo.”

“Ah, come to think of it, Ricardo was your supervisor.”

I nodded, my eyes fixed on Ricardo as he entered the auditorium.

As always, he wore spectacles that suited him astonishingly well. A neat black coat and suit. The habitual smile etched on his lips.

He was walking in, engaged in conversation with a man in a purple coat. The purple-coated man was as tall and handsome as Ricardo, but I didn’t recognize him.

However, the next person to enter was a familiar face.

Lowe, with his curly hair, was coming in with a group of people in tow. Lowe was at the center of the group. I couldn’t make out their conversation, but they were giggling loudly and making a ruckus as they approached the stage.

As I blankly watched him draw near, our eyes met.

The senior who had asked me if I had anything to eat the first time we met raised one hand high.

“Hey! Newbie!”

Everyone’s attention swiftly shifted to us.

“Long time no see! How’ve you been?”

“Oh, yes. Thanks to you all…”

“Your place is right across from Ye-hyeon’s, right?”

Lowe snickered, looking at me standing on the stage.

The eyes of the surrounding Badgers widened. Muscular men who looked like they hadn’t shaved in days stared at me, eyes as round as buttons.

I wasn’t sure exactly what surprised them, but they all seemed taken aback.

Before I could give an awkward response, Lowe interjected.

“Poor bastard! How’d your life get so screwed up?”

It’s not that miserable. I’m quite content with my little shack, senior.

“Anyway, do a good job with your intro!”

Lowe didn’t wait for my reply. He finished speaking as he pleased, waved his hand dismissively, and turned away.

The Badgers surrounding him reluctantly tore their gazes from me.

People took their seats one by one next to Lowe.

They were all unfamiliar faces. I wanted to learn their names too, but there were quite a few of them, so I couldn’t ask Joo to introduce each one.

I’m sure there will be a chance to get acquainted later…

A weary voice rang out from right below the stage.

“Newbie.”

Startled by the gravelly voice, I flinched.

“Today’s your self-intro, right?”

It was Lee Ho-chang.

The senior I had briefly spoken to when catching mushrooms.

He looked as tired as ever. The dark circles under his eyes remained in their place. Today, he wore a navy windbreaker instead of the gray anorak.

He always emanates this aura of an exhausted office worker. But strangely, he felt like someone I could be comfortable with. And that’s after only seeing him for a day.

I greeted him with a bright smile.

“Yes. Long time no see, senior.”

“Just call me Ho. None of that ‘senior’ stuff.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

“Do well.”

Ho drawled.

“It’s no big deal, so don’t be nervous.”

Having said his piece, he trudged towards the audience seating.

People threw casual greetings at him. Ho tiredly acknowledged them and plopped down at the very end of a row. Even the way he sat looked fatigued.

I feel like brewing him some herbal tonic.

“You got acquainted with Ho?”

The head of HR poked his head out.

I nodded, meeting his eyes.

“Yes. I briefly saw him when catching mushrooms. Ricardo introduced us.”

“That’s good. He’s a nice kid. Joined through open recruitment about 10 years ago and has been consistently doing well. He always seems tired, but that’s because his energy level is a bit lower than others.”

I can see that. It was the same last time.

I shifted my gaze from Ho, who had his eyes closed, and surveyed the auditorium.

The spacious seating was almost full. I could hear people whispering and murmuring as they glanced at me.

It’s so unnerving, I can barely keep my wits about me. Good thing I skipped lunch before coming.

I tried not to listen to their whispers amongst themselves, but it was harder than I thought. Various snippets of conversation reached my ears.

Mutters of “Didn’t we forgo new recruits this time?” countered by “This is a special case, the Commander-in-Chief personally gathered us.”

Whispers of “He’s handsome” and “Is that white hair dyed?”

The Badgers kept scrutinizing me, pretending not to. Many brazenly stared at me without any discretion.

“Hilde!”

At the bright voice, I turned my head and immediately lit up.

“Amy!”

She waved enthusiastically as she made her way to the front row.

I’m so glad to see her.

I beamed at the smiling senior.

“You came!”

“Of course!”

Amy walked up to the edge of the stage and grinned.

“It’s really no big deal, so don’t be tense!”

The senior who offered encouragement then looked around for a seat.

As Amy turned her head this way and that, people kept greeting her.

Amy responded to their greetings while languidly searching for an empty spot. Declaring she wanted to sit in the very front, she plopped down in the first row.

Even after taking her seat, people continuously greeted Amy.

She’s quite popular.

As expected.

As I was thinking that, Joo spoke.

“We start in 5 minutes.”

My stomach twisted even more.

“You know Shoo too, right?”

Shoo?

I turned my head quizzically, and Joo chuckled, jerking his chin. Following his gaze, I saw a familiar face. A woman with short blond hair dyed pink at the tips.

She had been there when I first opened my eyes but I never got a chance to exchange a single word with her.

She was entering the auditorium with something like a skateboard tucked under her arm.

When I nodded, Joo readily explained.

“Shoo Diamond. She’s pretty much your direct senior.”

Oh… I’ve heard that the senior right above you is the scariest.

“You two should get acquainted later. Ah, there’s Ye-hyeon.”

So he ended up attending after all.

Why would such a busy person take the trouble to come all the way here for someone like me?

Ye-hyeon was entering the auditorium with Ska.

Seeing Ska’s neat braided hair reminded me of how he had run out barefoot to save me, enveloped in dazzling backlight.

People’s gazes instantly converged on them, then dispersed. The Badgers, who had been chattering noisily, abruptly shut their mouths.

Ye-hyeon took a seat in the very last row with Ska and another man.

I noticed the blonde woman sitting right in front of Ye-hyeon stiffen with tension. She must be regretting her choice of seat.

Meanwhile, Ricardo, who was sitting cross-legged in the front row, turned around and looked at the top brass. He seemed to throw some cheeky remark at them, to which Ye-hyeon responded gently. Ska appeared to gruffly chime in.

The person sitting next to Ricardo briefly turned his head and simply bowed to the executives.

Ye-hyeon smiled faintly and nodded.

“He said he came a day early, right?”

I heard Joo ask Yoon.

“Cutting his business trip short by a day. Did you ask him to, Yoon?”

Yoon, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, narrowed his eyes.

He stared at the head of HR with a dry gaze. Yoon was the person I had spent the most time with here, relatively speaking, yet I still found it difficult to discern what he was thinking.

A window rattling in the wind and rain.

Yoon retorted in a barren voice.

“Do you think he would listen even if I asked?”

“True. Yoon, you always lose to Ye-hyeon anyway.”

“From the start, he never yields when it comes to official matters. Except for exceptional cases like you.”

“Me?”

Joo questioned in an innocent voice.

“Why me?”

His eyes were pure.

However, I had a strong feeling that despite understanding what Yoon meant, he was deliberately feigning ignorance. It felt like I was witnessing the epitome of faux naivete.

Yoon must have thought the same, as he stared at the head of HR with an incredulous look.

“It’s time.”

He uncrossed his arms and stepped forward.

“Let’s begin.”

“I suppose we should.”

Joo flashed a grin, then turned to me.

My heart, which had started to calm down, began racing again. Joo looked at me, smiled affably, and patted my shoulder. As if telling me not to worry. Then he turned and walked to the center of the stage.

There stood a microphone.

A podium, and a microphone placed on top of it.

“Ah.”

Joo’s voice resonated through the auditorium.

People straightened their postures and directed their attention to him.

“Ah, ah. Can you hear me well? Thank you for coming all this way despite the dreary weather.”

The head of HR smiled as brightly as if flower petals would scatter.

Silence fell over the auditorium. Only the sound of rain coming through the small windows and the rustling of people adjusting their seats filled the space.

At some point, the lights in the audience seating had been turned off. A spotlight illuminated the stage.

Shining on the three people standing there. The head of HR, Yoon. And me.

A stillness in anticipation of the start.

The stillness, filled with anticipation, was broken by Joo’s clear voice.

“Then let’s begin the introduction of our new recruit. Hildebert Talev. Come stand next to the podium.”

I exhaled deeply and walked to the front of the stage.

“For now, let’s just do a brief introduction and greeting, shall we?”

Joo handed me the microphone.

Everyone’s eyes were on me.

I tried to maintain my composure. According to what the head of HR told me before entering the auditorium, other new recruits also give self-introductions. Although this was the first time people had gathered by Ye-hyeon’s order for someone like me…

I turned my gaze to the stage.

And politely greeted them.

“Good day, everyone. I am Hildebert Talev.”