Chapter 422: Retirement Ceremony (2)

The senior with the bob haircut stared straight at me as I stepped out of the elevator.

“Hi.”

That was all she said.

She didn’t offer any explanation to Ami or me as we repeatedly opened and closed our mouths, unsure what to say.

“They’re over there.”

She jerked her chin toward the inner corridor.

It didn’t look like she had any intention of moving from in front of the elevator herself.

I didn’t add anything.

She must have come here having made some kind of decision. Whether she’d come to imprint the Commander-in-Chief’s last moments into her eyes, or because she had something she wanted to say—whatever it was, there was something she intended to do.

Whatever that might be, I no longer worried that she might point a gun at Yehyeon.

I also knew there was no need to ask if she was okay.

I simply smiled, nodded, and turned toward the inner corridor.

An open office door and a corridor lit by bright lights.

The scent of fresh flowers drifted thickly through the air.

The spacious area was packed with people.

People I’d spoken with before, people I only recognized by face, people I’d never seen. Some wore Black Badger special-duty uniforms, others office attire. Some wore lab coats, others work clothes.

All kinds of people gathered freely, all looking toward one place.

Some were crying, some were smiling, and many held gifts meant to be handed over.

For the one smiling at the center of the crowd.

“Mitchell.”

Yehyeon was smiling more lightly than I’d ever seen him.

“Stop crying.”

The Commander-in-Chief, arms full of bouquets, looked down at his sniffling secretary.

The secretary—who looked like you could poke her and not even get a tear—was bawling openly. With the hand not holding her glasses, she rubbed at her eyes. They were red and swollen.

She really didn’t seem like someone who would ever cry at work.

Seeing her like that felt strangely unsettling.

I wasn’t the only one. A few people nearby sniffled as well.

Yehyeon smiled.

“I’m not scrapping my enhanced body or anything. I’ll rest for a bit, then come back as an advisor once things settle down. After that I’ll just haunt headquarters and train rookie Badgers, so you’ll be sick of seeing my face.”

Mitchell didn’t answer, just sniffled.

Yehyeon smiled awkwardly, the aides standing behind him.

“And if Ska calls, I’ll have to come into headquarters no matter what.”

“.......”

“That’s right. I’ll be calling often. Don’t relax—keep your phone volume on.”

“See? That’s what the Acting Commander-in-Chief says. I might even come into this office tomorrow.”

“.......”

“So stop crying.”

“.......”

“Thank you. Truly. You worked excellently. Thanks to you staying on, I can step away with some peace of mind. Take good care of the remaining subordinates.”

“...Yes.”

A tiny reply reached him.

The Commander-in-Chief smiled gently and straightened his back.

Looking down at his secretary as she steadied her breathing, he muttered,

“Your wedding’s coming up soon. The one thing that bothers me is that I won’t be congratulating you as Commander-in-Chief. More guests would come if I were still in office.”

“...That doesn’t matter.”

Mitchell mumbled.

“Thank you just for coming.”

Yehyeon chuckled softly.

Then he lightly patted her shoulder with his palm.

Mitchell quickly calmed down. After stopping her tears, she lifted her head and handed Yehyeon a box wrapped in elegant paper.

Yehyeon accepted it, murmuring thanks.

“I told you not to prepare things like this.”

“Give it back. I’ll take care of holding onto the gifts you receive.”

Now fully composed, the secretary took the box from Yehyeon’s hands.

“I’ll bring a paper bag.”

“Oh, I’ll help!”

Ami shot her hand into the air.

People made space for her.

The senior shuffled inward.

Meanwhile, those who had been waiting near Mitchell stepped toward Yehyeon.

So many people came.

I leaned against the wall and quietly took it all in.

There were surely many people raising a toast to Yehyeon’s retirement elsewhere. But to have this many people gather of their own will just to say goodbye to a superior—he truly was a respected leader.

I was glad the end of such long service was warm.

People kept handing Yehyeon bouquet after bouquet. As he became increasingly buried in flowers, he smiled brightly.

People reaching out for handshakes. Employees filming with slightly bloodshot eyes.

Secretariat staff standing along the wall, reporting on the ceremony preparations, and Yun standing silently near the aides.

Mitchell and Ami accepting gifts Yehyeon couldn’t take himself, placing them into paper bags....

“You came too.”

I whispered as I noticed a woman standing quietly nearby.

“Did you come to say goodbye?”

“From a distance.”

Maya said.

“He’s someone I respect.”

“He was a good superior.”

I murmured, feeling oddly proud. Maya nodded without looking at me.

I looked down at her eyes, deep in thought.

Eyes where the traces of time were etched gently.

The woman—who would now be called by a different name—spoke.

“There was so much to learn. I never thought I’d see him step down with my own eyes.”

“He’s served for a very long time. It makes sense.”

“He was an icon of Black Badger. I thought he’d stay in that seat until I retired.”

Maya touched her lips as she looked at Yehyeon.

Their superior smiled brightly as he accepted a commemorative plaque produced by the Science Division.

“Nothing lasts forever, I suppose.”

That’s right.

“It feels like I’m watching a chapter of history come to a close.”

I understood exactly how she felt.

I was happy about Yehyeon’s retirement too, but standing within the flow of time that was creating an irretrievable past left me with a strange feeling.

Meanwhile, the very person causing those mixed emotions looked utterly refreshed.

“Isn’t he a little too happy?”

As Yehyeon finished taking photos with the scientists and turned toward the general staff, Ska cut in with a smile.

Laughter burst out along the corridor.

Yehyeon laughed as well, eyes crinkling.

“Sorry.”

Sincerity colored his voice.

“You know I’ve felt sorry toward you ever since I put you in that seat.”

“I thought I knew that, but now that it’s come to this, I’m not so sure.”

When Ska added that he’d better be treated really well, people laughed again.

I watched Yehyeon squeeze Ska’s shoulder, smiling faintly myself.

Then, from deeper inside the office, a head of curly hair suddenly appeared.

“What is this.”

The owner of the curls was wearing a striped shirt, as always.

Giacomo Ro raised his eyebrows.

“Peanut, what are you doing here?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Giacomo Ro.

Ami narrowed her round eyes irritably.

“What is this.”

She snapped back at him.

“What are you doing here. You don’t even know why everyone’s gathered, do you.”

“I saw humans filing up here, so I just followed them.”

Ro said it in a very Ro-like way.

Then he tilted his head. I had no idea what ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ he’d been doing inside the executive offices, but in any case, he finally seemed to grasp the situation, rolling his eyes around.

“What is it?”

That was what he asked.

“What’s everyone doing?”

“They came to say goodbye to me.”

Yehyeon answered without a hint of surprise.

The man, arms full of bouquets, smiled at Ro.

“I’m retiring.”

Ro’s eyes went wide.

“Did you get fired?”

Ami exploded.

“No, you idiot!”

Yehyeon and the aides laughed, and Yun snorted.

People smiling brightly.

Yehyeon replied,

“Close enough.”

“Badgers are screwed.”

Yehyeon’s laughter grew louder.

Tilting his head back, laughing freely, the superior looked down at Ro with mirth still in his eyes.

“Not at all. I’m handing things over properly to the right person, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Handin’ what to who?”

“Ska will be taking my place.”

When the Commander-in-Chief placed a hand on Ska’s shoulder, Ro blinked.

Ska stared back at Ro with a subtle smile.

Ro touched the rim of his ear.

“Oh, that black guy’s the successor?”

The choice of words, honestly.

“Then it won’t be too screwed.”

“Oh, seriously!”

Ami blew up again.

“Don’t call Ska that! You can’t talk about people like that!”

“Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden?”

“How do you get yelled at by Rick every time and still never improve!”

“What?!”

“Don’t go around calling yourself a Badger outside! It’s embarrassing!”

“What do you want me to do if I’m a famous Badger?!”

Ro and Ami started bickering.

Nearby, Yun let out a heavy sigh, but didn’t try to stop them. He didn’t even glance their way, just looked up at the ceiling.

Naturally, the rest of the leadership had no intention of intervening either. They just smiled and turned their attention elsewhere.

“Thank you for taking time out of your precious off-duty hours to come.”

Yehyeon continued accepting greetings from those who had come.

Hesh Lyle straightened his back.

The colleague who had joined the Badgers out of admiration for Yehyeon answered in a crisp voice.

“No, sir.”

I was honestly startled to see tears welling in the eyes of a colleague I hadn’t seen in a while.

Is he crying?

“It was an honor to serve you, even for a short time, Commander.”

“You can stand comfortably when you greet me.”

“No, sir!”

“Everyone’s relaxed, so it’s really fine. This isn’t that kind of occasion.”

“No, sir! This is comfortable!”

“I heard you’re from a military family—guess it’s true.”

The three members of the leadership burst out laughing at once.

More small talk followed. Yehyeon firmly grasped Hesh’s right shoulder as he snapped into a sharp salute, then looked into the eyes of the still-very-young Badger and offered words of encouragement.

The conversation continued until a secretary receiving situation updates quietly approached.

“Sir, it’s about time to move.”

Only after hearing the report did Yehyeon gently release his grip.

“Right.”

He nodded.

The Commander-in-Chief lightly patted Hesh’s back, then turned.

“Time really flies.”

He walked slowly toward the elevator.

People parted to make way.

The corridor split down the middle for the Commander-in-Chief heading to the auditorium. Yehyeon walked slowly along the executive corridor, holding the lavish bouquets, dressed in the same neat suit as always.

A silver morph-weapon glinted at his ear.

The Commander-in-Chief smiled as he accepted gifts thrust toward him by those who hadn’t managed to approach earlier.

Even shaking every outstretched hand as he walked, he reached the elevator quickly.

That was when he encountered Sophia Kalak.

“Kalak.”

Yehyeon called her name as she stared at him.

“Thank you for your dedicated service.”

He likely hadn’t expected an answer.

He must have thought she’d keep silent, or show displeasure. As if worried his words might offend her, Yehyeon’s gaze didn’t linger on Sophia for long.

But Sophia replied.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

A clear voice, without a trace of sarcasm.

Yehyeon turned back in surprise, eyes widening.

“I came to pay my respects.”

The Commander-in-Chief looked at Sophia, momentarily at a loss for words.

Sophia Kalak didn’t avert her gaze.

The senior, dressed in black Badger uniform, met her superior’s stunned expression.

“You knew too, didn’t you. That in truth, your judgment back then wasn’t wrong.”

The elevator doors opened, but Yehyeon didn’t turn.

“I knew as well.”

“...There might have been a better way.”

“John lived as a Badger and died with honor. No one can deny that.”

A faint smile touched Sophia’s lips.

The kind one made while remembering a departed lover.

“Knowing that, I’m sorry for throwing a tantrum.”

“...No. That wasn’t a tantrum.”

“I couldn’t forgive that you chose John over me, but in truth, what I hated was myself—for surviving thanks to his sacrifice.”

The smile on Sophia’s lips grew a little wider.

It was a light, unburdened smile, like Yehyeon’s.

“I only realized that now.”

“Kalak.”

“You’ve worked hard, Commander.”

She bowed her head.

“I will continue to serve faithfully.”

I saw Yehyeon’s wide eyes tremble.

I saw his mouth open as if to answer, then close again, as though his throat had tightened.

In the end, he didn’t cry.

The eyes that had shaken with so many emotions quickly regained their clarity.

“Thank you.”

Yehyeon smiled as he returned the bow.

“And Kalak—you were always faithful.”

The scent of flowers.

The sound of the elevator doors closing. Flashing cameras. People crying or laughing.

Time passed quickly.

Soon, it was time.

I applauded along with the seniors and my colleagues as the Commander-in-Chief entered the auditorium.

Employees rose from their seats in a wave.

The retirement ceremony of Commander-in-Chief Lee Yehyeon began.