138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaH1nzzdqW
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHEvlCHcI7
BEAUTIFUL SOLDIER – Part 2
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQfDCSK64c
Captain Raya walked a few steps ahead, boots crunching leaves beneath her. The night breeze danced around her uniform, and the sounds of the forest slowly returned now that the battle was over.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPDWS9w2CH
Then—she stopped.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszHKfY4fqr
Dereck, still standing with a hopeful gaze, tilted his head slightly.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimmiJz0A9I
She turned around and walked back toward him, her sharp eyes locking onto his again. “Listen, civilian,” she said firmly, “this forest isn’t safe. You need to leave. Now.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBbgJtD2T9
Dereck held his breath. She was standing so close again, close enough that he could see the faint scar on her cheek—barely visible, but telling of the life she lived.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLvlpPXwTi
He tried to sound calm. “And go where? The only thing waiting for me outside this forest is more chaos. Out here, at least I had silence… until you and your bullets showed up.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3sQNXRZN6
She narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t a joke. You’ll be dead before morning if you stay here.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgkFvRZ9l5
“Exactly why I should come with you,” Dereck said quickly, seizing the moment. “I’m not asking to hold a gun or march in line. I just want to stay alive. You have protection, food… a freaking team. I have a stick and bad luck.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL72z8aLL75
He took a careful step closer. “Let me come with you. I swear I’ll stay out of the way. Please, Captain.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvebhTWTB96
Raya stared at him for a moment. Silent. Thinking.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0AMbZPGgB
Then she sighed.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQh85p6KCR
“Fine,” she said. “But on one condition—you do not get involved in anything related to soldiers. You stay quiet. You follow instructions. And when the helicopter comes from headquarters, you're gone. Understood?”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmx8yzcTNnc
Dereck lit up with a boyish grin. “Crystal clear, Captain. I’m your most obedient shadow.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3D2UWyJ2fg
She gave him a look, part warning, part curious, before turning away again.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleICwna8wy
“Get your stuff. We move in two minutes.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHfqIHeuKs
Dereck grabbed his small bag with excitement and practically jogged to her side. “You won’t regret this, Captain Raya. I promise I’m excellent company.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsAC4UCvym
She didn’t respond, but he kept talking anyway—lighthearted, joking, occasionally throwing in a compliment here and there. “Is it against military code to smile?” he asked. “Because I feel like your lips are hiding a beautiful one.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRnSy9C288
The soldiers around them began to smirk. A few chuckled. Even the grumpy one with the scarred eyebrow, Private Kito, cracked a grin.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlGtSlnry9
In no time, Dereck’s charm had everyone laughing and shaking their heads—everyone except one.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOnuZB19LN
Chriss.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXDFnRPtZs
Broad-shouldered, cold-eyed, and always alert. He walked at the front of the group, but every time Dereck spoke, his jaw visibly tightened.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ETxA6cj2F
He leaned close to one of the soldiers and muttered, “Why is he even here?”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDr3DYnnv3
The soldier shrugged. “Captain allowed it.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4sr0pEvuJ
Chriss's eyes flicked to Dereck, who was now joking about how he could be their emotional support guy. But his gaze lingered longer on Raya, and that was when Chriss’s fists clenched.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddYyb9pXTh
The way Dereck looked at her. The way she—though not smiling—hadn’t shut him down as harshly as usual. It annoyed him.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nFGedowwl
They walked through the dense forest for over an hour. Moonlight guided the way. As the group approached a hidden military camp between ridges, tents glowing faintly in the dark, Dereck whispered to Raya again, “So… do I get a cool codename too? I vote ‘The Lucky Civilian.’”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVoU5RamWi
Raya glanced sideways at him with her usual unreadable expression. “You’re lucky, alright.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAqNb86Y2r
Dereck grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxBW8ySgKg
But behind them, Chriss was watching closely, jaw clenched tighter than ever.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1m2ilbaa1A
Something about this civilian didn’t sit right with him—and it wasn’t just the flirting.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupeWWW58bx
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIPwChIXoC
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei9QR8Wm9T
