BEAUTIFUL SOLDIER – Part 2

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.

Then—she stopped.

Dereck, still standing with a hopeful gaze, tilted his head slightly.

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.”

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.

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.”

She narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t a joke. You’ll be dead before morning if you stay here.”

“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.”

He took a careful step closer. “Let me come with you. I swear I’ll stay out of the way. Please, Captain.”

Raya stared at him for a moment. Silent. Thinking.

Then she sighed.

“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?”

Dereck lit up with a boyish grin. “Crystal clear, Captain. I’m your most obedient shadow.”

She gave him a look, part warning, part curious, before turning away again.

“Get your stuff. We move in two minutes.”

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.”

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.”

The soldiers around them began to smirk. A few chuckled. Even the grumpy one with the scarred eyebrow, Private Kito, cracked a grin.

In no time, Dereck’s charm had everyone laughing and shaking their heads—everyone except one.

Chriss.

Broad-shouldered, cold-eyed, and always alert. He walked at the front of the group, but every time Dereck spoke, his jaw visibly tightened.

He leaned close to one of the soldiers and muttered, “Why is he even here?”

The soldier shrugged. “Captain allowed it.”

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.

The way Dereck looked at her. The way she—though not smiling—hadn’t shut him down as harshly as usual. It annoyed him.

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.’”

Raya glanced sideways at him with her usual unreadable expression. “You’re lucky, alright.”

Dereck grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

But behind them, Chriss was watching closely, jaw clenched tighter than ever.

Something about this civilian didn’t sit right with him—and it wasn’t just the flirting.