44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cDa086Kcw
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjOteQEtDt
BEAUTIFUL SOLDIER – Part 2
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraIrkfcuOR
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.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsXgM236xg
Then—she stopped.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxCmR3xiBa
Dereck, still standing with a hopeful gaze, tilted his head slightly.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHos679l7SI
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.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WzkzRfNM9
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.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwMZqcep61
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.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQwxFkNJEs
She narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t a joke. You’ll be dead before morning if you stay here.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNe676kMqCd
“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.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PnOIqPizQ
He took a careful step closer. “Let me come with you. I swear I’ll stay out of the way. Please, Captain.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yayNKHhRf
Raya stared at him for a moment. Silent. Thinking.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfKipxforu
Then she sighed.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQao4DdMV01
“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?”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eoMRHkGc9
Dereck lit up with a boyish grin. “Crystal clear, Captain. I’m your most obedient shadow.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtvuF8OTvH
She gave him a look, part warning, part curious, before turning away again.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡty3V8meIzv
“Get your stuff. We move in two minutes.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMuWj0cjdY
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.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgxqC4eOdw
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.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixfAcz9odK
The soldiers around them began to smirk. A few chuckled. Even the grumpy one with the scarred eyebrow, Private Kito, cracked a grin.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMn9aFMUrrW
In no time, Dereck’s charm had everyone laughing and shaking their heads—everyone except one.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHldpPHUGG2
Chriss.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXT4sUjaBJ
Broad-shouldered, cold-eyed, and always alert. He walked at the front of the group, but every time Dereck spoke, his jaw visibly tightened.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMHLVYyxtw
He leaned close to one of the soldiers and muttered, “Why is he even here?”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXfJXhQIBm
The soldier shrugged. “Captain allowed it.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuV8G9Qx5Ky
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.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlUGuo9AZu
The way Dereck looked at her. The way she—though not smiling—hadn’t shut him down as harshly as usual. It annoyed him.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHi4BKGBo8
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.’”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YzOGEUwJx
Raya glanced sideways at him with her usual unreadable expression. “You’re lucky, alright.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6SX7Jw2mz
Dereck grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1IrbdL8yy
But behind them, Chriss was watching closely, jaw clenched tighter than ever.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiYQSQzsZN
Something about this civilian didn’t sit right with him—and it wasn’t just the flirting.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlX82JtCB5
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5wyAQKIc3
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrZOK93Rs7
