One whining rookie, two teary-eyed superiors.
All three of us eight years old.
The situation was deteriorating nicely.
‘Damn it!’
This wasn’t even explanation anymore, I was just steamrolling them…!
Biting back the urge to bite my tongue, I finally tried to explain in earnest why I was saying I don’t want to, let’s keep looking, but by then I was already on the verge of affecting the other two as well.
Because among kids, tears spread fast too…!
“Ah, you said there’s still more time, but that by rule we’re only doing two days, right? Then I thought that meant we still had time left to search safely without getting contaminated….”
“…That’s true.”
“Then I want to look for just one more. What if there is one, and we just failed to find them!”
Child-Agent Choi sniffled.
“M-maybe that’s true? Then maybe two more days….”
“Agent!”
Child-Agent Bronze, whose eyes had gone red around the rims, stepped forward, glared at Agent Choi, then turned to me and said firmly,
“No.”
I really want to argue, Why not?!
“Why not!”
This is driving me insane.
Agent Bronze snapped back too.
“Because it could be dangerous! An agent’s life always comes first. If you push yourself and break the rules….”
Then his voice clogged up.
“I, I’ve seen agents die that way. There are many seniors who never came back.”
“…….”
“So you mustn’t start down that path in the first place. Following the rules is the correct thing to do.”
‘……Hoo.’
That made sense too.
And Agent Bronze glanced at my arm.
“And don’t forget that arm of yours has to be recharged once every three days.”
“But we brought a separate charger for that! Th-then how about this? Just one more night, just one.”
Agent Choi held up one finger as he spoke.
“And if by tomorrow afternoon we still don’t feel sure there’s a child worth rescuing, then we leave. Right? Delaying the mission by half a day is… honestly just one extra line in the report.”
“…….”
Both of us reflexively looked at Agent…