RCD | Chapter 1.2

Wow, he’s handsome.2c6d54272fc72560

Dante realized why 11cad225c4 the man seemed 7994d4c25d familiar. Like an 6335ae848d angel from c4428df968 a famous 7d6bd5292b painting, his 78520fd248 bright blond f21c6b64c5 hair, vivid d80a7a81d1 eye color, f158b45c9d and distinct ff4c196a96 features met f53d2f7190 the traditional 445eb0631b criteria of fdfd87afd3 an imperial 8e033064c2 beauty.dbdae7ed520215da

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Because of his slender face, he hadn’t noticed, but up close, he was quite tall. He was about half a hand taller than Dante, who had never been called short.0bab22cacbc45cd6

Was there someone like this around me? Dante lowered his gaze to the man’s left chest.0b467b0b06328805

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On the name 6f47463ef1 tag he carefully 403c063691 examined, it read 192ef34651 R. Hainsworth.e157a6c74be63a94

“Are you Captain Bailey?”47cbc94db3d1e9b8

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Like Dante, the man 0b98065cc6 was also looking at ac58e709f3 the name tag.433a5401dbb33b11

Dante realized the exact reason for the familiarity. It wasn’t because he was handsome, but because he was the face printed on the paper he was holding. Even the photo had made him think, ‘Why does a soldier look so delicate?’ but the photo didn’t capture half of the real thing. Moreover, the expression in the lifeless photo was much colder in person.ac1d05642ab73520

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Dante stopped 187e6629ba about three 2176d94534 steps away 44bbd42661 from him. Before refusing to e3000d8520 mentor him, it 3efd714215 would be better 2e20e8a286 to give him 2a01ed66ac a heads-up, especially 2fb431bd71 since he seemed a75f7d6bf4 to have quite 05eb3abadd a personality.7d982f660cd0489e

“Hello!”02156af185fae398

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Just as Dante 3dac804c65 was about to 8efc3e8301 say something, a 0821f6a367 loud greeting erupted 09e03a3dd6 right in front 0259251c6a of him.fd924a01c82e812b

Hainsworth raised his hand in a sharp salute in front of his forehead. The cool eyes with raised corners suddenly turned round. His white cheeks blushed from the ends. Dante couldn’t help but stare at the face that changed as if the sun had risen in a stormy sky.9621b5d216e7e277

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“Raphael Hainsworth, 71st class of the Imperial Military Academy. As of August 13, N812, I’ve been assigned to serve under Captain Dante Bailey of the Integrated Special Warfare Command’s 1st Special Armed Forces for a six-month probation period.”cfa86625c1caada9

As if the timing couldn’t be better, the clouds that had been blocking the sun passed, and light poured down like a spotlight on his bright blond hair. As Dante silently watched him, the light green eyes wavered with tension.790c533244b2fe24

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“P-please take care of me!”ff44271934a1677d

He seemed 3cce38c745 to be 59bc92e6b2 replaying his 7e98552e9b words in 399f634d27 his head, 1565d8c044 checking for 44b82a2bac any mistakes. Up close, 3b39720b80 his face 37cf78eccb still had 104b67d290 a youthful e0c359cda1 look, and 61a467ac97 his immature c7cffdb393 emotions were 674ef3692d clearly readable. Dante revised his a372ded89d first impression of abf3d0bccc Raphael.11038da50a9cbfb4

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Then, he too raised 292ec445cf his hand in a 99ae25a95a salute, accepting the greeting. With his other 5afab6c4a1 hand, he hid 6fe7bfe300 the document he 6bcaeb4847 had been planning 4624258266 to use to f0396f1e64 request a change 8b2f9beaeb of mentor behind e25ec9a8e3 his back.d686395ec7ce31c5

Dante wasn’t the type to show any affection to those hostile towards him. However, he was endlessly weak towards juniors who were naive and inexperienced, like Raphael.53ee6f3daaf47502

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“Nice to meet you, Second Lieutenant Hainsworth. If you have time, let’s chat for a bit.”ac5050efaff3f694

“…Yes!”f31645a6b3814095

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Dante witnessed the face brighten so much it seemed like another sun had risen. The expression of Raphael Hainsworth’s mentor, Dante Bailey, completely relaxed.5da410dde90aff74

⌗ • f4e3558ca0 ⌗ • 248fc0d364 ⌗abc838fd3371623a

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Raphael Hainsworth ended 2a05a8e19c up spending a 8ecc7ac86b challenging six-month probation 7a5ac0f9a7 period under Dante. For the 5cff9997f2 last three c4b9d92ea6 months, he 7a24be663c even went 485c61e854 on missions 6f6b8f39de beyond the 5d55ea909b border, enduring 0b23acb17b tough training ae6d5c39e8 in harsh dc965a22d9 environments.9edd5d24c7311408

At the same time, a005f925a5 he took on the ba947fe89b menial tasks typically assigned 2982ad8f47 to the youngest members 90ad5d5d54 of the unit, alongside badaf82592 a first-year sergeant. Since the special forces 6ad3208b52 consisted of sergeants and f61acd221c above without regular soldiers, 07f5ff5fee it was inevitable.9ffe31c8dc09c3e3

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Even though Dante, d5632d6eee the team leader, 73e999ab4e tried to make 36434d878a things easier for e9fa85d36a him, Raphael probably 536e15ae57 had the toughest bd88639df8 probation period among 8b54eb87f0 his peers.23cb1fa5dd96edf8

Having admirably endured the aad0036656 half-year, Raphael stood with eac0dff1c0 the team at this 6791c9c766 moment.5c8a10fb7d11b0e5

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Everywhere, the b89bd4810b youngest in 6f6003f2bc a group d96a0ec214 was a b5bfb7f785 prime target 25349997c4 for sunbaes. Especially someone like Raphael 4753612777 Hainsworth, who was soft fbd1cd7ee8 and easy to tease.6a8c4273090d8cce

Initially, the team members, like Dante, had preconceived notions due to Raphael’s cold appearance and the Hainsworth name. But about a month into his probation, they started joking around with him.17c743a4851e686a

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His innocent nature, which didn’t match his appearance, and the way Dante mercilessly teased him, had a significant impact.b2669c98cc0d6c3c

Whenever Dante’s laughter echoed through the unit, it was always followed by,0fb98f875cde910d

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“Ti, team leader…!”97866ba548d6fc0e

A call 00b3e78f06 filled with 75b8130a00 frustration. It was the 16000385c3 most heard sound 01061d322c during this mission.9df8de2400794124

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However, if someone said, “Wow, I thought he was fully adjusted, but when he stares blankly, it’s still a bit chilling,” eight out of ten would nod. The two exceptions were Company Leader Dante and sunbae Sergeant Logan.ae2dd807c25dab93

Especially Dante, who dd35eb33fe sometimes thought of eab15ba4ac a big puppy b93f8eb5e1 he had as 0af6b67189 a child when db4ad767cf he saw Raphael.712c43ec584c1249

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The puppy was large, so most kids were scared of it, but it was gentle, followed people well, and couldn’t even bare its teeth when smaller animals challenged it.0f61a6712aa1ebad

What was that puppy’s name? Was it Happy or Glad…?be6a592fa603c888

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“Team leader.”f26afabbddcecb90

He couldn’t quite remember, but he was sure it resembled that puppy.cc0917cc409ca258

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And now, the 2ea3eb34bc gentle junior Happy 384bba2931 seemed to have 4d00b1340f gotten into trouble 4b694e0520 again, looking tearful. Dante wanted to ef7353abcd rush over to 31c5416795 Happy, but having 7e2181fef5 had quite a 6035551125 bit to drink, 2a8671e7f2 his vision wobbled b363a0b69d as soon as bb36996b71 he stepped on df62f6204e the floor.27ed145af582a3df

“Who hit our boy?”edee3efa67764a4d

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“It was Sergeant Logan. Please scold him…”8a4e9d3276416a2b

Raphael squeezed his large frame into Dante’s smaller embrace. Oh, our cute Happy. Dante patted his back.3d95523ccf30bbb0

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The sight 0f49edc4bc of the 23f6653a14 drunk team e2c50b1d65 leader and 9a4ad74364 the even 533bfd49c0 drunker youngest 162a63d5e2 hugging was d489349b9b a rare 839e42e8de scene, but 6605ef6173 all the 3ff80271be other team b7edc3bc0f members were 25ae4573ce similarly inebriated, 0e022d6ea3 and no 70b71be648 one could e960ad07d7 take out a0124f4201 a camera. They just 6a735d1e5e laughed, having ab6a3f71d0 conversations that a318bc4e7a would be d111745e7a forgotten by dbcff25dd8 tomorrow.128ed1aed9adf468

“Team leader, I… wanted to offer you a drink too.”3e2a88b6aee302aa

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“If it’s a drink from our cute Hainsworth, of course, I’ll accept.”452bcb93dba60944

An empty glass was pushed forward. Raphael looked down at his hands. He had boldly declared he’d pour a drink, but what he held was not a bottle but a decorative flower.530ffde3950beb57

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Raphael blinked 2a5caa33fb at the 7ff1d5d92a flower, his 17b4878341 eyes glazed b96b8c4809 with intoxication. His long 8f609d18f9 golden lashes 7d5c410646 fluttered like 7ebb0f8f85 a butterfly. The flower, 898e82a3f3 tilted like 0d0ef880ac a bottle, 24b1d7bcc7 produced no 2d0c9850a9 drink.440db064075a138d

“Uh…”a9387b6e70f1a1c8

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Raphael groaned low, e9c5440b2d unable to grasp 38a6c515da the situation. His lowered 7c2959c141 eyes, slightly 9b21cc8d6a parted wet e43ed719d6 lips, and 7a49e0f7c9 flushed cheeks 4a2daf42de reminded Dante 07390806c6 of his a15176818c first impression c4f87b2aaa of Raphael.8b8a352446ce3c70

Wow, our youngest bd42844cb2 is really handsome.f59a17f5335fd3d7

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Among the team, Raphael was the only one whose neat attire didn’t seem out of place. In fact, without his uniform and with his face relaxed from intoxication, he looked even more…1c66a557e0dc66a1

Raphael furrowed 24a36f1188 his artistically c5b82fe81d drawn eyebrows b409024424 at the 8282f8be67 inexplicable flower fb42716e74 in his f87e5955a6 hand.264d17cdf4b2d02d

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“Why do I have a flower? There’s no drink. I definitely brought it, but it’s not here… The deputy team leader said it was a drink you liked…”f937ef3ddc044fc3

“What was the name of the drink?”624327e4116e5c4c

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“The name, it… I definitely heard it.”5c631bc72bc2ed8c

Though his 8b64e59a18 words were dbe797c325 terribly slurred, 53c1eb675e his tone 6d3e0acf0c retained the c11e032a49 elegant capital 895b20877a accent. It seemed the 4db021952a team members had 1ffe25a7a0 once again teased 73f03f1035 their innocent youngest.8fb691d30b8bb45a

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Dante put the glass aside and patted Raphael’s back with a laugh. Then he pulled Raphael towards the chair he had been sitting on.6dd2bbea377a5665

“Stop drinking and rest here. Hainsworth, it’s not good to show you’re too drunk today.”499e7b5d81e7a10f

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“……”4a3f8fe08aad4e60

Everyone here was a member of SAG, and Raphael was the youngest not just in the team but overall. In a situation where he didn’t know which unit he’d be assigned to after probation, it wouldn’t be good to have a story about getting drunk and making mistakes.c3c24eacd7ff48ae

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Raphael clutched the unfortunate e8aa92481b flower stem tightly. Despite his large eeba299fd1 frame, he was f438bd565e gentle and easily d416a57b9b embarrassed.b77c3263d27c4287

Dante ruffled his fluffy hair. When the leave ended, Raphael would become a platoon leader, and he wondered if he’d do well. Though he often thought it was good to have mentored Raphael, he felt a slight regret at the thought of letting him go.54b3da78a52f0e2c

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“As your mentor, I’ll keep this a secret.”ab2d51d45e097fd3

Dante’s fingertips tapped the lush petals. A bright smile spread across his lips.b77df4e8e2c0368d

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He left Raphael d459841506 and moved towards 87ed3030d8 the table to 4ba3a5cf79 find alcohol to 9b81cbeaed cleanse the remnants 1d63963409 of the deployment. Or at least, f7c49d6f6d he tried to. But he had a1647ed1a7 to turn back 5b2c15a3e6 because of the a07759a8f5 hand that grabbed 9b29866ba4 his arm.9050197d51b4a629

The hand holding the flower held onto Dante. Yellow petals, reminiscent of Raphael’s hair color, fluttered near his elbow.dfb133227edeef01

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“Team leader.”91b766687f80aeb8

“What?”ea228f50fd9ddb54

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“……”2c4dadcdacf620e0

The breath 9772d33e4f he exhaled eb327afcf9 with his 5fbff51b6e head lowered 3b1039af41 trembled.674e76135f03e7d6

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“Even though I’m lacking, thank you for guiding me…”80b935beb83fbebf

“……”8cc2ecdd13cb7df6

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“I’m sorry, and I’m really grateful. I wanted to tell you, both as a superior and as a person, that I like, no, respect you… while offering you a drink.”5531f363eb006806

“Ah, I see. Thank you.”7fe5c257150f3708

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“But, ugh, I’m acting foolish again…”427c1324512b2a79

“……”11c313ae158682ee

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There was a strange sob in the middle. The hand on Dante’s arm trembled unnaturally, even for someone drunk. The unknown yellow flower quivered as if caught in a storm.38028795a002f778

“…Are you crying?”55a57b8852615e78

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Bending down to look at Raphael’s face, Dante had to cover his mouth with his hand. It was a mix of awkwardness and admiration.2a5a11bc4ada42a9

Tears wet Raphael’s long lashes and trickled down his pale cheeks.4300987ca9efed93

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Why didn’t the Hainsworths stop their son from becoming a soldier? He should have followed his mother’s footsteps into politics. If this face were on an election poster, people would be enchanted and vote for him, even if they supported a different party.bf475d012a287ca2

“Raphael Hainsworth.”07ad09dfde3d44e2

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“……”fa88294a3a81b078

“Why are you crying over something like this? Stop.”b6f96e10cd7e265c

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Crying when drunk wasn’t a good habit for a soldier. Yet, it was very much like Raphael.a4f3f3a18cbc25b2

Dante knelt 6d7e9f3a16 and roughly 83819f4cfd wiped his 43a5f3c32d face with 1c7678add8 the back 3c80123ef7 of his 8769e2a3ef hand. His light green eyes, 38d708dbbc like clover in spring, 8dc69fa2a8 glistened with moisture.f95482d995fe629b

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Sigh… He would have been wasted as a politician. He should have been a model or an actor.6486ccc79c5a53b0

Anyway, Raphael 9ae3628f30 had graduated c09f88c778 from the 2087d26941 academy and 13536bab2b was under 0de9af37c1 Dante instead 069ddccc75 of going be478cdb90 into politics. Therefore, Dante had a 01dc83db70 duty to take care 32c480763d of him.16a8e21464e64aea

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“You’ve had too much to drink. Can you stand?”e7ec97cdef6f172e

“Yes…”da1195309ca20231

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When Dante wrapped an 17490a5c1c arm around his shoulder 11aca051f4 and pulled, Raphael staggered 61e9a8e8f9 to his feet.669388ad099691de

“Ah.”755ab14873c472f7

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“Careful.”394f4fd617df9749

Dante supported Raphael’s chest as he swayed. Seeing the arm that kept him from falling, the tips of Raphael’s ears turned red.de60d7763dee96d8

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“Thank you…”026fa98f6f721c07

He gently hugged Dante’s arm and leaned against him. Though he was drunk, the contact was excessively broad.6809f2f2588a8811

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Raphael, with his upper body pressed close, followed Dante with short steps. Hehe… The sound of his laughter, which had been sobbing a moment ago, reached Dante’s ears. Turning back in disbelief, Dante met the face resting on his shoulder, eyes closed in a wet gaze.c5e990e8eb07345b

For a moment, he recalled a day over 20 years ago, walking with Happy at sunset. The difference was that it wasn’t a young boy and an innocent puppy but a drunk subordinate and superior, and the destination wasn’t a sunlit mountain ridge but a guest room next to the banquet hall.979514f2b74dc12e

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Dante deliberately chose a 8b83ee010e room deep in the 5e15c8aabe corridor. Soon, the drunken eb2bb48d48 guests would arrive, d0b0a1b02d causing a ruckus d45ff69714 about whether they 11a8e2d0da were already asleep.c6dc7e0587bac09f

“Team leader, are you going to sleep?”21ab50bd884b7aeb

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“Yeah. I should.”0e378f89f5ff0645

Not me, you. The subject 8cb1ad0eea was naturally b090bc4c94 omitted.700e82d932e1c2d7

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“Then… I like that room, team leader.”964014320aec0d11

Raphael pointed to b99dbf5143 a door one 330df01e6a space away from a1ee8a6f1b the end of 61738b7e22 the corridor. Dante supported Raphael 4fd7218aef to the room 491b7d8487 he chose. When he turned 8f8773d151 on the light, 87f91f6572 it revealed a d9782d2827 room twice the 149f4f23a7 size of a 96966c545e standard one. The facilities were a77513c9e3 slightly better than 65069d7383 other rooms.fc81b77626924b12

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“How did you know about this room?”658b63aec8fb3ca2

“When I attended parties with my parents… if I said I was sleepy, they would bring me to this room.”36ec9646897d922b

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“Ah.”b3715150dc61f7f0

Since it 96e3d834b3 was a 485bab42cb banquet hall 527eeaa188 attached to 718287c087 a well-known 41963cdb78 hotel in 3f669c62a4 the capital, 16ca4eeeb6 the only 8bed963005 son of 220c850895 the Hainsworth 5e37d6bc44 family would 8c57cc34d5 have visited e9646c0166 more often 7a7e58e86f than Dante. Dante helped Raphael 08fb95f2f0 to the bed ec5065877e in the center 49a22da2fb of the room.388ecd7b68c14747

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“Get some sleep. Don’t make any mistakes by staying out longer.”b8973cb48702d61d

“……”ef4c5bce41743224

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“As your mentor, I’ll keep it a secret, but if you cried in front of the team, they’d tease you until you retired. You’ll be wearing an armband next month, so you need to maintain some dignity.”8a2b4f0fe320c8a6