173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3x5a6r71u
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgQGJWQfiH
BEAUTIFUL SOLDIER – Part 2
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsA9R26dL5e
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.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRY4vwmGYNK
Then—she stopped.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSNiBGuOGu
Dereck, still standing with a hopeful gaze, tilted his head slightly.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51f8EbdLoE
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.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRhAThs8fB
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.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGr8I9mZCfG
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.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmK0FljCfzj
She narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t a joke. You’ll be dead before morning if you stay here.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmbymuqSqc
“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.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0VtnnALpK
He took a careful step closer. “Let me come with you. I swear I’ll stay out of the way. Please, Captain.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pG2x3a3KH
Raya stared at him for a moment. Silent. Thinking.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvYe9guN0U
Then she sighed.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCJdJOWM2u
“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?”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4W06Rx4OG
Dereck lit up with a boyish grin. “Crystal clear, Captain. I’m your most obedient shadow.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvUEkOrIA3
She gave him a look, part warning, part curious, before turning away again.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWUxpvEaPj
“Get your stuff. We move in two minutes.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrIHv8vlMk
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.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ088Ni0F719
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.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWE9tpYAwC
The soldiers around them began to smirk. A few chuckled. Even the grumpy one with the scarred eyebrow, Private Kito, cracked a grin.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhJWHBLWow
In no time, Dereck’s charm had everyone laughing and shaking their heads—everyone except one.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaohfNCcbX6
Chriss.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfJE4TDLAt
Broad-shouldered, cold-eyed, and always alert. He walked at the front of the group, but every time Dereck spoke, his jaw visibly tightened.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwT11Lw4va4
He leaned close to one of the soldiers and muttered, “Why is he even here?”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2wkzZVRMB
The soldier shrugged. “Captain allowed it.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RRFaMhQXZ
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.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnKHwdvbi4
The way Dereck looked at her. The way she—though not smiling—hadn’t shut him down as harshly as usual. It annoyed him.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3kJlMuori
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.’”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1RIKgwios
Raya glanced sideways at him with her usual unreadable expression. “You’re lucky, alright.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaS2F6xbrC1
Dereck grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhU5uHSN7x
But behind them, Chriss was watching closely, jaw clenched tighter than ever.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNj3GziAYac
Something about this civilian didn’t sit right with him—and it wasn’t just the flirting.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUiW1qIM2l
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHqsMwPTL3
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8I09lMueN
and then Add to home screen.