48 – Engraving (1)
“…What do you think?”
“Since you’ve been using a revolver that holds six bullets,
you might need to get used to eight shots.”
With a thud, the gun was placed down.
As they said, now that I had gotten used to always shooting six bullets,
I felt like I might accidentally leave some bullets unfired,
or put them in the wrong holes.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a big problem for me to replace the entire cylinder like a magazine –
“You’re right. How long has it been since Taehyuk used a six-shot?”
“It’s been over ten years since the war.”
“Oh, then it might be even harder to hold something else.”
I chuckled as I saw the shocked expressions of Director Kang Kyu-hwan and his subordinates.
…Maybe, during that time, I might have been standing still.
However.
“Still, it’s better to change all at once.”
Time was definitely passing.
It was only an increase of two shots, but at least…
“If it extends by two shots, would the stability increase too?”
I wondered if it would serve as some consolation to the guy who tried to stop me so forcefully when we first met.
“If you consider the opinions I provided earlier,
already on the field, Taehyuk has sufficiently demonstrated the practicality of the revolver.”
“Still, if you go two steps further, you can shoot twice more.”
“Using an unfamiliar firearm can lead to uncertain outcomes in the field.
And Taehyuk,
the me at that point and the me now are different.”
The necklace left on the neat clothes sparkled faintly as it caught the light from the ceiling.
As if to show it to me, Ilya approached, blinked her eyes, and carefully took the gun away from my hand.
The passing hand was full of warmth.
“Considering that Taehyuk will use this firearm frequently in the future,
I recommend choosing a type that is as familiar as possible.”
As if agreeing with those words, the two men in front of the table were also nodding.
“Maybe because it’s equipped with a combat AI, it feels like it’s taking away everything we have to say.
Actually, the public might be more familiar with a 6-round burst; 8-round bursts might not be that well-known.
If the weight increases, it might be difficult to handle an already heavy gun.
You didn’t modify your arm separately, did you?”
“No. Well, I did have surgery on my leg.”
“You seem to have been quite busy.
So, excluding the two 8-round bursts… these are the four designs left.
How would you like to proceed?”
Next to him, the employee inserted a road gun into the case and closed it with a sound.
Listening to the sound, I carefully sifted through the rest.
Then suddenly, I realized that two forms were strikingly similar.
Only one was emitting a black light,
While the other was enveloped in a white light.
“Oh, did you notice?
The one that comes out black is a ‘defective product,’ but there’s no issue with durability or functionality…
It’s just a matter of the color being different from the originally planned one.”
Even if it’s called a defective product, should I say that I liked the subtle color?
The liquid-like color sparkled as it caught the light, like oil floating on water.
Even if I aimed at the target and shot a bullet for a test –
“Hmm.”
There was no problem at all.
It seemed like getting used to holding it would be awkward at first, but it was fine,
The recoil was manageable, and it was satisfying that the shot hit exactly as aimed.
Was there really no falsehood in the claim that they had checked it in advance?
“There doesn’t seem to be any operational defect.”
“We speculate it might be due to the heat treatment process.
However, if you prefer black, we could consider it for a special limited edition.”
That statement brought a good idea to mind.
A chrome heart necklace with a black border that Ilia happened to have.
My comrade, who now appeared different from the numerous mass-produced ones.
I inserted my finger into the trigger guard, turned it, and handed it to Ilia so that the handle faced her.
“…Taehyuk, sir?”
“White and black… it’s not quite accurate – the color of this unique metal… Ah, right.
Chrome, isn’t it? Just with a slight color difference.”
Standing by Ilia, who carefully received the handed revolver, I held the one closer to white.
Doing so made them look more like intentionally crafted pairs than ‘defective products.’
From Noble mtl dot com
“…Dual Chrome Series.”
Director Kang Kyu-hwan, who was watching us with a gun in his hand, had a gleam in his eyes.
The corners of his mouth rising slightly seemed to be a favorable choice.
“Just by adjusting the heat treatment process differently, uh, yeah. This should be fine.
How, I wonder, is it possible?”
“If we extract the data from the factory, it seems we can start production immediately.”
Suddenly holding a tablet and tapping the screen a few times with a pen, he nodded as he spoke,
The director immediately spread his palm and gestured as if grabbing various angles.
“Since you and the ‘gunman’ were comrades who had a day of activity together –
It’s better to have a sister-in-law and a brother-in-law than just one, don’t you think?”
“Despite the promise, it seems like we’ll be taking an extra piece. Even if we buy it separately -“
“No, it’s okay. If you both use it together, the exposure frequency will increase anyway.”
Honestly, even if you just change the paint on the same gun – as long as there’s meaning in it, people will like it.”
Indeed, from the perspective of a company selling goods, can this be utilized in such a way?
But that’s the company’s standpoint, and as for me –
“Then, can we engrave our firearms?”
“Of course, it’s possible. We plan to use it for marketing as well.”
As I gently supported the hand of the guy staring blankly at me,
I gazed intently at the jet-black body that seemed to captivate me.
“…Is it possible to differentiate the use in marketing and actual engraving?”
“Do you have something else in mind?”
After all, I was known to people as a gunner.
In this era where robots were actively involved in human life, I was a mercenary wielding a revolver.
I couldn’t break that image.
And, I didn’t really want to reveal Illya’s name to others.
The internal situation was already shocking enough for Matthew and Dayeon.
There was no need to attract attention.
“For the advertisement, use the term ‘Companion,’ meaning a comrade.
And for our guns, we want to engrave a name.”
“Companion Edition… Black and White.
The name is already decided.
Would you like it in English?”
In front of me, a tablet and a pen were extended.
I grabbed them and awkwardly started writing characters.
“This is Lee Tae Hyuk.
And Il Lee Ah.”
I deliberately inserted the correct spelling of the last name, but it didn’t look awkward at all.
Except for the messy handwriting.
While holding the pen and not missing a detail, an employee approached with a smile.
“If you could just check the spelling, we can adjust the font on our end.”
“…Tae Hyuk.”
What made my reaching hand stop was Il Lee Ah’s voice.
From an angle the director and the employee couldn’t see, he gently grabbed my collar,
narrowing the distance in an instant and extending his head towards the tablet.
“Would it be okay if I took care of the font for you?”
“Ah. It can be fixed with a few touches, but –
writing it yourself probably has more meaning, right?”
Before I could say anything, the employee stepped back with a stylish smile.
Il Lee Ah, who handed me the tablet and pen in one breath, began writing with elegant strokes.
With a slightly sophisticated finish, the inclined alphabets exhibited a beauty incomparable to what I had written.
“…”
125th CI unit.
However, now,
Calling herself by the name I gave her,
Ilyia writes down that name again.
And then, holding it for a while –
“…It’s done.”
“Wow, well written, isn’t it? It’s good enough to use as it is.
Shall we show it to the director?”
“Yeah, androids are indeed androids.”
I wondered if the guy would react to being called just a machine.
Looking at him with a bit of concern, but –
“…”
Unexpectedly, he silently observed those who were calmly chatting and putting down a tablet without any reaction.
Just like an ordinary artificial intelligence inside an ordinary android.
“All right. The engraving is for personal ownership,
and for external marketing, we’ll proceed with the Companion Edition.
If you hand over the gun, we’ll process it into a laser and deliver it on your way out.”
Although it bothered me a bit to decide on an English name without any hesitation or discussion,
still, upon reconsideration, it didn’t seem that bad.
Was it a good sign that Ilyia didn’t oppose it?
Thinking that way, I slowly left the shooting range.
“I thought it would take quite a while.
Whether it’s because I was given ample preparation time or it was just decided promptly, I’m relieved.”
“I apologize once again. I didn’t anticipate getting this busy.”
Injuries at the facility.
The confrontation between Ilia and Dayeon.
And… eruption and reconciliation.
Although it seemed like a lot had happened in the blink of an eye,
there was undoubtedly a considerable amount of time for Gemini Arms and Director Kang Gyuhwan.
“…But the guns -“
“As soon as the production process on the upper floor is done, they’ll be sent down by the lift.
The engraving takes only a moment, so you don’t have to worry too much.”
“I see. So, can I use this Companion Edition right away?”
“Well, if possible. If possible, how about taking on a commission that would catch the eyes of the press?
You may or may not know, but the nomads are quite polarized.
Showing them subduing someone might make for a splendid picture – I think.
Of course, deciding the stage is the shooter’s responsibility, though.”
As soon as the door opened, white and black cases were visible on the counter.
Is this the second gift for Ilia?
“Understood. I’ll come back soon with good news.”
“Oh, and please. Kindly consider the requests from our company employees and executives that you’ve been entrusted with.”
“It’s inevitable that some things have already passed their deadline, but there are still people who have expectations,” he said.
Perhaps this was the moment when the career he had built up until now became his strength.
It was a strange feeling to see that the ten years he had survived without dying were now coming back to him in the form of money.
Shaking his hand while holding the case with the gun,
He closed the door and headed towards the car he had parked.
“Dealing with people is tiring no matter how many times you do it.”
The voices of each other merging together,
Working every day in a place filled with all kinds of electronic and background noise was surprisingly fascinating.
In the gradually calming atmosphere, just as he was about to fasten his belt.
“…Surprise.”
“I’m sorry. But, there’s something I want to do.”
He was speaking at a distance where their lips could touch.
Their noses were already touching, leaving only the act of blending together.
“…Thank you for everything.”
“The necklace, the name, and the gun.
Do you like them all?”
In response, he exchanged a deep kiss,
And then a brief peck on the lips, pulling me into a tight embrace.
As if that wasn’t enough.
“…Okay. I understand.”
“In the English word ‘Companion,’ the meaning of a companion is also included.”
“Ouch, don’t put your weight on me. The car is narrow.”
It was a request to give a little space.
But for some reason, the guy stayed in his place, took off his shoes, and sat on top of me.
… If he was breathing,
By now, he might have been warming my face with his breath little by little.
“I’m sorry. However,”
Whether he unlocked the seatbelt for driving,
As he put his weight on me, my back was gradually sinking.
“…I wonder if the permission for me to choose directly is still valid -“
By now, he should have noticed.
I quickly grabbed his moving lips and pulled them down.
Gently, while stroking his cheek.
“What are you trying to do, Illya?”
“…Master Taehyuk has been repeatedly asking me questions for several days continuously. I haven’t been able to provide sufficient answers.”
The eyes of the guy everyone calls a machine were already thawing.
Illya, whom everyone calls an android, repeatedly touched my cheeks and lips as if trying to talk about love.
“Master Taehyuk, this time, I want to do it.”
“Until now, you haven’t talked like that, right?”
However, that urgency seemed different from what it had been so far.
I decided to gently grasp the rough touch that approached me.
In none other than the parking lot.