Shrimp Between Whales
Shrimp between whales... no, between two whales.
…………
“Yujin-ssi.”
Baek Sehee spoke up.
“If anything's troubling you, give me a call. I'll help you out.”
“……Pardon?”
“Mind showing me your phone?”
What the hell, all of a sudden?
The EX-rank Awakener who'd just been growling at Kang Haneul moments ago was now speaking to me kindly. What in the world was going on? My head was spinning.
“Hey, Baek Sehee.”
Kang Haneul's voice cut in, even sharper now.
“What are you scheming with my manager?”
But Baek Sehee didn't even glance her way.
“Scheming? I'm just being nice, that's all.”
“We don't need it.”
“That's not for others to decide. It's up to the person involved—Yujin-ssi.”
Baek Sehee looked back at me.
Ugh……
I was completely stuck between them now. One side: my employer and former schoolmate, an EX-rank Awakener. The other: my employer's arch-nemesis, but oddly kind to me, another EX-rank Awakener.
Logically, siding with Kang Haneul meant ignoring Baek Sehee. But I was Moon Yujin. Sure, I worked for Kang Haneul, but I wasn't some completely subservient drone.
“Yujin-ah.”
Then Kang Haneul called my name.
“Don't take out your phone. Absolutely not.”
This was an order, not a request. A spark of irritation flared up.
Do I need her permission just to pull my phone out of my pocket?
Even with the manager contract, this was too much. But refusing was hard. There was a clear threat in her voice—like back at the Awakener training academy when she'd stop me from getting close to other girls.
“Yujin-ssi.”
Now Baek Sehee spoke again.
“It's okay. Don't be scared.”
How am I not supposed to be scared in this situation?!
But her voice was calm. It had a reassuring tone that put listeners at ease—unlike Kang Haneul glaring at me with wide eyes right beside her. Honestly, in this moment, Baek Sehee seemed more trustworthy.
Baek Sehee smiled softly.
“It's fine. I'm not forcing you.”
Her voice stayed gentle.
“Just take it out of your pocket.”
Aw, screw it.
I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out my smartphone. The instant I did—
Whoosh.
It flew right out of my hand.
“Huh?”
Like a pitch from a pro baseball player at full power, my phone shot off at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it was in Baek Sehee's hand.
“Th-this is……”
I definitely hadn't thrown it. It just... flew. On its own.
“Oh, your first time seeing telekinesis? This is my ability.”
Baek Sehee grinned.
“Pretty convenient, right?”
She casually fiddled with my phone, opening the contacts app and inputting her number. The whole process took seconds. Then, once more, the phone sailed through the air and landed softly in my palm.
Thud.
“……….”
I was speechless. She'd just taken it, saved her number, and given it back. The screen showed the contacts list open, with one new name added:
[Baek Sehee]
“Now, if anything's troubling you, call me.”
Baek Sehee said.
“Especially if she……gives you too much trouble.”
“What did you say—?”
Kang Haneul clenched her fist and stepped toward Baek Sehee, but she was already moving away. Probably using telekinesis again.
“Well, I'll be off then. Have a good rest of your day, Yujin-ssi.”
Baek Sehee's figure receded down the hall. The corridor was left with just me and Kang Haneul.
She said nothing. Neither did I.
……I'm screwed.
…………
Even after Baek Sehee was completely gone, Kang Haneul didn't move for a while.
Ugh, this is……
I could hear her breathing. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.
Normally, she'd force a smile no matter the situation, but now she wasn't smiling. Anyone but an idiot could tell. She was pissed. Really pissed.
“Yujin-ah.”
“Y-yeah?”
“Why'd you take out your phone?”
She'd explicitly told me not to, and I'd done it anyway. Of course she'd ask. But I wished she wouldn't. I had nothing to say.
“Well……”
“Well?”
I was at a loss for words. What excuse could I even make? It's my phone, why are you butting in? Or You telling me not to made me want to do it. Pure honesty would be that, but it'd be like tossing dynamite into a fire.
“Just……I did it without thinking……”
The excuse that came out was utter nonsense.
“Without thinking?”
Kang Haneul leaned down to meet my eyes.
“I told you not to. You saying my words don't mean shit?”
“No, that's not……”
I desperately continued.
“Really……I just did it thoughtlessly.”
“Really?”
I wanted to run, but my back hit the wall. Nowhere to retreat.
“Fine. Give me your phone first.”
“Y-yeah?”
“Your phone, Yujin. Hand it over.”
What are you gonna do……
I wanted to ask, but my mouth wouldn't move. The atmosphere didn't allow for refusal anyway.
I froze, and she held out her hand.
“Gimme.”
No choice. I placed the smartphone from my hand into hers.
Kang Haneul took it, turned on the screen, and opened the contacts app. She scrolled through, found the new name.
[Baek Sehee]
“……….”
Her thumb pressed the screen.
Tap. Delete.
Tap. Confirm.
The name [Baek Sehee] vanished from the contacts list.
“There.”
Kang Haneul shoved the phone back into my hand. I looked at the screen. No trace of Baek Sehee's name left.
“Haa……”
She took a deep breath. Then her lips curved up. The smile was back.
But……it wasn't her usual playful grin. It was something else. Smiling on the surface, but the emotion underneath wasn't amusement at all.
“Yujin-ah, remember the employment contract?”
“Contract?”
“Yeah. The one we both signed.”
……Oh.
The contract. Right. The one from a week ago.
But what's that got to do with now?
“Remember what it said?”
“Uh, well……”
The contract contents. It seemed normal enough. Truth be told, I'd skimmed it and didn't remember the details. All I recalled clearly was the 5 million won monthly salary.
But doesn't everyone do that? Who pores over every line of an employment contract?
“It said to avoid contact with other Awakeners as much as possible.”
“……Huh?”
“Especially female ones.”
Kang Haneul continued.
“You're my exclusive manager, right? Exclusive. All mine.”
Exclusive……
That word felt impossibly heavy.
Her voice dropped lower.
“So treat bitches like her like she doesn't exist. Got it?”
“……….”
“Don't talk to her. Don't even make eye contact. Ever.”
Did that even make sense? Ignore an EX-rank Awakener from the same association?
But I couldn't argue. Baek Sehee was far away; Kang Haneul, smiling as she stared me down, was right here. And honestly, Kang Haneul scared me. A lot.
Of course, this fear was amplified by Moon Yujin's influence. Having died three times already, bending to this level of threat so easily……well, it wasn't unreasonable, but it shouldn't be this terrifying.
“Got it?”
“……Got it.”
“Good!”
I nodded, and her expression softened. No—brightened completely. As if the whole thing with Baek Sehee had never happened.
“Let's go grab lunch now. Hungry, right?”
She grabbed my hand and pulled. It was warm. Gently enveloping.
But somehow, it felt like a shackle.
“Craving cream pasta today. What about you, Yujin?”
“……Yeah. Pasta sounds good.”
“Great! Let's go!”
The strength pulling my hand was immense. Like I'd never be able to shake it off.
…………
Baek Sehee left the corridor and headed to her office. She took the elevator to the 15th floor—territory of the Dimensional Gate Special Response Team, where she was acting team leader.
Employees passing in the hall bowed in greeting. She met each one's eyes and nodded politely back.
She opened the door to her office. The room overlooked downtown Seoul—the best view in the association building. A perk for the leader of the Dimensional Gate Special Response Team and an EX-rank Awakener.
Baek Sehee closed and locked the door, then leaned back in her chair and shut her eyes.
……That was bizarre.
She recalled what had just happened. Running into Kang Haneul in the hall.
People said she'd mellowed lately, but to Baek Sehee, Kang Haneul hadn't changed. Growling through a smile, pretending to joke while glaring like she wanted to kill.
The association had various takes on Kang Haneul: “Severe mood swings,” “Needs stress management,” and so on.
But Baek Sehee's assessment was blunter: anger management issues, psycho. All brute strength, zero self-control. No regard for her surroundings.
Her academy days—smashing tanks and armored vehicles—was too infamous to mention. After joining the association, she'd once collapsed an entire building mid-operation. Sure, it stopped a villain from detonating a WMD. But dozens of civilians were inside. Baek Sehee had used telekinesis to lift the debris and minimize casualties. Still, there were injuries.
Yes. Kang Haneul was dangerous. Uncontrollable.
The fact that a woman like that wielded EX-rank power was humanity's great misfortune.
And the manager by her side……Moon Yujin, was it?
Her impression of Moon Yujin in the hall was still vivid. Small build, scared and cute……no, rabbit-like face and expression, flustered between Kang Haneul and her.
……Poor thing.
That was her first thought.