The Senior Slayer's Quiet Command
A thud. The firmly closed door swung open.
Like she had rushed over in a hurry, the tiny girl let out a labored sigh before stating her business.
“A monster has appeared! Personnel ready for deployment—right now—
“Hey.”
“Yes, yes?”
“Yes? Yes is nonsense. Don’t you even know how to give your rank and name? Who the hell are you?”
“Ah! I-I’m, I’m Apprentice Awakener… Jeonghui!”
“You’re late! Quickly, get out and bring your senior.”
“Ah, th-that… I, I mean, the monster…
“Hah… Hey. Are you scared of the monster? Or am I the one who’s scary?”
Of course she was far scarier. She was the most senior member in the unit that had gathered these Awakeners.
The Hero—Han Jihye.
That rank title in front of her name wasn’t given lightly.
In a world where hiding your past was basic survival, few could carry such a badge.
A tyrant that even the higher-ups couldn’t touch, a king of the hierarchy… no, a queen. That was her.
“Th-that…”
“Ugh, what kind of idiot barged in here and started acting like he’s reporting? Hey, go get her.”
“I-I understand…!”
Lee Jeonghui startled and stepped back. Her eyes, coldly fixed on the slammed door, turned toward me.
“Hey.”
“Superhuman Seo Harang.”
“Hey.”
“Superhuman Seo Harang.”
Hey, hey, hey.
After three calls, I answered three times with my rank and name.
“Don’t newbies knock when they come in anymore? And they don’t even ask for check-out when they leave? Plus they come straight here, ignoring the other barracks. What do you think about that?”
“Superhuman Seo Harang. I think you’ve gone crazy.”
“Right? Our Harang really does understand the words of seniors.”
Han Jihye slinked over like a cat, approaching me.
Large frame, slouchy house clothes, hair hanging loosely without any care. She wasn’t just pretty to look at; she was a total delinquent with a personality to match.
And that delinquent had her eyes set on me.
I wanted to cry.
Damn it. Being a woman already felt wrong, and now I was getting picked on by a delinquent. Life was nothing but suffering.
“Newbies these days are all messed up, yet the unni has to come out herself? What do you think about that?”
“I think the energy you’re using to move that body is wasted.”
“Pffahah! Our Harang has real sense! Haha, hilarious. Then, Harang, please?”
“Understood.”
Ah, damn it. I really stepped in it.
I fixed my posture and slipped on my slippers.
“Hey, Harang.”
“Superhuman Seo Harang.”
“Can you even wear slippers as a junior? You should wear active shoes!”
“Understood.”
Kim Heejin, sitting across from Han Jihye, spoke in that ambiguous dialect.
Really, I had stepped in it. Well, it was an unavoidable flow, but blaming the cruel fate still helped a little with the irritation.
I slipped on the active shoes. I couldn’t crumple them. It was beyond even what a newly minted Superhuman could handle.
I stepped outside and searched for Lee Jeonghui. Her small build should have made her easy to spot—except she was nowhere to be seen.
Could she have gone there?
I turned and headed behind the barracks. A spot the higher-ups rarely checked.
And there was Lee Jeonghui.
Only, I couldn’t easily approach because the other barracks’ seniors were with her.
Lee Jeonghui was crying. Well, it was an unwritten rule that at least one of the Awakeners living here cried every day.
‘It looks like they’re handling it themselves over there.’
There was nothing I could do if I joined them. That was just how it was for juniors.
‘Why the hell am I even getting involved in another barracks’ business in the first place?’
Living in the barracks with the tyrant delinquent king was tough enough.
When I returned to the barracks, Han Jihye was already lying in her spot and gave me a quick glance.
“Where were you?”
“I was explaining the rules to the new recruit.”
“Huh? Why?”
Why? You yourself told me to do it.
“Th-that was because the Hero Han Jihye asked me to…”
“Hey.”
Now what’s this for? I’m seriously pissed!
Inside I was screaming, but my face stayed poker-straight. That was the survival strategy here, in this barracks.
“Superhuman Seo Harang.”
“How many times do I have to tell you not to put that ‘true-blue’ thing in front of my name?”
Aigoo! This is my mistake! I’ve already said it twice and forgot!
But what could I do? If I stay tense here, I’ll forget almost everything.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, yeah, at least you quickly said sorry. Since you’re our Harang, unni’s overlooking it. Right?”
“That’s right.”
“Huh? You just say you understand? Who am I? Harang?”
Jihye unni.
I had told her to call me that.
I was twenty-one and she was twenty-two, so it was the right word.
But it irritated me! If I said it like that, I’d lose! The word “unni” just wouldn’t stick to my lips!
Outside I was a woman, but inside I still had the heart of a beast. I didn’t want to say it out loud, or else it would feel like I was admitting defeat.
…Even if I did muster that pride, it would be pointless.
“Jihye unni.”
“That’s it~ Our Harang! You really get it? And you’re so perceptive, huh? That’s why I like our Harang.”
Han Jihye tied her long hair and came over, lightly tapping my hip.
Damn it! For real!
…I had heard that newcomers got a foul mouth after transferring into the unit, and I was now feeling that truth deep down.
“So? Harang? What was unni about to ask?”
“…”
I almost said “I don’t know.”
That sentence was out of place here. The moment I spoke it, I would get “So does that mean the Awakener life ends?” and Han Jihye’s displeasure combo.
And besides, I didn’t really know the answer. How could I understand the inner thoughts of a Hero when I barely understood even regular people’s? Even my fellow junior, Kim Heejin, didn’t know.
“Huh? Harang? Unni is waiting right now… If we keep going like this, time will run out. Huh?”
I had to answer! Anything at all!
“I think you were asking me to prepare for deployment.”
I blurted out the rising words. If I let them filter and anger her, it would be all over.
“You didn’t even think and just spat it out?”
Damn it! This one was wrong too!
My tongue, full of the world’s injustice, sadness, and anger, flicked out. To wet my parched lips.
“Harang, you know unni’s personality, right? Unni likes the serious stuff more than just spitting it out.”
How would I know! I don’t! I don’t know!
I waved my arms inside like a tantrum child. Of course I didn’t show it on the outside either.
“But our Harang doesn’t understand that unni’s heart and…
She came closer. Even with her hair tied in one bundle, she looked incredibly beautiful.
Except for the delinquent part, her looks were jaw-dropping. Well, everyone here was in that category anyway.
Still, if you’re pretty, you’re forgiven, right? No! If I stay with these people for just a few days, that thought will vanish!
…That was the excuse I gave, hoping it wasn’t because I had become a woman.
“Like this, huh? And you even have eyes that look like you’re seducing unni. Right?”
“No.”
“No? Did I mishear?”
Han Jihye tilted her head.
Even after changing into a woman, my eyes had become like this—what could I do! I was really pissed! Honestly!
But I couldn’t voice a personal opinion. The king’s words were absolute truth.
“…Correct.”
“Sigh… So the junior I raised is useless… And here you are, seducing unni like this. Do you do exercise during your personal maintenance time?”
Han Jihye lightly grabbed my wrist.
“Superhuman Seo Harang. That’s right. Because you’re an Awakener who moves with your body.”
It seemed she had given up on arguing about the “moves with the body” part. Lucky. It ended here.
“Sigh. What else could I say. Hey.”
The sight of all the living quarters—except the senior members—calling out their ranks and names. I witnessed the crazy power that came with seniority. Truly, I would never want this.
“Let’s go. You said a monster appeared.”
It did. Fifteen minutes ago.
Fifteen minutes was enough time to boil five cups of instant ramen separately.
Assuming it was a medium-tier monster, that time could either wipe out an entire neighborhood or have another unit take it down. One of the two.
“Echa.”
Yet this relaxed movement. Even though I knew it, I grumbled while putting on the gear.
I knew, but no one could say anything.
Our unit was an independent one outside the higher-ups’ gaze, and most of the Awakeners gathered here were strong enough to allow that kind of leeway.
“All right! Let’s go!”
Han Jihye, who had roughly slung the gear over her shoulder, tried to put her arm around me.
“Ah damn it! Hey!”
“Superhuman Seo Harang.”
“Do it properly on your own! Huh? You’re extending your arm? Then you have to lower your height! Explain so I understand?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry and the Awakener life ends? That means from now on you don’t have to be told even if you mess up.”
“Understood.”
Life is impermanent. Even now, hearing such words didn’t bother me.
I bent my waist, and Han Jihye draped her arm over my shoulder.
“Let’s finish quickly.”
Her eyes had gone serious, the opposite of the lazy slump in the nap earlier. It was clear she wanted to finish and rest—Han Jihye was pouring that desire through her whole body,
—Kwoong...
“Eh, I’m tired.”
It really ended in an instant.
The situation where other units had been barely scraping by was over in one go.
Her personality was ridiculous, but her skill was real. She hadn’t been promoted to Hero for nothing.
“Ah.”
Staring at the fallen bodies, a vehicle with sirens came speeding toward us. It was the dedicated unit that handled monster corpses.
We were the ones who brought them down, so we didn’t need to touch them further. Still, to clear this huge pile of trash, it would probably take half a day… or maybe a full day.
“Hey, Harang.”
Just as I was about to speak, her voice came from behind. It was Kim Heejin’s voice.
“Superhuman Seo Harang.”
“What is it? Don’t tell me you’re here to help with the corpse disposal or something? Please, hope not. If you do that kind of thing, that human won’t leave you alone?”
I looked at Han Jihye. It was true. She was watching me with wide eyes, waiting to see exactly what I would do.
“I’m sorry. I was just standing there. I was thinking about how Han Jihye… Jihye unni and Kim Heejin Superhuman are fighting.”
“Where did the service discipline go?”
Ah.
“Go wash up, then come to the smoking area alone.”
“Understood.”
Even with the signal to go, my mind was still floating.
Damn it. One slip of the tongue and I was getting scolded again. They said the service discipline was disappearing lately.
I looked up at the situation that had twisted itself. The sky was really clear. No one was around.