The 38th Special Awakener Unit's Yuri Conquest Begins – Day 15

On the way to the cafeteria, Jeong Seung-a cast a glance toward the Situation Room.

"Huh? What's that?"

"What's the matter?"

"There's a crowd gathered? In front of the Situation Room?"

"Huh? No way that could be..."

It was real.

In front of the Situation Room—always so deserted a ghost could drift past unnoticed—people were thronging.

"Even the senior ranks are there?"

"That really doesn't make any sense..."

It was real.

The senior ranks, who never bothered moving themselves even when they had business, had all crowded in. I could see our own barracks seniors mixed among them.

What could possibly draw interest from seniors and juniors alike like this? There was no need to think too deeply.

"Isn't it that?"

"Huh?"

"The thing about dividing roles by barracks? Looks like the results are posted. Just my guess, though."

"Ah! That must be it! Harang, you're so smart—!"

Jeong Seung-a marveled and set her hand on my head.

Then a gentle pat-pat. The fact that she was stroking the head of someone taller than herself made it clear the gesture was sincere.

Receiving the hand that trailed through my hair, I thought,

Huh? Wait... maybe I actually am smart?

Holding onto that slightly raised nose, I took a spot behind the gathered crowd.

One way or another, people who would draw eyes without even realizing it had assembled. A grand spectacle. A magnificent view.

The multicolored hair should have been eye-straining, yet somehow it wasn't.

It even seemed to smell nice.

"Harang, what shampoo do you use?"

Jeong Seung-a asked as she pulled her face away from my hair. When had she been smelling it? A little embarrassing.

"Shampoo? Uh... just the one I bought from the commissary over there. It's cheap."

"Ah... interesting. The scent is really good."

"Isn't it just a normal smell?"

"No. Combined with your natural scent, it feels quite different. I really like it."

Listening to Jeong Seung-a's leisurely words, I thought,

Huh? Wait... maybe I actually smell good?

I casually brought my wrist to my nose. I sniffed the sleeve and the skin underneath, but no particular scent came out.

She hadn't said it was bad, so it should be fine.

Self-care had always been a world far removed from me. Working full-time physical labor jobs and sweating buckets—what self-care? Caring about that would have been weirder, right? Though things were a bit different now.

I'd think about that later. For now I examined the posted notice.

Even so, being on the taller side in this unit, if I just lifted my feet and chin a little I could see over the heads.

"Hey, lower your head a bit."

"Superhuman Seo Harang, understood."

But the world wouldn't allow it.

At the words of a senior from another barracks who appeared late like some protagonist, I immediately squatted down.

"What? Still so many. Hey, Harang."

"Superhuman Seo Harang."

"What's written? You're taller than me."

And with Han Jihye's subsequent appearance, I raised my head again.

"Um... '38th Special Awakener Unit Reorganization'..."

"You're gonna read the whole thing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the start? That's ridiculous. Just pick out ours properly. Read only our barracks'."

"Understood. It says 1st Barracks has been assigned as the Rest Unit."

"What about our barracks?"

A senior next to us asked.

"Ask your own junior. Why ask our kids?"

"They're right next to me— Hero Han Jihye—"

"Ugh, you annoying bastard."

"Pwahahat!"

What was this? That familiarity? First time I'd seen someone not backing down against Han Jihye.

A bit of envy crept in. I wanted to stand on the senior side too and always show a leisurely face, not this position!

"So? What's our barracks?"

"Um... 2nd Barracks is Emergency Deployment. It says standby team that sorties when manpower is short."

"Oh, Harang, you knew which barracks I was in? Total ace, huh?"

Huh? Wait... maybe I really was an ace?

...I didn't fall for that delusion. But I felt a little good. Hearing praise from a senior of another barracks or whoever was a pleasant thing.

"This bastard's trying to steal our Harang right now."

"Ah— caught me?"

"Hey, not giving her."

At Han Jihye's completely unexpected words, a wave of emotion crashed over me like a tsunami.

Yes...! No matter how much she grills and picks on me, in the end we're comrades sharing the same barracks! Han Jihye, you too had warm red blood flowing!

"Moving barracks is a pain. Unpacking the locker is a pain too. If she leaves, the TO doesn't match either."

Correction. Cold blue blood was flowing. Not because she was reluctant to give me away, but because it was a hassle!

"So? What does the Rest Unit do? Just rest?"

"Doesn't seem so. Next to Rest it says Work."

"What does the Duty Unit do?"

"Um... it says they stand guard at the equipment warehouse or perimeter."

Hmm.

Interest beyond this didn't seem to stir.

We ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠didn't have anything more to see either, so we returned to the barracks.

Then the seniors who came in separately sat down one by one on the beds.

"Doesn't it seem a bit different from when they first divided the roles?"

"Seeing how they properly set the terms, looks like it'll continue like this."

"So what does telling us to rest mean we do?"

"Just do like when there's no sortie, right?"

"Just play around and get paid? Hell yeah?"

"It says we do work."

And they continued the discussion, tossing out one line each.

The conclusion reached was simple. Since they even attached the name Rest, we should rest, right?

But even if suddenly told to rest, what could we do? We were the ones who sprawled out comfortably whenever there was no sortie to begin with.

Just as everyone was familiarly crawling onto their beds to pull out their phones—

Ah, so this is how it works. From specifically designating the barracks, it seemed the remaining personnel were free to rest on their own.

I was feeling relieved at escaping the "if you think it's you, get up and run!" kind of thing when the broadcast came on again right away.

Click.

Even the Duty Unit was called.

"Go work your asses off—"

"Hmm..."

"What? Seo Harang, you got something you want to say?"

"Ah, Superhuman Kim Heejin. It's nothing."

"You know it pisses me off more when you dodge like that and I ask later? Just say it now?"

"I'm curious what exactly standing guard entails."

At the words to ask now instead of later, I quickly brought up my curiosity.

"Ah, you've never stood guard even once?"

"That's right."

"Your luck's weirdly good in this direction too? Well... come out for a sec."

Kim Heejin dragged me out and pointed to the warehouse in the distance.

"See that next to the warehouse? The guard post?"

"Ah, I see it."

"You stay in there with a senior for four hours."

"...Is that hell?"

"Huh?"

"For me, hell is synonymous with heaven."

Realizing my slip of the tongue, I immediately corrected it.

Hell is heaven. Even though I said it, it seemed like a pretty decent line.

"What are you talking about?"

Apparently not.

"If it's synonymous to begin with, the meanings are different. Doesn't that mean nothing changed from what you said?"

Oh crap! I mixed up the word meanings! I should have said homophone here!

"Anyway... ah, right. Seo Harang."

As if setting that matter aside for now, Kim Heejin, who had been looking at me, hesitated a moment as if this was the main point and spoke.

Knowing she wasn't the type to do this, I felt a bit tense along with her.

"You gonna do physical training?"

"Physical training? The unit-mandated..."

"Not that. The personal one. The one you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠squeeze in time for."

"Ah, that?"

She seemed to be asking about the one I did separately in the Physical Training Room. Since few people used it, I exercised feeling like I'd rented the place out.

Honestly I didn't feel a meaningful difference in muscle strength, but I believed the fact that I moved my body in advance was why I achieved meaningful results in the duel with Ji Yuna.

"I do that every day. Two hours each."

"Yeah, that. Can I ask you one favor?"

"A favor?"

"Of course you don't really have the right to refuse, but."

"Ah."

"Just kidding, you idiot. You can say no if you don't want to. I don't plan on grinding hard even during rest time either."

Kim Heejin was strict, but not the type to bind people that tightly. Something I had only learned recently.

"Let's do it together during your physical training time."

"...Together, you mean?"

"You hate it?"

Who would dare say they hated it. I didn't hate it to begin with.

Separate from the awkwardness, physical training was better done together.

But there was one thing I was a bit curious about.

"Is there a reason for doing it with me?"

"Is it okay to ask a senior for reasons?"

"No..."

"Why the long face again. Because you seem to train the most diligently in our unit. The other bitches couldn't last long even if we said we'd do it together."

"Ah... I'm fine with it."

"Seems like you're sulking?"

"I really am fine with it."

"If you're fine, show it a bit. Don't always act like you have no thoughts."

"Yippee! Awesome!"

I clenched my fists and hopped in place. Even though it was a jump with the Awakener-specific leg strength maximally restrained, I bounced up like a certain plumber with a boing.

"Yeah, now you look good."

Her expression didn't look good at all, but her voice was calm.

"It's not just that I'm gonna work you—I'll help with what I can help with too."

"You were thinking of working me?"

"Talking too much?"

Oh crap! I quickly shut my mouth, and Kim Heejin nodded.

"Yeah. I was gonna make you do some cleanup and stuff."

Aha! So that was the reason? Being told coolly was actually nice.

"Anyway, not saying we start together today. Just, well..."

Scratching her head awkwardly, Kim Heejin continued in a small voice.

"...I don't really have memories of us talking separately, so I called you thinking we could get reasonably close this chance. Why, you got a problem?"

"No, no. I'm fine with it. Talking like this with Superhuman Kim Heejin."

"You answer so prettily."

A promise with Kim Heejin was made. I felt gratitude that a senior who had been a bit uncomfortable spoke first.

"So starting tomorrow..."

—Bzzzt...

Besides that, the phone vibration reached the ear of Kim Heejin who was about to say something.

"Ah, sorry."

"It's fine. I was just gonna say let's do well since we'll exercise together starting tomorrow."

"Understood."

After watching Kim Heejin go into the barracks first, I pulled out my phone.

The single-character word Poop greeted me. It meant little sister.

When I saved it under this name, it was the age where just hearing the words poop or pee would make her giggle hysterically.

Now it wasn't particularly funny. Rather, only a sense of rejection.

More than that, I thought I should answer the call soon. I wondered if my little sister had come to her senses appropriately by now.

I answered the phone.

You called first!

The number should be saved as mine to begin with!

Unfair!