Bark for Me (1)
Yeah, yeah... Having a rookie like Kang Mirae join our team isn't all bad news. Honestly, E-class awakeners aren't exactly my favorite, but that's only when they're strutting around like they own the place just because they awakened. Once they're under my wing, the story changes. 'I don't hate my own kids, after all.'
Just look at my current team members. Excluding me, they're all muscleheads who can't even spark a flame with magic—only their physical abilities surpass ordinary humans. So what if the new kid's skills are a bit lacking? If she's family, I'll feed her well and straighten her out with a firm scolding whenever she steps out of line. That's all it takes to make her useful.
That's why they call me Big Mama around here. It isn't just because my initials are B.M.M. I look after everyone like a mother, but if they don't listen, I deliver a back-smacking correction. That's how the nickname stuck.
I thought I was steadily building the team and carving out a solid position within the Association. So why the sudden transfer order?
"..."
I set my teacup down on the plush sofa and asked in the calmest, most refined voice I could manage. "So... why exactly do I have to move from Team 4 to Team 1—the demi-human specialist unit?"
Look at me now. Normally I wore whatever was comfortable for operations or combat uniforms, but today's summons forced me to dig out a suit from the back of my closet. A tight H-line skirt that clung to every curve, paired with black pantyhose, all so I could present myself before the Association's lofty executives.
Part of me wanted to cross my legs, slouch, and snap, "Are you kidding me right now?" But I held back. 'Patience, Myungmin. Right now you're the delicate, tragic heroine mode.' Crossing my legs would ruin that pristine image. I swallowed my boiling temper and only wiggled my toes inside my shoes where no one could see.
"If I've said or done something wrong, please tell me. I'll fix it."
I tried to sound as gentle as possible, yet the HR team leader sitting across from me was sweating bullets like a rabbit facing a tiger. He kept dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief, looking flustered.
"No, it's not that we think Charon—er, Myungmin-ssi—is incapable... Your abilities are outstanding and your reputation is excellent, so..."
"Then why move me out of a perfectly fine team?"
"Well... haha... The new medic who's joining specifically requested to be assigned to the demi-human division..."
My hand, elegantly lifting the coffee cup, froze midair at his words.
"...Excuse me?"
I asked again, but the answer didn't change.
"The new medic... requested to work in Team 1."
"..."
What kind of nonsense was this? A healer was already sitting right here, yet they were shoving me into another team just because some random new medic said, "I want to go there!"
'What kind of ridiculous personnel move is this?' I'd heard the saying about a rolling stone dislodging the one in place, but this was more like yanking the embedded stone out and hurling it into the mountains. I was speechless. Anger surged to my throat, but I swallowed it down. I needed to hear the full, brilliant excuse first.
I forced a smile and stared at him. "Please... continue."
"I know you're a healer, Myungmin-ssi. But you can't heal yourself, right? Team 1 is getting a dedicated medic, so your survival rate would be much higher there..."
As the HR leader rambled on, avoiding my eyes, I let out a dry laugh and countered evenly. "Team Leader, sorry to interrupt, but your logic is flawed. If you're worried about my survival rate, wouldn't staying in Team 4 be far safer? Why force me into an unfamiliar team to start over?"
"No, that's... I mean..."
He stumbled, smacked his lips, then finally loosened his tie in frustration and blurted out the truth. "Ah, forget it. Fine, I'll be honest. They wanted to move you to the demi-human division because your face sells well. Does that explanation work for you?"
"..."
He could've just said that from the start instead of going on about survival rates. I pressed my throbbing temples with my index fingers. Annoyance bubbled up, but frowning would create wrinkles. 'Wrinkles are a beauty's enemy... wrinkles are a beauty's enemy...' I desperately controlled my facial muscles to stay serene and summarized the situation.
So, to put it simply: demi-humans now outnumbered foreign workers in Korea. To manage and control them, they needed someone with public recognition and decent looks—me—as the poster child. That was the gist.
'Well... I can accept that.' Being sold for my face felt odd, but at least my value was acknowledged.
"Fine. I understand you need my face. What about the new medic? Why did she specifically apply for Team 1?"
"Haha... Looking at her resume, she grew up in a district where demi-humans live. That's probably why her goal is so clear—she wants to save demi-humans."
"Huh..."
How romantic. Volunteering to join just to save demi-humans.
"So you wanted to send her to Team 1, and Team 1 needed a new face. Perfect timing, so you sent me there too?"
"You got it exactly right."
The HR leader's expression brightened now that we were on the same page. He opened a desk drawer and slid a thick envelope toward me.
"In return, we'll definitely raise your pay. Danger allowance, position allowance, even appearance maintenance fees. I packed it generously."
Judging the envelope's thickness by eye, the scales in my heart tipped sharply. In a capitalist society, nothing beats financial therapy as a painkiller.
"Higher pay is nice, but... will Team 1 even accept me? They already seem scared of my sharp tongue."
Honestly, that was my biggest concern.
"Come on... Who in the Association's Mobile Rescue Team dislikes Big Mama?"
"Liar."
"It's true. And I'll even give you a team leader badge this time, so get along well with the new medic, okay?"
He smiled kindly and placed a team leader insignia on top of the money envelope. Money, power, and an unavoidable Association order. Storming out would only leave me with resignation and unemployment. At my age and with my looks, I couldn't afford to become a jobless bum.
"Haa..."
I tucked the envelope into my handbag and stood up. "I guess I have no choice. Then..."
"Of course! Thank you, Myungmin-ssi!"
And just like that, I found myself—half reluctantly, half by force—becoming the new leader of Team 1, where the rookie medic and the demi-humans awaited.
'Well, becoming the leader of an idol rescue team isn't so bad either.'
Thinking about it, it wasn't a losing deal. Not all of Team 1 were fluffy, furry types. I'd heard plenty of them were model-like in appearance, especially the handsome ones. Though Team 1 was a dangerous unit with frequent combat, it was also the Association's flagship division, promoted under the grand banner of human-demi-human harmony.
'But why did the previous team leader insist on moving to Team 4?'
The wolf-eared guy who led Team 1—why would he kick away the center spot in an idol group and head to Team 4, full of sweaty muscleheads?
'Unique taste. Maybe he's into that?'
Well, I'd find out later over drinks under the pretext of handover. I pushed aside the complicated thoughts and decided to deal with the immediate reality. First, I needed to meet the Team 1 members who would soon be my kids—and the rookie who was the main culprit behind dragging me here.
"Then I'll meet the new recruit first. I should take her to the PX and buy her a gun."
The HR leader burst out laughing at my words. "Puhaha~ What era are you from? Kids these days won't get that joke."
"Why not? I like classic and vintage things."
"She's probably right outside the door, listening nervously. Anyway, take good care of her."
The HR leader and the other executives chuckled as they rose. I gave them a light bow and slipped out of the conference room like an escapee. The moment I stepped through the opposite door, I had no choice but to stop short.
"..."
Because our little rookie was standing right there, pressed against the door. She looked up at me with sparkling eyes, like a baby bird waiting for its mother—or a puppy waiting for its owner. In person, she looked far younger than her SNS profile picture.
"So you're the one? The one who boldly sent me a friend request on SNS."
When I asked in a slightly stern voice, she flinched and shouted in a disciplined tone. "Yes? Ah, yes! New medic for Team 1, Kang Mirae! My code name is... ah, I don't have one yet!"
Her voice was bright and cheerful. If she had dog ears and a tail, they'd probably be perked up with her tail spinning like a helicopter propeller right now.
'What a shame.' Her personality and behavior were exactly like a puppy's, yet she was just a plain human. Ears and a tail would've earned her full cuteness points.
Setting the regret aside, I gestured to her, eager to get out of this uncomfortable suit. "First, I need to change clothes, so let's go to my private room."
"Yes! Understood, sunbae-nim!"
She followed closely behind me, answering energetically.
"Sunbae-nim...?"
I walked ahead and chuckled. 'Sunbae-nim, huh. That sounds nice.' Every guy who'd called me that before had ended up screaming "Mom!" instead during operations or training after receiving my healing. 'Well, enjoy it while you can.' Soon enough, you'd be begging for your mom too.