Would Double Be Enough?
Bones introduced herself in a calm voice as she looked at us.
I answered with deep, simmering anger.
"An interview, you say… Looking at what just happened, calling it a mere interview seems like a stretch. Even setting ourselves aside—going this far against a civilian? Don't you think you've gone too far?"
"There was no other way to measure your abilities. This isn't ordinary work. We're talking about protecting human lives—the life of someone important, no less. We couldn't entrust a job like that to incompetent fools who couldn't even pass a test of this level."
"Kh…"
"Besides, we'd already eliminated any real possibility of someone dying. Even if you'd made a mistake, the person behind you wouldn't have been harmed in the slightest."
"…"
Bones spoke with complete composure even after pulling a stunt like this. I clicked my tongue, but I couldn't fully unleash my rage.
The biggest reason was Sooyoung's grip on my arm right now. I knew it was her silent signal to hold back and let it go. I couldn't ignore her restraint—not when it was her of all people.
And another reason was the nature of the work I was doing now. It was tied to my status as a Black Hunter.
I'd chosen what I considered relatively tame work, but this job was still unmistakably Black Hunter business. A world where pointing guns at people and taking lives was routine—a floor that could never be called clean. No matter how you dressed it up, this was a world built on violence, blood, and death, where contracts were made and money was earned on that foundation. Expecting ordinary common sense from a place like this was, of course, unreasonable.
And so, just as I was once again realizing that I was no longer a soldier—that I was now an adjutant leading Black Hunters—Bones continued speaking in that same calm tone as she looked at me.
"In any case, through this we've thoroughly confirmed both of your abilities. Just as we'd heard, you possess quite useful skills. From an interviewer's standpoint, I'll give you a passing grade."
A pass notification that, unlike usual, brought little joy. Hearing it, I suppressed my seething emotions as best I could and opened my mouth in a measured voice.
"Well… thank you for that. Regardless, I appreciate you looking favorably on our abilities."
Deep down, I wanted to smash that bitch's face in right then and there for pulling this stunt. But lashing out with clumsy anger in a situation like this was absolutely not a good move.
The other party was clearly in a position of power, backed by corporate authority and capital. Unlike the past, years of war had strengthened corporations and the government considerably, and sensitivity to individual human rights and abuse of power had dropped significantly. Taking something like this to court would almost certainly be useless—nearly a hundred percent. They knew that too, which was why she could maintain that brazen attitude.
On top of that, once we'd requested the job and applied through the site, backing out would leave a permanent mark on our record. Pulling out now was genuinely difficult. Responding emotionally in this situation would be foolish. In the worst case, not just us but Sooyoung could be put in danger. Expressing anger carried far too much risk.
What was needed here was cold composure. Thinking within the framework of reason, while simultaneously extracting the maximum benefit I could—that was the correct answer.
And decisively—the person who could essentially be called the biggest victim in this situation, Sooyoung, was gripping my hand tightly, continuing to convey that I shouldn't act rashly. An action that carried the meaning: she was fine, so please just quietly go along with it.
At that, I automatically felt my brow furrow slightly.
No… you told me not to hold back, and now you're the one saying you'll endure this? You're really far too soft-hearted…
The person who'd suffered the most was saying she was fine. From my position, I couldn't easily overturn that, and so I had no choice but to move past this situation—one where I had plenty I wanted to say—the way Sooyoung wanted.
Following her wishes, as I was forcibly suppressing my emotions, Bones continued speaking.
"Very well. In that case, we'll formally enter into a contract and hire you. Once we've cleaned things up a bit, we'll go straight to the contract…"
"However, there are conditions."
The next moment, I cut her off at the perfect timing. This was the moment when the other party had acknowledged our abilities and brought up the contract. In other words, the timing when they'd just picked up the product called "us." A product once picked up isn't easy to put back down, and I knew that right now was the optimal moment to strike a deal.
Based on that fact, I spoke to Bones in a firm voice.
"No matter that we're Black Hunters, conducting an operation without any prior notice was clearly your side's fault. Involving a civilian as well was an act that went beyond the pale. I demand just compensation for that."
"Compensation… go ahead and state your terms."
Bones looked at me and spoke without any sign of fluster—more than I'd expected. Her attitude left me slightly taken aback, but separately from that, I continued in a calm voice toward her, who seemed willing to engage with the deal.
"First, I request material and emotional compensation for the civilian who was caught up in this through no fault of her own. For this shop that's been wrecked, of course, plus additional damages."
"Of course. We'll do that. That was our intention from the start."
She answered without the slightest hesitation. Given that this was something that could, if one so chose, be dragged into a lawsuit and even criminal charges, it was perhaps only natural.
And then I moved on to what was essentially the main point.
"And second. From our perspective, we were subjected to an unexpected background investigation, and just now someone precious to us was threatened. Whatever the reason, the fact that your side attacked us is clear. I demand an apology along with just compensation for that."
In other words, raise the contract fee. Of course, the amount we were already set to receive was four hundred million—relatively generous compared to other places—but given what we'd been through, requesting a raise seemed entirely reasonable.
To that demand of mine, she answered in a serious voice.
"I understand. Even if it was a test, we should apologize for that part. In that case… as a show of apology, shall we raise the contract fee to double the current amount—eight hundred million?"
"…From a cost standpoint alone, that would do. But before that…?"
"…"
Before I'd even finished speaking, the woman stood right in front of me—more precisely, right in front of Sooyoung. Then she bowed her head with complete formality, not a trace of lightness in her manner.
"I apologize. In the course of carrying out this matter, I committed a discourtesy. Please forgive me."
"No… it's fine. Something like this…"
"…Haa."
I'd expected it to some degree, but Sooyoung—perhaps because she was simply too kind—forgave her far too easily. With the biggest victim accepting the apology, I had no choice but to let go of my emotions.
Watching this, I somehow felt as though this entire situation might have been something this woman had predicted—but I soon had to dismiss that thought. Setting aside the fact that a corporate type who basically carried an arrogant attitude toward ordinary people had openly bowed her head like this—no matter how much money they had, there was no reason to deliberately spend even more to get the job done.
But somehow… it feels like there's something more. What on earth could it be?
I had my suspicions, but with my current knowledge, I couldn't figure it out.
Once the situation had roughly settled, Bones looked at us and spoke in a polite voice.
"Then once again… I'd like to congratulate you on passing the interview. As I mentioned, we will thoroughly compensate for everything that occurred here, so please don't worry on that account."
"Yes… I'd appreciate it if you made absolutely sure there are no oversights on that front."
"Of course. Then first, we'll begin with a simple cleanup."
With that, she pulled out her phone again and quickly sent a text. Right after, a group of men in suits—appearing from who knows where—entered the café and began rapidly cleaning up the surroundings. With machine-like movements, they cleanly removed the broken glass shards from the floor and cleared away the scattered furniture and tableware. Some of them even brought glass panels they'd apparently prepared in advance and began instantly repairing the shattered sections.
About twenty minutes later, aside from a few pieces of broken furniture that were missing, the café interior had been restored to a surprisingly clean state. I felt considerable surprise at how much faster the cleanup had gone than expected, and then Bones sat down and looked at me and Irae as she spoke.
"We'll bring in better furniture later to replace what was damaged. Now then, I'll explain the contract in more detail. Please come and sit."
At Bones's words, the two of us took seats across from her for now. Then Sooyoung and Ran said they'd give us space and went upstairs.
Right after, Bones maintained that same calm expression as she signaled for the people who'd finished their work to withdraw. Then she began pulling out documents with something written on them and placing them in front of us.
"First, this is the formal employment contract, and this is a briefing document containing a rough outline of the commission. Please review them and sign."
Following Bones's words, the two of us began reviewing the contents. Among the various details in the documents, there were no particularly problematic clauses, and the commission itself—aside from the fine print—was quite simple and clear.
During the art exhibition, protect the "Chairman" in question safely at the very front lines of the camp. Beyond that, as employees we'd have to run various errands, but that was only natural and nothing to be particularly concerned about.
The one thing that bothered me, though… was that the documents unexpectedly contained quite detailed compensation records for this "interview" process.
This… no matter how I look at it, the whole thing was planned from start to finish… This Chairman guy—I don't know who he is, but he's clearly a thoroughly meticulous person.
And so, with mixed feelings of displeasure, we signed the contracts, and watching us, Bones began to show a noticeably relieved expression.