First Mission (5)
"First."
I snapped the notebook shut with a sharp thwack. Kang A-ram, sitting on the edge of the bed, flinched visibly. Oh no. She'd passed out from hemophobia and only just woken up—she must be terrified. I should ease her tension a bit. Give her a warm smile.
But there was an unexpected snag.
My mouth won't cooperate.
After a whole day of sharp glares, angry scowls, and icy detachment, I'd lost the muscle memory for a natural smile. Like this? Lift the corners...?}
I tested it out uncertainly.
"I'll inform you of some revisions regarding your termination."
The firing was off the table. Sure, overruling President Seol's orders was terrifying, but for a top-grade airbag worth keeping until retirement...!
I'll hug my Porling back home and brainstorm excuses she'll nod along to.
Plus, Kang A-ram seemed like a good person. She was using polite speech with me, a total stranger. Yes, indeed. Good folks are so hard to find these days. I wanted to trust people without hesitation, but this cold modern world kept breeding doubts... Resolving to treat her right if we ended up working together, I flashed what I hoped was a bright grin.
"Ah..."
?
But A-ram's reaction was odd. Her dazed eyes suddenly sparkled clear.
Did she have some vision-based ability? No.
Plop. Plop.
"Uuu... I'm sorry! I have a sick little sister waiting for me at home! Please don't kill me, eungheongheongheong..."
"......"
Tears welled up in her doe-like eyes, trickling down her cheeks in fat drops. Then A-ram...
"Euheuhheuk..."
This is driving me nuts.
She buried her face in the bedsheets, sobbing silently. As if worried I'd snap at any noise and do something rash, she wept without a sound—stabbing straight at the heart of this soft-hearted Chungcheong cotton-candy Seo Han-gyeol.
Come to think of it, I was weak to kids, women, and good people. And Kang A-ram checked all three boxes.
Critical hit! x3!
No helping it. Even if it meant getting pulverized by the president, I wanted to look after this girl. I shot to my feet and strode to her bedside.
"Kang A-ram. First, be assured I have no intention of harming you. I'm here with a proposal. Whatever you decide after hearing it, I'll fully respect."
"Uu... Yes?"
A-ram peeked up through chicken-tear eyes. She was stunningly pretty. True beauties shine in any situation.
Shaking off stray thoughts, I pressed on. My facial muscles were loosening up now. Smiling more naturally, I shoved my tablet under her nose.
"Th-this is...?"
The fear in her eyes shifted to confusion, then shock. Perfect! Great vibe!
At this rate, top-tier airbag secured + one good colleague unlocked! Riding the momentum, I recalled a psychology class from college. To build trust, maintain eye contact, right?
I met her gaze with a smile.
One second. Two. Three.
Right on the line between pressure and kindness, I cut straight to it.
"You were indeed terminated from Nebula's field team. But you still have a chance."
"A ch-chance?"
Light returned to her eyes as she stared at the screen. Her lips trembled—probably thinking of her sister. Despite their tight finances, she'd held on this long thanks to Nebula's generous pay and benefits. She'd want to stay if possible.
I want out, but anyway!
Desperately suppressing my true goal of "Make a cotton-candy friend at Nebula☆", I said coolly,
"The Secretary's Office is isolated from all other Nebula divisions. In the name of the Chief Secretary, I'll hire you myself."
"Hire me?!"
"Yes. Salary and benefits exactly as shown."
Her mouth fell open. Maybe guilt pricked me for peeking at her personnel file via secretary privileges, but I rationalized it as win-win.
I get a friend. She gets cash and perks.
Creation economics.
"Most of your income goes to family medical bills. By adjusting other benefits, treatment at a Nebula-affiliated hospital can cover up to 65% of inpatient costs. I'll also pre-approve three half-day leaves per quarter. Last-minute reports climbing the chain are inefficient. If you join the Secretary's Office, your rank stays 7th-grade hunter, but protocol and pay will match 5th-grade."
"Wh-why go this far...!"
A-ram stared blankly at the tablet, incredulous. I stiffened my sagging expression.
Of course. Top personality, top skills, guaranteed to hit 4th-grade later!
I'd maxed out every perk I could while she was out. A tailor-made Seo Han-gyeol welcome-to-Secretary's-Office package.
To the teary-eyed A-ram, I declared firmly,
"Simple."
I need insurance too...
"It's the efficient choice."
"I-I'm just a 7th-grade hunter. My regular checkup rated growth potential 8th-grade."
She confessed glumly. Question marks exploded over my head.
What the hell?
The scanner must be broken. Questioning a future 4th-grader like that? Insulting my future airbag/office buddy/network lifeline?
I grabbed her slumping shoulders.
Whoops.
"!!!"
Aaah, mistake! A-ram whipped around, eyes wide. Panic surged, but my brain raced. I'd let emotion slip—just like seeing a street bum snatch my winning lottery ticket...
Screw it, go all in! I hardened my gaze.
"Growth potential 8th-grade, you say? Kang A-ram—no, Hunter Kang A-ram."
"...Yes!"
"Do you think some routine scan outshines my judgment?"
Actually, yeah, it might. Machines glitch sometimes...
"!!!"
"I don't create losses or polish trash. I see only the present—and the future. And in my eyes..."
Riding the flow, I leaned in and whispered by her ear.
"Eut!"
Good, she didn't seem offended. 7th-grade hunter perks. One kick from her in this state, and I'd be compound-fractured. Her face was a bit red, though.
Hot in here? Crank the AC on the way out.
Mental notepad updated, I finished the act.
"You look like severely undervalued human capital right now. I like it. I'll put you to use."
"Use me?"
"Naturally. Humans are tool-using animals. A modern person knows how to wield good tools. I consider myself modern."
"......"
A-ram stared silently. Her breathing seemed short, cheeks flushed—kinda weird. Maybe tell the infirmary to give her fever meds.
Wrapping up, I pulled a handkerchief from my breast pocket and offered it.
"The world can label you however. Even if everyone's right, if I say no, it's no. Join the Secretary's Office. Work for me there."
"For you..."
"The moment you sign that contract, you're my tool. No crying without my permission. No breaking without it. I won't allow it."
Ooh. Nailed that.
Channeling the ultimate psycho around me—President Seol—made the crazy lines flow like water. No wonder Confucius said there's always a teacher among three!
Shoulders squared with pride.
Meanwhile, A-ram...
"...Yes."
Dazed eyes, breath a touch quick, she slowly signed the tablet.
"I'll be your tool."
"I'll be your user."
'Become a tool'—just banter, right?
Who knew A-ram had top-tier humor? Never been an in-crowd type myself, but this felt like their vibe. I smiled at her.
Feels great.
Airbag get!
Like a plumber chowing green shrooms. Extra life feels this good.
"Ah."
Seo Han-gyeol—no, Secretary Seo—grinned fiercely before me. Cold reality sank in.
Wh-what did I just do?!
He'd offered the contract. She'd signed. From this moment, she was bound to this monster.
No escape. It should be horrific, heartbreaking...
"...Eut!"
Yet her heart pounded wildly. Death's terror mixed with life's thrill, fireworks exploding in her brain, dopamine warping her vision into something bizarre and exquisite.
Secretary Seo hired me. Overrode the company's firing.
...Why?
"Ah..."
Today, Kang A-ram finally felt like she belonged somewhere in this world.
Meanwhile, Seo Han-gyeol was just...
Wooohoo! Smooth sailing to safe retirement!