Prove and Show (1)

Seol Hwi is cruel. If "cruel" means she shows no mercy in her strikes, then yes, that's spot on.

"What was that? Begging for your life? Oh, no need to repeat it. You won't remember anyway."

"Broken things aren't fixed—they're thrown away. And you seem broken from the moment you were born."

Seol Hwi was cruel. Especially to so-called ordinary folk who failed to satisfy her aesthetic sensibilities, she was utterly merciless.

If her harshness stemmed from some sadistic urge, that might have been preferable. Unfortunately, Seol Hwi's demeanor was closer to utter indifference.

Here's another proposition: Seol Hwi is arrogant. That's wrong.

Many people, witnessing how she treated ordinary folk, unconsciously assumed she was arrogant. They're mistaken. She simply gave people the treatment they deserved.

To defective goods unworthy of her collection: disdain fit for trash. To rare items hiding their brilliance behind plain exteriors: sincere care. To masterpieces impossible to find even after scouring the world: utmost reverence.

Who doesn't discriminate between luxury and junk? The difference is that Seol Hwi's collections include sentient beings.

Nebula. The global mega-corporation dominating Korea and the world. And Seol Hwi's nest.

As the company grew, it inevitably hired more personnel, but all high-ranking executives were those who met Seol Hwi's aesthetic standards. She was always polite and generous with her prized possessions—more like a curator tending to artworks than genuine human respect. After all, wouldn't the collection's value plummet if a painstakingly gathered piece lost its spirit or pride?

To Seol Hwi, people were always just two things: rocks.

Or collectibles.

"Good morning, Chairman. I'll begin today's regular report."

Nebula's 99th floor. The president's office with a panoramic view of Seoul's skyline. Seol Hwi, lounging on the massive sofa, turned her gaze to one man: Seo Han-gyeol.

'Suit, tie, briefcase, glasses.'

Her personally selected—and sole—chief secretary. The extraordinary outlier she'd planted after uprooting the entire mold-ridden secretarial pool in her brief absence.

Through his clear glasses, his eyes stared back at her with the same impassive detachment as ever. Gazing at her reflection in his pupils, Seol Hwi suddenly wondered.

'Am I...'

Seeing him as a collectible?

It was hard to say. She was always the gracious queen to her treasures—preserving their value through meticulous care. Yet from their first meeting, she'd bared her unfiltered self and flaws to him without a second thought. And it hadn't even felt wrong.

Seol Hwi knew it. She felt no shame in her nature or demeanor, but to others, it must seem brutally cruel.

A 1st-grade hunter, transcending even superhumans to perceive the melody of causality flowing at the world's bedrock. At some point, she'd realized she had drifted far from ordinary human emotions and perceptions. Since then, she'd consciously played the part of normalcy.

But with Seo Han-gyeol, the moment she saw him, she'd instinctively thought:

'It's fine. He's not the type to find this strange.'

No evidence. No reason. No deliberation. Just the conclusion.

'So, do I see him as a rock, then?'

Seol Hwi shook her head inwardly.

'Absolutely not. If anyone touches Han-gyeol...'

His family, friends, lover—even the entire neighborhood he lived in.

'I'll crush them all.'

A scorching emotion, felt after so long since her perceptions warped as a 1st-grade hunter. Michelin three-star cuisine tasted like ash, top-shelf liquor worth millions like tap water—it was overly stimulating for her.

She admitted it. Seo Han-gyeol had burrowed too deep into her world. A fact now too embarrassing to deny.

* * *

......

Thirty minutes since entering the president's office. Thirty minutes of the chairman staring at me without a word.

I feel like nonexistent dandruff is flaking off and my liver's melting into a puddle. But still...

'Gotta do what needs doing!'

Hiding in my outwardly composed shell, I thought of A-ram.

I'd boasted yesterday that she could trust only me—can't turn into a total liar now!

Besides, Kang A-ram wasn't just anyone. She was a future 4th-grade hunter, a key story player destined to become an executive at the Hunter Association.

'If I leave things like this, she'll definitely think ill of me!'

About five years from now. Six at most. I could picture A-ram kicking down the secretarial office door, high-grade hunters in tow.

'Hey, Seo Han-gyeol. You dare pump me full of hot air and toss me like trash.'

'N-no, that's not—!'

'Save it. We're taking him.'

'Kwaaaang!'

'Heh heh heh. I'll make you sip iced coffee through your nose in the Hunter Association basement...'

No tragic futures for this guy! I steeled myself and spoke.

"First, I've completed Gwak Du-chil's termination procedures. Even a brief glance showed he's useless trash that brings no benefit to Nebula. It's the highest profit since I started."

"Profit, huh."

"Yes. Profit. By nipping in the bud any potential damage to Nebula's image down the line. Next, regarding Kang A-ram: she has recycling value, so I've brought her into the secretarial pool."

"...Hm."

A highly suspicious smile crept onto the chairman's lips. What? Where did I step on a landmine?

I racked my brain desperately. This wasn't some ordinary mine—it was a special anti-tank explosive that could vaporize a 100-ton Patton tank.

'I just bought Mikaru goods yesterday!'

The temperature-reactive cup: cold water reveals the demon king's image, hot brings out Mikaru and crew!! Can't die without even touching the real thing!

I revved my tongue like it had a motor.

"Hunter Kang A-ram hasn't been able to showcase her true abilities under Gwak Du-chil. Her records clearly classify her as a mental-type hunter, yet she'd been used for close-quarters combat in the field. Like chopping wood with a hammer or hammering nails with a saw."

"Aha. Secretary Seo, looks like you got close to Hunter Kang yesterday? A-ram-ssi?"

"......"

—Screeech.

The smile on the chairman's face thickened threefold. Cold sweat cascaded down my back like a waterfall. This much moisture without water?! My mind went blank, random quips bubbling up. But I kept my facade impeccable. Unconsciously, I activated my new ability.

The status window had popped up suddenly last night ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as I dozed off. Too exhausted to respond, I'd just tested the ability quietly. The result was astonishing.

—Poof.

'Impressive, but so trivial and minor...'

I reached into the briefcase, focusing hard on 'a cup of tea'. The Earl Grey tea I'd prepped and stored yesterday for my commute...

'Premium British tea bags.'

The stuff I treasured so much my hands shook sipping it.

'Bye-bye.'

Swallowing tears, I pulled out my hand, and

"...What is this? No, what the hell just happened?!"

"Don't be startled, Chairman. It's just a cup of tea."

The chairman's eyes, which had seemed irked for some reason, flew wide. Her expression was like a scientist witnessing room-temperature nuclear fusion.

I scrambled into psycho + devoted secretary mode. Oblivious to her reaction, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I pulled out a steaming-hot cup of tea on a saucer from the briefcase and offered it.

Staring blankly at the dainty teacup, Chairman Seol asked in a daze.

"...Just to confirm, what is this?"

"As you see. One cup of Earl Grey tea."

"I can see that. Why is it coming out of a briefcase? Common sense says it'd spill or go ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cold."

I feigned mild surprise on purpose.

"How could you say that! In performing perfect secretarial duties, I can't handle tea for your lips so carelessly. I worked hard on it."

"And that's something you achieve through effort?"

Now the chairman looked more baffled than angry. I sighed inwardly in relief. Phew. Safe from mortal peril. Next goal: look like a loyal secretary. Gotta prove loyalty regularly to the terrifying tyrant Seol Hwi.

"Nothing's impossible when working for you, Chairman."

"......"

The chairman looked like she had a lot to say, but she took a sip and sighed.

"As expected... it's truly warm."

"Thank you for the praise."

"Yeah... just like it was freshly brewed. No impurities in the tea at all. It's like the very concept of 'tea' materialized with mass. And this is from effort too?"

Uh? I stopped following after the concept bit. Can't look dumb, though. I nodded vaguely.

"Of course."

The chairman looked like she'd let go of many burdens. She smiled faintly, emptily.

"...Our secretary. Extremely capable."

Whoa. Praised.