He whispered very softly, and when he recited the words “crazy bastard,” he spoke so quietly it was almost inaudible.
“Or you can call him by his name. He likes his own name.”
“Yes.”
“Especially, he likes the nickname Evil Devil. He’s a total psycho. Even Satan would yield to him.”
James approached Cheche very carefully as if there were people listening around, and spoke in a very small voice.
“No matter what you say, he will get angry, but there are two things you especially need to be careful about. First, he extremely hates making people repeat themselves. When he asks a question, you must answer in one go and never ask ‘What?’ back.”
“I understand.”
“Second, he hates when people go back on their words. In reality, he’s a fickle person who goes back on his words every time he blinks, but we must never do so. Be careful not to make mistakes.”
“Yes.”
Only after giving two warnings did James step away from Cheche.
The two walked down the short corridor and reached the front of the office.
Aura User Center Advisory Director Evil Endem
Just as James was about to knock on the large door, it opened by itself with a creak. Evil Endem was sitting with his legs crossed on the black leather sofa visible as soon as the door opened, and when he saw Cheche, he sneered.
“So you were that refugee?”
That was Evil’s first remark.
“No wonder you looked like a country bumpkin.”
“Director, have you met Cheche-ssi before?”
“I told you. That bastard who gave charity to the beggar earlier.”
“Ah, that sucker was Cheche-ssi…”
“Deliberately went back to pick up trash and throw it away.”
“……”
“A country bumpkin washing his hands in a dirty fountain.”
“Ah…”
James lamented at the fact that all of that was one person, all Cheche.
Although he was a refugee, he was still a hero of a nation, so he had earnestly asked him not to treat him carelessly, but this human scum had shown all three of the pathetic things he hated even before meeting him…
James glanced at Cheche’s expression, but no emotion appeared on his small face. James quickly stepped forward before Evil could pick another fight.
“Still, since it’s not an official greeting yet, let’s start with greetings first. Cheche-ssi, this is Advisory Director Evil Endem. Please greet him.”
“Hello, I’m Cheche. I look forward to working with you.”
“Hey, refugee. How does it feel to become my secretary?”
“I’m grateful.”
“People who graduated from Alcity’s top universities, went through a 5-year training course, and passed the MI test with a first-grade rating were rejected from this secretary position, but you parachuted in easily and all you have to say is you’re grateful? Cheeky bastard.”
Evil sneered and swaggered over. His upturned red eyes overflowed with arrogance. Motion aura users are superior to others not only in stamina but also in physique, and Evil Endem’s physical abilities were quite outstanding even among them. When the motioner with an intimidating build honed by various sports and a tall height of 195cm stood in front, a shadow was cast over Cheche’s small upper body, who wasn’t even 170cm.
“I know I’m not suited for this. I will work hard.”
Usually, when he approached, people would step back in fear, but this small refugee was different. Cheche looked up at Evil and recited prepared words with no inflection in his voice.
There was no emotion in his faded golden eyes. No fear, no humiliation, no anger. James was very flustered and wondered if he should kick the back of Cheche’s legs to make him kneel before Evil.
“…This is fucking ridiculous.”
Evil bent at the waist and brought his face close enough for their noses to touch. His furrowed brow and raised eyebrows looked like he was observing something.
Unlike James, who was restless because everything was a bad omen, Cheche only blinked without avoiding him.
In the breathless situation, Evil said:
“If you know you’re not suited for this, why did you accept? If you know it doesn’t fit, quit.”
“……”
“I hate it most when people don’t answer my words in one go. It’s fucking annoying to say things twice. Either quit right now or answer.”
“I accepted because it was a situation I couldn’t refuse.”
Cheche answered calmly with an even voice.
“I will work hard to make up for my shortcomings.”
“What are you doing now? If I were you, I’d at least act desperate.”
“……”
“Ignoring me again, this bastard.”
Evil raised his hand and lightly struck Cheche’s head. With the sound of impact, Cheche’s head turned to one side. Surprised, James gasped. However, Cheche maintained the same calm expression as if wondering what had happened.
“This is a fucking cheeky bastard.”
Evil raised his hand again. James frantically intervened.
“Director, please, no violence!”
“Hey, fuck off. You want to get hit too?”
Evil’s voice was fierce. Since he had actually been hit before, James trembled while trying to stop him.
“If, if Cheche-ssi quits right now, you won’t be the only one who suffers. Your parents too…”
“Do you think I’m scared of those fucking old people?”
“Of course you absolutely wouldn’t care… Ah, protesters will definitely gather in front of the center again. Cheche-ssi is really popular…”
“How would protesters know to gather? No one knows I hit him here.”
At the cold tone, James flinched and stepped back.
“Yes… that’s right…”
Whether he mentioned the Endem family or protesters, it didn’t seem like he would stop picking fights. Since Evil was a runaway machine without a control device, James didn’t try to stop him anymore either. It can’t be helped. Let him hit him for now… I should reserve a hospital.
But.
“…Fucking boring.”
The appeal clearly had no effect, but somehow the fierce momentum subsided a little. The tense James observed Evil, who was looking down at Cheche with displeasure.
“You’re a non-user, right?”
“Yes, I’m a non-user.”
Despite just being hit in the face, Cheche showed no emotional change. No fear, no anger. He just stood still without even fixing his disheveled hair. Evil glared at Cheche with an expression that showed he was quite displeased.
“I’m annoyed that I have to take around a commoner like you, so don’t irritate me and just stay there like you’re dead.”
“Yes.”
Cheche answered like a machine. No emotion was contained. Evil turned sharply and headed to his seat.
James opened his mouth slightly and let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they got past it for now, but Cheche’s reaction was abnormal no matter how you thought about it. Having survived on a bloody battlefield, perhaps despite his fairy-like appearance, he was quite rotten inside.
The future was deeply worrying. Evil had probably encountered this kind of opponent for the first time in his life… A person who neither dodges nor fears a descending fist. How much Evil would torment Cheche from now on was vivid before his eyes.
It was the worst first meeting. But now there was nothing to be done. He could only hope that Cheche wouldn’t make an extreme choice.
***
On the first day at the press conference, a photo of the two taken together spread across the internet worldwide. Evil, as always, had an expression looking for something to pick a fight with, and Cheche was expressionless. James told Cheche that the young master was one thing, but at least he should smile. So after that, every time Cheche showed his face to the media, he tried to smile, but it wasn’t easy. Eventually, he gave up on the awkward expression and did the two weeks of external activities with his original emotionless face.
Only after spending such a noisy two weeks that even people in remote mountain villages would have heard that a Tar refugee became Evil Endem’s secretary did Cheche finally sit at a desk in the secretary office.
The items on the desk were different from when he briefly sat a few days ago to film ‘Tar refugee Cheche working like this in the secretary office.’ A thin laptop, desktop and monitor, a phone capable of video calls, writing instruments and various desk supplies.
Cheche’s eyelids trembled finely as he looked around the desk. He fiddled with the laptop keyboard and thought.
It was desk work, a job where you wear clean clothes and work indoors within set hours. No Tartarian would have ever had this kind of occupation in Alcity.
As Cheche quietly fiddled with the keyboard and mouse, the senior secretary who would train him approached.
“Your employee number is am19o35, and the initial password is XX, so change it yourself. When you come to work, you have to log in and press attendance check.”
“Log in?”
“Yeah, you have to log into the messenger first. Want to try now? Ah, is it okay if I speak casually?”
The mentor named Julia smiled warmly and revealed her age. She was thirty-six, so Cheche naturally nodded.
