“Ah, I’m sorry for the late introduction. I’m Ji Sehee.”
After introducing herself, Sehee turned her head toward the member beside her.
“And this is Park Dayoung. She’s an acquaintance of mine and works as a streamer under the name Forming.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Ah, yes.”
While listening to the two women introduce themselves, Ajin tilted her head at a strange sensation in her hand.
‘What is this refreshing feeling that’s filling my heart?’
“Ajin?”
“Ah, yes!”
“You were zoning out suddenly.”
“No, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”
‘Wait, what is this? Did I just speak normally?’
Ajin covered her open mouth with her right hand and looked down at her left hand, which was holding Sehee’s.
A hand as pure and white as freshly fallen snow was holding hers, as if pulling her out of a deep swamp.
‘No way… Did holding her hand really make me feel better?’
‘That can’t be…’
‘If simply holding someone’s hand could calm one’s mind, wouldn’t depression have disappeared from the world long ago?’
“Could it be because I held your hand? I’m sorry.”
As soon as Sehee let go, Ajin’s heart sank like a stone.
It felt as if her chest was being crushed by the weight of despair, akin to pouring ink into an empty cup until it overflowed.
Moments ago, she had been like a healthy tree basking in sunlight, but now, deprived of light, she began to wither.
The creeping peak of anxiety and the rising nausea brought on by her aversion to others overwhelmed her.
‘When was I ever not like this?’ she tried to console herself, but having experienced such profound tranquility moments ago, her mind desperately craved it again.
‘Crave? What am I even wanting?’
As she asked herself this, her gaze fixed on Sehee’s hand.
“No, it’s just… uh!”
Unable to endure any longer, Ajin instinctively grabbed Sehee’s hand again.
Warmth flowed through the contact, spreading throughout her body.
This comforting sensation—was this what a world without anxiety felt like?
***
As Ajin relished the newfound peace, a rough hand yanked Sehee’s away.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”
Unable to watch any longer, Dayoung intervened.
This was ridiculous—someone so brazen and shameless, as if they could do whatever they wanted.
‘Where does she get the nerve to grab my sister’s hand when even I haven’t held it so boldly!’
“Uh, wh-what? You…”
“Hah!”
Now Ajin even resorted to speaking informally, her words stammering like a lost child.
Dayoung scoffed at the sight, utterly unimpressed.
“You don’t even know how far you’ve crossed the line, do you? What’s with you fiddling with our Sehee’s hand?”
“Se-Sehee… held my hand… first…”
“And if she pulled away because it felt awkward, shouldn’t you at least ask again? What’s with the sudden grabbing?”
Dayoung continued her tirade, her words rapid-fire, but when she glanced at her sister, an unusual expression on Sehee’s face caught her attention.
“Sehee. Snap out of it.”
“Hm? Oh, uh…”
‘What’s with that dazed look?’
“And why are you just standing there doing nothing?”
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
‘Is she seriously flustered just because someone grabbed her hand out of the blue? That can’t be it… right?’
Just as Dayoung was about to question her further, Ajin, who had lowered her head, mumbled something.
“I just… remembered…”
The voice came from Ajin, still looking down.
“That… awful… no-name… streamer… you…”
[Hah! This is self-destruction at its finest!]
Dayoung’s mind buzzed with Pepe’s sarcastic commentary.
Meanwhile, Sehee furrowed her brow as the café’s small and usually quiet space amplified the commotion.
“Dayoung. Calm down.”
“Sister!”
Dayoung protested, but Sehee, now wearing a frosty expression, spoke again.
“Enough.”
***
Startled by her sister’s uncharacteristic tone, Dayoung hesitated for a moment before sitting back down with a huff.
“Tsk!”
Her sulking and exaggerated click of the tongue were unmistakable signs of her annoyance.
Sehee decided she’d make amends with her sister later, but for now, her attention was on Ajin.
“Ajin, I think you should apologize to Dayoung.”
“Ugh, y-yes. I’m sorry.”
[Sure, sure. Go work things out with my sister.]
Dayoung barely acknowledged the apology, dismissively waving it off.
‘No point in arguing further—it’ll only waste my energy and upset my sister.’
As the tension subsided, the conversation returned to its original topic.
“Ajin, if holding my hand makes it easier for you to talk, you can keep holding it.”
“O-okay. Then, excuse me…”
The moment Sehee gave her approval, Ajin grabbed her hand eagerly, her expression lighting up like someone under a spell.
She wore such an odd smile that it seemed as if she were addicted to some drug, but if it helped her, so be it.
Sometimes, small sacrifices were necessary to maintain a functional conversation.
“Now, back to the main point. Could you explain why you acted that way?”
“Ah, well… I can talk fine now, but… I have a mental condition. Usually, I can’t even speak in front of people, and when I get too scared, I have episodes where I act impulsively… I’m so sorry…”
“Hm, but you’re okay now, right?”
“Yes, holding your hand makes everything okay. Your hand is like a healing touch~.”
‘Healing touch? Really?’
‘Wait, is this about a light punch from a fighting game or something?’
“Why? Are you planning to hit my sister’s face with a ‘light punch’ too?”
As always, even the interjections sounded pathetic, just like her nickname.
“Ugh.”
Dayoung’s grumble was met with nothing but Ajin’s carefree laughter.
“Hmm. If you’re hired as an editor, the contract will include a base salary, along with a revenue share from the channel. Details can be negotiated, but this is the general idea. Does that sound acceptable?”
“Yes, of course! No editor would turn down such terms.”
Ajin nodded vigorously, her enthusiasm apparent even in her exaggerated gestures.
‘Wow, now she’s practically climbing up her wrist!’
“Normally, we’d finalize the contract and get to work, but as you know, Ajin, you caused a broadcasting accident yesterday, and public opinion isn’t great. So…”
Sehee paused and casually glanced at Ajin’s expression.
The confusion and anxiety that had been evident earlier were completely gone, replaced by bright, lively eyes.
After gathering her thoughts, Sehee smiled softly at the eager editor in front of her.
“Would you be able to film an apology video for my channel? Your face would, of course, remain anonymous.”
“An apology… video?”
“Yes. As you know, a streamer’s public image is important. Since you caused a controversy, it’s essential to resolve it properly. What do you think?”
‘Now, what would her response be?’
This wasn’t just an ordinary apology—it was an apology video.
Even Sehee found the request to be unusually demanding.
‘Who would want their apology immortalized on the internet? Even hearing the request would likely be unpleasant for most people.’
Still, Sehee believed Ajin’s response to this would serve as an important indicator of whether or not she should be hired.
‘Would Ajin take responsibility for her actions, or would she avoid reality?’ Sehee was curious to find out.
Besides…
‘There’s something about this girl.’
While holding Ajin’s hand earlier, Sehee’s well-honed intuition had detected… something.
Ajin, looking slightly dazed, asked cautiously, “If I make the apology video… can I see you often, Sehee?”
“For work meetings, as often as needed.”
At Sehee’s confirmation, Ajin’s face lit up with excitement.
“I’ll do it right away! If you want me to kneel naked while doing it, I’ll do that too!”
Sehee’s eyes widened in surprise, as did Dayoung’s, who had been glaring at Ajin moments earlier.
This girl had a startling sense of responsibility.
***
After exchanging contact information and parting ways with Ajin, Sehee stretched, relieving the tension in her muscles.
Now that the editor issue was settled, an odd sense of boredom crept in, making her wonder if she should skip her evening stream altogether.
“Hey, was it you who changed that editor so much, sis?”
Dayoung, glancing at Sehee, asked nonchalantly.
Sehee chuckled softly.
“Yes, it was.”
“You must like her, huh?”
“Hmm, who knows.”
Based on first impressions alone, there was nothing to particularly like or dislike about Ajin.
She was a socially awkward loner with communication issues.
If she had shown even the slightest sign of backing out, Sehee would’ve scrapped the deal entirely.
But…
“Dayoung.”
“Yeah?”
“Didn’t you feel something about Ajin?”
“Feel something? Like what?”
As expected, Dayoung hadn’t noticed anything.
Ajin hadn’t seemed particularly aware of Dayoung either.
This connection… it felt like it might turn out to be deeper than expected.
“Anyway, sis, excuse me for a moment.”
“Huh?”
Without warning, Dayoung slipped her arm through Sehee’s, linking them together.
Sehee tilted her head in confusion as Dayoung held up her smartphone and took a selfie.
“What’s this about?”
“Hehe…”
***
Meanwhile, in her room, Ajin was rolling around on her bed, clutching a teddy bear and giggling uncontrollably.
She had officially become the editor for Friede’s channel!
How could she not be happy?
The conditions Sehee had proposed were incredibly generous.
If she worked well as an editor, she could enjoy a sweet, fulfilling life.
But that wasn’t all.
“Ji Sehee…”
She whispered the name, sucking on her fingers as if savoring the taste.
The same fingers that had touched Ji Sehee’s hand just hours ago still retained its warmth.
Ajin couldn’t forget the peaceful feeling from that moment.
‘There’s something special about her,’ Ajin was convinced.
But she didn’t feel anxious. Why would she?
“I’m a hero, after all.”
‘How could someone who healed a hero’s heart be anything but good?’
It was an emotional yet simple conclusion, but Ajin trusted her instincts.
Ji Sehee was undoubtedly someone worth believing in.
Besides, anyone who saw her would agree—she practically radiated reliability.
“Now… we’ll meet often, right? Of course we will.”
As her editor, she’d have plenty of chances for client meetings.
If she showed enthusiasm, Sehee would surely be pleased.
Yes, that had to be true.
‘Maybe I could even participate in video planning… or get a cameo appearance on the stream. What if we went camping together? A car-camping broadcast is trendy these days. Sehee and I, grilling meat under the stars…’
As Ajin indulged in her happy daydreams, her desk suddenly vibrated with an incoming message.
-Bzz!
‘Who could it be? Is it Sehee?!’
Her anticipation was quickly dashed when she saw it was from an unknown number.
‘Spam?’
Frowning, Ajin opened the message, only to be met with a picture of a short-haired woman.
It was Ji Sehee’s acquaintance, Park Dayoung.
The photo showed Dayoung linked arm-in-arm with Sehee, a smug look on her face.
Below the image was a simple caption:
[You’re the real nobody~]
“Ugh!”
Furious, Ajin threw her teddy bear across the room.
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