Chapter 4

I'm an ordinary office worker - Chapter 4 (4/180)

< Chapter 4 >

The power of 'getting a job' was tremendous.

When I told my mother that I would start working the following week, she was so happy she almost flew, and she even grilled pork belly and squid for me.

Both I, my brother, and my mother, and everyone in the world knew that I got the job thanks to my brother's reputation, but no one mentioned it.

So what? I'm finally escaping the ranks of the unemployed!

But for some reason, I feel a little sad.

When you don't have a job, you want one, and when you have one, you want to quit. That's human nature.

"I want to escape from the company even before my first day."

Sadly, the weekend disappeared in a flash, and the day I had to start my first job arrived.

I decided to commute by bicycle. I had planned to take the bus, but after finding an old bicycle in the corner of the garage, I changed my mind.

It takes twenty minutes by bicycle. Not a bad distance.

"Why is this road blocked?"

At the entrance of the road, there was a 'No Entry' sign.

If I could pass through this road, it would reduce my commute time by ten minutes.

Of all the roads, why is the one that most affects my commute blocked?

I don't even know why it's blocked.

Did they block it like this to prevent children from wandering in unknowingly?

Do kids not wander around alone these days?

I thought I should ask my brother later why this road is restricted as I headed to the research institute.

"Ah, I want to go home."

As soon as I arrived, I wanted to turn back.

I parked my bicycle at the bicycle stand and entered the research institute.

Thinking it was my first day, I felt a bit nervous.

I wasn't this nervous when I first went to hunt monsters. Why am I so nervous on my first day at work?

"Hello, I'm Seonghan, and this is my first day."

"Ah, Mr. Seonghan. Hello, we've been waiting for you. I'm Jihye."

When Jihye extended her hand, I lightly shook it.

"Usually, we have an orientation for new employees, but since you didn't come through the regular recruitment process, I'll just give you a brief introduction."

The interview was scheduled quite suddenly. My brother must have had a lot of influence.

"Here's your card key. You need to scan it at the lobby on the first floor when you enter and exit. If you forget it, you won't be able to enter the building, so make sure to carry it with you. Your attendance will also be recorded through this, so don't use someone else's card."

"What if I accidentally leave it behind?"

"You can ask the staff to open the door for you, but the verification process is quite strict, so it might be a hassle. Security is a big concern here."

When I came for the interview, I thought the company was bigger than I expected.

That means the whole nation is focused on La Elta.

"You'll be working on the third floor. You won't have much reason to go to other floors, but if you're curious, I can show you later."

Jihye and I went up to the third floor.

"The restroom is this way, and the break room is over there. There's tea, coffee, and some snacks, so feel free to check it out. Do you smoke?"

"No."

"That's good. The smoking area is on the top floor. It's a hassle to go there, and it takes a long time, so some people decide to quit smoking because of it."

I thought the research institute would be different from a regular company, but it's exactly the same.

Looking at people in formal attire typing on computers, Jihye smiled and said, "You might be disappointed that the research institute is not much different from a regular company, but there are people who actually do research here. They work on things like monster byproducts and dungeon fragments. The actual research labs are on the seventh floor."

"Is the entire seventh floor a research lab?"

"Yes. You probably won't meet the researchers often because their schedules are different from ours."

After a brief tour of the company, I was shown to my desk.

The desk was clean, but there were stacks of papers on one side.

"See this? These are summaries of interviews with players about La Elta and quests. You need to categorize them and create Excel files. Are you good with Excel?"

"No."

"···. There's a basic template, so you just need to input the information at the bottom."

When I said I couldn't use Excel, she even opened the file and showed me how to do it.

"It's simple, right? Once you get used to the work, you might have the opportunity to meet players directly."

"Do players come here?"

"Not exactly, but you might accompany someone for an interview or run into them while on a field trip near a portal or dungeon."

"Dungeon? Will I go to a dungeon?"

"Don't worry. You won't have to. Even if you do, it's dangerous, so you won't go inside."

I'm not worried. I actually want to go.

"Some people come to the research institute because they want to meet players. I don't think you're that interested, but wouldn't you like to meet one at least once?"

I meet one every day. At home.

It seems that no one else knows that my brother is a player.

Maybe only a few people with the authority to know are aware of it.

If I'm dealing with higher-ups, I probably won't see them often, so I don't need to worry about it.

"Have you met any players before?"

"A few times. I don't know if it's because I've only met low-level, low-rank players, but they didn't seem much different from us. Are high-level, high-rank players different?"

I've only met my brother, so I don't know.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask. This week, just organize these materials. It's your first week, so take it easy."

Jihye finished her introduction and returned to her desk.

I greeted my colleagues sitting in front and beside me and started my work.

The task was simple, so it wasn't difficult, and time flew by as I worked.

What can I say?

Working at a company was more enjoyable than I expected.

This is the life of a salaryman I've only seen in books...! Even if I have to work overtime, I can think, "This is the infamous overtime hell I've only heard about!" and clap.

I spent my days at the company more enjoyably than I thought.

But I got bored in less than a week.

I want to quit. I will quit. Quit!

Quit!!

"I'll quit in two weeks."

Wow, I thought my inner voice had just burst out.

The person who said they were quitting was another employee on the same floor.

"What? Suddenly?"

"Why are you quitting? Are you moving to another company?"

Other employees gathered and started asking questions.

"I awakened. My potential test results were good, and I got recruited by a guild right away."

"Really?"

"Wow, I've never seen someone I know awaken as a player before."

Everyone was surprised and congratulated them.

I'm envious. I could do it if I tried, player.

"Status window."

I muttered, but there was no status window, not even something similar.

The dream of quitting is far away.

No, maybe I should have awakened as a player by now? There might have been some error.

Maybe the technology has improved, and even though the status window doesn't appear, there's a way to determine if I'm a player.

In the past, you had to go to the post office or city hall to get a player test, but now there's a Player Union.

If the technology has advanced that much, the testing methods must have improved too!

I secretly searched for the nearest Player Union branch.

It was only a ten-minute bicycle ride from the company.

Why didn't I know about this place before?

It's in the opposite direction from my way home, so I didn't even know it existed.

The Player Union - Awakening Test Center was open until late, so I could go after work.

As soon as it was time to leave, I rushed out and headed to the nearest Player Union branch.

Luckily, the research institute is a large company in a single building. If it were a regular small or medium-sized company, I might have had to wait for my superiors to leave before going home, like a typical new employee.

I don't know if that's true in real life, but that's what I've read in books.

"You are a civilian."

"No way!"

"Next person."

After waiting for thirty minutes, the test took only a minute, and the result was the same.

I'm a civilian!

I have to be an office worker for the rest of my life!

It's unfair.

And it took me ten minutes longer to get home because I stopped by the test center.

When I was just playing and loafing around, my daily routine was never boring or unenjoyable, but why do I feel like I don't want to do anything when I have a job?

I want to quit!

"Bang!"

Excited to get home, eat something, and take a shower, I was pedaling my bicycle when I heard a dog barking.

Near the playground close to my house.

The dog I saw a while ago was wagging its tail and coming towards me.

It's not a dog, but a monster.

It looks exactly like a dog, so if it acts cute and wags its tail, it's a dog, right?

"Hello?"

"Bang."

"What happened to the person you were with?"

"Bang!"

I haven't heard that a player died in this area, so they must be alive.

Still, it's impressive that this dog hasn't been caught and is still wandering around.

Players can instinctively tell if something is a monster, but civilians judge by appearance.

It looks exactly like a dog, so it hasn't been reported yet.

I thought the player would report it, but maybe they just avoided it.

"Bang."

"Good, good. You're a good dog."

When I petted its head, it lay down flat on the ground like before.

It's cute.

It would be great if I could hunt monsters without a status window or a player license.

Then I could tell my mom that my job is a player, and I could play and explore dungeons from home.

It's a shame that civilians without a player license are legally prohibited from hunting monsters to prevent people from getting killed.

There's no consideration for irregulars like me, no consideration.

"Bang."

As if understanding my thoughts, the dog acted cute.

What's the dog's name?

It's the dog's name.

I just made it up. I can't keep calling it a dog.

"Kkamgang."

"Bang."

"Let's go."

I don't know if it understood me, but Kkamgang followed me home cautiously.

Hunting monsters as a civilian is legally prohibited, but.

There are no restrictions on keeping one as a pet.

At least not yet.

"I'm home."

"You're home. Hurry and take a shower, and then come eat... Ah!"

My mother, who was greeting me, screamed when she saw Kkamgang following me.

Did she recognize it as a monster?

"The floor is dirty!"

It seems not.

"You came home late without calling and brought a dog."

"I'm going to keep it from today. His name is Kkamgang."

"No way. It will make the house dirty."

"We can keep him in the yard. The yard is big now."

"Who will take care of the dog? You'll have to bathe him, train him, and feed him. Will you do it? I will."

I don't think I will, but I can't say that.

"If Kkamgang leaves, I'll leave too!"

And we were both kicked out.

< Chapter 4 > End