Chapter 1: Omen (1)

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Beep! Beep! Beep!

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Beep! Beep! Beep!

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Crackle... Crackle...

Crackle... Crackle...

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Crackle... Crackle... Crackle...

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Crackle...

Crackle...

Crackle... Crackle... Crackle...

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Crackle... Crackle... Crackle...

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It has been 30 days since the virus outbreak.

Humanity began to move towards its extinction.

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My name is Kim Tae-kyung.

I am currently 28 years old, a job seeker who has graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Korea University.

In the scorching heat of July,

I was sitting in front of my computer, searching for job openings on employment portal sites.

In the attic room with poor insulation,

the room, heated by the scorching summer sun, felt like a sauna when combined with the heat emanating from the computer.

The old fan kept blowing hot air, but it did nothing to cool the room.

Then,

Ding!

The notification sound for a new message rang from my phone.

"Ah! Could it be?"

I quickly turned on my phone and checked the message.

Hello, Mr. Kim Tae-kyung.

Thank you for applying to our OO Corporation.

While your qualifications were highly evaluated, unfortunately, due to the limited number of positions, we regret to inform you that you do not fit with our company.

-OO Corporation HR Team-

It was indeed the message I had been eagerly waiting for, but it did not contain the content I had hoped for.

I have been writing resumes and cover letters non-stop and applying for jobs, but the results always turn out like this.

To secure a job, I have prepared all the necessary qualifications that others have.

I graduated from a national university in the Seoul metropolitan area.

I managed my grades diligently, maintaining an average of 4.0/4.5.

I won several competitions on campus.

I also prepared my language scores and certifications meticulously.

However, while I usually pass the first document screening, I always fail at the second interview.

What is the reason I cannot get a job even when I have the same qualifications as others?

In fact, I know the answer.

My messy and unkempt hair, standing 177cm tall and weighing 120kg.

That is what I look like.

I have become accustomed to the cold gazes of others.

However, with the constant failures in job hunting, I cannot help but reflect on myself.

Then,

Ding! Ding!

I received a call from the convenience store manager.

"Hello? Yes, Manager. What's up?"

"You know that you should be paid overtime if you work more than 8 hours, right?"

The manager, who never takes care of night shifts or any other benefits, was only making loud demands.

But with my salary as a hostage, I had no choice.

"No, I'll just do it."

The manager clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction and hung up.

'Well, at least pay the hourly wage properly before saying such things.'

I grumbled, turned off my computer, and lay down on the bed, picking up my smartphone.

A few hours later,

I ate the triangular rice rolls and hamburgers that were discarded yesterday and went to work at the convenience store on the first floor of the building where I live.

"Hello, Manager."

"Good, you're right on time. Check the morning sales, the cash amount, and the cigarette inventory. Fill the shelves whenever you have a chance, and clean thoroughly when there are no customers. Cough, cough."

The manager, who was nagging, suddenly started coughing violently as if his lungs were being torn apart.

I dodged the spittle flying in all directions and glanced at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah, I feel like I'm dying. I've been feeling cold since yesterday... I should go to a sauna or something..."

"Be careful, I heard there's a flu going around."

"Yeah, even at my age, I need to be careful about the flu..."

I went to the cash register and checked the sales, opened the cash box, and counted the money to ensure the cash sales and the cash on hand matched.

While I was counting, the manager spoke up.

"Tae-kyung, did you see the meteor shower last night?"

"Meteor shower? I couldn't see it because I was working. They said on the news it was a once-in-a-lifetime event..."

"Yeah, it was spectacular. What were you doing that you didn't even see it? Cough, cough."

"I was working the night shift at the convenience store. I spent almost half the night organizing the warehouse."

"I was watching the meteor shower with the neighbors, and one of the falling meteorites landed on the hill behind us. I thought maybe I could find a meteorite if I was lucky, so I went up the hill with the neighbors. I found a meteorite the size of an egg in a large crater on the hill. Cough, cough."

"Really? Did you bring it back?"

"No, I couldn't. Cough, cough."

"Wow... Why not?"

"It was too hot, with steam rising from it. I tried to cool it down with the bottled water I brought, but then the police and firefighters arrived... I had to give it to the officials. Cough, cough."

"Ah, that's a shame. If you had brought it back, I could have touched it... Why did they take it when you were the first to find it?"

"I don't know. The officials said it fell on government land, so it belongs to the state, regardless of who found it first. Still, it was lucky to see a meteorite in my lifetime. Cough, cough."

It seemed the manager was boasting about seeing and touching the meteorite.

Despite his sore throat, he continued to talk.

"Still, it's a good thing it didn't hit anyone. It was a mess. The police blocked the area... But the people who went with me got to touch it early. Cough, cough."

The manager talked as if it was a great achievement, but seeing my lukewarm reaction, he lost steam and went home after a few more words.

The manager is the owner of the building where the convenience store is located, so I see him the most.

'Am I his butler or something?'

Both the place I live and where I work are owned by the manager, so I cannot afford to upset him.

'I've checked the sales and cash, the cigarette inventory, filled the shelves, and there's nothing to clean.'

It's my third year working part-time at the convenience store.

I can finish my tasks efficiently without much time.

I sat in the chair behind the cash register and watched YouTube on my smartphone.

"Oh! Man VS Wild is already up?"

I put an earphone in one ear and watched the survival show I usually enjoy.

The survival program features tips on using various survival and military equipment and knowledge needed for survival and hunting.

Even though it's a staged program, the determination to find a way to survive in extreme situations is every man's dream.

Right then,

Bang!

A loud noise came from outside.

I turned my head to see an old man making a drunken scene at the table outside the convenience store.

Bang! Bang!

He was repeatedly hitting his forehead on the table, clearly very drunk.

'The table will be in bad shape. The next shift will have to clean it up.'

I turned my head back to the YouTube video, waiting for Jin, the next shift worker, to arrive.

At 2:25 AM, the bell on the door rang.

Ding! Ding!

Jin, who was 25 minutes late, finally appeared.

"Bro Tae-kyung, I'm here. I had an emergency... Sorry."

...

Jin, the night shift worker, is a year younger than me and a job seeker.

He has a clean appearance and always wears a smile, but he is quite calculating in his relationships.

He acts like he would do anything for you when needed, but he avoids you when he doesn't need you.

He usually arrives 20-30 minutes late, but I don't get paid for those extra 20-30 minutes.

'He probably got late because he was playing pool with friends.'

Arguing with him would only delay my departure.

I held back my frustration and left the convenience store.

Then,

"Ah! What a surprise."

The old man from earlier was completely sprawled out on the table in front of the convenience store.

"Phew. How much did he drink..."

I thought about shaking the old man to wake him up but gave up.

Seeing the numerous soju bottles scattered around and his flailing hands under the table, I knew it would be futile to wake him.

I shook my head and headed towards the building where I live.

However,

... If I hadn't been tired from the extra shift, would I have noticed?

The movements of his hands were...

"Ugh... Ugh..."

Excessively strange and ominous.