Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Revised Samples
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Faint dawn light filtered through the gaps in the window blinds. The pale bluish glow before the sun had risen.
Ian tried to sit up, but something held him back.
It was Null.
It had wrapped itself around Ian's body all night long. Its translucent form draped over him like a blanket.
"......Again?"
Kiiing.
The nuance was, Of course.
Ian sighed and pushed Null away. He'd given it some chicken as a midnight snack last night, and it seemed to have made Null feel affectionate enough to cling even more.
"Get up. It's a busy day today."
Kiiing.
Null let out a plaintive whine as it slowly sank into the shadows.
Ian got out of bed and stretched.
Today was the day the revised sample would arrive. The adjusted rice seasoning version of Hanwoo Bulgogi Hansang. The manufacturer said they'd deliver it in the afternoon.
And next week was the executive report.
It's going to get busy.
But he didn't mind.
In the Backrooms, every day was about survival. You couldn't plan for tomorrow, let alone next week—it was meaningless. All that mattered was surviving the day.
Things were different here.
You could plan a week ahead. Prepare for a month from now. How precious such an "ordinary" life was— the Ian from tens of thousands of years ago had no idea.
Now he did.
On the way to work.
Gangnam Station was bustling with people even in the morning. Office workers in suits, students in uniforms, travelers pulling carry-ons. Everyone hurried toward their destinations.
Ian blended into the crowd and walked.
So many people.
In the Backrooms, you might encounter another human once every few decades—if you were lucky. And most died quickly. Either going mad and walking into the darkness themselves, or getting devoured by a Backrooms entity.
Here, people brushed past with every step.
Shoulders bumping, bags touching, breaths mingling.
Ian savored the sensations.
They're alive.
All of them, alive.
Day & Night headquarters.
As Ian entered the 12th-floor office, a few employees were already there. Yujin waved from her desk.
"You're early."
"Yeah. The sample's coming today."
"Oh, right. Hanwoo Bulgogi Hansang. What time?"
"Around 2 p.m."
"I'm looking forward to it. Honestly, the rice was a bit lacking at the last tasting."
Yujin said as she sipped her coffee.
Ian sat at his desk and turned on his computer. Opening his inbox revealed twelve emails accumulated overnight. Mostly requests to review documents for the executive report.
The morning passed like that.
Replying to emails, revising reports, calling the manufacturer. They were familiar tasks, yet still felt fresh. After tens of thousands of years fighting monsters, organizing Excel sheets gave him an odd sense of novelty.
Lunchtime.
Ian headed to the cafeteria with Yujin and Jeong-woo. Today's menu was kimchi stew set.
"Hey, I tested the lemon zest yesterday."
Jeong-woo said as he ate.
"How'd it go?"
"It worked. The flavor really came alive. We'll test it together later, but... thanks in advance."
"No problem."
Jeong-woo's expression was complicated. Like he hated to admit it but had no choice.
Ian scooped up some kimchi stew.
Honestly, adding lemon zest wasn't anything special. It was a common technique in the food industry, and Jeong-woo probably knew it too. He'd just overlooked it in the moment.
Yujin chimed in.
"Ian's always had a great palate. He's been famous for accurate tasting evaluations since he started."
"Yeah."
Jeong-woo nodded as he scooped rice.
Ian thought to himself.
It's not a great palate...
In truth, it was a sense honed automatically over tens of thousands of years for survival.
In the Backrooms, distinguishing edible from inedible meant life or death. Rotten fruit from safe fruit. Which parts of an anomaly's flesh were poisonous. He'd learned it all through his body over thousands of years.
In the process, his sense of taste and smell had become extraordinarily sensitive. He could detect minute differences ordinary people couldn't.
Now he was using that ability to evaluate lunchbox flavors.
Ironic.
2 p.m.
The manufacturer's delivery driver arrived with the sample box.
"Day & Night Product Development Team?"
"Yes, right here."
Ian took the box. Inside the Styrofoam container, packed with coolant packs, were five lunchboxes.
Hanwoo Bulgogi Hansang. Revised version.
"It's here?"
Yujin approached. Jeong-woo and Mi-ra followed.
"Open it up."
Ian pulled out one lunchbox and lifted the lid.
Rice, bulgogi, and side dishes filled the transparent plastic container. Mu saengchae, rolled omelet, danmuji. Same composition as the previous version.
The aroma rose.
The sweet scent unique to bulgogi marinade. Sesame oil fragrance. And a faint salty whiff from the rice.
"Let's microwave it first."
Yujin took the lunchbox and heated it.
After 1 minute 30 seconds.
Steam billowed as they opened the lid. The bulgogi sizzled with grease.
"Let's eat."
The four sat around the table. Each picked up chopsticks and scooped rice.
Ian put the rice in his mouth first.
He chewed.
"......"
He closed his eyes.
The grains crumbled on his tongue. The chewiness was adequate. The seasoning... definitely saltier than before.
But Ian's brow furrowed slightly.
"How is it?"
Yujin asked.
"......The seasoning's right now. But there's another issue."
"Another issue?"
Ian pointed at the rice with his chopsticks.
"The moisture content's higher than the previous version. They probably added more water to balance the increased salt..."
Ian chewed again.
"So the texture feels heavy. It's chewy to the point of being soggy. With a greasy dish like bulgogi, the rice needs to be lighter and cleaner."
The table fell silent.
Yujin scooped more rice and chewed.
"......You're right. It does feel kinda heavy."
Jeong-woo nodded too.
"I feel it now. But I wouldn't have noticed without you saying it."
Mi-ra stared at Ian.
"How'd you know the moisture's higher? Just from tasting?"
"Yes."
"......What, perfect pitch for taste or something?"
Ian responded by picking up some bulgogi and eating it.
"The bulgogi's fine. Good marinade balance, meat thickness is right. The problem's the rice. We should tell the manufacturer to reduce the water amount."
Team Leader Choi Min-su approached.
"Tasting session? How's it going?"
"Seasoning's fixed, but rice moisture's too high. Needs adjustment."
The team leader took some rice with chopsticks and chewed.
After a moment, he nodded.
"......Yeah. The rice is sticky and heavy."
The team leader looked at Ian.
"You caught that, Ian?"
"Yes."
"Impressive."
The team leader jotted a note.
"Good. Send feedback to the manufacturer. Rice moisture adjustment. Can we get revised samples by tomorrow?"
"I'll check."
The tasting continued.
Jeong-woo's Cream Cheese Bagel Sandwich. Lemon zest added version.
Ian took a bite.
The bagel's chewy texture. Cream cheese's smoothness. The fresh lemon zest aroma.
"......It's good."
Ian said.
"The flavor pops. B Company's cream cheese blandness is barely noticeable. But..."
"But?"
Jeong-woo asked tensely.
"The lemon zest particles are a bit coarse. Finer grind would make the texture more natural. Right now, there's a slight off-feel when chewing."
Jeong-woo's face grew complicated again.
He hated to admit it, but it wasn't wrong. Chewing it himself, there was definitely something catching.
"......Got it. I'll redo it."
Jeong-woo noted it down.
Next, Mi-ra's Fruit Yogurt Bowl.
Fruits coated in lemon juice atop yogurt. Banana, kiwi, strawberry, blueberry.
Ian ate a banana piece.
"Coating concentration's good. Browning prevented, texture maintained."
Mi-ra's face brightened.
"But the kiwi's an issue."
Her expression hardened again.
"Kiwi's already acidic. Adding lemon juice throws off the overall acid balance. Lower the coating on kiwi or swap it for another fruit."
Mi-ra bit her lip.
"......Swap for what?"
"Mango would work. Strong sweetness balances the lemon juice. Yellow color fills the gap left by kiwi too."
Ian said matter-of-factly.
Mi-ra's expression was ambiguous. Grateful? Annoyed? Hard to tell.
The team leader came over.
"Tasting done?"
"Yes. Summarizing..."
Ian opened his notebook.
"Hanwoo Bulgogi Hansang needs rice moisture adjustment. Cream Cheese Bagel needs lemon zest particle size adjustment. Fruit Yogurt Bowl needs kiwi swapped for mango or coating concentration tweak."
The team leader nodded.
"Clear. Everyone, send feedback to your manufacturers. Confirm if we can get revised samples by tomorrow."
"Yes."
The three returned to their desks.
The team leader paused by Ian.
"Ian."
"Yes?"
"Today's tasting feedback was impressive. Pinpointing what others miss."
"Just what I taste."
"That's not easy."
The team leader smiled and walked away.
Ian turned back to his monitor. Time to draft the feedback email for the manufacturer.
The workday flew by. Sending emails, coordinating revised schedules, tweaking exec report materials. Before he knew it, it was past 6 p.m.
Quitting time.
Ian grabbed his bag and left the office. He took the elevator to the first floor.
As he passed the lobby and stepped out the front gate.
A breeze blew. Cool evening air. Commuters flowed toward Gangnam Station. An ordinary evening scene.
But something felt off.
......
Ian's steps slowed slightly.
He walked as if nothing was wrong, but his senses were on high alert.
A gaze.
Someone was watching him.
The instincts honed over tens of thousands of years in the Backrooms whispered. Not the eyes of a predator stalking prey. Observing eyes. No hostility, no killing intent. Just watching him.