At the Same Time
Exhausted from learning the ropes from her mentor, the fairy Polomi, Mira Levrier tumbled across her bed in her pajamas upon returning to the staff dorms.
There was no easy job in banking, but HR came with a unique kind of stress no other department could imagine. Who got newly hired and joined the organization? Who got promoted to which department at HQ, or to which branch, in what position, and how quickly? Who got exiled to a rural outpost after losing the competition? Who got fired for a major screw-up? Organization members always showed massive interest in new hires, transfers, and disciplinary actions. Within the bank, speculation and complaints about personnel moves flew year-round, regardless of peak or off-season. It made sense, in a way.
The Dimensional Credit Vault was a megabank born from the merger of three banks serving customers across multiple dimensions. Even just the number of regular employees exceeded the combined population of ten small island nations, but coveted positions were few and far between. And like most organizations, the fierce competition for limited seats was never fair. Fates were decided by performance, faults, and above all, the influence of the three factions divvying up power within the bank.
It was understandable that many had negative opinions about personnel results. But that discontent often turned into anonymous forum posts stabbing at HR staff like knives. Did they ignore the fact that HR only advised the decision-makers? The forums had far more attacks on HR than complaints aimed at the actual authorities. Mira's face grew gloomier as she scrolled through them.
Her seniors joked that being a target was just part of the job, but for a newbie with less than half a year on the clock, it was overwhelming. "Shouldn't have checked... Should've listened to the deputy manager."
Curiosity killed the cat, they said. Today, too, Mira had peeked at the anonymous board. It wasn't directly about her, but attacks on her department stressed her sensitive nature. She'd only been in HR a few months, but she'd already soaked her pillow with tears more than ten times. Just contributing to decisions that shaped people's fates crushed her with responsibility, making it hard to breathe—adding resentment on top was unbearable.
Her mentor Polomi doted on her and offered advice, but it always boiled down to "toughen up." When she'd recently met her fellow trainee Kim Jian, she hadn't breathed a word of it. She'd called him out under the pretense of sharing info, but bursting into tears in front of him might label her a clingy hassle and push him away.
"...Could've told Oppa, though."
Kim Jian treated her like a little sister, so he might've indulged some whining. But that was just speculation. Mira, clueless about men's minds, couldn't be sure what Jian was thinking.
"Ah."
Suddenly, a snapped memory reel reconnected, reviving the night she drank with Jian. Annoyed that he only perked up at outpost talk, she'd impulsively dragged him into a taxi. She'd felt lonely going home alone and wanted him to see her back safely.
Aaah reggae, sandy beach, big wave~ ♩
Super splashy welcome weekend~ ♪
"Hey. We're here. Wake up."
"Hng... Hnggg."
"Hng my ass. Wipe your drool."
"......"
Her face heated up in a rush.
Thud thud thud thud thud!!! Her feet kicked wildly at the thin blanket. Sitting up, she glanced in the mirror—her light brown cheeks flushed pink.
"Why'd I do that? I must've been crazy."
Opening her vanity drawer revealed the handkerchief Jian had lent her, washed and folded neatly. When to return it? Next time they met, she wanted to chat about work, sure, but also movies or anything—over sweet cocktails instead of soju, with mixed fruit snacks.
And—
"Right, what shampoo do you use?"
"Why shampoo outta nowhere?"
"'Cause I like it."
"Whaaat?! Why so random, you're crazy you're craaaazy—"
"Gonna buy some 'cause I like the scent."
She needed to tell him the shampoo name he'd asked about that day.
Squeeze.
"Aaaahhh...."
Mira hugged her innocent pillow tight, squeezing with thighs and arms.
"Jian Oppa?"
"What? What? Got dumped? Lonely? Need a drinking buddy?"
"......"
Thwack! Mira chucked a pillow at the wall, then seriously pondered calling in sick tomorrow.
* * *
The next day.
"Then, I'll borrow Mira for a bit."
"Sure. Take good care of her and return her by tomorrow evening."
"Don't talk like I'm an object!!"
Mira huffed, but Deputy Manager Polomi responded calmly. A puff of breath in her ear, and Mira crumpled like a cheetah hit by a tranquilizer dart.
"Hnnngh. Told you not to tease me for real...."
Polomi alternated glances between the giggling Mira and me, then winked subtly.
"Our Mira's cute, right? And great at her job."
"If you say so, Deputy Manager."
I'd noticed since last time—her mentor had a wicked playful streak. Best to keep a poker face and deny her the reaction she craved.
"You guys...."
Mira puffed her cheeks like balloons, grumbling as she climbed into the company car I'd driven from the West Podoks Branch.
"Why'd you do that earlier? Senior praises how cute I am and great at work, but you act cold—makes me embarrassed."
"Your complaint point's weird."
"Me being cute and good at work is a fact!"
How would I know, and I'm not even at HQ?
"Long drive ahead, so eat this at least. Looks like your blood sugar's dropping."
"Ah, changing the subject again! But what's that?"
"What else? Something sweet."
I opened the box, and Mira's anger evaporated.
"Strawberry... cream puffs...."
The strawberry cream puffs I'd grabbed from the department store basement en route fulfilled their bribe duties perfectly.
"Thanks for making time. Must be swamped with work."
"Gotta help with a 1.5 billion gulden case. Can I have another?"
"Yeah. Eat 'em all."
"Jian Oppa best...!"
Mira cheered, licking strawberry custard cream from her lips.
"No need to thank me. Bought on the branch card."
"Still. You remembered I wanted these last time. I just mentioned it in passing."
"Bought 'em 'cause I wanted some?"
"You told me to eat them all."
"That was strawberry flavor. I pre-gamed with melon and chocolate ones."
"You snake!! Picking the most expensive!!"
"I'll report to accounting you ate the whole receipt."
"Eek! If rumors say I'm a pig, you're taking responsibility?!"
"Me? For what?"
"You jerk...!!"
We bantered about this and that, sharing thoughts on the incident as we headed to the West Podoks Branch of the Dimensional Credit Vault. I teased her casually as usual, but Mira was set to play a key role. The branch manager had insisted on pampering her with snacks or drinks en route.
"Using your Job Authority well these days?"
"Yeah. Just the other day with my mentor, we caught an affair. Thick pink arrow from the promo deputy manager to a newbie."
As HR hoped, she'd awakened a fitting power and was honing it. Activating her Job Authority let her see emotions like affection or dislike as arrows. Not under special oversight, it was a secret known only to HR folks and a few like me. They'd ordered silence since it was gold for investigating specific employees.
"Married guy cheating? Hundred percent exile or fired."
"Probably."
Among tier-1 banks, our president was notoriously strict on affairs. His slogan "The lack of morals is the collapse of trust" got heavy emphasis—banker scandals tanked public faith. Thus, embezzlers, betrayers, and cheaters faced harsh discipline. Affairs among staff were common in this odd profession, and Mira's power was perfect for sniffing out covert ones.
With her help, we could find Felix's affair partner from before the divorce.
"Morning, Jian. Tough drive since dawn."
"Good morning. Deputy Manager Kim Jian, Deputy Manager Levrier."
With Fred and Branch Manager Del Monte aboard, I headed straight to Apex Engineering's new office. The relocated HQ was far from their old swanky building.
"This is it."
We parked in front of a shabby no-elevator mixed-use building in southwest Podoks City and headed to the fifth floor.
"Is President Felix inside?"
Del Monte's tone was imperious to the receptionist near the entrance. No need for courtesy when they saw us as marks to fleece.
"Sorry, the president's on long-term business—"
Bullshit.
"His car's outside. Hood's still warm."
I strode in without permission. I'd confirmed his car models from his ex. Staff scrambled to block us, but we had a burly merman rivaling a bear beastman in bulk.
"H-Hey, don't push. What's this about?"
Fred swatted a few arms, and resistance crumbled.
Bang!
I kicked open the president's door; the manager and Mira entered politely behind.
"Hello. President Tonito."
"Oh man, Branch Manager Del Monte."
Felix waved his oily bald head with cat ears gleaming. Sipping iced coffee from his secretary, I itched to smack that shiny pate.
"What brings you today?"
He knew damn well, yet his face was thick as armor.
"Apex Engineering's current account is overdrawn. We'll have to close it. That okay?"
"No money, can't be helped. Our Kolonin Bank account defaults today anyway—perfect timing. Close the Dimensional Credit Vault one too."
As expected, no repayment intent. He'd siphoned funds, planning to pay staff wages and hush money before bankruptcy.
"Won't end at account freeze. Deposits are laughably short to offset our 1.5 billion loan."
"No money—how? We can't even repay 2 billion from Kolonin."
"Then why demand more huge loans?"
"'Cause 5 billion could've held us till performance improved."
"Nonsense...!"
Bang!
Fred and I slammed the original and falsified ledgers on his desk.
"Solid proof of accounting fraud. Return the diverted funds unless you want prison."
"Threat? Too bad—jail doesn't scare me. Got friends inside. Out in three comfy years."
His tattooed forearms screamed it. His ex called him diligent pre-riches—her standards. Dodgy vibes from a mid-tier construction CEO. Dicehead gang origins for sure.
"Say I ordered fraud. Got proof?"
He leered at his secretary. Our talk bored him.
"We'll find it. Bank will exercise fraudulent conveyance cancellation to recover 1.5 billion."
Steam practically rose from the manager's head. No meltdown, right?
"Never diverted funds. Think I did? Search yourself—"
Crack!!
The manager's handblade slammed like lightning.
Crunch—Boom!!
I blinked; the iced coffee glass and desk were bisected, rolling on the floor.
"Planning that anyway."
Not his usual warm tone—a cold, synthesized machine growl. Raw clockwork voice.
"What you stole is blood money customers trusted us with."
His high-frequency blade hand whirred menacingly.
"By the trust and promises our bank built, I swear we won't let you walk."
"Crazy bastard...."
Vague memory clicked: Del Monte, born just before the Great War—a living war machine clockwork.
"...Bill us for the new desk and cup after your debts clear."
Back to normal voice. He straightened his clothes and exited; we grabbed the ledgers and followed.
The manager walked calmly through retreating staff like the tide.
"Branch Manager, that was badass."
"Practiced from Flat's movies."
"Acting?"
He nodded quietly at my question.
"Anyway, Deputy Manager Levrier. Affair partner ID'd?"
"Pale pink arrow from the secretary."
"What emotion's pink?"
"Sexual interest. But secretary seems uninterested in him."
"Enough. We have staff lists—dig into her and family's accounts. Good call grabbing the ledgers, Deputy Manager Kim."
"Hope it works."
"He'll move as predicted."
My idea: flash ledgers for intimidation. Threatened, Felix would act to cover tracks. Surveillance would yield clues.
"Mission accomplished—on to phase two."
Fred eyed the closed door.
Now relentlessly probe the president, secretary, and their circles.
That's what I thought—until leaving the office.
"Damn bankers. Want money? Learn manners first...!"
Felix burst out fuming; Mira whipped her head away reflexively.
"No way, can't be—"
Her face screamed trouble. She hurried down the stairs, panting.
"What? What happened?"
"The arrows..."
She looked up at me, finishing hoarsely.
"Pink arrows from the president stabbed every female employee."
"...The hell?"
How many women staff again?