Our Office Is Open for Business (5)
Our Office Is Open for Business (5)
Leaving Seora behind in a pile of paperwork, I hurried out of the office with Hwaran, only to be greeted by a desolate street.
It was a quiet street with almost no one coming or going.
The fact that there was barely anyone around, even at closing time, was probably due to the office's location.
The exterior of the building, which looked shabby from the inside, looked even more wretched from the outside—barely managing to avoid being called a dilapidated ruin, if I were being generous.
Cracked cheap exterior materials, and thick, sticky sticker residue stuck to the blackened windows caked in grime.
In a street lined with vacant buildings where "For Lease" banners hung here and there, where would any office workers come pouring out from?
I wondered how on earth I managed to find this place to set up an office.
Or was it? Since I had no assets, I had to take out a loan and start an office with nothing, so maybe "stupid" was the right word for it?
"Director-nim, do you have a restaurant in mind?"
"Ah, hmm. That's a good question. Actually, I don't really know this area well...."
At my words, Hwaran's eyes widened.
To think the person who set up the office didn't know the local geography.
But isn't that not so strange? Even if you aren't someone who stays cooped up at home, you don't exactly go on an adventure to roam the neighborhood outside of the paths you usually take.
Of course, I don't even know the way home. Hmm... do I even have a home? I should ask Seora about that later.
"Wouldn't there be something if we go out to that main road over there?"
At the end of the alley, a wide, six-lane road where cars were whizzing by caught my eye.
It's not like we're eating anything fancy, just a quick meal with a drink, so there's bound to be something.
†
A milky broth boiling in a black earthenware pot that bore the marks of time. I was greeted by the meat chunks packed inside.
"Oh, I'm a genius."
Experience as a loner is what makes you good at eating out.
A broke student has to struggle to cut down on food expenses, but for an office worker living alone, dinner is eating out every single day. Though, occasionally, when the wallet gets a bit thin, I have to cook something myself.
Therefore, my eye for picking restaurants could be said to be very, very well-developed.
Picking a place on the main road is the mark of a total amateur. In reality, those steps were taken to find the next alleyway.
Before long, the place I found with a confident stride was this one.
A small path running alongside the main road. The sign of a shabby shop stuck at the very end of that path. And yet, the number of people going in wasn't small, so it was a hidden gem! It had the aura of a great restaurant.
If you stick to the main road, business will be good. But that doesn't mean it's a great restaurant.
It's hard to stray far from a place where you get what you pay for.
But if you move into the alley? The fact that it has survived for a long time is proof that it's a delicious place. Or, the price is just very cheap.
I almost felt a little embarrassed for bringing her to a rice soup place when I said let's have a drink, but hey, what does it matter?
Hwaran looked down at the earthenware pot placed in front of her with a bitter expression.
"I'm sorry I couldn't take you to a nice restaurant. Actually, my pocket situation isn't exactly generous."
It wasn't just talk; I had actually passed by several restaurants.
Decent places. The kind of restaurants women would like.
But I have no money!
And it's not just that I don't have any, I'm dirt poor!
From the perspective of an office that barely manages one small operation, we can't go to a fancy place just because it's a company dinner.
So what can I do? I have to find a cheap place, even if it hurts my pride a little.
"It's delicious. Hwaran-ssi, you should try it too. Heu...."
As the piping hot, warm broth entered my stomach, I felt quite good.
I took a hearty spoonful and filled my glass, and my mood lifted.
Even in a world where cracks open and monsters pour out, it felt comforting to smell the scent of human life. It's not that different from the place I used to live, is it?
"Here, cheers."
"Che-cheers...."
Pushed by my momentum, Hwaran clinked her glass against mine.
A sip of cheap liquor left a stinging alcohol scent in my mouth and scorched my throat as it went down.
Keu... this is it.
Rice soup and soju.
It's the soul food of men, through and through.
They say that spot is in danger these days because prices are rising, but there aren't many foods you can enjoy at this price, so it still stands firm.
After a few spoonfuls, I felt full.
I didn't think I ate that much... it seems there's a bit of a difference in stomach capacity between a man and a woman—no, between my original self and this body.
It's a shame. I want to eat another bowl, but I think it'll be a struggle just to finish what I have.
As I got full, I belatedly noticed Hwaran picking at her food in front of me.
Since she's a woman, she probably expected a more decent restaurant..., I feel a bit sorry.
"Hwaran-ssi, if it's not to your taste—."
"No, it's not that. I'm just a little worried...."
Aha, so she was the one who suggested eating first because she had something on her mind.
Once food is in your system, people tend to loosen up, don't they?
The worries of someone I've only met once couldn't be that serious.
She's just about to start her first operation after getting her ability user badge, so it must be that.
"What are you worried about?"
"Hmm.... Just...."
When I asked about her troubles, Hwaran mumbled and dropped her head back toward the earthenware pot.
I suppose it's a difficult problem to bring up first.
She's a fresh, young employee who just joined—no, if you think about it, she's just a day laborer, not even a contract intern.
No matter how outstanding her ability is, in this day and age where you become a young person who "should have rested" if you don't build a proper career, would a boss like a young person who just stepped into society to be lacking confidence in their work?
The answer is, I don't really care.
I don't know about other employers, but I'm like that.
Originally, it's scary when you're just stepping into society, but if you're a B-class ability user, you can make a living doing something.
How could I turn away a precious talent who came to our shabby office despite lacking confidence?
"Are you nervous because of the operation?"
"Th-that is....... Yes."
Struck at the core, her head, which had been fidgeting, slumped down again.
The tips of her ears were red, so she must be embarrassed that I saw through her.
Even if I'm not an ability user, as someone who knows a very short future of this world, and as a cog that has already been worn down by society, I had a duty to soothe this trembling, prospective cog.
"I understand being nervous because it's your first operation. You'll get used to it someday, but everyone has a first time, right?"
"Oh, that's true."
"Actually, from our office's perspective, we should be grateful that Hwaran-ssi agreed to join us. It's embarrassing to say."
"Th-that's not—."
Startled by my words, Hwaran lifted her head and stopped talking.
Her eyes were slightly unfocused, so she must be getting tipsy.
"Don't worry too much. I mean, who's good at something from the start? And, although it might be a bit unreliable, we also have Dolorence-ssi, who is an A-class ability user."
If you only look at Dolorence's personality, you'd naturally be suspicious, but she's still an A-class, even if she's a bit rough around the edges.
She's also a character mentioned as a usable A-class in a game where filling a party with S-classes is the standard.
She's just bad at dealing with people, she's not a malicious person.
Sip.
I emptied the glass that had been filled before I knew it and continued.
"So, Hwaran-ssi, you just need to learn from Dolorence-ssi and get through this operation. Our operator, Seora-ssi, is also such a capable person that I sometimes wonder why she's sticking with an office like this, so you have nothing to worry about."
The feeling of warm heat going down my esophagus made me feel like something was loosening up.
I wasn't sure what I was saying.
In this situation, it seemed right to say something cool, but... words were just spilling out of my mouth as they popped into my head.
"But isn't it a bit unfair?"
"Unfair, you say?"
"To be called B-class, when Hwaran-ssi is such a person. Giving you only B-class. Ah, right. Thiiis... you only know this, Hwaran-ssi, okay? Hwaran-ssi will reach S-class later and stuff, right? Hehe. You're really pretty."
The image that popped into my head.
The time when Hwaran, who had appeared briefly in the early story as a B-class, was released as a variant.
Eden Breach was a game that only did small updates, yet, as a gacha game, it diligently did anything that would make money.
It was quite a hot topic back then, too.
†
The Director was saying something earnestly.
In her own mind, she probably thought she was speaking clearly and saying cool lines, but in reality, that wasn't the case.
Just one drink. Her pronunciation had completely slurred after one glass of soju.
Even so, because she had answered her worries earnestly, Hwaran tried to listen and understand what the Director was saying.
Then, she suddenly drank another glass, and her pupils went completely unfocused.
She was rambling about things that couldn't be understood, and her white skin was flushed red—she was clearly dead drunk.
"——Sooo.... Huu. It's hot."
"Ah, ack! Director-nim! This is a restaurant!"
"Uuu? It's hooot...."
Because she suddenly tried to take off her clothes, Hwaran hurriedly stopped her.
"Uh, let's go out first."
Hwaran hurriedly hoisted the Director up and left the restaurant.
Hwaran had to pay for everything they ate today, but how much could two bowls of rice soup and a bottle of soju cost?
Besides, Hwaran had no time to worry about that.
"Director-nim? Don't fall asleep. Where is your house?"
"Umm...."
Hwaran poked the Director, who had fallen into a deep sleep on her back before she knew it, but there was no sign of her waking up.
"Haa... what do I do."
The world in front of the eyes of a fledgling who had just taken her first step into society went pitch black!