“…….”

I failed another part-time job interview today. This is the fifth time already.

Looking at the message starting with “Thank you for applying” on my phone, a feeling of gloominess washed over me.

‘Even though it’s after the Day of Destruction, you didn’t even finish high school, and there’s quite a gap in your employment history. What were you doing during that time?’

I don’t understand why they ask such questions. Isn’t it enough to just do the job well?

“Haah…….”

A sigh escaped involuntarily.

If I somehow save the money I have now, I can last 2 months, or up to a year comfortably if I break into my savings. I must find a new job before then, no matter what.

Someone like me should be a good worker to employ at a reasonable hourly wage, so why do I keep getting rejected?

Being sad won’t change reality.

I am a lower-class citizen of this society, without a college degree, an Awakened registration, or a Hunter registration.

On top of that, I had neither time nor money. Just struggling to take responsibility for my own life, I became a 23-year-old without even a decent qualification.

Even so, it didn’t make sense that I couldn’t find a job to this extent. Some didn’t even bother to respond to my resume.

After getting rejected from interviews one after another, my self-esteem hit rock bottom. I closed the internet window I had been looking at.

It doesn’t seem to be my day. I’ll just read a novel.

[Ban Hyun-woo made a decision. He would never forget this humiliation, even if he died. If there was a next life, he would surely reclaim everything…]

As I was concentrating on the novel, a small window popped up on the screen. It was a messenger from someone.

[Ha Young, are you really not thinking of coming to the Association? I’m telling you, they’ll treat you well.]

I ignored the messenger. Who are you trying to sell drugs to?

Then the notifications came one after another. They were things like ‘ㅠㅠ’ or ‘I’m telling you, they’ll really treat you well’, ‘Even though the pay is low, the work is manageable, right?’

I was about to ignore it, but seeing Min Young unnie even calling me, I gritted my teeth.

Not even letting me read my novel in peace!

“Do you really not want to come to the Association?”

“I don’t want to work for low pay.”

There wasn’t even a polite greeting. I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

“They provide room and board, you know.”

“Ugh.”

My expression automatically scrunched up as I remembered the cramped room and tasteless food.

Min Young unnie, who was calling me now, was one of the Association employees who had taken care of me a lot when I returned to this world.

This unnie, who still contacts me because of our connection from that time, remembered when I drunkenly messaged her a few days ago saying ‘I got fired huhuhu *sob*’ and has been trying hard to lure me to the Association.

The Korean Awakened and Hunter Protection and Supervision Association. Commonly known as the Association.

It’s a government agency that assists Awakened individuals, or something like that, and it’s famous for getting beaten up here and there.

Although civil servants are known for their job security, there’s a lot of work, it’s tough, and they get a lot of abuse, so the Association always suffers from a shortage of personnel.

Min Young unnie, who has been with the Association for over 10 years, always tried to lure me to work at the Association. Apparently, in my innocent and young days, I answered “Yes!” without knowing anything. Not knowing it was the whisper of an evil devil.

“Do you really not want to come?”

“No. I’d rather work at a construction site than go to the Association.”

“That’s harsh. We don’t work people that hard.”

Yes, you do work people that hard. And the pay is low.

They say civil servants have iron rice bowls, but if I’m not Awakened, the story changes.

Why? Because I won’t be a regular employee, but an office assistant part-timer.

Even though it’s stated that the basic work hours are 8 hours, they use the excuse of providing room and board to make you work 24 hours a day, sticking to the Association building all day long.

Of course, they’d call you to work right after you’ve taken just one spoonful of dinner, and you’d have to busily do miscellaneous tasks among the employees soaked in overtime work.

“I’ll try to negotiate and raise your salary somehow.”

“No need. I know other employees are underpaid too.”

“I’m telling you, we’re not that underpaid!”

Yes, you are underpaid. Even with room and board provided, it doesn’t even reach the minimum wage.

Moreover, there was one more reason why I didn’t want to work at the Association.

That was meeting high-ranking Hunters.

The high-ranking Hunters always boasted the worst personalities. Why do people lose their humanity when they become Hunters?

They were worse than most troublemakers.

They treated non-Awakened ordinary people worse than roadside pebbles and wanted to be treated well just because they were Hunters.

If you didn’t comply, they’d get angry.

Of course, not all Hunters were like that. Instead, the majority of Hunters were.

The already busy employees would make me do small tasks like making coffee and entertaining guests, and I experienced all sorts of things while serving coffee to Hunters.

When you get a coffee shower on your head for bringing what they claim isn’t coffee, or hear relentless personal insults, you naturally don’t want to go back to a place where you experienced such things.

Recalling the scrutiny I faced while eating at the Association, I said wistfully.

“I don’t want to… Find your assistant elsewhere.”

“How could you be so cold after all we’ve done for you?”

Min Young unnie sighed deeply at my wistfulness. How you raised me? It was a total disaster.

By the way, this unnie really has no conscience. Whenever we meet and drink together, she complains about how hard work at the Association is, yet she still thinks of recommending the Association’s assistant part-time job to me.

After several attempts at persuasion with no sign of me giving in, Min Young unnie finally gave up.

Instead, she sent me a website link via messenger.

“If you hate it that much, I can’t help it. How about this instead?”

Curious, I checked it out.

[

– Job Description: General office work
– Working Hours: 9 AM to 6 PM (Flexible)
– Salary: Negotiable
– Resume required]

It was a job posting from Cheonrang. I was dumbfounded.

“Why are you sending this to me?”

“You’ve got nothing to lose, right? It’s not often that Cheonrang is hiring.”

I could deeply feel unnie’s concern for me. But I was still dumbfounded.

“Unnie, even Cheonrang checks for Awakening for office assistants…”

That’s right. As befitting its name with the rank 1 Hunter as the guild master, Cheonrang had a high reputation.

In other words, even for a low-level office job, they look at many conditions. I heard they not only check for Awakened registration but also various qualification exams.

Despite my sigh, unnie was unmoved.

“Still, you never know. Just try applying once. They said they’re hiring regardless this time.”

“Who said that?”

“A Cheonrang guild member who came to the Association today to negotiate with a pale face.”

Come on, believe what you should believe.

My eyes narrowed, but unfortunately, I couldn’t convey this expression over a phone call. Min Young unnie, predicting what face I might be making, laughed loudly, “Kya kya kya.” As always, I think this unnie’s laugh is really strange.

After that, we exchanged some meaningless small talk.

When I asked how work was these days, she replied in a suddenly wilted voice, “Let’s meet sometime. I’ll buy you meat.” An enormous amount of complaints was reserved. Nevertheless, as someone living on a tight budget, I couldn’t refuse meat, so I welcomed it with open arms.

After ending the call, I half-jokingly submitted my resume to Cheonrang.

With nothing to write, I forced out some words and put them in, and then I felt hungry. I took out the new ramen I bought from the ceiling and ate it.

[This is the timeline separator]

And so, the resume I submitted was accepted.

“Uh oh…”

With puffy eyes from eating ramen late at night, I rubbed my eyes as I looked at my phone screen. No matter how many times I rubbed them, the letters didn’t change.

The message from Cheonrang told me when and where to come for an interview.

I never thought that pitiful resume would actually be accepted. Maybe the experience of working as an office assistant at the Association helped?

While spitting out toothpaste foam, I stared at the screen silently and swallowed a silent scream.

There was a lot I wanted to say about Cheonrang, but the main point is this: It’s a huge guild that wouldn’t hire someone like me.

Although it was obvious I would be rejected, I couldn’t just wear any clothes to the interview, so I rummaged through my closet and put on my most cherished outfit.

And so I went to the interview. The competitors were such impressive Awakened individuals that I wondered why they were applying for an office assistant position.

I also immediately answered whenever the interviewer asked something. It was almost at the speed of a reflex.

After finishing the messy interview, I walked down the corridor with a blank expression.

Somehow, I felt it would be a waste to just throw away the whole day like this. I had even put on pretty clothes to come out.

I thought about contacting a friend and asking them to buy me a meal.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I bumped into someone.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going…”

“…”

I apologized first before looking up. The other person was so tall that my entire view was blocked.

A soft voice settled down.

“No, it’s alright. Interview?”

It was a pleasant baritone. And a familiar voice too.

Surprised, I looked up to see Cheon Shin Woo standing there.

That Cheon Shin Woo, the rank 1 Hunter.

“Oh, oh oh. Cheon, Shin Woo?”

“…You recognize me.”

A stupid voice leaked through my teeth.

He didn’t get angry at me for bumping into him while walking without looking ahead so rudely.

“Y-yes…?”

A foolish answer escaped my lips. Cheon Shin Woo’s gaze was strangely fixed on me. What is it, is there something on my face?

“Guild Master! Regarding the gate we conquered this time, there’s additional…”

“…”

At the same time, a man who came running from behind stopped abruptly upon seeing Cheon Shin Woo.

“Do you know this person?”

“…No.”

The short voice brushed past me. I wanted to say something more in response, but my whole body was frozen and I couldn’t do anything.

“Tell them I have nothing particular to say about this gate. Tell them to handle it themselves.”

“Y-yes?”

“I hope we can meet again.”

Cheon Shin Woo, who answered so nonchalantly with me in front of him, reached out and patted my head. Thanks to his tall height, his hand was also very large.

“Huh? You said you didn’t know them, but… Wait! Wait a moment! Guild Master!”

Indifferent footsteps followed the indifferent touch. The speed was so fast that the man who had been chasing Cheon Shin Woo had to run again, panting.

I blankly stared at their retreating figures.