Chapter 15: An Exciting Tea Time with Manager Batori (3)
vgSkdlSo.GPPyF
HfpIFLIf there really had been a human employee who managed to survive.Jtu
yvKomq4If that was true.7D89r4e
Y5iS‘Couldn’t I do it too?’7FOSe
VZkThat thought began to sprout within me.rZc
o989GdCautiously and quietly, yet with overwhelming clarity.24BM5
MR1As I imagined that possibility, a faint smile appeared on my lips before I realized it.trS2mno
qux7Even though this place resembled a slaughterhouse more than a break room, for a moment I was able to smile.slgk
7rM8xr‘…Ah.’QnL7
hRPKREBut then.dawM
C0khh1I finally became aware of the existence sitting in front of me.gg3S
ZLfgt0AManager Batori.Ple
SyFnThe creature that had penetrated my ear, bitten off one of my memories, and declared it “delicious.”Lezot
QJmN3dAnd who, at the same time, spoke to me about strange things and encouraged me not to become discouraged and to adapt to the company for reasons I could not understand.KQps
NZ96iWFI hurriedly erased the smile from my face.V5XU
eakGeRtI composed my expression and straightened my shoulders.Hya6IT
XiJqlManager Batori did not seem to care in the slightest.F53v
YAwRLcShe continued humming while swirling her tumbler.bCYp2r
GnEdwiFShe appeared to be in an exceptionally good mood.bgjh
PlNztGathering my courage, I decided to carefully ask that unknown existence something else.m3UcOEU
VtFk“Manager Batori.”HmnR
jeUbOEHer humming paused slightly.ARVrw
h3dBetween her silver hair, red eyes turned toward me.wdlytLi
yqv“Hmm?”UnYcy9
hnnT“May I ask why I’m in Extraction Team 1… and not in the Emotions Department?”EKnL
7LWtG5Silence.FTjU
ijpeOIbAt that moment, the corners of her lips slowly began to rise.1wL8
hnUpv5yLike an old melody emerging from an antique music box.z1T1Xq
ql425Gentle, yet tracing a strange and chilling curve.RRl
Fiip1PJ“So… you’ve finally asked that question.”rWy6
dLNRysManager Batori smiled with a peculiar expression.ui6Tgg
bOtqQThe corners of her lips were quietly curved upward, and a faint reddish liquid slid between them.eTy
6D16ILhShe narrowed her eyes as if that were perfectly natural and looked at me.Uz6N
Xud1wuAnd then…uBvFTHz
gET“I don’t know.”2DVQ
jVM9CJK“…What?”jgXzl
JwVmgH7“Fufufu.”rNmZH5U
tU1Manager Batori let out a soft laugh.JEK5S
rb5vtOaHer answer left me so bewildered that, at the same time, I felt a strange sense of relief.s4bqf
WwgBwPpMy posture relaxed slightly.WOwL
olD4My back slumped a little, and the air escaped my lungs.kLxpaF3
IIdI“Don’t be so surprised, Mr. Jeong Haeil. I am not the team leader.”AIP3
bXdc“Yes, I suppose… you’re right.”7jCi
52Ebh“Hiring for Extraction Team 1 is always left entirely to the team leader’s discretion. It is a decision made directly by Manager Myeon. I neither intervene nor involve myself in it.”ViiAn4
SrTI nodded with a discouraged expression.bg1ar
2sTgYes, it made sense.0dt
8caNRJ6After all, Manager Myeon was the one who interviewed me.03K0o
sZrRTAyOr, to be precise, he hired me without any documents or selection process whatsoever.Ta8
EDTYrBcManager Batori lightly tapped the tumbler with her fingers again as she continued speaking.y34d
N27h6There was still a strange excitement at her fingertips.UmU
lQckY“However, if you ask for my opinion…”RtkOWkE
2INNMp9She paused for a moment.LWf2
8HcShe gently licked the tip of one finger before setting the tumbler on the table.wga7
SOVeYThe same ecstasy she had shown when she inserted that tentacle into my head appeared once more in her eyes.nyR
gP9f“It probably has something to do with… those memories of yours.”RamZa
8iHIEN“Those memories? I don’t remember them very well.”WCLx
PM5“Fufu. It doesn’t matter even if you’ve truly forgotten them. After all, I already tasted a little… just a little… of their flavor.”l4mgX
gnrgA strange smile spread across her lips, as though she were savoring those memories once again.RD8E7
PTxhtI watched her silently.v2GNW
WlPI knew which memories she was referring to.pJfmKDg
PQtsMemories of misfortunes that had struck me unexpectedly.RpNZM
NK8ZI knew they were painful memories, but unless someone stirred through my mind, those emotions did not surface with such intensity.vyYuK
wVWazEPerhaps because I now had hope of surviving, what had happened a moment ago already felt like a distant dream.mbpA4
ZehY‘And how does Manager Myeon know?’XNM
C7p5One thought led to another.bx7
L3BAnd once my curiosity opened up, it seemed endless.k8h5
uo2k“I see you’re full of thoughts again.”7vh2W
5cDsKPM“I’m sorry.”WTh
NAm6m“It doesn’t matter. Humans are creatures that live by asking questions. That is also why they are more delicious.”AZNNJ
e8HShe let out a soft laugh.yRZ
TMO8BEach of those notes seemed to brush against the wound that still lingered behind my ear.eEI
fLpEdBkI asked myself a question.tIdF
wvowPKOWas I really hired because of my past?cTOexxB
tqiWhat connection could that possibly have with the work I did here?yGX
3Z6Manager Batori’s humming stopped for a moment.jBBEl4z
98oonxcMeanwhile, I thought about Manager Myeon.qMQx
JHpoHe was always quiet.H4p
Q0jMnuAlways kind.CUGUL
sICHe spoke little, remained calm, and was polite.OR29LL
NSL0He always greeted me courteously and always used exactly the same tone.FcJalW
ang“Employee Jeong. You’ve worked hard today as well.”wMi
xzAGsCRBut suddenly, I thought of something.hsw
uTv‘That person—no, that existence…’Khp
p4aWhat exactly had he shown?ZB5eCD8
lsFAssistant Manager Son had crushed a person’s head with his own head.KdSxDD9
CvCe7Supervisor Shik had torn dimensional entities apart with his enormous forelimbs, claws, and fangs.gleaJG
uGLOCXqDeputy Director Mok had crushed dimensional entities by controlling gigantic roots.VUjwL
yTHWGAnd Manager Batori had just devoured a portion of my memories.mFoM6z
Siv0oBut what about Manager Myeon?Hvrnh
zaNklMhI tried to remember what he had shown.T1UXz
MuQDBut I couldn’t remember anything.EWTX
vSrl3Nothing at all, other than the fact that he had many faces.wmp
nEoOGEA‘But he’s the general manager.’1A17N
PCnThe leader of Extraction Team 1.N3z
DdKV18The person with the highest rank even among all those monsters.Jnid2JW
7q7s8Was it simply because he had been there longer?Kle
icQ4hJ‘Not because he’s shown something…’yOlCl
wToZzGGPerhaps he was more terrifying precisely because he had shown nothing.bCqzZa6
zT41GgzLike a sword that had not yet been drawn.rwm
FgPSomething impossible to predict and not to be touched.hzHDF
XmTThe fact that I didn’t even know which of those faces was the real one silently weighed on me.erGeuid
m1ZThe humming began again.rG33
VIQejOnly then did I breathe once more.zlQgmbF
YgZ9xwAs though I had momentarily managed to step out from beneath someone’s gaze.77x
PEVlSZQEven so, I still felt something brushing the back of my neck.VJDVVte
T2CzUeI looked at Manager Batori.z9au
ADFiShe was calmly drinking from her tumbler, as though nothing had happened.GIKP4a
soZPNleI decided to ask one final question.bvaD
wUQ2AHoping that at least that much was a privilege reserved for a rookie employee who was still alive.2lVi
rpp0IUbI was human, but I did not belong to the Emotions Department.rN1Y
xPoiAnd if they had wanted to kill me, they would have done so long ago.BUs
qCG9The words that had been circling in my mouth finally reached the tip of my tongue.Dh5q
G4TI felt that if I obtained an answer to this as well, I might regain my motivation just as she had said.3WI
rEp95“Manager Batori.”PCaukXP
6RO“Hmm?”rzzuRG
XBye“Assistant Manager Son and the other team members as well…”23Z
Sja4FI carefully chose my words.yIAUANr
6EidHalfway through the sentence, my voice cracked slightly.NyoWR
1HH2xf“Do they know I’m human?”iEQYvxF
tVJQPH5The question was asked cautiously, yet it made the air in the break room vibrate strangely, like a stone thrown into still water.Ypn
BjQzManager Batori very slowly released the straw she had been holding between her lips and lowered her gaze slightly.HJwwB
JEGUgcQHer red eyes slowly moved toward me.MtMapO
TWCxpJAt that moment, a phantom sensation tickled inside my ear again, and a cold sweat ran down my back.XdIoS
NueRViAThe smile remained on her lips.jv8
3av9nBut that smile was thin and dangerous, like a black blade.PJnG
5VLfqBdShe tilted her head slightly and remained silent.3yzLmSE
k7QXThe atmosphere sank.I4vKR
bEnsI6A stillness similar to an antique clock stopping filled the room.4FPa
NthVbWithout realizing it, the muscles in my face tensed and my shoulders stiffened.srax1
auYKC7A moment of silence.EXnYz
AOrBdPFinally, her lips parted.MNoWapz
Rnxczw“Mr. Jeong Haeil.”roTx
egYfEa5Her voice was as soft and elegant as ever.w70Mg
AAhpn1But the emotion it contained was clearly different.vw4od
pUdmMPAs though she had spoken forbidden words.nP5mGLe
6APwGShe slowly set the tumbler down on the table.rcg15j5
yQf2S“You are truly brave.”26W
yVLwCIt sounded like a compliment.JjNn
LdEBut it wasn’t one at all.XCNe
KuXI remained silent.qALHs6
psFNAThe question I had let slip seemed to be crawling back up my throat as if it wanted to return to my stomach.2Zd
tYT09ZAnd then she smiled in an unsettling manner.9JxeZ
nlx“Whether Assistant Manager Son and the other members of our lineage know?”Q6ukBj
eOR02j1“……”5x0
Cw8HU“Fufu. Although I told you that hiding everything is not always the best option, I didn’t expect you to show your curiosity so quickly. You learn fast.”rQg1
CHOJHer eyes narrowed slightly.rVIAY
kxr6H3A silence like the calm before a storm filled the room.Ge2nom
qTXdAnd it was Manager Batori who broke it with a sudden chuckle.nEiX
S2z0x8She folded both hands neatly on the table and regained a calm smile.OFNTq
umA8Zqu“It was a joke. Your expression was far too serious. Your judgment is correct. You may show me your true thoughts. After all, you are a valuable member of our lineage. At the very least, I can answer something like that.”e5xIo
7XRir“……”SG2UT
TKsThere was nothing I could do except endure it.7JZt1
n0Q7u2DIt was not a good idea to harbor negative thoughts toward a superior capable of seeing and devouring memories.Net
xV5I sighed in relief, though I kept my expression as neutral as possible.d8V2Tk
274o2Inside, it felt as though even my organs were being crushed.MGI8
gR8qGManager Batori spun the straw between her fingers as she continued.MjEFU
bma9q“Whether they know? Of course. Among members of the same lineage, how could there be anything we wouldn’t know?”FRP
dyxICCnShe said it simply.7iqQ4j6
LgTBut the meaning hidden behind those words was far from light.SK6
laeUThe same lineage.lfW1d
Og7hz1UThe same Extraction Team 1.XQ8oP3
7Vc1cThe strangest, most dangerous, and most peculiar division in the entire company.WyqOoAG
aUI‘That means Assistant Manager Son too…’uSL
VOhX6QI closed my eyes for a moment.hDIL
5ebmkCBI remembered when he offered me coffee.cXd
RH4The times he greeted me with a smile.FqUtQS
FcRpZAnd then.ZU2s
mWWGZ0That casual expression as he smiled in front of the remains of a man whose head had exploded.2bO
EwAbfHad he known I was human all along?ufM
hAaManager Batori continued speaking calmly while tilting her tumbler.IKg
18O9Yp“Assistant Manager Son is, so to speak, one of the most sensitive among us. So something as simple as your human scent. He most likely became accustomed to it long ago.”pcpu
Uj6S6jShe narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled.JOPcKp
9mE“But don’t worry. Among those who are firmly bound by blood, something as insignificant as that scent would never be a problem.”Xlq6Vi
q6PI nodded ever so slightly.elt
Vn7I added nothing more.Xy6wID
QZwUmStBut one phrase kept repeating in my mind.qdJG
PgY‘He got used to it long ago.’sihfS
jBqThen why had everyone been kind to me?u0qCk
SOLvSimply because we belonged to the same lineage, the same team, just as Manager Batori said?0et3
JEdHycThe moment that thought began to expand, cold sweat once again formed at my fingertips.DrGtpY
GvL8“Well, I think it’s time for us to get up.”doYOvZw
WhxyManager Batori spoke softly, as though a long tea time had come to an end.HtpL0O
EHDIwShe was still seated, yet with a single sentence she managed to change the atmosphere of the room.Bb1ocdi
ZIoEpFcShe slowly rose to her feet.GewwzZ
i0lb6RhThe sound of the chair scraping against the floor echoed with strange clarity.Tcdhme
9R8“We can’t keep leaving all the work to the other members of our lineage for too long. Everyone is waiting for us. Or rather, they’re waiting for you.”pSI4
qWTHer silver hair fell over her shoulders.awqN
NV5She picked up the tumbler again and began walking as naturally as if nothing had happened.svJXw
CW7WqI watched her silently before standing up myself.8DS
Y1MSAt that moment, my legs gave way and I nearly fell.j4joFf
RpeIEkaI steadied myself against the chair to regain my balance.3aoCq
YcAPMy body was trembling.46L69h
jvBMMy ear was still numb.SRp
IAqAnd the sensation of a thick liquid moving around inside my head still hadn’t disappeared.I5KV
IdlBRI took a deep breath.DXYv5SF
9iNFkI had to return to the office.ImR
YoVIGCAs though nothing had happened.6nHMPm
ZJT1YwManager Batori was already standing by the break room door.Lmm
r0ySMv3One hand on the doorknob, she opened the door halfway and slightly turned her head toward me.PyEbp
KNXXL7i“Hurry up and follow me.”NOI
UytSickHer tone was soft, low, and strange.nny
0IAxAs though she were drawing me in with her gaze, I nodded.2r1L
y31“Yes.”7GMnFih
x67j2uJAs I walked forward, the air of the break room was left behind.UODk0Ge
iZ1The liquid I had spilled still remained on the floor.SDu
lDIDKwBlood.EOXH
rAYOr something like it.BcPZzL
pnvbThe door opened completely.myDz
ACgUAnd the silent fluorescent lights of the office hallway appeared before us.Xxbhc
3xMI followed Manager Batori.3XuMmh
gm1eiKUHer footsteps were light.bpWb9RQ
Iu1iaAs always, calm and elegant.7O0xt
lFbbABut inside me, something was still stirring.jsNXG3
6zv2HTv‘Assistant Manager Son knew too.’8VIM9bM
srtAQ3My mind was in chaos.TdM6mx
7PsEThose memories.09UFrfv
HbdManager Myeon.gNSQ
tXtZ5Q1The Emotions Department.48BmLs
GUOq8BsHumans.rIj
LRUKGThe lineage.rJPmWw
zpzSzExtraction Team 1.6LCiqWc
83mReyLEverything mixed together, joined, and separated.r40SNm
7JTTAnd at the center of it all, a single question still remained.qyhxJ6
0ao‘Why am I here?’Yxwwx
h5pQ7At the end of the hallway, beneath the dim fluorescent light, Manager Batori turned slightly and smiled.7BOWq
nq4Her smile was beautiful.3UvLDA
WJvAnd precisely because of that, it seemed so distant.PVnqeb
kwedirI continued walking in silence.OEr2
89iBThe echo of my shoes rang throughout the corridor.8Kd5
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