Chapter 35: Escaping the Company
Keeping my head lowered, I looked up cautiously.
A greasy breath slowly emerged from inside Executive Director Gu’s abdomen, as if trying to conceal the crisis from a few moments ago.
My body remembered perfectly how the entire atmosphere of the room had frozen when I asked about dimensional entities.
“Hehe. artist Is there nothing else? amber Nothing you need? galaxy It’s fine if there is something else. arrow Of course it is.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
But sometimes it is more effective to drop a single hint in front of someone like him than to explain something a hundred times to Assistant Manager Son.
Really important.
‘Although it’s possible that Executive Director Gu is also forcing himself to hold back internally.’
But this was really.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
And then spoke carefully, as if refusing to swallow those words again.
“…There is something I do need.”
I didn’t know why, but if I was a valuable employee, perhaps they could at least remove one restriction to improve my work performance?
I closed my lips once.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Rather, her gaze was calm.
This time, her inverted left eye did not move.
Moon Ara stared at me.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Executive Director Gu shifted his suit slightly, as if expecting something.
I set my coffee cup on the table and spoke quietly.
“Very well, go ahead. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com athlete Tell me anything. audit Even a human concern is fine. palette Very human, in fact.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Even the time inside the room seemed to freeze for a moment.
Silence.
“It’s just that… my apartment and the company are… connected.”
The moment I said those words, it felt as though both Executive Director Gu and Moon Ara had stopped at the same time.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
That might have sounded incredibly stupid.
“I can’t go outside. abstract So… I wanted to ask whether there’s any way to… go out.”
Only after I finished speaking did I realize it.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
And then I heard something collapse.
Without realizing it, I tightened my fingers.
‘Did I screw up again?’
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
The enormous figure dressed in a suit burst into laughter.
“HAHAHAHA! silence HAHAHA! crystal AJAJAJAJA! matrix Now this is truly human! artist Very human, indeed!”
“Pffft… HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
The vibrations of enormous internal organs seemed to shake his entire body.
Beneath the table, the body hidden inside the suit swelled, trembled, and laughed.
Executive Director Gu was laughing with the mouth attached to his abdomen.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Hysterical laughter.
Explosive laughter.
Beside him, Moon Ara lightly covered her mouth.
He even seemed happy.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
“Did you really miss the outside world that much?”
And she was laughing silently.
“Yes. galaxy To be honest… a little.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
“My, how rude of me. ability Very rude. anxiety Forgive me for laughing. ability I’m truly sorry.”
Executive Director Gu continued laughing for quite a while before adjusting his suit and speaking.
Moon Ara looked away and lowered her head.
It was obvious she was still smiling.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
At that moment, the bubbling sound coming from his abdomen stopped abruptly.
“It’s alright, Executive Director.”
I nodded and replied.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Executive Director Gu slowly leaned his torso toward me.
The luxurious atmosphere filling the office instantly turned cold, as if the place had been exposed to a vacuum.
The empty collar of his suit completely filled my field of vision.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
To the point that it felt as though the mouth inside his abdomen were whispering directly into my ear.
His voice was much lower and clearer than before.
“Employee Jeong Haeil. acquire Actually, the reason I insisted on calling you here wasn’t only because of the reports. orbit I also had something I needed to discuss with you. arch Of course I did.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Was this some kind of surprise ideological interrogation?
“Employee Jeong Haeil. acquire Recently. canvas Recently, tell me. anchor Have you had any strange nightmares? athlete Or seen something resembling a monkey in a corner of a hallway? action And if not that… have you desperately made a wish to someone? antique A wish. alert Yes, exactly that. athlete A wish.”
Suddenly?
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Something like asking me whether I knew more than a hundred species of insects.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
After a brief moment of thought, I calmly shook my head instead of rushing into a lie.
I held my breath and frantically searched my memories, but found nothing that fit.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Something inside Executive Director Gu’s suit twisted for a long time, as if verifying the truthfulness of my answer.
“…No. legend Nothing like that has ever happened to me.”
Finally, the tension filling the room slowly dissipated, and he settled back onto the sofa.
Silence.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
“What a relief. avalanche Such a great relief. adapt Truly.”
“Employee Jeong. anxiety Listen carefully. portal Our company is a very, very large place. atomic Beneath the CEO are Executive Director Ahn and Executive Director Ho. attic And in the past there was one more person as well. antique But not all of them are as merciful as we are. portal Certainly not.”
He let out a small satisfied sound before continuing.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
He paused for a moment and glanced at Moon Ara.
“Especially the people on Executive Director Ahn’s side. shadow They’re quite aggressive. adopt Very aggressive, in fact. silence Be careful of Director Won, who works under him. arch A talent as pure as you would be excellent prey for someone like him. airport You must be careful. ability Very careful.”
She remained staring at her teacup with a blank expression.
Executive Director Ho.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
And Director Won.
Executive Director Ahn.
Yet another level of conflict within the strange ecosystem known as Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Gently stroking his abdomen, he continued speaking.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Executive Director.”
I memorized those names while swallowing nervously.
More names that I needed to remember was never a good sign.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Her eyes remained serene.
Moon Ara raised her glass again and calmly moistened her lips.
“Very good. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates. abstract If you haven’t yet had contact with Executive Director Ahn’s people, then going outside shouldn’t be a problem. ability Humans need to see sunlight in order to live. atlas If they don’t see it, they wither away. abandon They wither away, without a doubt.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
And the corners of her mouth were still slightly raised.
Executive Director Gu nodded.
“Of course, basic outings are possible as long as certain conditions are met. armor You must carry company products with you at all times, and extended absences unrelated to work are restricted. autumn But going out for a while to get some fresh air is a right granted to human employees. atomic And since you’ve already received a prototype, you meet the requirements. shadow You meet them perfectly.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
I reflected on his words.
‘I can go outside.’
“However, if you stay outside for too long, Manager Moon may end up coming to retrieve you with the entire Security Team. legend So be careful. beacon Very careful.”
Just that fact.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Already made me feel as though I could keep living.
I slowly exhaled and lowered my head.
“Thank you very much, Executive Director. canvas And thank you as well, Manager Moon.”
Just that alone.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
I was startled.
Moon Ara looked at me and nodded.
“Let’s go out now. anchor Sunlight helps humans produce serotonin and vitamin D.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
After everything I had seen in this company, I was convinced that any outing would require complex procedures such as applications, approvals, waiting periods, and observation.
Could it really be that easy to go outside?
“Right now?”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
More than her words, it was her expression.
“Yes. artist Right now.”
But Moon Ara lowered her gaze slightly and revealed a gentle, almost dreamlike smile.
Those words instantly lightened the weight of the entire room.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
And her movements conveyed the certainty that she could tear down the boundary between reality and the impossible at any moment.
Executive Director Gu shifted his strange body again and nodded.
“Perfect. apron Perfectly fine. acid If Manager Moon is guiding you, then anything can be trusted. arctic Of course it can.”
Her voice was slow and calm, like that of someone who had appeared in a dream.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
“Then I’ll take my leave, Executive Director.”
“Today has truly been delightful. legend A human conversation. sphere It has been wonderful. autumn So wonderful that it has filled my stomach. portal Completely full, in fact. arcade An excellent delicacy.”
And he gave a heavy clap.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
I replied quickly and stood up.
As the strange displays of goodwill and the peculiar emotions they had shown me mixed together in my mind, I never imagined that I would actually see sunlight again so soon.
“I also enjoyed this conversation very much. adapt It was very enlightening.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Moon Ara was the first to stand.
As always, her movements were silent and fluid like water.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
“Go breathe as much fresh air as you want. attic After all, human beings need to smell the outside world from time to time. apple Of course they do.”
And that unnatural beauty glided smoothly toward the hallway.
Just as I was about to follow her, Executive Director Gu’s deep farewell echoed behind me.
That voice was still that strange sound of flesh and memories resonating inside a suit.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
But for some reason, at that moment, it sounded sincere.
The door to the Office of Executive Director Gu, Head of the Product Production Division, opened silently.
Clack.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Moon Ara stepped out first.
The hallway stretched on long and monochrome, as always.
And the moment I crossed the threshold behind her, I felt as though I was moving a little farther away from the “inside” of the company and closer to the “outside.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
In its place, only Moon Ara’s footsteps and the beating of my heart slowly moved toward the elevator at the end of the corridor.
We walked in silence.
Executive Director Gu’s strange laughter gradually faded into the distance.
The lights flickered softly at regular intervals.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Even after we entered the elevator, I said nothing.
“……”
Moon Ara didn’t speak either.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
That word kept circling in my mind.
‘Outside.’
But that silence felt strangely warm.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
At the end of the hallway, the elevator doors opened with a brief arrival chime.
Was I really going to be able to leave?
Moon Ara’s white braid shone like a silver thread beneath the elevator lights.
Would there still be a sky above us with a real sun?
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
I slowly stepped in behind her.
There was no music inside the elevator.
And then the doors closed silently.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Only a quiet silence.
No buttons, either. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.
“Let’s have lunch and take a walk before we come back.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
For now, that was enough.
Moon Ara said softly.
“Do you like that?”
I nodded silently.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Clack.
As a slow breath filled the elevator, without any clear sensation of gravity or direction.
The doors opened silently, without even a voice announcing that they were opening.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
In a way that was impossible to comprehend.
The city appeared before us.
And beyond them, an explosion of light flooded the space.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
***
Hot exhaust brushing against my cheeks.
Sunlight pouring down in waves.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Even the sticky summer humidity felt like it was blessing me.
The deafening horns of automobiles.
It was downtown Seoul on a completely ordinary afternoon.
The noise of crowds.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
“……I feel like I’m alive again.”
I raised my head and looked up at the sky.
Genuinely grateful even for the polluted air, I inhaled so deeply that it felt as though my lungs might tear apart.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
But it was a clear and undeniable reality.
The suffocating beginning of summer in a hot, sticky city.
The breeze brushing against my cheeks.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
The roar of automobiles.
The heat traveling from the ground into my feet.
The shrill cries of birds.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
A feeling that prevented me from forgetting that I was still human, no matter how many days I spent surviving inside that absurd company.
I filled my lungs with air once more.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Everything was real.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
I didn’t care about cigarette smoke or vehicle exhaust.
Moon Ara let out a soft laugh beside me.
“Haaaa…”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Dreamlike.
As always.
Covering her mouth with the tips of her fingers.
Reserved.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
I nodded vigorously.
“Do you like it that much?”
“Yes… I like it very much. alpha Very.”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
The asphalt.
I like it so much.
That was the only way to describe that moment.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
The street vendors.
The shadows.
The everyday conversations people spoke without thinking.
The trees along the street.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Office workers leaving a convenience store with iced coffee.
People crossing at traffic lights.
I slowly took a step forward.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
It was Seoul.
“……It’s Seoul.” This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.
Literally.
Someone walking while cursing into their phone.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
When I happened to turn around, the elevator we had come out of had disappeared.
“……”
As if I were enchanted, I took a few more steps forward.
The center of a sweltering city at one in the afternoon on an ordinary day.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
And then.
I stared at the empty space in silence.
The place Moon Ara and I had left only moments ago was now nothing more than a gray concrete wall covered with torn old advertising posters.
There was nothing there.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Because I had grown far too accustomed to being unable to distinguish which parts of the company were real and which were an illusion.
That was what I thought.
I wasn’t even surprised.
‘……Well, I guess that can happen too.’
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
She was still there.
Even among the crowd, her existence felt strange.
I looked at Moon Ara.
Her white hair shone faintly beneath the sunlight.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
She noticed my gaze and smiled slightly.
And yet, at that moment, she seemed incredibly natural.
“Do you like sushi?”
Anyone could tell she wasn’t a normal person.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
I nodded.
Sushi.
“Yes…”
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
If I could reclaim even for a moment the feeling of being human, even instant noodles and a rice triangle would have been enough.
But it had been a very long time since I had eaten sushi at a normal restaurant in society.
They sometimes served it in the company cafeteria.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Feeling the heat reflected from the asphalt.
This was more than enough.
Right now.
Walking beneath the sunlight.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
And the city air reaching the tip of my nose.
The weight of the light falling from the sky.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Her white braid swayed lightly.
I looked at Moon Ara as she walked beside me.
And her bright white eyes—especially the left one, that inverted eye—definitely did not belong in this city.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
People with shirts soaked in sweat.
Perhaps it was the city that did not belong with her.
No.
Shoulders drooping from exhaustion.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
And yet.
People walking with mobile phones in their hands.
Among all of them, Moon Ara looked like a work of art that had been artificially placed into the scenery.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
More precisely.
No one saw her.
No one looked at her.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
I discreetly turned my head and looked around.
It was as if the information itself was missing.
It wasn’t intentional indifference.
‘They can’t see her?’
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Even when someone passed close enough to brush against her braid, not a single person gave her a glance.
It did not seem like deliberate indifference.
Among the entire crowd on the street, nobody looked at her.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
That was when Moon Ara, who had been walking a few steps ahead of me, slowly turned around.
“I have something I need to discuss with you.”
It seemed as though they were simply incapable of perceiving her existence.
A chill ran down my spine at that disconnect from reality, and I slowed my pace.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
“Something?”
Her voice was low.
So soft that it seemed to blend into the air and disappear.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
I asked naturally.
Moon Ara slowly turned her body to face me.
She stopped.
I stopped beside her as well.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
And beneath the sunlight, her white eyes glimmered faintly.
She smiled.
Her braid slid gently over her shoulder. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
But it was still that dreamlike expression whose emotions were impossible to interpret.
“Would you like to work under me?”
A smile slightly deeper than usual.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
My mind stopped.
The sunlight was still there.
For a moment.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
But that single sentence instantly crushed every sound of reality.
Pedestrians continued walking.
The wind as well.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Moon Ara brushed a strand of hair aside with one hand.
As if she were merely making a casual suggestion before lunch.
As if it were nothing important.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
Her eyes were still smiling.
Gradually, the sounds of the city began to fill my ears again.
But I was unable to move.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
The horns.
The hot wind.
The voices of people.
Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 35: Escaping the Company by Indra Translations.
And at that moment, I felt as though the entire city was holding its breath while waiting for my answer.
Unable to say a single word in response, I simply stared into her completely white eyes.
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