Chapter 2 Part 12

If one successfully completes the program and is employed by another corporation or public institution, they’ll become a high-earner, and even if injured during the process, there will be no financial difficulties. And to think, an environment equipped with facilities of this caliber.

It seems I understand why people are so desperate to join this organization.

Tou, perhaps thinking he had explained enough, or perhaps unable to suppress his urge to smoke any longer, walked towards the door and spoke.

“Go to the office on the ground floor and ask the support staff for the key. Shinru handles member welfare and internal affairs, so go get the key from him, and there’s also a note with the living rules, so get that too. If you need anything else, you can ask him. If it’s just a simple question, you can ask me. My room is #15. ……Should I go with you? I’m going up to smoke anyway.”

“No, you go first. I’ll go slowly. But is the support staff still in the office at this hour?”

“There should be someone on duty. If you tell Shinru you have something to do, they’ll call him.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Tou said, waving his hand, and then left. Jeong Tae-ui, left alone in the room, finally let out the long sigh he had been holding back and slumped onto the chair next to him.

Aside from the basic furniture provided, there were hardly any personal belongings visible in the room. It was natural for a dead person’s belongings to be cleared out, but it seemed even those recovering had taken their things.

He checked the drawers, wardrobe, and desk. Still, it wasn’t completely emptied, and a few articles of clothing, books, and minor items remained. The dust-free, empty set of furniture for one person seemed to be what the deceased person had used.

Even if he wouldn’t return, one couldn’t simply use a spot that already had an owner. Naturally, the dead man’s spot became the one left for him.

Jeong Tae-ui slowly looked around the room. Since he had left his Boston Bag behind anyway, unpacking was out of the question for today, but in truth, there was nothing to organize. He didn’t have any items important enough to meticulously pack, even with his uncle hurrying him, and since he was explicitly told it was for six months, he only brought what was immediately necessary. Since indoor clothes, uniforms, even underwear, and a single toothbrush were all to be provided, there was nothing much to pack.

If there was anything in that Boston Bag that felt somewhat important… it would be the key. The key, tossed into the Boston Bag without a ring, making no dangling sound. It was his house key, for six months later.

He had tidied up the house completely before leaving. In fact, it took dozens of times longer than packing. He had also left a short note for his brother, who might not know when he would return.

Come to think of it, what might his brother be doing right now? He was the kind of person who needed no worrying about, no matter what or where he was doing, but Jeong Tae-ui felt he wouldn’t even worry if the plane he was on crashed.

Whatever he was doing, if he wished it, they would meet again. Because whatever he wished for, it easily came true.

Jeong Tae-ui walked over to the neatly made bed and lay down on it.

His body was tired, but sleep didn’t come as readily as he expected. His body was heavy, but his mind was clear.

A single room for a while. It would be quiet and comfortable in its own way, but as a newcomer, there would be many inconveniences. He would have to knock on other doors to ask even the smallest questions.

Thinking that far, Jeong Tae-ui suddenly glared at the ceiling, then slowly got up.

He wouldn’t be locking his door anyway, so the room key wasn’t necessary, but he figured he’d need those “living rules.” Jeong Tae-ui didn’t know where to eat his meals immediately, or what he was supposed to do tomorrow.

Shinru, was it? If he’s support staff, does that mean general duties?

Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head and stood up. The next six months felt like a thousand years.

It seemed he wouldn’t be satisfied unless he throttled his uncle at least once. On his way up, he’d stop by his uncle’s room on B1 and twist his face a bit.

Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue.

Even though it was his first day here, he hadn’t expected to get lost inside the building. And in a place no larger than a primary school playground, at that.

It started with the elevator.

Of course, he knew the location of the elevator Tou had taken. It was that worn-out-looking elevator, just around the corner from the stairs. Even though he had made a few turns, he hadn’t forgotten the way he came.

So it would have been good if he had gone to that elevator, but unfortunately, it was a bit far from Jeong Tae-ui’s room. He didn’t feel like going out of his way to take the distant elevator when there was another one visible just by turning his head in the opposite direction from his room.

Buildings, after all, usually have the same structure on each floor. Even if there were some differences in layout, buildings of this type, by architectural design, were usually quite similar.

So he thought he could just take that elevator up, and then follow the corridor back the way he came.

“Damn it, what kind of building is this mess? It looks completely different from the floor below.” Jeong Tae-ui muttered curses and tore at his hair.

To have a building with such different structures on different floors was something he had never experienced in his life. It was one thing for the corridors to be laid out differently, but if the bathroom locations were different, that said it all. It was an absurdly inefficient and ridiculous structure. And they talk about sewage piping installations and whatnot?

It had been over ten minutes since he started wandering this floor; of course, during his wanderings, he had found a couple more elevators, but they weren’t in the location he was looking for. He needed the elevator around the corner from the stairs.

…No matter how strangely designed the building was, surely the elevators and stairs couldn’t be in different places on every floor. If such a four-dimensional building existed, it would be a matter to report to an architectural society.

“Damn it. Why isn’t there a single person walking around?”