INV 27

“You, you people…!”

Assistant Manager Woon, unable to contain her overwhelming sense of betrayal, began to point her finger with a trembling hand.

Where her fingertip pointed was a lettering cake ordered through the reservation-only system at the bakery and cafe located on the first floor of the Underworld Company. The custom-made cake was so hot that rumors claimed you had to book months in advance to receive one on a specific anniversary, and scalped tickets for reservations even circulated.

And yet, her colleagues, who had shouted “Down with Jae Angshin” alongside her, had custom-ordered “that” specific lettering cake to offer to the intern! And they even did it without Assistant Manager Woon!

“Are you lot even human?!”

“Technically, no. We are Underworld Reapers.”

Assistant Manager Woon was so angry her orange hair nearly stood on end. She tried to grab them by their collars, but Assistant Manager Jeong was faster. Avoiding Woon’s assault by flexibly leaning his plump belly back, Assistant Manager Jeong, a true genius of showmanship, dropped to one knee and presented the cake to Kwon Yihyeon.

“Here…! Please accept this! Mr. Intern!”

Toot! Thin Staff Member Man, holding a party whistle in his mouth and wearing a cone hat, crept up beside Assistant Manager Jeong while keeping a wary eye on Assistant Manager Woon. Beside him, Staff Member Lim was dripping a bowlful of cold sweat while clapping castanets—clack, clack, clack—with both hands.

“W—Why didn’t you bring a triangle if you were going to go this far!”

Assistant Manager Woon spoke out of pure frustration, but Manager Kang, who had been chuckling with his hands behind his back, rounded his lips and said.

“I didn’t think of that.”

“Manager!”

“Now, now. Let’s finish the intern welcome party first.”

Manager Kang let out a boisterous laugh and gave a subtle wink to stop Assistant Manager Woon.

Assistant Manager Woon likely knew as well. That with Jae Angshin, who had just ground up the legs of the Reapers, standing right there, there was no telling what might happen if they were cold to him.

Even if the office was a place primarily used by administrative officers far removed from armed forces, the Underworld Company was still a single company; thus, it was a world where everyone turned out to be a colleague, senior, or junior if you looked deep enough. In a place like that, with so many people’s legs ground up, there was no way people could be in their right minds. They were merely holding onto their reason by a thread while working.

Pushed to the brink in such a desperate state, they felt they had to do something upon hearing the news that even Great King Yama would be visiting. So, though they felt sorry for Assistant Manager Woon, they had insisted on changing only the lettering on the birthday cake they had intended to give her.

The team members of the Haetae Department were suffering from the anxiety that if they didn’t show such sincerity, their own necks might be sliced next.

Manager Kang, who had been observing all of this from a distance, approached slowly once the Jae Angshin’s contractor was obscured by the team members and scrutinized Kwon Yihyeon’s face. He had looked at Kwon Yihyeon as a substitute because he couldn’t dare look at Jae Angshin, but Manager Kang found himself surprised for a moment.

The Jae Angshin’s contractor, whom everyone feared and hated… was simply, purely happy and grateful for the hospitality he was receiving for the first time.

⋆˙⟡

Kwon Yihyeon knows. This cake is not entirely for him. It is closer to an offering. It is something akin to a plea saying, ‘We give you this, so please do not eat us.’

But, even if the word “welcome” is a lie, why is it so sweet?

“…Thank you.”

Kwon Yihyeon found himself wearing a sincere smile. It was neither a facade nor an act, but a sincerity so deep it was almost sad, welling up from somewhere in the depths of his heart.

At that sight, Manager Kang completely forgot what he was going to say. He was so overwhelmed by the young man’s sorrow that his entire life felt like a fool’s errand in comparison.

‘Why does a kid have a gaze like someone who’s already weathered every storm and hardship in life?’

Being young doesn’t mean one lacks a story. The team members of the Haetae Department were all young and had plenty of stories themselves. Therefore, the reason Manager Kang was surprised, looking back coldly, was not because the other party was young. Manager Kang felt he could finally be certain.

‘Why Gwak Deukcheon picked that one up.’

His old colleague, who used to pick up kittens from the roadside on rainy days and dump them on Manager Kang, had not changed then or now.

Kwon Yihyeon is someone who does not suit the title of Jae Angshin’s contractor. Rather, he is closer to a being who smells of humanity.

That must be why Gwak Deukcheon couldn’t leave him alone.

‘Well. You can’t ask a sparrow to fly past a mill, can you.’

Manager Kang almost let out a wry laugh. After covering it up with a boisterous chuckle, he reached out to Kwon Yihyeon, who was still caught in the lingering emotions of the moment. It was a request for a handshake.

At that, Kwon Yihyeon quickly regained his professional gaze and accepted the handshake with both hands, bowing his waist deeply.

There was no need to go that far.

‘Hmm. He’s quick-witted, too.’

Manager Kang, who denied it but had a somewhat conservative side, thought he might have found the new intern quite likable if he weren’t the Jae Angshin’s contractor.

“Shall I introduce myself first? I’m Kang Taerim, the Manager. I’m in charge of Temporary Team 2 of the Haetae Department. We’re all on the same team, but when we’re short-handed, we split in half for field deployments. At least three people per team. Temporary Team 1 is led by Deputy Head Gwak. Deputy Head Gwak is the department head, but we prefer to call him Team Leader. And…”

Assistant Manager Jeong snatched away the introduction that was continuing somewhat disjointedledly.

“I’m Jeong Yujin! Assistant Manager! The one who offered the cake first!”

“We bought it together, Assistant Manager…”

“If you’re upset, you should’ve been faster, right? Hehe.”

Assistant Manager Jeong, still kneeling on one knee and supporting the cake, shook her short silver bob and smiled mischievously with downcast eyes. Staff Member Man, who made a gesture of despair while moving his spindly limbs loosely, was dressed in typical priest’s attire, wearing a purple stole over a pitch-black cassock. His eyes were full of tension, alertness, and suspicion, yet his mouth was smiling just fine.

“I am Staff Member Man, Man Juhae. It means the Year of the Lord.”

“Ah. Yes. Hello!”

Kwon Yihyeon bowed his waist well. It meant he was good at greeting. From his long experience with part-time jobs, Kwon Yihyeon knew that wherever you go, a guy who greets well is halfway there. And that there was a secret to greeting well, too.

If you greet someone energetically and confidently, the other party naturally accepts it. If you greet someone while hesitating, feeling small and intimidated for no reason, the other party will think, ‘Huh? Is he greeting me?’ and their reaction becomes awkward. Then, every time you greet someone, you might remember that foolish period as a newcomer and feel embarrassed. In that case, it’s better to be energetic from the start. Breaking an image once it’s built takes a lot of time and resources. Of course, Kwon Yihyeon was at a disadvantage from the start because he was the Jae Angshin’s contractor.

‘If I were the type to shut my mouth just because I’m at a disadvantage, I would’ve quit everything.’

If he had that kind of personality, he wouldn’t have started in the first place. But Kwon Yihyeon knocked, and he grabbed the opportunity.

“I am Kwon Yihyeon! I look forward to working with you!”

It meant that charging ahead until the end was common sense.

Staff Member Man, who had pale platinum-blonde hair the color of a wheat field, hesitated slightly upon seeing the Jae Angshin’s contractor who was so polite. He had just heard the story of the Reapers whose legs were sliced through the company messenger, but since the culprit was so friendly, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything mean, which made him feel like his insides were burning. However, the presence of Jae Angshin and Great King Yama behind Kwon Yihyeon prevented any hasty remarks.

Staff Member Man backed away with a dry cough, and when Assistant Manager Woon remained silent, Staff Member Lim, fidgeting with both hands while looking at everyone’s reactions, opened his mouth.

“Um. Ahem. I’m Lim Muyoung. My rank is Staff Member. Since I haven’t been here long either, I hope you treat me comfortably… or something. No, I mean, I hope you do?”

“Yes! Sunbae! I would also be grateful if you treated me comfortably!”

Staff Member Lim Muyoung, having never seen a newcomer who looked like such a hard worker before, suddenly remembered his own first day at the company and became depressed.

On that day, Lim Muyoung was so excessively nervous that he had vomited on Manager Kang Taerim’s shoes…

No matter how much he thought about it, this intern did not seem like the type to cause such an accident.

It was evident in his greeting, and in how he smoothly took the cake from Assistant Manager Jeong and led the situation by suggesting they all go to the table and share it.

Lim Muyoung, who did not enjoy socializing with people, immediately found the word to describe what he felt.

‘He’s a social butterfly.’

He could be certain.

The Jae Angshin’s contractor… was a social butterfly.