“…”

I failed another part-time job interview today. That makes it the fifth time.

Staring at the text message on my phone starting with “Thank you for applying,” a wave of depression hit me.

“No high school diploma after the Day of Destruction, and quite a gap in your history. What were you doing during that time?”

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

“Sigh…”

A sigh escaped me naturally.

If I stretch my current finances, I can survive for two months, and if I break into my savings, I could make it comfortably for a year. I need to find a new job before then, no matter what.

I should be a decently paid, reliable worker, so why do I keep getting rejected?

Moping about it didn’t change my reality.

I’m a lower-class citizen in this society without a college diploma, an Awakened registration, or a Hunter registration.

Plus, I have neither the time nor the money. Scrambling just to survive, I’ve become a 23-year-old without any significant qualifications.

Even so, it’s ridiculous that it’s this hard to find a job. Some didn’t even bother to respond to my applications.

After a string of rejections, my self-esteem hit rock bottom. I closed the internet browser I was looking at.

Today’s not my day. Let’s just read a novel.

[Ban Hyun-woo decided he would never forget this humiliation, even in death. If there’s a next life, he vowed to reclaim everything…]

I was deeply engrossed in the novel when a small chat window popped up. Someone sent a message.

[Hayoung, are you really not considering coming to the Association? They’ll treat you well.]

I ignored the message. Who’s trying to sell me what?

Then, a series of notifications followed – ‘ㅠㅠ’, ‘Seriously, they’ll treat you well?’, ‘It’s low pay, but it’s manageable, right?’

I was grinding my teeth when Minyoung unnie, who I hadn’t seen in a while, actually called.

Just let me read in peace!

“Do you really have no plans to join the Association?”

“I don’t want low pay.”

I didn’t even bother with the usual polite greetings. I clicked my tongue automatically.

“They provide room and board.”

“Uh.”

The thought of cramped rooms and tasteless food made me frown.

Minyoung unnie, who had called, was one of the Association staff who took good care of me when I returned to this world. She remembered how I drunkenly contacted her a few days ago, saying, “I got fired, sob, sob,” and has been persistently persuading me to join the Association.

The Association for the Protection and Surveillance of Awakened and Hunters in Korea, commonly known as the Association, is a government organization that supports Awakened individuals. Famous for being beaten up everywhere, it’s a tough job with lots of work and criticism, and hence always short-staffed.

Minyoung unnie, who has been with the Association for over 10 years, always tried to recruit me. In my naive and younger days, I agreed without knowing it was a devil’s whisper.

“Are you sure you won’t join?”

“Nope. I’d rather work on a construction site than go to the Association.”

“We don’t exploit you that much.”

Yes, they do. And it’s low pay.

Even if it’s a public service job, it’s different for unawakened like me. Why? Because I wouldn’t be a regular employee, but an office assistant part-timer.

Even though it’s officially an 8-hour job, because they provide room and board, they exploit you 24 hours a day, using it as an excuse.

I remember being called to work right after scooping a spoonful of dinner, and tirelessly running errands among exhausted employees.

“I’ll try to negotiate a higher salary for you.”

“Forget it. I know the other staff are also underpaid.”

“We’re not that underpaid!”

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

There’s another reason I don’t want to join the Association.
That was the issue of meeting top-rank hunters.

Top-rank hunters always seemed to have the worst personalities. Why does becoming a hunter mean losing your humanity?

They were worse than the usual difficult customers.

Treating unawakened regular people worse than pebbles on the road, they demanded special treatment just because they were hunters.

And they got angry if you didn’t comply.

Of course, not all hunters were like that. But most of them were.

Already busy staff members made me do minor tasks like making coffee and greeting guests, and I went through all sorts of experiences while serving coffee to the hunters.

When they poured coffee on my head because they didn’t like the way I made it or insulted me without restraint, naturally, I didn’t want to return to a place where I had such experiences.

Remembering the hardships I endured at the Association, I spoke distantly.

“I don’t want to… find an assistant on your own.”

“You’re so cold after how we raised you,” Minyoung unnie sighed deeply, responding to my distant attitude. How you raised me? It was more like a crazy show.