NOVEL WEB Chapter 1: A Job Offer
His chestnut-brown hair fluttered lightly in the wind. His unusually pale skin contrasted starkly as he let out a tense breath. He gazed at the large sign that read, ‘Anthropomorph Protection Association.’
The Anthropomorph Protection Association, abbreviated as APA, was a familiar place to him. It was where he came whenever he experienced discrimination against anthropomorphs.
But today, he wasn’t there to report anything. He had come to meet the association’s president, Kang Wooseok, who had contacted him late the previous night.
「Let’s discuss the details tomorrow at 2 PM in my office. Is that okay with you, Mr. Lee Yueul?」
Yueul had no idea why he wanted to meet. Although he was a registered member of the association and held the rights to receive protection, he still couldn’t find any reason why the president wanted to meet him personally.
“Sigh....”
Yueul exhaled deeply, trying to calm his nerves, and made his way to the main lobby of the huge building.
The building was flanked by a residential area on the left and a familiar reporting center on the right. Whenever he reported unfair discrimination, the association did its utmost to provide help.
Yueul, unfamiliar with the main building, passed through the wide doors and caught an elevator. He fidgeted with his sweaty palms and pressed the button for the 6th floor where the president’s office was located. He clasped his hands together.
‘What could he possibly want to talk to me about...?’
Despite thinking about it all night, Yueul couldn’t figure out why the president wanted to meet. The APA might seem like a government agency, but it wasn’t at all. It was a non-profit organization formed by anthropomorph entrepreneurs, spearheaded by the KL Group.
They poured significant donations into the association, with KL Group being the largest contributor. Naturally, the association’s president was related to the KL Group.
Kang Wooseok, the president of APA, was the first son of the group’s chairman.
‘Maybe it’s because I made too many reports...?’
Lost in his thoughts about why he was called, the elevator door opened on the 6th floor. Yueul stepped out. The white hallway was lined with framed portraits of past presidents. He glanced at their faces as he approached a mahogany door.
“Yes, come in.”
Upon hearing the soft and gentle voice from inside, Yueul took a deep breath. He slowly opened the door and surveyed the president’s office.
Surprisingly, the office was quite small. There wasn’t even a secretary. Sitting alone at a desk was Wooseok, and Yueul felt his heart race.
...It’s a black mamba.
Just looking into his deep, almost hypnotic eyes, it was clear he was a black mamba. While being one of the most dangerous snakes in the world, Black Mambas had a relatively cute appearance for a snake. Wooseok also had a cute aura about him, but his sharp eyes reminded Yueul that he definitely was a deadly serpentine.
His instincts kicked in, causing the brown fur on his arms to stand up. During the summer, Yueul’s fur turned brown, and now it was standing on end due to fear. Yueul feared black mambas. Although he was more afraid of Wooseok’s younger brother, the presence of the black mamba sitting in front of him was terrifying.
“Welcome, Mr. Lee Yueul. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Wooseok smiled gently at the Yueul, who was still awkwardly standing in the middle of the room, visibly nervous.
From a distance, Yueul was unmistakably a white weasel. His hair was dark brown for the summer, but light brown streaks and his pale skin marked him as a weasel. His large eyes, round nose, and tightly pursed red lips further emphasized the weasel-like appearance.
“Please, have a seat. I have aloe, orange, and apple juice. Which would you prefer?”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
Yueul, trying to calm his rising brown fur, sat on the wide sofa. Despite Yueul’s refusal, Wooseok brought two bottles of orange juice and sat across from him.
“Did you find your way here okay?”
“Yeah. In fact... I come here quite often... And it’s not that far from my home.”
“You do seem to visit our office frequently.”
Wooseok smiled, tearing off the plastic wrap on the cap. Yueul fidgeted with the cold bottle of orange juice, watching his every move. The remark hinted that he had looked into Yueul to some extent.
“...Can you tell me why you wanted to see me?”
“Hahaha. I see you’re in quite a hurry. But I understand. I know it would have been a surprise. After all, I did ask to meet out of the blue.”
“Yes, a bit.”
Wooseok looked at Yueul, who still seemed nervous, up and down. His smile softened even more.
“Actually, I called you to offer you a job.”
Yueul’s eyes widened. He had never considered the possibility of a job offer.
The APA was a non-profit organization but actually functioned like a large-scale institution. They rescued unregistered anthropomorphs, investigated abuse reports, and even had the capacity to conduct in-depth investigations without police accompaniment.
Thus, many well-educated anthropomorphs worked at the association. The benefits they provided were top-notch, and the salary was high, making competition for new positions extremely fierce. Yueul never thought he could land a job here.
But now, the president of APA was directly offering a position to a person like him, who didn’t even attend college.