NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: The Interview
The investigation and rescue team occupied the entire third floor, but only a few people were at their desks.
Due to the nature of their work, many were often out, and there were separate night and weekend teams, making the office look empty.
“E-Excuse me....”
Yueul approached an employee sitting at the front. The woman with gray hair turned to look at him. With his keen sense of smell, Yueul immediately recognized her as a wild dog, and she also realized he was a weasel.
She glanced at the paper in Yueul’s hand.
“Are you here to see Team Leader Kang Wooheon?”
“Yes, I am!”
“He’s waiting in the conference room. I’ll guide you.”
The wild dog anthropomorph stood up. In the corner of the office was a conference room with glass walls. The middle part of the room was opaque, hiding Wooheon’s face from view. Nervous, Yueul stood in front of the door, taking deep breaths.
“W-Wait a minute.”
“Well, good luck with your interview.”
But she didn’t wait even a second and opened the door, pushing Yueul into the conference room. She knew someone was coming for an interview to work as Kang Wooheon’s partner today and sincerely hoped this person would pass.
Moreover, she hoped he would last a long time, at least a bit longer than all those people who took the position previously.
“No, wait...!”
Yueul stood dazed in front of the closed door. His heart pounded so loudly he feared it would echo through the quiet conference room. He couldn’t bring himself to turn around and stayed glued to the door. Wooheon, sitting behind him, frowned.
“What are you doing? Are you going to start the interview with your back to me?”
“No, no, Sir!”
The voice was low and resonant. The brown fur on Yueul’s arms stood on end. Summoning his courage, Yueul turned around. He met Wooheon’s sharp gaze and immediately lowered his head. Unlike Wooseok, Wooheon’s piercing eyes were even sharper than when he was younger.
“Take a seat.”
“Y-Yes, Sir!”
Yueul looked at the long table. Kang Wooheon was sitting at the far end. It was too far to sit directly across from him. Yueul walked around the corner and sat right next to him, his legs trembling.
“Is that your resume?”
“Ah, yes!”
Yueul handed over his resume and clasped his hands together.
‘Doesn’t he remember me?’
Well, it was a long time ago, so maybe he doesn’t. They weren’t even in the same grade, and they only met once during class and in the hallway a few times.
‘This might make things a bit easier.’
Yueul mustered the courage to look at his face. With a cold expression, Wooheon was scanning the resume without any emotion. At thirty-one years old, his face looked harsher and even more threatening compared to his school days, it was so fierce and intimidating that it felt as if he would once again attack him at any moment.
“Sigh....”
Wooheon let out a long sigh. Yueul, who had been watching him, quickly lowered his head.
“Is this what you call a resume?”
The cold, low voice made Yueul’s shoulders slump. The fur on his arms stiffened, and weasel ears popped out from his head. Wooheon, uninterested, tossed the resume onto the table.
“When you transform into a weasel, how long are you?”
“...About 22 centimeters.”
“That’s small for a male. Isn’t that the size of a female?”
“T-That may be, but it doesn’t affect my work.”
“But your job history is short. Café, barbecue restaurant server, cosmetics sales, package loader, convenience store clerk... You’ve done a lot, but nothing for more than four months? It’s funny you even put this in your resume. I don’t see what’s worth boasting about. The only notable thing is that you passed the social skills test, but that’s basic since you have to pass it to graduate from the anthropomorph school.”
Yueul had nothing to say. He wanted to transform into a weasel and run away immediately. His life was miserable and difficult, and working under Wooheon seemed impossible.
‘Survive under a man like THIS? AND I have to change his personality? Nuh-uh, not gonna work.’
Yueul knew that he would be brutally bitten to death by the cruel black mamba in front of him before any of that could happen.
“I heard you worked as a keeper. Why didn’t you include that?”
“It was... very brief.”
It was the longest job he had, but because it was illegal, Yueul lied.
“So, it was brief too. Your shortest job was a month, and this was even shorter? What are you even good at?”
“....”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Lee. APA works hard to protect anthropomorphs, but it’s not a charity. I don’t know why the president recommended you or how you persuaded him, but your resume is one of the most pathetic resumes I’ve ever seen. Even anthropomorphs from good universities find it hard to stay at our association, so I can’t see someone with such a worthless resume handling this job.”
His cold, precise words hit Yueul deeply. Tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn’t argue. He had never walked out of a job on his own, but everything Wooheon said was true.