I stood by the vending machine and stared at the empty cup.
My mind was still on Kang Han-eol and the 1conic record. This led to a strange feeling of anticipation.
A familiar shadow fell over the floor. I didn't have to look up to know who it was.
"Still here?"
Han Seo-yoon walked up and leaned against the machine next to me.
She had a canned soda in her hand.
"Thinking about the new job."
"It's a lot."
"I bet. The Broadcasting Department is never quiet."
"You know what pisses me off more than a B-Rank Hunter's ego?"
Seo-yoon asked. She leaned her head back against the cold glass of the vending machine.
"What now?"
I took a slow sip of my coffee.
"The price of green onions. I went to the mart yesterday.
One bundle is 4,000 Won. 4,000! Because of that, I had to put three back and just buy one."
I nodded. I knew exactly what she meant.
"Everything is going up except our salaries. I saw the utility bill for the apartment this morning. I thought there was a typo. I checked the numbers multiple times.
This led to me turning off the heater and just wearing three sweaters at home."
"Your poor sister."
Seo-yoon chuckled.
"She's going to turn into an ice cube because her brother is a miser."
"She has her own blanket. She's fine."
I looked out the window at the city skyline.
Far below, the headlights of cars looked like small, slow-moving insects.
"Did you hear about the bus strike scheduled for Friday?"
"Don't remind me. If the buses stop, I have to take the taxi. That's another 15,000 Won gone. This world is designed to keep us broke."
"It really is."
"Even the convenience store lunch boxes are getting smaller.
I bought one yesterday and the stir-fried pork was basically just three slices of onion and a prayer."
Seo-yoon laughed, a genuine, warm sound that didn't have any of the office stress in it.
"A prayer? That's generous. Usually, it's just the smell of pork."
We stood in silence for a minute. It was a nice change.
Usually, every conversation in this building was about floor clear rates, or casualty reports.
Talking about groceries and buses felt refreshing.
"I saw a cat today."
Seo-yoon said suddenly.
"Near the entrance of the HA. A fat ginger one. It was sleeping on top of a delivery bike."
"Oh, I think it stays around here...you're just seeing it?"
"But yeah I did see it too... didn't even move when the engine started.
It just looked at the driver like he was the one being rude."
"I want to live like that cat..."
She sighed.
"No stress. Just sleeping on a warm bike and waiting for someone to drop a piece of tuna."
"You'd get bored in two days."
"You'd start trying to manage the other cats and optimize their nap schedules for maximum comfort."
"You're probably right."
She bumped her shoulder against mine.
"..."
"And you'd be the cat's manager, charging it a 20% commission on every piece of tuna it found."
"Hey. I have a sister to put through college. Even cat-tuna has a market value."
We stood there for a moment.
We talked about the office, the new manager who replaced me at the desk, and the rising price of ManaX stocks.
Because of our long history working together, the conversation was easy.
"You know..."
Seo-yoon said, tapping her tablet screen.
"I just finished my daily check-in."
I looked at the screen.
I already knew she was an Awakened, but I still found her method interesting. Seo-yoon was a Tamer. She didn't climb the floors with a sword or a staff.
"How are they doing?"
She turned the tablet so I could see. On the screen, four small, translucent green circles were moving through a dark cave environment. They were slimes.
"They're on the 4th floor today."
"The 'Slime Farming' method is slow, but it works. I send them to specific coordinates, and they hunt low-level monsters."
I watched the interface. Every time a slime absorbed a small mana bug, a notification popped up.
[Exp has increased.]
[C-Rank Mana Stone has been acquired.]
The items were automatically added to Seo-yoon's inventory.
Because the slimes were linked to her system, her own experience bar moved up slightly with every kill.
She was leveling up while standing in the HA lobby.
"It's really cool."
I said. I meant it.
"You're basically farming while you're at work. Your level increases, and you get a steady stream of stones."
I looked at her. She was a C-Rank hunter. With her skill set, she could make a fortune if she went into the Tower full-time.
"Why do you still work here?"
"I'm stuck at Level 0. I can't enter the Tower. I can't increase my exp. I have to work here because I have no other choice.
But you... your opportunities aren't grounded like mine."
Seo-yoon's smile faded.
She looked at the tablet, but her eyes weren't focusing on the slimes anymore.
She hesitated. This led to a heavy silence between us.
"I trust you, Lee Kwon."
She said quietly. She looked up, and her expression was sad.
"I wouldn't tell this to just anyone."
She gripped the edge of the tablet.
"Five years ago, I did go into the Tower..."
"I was part of a rookie expedition. We went to the 6th floor. It was supposed to be a simple harvest mission."
She took a breath.
"But...we ended up getting trapped in a collapsing zone.
My teammates... they were right in front of me. The ground just opened up. I watched them fall into a void that didn't have a bottom.
Because I was a Tamer, I was in the back. I was the only one who didn't fall."
She looked at her hands. They were trembling slightly.
"Since that day, I can't step through the Gate. My legs just freeze. The doctors call it trauma...but I like being true to myself and just say I'd been a coward...
That's why I stay at the HA. I can manage my slimes from a distance, but I can't physically be in there. The fear is too much."
I looked at her. I didn't know what to say. I am bad at such moments.
When people show their vulnerability or talk about sensitive topics, my brain just stops. I don't have a script for this.
"I... I don't even know how to respond to that."
I felt awkward. I wanted to offer comfort, but I didn't know the words.
Seo-yoon wiped her eyes and forced a small smile.
"It's nothing to worry about. You're a good person for listening, Lee Kwon."
"I still find it cool, though."
I said, trying to move the conversation back to something safer.
"The Tamer class, I mean. Even I wish I could gain exp and level up whenever a mana beast does.
If I could do that, entering the Tower wouldn't even be an issue for me. I could just stay home and get stronger."
I realized I was sounding a bit too sensitive about my own situation. I caught myself and laughed.
"Well..." I said, shaking my head.
"For now, let's just focus on getting our money up. Haha."
Seo-yoon chucked. The tension broke. She smiled at me, her eyes returning to their usual brightness.
"I've never seen anyone as obsessed with money like you, Lee."