Chapter 9 : Cat-Like Beauty

[Upper-Level Conference Room of the Bureau of Anomalies]

In the darkened space, the holograms in shades of blue and white spread along the walls, filling the room.

A report on Kim Min-woo was being projected.

Photos, videos, reaction graphs of Pamyoh, and behavior analysis during their interaction—all the data was displayed in a refined form.

“…Pamyoh, or rather, the anomaly, showing a submissive response to a human is unprecedented.”

The person who spoke briefly was Dr. Lim Hyo-rin, a member of the Anomaly Analysis Team.

Under the pale lighting, her neatly trimmed bob haircut and sharp eyes glowed with cold intensity.

“Are there any records of interactions with other entities?”
One of the executives, scanning the data, asked.

“None so far. However, if the same response continues, it would be hard to consider it mere coincidence. We plan to observe interactions with other anomalies as well.”

“So, how do you assess this, Dr. Lim? Do you truly believe the anomaly can show goodwill toward humans without expecting anything in return?”

Hyo-rin paused for a moment.

She quietly tapped her fingers on the table while staring at a scene in the projected video.

Pamyoh was rubbing its head against Min-woo’s hand, wagging its tail.

It was a clear sign of submission.

“I will reserve judgment for now.”

“…What does that mean?”

“The hypothesis that anomalies can coexist with humans has been rejected for a long time. But…”

Hyo-rin looked back at the screen.

The anomaly in the video was showing a vivid, clear reaction.

“If that’s possible, the human who induced that reaction would also become a subject of analysis. In other words, we need to observe Kim Min-woo.”

The room fell silent.

Low breaths and light murmurs of admiration spread among the executives.

“You’re saying that for the first time.”

“Certainly, it’s intriguing.”

After a brief stir, one of the executives cleared his throat and continued.

“But, at the same time, it’s risky. Though Kim Min-woo has shown no ill intent so far, if he harbors bad intentions… the consequences might be unmanageable. Dr. Lim?”

Hyo-rin nodded.

“That’s right. Like anomalies, human emotions are unpredictable.”

“…Then, it would be wise to continue the observation along with testing. If every anomaly starts following Kim Min-woo… that would be beyond our control.”

A bitter laugh swept through the conference room.

Finally, someone reached a conclusion.

“Let’s raise Kim Min-woo’s surveillance level from B-1 to A-2, and during the upcoming new employee orientation, we will observe him in person.”

“Is the surveillance team ready?”

Hyo-rin nodded.

“Of course. And…”

She turned off the hologram with the remote in her hand.

“…I’ll observe him personally.”

Hyo-rin always preferred to see, hear, and feel things directly at the scene.

If she had to observe Kim Min-woo, that wouldn’t be an exception.

“Dr. Lim taking an interest in a human… interesting.”

“Then, we’ll leave it to you.”

Was it curiosity? Caution?

Or perhaps the beginning of a feeling she couldn’t explain?

She herself didn’t know yet.

But one thing was clear.

Kim Min-woo.

That man, for some reason, was making her unusually anxious.

Her name written on a locker.

The newly assigned desk.

And the excited voices.

“Min-woo-ssi! Congratulations~!”

As soon as I opened the office door, the wild Choi Yuri appeared.

She was like an energizer, wearing a white cardigan over a black suit.

The moment I stepped into the office, she started chattering endlessly from the seat next to me.

“Congratulations again on becoming a full-time employee! Clap, clap, clap! Our ace new recruit is joining, and I, as your senior, am absolutely thrilled!”

“………I don’t know much, though. Please don’t expect too much.”

I smiled awkwardly, and Yuri rested her chin on her hand, speaking playfully.

“No, no~ Min-woo-ssi is a superhuman-level recruit who made a monster obey! Even if you’re D-level, that’s something our team leader couldn’t do. I’m so proud of you!”

“…Is that so.”

“Of course! Most people can’t even make eye contact with a monster, you know?”

Yuri casually placed two cups of coffee on the desk.

One in front of me, one in front of herself.

“Here~ A cup of coffee to celebrate joining! This is our team’s welcome routine. Of course, I just made it, though! Cheers~!”

“……Cheers.”

I clinked my cup, swept up by the mood.

But why are we toasting with coffee?

Turning my head, I noticed coffee, drinks, and snacks scattered across Yuri’s desk.

It looked more like a break room than a desk.

“…Yuri-ssi?”

“Yes~? What did you say~?”

“Yuri-ssi, the stuff on your desk…”

“Oh! Oh! Oh! I can’t heeeeeear!”

Yuri plugged her ears, glancing around wildly.

I let out a small sigh at the sight.

“…Senior?”

“Oh! Yes, yes, Min-woo-ssi, why~?”

…She was doing it on purpose, wasn’t she?

She had been emphasizing ‘senior’ earlier, and it seemed like she really wanted to be called that.

“Uh, can I drink the zero cola?”

“This? Zero cola with lime flavor! Our flavor expert ace~ You really know your stuff. I don’t even give this to Assistant Manager, but because you’re my senior… I’ll let you have one! Hehe!”

“Thank you.”

I took the zero cola, and a thought naturally popped into my mind.

‘Rule number 4….’

I had glossed over it at the time, but that particular item in the manual still lingered in my mind.

The absurd rule that said if you offer a zero cola as a sacrifice, you can call the administrator.

Why is it only visible to me?

After meeting Nuri, some sections of the manual were revised, and I still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.

“Ah! Right. Min-woo-ssi, you’re attending the orientation, right?”

Yuri asked with an expectant look in her eyes.

“Yes. I don’t see why not.”

Apparently, the Bureau of Monsters had a new recruit orientation.

New recruits from various departments would gather for something like a workshop.

“Great! It’s a retreat, and there are simple activities too! They even give you gifts~!”

• Gifts?

“Various equipment and tools! And they say the bonuses are really good!”

“…Oh, bonuses! Sounds sweet!”

At that, my eyes lit up.

Among the explanations, only one thing stood out to me.

Bonuses.

Lately, thanks to my increased salary, I had a little more leeway in my wallet, but…

“Master, I’m hungry~! Let’s eat that! That!”

My wallet still felt empty.

“Still, going to a place with lots of people… makes me nervous.”

“It’s okay, Min-woo-ssi. Someone like you will be really popular.”

“…Me? Do I really seem like that kind of person?”

I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

Usually, I just hear that my gaze is intimidating…

Am I actually the type to be popular without realizing it?

“Well, you’re popular even with monsters, right? That means you’d be popular with anyone. How about it? Don’t you trust this senior’s advice a bit?”

“…Haha, well… sure.”

If I dragged it out, more absurd jokes would follow, so I quickly agreed.

I took a sip of my coffee.

That was unnecessary.

“…Then, I’ll just go and stay quiet for a while.”

“It’s not going to be quiet~ Min-woo-ssi, you’ll probably be a star!”

“Eh?”

“Right now, Min-woo-ssi’s rumor has spread throughout the office! Of course, no one knows who started the rumor exactly, but there’s a ghost story going around that ‘someone tamed a monster.’ It’s like a wild tale.”

Her eyes, which had been playful, now had a strange seriousness to them.

“So, don’t stand out too much. …Or, don’t stand out too little either, you might get disappointed? After all, you’re a superhuman-level monster recruit!”

“Who would get disappointed?”

“Hmm~ Several people. I’m not sure, but… you’ll probably find out soon enough.”

Yuri said, trailing off, and then suddenly shouted, “Time to eat ramen!” and disappeared somewhere.

As I watched her back, I mumbled without realizing it.

“……But it’s probably better than dealing with her senior all day.”

It might be much easier to meet new people than to spend the whole day with Yuri.

After a chaotic tea time with my senior—no, my first day at work—time had passed.

It was the day of the new recruit orientation.

I sat in the training room on the 3rd floor of the Bureau of Monsters.

‘It’s quiet, which is good, but… the atmosphere is a bit heavy.’

The space was neatly organized.

On the desks were the basic issued equipment, and when I looked around, there were only five of us, including me.

Everyone was dressed in black suits, and their eyes reflected tension and wariness.

Some were carefully reading through the manual, while others were cautiously surveying the surroundings.

Then, someone spoke up first.

“Excuse me… where are you from?”

The conversation flowed naturally, and introductions began.

“I was an intern at the field support team in the Bureau. I finally got officially assigned.”

“I’m from the Special Warfare Command’s special intelligence division in the army. I took the exam after discharge.”

“I majored in Anomalogy at Harvard. I came here on a research assignment and got transferred to the Bureau of Monsters.”

“I’m a retired national judo gold medalist. After retiring, I found a connection to this world and applied. I like to use my body.”

All of them had impressive backgrounds.

Credentials that could be boldly written on resumes.

Everyone was proudly showcasing their own titles.

As their prestigious resumes passed back and forth, the air filled with an expectation-laden weight.

At that moment, the gaze of everyone in the room turned toward me all at once.

“Kim Min-woo-ssi, how about you?”

For a moment, my thoughts froze.

‘Part-time job, ran into a monster, survived, got scouted…’

If I said that, it would only get more complicated.

Bringing up anything related to monsters would just make things noisy, as Yuri had said, and it wouldn’t be helpful.

I calmly said,

“I was just an ordinary person. I lived normally, and I was lucky enough to get hired.”

At that moment, I felt a subtle shift in the air.

No one laughed, but the attention quietly drifted away.

In this unfamiliar space, a familiar feeling washed over me.

“…Ah, I see.”

The conversation naturally shifted to someone else.

I quietly took a sip of my drink.

‘As expected, the atmosphere is different.’

It might actually be a relief that I’m not the center of attention.

I’m used to being alone.

As the silence lingered,

Screech—

The door to the classroom slowly opened.

The first thing that entered was an unfamiliar, strange air.

And through that opening, a woman appeared.

The sound of her low heels tapping lightly on the floor.

Her quiet steps, flawless posture.

She had an air about her that drew attention.

I lifted my head absentmindedly,

And for a brief moment, her figure seemed familiar.

No, it couldn’t be.

Butterfly, cat, and monster.

This was the Bureau of Monsters.

A place where non-human beings couldn’t enter.

But something was strange.

Her deep eyes and the cute, slightly raised corners of her eyes.

Her movements—neither avoiding attention nor stretching out too much.

Everything about her somehow reminded me of a cat.

…Maybe because she looked like a cat.

I tried to reassure myself and looked away,

But as she passed, there was an oddly different air left behind.

It was hard to explain in words, but it was an unfamiliar feeling.

“Seo Yuna-ssi, right? Please take a seat.”

At the instructor’s words, she nodded and silently took her seat inside the classroom.

There were no special actions.

No noticeable gestures, but for some reason, my gaze kept being drawn to her.

It was such a common

First meeting.

But there was something familiar about it, some sense of déjà vu.

‘…No, surely not.’

I quickly shook my head.

It was just an illusion.

A mere fantasy.

But even as I steeled myself and tried to look away,

The shadow, wagging two tails, approached.

The weight of that day, which had been catching its breath in my arms.

And now,

The image of her quietly sitting and flipping through the manual.

It slowly overlapped with something in my memories.