So, a few weeks passed like that. Finally, I started to find my voice. It was probably thanks to Lee Haru’s persistent teaching, but honestly, the biggest factor was that I could now handle Korean.
All the knowledge about Korean was already in my head, you see. Lee Haru was shocked at how fast I was learning Korean. I even wondered if I was being mistaken for a genius.
“Ah… ah…”
The days of suffering because I couldn’t speak flashed through my mind. The day I would finally escape this long and sudden humiliation was approaching.
Since humanoid creatures could speak to some extent, the research institute didn’t flip out just because I could talk. Of course, when I started speaking a bit, I was taken to something like an interrogation room, but I didn’t know anything about the world beyond the Gate.
“Bora.”
“Yeah? What?”
“I’m hungry.”
When I said I was hungry, Bora nodded and took me somewhere.
It was a prime spot with great sunlight. Since it wasn’t inside a room but outside, I had to go with Bora.
I basked in the pouring sunlight, looked at Bora standing next to me, and said,
“Bora, water.”
Of course, if I didn’t make my eyes sparkle, there was a high chance she’d refuse, so I put on my most pitiful look and said it.
“Yay yay.”
Bora answered like that and brought me a water bottle filled to the brim. In a way, it felt like the relationship between a manager and a celebrity.
Seeing her take care of me like this, even though we had no prior connection, made me think Bora wasn’t as cold-hearted as she seemed during our first meeting.
She didn’t follow me around all day, but she did focus on taking care of me whenever I had any discomfort.
Though I was still a bit annoyed that she came early in the morning.
Anyway, it was a relief that the frustrating situation of not being able to speak was over. How many days had I spent pounding my chest in frustration because I couldn’t communicate?
But I kept the fact that I was once human a secret. If they found out I was human, it was obvious my current lifestyle wouldn’t last.
“The first human turned monster in history!?” I’d probably be all over the newspapers, and then, just like aliens in secret U.S. bases, I’d be taken to the most secretive place in Korea and experimented on.
Though, before that, I wasn’t even sure if they’d believe my story. They’d probably dismiss it as nonsense from a monster.
So, my daily routine was set: wake up in the morning, get a full-body massage, lie in bed and watch TV at lunch, and before bed, cut my hair and sleep.
They didn’t do any experiments on me, so I had plenty of personal time. I even wanted to snatch Bora’s phone to surf the internet. I thought maybe if a little more time passed, they’d give me my own personal phone.
If I asked for a computer or phone right away, it’d be suspicious, so I was calmly observing the situation for now.
Bora spent the whole day teaching me social norms and common sense. As a modern person, I already knew all of it, but I pretended to learn diligently.
So, after basking in the sunlight, I got bored and went to the office on the floor where my room was to hang out.
There, Lee Haru and Manager Kim Jaeman were sitting and working hard on something. There were no other office assistants. Probably because I still had to remain a secret.
“Hi!”
“Haru, hi!”
Lee Haru noticed I had arrived and waved to greet me. I also raised my hand to return the greeting.
Next to him, the octopus monster stared at me with creepy eyes.
“Bald guy, hi!”
As usual, I looked at Manager Kim Jaeman and said that. Then, Manager Kim stopped what he was doing, looked at me with serious eyes, and said,
“Why don’t you call me by my name?”
“Because you’re bald.”
“Ugh!”
With that one comment, I sank Kim Jaeman and wandered around. At least here, I was the king.
The department in charge of me hadn’t been created yet. Instead, a research department led by Manager Kim Jaeman had been set up.
I vaguely heard that Manager Kim’s research department was the weakest in the research institute. It was because they didn’t graduate from prestigious universities but from other colleges. Their academic background and company experience were lacking.
So, when my abilities were first checked and confirmed, they tossed me to this department. In a way, it was only natural that I, an F-grade, ended up in Manager Kim’s research department.
I bet the higher-ups at the research institute had a meeting like this:
“This creature seems useless…”
“Then where should we put it?”
“Let’s throw it to Manager Kim Jaeman’s department.”
Since there was no department to research this seemingly useless creature, I ended up being dumped here as a leftover.
However, after discovering the effectiveness of my hair, everything changed. It became something that couldn’t be ignored within the research institute, and since other departments had already made their stance clear, they didn’t retract their words and take me away.
Even though I don’t know what happens behind the scenes, in front, it was like that.
Today, I had a blast messing around the office, flipping things here and there. Playing while others work is always a thrilling thing to do.
—
When Starlight Green Tea hit the market like a storm, Starlight Food was operating its factory at full blast, not missing a beat.
Originally, the production volume was low, so they had to run the factory all day just to meet the delivery deadlines. Before Starlight Green Tea was launched, the factory was just for show, so it was inevitable.
Last month, the green tea was sold at 100 won per tea bag, but this month, the price was raised to 300 won per bag, tripling the price. A box that used to cost 10,000 won now cost 30,000 won. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much backlash from consumers.
If something essential like ramen had tripled in price, the internet would be flooded with complaints about the government and the company. But green tea is a preference-based product. You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to.
In fact, many people thought that with the price increase, fewer people would buy it, reducing competition. But the market situation didn’t flow that easily.
Kim Se-jin, a devout follower of Starlight Green Tea, arrived an hour before the store opened to avoid making the same foolish mistake as last time. But when he arrived, he was shocked.
‘What the heck is this?!’
There was already a long line formed before the store even opened. It was like when they sold bread with famous anime characters on it…
But the people in line all had one thing in common: they were middle-aged women with permed hair, chatting away.
‘Why are these aunties lining up? Is there some kitchenware on a bomb sale or something?’
But Kim Se-jin, who was still raising young children, didn’t know about the effects Starlight Green Tea had on students.
“Mom! I aced my exam this time!!”
“What? My son got this kind of score? How did this happen?”
One parent, after their child’s miraculous score improvement, tried to figure out the cause. At first, they thought it might be something negative or illegal, but they trusted their son. And their son wasn’t desperate enough for grades to do something like that.
After thinking about what they had given their son, the only thing that came to mind was the green tea and snacks they gave him while he was studying.
The parent knew that drinking green tea could clear the mind and improve eyesight, but they didn’t know it could have such an effect on exams. But if it could boost their child’s grades like that, they were willing to go all out.
But other parents thought the same. In fact, students in Korea who drank green tea while preparing for exams had experienced this effect firsthand.
They couldn’t go back to a life without green tea. It improved concentration, cleared the mind, and reduced fatigue. It was the ultimate buff for studying.
Some students even went to the hospital to get psychiatric medication to boost their focus, but with the advent of this green tea, that became unnecessary.
All they had to do was brew and drink the tea. There was no doping test for exams, and it was completely legal. There was no problem at all.
So, everyone started buying it. A green tea craze swept through parents. Clinical trials had already confirmed there were no side effects.
No side effects and it helps you study better? From a parent’s perspective, this was absolutely irresistible.
That’s why Kim Se-jin, who arrived an hour early, still ended up seeing a long line.
