Chapter 5

The scene in the office was curious, to say the least. Mia, Hanna, and Dinorat were chatting at a table, while Heo was glued to a computer—sometimes frozen in front of it, other times surfing the internet frantically.

The boss stood between both groups, watching over them. But soon he grew frustrated—it was Friday the 17th, and Heo had been around for five days already, yet he remained completely detached from the others.

The boss walked over to the group of three.

"Why is Heo still in a corner?"

His voice didn't just ask a question; it demanded an answer—as always when he spoke.

"He told us not to talk to him. Besides, he's like a collection of bad omens. First, he seems cursed, which could explain his lack of affinity. Second, his name—I didn't mention it before, but his parents must have been insane to think that name was a good idea. And lastly, his sleep schedule is a disaster. I'm scared he might do something to us at night."

While Hanna spoke, the boss caught a glimpse of Heo turning his head to glare at them with contempt.

You really don't have any filters, Hanna, the boss thought to himself as he listened.

"You live together for a reason—you're supposed to get along. So no matter what he says, you can't avoid him."

"Fine," Hanna accepted begrudgingly.

The boss looked to Mia and Dinorat.

"And you two?"

"I already talked to him. Besides, I'm suuuper sleepy," Mia said, resting her head on the table.

"I swear I'll talk to him. I just haven't had the chance to really get to know him," Dinorat replied, more relaxed and open to interacting with Heo.

The boss let them be after their answers—and gave Hanna a scolding.

Sooner than expected, Heo felt the boss at his side.

"What is it?"

Heo's voice came out thick with frustration.

"Why are you avoiding your teammates?"

The same questioning tone used earlier now pressed into Heo with equal weight.

"What's the point of talking to people who'll die sooner rather than later?"

Heo spoke like someone whose loved one had just been insulted.

"Then there's no point in talking to you either, but here I am," the boss answered.

Heo frowned at the comment and locked eyes with him for a moment before turning back to his screen.

"I'm not like that bunch of useless people. I'm doing my job. Since I moved in, I haven't seen them train with any weapons or martial arts."

Heo kept his voice low—he wanted Hanna to hear him, but didn't want to direct the insult at Mia or Dinorat, who hadn't been hostile.

"You should train something too. Even if your main role is being the team's brain, you'll still have to run solo missions at night."

"What?! I told you I can't—"

Just as Heo was about to finish his sentence, the boss punched him in the face. When he tried to get up, he felt his head pressed to the floor under the boss's leg.

"You're nothing but disposable trash. Unlike your teammates, you're less important, so stop acting superior and train."

Heo stopped moving as the boss spoke.

"You'll go out with all your teammates. And if any of them say you didn't follow through, you're fired."

The boss lifted his leg and kicked Heo in the face to make him get up.

Heo was visibly hurt. A considerable amount of blood poured from his nose, and his forehead was turning red.

Mia instinctively went for the first-aid kit, but the boss grabbed her hand before she could even touch it.

"Don't help him."

He turned to Heo.

"You're banned from using any medical supplies here."

---

Later that day, Heo stood in the kitchen holding an ice pack to his forehead.

Dinorat soon approached, clearly curious.

"Why didn't you defend yourself? All you did was show how weak you are."

Dinorat stood beside him.

"Because I really am weak. Do you know the Tao martial arts?"

"Aren't those the ones that use little strength but are hard to master?"

"Yeah. I tried them for a while, but I can only use basic stances and strikes. Any technique that requires power knocks me out instantly. I just don't have the energy."

Heo explained with a bitter look on his face.

"Does that mean you can't use any kind of weapon?"

"Nope. Not even the crappy ones that only boost one attribute a little. If I want to use anything, it has to be normal."

Heo looked away, avoiding Dinorat's gaze.

"That's one more reason you should never have been hired!"

Hanna stormed over to Heo, glaring furiously.

"Your clothes are too big, your hair covers half your face, and you're totally useless. It doesn't even make sense that you've survived in this world. In a place where the law of the strongest rules, you should be dead."

Heo stayed calm.

"Seems like you've forgotten your teammates died. By your logic, they deserved it."

The moment those words left Heo's mouth, he got punched—surprisingly, not by Hanna, but by Dinorat.

That makes sense. I'd do the same if I were him, Heo thought to himself as he recovered from the hit.

"You deserved that," Mia said with a sleepy smile from the couch.

Heo gave her a confused look and quietly walked toward the stairs to head to his room.