There Are No Humans in the Monster Company

A space where only the sound of breathing, the faint creaking of the leather sofa, and the ticking of the wall clock’s second hand could be heard.

Executive Director Gu’s office was luxurious and silent.

It was not noise that vibrated there.

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The surface of that ostentatious golden table was excessively smooth and shone brilliantly.

At the center stood a heavy table.

It was silence.

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“I didn’t add any sugar.”

“Thank you.”

I held the cup with both hands.

Upon that gleaming surface, as though someone had polished it thousands of times, Manager Moon Ara gently set down a cup of coffee.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The tips of my fingers trembled slightly.

Seated across from me was Executive Director Gu.

I had done nothing more than sit down, yet my heart was still pounding against my ribs.

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It was more like the viscous noise of flesh and joints rubbing against one another.

───Rrrrk… Rrrrk…

The sound coming from beneath the suit was not that of liquid.

A gray suit perfectly tailored to a figure that seemed to be imitating the shape of a human being, accompanied by a bright red tie.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Something alive twisted inside that invisible body, quietly boiling within its innards.

“Mm. audit Unfortunately, after meeting people like that in a place like that. palette You must have many questions. adjust Very many questions. adapt Right, Employee Jeong Haeil?”

As I tried to suppress that instinctive revulsion, Executive Director Gu’s strange way of speaking struck my eardrums.

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Executive Director Gu’s chilling, grotesque voice vibrated as though speaking from inside an inverted throat, brushing against my ears and gently striking my internal organs.

Had they already been informed of my arrival before I even got here?

It was a terrifying company.

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‘It’s hard to listen to this…’

It was as if he were greeting each of my organs one by one by name.

Then I remembered Manager Moon Ara’s words.

For a moment, I felt dizzy.

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Right.

— Don’t be surprised or disrespectful. acoustic Understood?

I had to control my expression.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

I carefully opened my mouth.

‘And an executive, at that.’

What was sitting in front of me was a monster.

But before that, he was my superior.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Without seeming defiant or intimidated.

Choosing each word precisely.

Without hesitation at the end of my sentences.

In other words, like the perfect rookie employee.

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At that moment, the sofa vibrated slightly.

“Yes, that’s right. voyage I have many questions. canvas It’s an honor to be able to hear your explanations.”

Something moved inside Executive Director Gu’s body once more.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Manager Moon Ara calmly took a sip of coffee.

A faint smile rested on her lips.

Rrrrk… Rrrrkkk…

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Accustomed both to these conversations with Executive Director Gu and to whatever existed inside him.

But the eyes hidden behind that smile showed no emotion whatsoever.

She looked like someone who had already anticipated this situation.

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I slowly lifted my cup and took a sip.

It was exactly the right temperature to maintain an appropriate level of terror.

The coffee was neither hot nor cold.

And perhaps also accustomed to the empty seats of employees who had disappeared from around that table.

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This time it was heavier than before.

Across from me, Executive Director Gu once again produced a sound similar to boiling.

As though a mass of greased metal were being crushed from within.

Instinctively, I took another sip of coffee.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

And then I had the feeling that there was a mouth somewhere in his abdomen, exactly where his heart was not.

But I could feel the vibration originating from there.

“Anomalous Disaster Management Department. agent Yes. autumn I heard that you encountered the Anomalous Disaster Management Department, Employee Jeong Haeil.”

I couldn’t see it.

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“Yes, that’s correct.”

The moment I heard that name, I remembered that dreadful place.

“It seems you were dragged into a Distorted Region. alien You must have gone through a lot, gone through so very much. sphere According to Manager Moon Ara, they threatened you. riddle Right? palette Yes, they threatened you.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

That path without windows, without doors, and without direction.

The endless corridor.

The Presence that chased me.

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‘I suppose places as absurd as that are what they call Distorted Regions.’

The shadow without feet.

Strangers.

And the two people from the Anomalous Disaster Management Department whom I had encountered.

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And now I would never have the opportunity to find out whether they had truly been friendly or not.

Perhaps it had not quite reached the point of a threat.

Unknown places.

I briefly organized my thoughts and nodded.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

At that instant, Executive Director Gu shuddered slightly.

“Yes. wizard Fortunately, nothing serious happened. acoustic They wanted us to leave together while we talked, and they also spoke badly about the company. canvas The situation was becoming uncomfortable, but thanks to Manager Moon Ara, I was able to return safely.”

And, given that I was speaking to an executive, I decided to show a little corporate loyalty.

But I had already returned to the company.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Burp!”

And then—

An invisible vibration passed across the surface of his suit.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Sharp.

Short.

A belch.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

That sound momentarily erased the aroma of coffee, as though half-digested remains were rising from his innards.

Executive Director Gu pretended to be surprised and patted his abdomen.

And strangely filled with anger.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

She had not even finished half of her coffee.

“Oh! echo How rude of me. portal How embarrassing. attic How embarrassing.”

And her face remained completely expressionless.

While I hesitated over how to react, Manager Moon Ara simply turned her gaze toward the window.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Executive Director Gu continued speaking.

“In any case, yes. atomic Since you encountered them, I should first explain who they are. advance I must do so, of course. galaxy Explanations are the foundation of trust. abstract The foundation. wizard And a foundation, you see, is the most fundamental of all foundations.”

“In any case… very good. avalanche Excellent. anxiety Even so, you remained firm. accent As expected, you are an exceptional employee. arch The same can be said of Manager Moon Ara. audit Excellent. crystal Truly excellent.”

Manager Moon Ara smiled softly and inclined her head without replying.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

He repeated the word foundation two or three more times.

“The Anomalous Disaster Management Department is an external organization. attic External and completely external. arcade They deal with things that we cannot handle or matters that run too deep.”

And once again that internal sound, like a boiling lament, began.

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Upon noticing my confused expression, Executive Director Gu continued in that elegant yet eerie voice.

“I see. aluminum Then it’s an organization that doesn’t have much to do with our company?”

“That’s right. abandon Exactly. accent We are a company. arctic A company, without a doubt. acquire But they are different. arch Very different. acid They are a government institution of this small country called the Republic of Korea.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The perfect interview smile one uses when one knows absolutely nothing but has to pretend otherwise.

“They operate a little differently from us. anxiety A government agency that works in the shadows. audit An extremely organized institution. arcade Very organized. silence Organization, order, regulation, control.”

“Dimensional instability, structural distortion, temporal fractures, perceptual collapse—I suppose you could say they specialize in preventing things like that. antenna Yes, exactly.”

I nodded as much as possible, maintaining the attitude of a competent rookie employee listening attentively.

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“Sometimes they act before we do. arcade Other times, they reseal what we have already resolved. beacon And sometimes… mm. alpha They take our employees away. harbor Every now and then.”

For a few moments, something resembling a breath escaped from somewhere within his body.

Executive Director Gu paused.

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At that moment, Moon Ara lightly tapped her cup with one of her long, white fingers.

Tap. atomic Tap.

A small, delicate sound.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Yet it felt like a cold warning.

“When they discovered my affiliation, they reacted quite strongly.”

“They have a ‘line’ they must not cross. amber A line, a line. harbor A boundary that should not be crossed. admire The ones you encountered may have gone a little beyond that line.”

Executive Director Gu silently watched her for a few moments before continuing in a gentle voice.

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“It’s inevitable. anxiety Of course it is. amber Just look at the name of their organization and you’ll understand. adopt They consider us anomalous disasters. atom Yes, that’s how they see us. orbit They’re rather bothersome discriminators.”

Someone whose head was a fist, whose surname was also Son, and who hated humans.

If there was a despicable discriminator, there was also one in Extraction Team 1.

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Suppressing with all my strength that sincere thought that was climbing up my throat thanks to my survival instincts, I displayed an exemplary smile completely corrupted by capitalism.

Besides, objectively speaking, our company really did seem to fit the definition of an anomalous disaster.

I nodded slowly.

“They work as the government’s shadow and secretly resolve incidents related to anomalies. sphere Resolve them, without a doubt. afford If we are a company whose goal is to generate profit, they are an organization whose purpose is to maintain society. atom Exactly that.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“I understand. abandon They consider us an anomalous organization that should be controlled by them.”

This time, it was praise.

Quite terrifying praise.

“That’s right. arcade Exactly. advance How clever. anchor Very clever. beacon Well done. apron You’ve done very well, Employee Jeong Haeil.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The Anomalous Disaster Management Department.

I nodded while organizing everything I had just heard one piece at a time.

A South Korean government agency whose existence was not officially acknowledged; a sort of covert operations force.

“If it were up to me, I would swallow them in a single bite—but I can’t. aluminum I can’t do that. canvas Because the CEO is a merciful person. echo Very merciful.”

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‘Incomprehensible phenomena…’

If it were revealed that the world was truly full of strange, incomprehensible phenomena and monsters like these, the resulting chaos would be immense.

It made sense.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

She slightly raised the corners of her lips in a faint smile.

Her inverted left eye gave me the strange sensation that she was looking directly into my thoughts.

That was when I turned my head and met Manager Moon Ara’s eyes.

I pushed those scattered thoughts aside and decided, for the time being, to define them as the opposing counterpart to this company.

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The gaze that passed through that suit.

I nodded cautiously once more.

I felt Executive Director Gu watching me silently.

No.

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That question contained more than simple curiosity.

Something strange was probing at my eyes.

“Is there anything else you’d like to know about the Anomalous Disaster Management Department? august Ask with confidence. amateur Complete confidence.”

I slowly shook my head.

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“No. echo My questions have been completely answered. echo Thank you for such a detailed explanation, Executive Director.”

But I didn’t need information that deep or detailed either.

Naturally, Executive Director Gu, being an executive, knew much more.

From what I had heard from the other team members, Extraction Team 1 probably also knew certain information about the Anomalous Disaster Management Department.

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Any remaining questions could be resolved by asking Assistant Manager Son, Manager Batori, or Director Mok.

From somewhere inside Executive Director Gu’s abdomen came a sound like a metal valve slowly turning through layers of soft fat.

It was then.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“For now, we plan to observe them. album For now. altitude If they continue meddling, then not the CEO—rather, Executive Director Ahn or Executive Director Ho will make a decision. action And when that moment comes, it still won’t be too late to swallow them in a single bite. accent Not at all.” palette (T/N: This novel has a particular fondness for short names.)

A grotesque, satisfied vibration, as though he were digesting something.

It took me half a second to process the implications of that phrase—swallow them in a single bite.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

I displayed the most diligent and polite smile an employee could offer.

Then Executive Director Gu’s belly stirred once.

“Haha… thank you for your words, Executive Director.”

Exactly three seconds of silence followed.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

And then came a sound impossible to classify as laughter, flatulence, or a heartbeat.

Something boiled and turned inside his suit.

Grrrrrrrrr.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

This was the executive director’s office.

At that moment, Manager Moon Ara set her cup down on the table.

I wanted to congratulate myself for not reacting when I heard it.

Because I wasn’t supposed to be surprised here.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

She looked at me.

The base of the empty cup softly tapped against the glass surface.

Click.

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The brightness of her right eye made the white iris and black sclera of her left eye stand out even more.

Our eyes met.

It was an expression that seemed to say.

The corners of her lips were raised by barely a millimeter.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The hair wrapped around her fingers.

‘That was fairly well done.’

One turn.

Then, slowly and silently, she hooked a finger around the tip of the long white braid draped over her shoulder.

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And faintly fragrant.

A strangely slow gesture.

Excessively elegant.

Two turns.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

And I exhaled silently.

As though signaling that everything was over, the base of the cup vibrated lightly against the surface.

Watching that, I carefully set my cup down on the table.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 32: A Thrilling Afternoon Tea in the Executive Director’s Office (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

However, judging by Executive Director Gu’s strange smile as he clapped his hands, he did not seem to have any intention of letting me leave just yet.

“Excellent! zenith Then how about we move on to a topic that will be a little more useful for your work?”

‘I want to go home.’