"Jo, I have a job for you," Karen, my best friend, said excitedly from the other end of the line. I, who was enjoying my breakfast while scrolling through the job search page, stopped what I was doing and focused my attention on her. "Can we meet? Not at your apartment. I'm afraid your father is stalking me. I feel like someone is following me, and I'm really worried."
"Are you serious? My father is not that kind of person, but I agree to meet somewhere else." I was lost in thought for a while. What she was experiencing was almost exactly the same as mine. That was why I wasn't sure if it was my father. If Dad had really been following me, he wouldn't have waited long and grabbed me by the ears to take me home. But that hadn't happened in the past few days. I thought it must be a prankster.
I sat across from Karen, enjoying the cake and a glass of drink while discussing what kind of job she had in store for me. Karen worked in a staffing agency for several companies, so it was quite beneficial for me to be friends with her because she didn't help me find a part-time job once or twice, but always.
She showed me the news that appeared on her tablet screen. It was from an app that only she could access because it was a company app. Of course, access was only for employees.
"I'm giving you this news for the first time. The company hasn't even made a decision on whether to publicize it or not," she said, letting me take notes on a few things from the page for me to refer to for my CV.
"Thank you so damn much in advance. You're a lifesaver. I hope I can repay your kindness soon," I replied, putting down my pen and taking a sip of the milkshake in my glass. "Why can't your company decide yet? Is the boss cranky?"
She shook her head. "It's not that problem. Look at the conditions they're asking for. They want a woman with experience, which I find a little... strange. Can a virgin be a condition of a job search? This is ridiculous."
"Shit! If I've already had sex with that stranger, then I'm not qualified." I squeezed my hair and put my head down on the table. "How wretched! I should have kept my virginity the way I was supposed to."
"Please, Joanna. Don't fall for this ridiculous requirement. You can do it. There's another requirement I'm sure you can fulfill. You're an expert in interior design, and this weird boss wants someone who has a taste for art and luxury and can understand what he wants. Try it to know what the weird boss looks like." He meant what he said, but laughed afterwards.
"Seriously. If you just want to prank me, please don't. I know you're a bit random sometimes, but your poor friend needs some serious work."
"Okay, my bad. I'm serious. I can even drive you there if you want. My car is too idle and willing for you to take a ride."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep! But I want you to propose right away. Tomorrow. How about it? If you get accepted into the company, I will receive a bonus. I think my boss knows that it will be difficult to find suitable employees. So, please do your best."
She was right. Let's think of this as a symbiotic mutualism, and by trying and passing this job, I was repaying her for helping me so much.
"OK. I'll get everything ready tonight, and you can pick me up tomorrow morning. If necessary, early morning. I'll do my best for you."
***
"Did you prepare your CV?" Karen asked, and I nodded as I held up a folder. She nodded as she gave me a thumbs-up. "You brought your portfolio, too, right? Your designs and the videos during the process that we usually make, you didn't forget, did you?"
"I did, Granny. I've brought them all. Don't worry. I'm not experiencing this for the first time. You've accompanied me every time I've applied for a job, and look how it turned out. What's wrong with you?" I grumbled as I fastened my seat belt.
"I'm sorry. Like I said, your future boss is very picky, and you'll see how annoying he is."
"Have you met him?" I asked curiously. She nodded weakly. "What does he look like?"
"I don't know. He kept hiding behind the chair and didn't look at me. Isn't that rude? His voice was heavy and deep, the whole room was dimly lit, and I think he really needs a designer like you. I hope you can handle it because he will definitely choose you. I just..." Karen looked at me for a few moments before refocusing on her driving. "After what you've been through, I just wish you all the best, Jo."
I returned her gaze with tears in my eyes. I took Karen's fingers and squeezed them gently, and nodded. "I promise that from now on I'll be fine. I won't cry over the bastard who fucked my step-sister and I'll have all the happiness I want."
"Alright. You've arrived. I'll wait for you at the cafe downstairs near the lobby. Let me know whatever the outcome is. You can do it."
I nodded and hurried to the room where the selection was being held. When I got there, there were no other applicants in sight, and soon one of the staff asked me to enter a room with a concept I couldn't understand. Karen was right. They liked dimly lit rooms or... I didn't know. Was this part of the concept, or did their boss dislike light? Still, he was definitely not a vampire, right?
I stepped inside and reflexively pressed one of the switches, and a deep voice commanded me with a high intonation that boomed, almost making my ears ring.
"Turn off that light! You are an applicant. I'm not necessarily going to accept you. So behave yourself if you want this job!" he said.
"I-I'm sorry. I just can't see in the dark. If you want to ask me to take a test or something, I need light."
"If necessary, you will be taken to another room after this. Relax."
Relax? Seriously?! Just that jolt just now made me tremble and want to turn around, discouraging me from applying for the job. If he talked like that, how could we work together?
"Think of it as a test. I want you to make this room bright, but the light is not painful for me."
"Wh-what?" He was not a vampire, was he?
"You heard my order clearly. Why are you still asking? Let me know if you give up. Because I gave dozens of applicants the same task and none succeeded." He snapped his fingers, and several people came carrying a light bulb stuck in a plug. "Do something to that lamp so that it burns brightly, but will never hurt my skin and eyes."
This was a strange request, just like Karen said. She was very strange indeed, and... what was I supposed to do with this lamp? I was used to interior design, and it was like it was ingrained in me, but making this light painless was beyond my imagination. How painful was the effect caused by the light?
I took a piece of cloth from my bag and placed it over the on-light. For a while, we were silent, not a sound from him until the chair he was sitting on seemed to move, turning to face me.
I was wide-eyed to see who was sitting in front of me. A well-built man with pale skin and distinctive gray eyeballs, staring at me intently with a look that I couldn't translate. The earth seemed to stop spinning, and there was no breeze, even though I was sure the air conditioner or heater was on and working properly. Only the sound of our breathing sounded so subtle. But, clearly, nothing could disturb our gazes that were currently locked together.
I couldn't help but react, and I was sure it was the stupidest reaction I'd ever had. I got up, went over to his chair, and he got up too, and I gave him one of those slaps that would make him remember not to leave the woman he was sleeping with.
"That's because you asked for a virgin employee to apply for a job. I'm telling you, you took that virginity away from me. And this... because you left the woman you fucked." I lifted the cloth covering the light that was still burning, causing him to scream and cover his face. However, he was too reckless and covered the bulb with his palm instead.
There was a burning scent, and I immediately knew where it came from. I gasped, grabbed his burning hand to release it from the bulb and covered it with the cloth. Once again, our gazes met, and that was when the one sentence came out of his mouth that I would never forget.
"You were right, Joanna. I won't deny anything you say," he said it breathlessly. "However, if I don't go, are you sure you can be sure you won't fall in love with me?"
He was right. Falling in love was one of my requests to him. However, who was this man really?