"Uhhh... so why did you call me here?"
She looked at me with that sweet smile — the kind of smile that could fool anyone.
"Congratulations! You've been chosen as the manager of Sol's secret division!"
Why is she talking like that?
...
Wait—
That's not the point right now.
"WHAT?!"
I—WHAT AM I?!
"Hmm? Why so shocked?"
Of course I'm shocked. Who wouldn't be? This feels like the end of the world.
No—scratch that. This is the end of my world.
"This position has been entrusted to you by someone, so you must—"
"Ahaha, you're quite the comedian, miss…"
"Oh, so you still can't tell the difference between a joke and reality, my dear junior."
Her tone was teasing — no, downright mocking.
"Junior? What do you mean, my former senior?"
I tried to throw the insult back, but it didn't even scratch her composure.
"As I said, starting today, you'll serve as the manager of Sol's secret division."
Hearing her repeat that made me freeze.
Wait... Sol?
"NO!"
I snapped.
"I don't ever want to see him again…"
"Huh?... ohh.. do not worry you wouldn't."
Yes, she did say that... but—
"Don't you get it? Sooner or later, I'll have to face him again!"
"Enough. Listen carefully."
Her eyes locked onto mine — and suddenly, I couldn't move.
It felt like gravity itself had tightened its grip on me.
"Haven't I told you? You will not meet him. And he don't want too."
...
Maybe I really should forget everything I've been trying so hard to forget.
"Alright," she said softly. "From this moment on, you'll work as the new manager of Sol's secret division."
The invisible force faded as she glanced at her phone.
"I've already sent you the location. Head there now—"
"WAIT A MINUTE!"
This person doesn't understand at all...
"What is it?"
"I never said I agreed to this!"
This job—this nonsense—was suddenly thrown at me the moment she called me here early in the morning.
At first, I thought she just wanted to chat. But as soon as I arrived, she dropped this ridiculous bomb on me.
"You offered me this position without even asking for my opinion. Does that make sense to you?"
"I didn't offer it to you," she replied calmly. "I gave it to you. There's a difference."
"Huh?."
What even the different beetwen that?
Just after saying that she only smiled — a terrifying smile, one that looked sweet but felt like it could pull my soul out.
"I don't need your opinion," she said quietly. "Because I'm certain... this is your fate."
Fate? Ha. What kind of nonsense is that?
"Fate, you say? Is this your way of dragging me back into my old job?"
"I'm not forcing you to go back."
"So what, you're forcing me to take that thing again?"
"..."
"No… I don't mean it that way. It's just… I won't deny your own Fate."
I sighed heavily.
"I refuse this job. There's no way I'm doing it."
Before I could leave, she grabbed my hand.
"You can't refuse."
"What do you mean, I can't?"
"Didn't I already tell you? This… is fate."
"You should know I have no experience leading anyone—how do you expect me to manage an entire division?"
Then I paused. Another question hit me.
"Wait. How did you even get me this job?"
It's strange. I didn't even know she was this close to Sol—especially close enough to assign me a manager's position.
"Haven't I already told you…?"
"Huh? Told me what?"
"I wasn't the one who chose you."
That was unexpected. For once, she didn't treat me like some broken toy to toss aside.
"Then who asked you to?"
She gave me that same serene smile.
"Didn't I already say it?"
"…What do you mean?"
"Someone."
"Oh, come on. What do you mean by that?"
"You said you don't believe in Fate. But I do."
Why she keep talking about Fate? She never been so faithful like that in front of me before.
"I don't get it... Then who's the one who gave me this job? Was it—"
"It's not him."
That's strange. I wasn't expecting anyone to be behind this.
Being a manager in an association like Sol means being responsible for an entire branch — keeping it from falling apart.
Each association in Cosmon has its own network of divisions, spread across the world, each with their own role to sustain the whole structure.
And Sol... Sol is one of the most renowned associations, known for discovering the Solar — the technology that produces self-sustaining energy. And to become a manager there must be someone higher than the branch head himself, yes that's right, it could be
the head of Sol itself.
Which makes this job... way too important.
So back to my question.
"Then who gave me this responsibility?"
"I can't tell you yet."
"Why not?"
"Because that's a spoiler."
"Oh, really?"
...
...
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
"I am. If I tell you now, you won't be surprised later."
"Wait—so that means I do know this person?"
"I'm not sure if you've met them. But she know exactly who you are."
She? so, its really... not him?
I stared at her seriously now.
Yeah... it's time to end this conversation.
"Fine. I'll take the job."
"Eh? You sure?"
"So you'd expect me to decline this?"
"Yes, and after that i will-"
"Wait wait wait, don't say anything"
I don't want to hear anything more from her today.
She was solemnly silent after that.
Oh! I think i need to ask her something.
"…So when do I start, then? I suppose I still have some time befo—"
"Now."
No way. I definitely have until next week. I can start after I—
...
...
"Huh?"
It's now 1:13 in the afternoon.
I've been running for what feels like forever.
According to her, this place shouldn't be far—
but it's been an hour.
An entire hour of running, walking, and cursing the universe.
Damn you, woman...
...!
I take at my phone and seeing her message me
Why now? Are this anything she forgot to explain.. or...
she actually care about me?
With a cheerful mind I look at the message.
"Please don't late, Like seriously.."
....
If I were strong enough to destroy something like a star, I would erase her from existence.
After another twenty minutes, I finally stopped, gasping for air.
And there it was.
This place...
This is definely not what a Sol branch looks like.
Seriously, this is just a regular apartment building!
A plain, ordinary apartment like any other in the city.
I pulled out my phone, checking the message she sent me.
The location matched perfectly.
No doubt about it—this was the place.
But she didn't tell me what to do once I got here.
Maybe I should—
Wait.
Who's that?
Someone's been staring at me from the entrance gate this whole time.
A tall figure. Dressed completely in black—
black coat, black shoes, black hat.
I'm guessing the gloves are black too,
but I can't tell since his hands are buried in his pockets.
I quickly turned my gaze away
The air suddenly feeI heavier.
Creepy.
Maybe I should just go back and asking her about this.
Wait.. i can just message her with my phone..
But i think if I go back now...
Yes. That sounds safer.
But when I looked back—he was gone.
Then, out of nowhere—
I felt a hand grab my shoulder from behind.
I turned around.
It was him.
The man in black.
I froze. There's no way he moved that fast.
Did he just teleport behind me?!
Nope. No choice but to talk to him.
"Umm... who are you, exactly?"
Those eyes...
Huge. Unblinking.
It feels like he's staring right into my soul.
"Ho... looks like you're the one."
"…Huh?"
He leaned closer—so close I could feel his breath against my ear—
and whispered:
"Third floor. Room number four.
Knock four times, ring the bell three times.
Someone will open the door and ask who you are.
Then you must ask them what their favorite sauce is.
When they answer, ask why—and then laugh."
What... what kind of insane instructions are these?
The first half made sense, but the last part—why?!
Before I could say anything, he adjusted his hat and walked away,
hands still in his pockets.
Oh, and yes—he was wearing black gloves.
I took a deep breath and climbed the stairs to the third floor.
Room number four.
Here we go.
The place really did look like an ordinary apartment.
After a quick glance around, I noticed something weird:
one large room on the first floor,
five on the second,
and only four on the third.
That's... odd.
I've never seen an apartment or hotel designed like that.
Maybe it's the new trend?
Yeah, probably.
Not that I've been keeping up with the world lately anyway.
Alright. I'm here.
Third floor, room number four.
I knocked four times.
Ding-dong-ding—three rings.
The door creaked open.
Standing there was... an old man?
Or—wait, no. I couldn't tell.
"Hm? Who are you?"
"Ehh, I'm…"
His voice was soft. Way too soft.
Not what I expected from someone who looked that old.
Maybe it's true what they say—men never really age on the inside.
Oh right—! The code phrase!
"Uh, hey, umm... what's your favorite sauce?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"I quite like... mayonnaise."
...Mayonnaise? Really? That's a sauce?
I don't even know anyone who likes mayonnaise that much.
"Why do you like it?" I asked hesitantly.
"Because—MAY O NNAISE!"
...
I blinked.
That's not even funny.
It's barely even a pun.
I know maybe he want to it sound like May You Nice?
Like that? Am I right?
Well if it is then its really cringe
If I were his manager, I'd fire him on the spot.
Oh yeah i need to laugh..
"Uhh—HAHAHAHA! THAT'S SO FUNNY!"
He squinted at me.
"Hey you.. i can clearly see that..."
Oh. He noticed.
Sorry, old man.
"IT'S REALLY FUNNY, I SWEAR! HAHAHA!"
...
...
What?
I can't say anything from now...
Please, let me resign before starting..
"Please, come in, young guy,"
the old man said in that soft voice of his.
I couldn't help but wonder if he really was an old man.
Inside, the apartment felt exactly like an apartment should—kitchen, bathroom, a cramped little living room—until a strange, familiar feeling crawled up my spine.
"Hey, old man, answer me now."
"Hmm? What is it?"
I grabbed a kitchen knife and held it at his throat. My hand trembled more than I wanted to admit.
"Who are you, really? Is this a trap?"
suspicious. Why someone like me be entrusted with something as important as this job? Still—why I still take the offer if it fell into my lap? But it didn't feel right. It looked nothing like the kind of plan my senior would make. .
I tried to trust her—my old senior had done so much for me—but she was human. she could have been lied to by the person that give me this job how brave must the person who handed me this job be.
Why are the sun disguise just to blame the moon in the end?
....
For a moment, the old man said nothing, even with the knife at his neck.
"You misunderstand us, Manager," he finally said.
Huh?
Without me noticing, whatever had been holding the room together—something like a thin shimmer—vanished in an instant.
"What? How—so fast? It shouldn't have taken this little time..." my voice trailed off.
I stared at him hard. "Hey, old man what did you just call me?"
"Hmm? Are you deaf, Manager?" he answered.
Suddenly, I felt myself pulled—like being winked out of the world—and then I was somewhere else: a dark room.
It felt alien to me; I could taste static at the edge of my mouth. The air itself seemed wrong. This was definitely the influence of Astra.
The room—if it could be called that—blurred, then snapped back into focus as the old man bowed his head. Whatever presence had filled it just dissolved.
Could that possibly have happened?
"Yo—welcome," a voice said from the darkness.
…?
"Who's there?" I asked loudly
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