Inside a house in a lovely neighborhood, two step siblings were bickering against each other.
"Yo, Kim, can't be nice to me? Can't you just toss me a can of white monster?!" a redhead girl asked in a grunt as she grits her teeth while playing with the console controller, she looked like shit with cans of energy drinks and empty bags of snacks surrounding them.
"Go get it yourself, Drea, you couch potato! Can't you see I'm late?!" a hurried voice responded, it was from an asian guy dressed in formal wear; a dark gray suit pants and coat which is over a white shirt, along with some worker shoes.
He hurriedly organizing a stack of papers into his briefcase, then he quickly yet carefully drank his 4th mug of coffee after.
Andrea groans in annoyance, "Just toss me one! I'm not leaving the couch until I get a win in this. Can't you see I'm so close to getting a victory?"
"Damn you." Kim cursed but he still reluctantly gave her a can of monster before leaving the house in a panicked manner, but Andrea pouts and finally snickers "Motherfucker... This is what you get for not listening to me early on." she sighed glancing at the wallet she snatched.
---------
15m later
On the side of a street in front of a humble 2 story building, Kim was pleading and apologizing to a taxi driver,
"I'll pay you back, I swear!" he stammered out. The person he begged replied, "Look kid, I know you're kinda in a hurry but I don't do favors, I hardly even know you, what makes you think I trust your words?"
Kim grits his teeth and cursed under his breath, "... I'll hand you my number!--",
"I don't swing that way!" the driver retorted quickly followed with a glare.
Kim groaned in frustration, "It's not that! It's so you can call me later for the payment! I'll pay you triple! Just let me go!" he just quickly pulled out a piece of paper with his number, throwing it into the window before running off.
"I promise to pay!"
The taxi driver could only murmur profanities, "...Fuckin' Gen-Z Ching making shit hard for me..."
Kim focused on his interview by practicing sentences and breathing, soon he entered the building but unfortunately he found the elevator out of order. "Shit..." he muttered before heading to the stairs.
"Oh... Hey! Excuse me, I uh... I have an interview appointment today. Where's the uh... Manager's Office?" he asked a guy, a Korean guy who was smoking in the stairwell, *Woah! Am I imagining? Why tf does he look like a kpop idol?*
"Eh? Another volunteer for the trauma journey?." the Asian guy said in Korean before realizing, "...Hey you know what I said right?"
Kim: "I uh... Is that, I'm really sorry... But is that Korean...?"
The guy just nods and took a puff, "Ah... I see, sorry for being a little racist, I thought you were Korean like me."
"It's okay to be a little presumptive, but I'm actually full time 'American born, Chinese'." Kim responded with a soft spoken voice.
"Wow, Amazing... An Easy MF." the guy mumbles.
Kim raises his brow in confusion, so he just decided to introduce himself, "My name is Kim Johannes. I'm an American citizen, i majored in economics, I'm fluent in English though I understand some french--"
"Oi! I don't wanna listen to that shit, that's not my job..." he paused as he took a puff "...follow me, I'll guide you where the management is." he said in a matter of fact tone before going up the small flight of stairs.
'Is work here very hard? So much that people become mostly grumpy?! I hope not' Kim just smiled and followed the guy, "I'm sorry but I didn't caught your name, sir...?"
"None of your business." the guy replied, but Kim quickly responded with a narcissistic smile, "Ok sir Idol."
"..." ×2
K: "I'm sorry... That just came out of nowhere--"
The guy then laughs, pausing in his steps and patting Kim's shoulder, "Quite an annoying mouth you have there you even got the personality to match! My name is Kiyoung Lee, I work in HR for this company's employees' sake of sanity."
Kim just sighed and smiled in relief, 'Huh... I take it back, maybe this guy isn't all that bad.'
As they walked into a hall, Kim saw a few people working on calls and computers, but the employees look out of place for this company; like some extravagant nobles and fighters looking charmingly cocky and hard-boiled with depression.
Kim: *Probably the sales, complaint or something, that's why there are crazy looking one's here, probably from different countries or rehab.*
Eventually they stopped in front an office with the nameplate outside, spelling out Co-Manager Hong & Brights.
Lee: "Just go through the door, and state your business! Word of advice. Don't think about giving your all but focus on not pissing them off, they're easily ticked off."
"If you're hired for the job but still pissed them off? they'll send you to training for the 'recreation of one's self, creativity and imagination'... Trust me, you don't want that."
*Uhh what?* Kim just kept to himself and nods before extending his hand for a shake.
Lee: "The fuck you doing? I'm we're the same age— I think— and you're offering a handshake?" he chuckles before pulling him into a hug, but it feels more like a farewell.
"I really do hope you pass in the normal way... But that's wistful thinking." Lee muttered before pulling away and with a serious face he walked off down the hall.
Kim then practiced his lines and tried to control his breathing and wiped his sweat, "...Stop blurting... Control your words... C'mon! You can do this... Just calm down." he began looking at his documents and resume one last time, summing it up as;
= == === ====
[Name: Kim Johnson
Age: 25
Address: Philadelphia
Job applying for: Sales Management
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: Chinese
- Experiences as a car salesman
- No criminal records
- College Undergraduate in Economics ]
==== === == =
He was able to calm himself down, finally he opened the door and saw the strange design of the room, it was split and the different sides has a it's own vibe,
Left Side(Lofi Inner Peace Vibes.),
Right Side(Otaku Rockstar Vibes.)
Kim muttered unaware of his words, "What in the actual fuck..."
"'Fuck?' So... Another Two-Faced heathen has decided joined us." a calm voice suddenly spoke. "Okay, this one won't be spared at all. He's already showing true colors even before the job!." a booming voice followed.
Kim knew that somehow he fucked up. "I apologize! I have a bad habit of blurting things out."
The first guy; a tanned guy in comfy sweater and sweatpants with loafers on his feet, his slightly drowsy face framed incredibly violet colored eyes! "My name is manager Yezi Hong."
While the other; a towering build with dirt blonde hair, a white guy with an infectious smile, wearing tight custom 3 piece suit with Chinese dragon intricacies. "And I'm Alexander Wilson Brights!"
"We're the managers of DreamScape's second branch in America!" ×2
Kim just smiled and slightly nodded, trying to look composed and positive even though his armpits and forehead sweated hard.
Yezi just sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Easily pressured...-5 points." the clear yet confusing statement confused Kim, "Excuse me, what?"
Alex: "Kid the test started when you opened the door! Hahaha!"
Kim: "I... Uh..."
"What the heck are you doing? Introduce yourself!" Alex bellows as his smile twitched.
"M-my name is Kim Johannes, sirs!" he stammered as he hands out his resume, his hands were trembling and glistening with sweat.
Yezi just rolled his eyes, grabbed the folder, and gave him the his cup of heavy 10 lb metal mug, "Oof...?!" Kim grunts a bit as he struggled.
However, Yezi didn't care as he flipped through the files, "A pushover."
Kim: "E-... Excuse me? What did you say sir?" he was lowering the heavy cup a little.
"Did we tell you to lower it?!" Alex clapped loud to which Kim responded with a shake of his head, lifting the heavy mug chest level with two hands, *God, I regret not exercising much!*
Kim just hummed a little trying to keep his vibe chill, *I'm just a chill guy.* he repeats in his head while shakily yet impressively holding the heavy mug in place with one hand.
Yezi raises his brows, "You've calmed yourself down quickly, a respective patience... +1 point..." he smirked a little. "Agreed, though we could easily tell you're an easy going guy, which is not what we're looking for but it is a start!" Alex followed with a half compliment.
Kim: "Thanks for the compliment...?"
Yezi: "Unfortunately we're looking for other traits as well, someone with strong will, a smartypants, great patience, direct to the point, a smooth talker, and likely someone who get things done."
Kim: "Well I can assure you both that I can be all if given the chance."
Alex grabbed the mug from Kim's hands, setting it down before offering a seat in the leather couch, "We do see that you have potential for atleast 2 of the few traits. Maybe even all... If we send you to our recreational training program."
"Excuse me for asking but what's the training about?"
Yezi rolls his eyes and just drank some water from a bottle, "Don't worry too much about it, we just want to know if you're desperate for the job, if so then we need you to go through training." he says as he sat down on the chair, sliding a contract across the coffee table, "It's the terms and conditions for you, just sign it if you want to go through with it."
Alex: "The training program focuses on giving you a few tasks while putting you in a situation so foreign that you are forced to adapt in unimaginable lengths, though we do not guarantee that you will be safe from harm, we do guarantee that you will forever change the way you are, even if it's halfway through."
"Umm... I, I'm not..." Kim hesitantly looked at the contract. Yezi just raised his brow and threw Kim's file on the table, "Can't even decide for yourself?"
"Wow... What a pushover... Someone easily tricked, you may be retaliating in some way to have a self but it's not enough to help you from being selfless, doing all sorts of things others tell you to... The reason? I'm guessing that you felt lonely, so you try to become useful. Bet you've been left behind by many people so many times before."
Yezi finished his coffee, setting down the mug and stared at Kim's darkened expression, "You must've been doing so for a big part of your life that it became your personality, you know what that is? It's trying to be useful but from the way I see it... It's just a pathetic and ineffective way of getting attention."
Alex just looked a little surprised but just nods, "Damn bro... That's harsh." he glanced at Kim, "You want to change? Then there's no need to sweeten anything, our program will help you even if you fail, you'll see and do things differently." he said in a serious tone, handing Kim a sign pen.
Kim was frustrated but it was the truth he was facing, so he clenched his jaw and quickly signed up for the training program.