Vampire Prince
ⓒ2020 Kitchen Towel All Rights Reserved.
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The company hallways are packed with employees. Probably because the CEO is coming to work today.
Not much is known about the company's founder, other than that he founded and grew the company at the age of 24.
The CEO, who usually doesn't show up to work, came today because of a new employee interview. This company has a peculiar style of interviewing: the interviewer comes in, talks for a minute, and then immediately announces whether the candidate has passed or failed. This has sometimes drawn criticism from the interviewers.
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After ordering an iced Americano, I sat down at a single table. Then, I quietly turned on my laptop and went to the YJ Group website. There was a new notice. With a trembling heart, I cautiously clicked on it.
I screamed immediately. I was so happy and thrilled. I was on the list of those who passed the first round of document screening. Relieved, I opened my phone and checked the text. Sure enough, there was a text saying I'd passed. Just then, the phone vibrated, so I drank my Americano and left.
I headed straight to the bookstore to look for interview-related materials. However, there weren't as many books on interviews as I'd expected. So, I finally found a few, sat down to read, and someone bumped into me. I turned around and saw it was the librarian.
"Are you going for an interview?"
I was momentarily taken aback by the sudden question, but I pretended not to be, and replied, "I'm going for an interview." When asked where I was interviewing, I said, "YJ Group." Then, without realizing it, the librarian's expression changed. Then he said to me,
“You don’t need that book. It’s useless in the end. Just read this book and go.”
He said that and found a book and put it in my hand. When I asked what it was, he simply told me to read it over and over again and walked away. I wanted to ask why, but I figured that was the answer I'd get anyway, so I gave up. I looked down and saw the title: "Are Vampires Real?" It was a little jarring. "Read this of all things?" It felt like he was telling me to fail the interview. So I was about to put it back in when the librarian's voice rang in my ears. Judging by the seriousness of her expression, I knew she wasn't joking...
The content of the book is roughly as follows.
There's a species people call vampires. They were first discovered in Korea in the 16th century. Vampires, upon reaching a certain age, remain at that age until their death. While alive, they possess god-like powers, and can choose not to use them. However, they never become fully human. Vampires instinctively drink human blood. Therefore, if you encounter a vampire, you should avoid them at all costs. Korean vampires appear to be of mixed race with foreigners and have pale, white skin. However, they can temporarily transform their appearance. However, even these shape-shifting vampires have a distinctive feature: their eyes. They are constantly bloodshot, so it's best to keep your distance if you encounter one.
It was all just strange talk. There was no way vampires could exist in this world. With all sorts of thoughts running through my head, I left the library.
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Time passed and the interview day arrived. With a trembling heart, I checked myself in the mirror and left the house. As I got out of the taxi and stood in front of the YJ Group building, my heart swelled. I took a deep breath and started walking.
Entering the building, I saw a line of people waiting. Seeing the seemingly endless line made me, who had been so elated about passing the exam, look pathetic. I had to beat so many people. My vision went black.
The crowd before me gradually dwindled until only three remained. Those three quickly disappeared, and soon it was my turn. After calming my trembling heart, I opened the door to the interview room and entered.
There was an opaque cloth in the middle, indicating a blind test. After sitting down, a man's voice came from behind the cloth. The man's voice was low and pleasant to the ear. After greeting me, he asked my name.
“Oh, my name is Ban Ha-yeon.”
Then, with a voice that seemed interested, he asked me a few questions. They were all things I'd read in interview-related books, so I could answer them easily. The interview ended smoothly, and as I was about to leave my chair, the man spoke to me.
“Hayeon, what do you think about vampires?”
I was momentarily flustered. I'd heard people say I asked a lot of strange questions, but I didn't expect them to come at me. Just as I was stuttering and thinking I'd ruined it, I remembered the vampire book my librarian had recommended. I'd read it all, but I still couldn't figure out what it was about, so I borrowed it and read it again. I told him what I felt after reading it. My words weren't organized, but I said everything I had in mind. There was a moment of silence, and then...
“Hayeon, can you come to work starting tomorrow?”
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It was the moment I got my first job.