BFKOM 04

‘Could it be… I’m not going to get fired over this, right?’

If I get kicked out here, I don’t even know where I’ll end up. No, that can’t happen.

“Good heavens, oh my! So it really was that kind of situation. Ahh, Meho……. What are we going to do?”

Because of the doctor’s increasingly emotional reaction, my heart shrank—and then felt like it was burning up.

My assigned divine beast killed another divine beast?

There was nothing more serious than that.

“Is it… very bad?”

I carefully asked the doctor who had his hand over his mouth.

“Right now, Meho is…….”

Why was he dragging it out like this? I was about to suffocate from holding my breath. I stared at his slowly opening mouth like a sloth.

“Very……”

“…….”

I was right at the edge of passing out.

“Extremely… committed to acting.”

“…Pardon?”

“Acting.”

“……Acting?”

“Acting.”

Acting?

The doctor poked the belly of the chick lying spread-eagle.

The chick’s body twitched slightly.

“Wake up, Meho.”

Then the chick, who looked like it would never open its eyes again, suddenly blinked awake. Tiny black eyes like black beans appeared.

“Meho always pretends to faint whenever Lord Kalian bites him.”

“…Why?”

“Well, if he stays conscious, Lord Kalian treats him like a ball and throws him around.”

“Oh dear.”

So he had been acting all along. That level of determination was impressive.

‘Still… what a relief.’

It wasn’t dead…… If the chick had died, I would have had no choice but to become a homeless wanderer in this world.

“Meho will recover after some rest. You should go back and rest as well.”

The doctor looked at me with worried eyes. I must have looked quite pitiful and worn out.

“Yes. Can I leave Meho here?”

“Ah, could you take him back to your supervisor? They must be very worried.”

“Yes, I will.”

I stood up to return to the dorm.

Kalian was still fast asleep, and Meho clearly did not want to come with me.

Well.

If I were him, I wouldn’t want to stay with someone who uses me like a toy either.

“Meho, Kalian is asleep right now, so it’s fine.”

Shake shake.

The chick firmly shook his head.

“Should I put you in my pocket?”

Oh. That worked.

After a moment of hesitation, he trotted over and stood in front of me. The pocket must have felt quite comfortable.

“Then I’ll be going. Thank you for today.”

“You’re welcome. Let’s not meet too often—let’s meet rarely.”

I decided to first lay the sleeping Kalian down in my room. The small creature was surprisingly heavy.

When I returned to the room, the evening sky was already darkening beyond the large window.

“Days really are long……”

As soon as I entered the room, exhaustion hit me. I really needed to return the chick soon. I desperately wanted to lie down on the bed.

[You’ve worked hard.]

“….”

At the unfamiliar voice, I instinctively pressed myself against the wall.

What? Who is it?

It clearly wasn’t the sleeping Kalian. The voice was different. There shouldn’t be an intruder in the room of a lowly new employee like me.

Then……

“Chick?”

[Oh? So you can hear my voice?]

I felt flapping wings inside my pocket. With hesitation, I took out the chick I had placed inside.

A very small, yellow, fluffy, adorable chick was placed on my palm.

[How interesting. No human has ever heard my voice before.]

“…….”

But unlike its appearance, its tone was, well…… completely mismatched.

“You can talk too?”

I had assumed only Kalian could speak, but my prediction was completely wrong. The chick looked at me with its black-bean-like eyes shining.

[How did you learn the language of divine beasts? I thought humans couldn’t learn it. Did someone teach you?]

“Wait a second. Can you ask one thing at a time? My head hurts right now.”

[Thank you for saving me earlier. That rude black panther keeps biting and tossing me around like a ball—it’s been so exhausting. If not for you, I would have been thrown around again today like a toy ball……]

The chick talked a lot. Very, very a lot.

To summarize everything so far:

I applied to an animal hospital, got accepted, and on my first day I opened my eyes to find myself in something called the Divine Beast Management Office (job scam).

And then……

‘I’m the only employee who can understand divine beast language?’

The chick’s chatter poured into one ear and out the other.

I once had a dream life I wanted almost as much as working at an animal hospital: becoming rich.

After living through extreme poverty, it was only natural I wanted wealth.

And when I realized I had landed in the Divine Beast Management Office, I didn’t feel shock—I felt opportunity.

I could care for animals I loved and earn a lot of money. If I worked here for a few years, I could achieve my dream of owning a home.

A small cozy house, not big, but with a garden where animals could run freely. A warm place where laughter never ended.

That sweet dream……

But……

Being able to understand divine beast language when others couldn’t was not a good situation.

Why?

Being different inevitably draws attention. Especially when it’s a unique ability. Maybe instead of a peaceful home, I’d end up enslaved in the management office forever……

“Ahhh! No!”

I screamed internally, clutching my head.

I knew this ability was incredible. And I knew how happy it would be to talk to animals.

If only I could have said goodbye to Cheol properly before he left. If only he could have told me where he was hurting. If only he could have told me where he wanted to go or what he wanted to eat.

I had finally gained the ability I always wanted. I should be happy.

But if I wanted to live peacefully with animals and achieve my dream of owning a home, this ability must never be discovered.

‘This must not be found out……’

I must hide it at all costs.

No one can know I can talk to divine beasts.

“Chick, so you mean you can’t talk to others, right?”

I asked solemnly.

[Of course. No one else has ever responded to me. Perhaps you are a special human chosen by divine beasts……]

“Stop.”

I leaned in close to the chick with a sharp glare. The chick flinched and leaned back.

“This must absolutely not be known.”

[…]

“Are you sure no one else can hear your voice except me? You’re certain, right?”

Hic.

The chick started hiccupping and shook its head vigorously.

“Even if others can’t hear you, don’t ever say out loud that I can talk to divine beasts. Got it?”

The chick nodded again.

“Good. If you break the promise……”

I smiled faintly and pointed at the sleeping Kalian.

“I’ll give you to that guy as a toy ball.”

Hic.

Sorry to the frightened chick, but I did not want to become a lifelong slave here. Absolutely not.

“Alright, let’s go back to your room.”

I smiled kindly, but the chick’s hiccups did not stop.

[Scary human……]

“Hmm? What was that?”

[N-nothing. I-I just want to go rest quickly. Let’s go.]

Ignoring the chick’s muttering, I carried the oddly mature chick and headed to my supervisor’s room.

Knock knock.

When I knocked, my supervisor opened the door with a tired face.

“Lorelia?”

“I brought the chick, I mean Meho.”

“Oh my!”

Seeing the tiny chick wriggling in my palm, her expression brightened.

“I thought he was being treated for injury—he’s already okay?”

“Yes. He wasn’t injured; he just fainted from shock.”

I lied kindly and handed Meho over, not forgetting to give him a final warning glare.

“Thank you so much, Lorelia. You’re the first person to catch Lord Kalian with your bare hands.”

“Ahaha… is that so?”

I didn’t really want that kind of achievement.

“The staff praised you so much. Everyone is saying a great talent has joined the management office.”

“Ahaha……”

I really didn’t want to become some “great talent.”

“Go rest. You must be tired. And please take care of Lord Kalian from now on!”

I already felt like my future was going off track.

Please… let it just be my imagination.

Contrary to my worries, peaceful days followed afterward.

Of course, Kalian’s mischief did not stop.

He bit staff members’ hair, bullied weaker divine beasts, and ran off with people’s belongings.

‘But this is actually kind of cute.’

At least he wasn’t kidnapping other divine beasts and escaping. That alone was a relief.

Over time, I adapted more to this world, and my life with troublesome Kalian became familiar.

“His condition has been getting worse. I thought it was just fatigue……”

“What did the doctor say?”

“I’m only telling you this… but the management office situation is apparently very bad.”

“Really? Why?”

“I thought it was only my divine beast……”

It was a lazy lunchtime.

I overheard this conversation in the cafeteria.

‘A contagious disease is spreading among divine beasts?’

I had already heard that some divine beasts were suffering from an unknown illness recently.

‘But Kalian wasn’t affected at all.’

Kalian was so healthy it was almost a problem. He jumped from high places every day, yet never got even a scratch.

Still, hearing that many divine beasts were now unable to eat or even move properly worried everyone in the management office. Including me.

Even today, staff were lamenting that their divine beasts would not wake up.

Then—

“Lorelia! Lorelia!”

My supervisor’s urgent voice called me.

“What is it?”

“Have you seen Meho today?”

“Meho……?”

That was her chick divine beast.

“Did Meho disappear?”

My supervisor looked like she was about to cry.

“He was weak since yesterday… and when I woke up today, he was gone!”