The Personnel Director named Ju did not arrive right away.

Before that, Ricardo stepped out to take a phone call. When he returned, he said he had received a message from the assistant and relayed the contents of the call to me and Ami.

“The Commander and the assistant won’t be able to show their faces until tomorrow~. They asked me to pass on their apologies for the delay....”

“Yes.”

I answered politely.

Even so, I found myself thinking I would rather not meet those above me. The person in the highest position was uncomfortable to face. I had popped up out of nowhere and dumped a problem in his lap. He was unlikely to look on me favorably.

It was not as if I could avoid him entirely.

Still, I felt satisfied with the fact that I did not have to meet him today and shoved the remaining hamburger into my mouth.

As soon as Ami confirmed I had finished eating, she spoke.

“Hilde, stay the night here in the headquarters building!”

Now that I thought about it, I had no place to stay.

No money. No knowledge of this place. No acquaintances I could ask for help. No memories. In truth, I had nothing at all. It would be hard to find a man who possessed less.

What on earth had I done in the past?

I could not know whether my memory would return, but if I did regain it, I swore I would never repeat a mistake like this.

Either way, being offered a place to sleep was something to be thankful for.

I bowed my head to Ami.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have any clothes either, right? Sleeping in those clothes will be uncomfortable, so I’ll buy you pajamas. Tell me your size!”

I did not remember what size I wore.

Thinking deeper, I realized the dreadful fact that I could not recall what I even looked like.

My insides dropped as if my organs had collapsed. Could a person truly forget even his own appearance?

This was really unpleasant.

Reflexively, I looked down at myself. I had glimpsed it earlier, but fortunately, I was wearing ordinary clothes. A white shirt, black suit trousers. Black shoes.

I stared at them, then slowly lifted my head.

My face must have changed. People were watching me closely with altered expressions.

Just as when I had opened my /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ eyes a few hours ago, I could feel the gazes of those around me sticking into me.

Even as I faced those expressions, I could not bring myself to say I was all right.

I stared ahead, unable to control my expression.

“Um....”

They patiently waited for me to continue.

“If it’s all right.... uh... could I look at a mirror?”

Recognition flickered across their faces.

They quickly brought me a mirror.

Slowly, I accepted it, deliberately avoiding checking their reactions, and looked into the reflective surface.

A strange face appeared in the glass. A man who looked around mid-20s. Brown skin and white hair. Clear features, with golden eyes that made the impression even sharper.

Did I really look like this?

The face in the mirror felt foreign.

The fact that my own face seemed alien twisted my guts.

The fragments of memory that surfaced were too stale and trivial to piece together the life of a man named Hildebert Taleb.

What kind of life had I lived to end up in this situation? To know the names of Earth, countries, foods — yet forget even my own face — was clearly abnormal.

A wail of lament nearly slipped out, but I forced it back down.

At that moment, the door of the infirmary opened slowly.

“Kang Ju!”

Ro, who had been playing a phone game on the bed, sprang up.

“Hey! You really came back to work?!”

Fuck, that’s insane! Ro let out an instinctive exclamation, grinning as he raised his phone.

At his shout, every head turned.

Even I, mired in despair, stupidly turned my head toward where Ro was looking.

Click, click, click, click. Ro snapped photo after photo of the man walking in, the phone’s flash firing wildly in the white infirmary.

The man entered, calmly ignoring all of it.

(It must be) Personnel Director Kang Ju.

...And he looked completely fine.

I blinked at the East Asian man in a black suit. He ignored Ami’s shout — “Ro! Take the picture with the clock in it too! Got it?” — and came straight toward me.

I observed the man who had been the subject of so many strange rumors.

Not short. His face looked at most mid-20s. Black hair, black eyes. Gentle, rounded curves to his eyes. A smiling gaze quite different from Ricardo’s.

A dazzling smile that seemed ready to indulgently accept whatever foolish words an ignorant man might say....

The Personnel Director halted at a suitable distance. His impression was more fitting for a kindergarten teacher than for a personnel director.

He gave everyone a warm smile.

“Hello.”

The Personnel Director opened his mouth with a smooth, clear voice.

“Has Hilde been shown to a place to sleep?”

We haven’t even exchanged names, have we?

His question was so natural that I was flustered. Others also looked surprised.

A brief silence fell.

Ricardo was the first to recover.

“We were just about to,~”

“Good.”

Personnel Director Ju smiled brightly.

Ricardo’s smile carried slyness and sensitivity he could not hide, but Ju’s smile held the fondness of a kindergarten teacher looking at children.

He kept smiling as he turned his gaze to me.

“Wow.”

Ju smiled as he looked at my stiff face.

“You’re really handsome. I’m very glad to meet you, Hilde.”

“Ah, yes. I’m pleased as well. My name is Hildebert Taleb.”

The end of my voice sank toward the floor.

I kept silent, unsure what to add.

Whether he knew about the enhanced body implanted in me or not, the man just kept smiling as he looked down at me.

Ro and Ami were eagerly taking more photos.

“Is it really you?”

Ro fired his flash noisily as he spoke.

The Personnel Director ignored him neatly.

“You don’t have clothes either, right?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“I’ll buy you pajamas and underwear. Do you have a preferred design?”

What?

My eyes went wide.

Ju also ignored my reaction with ease.

“I know your size already. You had a health checkup. But personal preferences, I can’t know. So I wondered if you have a favored design or style.”

“No.... as long as it fits, I don’t mind.”

The design was one thing, but why ask about the style?

“Just buying them for me is already generous. Truly.”

“How about this one? I think it would match your eye color well.”

Ju pulled out his phone and held the screen in front of me.

I stared at an online shop for a jet-black silk pajama set.

Just a while ago Ricardo had been talking about unregistered pistols and missiles.... And now, the Personnel Director summoned because of an unregistered enhanced human was asking me about pajama preferences. About what kind of underwear I liked.

I fell into confusion but worked hard not to show it outwardly.

My face stiffened from the effort.

I nodded while keeping my expression empty.

“Very stylish.”

“Isn’t it?”

“That’s fucking lame.”

Ro shoved his head in to look at the pajamas and sneered.

“What pajamas? Just wear a T-shirt and shorts to bed. If it were me, I’d toss that in the trash the second I got it.”

“It certainly wouldn’t suit you, Ro.”

“Hey! The problem isn’t me, it’s that those pajamas suck!”

“How about these for underwear? Would these be okay?”

Please, just buy whatever....

Of course, I could not reveal that thought. I gave a mechanical, unnatural smile.

“Perfect.”

Ju smiled radiantly, like a flower blooming.

“Then I’ll order these. I hope you like them even more in person than in the pictures.”

Of course.

“With your eye for these things, I’m sure I will.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“Hey. Are you all right? You look a little off. Not that it’s easy to stay normal dealing with this guy.”

Ro examined my face closely. Ricardo was hunched over, shoulders shaking with laughter.

Ami too was staring at my face with wide eyes.

Ju paid no attention to any of it and kept talking.

“Then I’ll have them delivered to where you’ll be sleeping. Please move to the lounge and rest.”

“Huh?”

Ami made a sound.

“That’s it? We’re just ending like this?”

Ju turned his head toward her and gave a gentle smile.

Straightening slowly from showing me his phone, the Personnel Director explained.

“Of course. At least, Hilde has no memory. He’s not the sort of person to leak secrets or cause trouble. He tells the truth, and if we ask him to keep something secret, he will. So Ami, would you guide Hilde to the executive sleeping quarters?”

“Has this been reported to the Commander~?”

Ricardo, legs crossed, asked the question.

Ju smiled at the green-eyed man.

“Of course. Yehyeon gave me full authority.”

How curious.

What did the Personnel Director see to evaluate me so positively? Even I did not know what kind of man I was.

We had not even held a proper conversation, not even exchanged names.

He had probably reviewed the CCTV footage of me since I fell out of the portal. But even so, that was far too short a time to judge a person.

“Ro, you can go home now.”

Still, no one voiced any objection.

Nor did they seem uneasy. The moment he heard the Personnel Director’s order, Ro left without even saying goodbye.

“Ricardo, you should go home too. Who knows when a creature might show up? You’d better get some sleep.”

Ricardo laughed long, then lazily stood and tapped my shoulder before leaving.

The Personnel Director, standing beside me as I bowed to Ricardo, turned his gaze to Ami.

“Ami.”

Round eyes met his.

“Guide Hilde to the executive temporary quarters.”

“Yes.”

Ami replied firmly, then turned her eyes to me.

“Hilde, the room is three floors up. I’ll take you there.”

I meekly followed after her.