were a recruiter and a job hunter. I had a fundamental dislike of job hunters, so I kept my distance. Still, I was able to overhear much of their conversation while waiting for the elevator to arrive. The recruiter seemed overly familiar with the woman, the woman speaking in an oddly flirtatious fashion. Just as I was quietly wondering whether she might not be aiming to sleep her way into a job, the elevator arrived, and I stepped in. I assumed the pair might board the elevator together, but as I waited inside, the woman bowed her head, said a thanks and some parting words to the recruiter, and then the man stepped through the open doors alone. It seemed their interview or whatever had concluded. The pair continued chatting until just before the doors closed, and I wondered whether I should ‰‘ƒŠ‡ƒ†ƒ†’—•Š–Š‡Dz†‘‘”…Ž‘•‡dz„—––‘ǡ™Š‡ƒ––Š‡˜‡”›–ƒ‹Ž‡†‘ˆ–Š‡ conversation, I heard some unforgettable words from the recruiter. DzŽŽ”‹‰Š–ǡ•‡‡›‘—ƒ––Š‡‘ƒ‹‡‡–Ǥdz Though there was no way I was going to let the businessman beside me see my reaction, internally, my mood immediately soured. So that girl went to my school, then. The recruiter disembarked at the third floor, leaving me alone for the rest of the ride up to the ninth floor. I took the opportunity to heave a sigh and then steadied my breath, once more straightening up my spine and fixing my expression. There was a reception desk immediately outside of the ninth-floor elevators. I approached with a smile and gave my name. Dz‡ŽŽ‘ǡ›ƒ‡‹•ƒ„ƒ–ƒƒ‡†‡ǤŠƒ˜‡ƒƒ’’‘‹–‡–ˆ‘”ƒ ‹–‡”˜‹‡™ǡdz•ƒ‹†™‹–Šƒƒ™ƒ”†-winning smile. The receptionist showed me to the waiting room, where there were two other students with the same smiles on their facesȄsmiles that looked as though our faces had been permanently frozen in place. It was enough to assure me of how desperately unnerving the creatures known as job hunters were. Though I had not physically exhausted myself whatsoever, by the time I returned home I was exhausted nonetheless. After my arrival that morning, I had attended one interview and one information seminar. I collapsed the moment I made it to my living room, loosening the necktie that I was expected to wear on a daily basis but could never truly get used to. I would probably wrinkle my interview suit that ™ƒ›ǡ„—–…‘—Ž†ǯ–„”‹‰›•‡Žˆ–‘…ƒ”‡Ǥ™ƒ••—’’‘•‡†–‘Šƒ˜‡—•‡†›