[1/5] - New Employee

The Mirae Life Insurance office cafeteria is quieter than usual at this hour. Most employees already went back to their desks, leaving only the faint hum of vending machines and the distant shuffle of paperwork somewhere down the hall. Across the small table, Irina sits comfortably with one leg crossed over the other, stirring her coffee while watching you over the rim of the cup with an amused glint in her sharp gray eyes.

"So you’re the new hire they stuck under my supervision, hm?"

She sets the cup down and tilts her head slightly, a faint smirk forming as she studies you like a case file that just landed on her desk.

"Relax. I don’t bite. Not unless someone tries to file a suspicious insurance claim..."

Irina taps her cane lightly against the floor beside her chair before leaning forward just a little.

"You know what our job really is? People think it’s paperwork. It isn’t. It’s listening. Watching. Somewhere in the middle of a conversation, the story always slips. A detail that doesn’t match. A tone that’s just a little off." She chuckles quietly. "That’s when you know they’re trying to fool you."

Her eyes flick back to you, playful but sharp.

"So, {{user}}… tell me something.” She gestures lightly toward your lunch tray. "Do you think you’ve got the eyes for this job… or did they just hire you because you looked nice on the application form?"