Jaokhun arrived at Sukhumvit Soi 23 at 7:53 AM.
He'd woken up at 6:30, showered, put on his new 400-baht shirt, and eaten the last of Nont's leftover rice. Breakfast on a full stomach, just like Onepen said. The rice was cold and slightly hard, but it counted.
The 7-Eleven was easy to find. Right next to it was a narrow staircase with a faded sign that said "2nd Floor: Araya Massage & Spa" and nothing about the third floor.
He climbed the stairs. The second floor had a glass door with pink curtains and the sound of soft music playing. Very legitimate-looking.
He kept climbing.
The third floor had no sign. Just a grey metal door with peeling paint and a small intercom panel that looked like it had been installed in the 80s.
He pressed the buzzer.
Static crackled. Then a voice. "Yes?"
"Hi, I'm Jaokhun. First day of training?"
"Oh! The new guy! Come in!" The door buzzed and clicked open.
Jaokhun pushed it open and walked into the LMFAO Bangkok office.
Grey walls. Fluorescent lights, half of them flickering. The air conditioner was making a grinding sound like it was actively dying. There was a dying potted plant in the corner that looked like it had given up on life months ago.
This was not the office from the brochure.
The brochure had shown sleek glass walls, modern furniture, and smiling people in business suits working on expensive computers.
This office had metal desks that looked salvaged from a government auction in 1985, papers stacked everywhere in tall towers, and a ceiling stain that suggested the massage parlor downstairs had a plumbing problem at some point.
A woman appeared from behind one of the cubicle walls. She was maybe mid-thirties, wearing a cardigan covered in cat hair. Her desk had at least fifteen framed photos of cats on it.
"You're Jaokhun?" She smiled widely. "Oh my god, you're so young! You look like a baby!"
"I'm twenty-two."
"That's basically a baby! I'm Grace!" She held out her hand. When he shook it, she held on too long. "I handle reception and intake documentation! Which means I answer phones and organize files and make sure everyone submits their paperwork on time! Do you like cats?"
"Uh, sure?"
"I have seven! Want to see pictures?" She didn't wait for an answer and pulled out her phone. "This is Sugar, this is Princess Boba, this is Ramen..."
"Grace," a tired voice called from across the office. "Let the new guy breathe."
Grace laughed. "Sorry! I get excited about cats! And new people! We never get new people!" She gestured around the office. "Welcome to LMFAO! It's not as bad as it looks! Okay, it's exactly as bad as it looks, but you get used to it!"
Khun Onepen rushed out from a side office. She was wearing a bright yellow shirt with cartoon bees on it.
"Jaokhun! You're here! You're early! That's wonderful!" She shook his hand enthusiastically. "Welcome to LMFAO Bangkok! Your first day! This is so exciting!"
"Thanks. The office is..." He looked around. "Functional."
"We prefer 'charmingly vintage!'" Onepen beamed. "Budget cuts, you know. But we make it work! We're very resourceful! Come, let me show you around and introduce you to everyone!"
She led him past Grace's desk. Grace waved enthusiastically.
"You already met Grace! She's been with us for four years! Very organized! Very enthusiastic!"
"Very cat-focused," Grace added proudly.
They walked past the cubicles. The office was one large room divided by cheap partition walls that didn't reach the ceiling. There were maybe eight desks visible. Half were empty.
"This is our main operations floor!" Onepen gestured proudly. "We have four departments sharing this space! Very collaborative!"
"How many people work here?"
"Currently? Eight full-time staff! Well, nine now with you! We used to have fifteen, but... budget cuts. And retirements. And one person quit to become a monk." She said this cheerfully. "But we're very efficient! Quality over quantity!"
They reached a desk where an older woman was watering a plant. She looked about sixty, with short grey hair and a warm smile. She was humming softly.
"This is Khun Somsong! She handles logistics and equipment! She's wonderful! Twenty-eight years of experience!"
Somsong looked up and smiled. "Hello, Jaokhun! Welcome! I heard you're joining us! That's lovely. We need more young people around here. Everyone else is old and tired."
"I'm not old," Grace called from her desk.
"You're thirty-five, dear. That's old." Somsong said this sweetly. She turned back to Jaokhun. "Do you drink coffee? We have instant coffee. Three flavors now. I got fancy ones last week."
"Uh, sure. Thanks."
"I'll make you some after orientation!" She went back to watering her plant.
They moved to another desk where Agent Pradit was sitting, drinking 7-Eleven coffee and staring at his computer screen.
"You remember Agent Pradit!" Onepen said brightly. "You met him on Friday at the river!"
Pradit looked up. He looked even more tired than he did on Friday. "You actually came."
"Yeah."
"Most people run away between signing and their first day." Pradit took a long sip of his coffee. "Smart people."
"Don't mind him!" Onepen said. "Pradit is one of our three field agents! Twenty-two years of experience! Very reliable!"
"I show up because I have nothing better to do," Pradit said. "I wake up. I come here. I handle manifestations. I go home. I sleep. I do it again the next day. This is my life now." He went back to his computer.
"He's very dedicated!" Onepen said.
"I'm very trapped." Pradit corrected.
They moved to the next desk. A woman in her late twenties sat there, typing rapidly. She had dark hair pulled back tight and didn't look up when they approached.
"This is Agent Malada! Another one of our field agents! Very efficient! Very professional!"
Malada stopped typing. She looked at Jaokhun for exactly two seconds.
"You're young."
"Twenty-two."
"Hm." She went back to typing.
"Malada handles our high-priority cases!" Onepen explained. "She's very good at her job!"
"Someone has to be," Malada said without looking up.
A man walked past carrying a coffee cup. He was in his early thirties, good-looking, and walked like he owned the place. He stopped and looked at Jaokhun.
"New guy?"
"Yeah."
"Songsit. Field agent." He looked Jaokhun up and down. "Nice sneakers. Limited edition?"
"Yeah. Nike Dunk Lows. Cream and burgundy."
"I have the same pair. Paid 8,000 baht for them." Songsit smiled. "Worth it though. Looking good is half the job." He kept walking to his desk.
"Songsit is our third field agent!" Onepen said. "He also handles permits and liaisons with external practitioners! Very multi-talented!"
They moved to a corner desk that was covered in papers, books, and hand-drawn charts. A man in his early thirties sat there, wearing glasses and a button-up shirt buttoned all the way to the top. He was writing in a notebook with very neat handwriting.
"This is Prart! He handles our research and checking information about supernatural entities!" Onepen said. "He's very smart!"
Prart looked up. "You're the new documentation person."
"Yeah."
"Did you bring your school records? I need to check if you can organize things properly. The filing system needs someone who can understand basic systems and..."
"Prart," Onepen said gently. "We can do that later."
"But the rules say I'm supposed to check new people first..."
"Later."
Prart frowned but went back to his notebook. "Fine. But I'm writing this down as a rule that got broken."
They moved to the far corner where a man was kneeling next to a printer, holding a screwdriver and some duct tape. He looked about forty, with messy hair and oil stains on his shirt.
"And this is Khun Chakrit!" Onepen said. "He's our IT person! He keeps all our equipment running! He'll be doing your VeilSight installation today!"
Chakrit looked up. He studied Jaokhun for a moment. "Good eyes. Clear. This should be easy." He went back to the printer. "The installation takes fifteen minutes. You'll feel some discomfort. You'll be fine."
"What kind of discomfort?"
"The contact lenses are solid when I put them in. Then they melt and get absorbed into your eye over about forty-five seconds. Feels like pressure and burning."
"Burning?"
"Mild burning. Like shampoo in your eyes. But from inside." Chakrit used the duct tape to attach something inside the printer. "The implant goes into your eye tissue and connects to your optic nerve. After that, you can see through the Veil. Very useful."
"It sounds dangerous."
"First-generation VeilSight has a 94% success rate." Chakrit stood up and kicked the printer. It made a grinding sound, then started printing. "Singapore has third-generation now. 99.8% success rate. But we don't have budget, so we use first-generation. It works fine. Mostly."
"What happens the other 6% of the time?"
"Rejection, infection, or temporary blindness. But that's rare now. Hasn't happened in three years." He picked up his screwdriver. "I've installed forty-seven VeilSight implants. Zero failures. I'm very good at this."
"That's... good?"
"It should be. I'm excellent at medical procedures with limited equipment." Chakrit walked past them toward a back room. "Give me ten minutes to prepare. Then we'll do the installation."
Onepen smiled. "See? You're in great hands! Chakrit is very skilled!"
"He just said 'medical procedures with limited equipment.'"
"He's being humble! He's very experienced!" Onepen checked her watch. "While he gets ready, let me show you the rest of the office!"
She led him past more desks. Some were empty. Some had equipment that looked old.
"That's the break room!" She pointed at a small room with a table, a mini-fridge, and a microwave that had burn marks on it. "We have instant coffee, tea, and sometimes Somsong brings snacks!"
"Is the microwave safe?"
"It sparks sometimes! But it still works! That's what matters!" Onepen kept walking. "That's the supply closet! That's the bathroom! That's the filing room where you'll be working! And that's the conference room!"
The conference room was a small space with a table and six chairs. The projector hanging from the ceiling looked very old.
"We have team meetings here every Monday morning!" Onepen said brightly. "And training sessions! I love training sessions!"
They walked back to the main office area.
Grace appeared next to them, holding a folder. "Onepen, we have a situation in Thonburi. The temple called about something in their banyan tree."
"Oh! Can it wait until after Jaokhun's installation?"
"The tree is making weird noises and scaring people."
"Which temple?"
"Wat Intharam."
"That's Phra Ajahn Somchai's temple! He's very patient! It can wait!" Onepen turned back to Jaokhun. "See? Busy day already! This is what makes the job exciting!"
"Something in a tree?"
"Probably a Nang Takian. Tree spirit. Usually harmless. But we have to check! Rules and procedures!" She smiled brightly. "Anyway! Are you ready for your installation?"
Jaokhun's stomach dropped. "Now?"
"Of course! Chakrit is setting up! It only takes fifteen minutes! Then you'll rest for a few hours, and we'll start orientation!"
"What exactly is getting installed?"
"VeilSight contact lenses! They go on your eyes like regular contacts, but then they melt and get absorbed into your eye! Very advanced! It lets you see supernatural things!" She said this like it was exciting news. "Everyone has them! It's standard equipment!"
"You're putting melting contact lenses in my eyes."
"They're special optical enhancers! Much more advanced than regular contacts!" She led him toward the back room where Chakrit was working. "Don't worry! Everyone says it just tingles!"
"Chakrit said it burns."
"Mild burning! Very brief!" Onepen opened the door to the back room. "Come on! You'll be fine!"
The back room was small. There was a chair that looked like it came from a dentist's office in 1992, a bright lamp, and a metal tray with medical tools that looked mostly clean.
Chakrit was washing his hands at a small sink in the corner.
"Sit," he said without turning around.
Jaokhun sat. The chair was not comfortable.
Chakrit dried his hands and walked over. He was holding a small metal case. He opened it.
Inside were two contact lenses in a clear liquid. They looked normal. Completely normal. Just clear contact lenses.
"These are first-generation VeilSight implants," Chakrit said. "The most current one is third-generation. Wireless updates, auto-calibration, night vision mode. Very fancy. We have first-generation because our budget is terrible." He picked up a small bottle. "This is numbing drops. Four drops per eye. You'll feel mild stinging."
"How mild?"
"Medium mild." Chakrit tilted Jaokhun's head back. "Don't blink."
The drops went in. Cold. Then stinging. Not mild. Medium at best. Possibly medium-high.
Chakrit did the other eye. More stinging.
"Wait thirty seconds. The numbing starts working." Chakrit set a timer on his phone.
Jaokhun sat there, his eyes watering. Through the open door, he could hear the office.
Grace's voice: "Did anyone see the new kitten videos I sent to the group chat?"
Pradit's voice: "I don't check the group chat."
Grace's voice: "You're missing out! Ramen learned a new trick!"
Malada's voice: "I'm blocking the group chat."
Onepen appeared in the doorway. "How are you feeling, Jaokhun?"
"My eyes are numb."
"Perfect! That means it's working!" She gave him a thumbs up. "You're doing great!"
The timer beeped.
Chakrit picked up the first contact lens with a small tool that looked like tiny tweezers. "Look up. Don't move. Don't blink. This takes about ten seconds per eye."
"What if I blink?"
"Don't."
"That's not answering the question."
"The lens could fold wrong. Then I have to start over. Very annoying." Chakrit leaned in. "Look up."
Jaokhun looked up. His heart was beating fast.
Chakrit placed the contact lens on his right eye.
It felt cold. Then wet. Then... wrong. Like something was melting into his eye.
"It's dissolving now," Chakrit said calmly. "This is normal. Don't blink. Count to forty-five."
Jaokhun counted. One. Two. Three.
The cold feeling turned warm. Four. Five. Six.
Then it burned. Seven. Eight. Nine.
It burned more. Ten. Eleven. Twelve.
It really burned. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen.
His eye was on fire. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen.
"This is not mild burning," Jaokhun said through his teeth.
"Pain is different for everyone." Chakrit was looking at his phone timer. "Twenty-three seconds left."
Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-one.
The burning changed. Now it felt like pressure. Deep pressure. Like something was pushing into his eyeball from inside.
Twenty-two. Twenty-three. Twenty-four.
"Why does it feel like my eye is expanding?"
"The implant is connecting to your eye tissue and your optic nerve. That's normal." Chakrit kept watching his timer. "Fifteen seconds."
Twenty-five. Twenty-six. Twenty-seven.
The pressure got stronger. Jaokhun gripped the chair arms.
Thirty. Thirty-one. Thirty-two.
"Almost done," Chakrit said.
Thirty-eight. Thirty-nine. Forty.
The pressure stopped. The burning went away.
"Right eye complete." Chakrit picked up the second lens. "Left eye now. Same process."
"Can I take a break?"
"No. Your eyes are numbed now. Better to do both while the numbing works. Look up."
Jaokhun looked up. His right eye felt weird. Heavy and strange.
Chakrit placed the second lens on his left eye.
The whole process repeated. Cold. Wet. Melting. Burning. Pressure.
Jaokhun counted to forty-five again, his hands gripping the chair arms so hard his knuckles turned white.
When he reached forty-five, Chakrit stepped back.
"Done. Both eyes successful." He handed Jaokhun a small mirror. "Look."
Jaokhun looked at his reflection. His eyes were red and watery. There was no visible sign of the lenses. They'd completely melted.
"They're inside my eyes now?"
"Absorbed into your eye tissue. They're part of your eyes now. Permanent until removal." Chakrit packed up his tools. "You'll have blurred vision for two to four hours. Then the implants will activate. Don't rub your eyes. Don't look at screens. Stay in dim light. Drink water. Somsong will bring you some."
"What does activation feel like?"
"Like seeing for the first time. But different. You'll see things that were always there but invisible." Chakrit walked to the door. "Rest here for thirty minutes. Then Onepen will start orientation."
He left.
Jaokhun sat in the chair, his eyes watering, feeling like he'd just made a terrible mistake.
Onepen poked her head in. "How do you feel?"
"Like someone just melted contact lenses into my eyes."
"That's because someone did! Isn't it amazing? Modern supernatural solutions!" She handed him a bottle of water. "Drink this. Somsong says water helps with healing. Do you want cookies?"
"Yes."
She disappeared and came back with a small package of butter cookies from 7-Eleven.
Jaokhun ate three cookies. They were the best cookies he'd ever had, mostly because he'd had cold leftover rice for breakfast.
"The implants will change your life!" Onepen said happily. "You'll see things most people never see! Supernatural entities, realm changes, leftover magic! It's like getting superpowers!"
"Superpowers I can't tell anyone about."
"Well, yes, but still! Superpowers!" She checked her watch. "Rest for twenty more minutes. Then we'll start orientation! I have a presentation prepared! Very informative! You'll learn all about LMFAO history! It's three hours long!"
"Three hours?"
"So much history! We're over a thousand years old! There's a lot to cover!" She beamed. "I'll bring you more cookies!"
After she left, Jaokhun closed his eyes. They felt better closed.
He heard voices from the main office.
"The new guy looks twelve." That was Malada.
"He's twenty-two." Onepen's cheerful voice.
"Still looks twelve. How long until he quits?" Grace's voice.
"Two months," Pradit said. "That's my guess."
"I give him three weeks," Grace replied. "He'll see the termination penalty and cry."
"Be nice!" Onepen said. "He's going to be a good team member! I have a good feeling about him!"
"You had a good feeling about the last guy," Somsong said gently. "He quit after one week."
"He had family reasons!"
"He said the job was cursed and he'd rather be poor."
"That was an overreaction!"
Jaokhun opened his eyes. Everything was blurry.
He looked at his phone. Bank balance: 47 baht.
Termination penalty: 847,000 baht.
He closed his eyes again.
Twenty more minutes. Then a three-hour presentation about supernatural bureaucracy.
This was fine.
Everything was fine.
He was employed. Professional. Stable.
And he had melting contact lenses absorbed into his eye tissue.
Completely fine.