010. Nameless Monster (2)
Han Yu-ra was going through her own share of hardships.
'Haa... I have no one to lean on.'
She now understood that being the CEO meant truly standing alone. But how could anyone live without relying on others? The realization of being truly by herself was quite painful, and Yu-ra needed someone to depend on. She let out a sigh.
'I used to lean on you.'
She had secretly relied on Im Seong-u more than anyone knew. Just thinking of him gave her an unfounded confidence that she could overcome any obstacle, and the day after they shared their bodies, she could work in peak condition. Even if memories of the previous night made her glance at him often.
But everything changed after the audit. Sepiros Online, which had seemed relatively easy to make, turned out to be a project that even a senior programmer pouring their soul into it would struggle with. Once she realized that, it was nothing but regret after regret.
Her heart ached like a stab, suffocating and painful, with no one to turn to. She wanted forgiveness somehow, but she'd already apologized last time, so there was no room for that. It was an inevitably frustrating time for Yu-ra.
'I can't depend on you anymore... I need to become a woman you can depend on.'
She looked around the office. Her subordinates should have been colleagues she could open up to. That was natural in a startup. But now, she couldn't see them that way.
'Shin Na-young...'
Someone who did her work meticulously and strictly separated work from personal life. But since she liked the same man, Yu-ra couldn't confide in her. Yu-ra turned her gaze.
'Im Su-yeon...'
She was drawing stockings again. Why was she so obsessed with stockings? Had her mom strangled her dad with them or something? Thinking of Im Su-yeon scheming made Han Yu-ra want to hang her with stockings.
And next. 'What was her name...'
One person who couldn't communicate. Confiding in her would obviously lead to silence. Yu-ra's heart grew heavier. Her G-cup breasts were already heavy enough—how much more painful with a heavy heart?
Anyway, that was how it was.
'Who can I pour this out to...'
Yu-ra felt blocked ahead. She had to do an event for Im Seong-u too... But having sex with this gloomy expression would surely disgust him, so even mentioning it terrified her. And there was the Kim A-ram issue.
The investors were pushing not to forgive Kim A-ram and to sue no matter what—it was an atmosphere where only that would satisfy them.
'Why did she do it...'
Kim A-ram, her colleague who hadn't just deleted the server but also wiped out Yoon Se-hee's mother. Yu-ra's kind heart still held some human sympathy for her.
'Bittersweet.'
Once a college classmate. Kim A-ram, the woman who planned all of Sepiros Online. Making her shoulder 150 million won in damages didn't sit right with Yu-ra.
But decisions had to be firm. As a final courtesy, she texted Kim A-ram.
No reply. Yu-ra stared at the ceiling, then sent another.
Of course, the actual damage was reduced to a few thousand thanks to Im Seong-u's backups. But Yu-ra hoped Kim A-ram would suffer a bit. It would ultimately help her life more.
'Truth is... I wanted an apology at least.'
She wanted to hear Kim A-ram apologize. But there was only silence. Recalling the saying "you can't fix people," Yu-ra slowly cut ties.
Then.
-Ring ring ring!
A phone call came in.
"..."
On the screen was a name she hadn't seen in ages.
'Lisa...'
Lisa. One of the few reliable colleagues among female entrepreneurs. Her real name was I-ri-sa, and she'd been in IT but returned to fishing, tired of "selling intangible things."
'It's been a while. This sister...'
"Yu-ra. I'm... quitting the business."
"Why? Why, sis? You've been doing so well."
"I don't know. Just looking at the monitor makes me dizzy. I hate people, connections, colleagues, lovers. I... I want to go to the sea."
"..."
SNS algorithm analysis AI marketing platform? Yu-ra was glad; Lisa had coding skills too.
"Oh, sis. Long time no see. How've you been?"
"Yeah, I've been good. I'm in Korea now. Let's grab a drink, Yu-ra."
Her speech was oddly masculine for a woman. Yu-ra felt her heart warm. Lisa, with her rich life experience, would understand her current illness. And what to do about Im Seong-u going forward.
10 a.m. Kim A-ram sat bolt upright at her computer and opened DC Inside.
'Huff... huff... huff!'
Breathing heavily, she steeled herself at the keyboard with a samurai's resolve and the mindset of "if you fear death, you die; if you embrace it, you live."
Like a college entrance exam taker haphazardly praying to any god—Allahu Akbar, Namu Amida Butsu, Amen all at once.
She stared at Han Yu-ra's texts.
'If I lose here, I'm dead.'
Of course, Kim A-ram had already lost in reality. What bright future awaited? Going to the police? Sucking the pussy of the lesbian boss bitch in Seoul detention? Or bankruptcy with 150 million in debt? All terrifying.
But she steadied herself.
'Yeah. I'm already screwed. But... if anything, I want to be a winning screw-up.'
No tomorrow maybe, but burn bright today. With that mindset, she logged in.
[Abrams]
Her tank-like fixed nickname pushed her into her final battle. A-ram vowed.
'I'll sink you all.'
Her weapon today: the planning doc she'd written at Railroad Software.
She felt an inexplicable bitterness.
'We all got along when I wrote this.'
-Wow... Hitting the ceiling gives a character? No, it discounts the next gacha price? As expected of our planner A-ram. So creative. Yu-ra sis.
-It's a bit exploitative. Won't users hate it? Hated Im Seong-u director.
-...Uh, ugh... Yoon Se-hee. A.K.A. Orphan community retard.
-As expected, sis is the best! Always taking her side, Im Su-yeon.
"Sniff..."
Did Kim A-ram have any human feelings? Tears flowed as she muttered.
"...Hic. If, if I hadn't deleted the server... hic... I'd have stock options by now..."
She was the best. Suppressing personal emotions, Kim A-ram started her self-dox post to damage Railroad Software even a little.
About 30 minutes later, she finished, wiped sweat from her forehead gently, sighed contentedly, and smiled.
'Phew... This'll do.'
If mods deleted it, cry "media manipulation." If not, it'd become a viral shitpost damaging Sepiros Online.
But the internet was always more dangerous than she thought.
True shock hit when she went to reply. The commenter’s nick was too unique.
A-ram felt her breath catch.
'Why's the nick Aram@AssFucked?'
Goosebumps on her back. Pounding heart. The earlier hate was like seeing a robber with a knife; this felt like a killer aiming at her heart.
'D-do they dox me?'
Disgust, rage, fear—fingers trembling, she typed.
Words wouldn't come.
"Gasp... gasp... gasp..."
Kim A-ram's heart stopped.
One letter. "lol" felt like a guillotine blade on her neck. Like an aspiring author doxed after trash-talking another work, she clutched her head.
'D-doxed? And Blind story?'
Hardly breathing, she searched Blind for Railroad Software stories.
Yoon Se-hee could no longer hide her joy. Blanket over shoulders like an arts school painter, she giggled darkly. Her rotten black eyes behind glasses curved like crescent moons.
The lamb had bitten the bait.
'Hehehe... Kim A-ram sis... caught you...♡'
Truthfully, she hadn't suspected Kim A-ram from the start. Just a hunch, no proof. She wasn't schizophrenic, after all.
But that didn't mean no sting operation, right?
She'd acted for gain.
'This is... definitely strategic profit...'
Last night, she'd made IDs to bait A-ram.
Keep aggro posting with these—wouldn't A-ram sis notice eventually? That was Se-hee's plan.
'No... damage either way...'
If no bite, no conflict—fine. If lurking, she'd get mad. If replying in rage, trace IP/proxy. If she was the gallery polluter from days ago, heavy damage—profit.
Ideal investment.
'No risk of getting caught anyway...'
Singapore proxy VPN, multi-hop. 5 burner phones for astroturfing. MAC spoofing, request header mods. Se-hee had secured herself thoroughly.
'Legal loopholes too, hic...'
Defamation needed direct name + slur proof. But polite criticism with tweaked IDs? All good. "Aram" was common; claim game/novel character—checkmate for Kim A-ram.
And today, Abrams dropped a novel-length reply.
Se-hee's emotion: volcanic joy. Pure bliss.
'Aram, A-ram sis...♡ How are you so cute...?'
Stamping feet in the office, she stopped only when admired Han Yu-ra glared.
"Don't stamp your feet."
"Haa... haa, ugh, sorry, sorry sis...♡"
Then stared piercingly at the burner, smacking lips. Crescent black eyes gleamed with eerie killing intent.
'You killed my mom that instant to dodge...?'
20 years on the net—ghostly obsession. She drew her keyboard sword, aiming at Kim A-ram's throat.
'I'll kill your mom too, sis...♡'
The nameless monster harbored killing intent and made its vow.