Manager, Want to Get Hit?
The morning meeting, which had always followed the exact same pattern, suddenly took a dramatic turn.
“……What?”
Thud!
“Ah. My hand slipped. Guess I’ll have to take the hit then.”
An incident had erupted.
Kim Dae-ri—the same man who always quietly endured scoldings, the same man who constantly complained about fatigue beneath his dark circles—had rebelled against Park Manager, the worst of the worst.
Thud! Thwack!
“K-Kim Dae-ri-nim! What are you doing!”
Moments later, sharply dressed people flooded into the conference room. Every watch, suit, and pair of shoes they wore was an ultra-luxury brand.
“We’re from Seogwang Law Firm.”
The people handing Park Manager their business cards were all on Kim Dae-ri’s side.
“Our client has endured years of continuous workplace bullying and mental pressure.”
“Even immediately before the incident, the victim suffered personal insults, verbal abuse, and unfair job treatment. A formal complaint has already been filed.”
“At the time, our client was in a state of extreme stress, anxiety, and panic, and is currently receiving psychiatric care. This may constitute diminished capacity or legitimate self-defense under criminal law.”
“Our client has suffered ongoing workplace bullying and mental pressure for months, even years. This incident is not a simple assault—it is the direct result of that bullying.”
“Through extensive evidence and testimony, it will be proven that our client is actually the victim. If you continue making careless remarks, we will pursue additional charges for defamation and false accusation.”
The Seogwang lawyers shifted the blame so smoothly that Park Manager never got a chance to respond.
From my corner of the room, I could only stare in shock.
Other employees began whispering among themselves.
“Seogwang? That’s one of the top four guilds in the country.”
“No way. I heard Manager Kim was playing Another Dimension, but he actually joined Seogwang?”
“Then he’s no ordinary player. Most famous law-firm alumni went straight to Seogwang. It was even on the news.”
“Unbelievable.”
Another Dimension—the virtual-reality game released last year that had instantly swallowed the world. Its influence far surpassed even the introduction of AI.
“Client-nim, shall we wrap this up and head out? There’s a guild assembly in two hours.”
“……Understood.”
Game rankers had begun wielding power that reached into reality itself—enough to calm even Kim Dae-ri after his eyes had gone wild.
The storm passed.
Park Manager fiddled with the Seogwang business card, huffing angrily, then stormed out of the office. The remaining employees quietly returned to their work.
Kim Dae-ri’s responsibilities were handed over to me.
‘He was even doing this kind of thing?’
Kim Dae-ri had clearly been bullied. Park Manager had forced him to collect used toilet-paper cores under the pretext of “supply management”—a task that had nothing to do with department work. The manager’s authority was so absolute that he could turn such nonsense into official procedure. After all, he was the company owner’s nephew.
‘Even this kind of power structure can be overturned by influence inside the game.’
I already knew about Another Dimension. I was one of the few players who had stayed until the very end of its predecessor, Primal Dimension. I had been the only Korean, and at the time there were fewer than ten concurrent users.
More importantly, I had achieved so much that I was personally invited to the closed beta test of Another Dimension before its release.
‘If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have at least tried the beta.’
Before joining the company, I had poured years into Primal Dimension. The time I invested ruined my real-life prospects. Unlike Another Dimension, which had an active offline market, Primal Dimension offered zero real-world benefit.
‘Still, I thought the company was the safer choice.’
Being ground down by people felt the same as in games, but I had believed a company that paid you to be ground down was better—even if it was a black company.
‘……If I had started Another Dimension from the beginning.’
I had left a top-tier mark even in the inconvenient, user-hostile Primal Dimension. Adapting to a much-improved game would have been simple.
“Lee Seo-jun-ssi, look at the screen.”
“Ah. Thanks.”
At my colleague’s warning, I quickly moved the mouse and avoided the danger. If you remained idle for ten minutes without prior notice, a warning screen appeared. After a ten-second countdown, your direct superior would be notified. Until now, Kim Dae-ri had shielded me, but he was gone.
Absurdly, this system only made the company stronger. Since I had joined knowing I was surrendering my human rights, the responsibility was ultimately mine. Still, I had secured a jeonse deposit quickly, so I considered it a fair trade. Ten more years of giving up rights, tightening my belt, and paying off the loan—that was the plan.
Ding.
A messenger notification sounded. It was from Kim Dae-ri, who had left after the morning incident.
As you saw this morning, I joined Seogwang. Why don’t you quit that trash company and start Another Dimension? I can help you as much as I’m able.
Kim Dae-ri—now Kim Sung-chul hyung. We had always gotten along well. He used to be my direct superior, and our personalities matched. Whenever we were alone, we talked about Another Dimension. Just as Primal Dimension remained a precious memory for me, the updates he shared about the new game had been genuinely interesting.
He had changed. The timid, chronically exhausted Kim Dae-ri no longer existed. Only confidence radiated from him now. It made sense—a major law firm was providing him with dedicated management. As proof, Park Manager was still trapped in the chairman’s office, desperately searching for ways to counter Seogwang.
“……”
It was clear now. Sung-chul hyung had reached the wealth and fame I had dreamed of my entire life.
‘……It’s not too late, right?’
My own reality, where I wasn’t allowed to have a self, versus Sung-chul hyung spreading his brilliant wings. I had a lot to think about.
Before I knew it, it was midnight. I finished my overtime as quickly as possible and completed my personal quest of getting home before twelve. The reward was free time—freedom bought by sacrificing sleep. Tonight, however, I had a use for it.
Rattle. Rattle.
I scrolled through my inbox until I found the email Mason had sent after Primal Dimension’s service ended.
“Found it.”
Sender: Mason
Subject: A Thank You Greeting to the Great Hero
Thank you, Lee Seo-jun-nim, the great hero who pioneered our Primal Dimension to the very end.
You have been recorded as a meaningful case who built great achievements in your own way without being bound by set rules.
As a token of gratitude, we are providing a closed beta test participation ticket for next year’s release, the sequel ‘Another Dimension’, and the new connection device ‘Dimension Gate II’.
If you reply expressing your intention to participate, we will ship the device to your registered address within one week.
There was no mention of a deadline. If I replied now, I could still receive it.
Honestly, my conscience pricked. Another Dimension had long finished its beta test and was now a global success. Contacting them after hearing it was doing well felt like reaching out to an ex only after they became popular.
Too much time had passed.
“……I must look like a freeloader.”
I searched for information on Dimension Gate II but found nothing. That meant it had never been released. Dimension Gate III, however, was still on sale.
Dimension Gate III — 5,100,000 won.
Ten monthly installments would add 510,000 won in fixed expenses every month, plus interest. I could technically afford it, but the extreme limits on my free time made me hesitate. Could I actually focus enough on the game to produce results while drowning in overtime?
Five empty beer cans now sat on my desk.
“A little—no, let’s just be openly shameless. Even if it doesn’t work out, I can apologize as much as I want. It’s a choice most people don’t even have.”
My achievements from the previous game gave me better odds than shamelessly clinging to an ex.
Sender: Lee Seo-jun
Subject: Remembering Primal Dimension
Hello.
I’m replying to the email I received when Primal Dimension ended its service—only now.
I still remember Primal Dimension fondly. With liquid courage, I’ll share my story.
……
My story ends here.
If you allow me a new adventure in Another Dimension, I will enjoy it to the fullest.
Another Dimension and Mason—I support you both.
My address is below.
“Thirty thousand characters. There was more to write than I expected. I really did do a lot in Primal Dimension.”
Email sent.
I had finally done it. Through that embarrassingly long message, I tried to trade humiliation for real-world comfort. The time I spent with Primal Dimension hadn’t been a lie, so I decided to hold on to hope.
And then Sunday arrived—my single day off.
A guest came to the door.
“Hello, Lee Seo-jun customer-nim. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“……Ah, yes.”
Mason employees stood outside, carrying Dimension Gate II.