Jeong Gongbeop's Officetel
"Grab those bastards!" Kim Jah-ha yelled, but the car was already screeching its tires and accelerating hard.
Her heart pounded like it was about to explode. The voices faded into the distance. How long had they driven? Only when their shouts could no longer be heard.
"Hoo... huu... ha..." Han Yujin slumped against the passenger seat, gasping ragged breaths.
Suddenly, a wave of fury hit her. What the hell is this goddamn world? How could humans feel more dangerous than the horrors?
Of course, it wasn't like all humans were bad—good ones existed too.
Han Yujin bowed her head toward the driver's seat. "Thank you for helping me."
Jeong Gongbeop just nodded curtly, acting like it was no big deal.
A question bubbled up. "How'd you even know I was there?"
"I was watching the Horror Survivor Gallery. Your posts especially, Han Yujin-ssi."
"Stalking?"
"...I'm a moderator. You drop bait that sets the whole gallery on fire every time—how could I not watch?"
His tone stayed stiff, but it carried suppressed rage, like a faint smolder in his voice.
"Besides, Yujin-ssi, you're way too active. How long since your first horror story, and you're already diving into another? Had to monitor you."
Only then did she notice his white-knuckled grip on the wheel.
Han Yujin's eyes narrowed slyly. "Were you worried about me?"
Cough, cough. Jeong Gongbeop cleared his throat awkwardly, shot her an incredulous look, then stared ahead. "It's monitoring, not worrying...!"
"Whatever. Worry, monitoring—I'll take any attention. Saved my ass thanks to you."
"........"
Silence hung for a moment. The car jolted a few times before he spoke.
"When the entire rulebook for 'D-Building Room 10081' got revised, I had a gut feeling something was off."
His gaze flicked her way, lingering on the A-grade crystal under her eye before shifting to her overall state: sweat-matted silver hair, dirt-streaked cheeks, shoulders trembling from terror and relief.
"...You look like hell."
"I'd be dead without you."
"Were those Unique Company guys chasing you earlier?"
"How'd you know?"
At her startled reaction, Jeong Gongbeop explained flatly. "The bank horror was one of their managed zones originally. Rulebook rewritten, rankings flipped—they'd come check, obviously. No way they'd let a newbie with an A-grade crystal walk."
His words made Han Yujin bristle. "The horror isn't theirs! Why hunt down someone who cleared it?"
"Don't bother understanding. They're monsters driven purely by self-interest."
"Everyone in that company insane? They pay that well?"
"No. Not money—something more valuable."
"More valuable? Like what?"
"Hope."
"What kinda fluffy bullshit..."
"It's real. Unique Company delivers hope: money, power, love, lovers, even resurrection of the dead."
He turned the wheel, continuing. "They pit employees against each other, promising to grant the top contributors' wishes. That's the rumor."
Han Yujin clamped her mouth shut mid-retort. In a world where horrors were real, could she swear resurrection was impossible?
Jeong Gongbeop snuck a peek at her ashen face. Fresh newbie, two horrors and two human betrayals in no time—must hit hard.
Newbie survival rate in the Horror Survivor Gallery? Barely 10%. Most devoured, others mentally shattered.
Hers especially unlucky. He'd never seen such a cursed newbie.
That's why she tugged at him. Maybe offer some comfort?
"Heh. Sounds fun."
"...Pardon?"
"Horrors and psycho groups? Gallery bait for days."
She grinned ear-to-ear, dead serious.
"......."
Jeong Gongbeop mistook it for forced toughness. People front the strongest when breaking. Be kinder, he resolved.
"Stay here awhile. Safe."
He led her to an officetel's underground lot, far from the bustle.
"This place...?"
"One of my private hideouts. Unique Company shouldn't know it."
"Wanna go home..."
"Home's probably staked out by their goons."
"Oh."
Her sulky pout and drooping lids inexplicably softened him. "Important stuff there? I can grab it."
"Nah, nothing like that."
"......?"
"Too lazy to redo login history."
"...Pardon?"
"Computers log IDs, passwords. Reset hassle."
"......"
Speechless, Jeong Gongbeop fell quiet. No real valuables? Or downplaying for his sake? Pitiful either way.
"This way."
Elevator to the 17th floor. Corner door 1701 swung open to a surprisingly ordinary one-room.
Well, ordinary-ish—bookshelves crammed with horror tomes and weird artifacts.
"Sit. Bathroom's there if you wanna wash up."
"...Thanks."
"Sure. I'll grab essentials."
He zipped out. Han Yujin was impressed. Mod perks include this responsibility?
Yeah. Couldn't hack being a mod.
Thought that'd crush him.
Anyway. Post-horror, near-death chase—hot shower was bliss.
Shhhhh—
"...Ah, feels alive."
Towel and change of clothes waited neatly.
Jeong Gongbeop. Best mod ever?
...Hold up.
Dressing sparked doubt. I'm a girl now. Cool to just accept this?
Then—a savory aroma wafted in. Nutty, gooey, spicy...
"P-pizza?"
She threw on clothes, bolted out. Jeong Gongbeop, mid-table setup, turned startled.
"Hair... not drying it?"
"Dries on its own. But pizza gets cold!"
Ironclad logic—he nodded despite himself.
"Thwee bite... gulp. No need to wepay."
His eyes widened. There sat the silver-haired girl—impossibly chill for fresh-from-horror—shoving pizza in her face.
Chill? Scratch that. Crunch.Gulp.
She devoured like the world's her prey.
Meanwhile, unable to hold back, he'd grilled her on the escape.
"...You knew the perfect clear but left 300 billion in debt?"
"Yesh. Leave pwincipal 300 biwwion, pay onwy intewest, weave."
Pepperoni and cheese bulging her cheeks, she nodded. Slurred, but definite.
He second-guessed his question.
"...Swallow first."
Munch... gulp. "Ah, alive." She chugged half a bottle of zero cola, belting a guttural "Kaaah—" utterly alien from a 160cm beauty.
His brow twitched. Fifteen years haunting horrors, countless survivors and scum—but this archetype? First.
Bank survivors hailed her savior: ethereal saint emerging from despair, leading via genius exploits.
But here? Tomato sauce-smeared, predator-staring next slice...
...Squirrel? Raccoon?
Cheeks ballooned, clashing with her fragile build for eerie effect.
Horror trauma, stress-eating type.
She looked desperate, one wrong bite from collapse. Faint pity stirred, dust-like.
Her real thoughts? Holy shit, pizza slaps. Pizza wins today.
He wasn't a total saint. Newbie dodging debt? Concerning. Lecture slipped out.
"Golden rule: escape horrors fast and clean. You shackled yourself with principal. Why skip the 300 billion?"
She crunched the last crust, licked cheese flecks off fingers, shrugged casually.
"They protect you. Sweet deal, no?"
"They sell customers off. Protection my ass."
"Nah. This horror guarded customers legit."
Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Think: I'm sold. Buyer's payments stack, surpass my 300 billion debt plus interest—what happens?"
Quiz-kid glee.
He pondered, then: "...Auto-repayment kicks in, I lose 'customer' status."
"Ding dong. Bank's protection obligation ends, I'm buyer's property. All the missing? Same boat."
Realization chilled his spine. "You deliberately left the 300 billion..."
"Yup. No buyer? They shield me forever."
Her lips curled slyly. "Monsters keep rules. More trustworthy than humans, maybe."
"......"
No rebuttal. He loathed horrors, but their rule fidelity? Undeniable. Humans betrayed easy.
"Ah. Then."
He perked. "That pre-shooting save? Bank's protection service, huh."
"You saw?"
"Vaguely. Figured your item or skill."
Her eyes bugged. "Items like that exist?"
"Yeah. Some horrors morph objects. Like Unique Company guns."
Ah, that gun. Kim Jah-ha's psycho spraying—total nonsense. Guns in modern Korea?
"Guns in Korea? How no cops?"
"Horror-forged weapons. No ballistics trace—cops powerless."
"...Huh?"
"Government officially denies horrors. Stonewalls anything related."
"......Not some wuxia with untouchable sects."
"Close enough. Unique does anything for profit. Stay sharp."
Chased by mad evil faction, then. To console her pout: "Silver lining—doesn't seem the whole company's mobilized."
"...Yeah?"
"That crew? Probably one team. Scale targeting you."
"Better than full pursuit... right?"
"Way better than the company en masse."
Sounds like experience talking. Wanted to pry, but he turned serious.
"From now on, Yujin-ssi, max out self-defense. Items, whatever—fortify hard."
"Perfect timing. How snag items? Can't horror-dive."
"Some are accessible, but try this."
He sent a link. " 'Myriad Shop'. Horror-adjacent suspected, but strict manual means safe home delivery."