Administrator Proposal
Jeong Gongbeop shook his head slowly and gave a short reply.
"You posted that '[If I become a lost child here]' earlier, right?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"From that post, I identified the 'Lost & Found Child Center (F-12031)' horror story."
"Whoa, from that? How? Dude, are you a genius?"
Han Yujin's eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity. This was the pure intellectual itch of a hardcore troll. She was dying to know what kind of deductive process this stubborn principled guy had gone through.
"Simple."
Jeong Gongbeop opened his mouth. His voice was dry, like he was giving a lecture.
"The newbie hunters were waiting for you at the entrance to the 'Lost Property Center at Terminal Station.' They were convinced you'd broken the rules by 'drinking tea and falling asleep.' But you saw through the forged rulebook and escaped."
"Oh, spot on so far. You're like a mind reader."
"There were four of them. One of you. A head-on fight was impossible. The 'Terminal Station' is a dead-end structure with nowhere to hide. You needed a way to shake them off. That's when you posted '[I'm fucked]' on the gallery—even knowing they check it too."
"……."
"That wasn't panic. It was bait. A lure to let them know you were still alive and had time to check the gallery, drawing them deeper in. And you remembered the one trigger in the 'Terminal Station' that leads to another space: the 'lost child' gimmick."
Jeong Gongbeop tapped the grimy subway wall with his hand.
"You didn't flee to the 'Lost & Found Child Center' to escape the newbie hunters. You ran precisely to lure them there from the start."
A chill ran down Han Yujin's spine. No wonder—this guy had read her exact plan perfectly.
"'F-12031, Lost Property and Child Center.' The core rule of this horror is: 'When a lost child occurs, four nearby people are randomly summoned to determine if they're guardians.' And if not, 'immediate disposal.' You planned to use that rule to wipe out the four newbie hunters perfectly."
Jeong Gongbeop stared straight into Han Yujin's eyes. His gaze was sharp as a blade.
"Your '[If I become a lost child, come find me]' post wasn't an SOS from a panicked newbie. It was an invitation to the real guardian who'd come pick you up after executing the whole plan. Right?"
"……."
Han Yujin shut her mouth. This felt like being stripped naked. In her ten years of gallery lurking, no one had ever read her moves this accurately.
"Holy shit."
She clapped her hands.
"Wow, being a Blue Badge isn't for just anyone. I admit it. You're pretty badass. Analyzing that hard just to snag first dibs on pizza."
"……."
For the first time, Jeong Gongbeop's robotic expression cracked. He clenched his fist, released it, and let out a deep sigh.
"Han Yujin-ssi. Do you know what they call someone like you?"
"Hmm... genius? Cutie?"
"A monster."
He said it not with contempt or fear, but with the tone of stating a plain fact.
"You're not afraid of horror stories—you exploit them. And you're damn good at it. You're beyond the realm of normal survivors. That talent of yours... it's dangerous."
Jeong Gongbeop pulled a small notebook from his pocket. It was damp with blood, but the contents looked intact.
"'Unique Company' or the 'Special Disaster Management Division' are probably watching you already. Hell, they might even make contact. They'll try to use you. But before you join them, I have a proposal."
"What's that? A confession? Sorry, I'm taken."
"Taken? What does that—never mind."
Rubbing his temples hard, Jeong Gongbeop continued.
"I'm offering you a position as an administrator—Blue Badge—in the Horror Survivor Gallery."
"……Huh?"
Now it was Han Yujin's turn to be stunned. She stared at him with wide eyes.
"What? You're offering me a Blue Badge?"
"Yes. Your abnormal thought process and rule interpretation skills would be a huge asset to gallery operations. Managing trolls, analyzing dangerous horrors, verifying new rulebooks... And above all, being an admin offers some protection for your safety..."
"Hold up, hold up. Stop."
Han Yujin raised her hand to cut him off. She wore the most baffled expression of her life.
"Hey, mister. You're telling me to play gallery eraser?"
"Not 'eraser,' exactly—more like maintaining order in the—"
"Do I get paid?"
"...No salary."
"Benefits? Four-day workweek? Paid leave? Insurance?"
"This isn't a company, Han Yujin-ssi. Everyone does it voluntarily for survival..."
"Then why the hell would I?"
Han Yujin looked genuinely baffled.
"No money, wasting my precious time deleting other people's crap posts, getting hated on for playing cop, dealing with trolls like me? Are you insane? Who does that shit?"
"……."
Well, Jeong Gongbeop did, obviously. Han Yujin covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
"Poor guy... Craving a sense of belonging? Attention? Gallery addiction? Power trip? What's your deal?"
A vein bulged in Jeong Gongbeop's temple. He gritted his teeth.
"...You should go now."
He turned away like she wasn't worth another word. The faint light of the subway exit was visible.
"Oh, right."
Han Yujin called out to stop him.
"This is from the newbie hunters."
She shook the heavy money bag. Ten million won from exchanging crystals, another ten from farming the hunters. She offered him half of the hunters' share.
"Want half? Pizza for ten pies instead."
"...No need."
"Come on, take it. You saved me. Call it a tip. Buy something nice. Thanks, seriously."
She shoved the bag into his arms. Jeong Gongbeop, whose hands hadn't trembled even digging through corpses for S-grade crystals, accepted the five-million-won bag.
"...This money."
"What? Sketchy? Nah, it's not dirty. They scammed newbies too—money from shit isn't shit itself, right? Get some Haagen-Dazs."
Han Yujin bounded up the stairs with light steps. Jeong Gongbeop called after her urgently.
"Wait! Are you mentally okay? PTSD or anything scary?"
She whipped around, narrowing her eyes.
"What? Underestimating me 'cause I look like a girl? You think I'd be shaking from this?"
"No, that's not—"
"Disappointing. Thought you were better than that."
"Wait, hear me out..."
Grinning at his fluster, Han Yujin smirked. It would've been a sneer in her old body, but now it looked like a charming smile. Her sharp fangs peeked out as she spoke.
"Kidding. You were so stiff, I wondered if you could even panic. Guess not. No need to worry."
She bowed her head politely, turned, and waved.
"Thanks for the help today! See ya!"
Her slender silver-haired figure vanished into the exit light. A refreshingly clean exit.
Left alone in the dim subway station, Jeong Gongbeop alternated stares between the five-million-won bag in his hand and the stairs where the 'monster' had hummed away.
Han Yujin tossed the money bag onto the bed and flopped down face-first.
"Haaa, I'm beat."
Tiring, but the haul wasn't bad. Took out the newbie hunters, scored cash. And best of all, snagged admin offer drama for the gallery! Her life always circled back to the gallery.
Home safe—time for the real work. Logging into the gallery, Han Yujin's lips curled into a natural grin.
"Hmm~."
She started humming unconsciously. Even a few comments on her posts made her day. But bait rolling around about her without her posting? Electric thrill shot up her spine.
"Hmm. But."
Han Yujin rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Seemed like the haters were piling on. Users hoping she was dead. Old-timers convinced she bit it. Even ones calling her KIA.
Suspicions everywhere. Big popularity always drew big assholes, sure. A normal person would go, 'Gasp! So many haters?!' and mope.
But Han Yujin? The opposite. A huge grin split her face as her fingers twitched eagerly.
"Can't let that slide."
Her mad fighting-dog nature kicked in. Her eyes gleamed with a feral red glow.