The Parasite's Allure
As I lifted my head, our faces met again at a near distance.
She's beautiful.
That was the first thought that surfaced in the brief instant we reconfirmed our first impressions of each other.
Staring into those ruby eyes, I felt like I might be helplessly drawn inside them.
"Pretty, aren't they?"
A soft chuckle escaped her.
She must have read my thoughts from my gaze. The fox-like smile that could enchant anyone snapped me back to my senses, and I tried to speak again.
"Wha—"
"It looks like you have plenty to say, but for now, could you listen quietly? As a member of the Company and an intern in the Brainwashing, Corrupting, Parasitic Department, your role will be to brainwash women and ruin them."
The mysterious woman dragged a chair over with a screech and sat beside me. An unreadable smile played on her face as she continued.
"The Company works to control this world. What kind of control? You don't need to know that yet. In fact, you mustn't. Once you rise to a certain rank, you'll learn it naturally whether you want to or not—what our Company truly exists for. But not now. You're an intern. Nothing but the lowest rung in the Company."
What the hell was this woman talking about?
Brainwashing, Corrupting, Parasitic Department?
What kind of insane department name was that?
And I was supposed to work there?
"I'll explain everything. So set your questions aside for now, alright?"
She pressed a finger firmly against my chest, as if commanding silence.
"Or don't you want to earn money? You have a mountain of debt, don't you? It needs to be repaid."
The word debt swept every question from my mind in an instant.
"How did you..."
"To make money, your job at the Company is to brainwash the women the Company selects and then corrupt them. How? By using the items the Company provides you."
Following her gaze, I saw six objects arranged neatly on the desk.
A luxurious fountain pen.
A plain white credit card with no markings.
A business card engraved with my name.
A smartphone that didn't belong to me.
A perfume bottle filled with pink liquid.
A company approval stamp.
"These are the tools being issued to you. For now, I'll explain two of them."
She picked up the stamp first.
"This stamp is used to brainwash humans. Press it to someone's head, and they become a puppet you can control however you wish. The one you received is the low-utility version for interns. You can only brainwash up to four targets, and they must be female. This is something better experienced than explained. Also, keep in mind that this stamp doubles as the Company's official approval seal."
The second item she picked up was the card.
"You know corporate cards, right? This is one. Use it for any and all business expenses—transportation, lodging, meals, anything. As long as it's framed as work-related, even personal matters are overlooked to some degree, so don't hesitate. There's no spending limit. Though if you go into the trillions, you'll need higher approval. But unless you're at department head rank, that won't be an issue, so don't worry about it. Questions so far?"
While I sat there completely dazed by the explanation, she smiled and playfully waved the card in front of me.
I finally managed to speak, mouth still hanging open like an idiot.
"...Are you out of your mind?"
"Ahaha— Seung-woo... My cute little Seung-woo..."
She reached out and cupped my cheeks in both palms.
"......!!"
I reflexively tried to jerk my head back, but her grip tightened, trapping me.
She leaned in close, our eyes locked. My own fearful face drew nearer and nearer within her crimson gaze.
"Hehe... Don't be scared. No one's going to devour you right this second. Ah— Or are you getting hard just looking at me?"
One of her hands moved while I watched her warily, eyes darting.
Fabric rustled as she lifted the hem of her shirt, boldly exposing her full breasts and the pink nipples at their peaks.
"Ugh..."
I couldn't stop my body's reaction to those heavy, perfect breasts and their tempting tips.
I knew this wasn't the time, but as a man, I was helpless.
"Ahahaha!!"
She threw her head back in loud laughter at my response, as if delighted by a child's innocent reaction to a prank.
"Hold it in for now. The current you isn't nearly enough to handle me. Later, when the chance comes... I'll let you fuck me as much as you want."
She lightly stroked the front of my pants, leaving a lingering touch, then straightened up and sat back down.
"You must have so many questions. You're probably wondering what this crazy bitch is babbling about. You might even be afraid you've gotten dragged into something dangerous. So if you want to quit, you can quit right now. But before you do, turn on your phone and check your account balance."
She held my phone out to me.
I took it in a daze, eyeing her suspiciously, then opened the banking app.
Huh?
Five million won had appeared in my previously barren account.
Could this be... my salary?
That meant I'd received an entire month's pay in advance.
"Don't worry. Even if you quit, we won't take back today's deposit. And you will never face legal consequences for Company work. We'll handle everything. The choice is yours alone. No one will force you. So, what will it be?"
She smiled and waited quietly for my answer.
The room, once filled with her voice, fell silent. I sorted through my swirling thoughts.
Her words still felt unreal, far beyond common sense, and I couldn't trust someone I'd only just met. But one thing was crystal clear.
Five million won had been deposited into my account.
The same amount would likely keep coming.
I could make money.
Right now, that was the only thing that truly reached me.
If I refused and walked out, I'd plunge back into a lifetime of inescapable debt hell.
I had no idea what the job would truly entail or how it might change me, but it had to be better than the hell waiting outside.
In that case—
The choice was already made.
I slowly parted my trembling lips.
"For starters... you said it would be good to test that stamp, right?"
She hadn't expected me to cut straight to business. For the first time, genuine surprise flickered across her face.
"Ahaha—"
She quickly recovered her smile and looked at me.
"You really are an interesting human, Yoon Seung-woo. Very... very interesting."
Her tongue slid sensually across her lips.
For some reason, the way she looked at me seemed to have grown hotter, more predatory.
"Since you've decided, shall we head out? We need to find a woman to test that stamp on. Preferably one that's delicious."
"W-wait!"
I reflexively grabbed her arm as she stood.
She paused, staring first at my hand on her wrist, then at my face with an utterly blank expression.
The sudden absence of her constant smile made me flinch with fear, but I forced the words out anyway.
"Before we go, I have to ask this. Who... exactly are you?"
She had introduced herself earlier as the Company's manual, but she knew that wasn't what I meant.
Her gaze stayed fixed on my hand gripping her wrist. Slowly, a smile returned to her lips.
"I parasitized you. That's why I know every last one of your memories. This form is simply a projection of the woman from those memories."
"What..."
Slither—.
"Uwaaaagh—!!"
She suddenly melted into black liquid and poured into my body before I could react.
A cold, slimy sensation crawled through every inch of me.
The visceral realization that someone was now inside my body sent waves of panic crashing through me.
Her voice echoed directly inside my skull.
Only then did everything she'd said finally feel real.
Now alone in the room, I heard her continue.
Her soft laughter echoed through my mind.
Even now, that laughter clung to my ears, sticking to me like honey.
I realized I would never be able to shake it off. From this moment on, I would be with her for a very long time.
"Th-that... Haaaa..."
I let out a long, resigned sigh. Whatever happened, happened.
"I thought we were only testing the brainwashing?"
"......"
I had no reply.
She kept whispering, tempting my hesitant heart.
Her voice was sweet as honey, yet it shook my soul like a devil's temptation.
If I let my guard down even for a second, I felt I would fall completely under its spell.
So I desperately clung to my fading consciousness.
"...I'll do it. But only to pay off my debt."
Though I couldn't see her, I felt as if she were holding out her hand.
I hesitated for a moment, then slowly took it.
I sensed her smiling brightly, as though she'd been waiting for exactly that.
That smile was one that dragged a man down into the deepest darkness.