The First Mark
Click, click…
'Haah… I really don't want to go back to the office. How long do I have to keep doing this?'
Lee Se-ah, an office worker in her early thirties, was on her way back to the company after finishing her field work.
As she walked, her mind was filled with the same frustrations as any other office worker—irritation at work and interpersonal relationships, along with a growing sense of doubt about her future as a corporate drone.
Yet despite her complicated feelings, her expression remained tired and indifferent.
Part of it was a learned habit of suppressing emotions to survive in a ruthless modern society, but the truth was she had long since moved past that stage.
She was simply listless and dry. Both her job and her life.
She wanted nothing more than to run away somewhere, but every time the credit card bill arrived from the bank, those thoughts naturally faded away.
'My body isn't what it used to be either. And I don't even have time to exercise.'
Leaving her twenties behind played a part, but the repeated overtime and company dinners had left her with a growing belly that bothered her.
It wasn't just her stomach.
She could feel the extra weight everywhere compared to before.
It wasn't enough to be called chubby or fat, but as a woman who cared about her weight, the number on the scale was inevitably a sensitive issue.
Click, click…
'I'm so tired of this… I wish my life would change. In any way.'
"Excuse me—"
Along with the steady sound of high heels, the woman who had been radiating listlessness turned her head at the voice calling out to her.
A young man in a suit stood there.
He had a clean, ordinary face and gave off the distinct air of someone fresh out of school.
Looking like another office worker, he hesitated for a moment before finally opening his mouth.
And with that, the change she had been hoping for finally happened.
Lee Se-ah's life was transformed.
* *
"So what do I do now? I just stamp this thing right on a woman's head?"
Once outside the building, I fiddled with the stamp in my hand and asked the entity inside me.
[You can just think it. Muttering to yourself out loud looks weird to anyone watching.]
'…Like this?'
[Heh. Our Seung-woo learns fast, doesn't he?]
After hearing the teasing laugh, I started to ask her what to do next, then stopped.
The first priority was testing the stamp's ability, which meant stamping it on a woman's head.
She had already explained exactly what I needed to do.
Asking without even trying first would be foolish.
'Right. I'll figure it out myself.'
[Oh my, how admirable.]
While I was steeling my resolve, she clapped her hands in a bright, encouraging tone.
'Can you read my thoughts too? And what was that clapping sound?'
[When you think so openly like that, of course I can hear it. Anyway, good mindset. Go give it a try. I'll be watching.]
A voice full of laughter echoed in my mind.
Hearing someone else's voice inside my head still felt strange, but I didn't have the luxury of time to get used to it.
'Let's see…'
I stood on the busy street and looked around.
There weren't as many pedestrians as I'd expected, but office workers were still easy to spot thanks to the tall buildings lining the area.
Crisp white dress shirts.
Neckties.
Suit pants.
H-line skirts.
Business bags.
Even a short walk outside was enough to see countless people dressed in ways that screamed "office worker."
Among them, a woman walking nearby caught my eye, her high heels clicking with every step.
She walked silently down the street with a dry, world-weary expression.
Her black hair was neatly tied back, parted on the side, and she wore the typical outfit of a female office worker.
A fitted white dress shirt paired with a black H-line skirt.
Black stockings visible beneath the skirt that swayed with each step.
A handbag slung over her shoulder.
As I watched the woman who looked to be in her late twenties to early thirties, I made my decision. The voice in my head spoke up.
[Wouldn't it be better to pick someone younger and prettier?]
Before I could answer, the self-proclaimed company manual—Guide—spoke first.
[Aha— It's because of her chest, isn't it? Typical male.]
'Ahem…'
I felt embarrassed at being seen through so easily.
She was right.
There were a few women on the street who looked better than the office worker I was watching, but I had chosen her purely because of her chest.
The interviewer's massive bust was still vividly burned into my memory, so my attention naturally drifted toward any woman with a similar figure.
[Ahaha— Don't be embarrassed. You're adorable.]
My face flushed bright red at Guide's teasing laugh.
I took a deep breath to calm myself, then slowly walked toward the woman I had chosen.
'Alright, let's do this.'
Honestly, the whole situation still didn't feel real.
Part of me still wondered if I was dreaming.
A stamp that could brainwash people?
But even if this was all fake, I judged that the action I was about to take carried little risk.
If I stamped her head and nothing happened, I might just get cursed out by a woman I'd never met before.
Maybe I'd have to pay some settlement money, but with the five million won I'd earned today, I could afford it.
That was why I could be bold about what I was about to do.
"Excuse me—"
"Yes?"
At my call, the woman walking down the street stopped and looked at me questioningly.
Up close, I realized she was prettier than I'd thought—and that she also looked worn down by life.
"You dropped something behind you."
I smiled to lower her guard and pointed behind her with my finger.
She tilted her head in confusion for a moment before following my gaze and turning around.
Of course, there was nothing there.
Realizing this, she frowned and started to turn back.
In that instant, I thrust the stamp I had been hiding toward her defenseless back.
Thud.
"—Ah!"
When the stamp touched her forehead, she let out a startled cry and instinctively took a step back.
'I did it! Success—'
"W… What did you just do?"
Still dazed, she glared at me with a bewildered expression.
Watching the anger slowly rise in her eyes, I felt flustered too.
'Huh…?'
Failure?
I had definitely stamped her forehead.
Or had I needed to stamp somewhere else?
No.
She had said the head, so the forehead should count.
Don't tell me… I was tricked?
Did she lie?
[Heh!]
The playful laugh in my mind seemed to confirm my suspicion.
Seeing the woman's face twist with rage right in front of me, I snapped back to reality and quickly bowed my head to apologize.
"I-I'm sorry!"
"No! I asked you what you just did!!"
She was genuinely angry now and started scolding me.
Other pedestrians began glancing our way because of the commotion.
'This is insane…'
I felt endless regret for the courage I'd mustered earlier with such flimsy reasoning.
My face burned. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
[I'd love to watch you squirm a little longer, but you look pathetic, so I'll tell you. The brainwashing worked. She's only acting like this because you haven't given her any orders yet. It's noisy, so hurry up and tell her to shut up.]
While the woman continued interrogating me, Guide spoke up.
Even though the amused tone made her words hard to trust, I had no choice but to grab the lifeline.
"Um… People are watching, so could you keep it down a little…?"
"What?"
She looked at me like I was insane, her face still twisted with anger as she opened her mouth to speak.
The stronger rage about to burst out was obvious, so I lowered my head again.
'I knew it—'
"Are you messing with me right now—"
The woman who had been raising her voice suddenly fell silent.
When I lifted my head in confusion, I saw her staring blankly at me, all traces of anger gone from her face.
Her unfocused, lifeless eyes looked at me before she spoke in a monotone voice.
"…You're right. I was being loud. I'll be quiet."
She suddenly acted as if she were apologizing to me.
Her completely changed demeanor left me stunned.
Standing there blankly, she watched me in silence, like an android waiting for its next command.
To turn my unease into certainty, I spoke.
"I'm sorry… Could you accept my apology?"
"Yes, it's fine. These things happen."
Watching her accept my apology with an emotionless face and voice, I became certain.
She had been brainwashed.
Really.
It worked.
Gulp—
Excitement slid down my throat and into my stomach.
I wanted to test all kinds of things on her right away, but people were still glancing our way, so I decided we needed to leave first.
The first place that came to mind where we could be alone was obvious.
"Would you like to go to a motel with me?"
"Yes."
I lowered my voice, conscious of the people around us, and she answered without hesitation.
Her answer came so easily that I tested her further, wanting to confirm what it meant.
"We're going there to have sex. Is that okay?"
"Yes, that's fine."
Her expressionless face made it impossible to tell if she truly meant it, but since she had said it herself, there was no reason to doubt.
I looked her over from head to toe as she waited for my next order.
Her figure hidden beneath her clothes didn't seem bad, but what stood out most was the massive chest straining against her dress shirt.
And below that was the hole meant to receive a man.
From now on, all of it—
Everything—
Was mine to do with as I pleased.
[That's right. From now on, she's nothing more than a living doll that exists to serve you and obey your commands. A slave whose life and death are completely in your hands.]
I tried to ignore Guide's words that treated the woman like an object and spoke.
"Please follow me."
"Yes."
When I started walking ahead, she followed behind me like a loyal puppy, her high heels clicking with every step.
The surrounding gazes quickly lost interest, as if nothing had happened.
With trembling hands, I turned on my phone and searched for the nearest motel.
The thought of testing all kinds of things on the brainwashed woman made me have to consciously suppress the growing heat in my groin.