The Business Department Wants to Dispose of Dead Stock - Part 4
I sank into the high-end chair I'd bought for 300,000 won back in my freshman year, let out a heavy sigh, and slumped forward over my computer desk.
The room was dark, my face bathed in the cold blue glow of the monitor as I lost myself in thought.
Even after coming home, my heart kept pounding and a crushing weight pressed down on my chest.
I felt a hundred times more miserable than the night before I enlisted.
Back then, at least I'd had the hope that eighteen months would eventually end. Now I had no idea what tomorrow would bring.
"Haa… what do I do… shit, seriously… hng…"
The curse slipped out before I could stop it.
I rarely swore, but right now nothing else could express the suffocating frustration.
"Oppa, did you confess and get rejected?"
A familiar voice came from behind me.
"If that's the case, don't worry. I'll take responsibility and marry you myself."
"That's not it…"
I answered without thinking, then snapped to attention.
"More importantly, when did you get into my bed?"
I turned my head.
I'd thought the room was empty, yet my little sister was sprawled across my bed, face buried in my pillow as she inhaled its scent.
Her blonde hair, tied in a side ponytail, stood out even in the darkness.
This kid could sneak into my room more stealthily than a Dark Templar. Locking the door never helped.
How she managed it remained a mystery even after twenty years.
"Hehe, I've been in Oppa’s room the whole time, you know?"
"Can you not brag about sneaking into someone else's room?"
"More importantly, what happened?"
Jiheon sat up, still hugging the pillow, and perched on the edge of the bed.
Only then did her worried expression show.
"Seeing Oppa so sad makes Jiheon sad too… sob sob…"
"How about you put my pillow down first and talk? Get out already!"
Annoyed, I shot up and scooped her into a princess carry.
She weighed only 48 kilograms, so lifting her was effortless.
With one arm under her back and the other behind her knees, her ample chest pressed softly against mine.
Normally I would have blushed or panicked, but right now even that sensation didn't register.
"Kyaa!"
I tossed her straight out the door.
"Oppa, you're so rough!"
Jiheon, who had landed on her butt, blushed and spoke up.
"I don't mind this side of you either, you know?"
Thud!
Instead of answering, I slammed the door shut and locked it again.
I sat back down and sank into thought. This wasn't something I could joke about. It was genuinely serious.
I had no way of predicting what Jang Eunbi would make me do tomorrow, or whether she'd simply report me.
To distract myself, I turned on the computer and opened a popular video site.
I wasn't in the mood for auto-battler games, so I decided to put on a documentary I could watch without thinking.
I clicked on one of the algorithm's recommendations at random.
『The Frontlines of South Korea's Sex Crime Investigations — The Story of Captain Jang Jeong-tae』
…What?
A familiar face appeared on screen. It was the man from the photo Jang Eunbi had shown me earlier.
The burly, bear-like man, even more rugged than Ma Dong-seok, was giving an interview.
『Jang Jeong-tae, 52 years old. Captain in the Special Sex Crimes Investigation Unit. A legendary figure in the field who has solved hundreds of sex crime cases over the past twenty years.』
The narration continued. Subtitles listed Captain Jang Jeong-tae's achievements one after another.
Arrest counts, awards, media interviews. They were overwhelming. It was obvious he was at the very top of his field.
『Recently, a film based on Captain Jang Jeong-tae's real story has reportedly entered production.』
A movie too? Based on real events?
The documentary moved to the final interview. Captain Jang Jeong-tae looked straight at the camera and spoke.
『Why I do this job? I have a precious daughter. Raising her made every little girl in the world feel like my own daughter. So I ended up working even harder.』
His gaze, briefly softened, sharpened again.
『And I'll make you one promise. Any pervert who tries something with my daughter—or anyone else's daughter—I'll catch them and throw them in prison myself. That's my mission.』
In the final line, Captain Jang Jeong-tae's eyes seemed to pierce through the screen and stare straight at me.
My entire body trembled.
I could barely breathe.
I frantically moved the mouse and closed the video site. My pale face reflected on the black screen.
Why the hell did this video have to be recommended?
Stupid algorithm.
I clutched my head and slumped over the desk again.
I'm screwed… for real.
—
Tick, tock…
Only the sound of the clubroom's wall clock, which ran five minutes fast, and the distant noise of students playing basketball outside drifted in.
Occasional bounces of the ball and cheers mixed in, but none of it registered.
With a pounding heart, I checked the time on my phone. It was already 4:20.
Jang Eunbi was supposed to arrive at 3:10, yet over an hour had passed and she still wasn't here.
I kept wondering if she'd gotten into an accident, or if she was simply not coming, all sorts of thoughts swirling in my head.
But I couldn't leave either. I was too scared to contact her first, and if I rushed her and annoyed her, she'd probably report me on the spot.
All I could do was wait helplessly.
What if she told her dad and they're coming together?
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
I pictured that burly man from the documentary kicking the door open and storming in.
What would I do then? Kneel in front of the door with my hands up?
While I was seriously considering it—
Bang!
Just like yesterday, the door flew open without a knock.
My heart dropped as I reflexively jumped to my feet.
Thankfully, her father wasn't there.
Only Jang Eunbi. She strode confidently into the clubroom, her long black hair swaying, dressed similarly to yesterday.
Her outfit was just as revealing as before, but I had no room to notice.
"Did you wait long?"
She asked casually.
She'd shown up over an hour late and hadn't offered a single word of apology.
"I… I did wait, but… it's fine…"
Damn it.
I ground my teeth inwardly. She couldn't even say sorry.
This girl had definitely come late on purpose to make the power difference clear.
Until yesterday she'd been all friendly, calling me sunbae, but the moment she got leverage, her attitude had completely changed.
Still, I wasn't in any position to complain. I just endured it.
"So, have you thought about it?"
Jang Eunbi asked as she sat in the chair across from me.
I recalled what I'd been thinking all night.
After watching that terrifying documentary about Captain Jang Jeong-tae, I'd barely slept while agonizing over it.
With a trembling voice, I opened my mouth.
"Um… I… how about two million won as settlement money…?"
Honestly, two million won was a lot of money for a university student.
It was an amount I could barely scrape together by combining my military savings with the allowance I'd received from my parents.
But it was still better than being branded a sex offender.
I watched her reaction nervously, wondering if she would think the amount was too small and demand more.
Jang Eunbi tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"Huh…?"
That wasn't the reaction I'd expected.
"I meant, have you thought about yesterday's consultation?"
Jang Eunbi continued, looking at me like I was pathetic.
"You said you'd think about it, so I assumed you'd come up with a solution for selling off that dead stock."
"……"
Dead stock.
Oh.
That.
Sorry, but until she mentioned it just now, it had completely slipped my mind.
All night long, Captain Jang Jeong-tae's terrifying glare and his interview about throwing perverts in prison had been looping in my head. I hadn't had a single moment to spare for worrying about clothes sales.
Naturally, no solution had come to mind either.
"Don't tell me you didn't think of anything at all?"
"……"
I couldn't answer.
"Ha, unbelievable."
Jang Eunbi crossed her arms and sighed. Her sharp eyes seemed even sharper now.
"You said you'd help with the consultation, yet you didn't even think properly. What did you do yesterday?"
What did I do yesterday? I was shaking while watching your dad's documentary.
But I couldn't say that out loud.
"So the mentorship system isn't really about consultation…"
"What?"
"Ah, no. Nothing…"
I trailed off. I had no idea what would happen to me if I argued back in this situation.
"But don't worry. I figured you wouldn't have any ideas, so I came up with a proper solution myself."
Jang Eunbi reached into the large bag she'd brought and rummaged around.
She seemed to be looking for something, but I wondered what on earth was inside that it was taking so long.
Eventually she pulled something out and held it up with both hands.
It was clothing.
"Ta-da! This outfit."
…What the hell is that?
I doubted my eyes.
It was a pastel pink jumper skirt. The shoulder straps tied with ribbons were meant to be worn like suspenders, and the skirt portion had pleats that would sway with every movement.
The length barely covered the hips, leaving the legs completely exposed.
The blouse worn underneath was a white off-shoulder style.
The shoulders were completely bare, the collarbone line exposed, and the sleeves were puffed out voluminously.
A pink ribbon sat at the center of the chest, adding a cute accent.
Overall, it was an outfit that felt both innocent and lovely.
The combination of pastel pink and white gave it a girlish vibe, while the pleated skirt and off-shoulder blouse maximized its femininity.
At a glance, it looked like something a girl who loved cute clothes would wear.
"……"
I had no words.
"It's pretty, right?"
Jang Eunbi asked again, smiling brightly.
"Uh? Uh-huh…"
It was so excessively cute yet provocative at the same time that I immediately understood why it hadn't sold and why it was hard to give as a gift.
This was the kind of outfit that stood out too much for an ordinary person to wear.
Even if I were a girl, I never would have bought something this cosplay-like.
There was nowhere to wear it.
"I've been thinking,"
Jang Eunbi said, examining the clothes from different angles.
"I think it hasn't sold because the fitting model who wore it was ugly. The clothes are pretty, but the model just couldn't pull them off."
"R-right?"
The conversation was veering in an unpredictable direction, making me anxious.
"So, sunbae, you should wear this outfit and be the fitting model."
"……"
I couldn't follow the logic of whatever nonsense she was spouting.
It was clearly Korean, yet I couldn't understand it. My brain was refusing to process the information.