STAGE ONE Complete.
Seonjeong felt ridiculous, wronged, and utterly pathetic about her current situation. She didn't even want to tell her mother the truth. Even if she did, her mother might not believe her anyway. Seonjeong had never really felt any parental affection from her unknown father, and barely any from her mother either. Whatever faint traces of fondness she'd once held for her mother vanished completely.
That very day, Seonjeong packed a small bag and ran away from home. She went to stay with her older sister, whom she'd met while fooling around. Desperate for money, she started working at the entertainment establishment where her sister was employed. From then on, Seonjeong drifted between street bars and hostess clubs, learning to stand on her own two feet.
Over the next few years, she honed her skills in seductive words and actions, sex techniques that satisfied men, and gradually moved up to higher-end establishments. Seonjeong seemed to have a natural talent for it—before long, she had a slew of regular clients and even offers for high-paid sponsorships.
She thought to herself: If men use their strength, power, and money to bend women to their will, then isn't it only fair for women to use the bodies men crave to wrap those men around their fingers?
Seonjeong quit her job at Ace and joined her sisters who worked as gold diggers, learning the trade under them. Soon, she switched to gold digging herself. She felt no guilt whatsoever. If anything, it was exhilarating—like revenge against all the men who'd forced fake smiles from her with their power, money, and authority, made her spread her legs, and raped her against her will.
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Yumin hadn't grown up in comfortable circumstances. Far from it—they were downright poor. His biological mother had committed suicide from the trauma of a rape when he was young, and his stepmother had died alongside his father in a hit-and-run accident. After that, Yumin became the head of the household, taking care of his new little stepsister. He couldn't indulge in the food he wanted or the clothes he liked.
Financially strained as they were, Yumin had shared family bonds with his hazy memory of his birth mother, his father, his stepmother, and his stepsister—everyone.
Yumin read through Seonjeong's file from start to finish. Her miserable family background and the path she'd taken afterward. What must have hurt her more than the poverty was never once feeling true family love, right?
Of course, that didn't justify her gold-digging. Her skills were impressive; she'd racked up plenty of victims and a huge haul of cash. She'd seduce married men into sex, then blackmail them for money. Yumin could grudgingly overlook that much—after all, those married men weren't innocent either.
The problem was the other cases. She'd deliberately approach lonely-looking men drinking alone, get them drunk enough to stumble into a motel with her, then slip sleeping pills into another drink to knock them out. No actual sex—just incriminating photos for blackmail.
In Korea, even fully consensual sex can turn against the man if the woman later claims rape and reports it. Trials heavily favor the woman; the man faces prison or settlements. Even if he fights through appeals and clears his name, he loses his job, his family falls apart, his reputation is ruined—life over. Meanwhile, the false accuser suffers no real consequences, maybe a civil defamation suit at worst, with poor odds.
Our laws create a perfect playground for gold diggers. Seonjeong's record showed she'd fleeced men for big money but never gotten burned herself. Her victims suffered socially, familially, financially—diverse devastation.
Yumin's eyes stopped on a detail in the attachments. Victim: Lee Minseok. His own father.
Before remarrying, Minseok had been struggling alone to raise his son Yumin, feeling isolated and exhausted. That's when Seonjeong targeted him. She approached as he drank alone after work; they ended up at a motel, and she worked him over. She'd squeezed 50 million won out of him back then.
One could argue that led straight to Yumin's pre-Paradise hardships. He was angry at Seonjeong, but compared to Baek Seongyeop, Im Jiyun, Oh Juseok, and the rest? It felt minor. Had he seen so many utter scum that this was tame?
After getting somewhat close to her in the Stage 1 finale, this revelation left him in a bind. How should he treat her from now on?
As Yumin sorted his thoughts, Angel's voice rang out. What now? He'd already claimed his rewards and personal info.... More to say?
Come to think of it, Yumin had business with her too. He'd ask once she finished.
"Yes, Angel. What's up?"
"Additional reward?"
"Got it. Thanks."
Yumin expressed gratitude for the freebie. In Paradise, where no outside help existed, every reward mattered. None of his had been useless.
As expected, bracelets handled points. Who next for info? After a moment's thought, Yumin named her.
"Nam Sangmi, please."
Now, aside from his group, only Choi Junyoung, Seo Soyoung, and Nam Sangmi remained unknown. He was mildly curious about the first two, but Nam Sangmi? Essential.
After Jang Woohyeok's high school reign of terror, there was always his teacher, Nam Sangmi. Yumin knew her crimes roughly, but confirmation was best. No regrets that way....
"Ah! Wait, Angel."
"No!! Actually, I have a question."
"Ahem.... Can points be transferred? Or at least items bought with them?"
No direct transfers, as expected. Vending drinks or snacks could be shared on the spot, but clothes or furniture? No dice.
Yumin pictured his sister Gayeong and felt a twinge of disappointment. No essentials for her? Maybe just the chocolates she craved? But Angel wasn't done.
"Really? Thank you so much."
No direct points, but handing off purchased goods like this? Practically the same. No shared facility use, but Yumin was satisfied.
"Got it. What if I do tell?"
Yumin grasped her meaning. He held several privileges, some powerful enough to swap "dead" targets in missions. If Paradise participants learned that? Exhausting wouldn't cover it.
Even without that, futures were unpredictable. Worst case, he might have to sacrifice a group member. No need to reveal his privileges openly—not to others, not even his group.
Conversation over, Yumin headed straight to the square. First, he checked the bracelet upgrades he'd eyed.
[Bracelet Upgrade]
Level 1 – Clock (10 points)
Level 2 – Remaining Points (20 points)
Minor upgrades, but essential. One of Paradise's biggest frustrations was not knowing the time—no windows, no sunrises or sunsets. Participants guessed via meals, square openings, missions, lights-out. Even that was approximate.
With no more lights-out and personal room light control, even that was gone. Crucial for privileged Yumin.
He upgraded to Level 1, then 2. The bracelet face now showed the current time like a real watch. Touching it toggled to remaining points, then back. Perfect for him—toggle to hide his higher balance. Otherwise, he'd flash it everywhere, buying meals for every college junior like a senior, blowing his monthly allowance in days.
Next, he bought shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion—essentials—plus chocolates, snacks, drinks. And a women's nightgown. Total: 65 points. All for sister Gayeong.
Then his own essentials and a tracksuit—versatile for workouts or sleep. Another 55 points.
Did I impulse-buy too much...?
Remaining points: down to 150 from 300. Using them, Yumin realized 10 per mission felt stingy. Other participants, lucky to join 2-3 times a month, could barely afford basics, let alone snacks or facilities.