Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Yuseong Group (3)
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While patrolling the first floor with Carlson, I received a call from Sera.
[Joo-hyuk, come here for a sec?]
"What's up?"
[You'll see when you get here.]
I told Carlson I'd be stepping away for a moment and headed into the changing room.
"Why'd you call me?"
Inside the changing room, Lea was staring at the female employee with a troubled look on her face, while Sera sighed and scratched her head.
"Take a look at this. She just doesn't get it."
Sera spoke in disbelief.
"She knows some English, but it seems like she doesn't really understand what we're saying. Her answers are mostly just 'yes' or 'no.'"
Lea chimed in, sounding equally frustrated.
"Shouldn't employees working in this building know at least basic English? I thought Yuseong Group was a multinational conglomerate."
'Yeah, tell me about it.'
I let out a small sigh inwardly.
It was possible her mind had gone completely blank from extreme terror. Either way, it just meant more work for me.
I crouched down in front of the female employee, met her eyes, and spoke in the softest voice possible, using the language she'd understand best.
"It's okay. You're safe now. We won't hurt you."
At the fluent Korean coming from my mouth, her eyes finally focused for the first time.
"Y-You're Korean?"
"Yes, that's right. Can you relax now and answer our questions?"
No sooner had I finished speaking than tears began pouring from her eyes like a waterfall.
She burst into sobs like a child. Sera panicked and tried to soothe her, but I quietly raised a hand to stop her.
Right now, she needed time to let it all out.
"Feeling a bit better now?"
She nodded faintly at my question.
"Good. Now, we have a few things to check. We'd appreciate your full cooperation."
I spoke in as businesslike a tone as I could manage. Reassuring her was important, but we couldn't forget why we were here.
"Lea, you ask the questions. I'll translate."
"Ask her again how long she's been in this locker."
"How long have you been in this locker?"
I translated Lea's question directly.
"A-About three days, I think. I can't remember exactly... It was so scary..."
Park Min-ji answered in a trembling voice.
Lea listened to my translation and jotted something down on her PDA.
"Any other symptoms? Fever, dizziness, nausea?"
"Any unusual feelings in your body? Like fever, dizziness, or nausea?"
"N-No... Nothing like that."
Lea frowned at the employee's response, clearly unsatisfied.
"We need to do a full-body check for bites anyway. Tell her to take off her clothes. By the way, her name is Park Min-ji."
"Yeah, that's the most reliable way."
Sera didn't object either. Above all, this was the bare minimum procedure to ensure our safety.
At Lea's instruction, I cheered inwardly.
"Min-ji? I'm sorry, but you'll need to remove all your clothes from now on."
"W-What? My clothes? Why... why?"
"There might be wounds we haven't noticed. Even a tiny scratch can lead to infection."
"W-What if I refuse...?"
"Lea, she's asking what happens if she refuses."
Lea replied in a tone that was not just cold, but icy.
"Tell her this: If she doesn't comply, we'll consider her infected and take the necessary measures."
The "necessary measures" Lea mentioned were obvious. It meant putting her down. Of course, I didn't need to translate every word.
"If you don't cooperate, we'll have to classify you as a potential carrier and isolate you. Oh, don't misunderstand—this is for your sake too, but also to protect the safety of our entire team."
At my words, Park Min-ji bit her lip and stood up, trying to protest her innocence.
"You'll see when you look, but I really wasn't bitten anywhere! Please...!"
Just then, Sera, who was standing nearby, immediately straightened her posture and aimed her pistol at Park Min-ji.
"Freeze right there! Move, and I'll shoot."
"Eek...! I-I'm sorry! I'll do as you say! Just spare me!"
Terrified, Park Min-ji dropped to her knees on the floor, clasping her hands together and rubbing them frantically.
She knew we'd wiped out all the zombies on the first floor when we entered the building, so in a way, it was a perfectly natural reaction.
"I don't know what she's saying exactly, but I get the gist. Still, her claims aren't objectively verified facts, so we need to check ourselves. Tell her that."
As I translated, the tone of the following voice made Park Min-ji hang her head in resignation. Her shoulders trembled faintly.
She hesitated for a moment before bringing her shaking hands to the buttons of her blouse.
"Hold on. Sera, go back to Carlson, report the situation, and finish the search with him. Lea and I can handle this."
Sera glanced between me, Lea, and Park Min-ji before nodding.
"Got it. But be careful. Keep your guard up."
Sera turned and left after her brief words. With her gone, only three of us remained in the changing room.
"Um, excuse me... Could the man at least turn away...?"
"No."
"Sniff."
"Park Min-ji. I don't want to do this either. But if you cooperate, I promise we'll finish as quickly as possible."
Of course, it was an empty promise I had no intention of keeping. But it seemed effective enough.
Recognizing she had no choice, Park Min-ji finally gave in and began carefully unbuttoning her blouse with trembling hands.
Thick teardrops were rolling down her cheeks.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Pop. Pop.
Park Min-ji began unbuttoning her white blouse with shaking hands. Her movements were slow and clumsy.
With each button undone, her white bra gradually came into view through the opening in the blouse.
Finally, the last button came free, and the blouse fell open on both sides, fully exposing her ample breasts over the bra.
She hesitated briefly before carefully placing the fully removed blouse on the floor.
Next came the tight black H-line skirt clinging to her body. She reached for the zipper on the side. Soon, the sound of the zipper descending echoed, and the skirt slid helplessly down her thighs.
As the skirt hit the floor, her sleek, long legs wrapped in black stockings were revealed.
Finally, she bent at the waist and pulled the stockings down to her ankles.
Now, all that remained on her body was the white bra and black panties.
'She worked the front desk? She's got a pretty nice figure.'
I openly scanned Park Min-ji's body under the pretext of inspection. It wasn't the overwhelming volume of Han Yu-ra or Lea, but her body was smooth and toned without a single ounce of excess fat.
A slim waist, straight legs, and breasts of a decent size—they were quite appealing.
Sensing my gaze, Park Min-ji tried to cover her bra and panties with her hands out of embarrassment, but Lea's sharp glare made her drop them helplessly.
"Good. Turn around once, right there."
At Lea's cold voice, Park Min-ji's face flushed red with humiliation as she slowly turned her body.
Lea pulled out a small flashlight and meticulously examined every inch of Park Min-ji's body: her back, waist, legs, knees, inner knees, arms, inner elbows. She checked every visible area without missing a spot.
"No signs of infection on the surface. Looks clean to the naked eye."
As I translated, a flicker of relief crossed Park Min-ji's face. She hurriedly reached for her clothes on the floor to get dressed.
But.
"Hold on. Not yet."
"...Pardon?"
Park Min-ji looked at Lea with a puzzled expression.
"We haven't checked inside the underwear yet. Take it off too."
I calmly translated Lea's words.
"E-Even the underwear...? But, but...! You've already checked everything!"
"The virus can spread not just through bites, but also through bodily fluids. So even if there are no visible wounds, that doesn't confirm you're not infected. We need to check the genital area for abnormalities too. Just do as you're told."
Lea's voice carried no emotion. To her, this was just part of the job.
But not for Park Min-ji.
I debated intervening for a moment but shook my head. Lea was the team's medic, so her judgment took precedence.
Besides, I was curious about Park Min-ji's naked body too.
I translated Lea's words simply and bluntly.
"She said take off the underwear too. No arguing."
"P-Please, anything but that...!"
Lea's decision was firm. Unlike Sera, she didn't threaten with a gun, but her eyes conveyed that any non-compliance would have consequences she'd have to bear herself.
In the end, Park Min-ji yielded.