The Web Tightens
Park Mina followed Lee Han into the Management Office. Passing through the dim hallway late at night, she found the office to be far more spacious and sophisticated than she had imagined. But that hardly mattered to her. Her mind was currently consumed by fear and anxiety.
Mina sat down, gripping the chair with trembling hands. Lee Han, seated across from her, asked in a gentle voice, "Would you like something to drink? Tea, or perhaps a soda?"
"Oh, no... I'm fine, thank you."
Her throat felt parched, yet she shook her head. Lee Han’s kindness only made her more afraid.
"Then let’s talk. What exactly happened?"
His tone was calm, but Mina found his gaze unsettling.
"I... I think feeding the stray cat became an issue. But I truly did it without thinking. Please, you have to understand."
As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears, and Lee Han’s expression softened considerably.
"I understand, Ms. Mina. Please, calm down. Did my words really weigh on you that much?"
"I have nowhere else to go if I lose this place. I might end up homeless as early as tomorrow..." she pleaded in a shaky voice.
"Ms. Mina, listen to me carefully. I only said those things because I felt bad for you. I don't want to see someone's life fall apart over such a trivial matter. I’ll handle it, so don’t worry too much."
Mina nodded at his soothing words. His persuasive, gentle tone washed over her.
"Yes... thank you. I suppose I was being too sensitive. I’ll be sure to listen to the Management Office from now on."
The sympathy and understanding radiating from Lee Han’s tone and expression brought her a sense of relief. She felt as if she had met a savior.
'It’s over for today. The manager will take care of it,' she thought to herself, glancing softly at Lee Han. He appeared to be in his late twenties, and despite her initial sour impression, he seemed quite dependable. His name tag read simply: Lee Han.
It occurred to her that this apartment complex was operated directly by the Aryong Group.
'He must be someone special. To have risen to such a position here...'
In that moment, Lee Han seemed even more impressive and trustworthy.
"Thank you so much. I feel much lighter now. May I head back?"
"Of course. Go and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow."
Lee Han flashed a bright smile. Mina stood up, feeling a surge of gratitude.
"Yes, understood. Have a peaceful night, Manager!"
Mina left the office with a lighter heart. She naively believed that Lee Han was not her enemy, but a reliable ally.
Wiping away her damp eyes, she trudged toward her home. The day's distressing events felt like a bad dream.
But she had no way of knowing that this was merely the prelude to a nightmare. She remained blind to the chilling intentions hidden behind his kind mask.
As soon as she arrived home, Mina washed up in a hurry and collapsed onto her bed. She let out a sigh and cracked open a can of beer. As she watched the foam spill over, the image of Lee Han from the office suddenly crossed her mind.
'A position like that at such a young age... Could he be the son of a wealthy family?'
Caught up in strange fantasies, Mina smiled bashfully.
'Could it be that he wants to help me... because he likes me?'
Even as she scoffed at her own delusions, she fell into thoughts filled with confidence regarding her appearance.
'Well, I’m not bad-looking, am I? I was popular back in school, too.'
With her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, she stood up and faced the mirror. She struck a pose, checked her profile and her back, and muttered to herself.
"Hmph, with a chest like this, I’m sure to catch a man’s eye~"
Then, the face of her department head, Manager Lee Minho, flashed into her mind. The memory of his lecherous gaze as he scanned her body and his unpleasantly clingy behavior left a bitter taste in her mouth.
'That old man, how dare he... It’s disgusting.'
Manager Lee Minho was constantly hitting on her. Despite being in his fifties, he acted like a young man and spent his time harassing young female employees.
"Ugh... so annoying. I need to drink more."
As if to erase the memories of her painful work life, Mina downed the can of beer in one go. She opened another and flopped back onto the bed.
Mina’s drunken state was captured entirely by the surveillance camera. Watching her behavior on the screen, Lee Han clicked his tongue in displeasure and furrowed his brow.
'I’ll have to break her of those habits first. Tsk, tsk.'
On the camera, Mina was rolling around with a flushed face, chugging beer. She drifted off to sleep, completely defenseless. In the dark, quiet room, only her soft breathing echoed with a chilling resonance.
Lee Han had told Mina to rest easy, but he was thinking of something else entirely. He began to prepare, step by step, the cunning traps intended to bind her.
On her way home from work, Mina stopped by a convenience store out of habit to buy beer and snacks. As she trudged toward the apartment with the heavy bag, the sound of a cat crying reached her ears.
'Huh? Is it asking for food?'
Mina looked around and walked toward the source of the sound. She saw a cat huddled in the bushes within the complex.
"Oh, look at you. Are you hungry again?"
Mina approached the cat with quick, eager steps. Despite her soft, inviting voice, the cat wouldn't come close.
"Hey, come here. I’ll give you something delicious."
Mina pulled an instant sausage from her bag and held out her hand. The cat smelled it and began to approach cautiously.
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind her.
"Ms. Mina, didn't we agree not to do things like this?"
Startled by the chilling aura, the cat bolted away. Mina froze and slowly turned around to see Lee Han staring at her coldly.
"M-Manager... this is..."
"What did I tell you last time?"
Mina’s heart pounded with every step Lee Han took toward her. A sharp, unpleasant clicking of his tongue pierced the night air.
"You said you wouldn't do it again. You’re really not a person of your word, are you?"
"Wait, I was just for a moment..."
"Enough with the excuses. I suppose you’ve forgotten what I warned you about."
Mina couldn't respond to his firm tone. She simply stared at Lee Han with terrified eyes.
"Rules are rules, Ms. Mina. Are you going to let what I said go in one ear and out the other?"
"No... I’m sorry. I won’t do it again."
A faint smile played on Lee Han’s lips at her trembling voice. However, it was closer to mockery than pity.
"You know that repeating the same mistake leads to serious trouble, right? Come to the office tomorrow. We need to discuss how to handle this."
"Please, don't do that... I beg you."
Looking down at the tearful Mina, Lee Han left her with an arrogant laugh.
"Anyway, see you tomorrow."
Lee Han disappeared into the darkness, the sound of his dress shoes clicking against the pavement. Watching his back, Mina could do nothing but weep.
Overcome by despair, Mina dropped her bag. The beer cans rolled across the ground, but it didn't matter to her. It felt as if the whole world was collapsing.
"What do I do... what am I supposed to do now..."
Mina’s sobs echoed through the narrow alleyway as she collapsed, powerless. An invisible noose was tightening around her throat.
At dawn, unable to sleep, Mina eventually called her office to request a half-day leave.
"Ms. Mina, what is this? An intern suddenly taking leave?"
At the sharp voice of the HR employee, Mina’s throat tightened involuntarily. The threats and terror she had experienced the night before resurfaced, making her shudder.
"I am so sorry... it’s an urgent matter... please, I beg you to understand."
Mina pleaded, nearly sobbing. A sigh came from the other end of the line.
"Ugh... fine. I’ll process your leave. Don't let this happen again."
Having barely secured permission, Mina let out a sigh of relief. But she hung up the phone with a heavy heart. She sat on the edge of her bed with slumped shoulders, trying to compose herself before changing her clothes.
Amidst all this, her head throbbed with the worry of having to go to the Management Office. Gritting her teeth, she walked toward the office with terrified steps.
The office door creaked open. Mina swallowed hard and stepped inside. Lee Han, who had been sitting at his desk, slowly turned his gaze toward her.
"Welcome, Ms. Mina."
Lee Han stared at her coldly with his arms crossed. Mina’s legs went weak at the sight. Even as she hesitated in fear, she had no choice but to walk inside.
"Sit."
At his authoritative tone, Mina nodded like a mute. Lee Han sighed and stood up.
A moment later, he returned holding two cups of steaming coffee. Lee Han placed the coffee in front of the wide-eyed Mina and spoke.
"You look very anxious. Let’s have some coffee."
Mina was bewildered by his sudden, affectionate tone. The cold gaze from last night was nowhere to be found; the Lee Han before her was even being kind.
Unable to fully cast aside her suspicions, Mina sipped the coffee cautiously. A brief silence passed before Lee Han spoke.
"I can't just watch if you keep breaking the rules. You know that, right?"
Lee Han’s voice carried a sense of intimidation. Mina shrank back and nodded.
"I-I’m sorry... I won’t do it again."
"I thought you’d say that. Actually, Ms. Mina, I like you. You seem like an honest and kind person."
"Yes...?"
Mina’s eyes widened at the unexpected words. Lee Han continued with a friendly smile.
"That’s why I’m looking out for you specially. I’m only doing this because I’m worried you might get hurt."
For a moment, a small spark of emotion stirred in Mina’s heart. She felt grateful that someone was secretly looking out for her.
"Manager... thank you. I’m truly sorry. I’ll be more careful."
"Thank you for understanding. But, you see..."
Lee Han cut himself off and sighed. A chilling gaze pierced through Mina.
"I’ve gone to such lengths to look after you, but if you continue to break the rules... then something really bad will happen. Do you understand?"
Terrified, Mina nodded instead of answering. She could feel the threat in Lee Han’s eyes.
"So, try your best to listen to me."
Unlike his gentle tone, there was a threat lurking just beneath the surface. A chill ran down Mina’s spine.
Lee Han’s words left Mina’s heart in a state of growing confusion. She couldn't tell if he was genuinely worried about her or if he was threatening her.
"Thank you, Manager. I will follow your lead from now on..."
Lee Han smiled with satisfaction as he watched Mina answer in a trembling voice.
"Then you may go for today. It’s late. I’ll keep looking after you for the time being."
His tone was affectionate, yet his attitude was abrupt. Mina couldn't help but feel increasingly confused.
Leaving the Management Office, Mina felt conflicted. On one hand, she felt gratitude; on the other, fear. Caught in a whirlpool of incomprehensible emotions, she trudged away.