Youth Dream Support

Conclusion first: the Youth Dream Support task was a failure. With your back to the main entrance of the Administrative Welfare Center, the parking lot sits to the left and a small rest area that doubles as a smoking zone lies to the right. Lunchtime brings plenty of people, partly because civil servants take their meals in shifts.

"Couldn't even get close." I grabbed some random documents and scanned the area, but no good angle presented itself. While I was busy measuring perfect angles like a protractor, Han So-jeong slipped back inside the center. Scratching my forehead in awkwardness, I ended up grabbing lunch nearby myself.

"……"

I ran a few simulations in my head, but there was never a moment when Han So-jeong and I would be alone. She was also scheduled to leave in three days, and her personality wasn't exactly the sociable type. Maybe because she'd crushed the office politics from the very start, no one tried to approach her warmly either. She was the definition of someone who only did her job.

I tried forcing another angle in the afternoon too, but it failed again. The three seconds needed for hypnosis turned out to be a much bigger obstacle than I'd thought.

"Feels more like three minutes……"

Asking someone you're not close with to stare at a candle flame for three seconds is surprisingly difficult. If I failed once, trying again would be awkward too. So it had to be clean on the first try.

I glanced sideways at Lee Yoo-na.

"……"

Guess I had to go back to Lee Yoo-na. The "childhood friend since we were kids" setup could be reapplied to her whenever I wanted. The reason Lee Yoo-na had been easy was simple: her personality was gentle and trusting. Maybe that was why she'd chosen social work in the first place.

But Han So-jeong was different. You could tell at a glance. She was extremely guarded about getting involved with people. It felt like she drew a perfect line between herself and the world and defended it with absolute thoroughness. Was there any way for me to approach her in that situation?

Nope. There was zero opportunity or situation where the two of us would be alone. I couldn't hypnotize her in front of everyone, after all.

My mind hardened toward giving up.

"My heart feels light." I leaned back comfortably in my chair with a faint smile. Giving ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up was easy. It didn't have to be Han So-jeong. She was pretty, sure, but she was a married woman with a kid. How could I do that to someone, even as a human being?

Once I decided to give up, all sorts of excuses came rushing in to justify it. I should just do my work. Either reapply the setup to Yoo-na or stack a new hypnosis on someone else.

"Maeng… Do-yun, Assistant Manager."

A woman's voice read the nameplate on my desk. I looked up to see Han So-jeong standing there.

Creak! The center of gravity on my leaned-back chair collapsed and I toppled over.

"Gah!"

"Are you all right?"

Her voice was low, elegant, and calm. Maybe the low tone itself made it sound that way.

"Huh? Ah, yes, I'm fine. Is there something you need?"

I picked up the fallen chair and asked her.

"I had some questions about the City Hall lottery matter and the youth newlywed support program."

"Ah, right. Just a moment."

I scooted my chair closer to the computer and opened her documents.

"Your transfer to City Hall was approved this morning, and for the newlywed support… what exactly were you wondering about……"

At my question, Han So-jeong paused for a moment before answering.

"Could we speak privately?"

The gears that had stopped began turning again.

"Then… just a moment."

I'd already compiled the weekly work report and submitted it earlier, and I'd checked all the incoming documents too. No village heads scheduled to visit today.

Whirr. I printed out the materials related to the newlywed support program.

"Shall we go, then?"

I stood up with the printed documents clipped to my clipboard.

"Thank you."

Her voice was very calm. Up close, even with makeup, her skin had that dewy glow. It made me wonder if it was okay for a mother to have skin like that. Then again, she'd been on leave for a year…… No, even without having raised a child myself, I knew it was an extremely difficult task.

"Your skin looks great."

At the back of the township office hallway were the reserve forces storage room and, beside it, the document archive. It was called an archive, but it was hardly ever used.

Creak. I opened the door and stepped inside. The winter chill lingered in the room. Click. I turned on the light and pulled out a chair.

"I printed out the materials, but what exactly did you want to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠talk about…?"

"Thank you. It's this."

Ah. So she'd printed them herself. Then why hadn't she said anything while I was printing mine?

"I happened to print them too, so shall we go over them together?"

"Yes."

She must have felt uncomfortable discussing personal matters inside the office.

"It's a newly built house and your combined monthly income exceeds the threshold, so you're not eligible for support. I assume you already knew that……"

"I just wanted to check. Then……"

I organized what was eligible and what wasn't and explained it to her.

"Since you're going to City Hall in three days, you can ask about that there."

"Thank you."

While we talked, I learned a little more about her. She really did have a child.

Rustle.

"And this one should work too. There are tax deductions and city support programs available."

Being a civil servant had its perks. You could take advantage of all the benefits the city offered. Of course, you had to meet various conditions like age, but it was still better than knowing nothing.

"So…… uh…… why?"

"……"

While I was explaining diligently, I tilted my head at the cat-like gaze staring at me.

"I'm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grateful. This was all I had been thinking about."

She said thank you more often than I'd expected.

"It's something you can receive, so it would be a waste not to. Looking at the official notice that came down this time, the criteria change next month, right? You need to apply before then."

"……Yes. Just a moment, I'll write it down."

Han So-jeong picked up a pen and looked at me again.

"I'm sorry, but could you tell me one more time?"

"Of course."

She was writing with enthusiasm. Was this the level of effort required to get married? One thing was clear: she seemed like the most proactive person I'd ever met. Civil servants easily fell into routine, and office politics were common. Han So-jeong seemed to have her own convictions. Maybe that was why I found myself respecting her even though we'd only just met today.

"This should be enough."

At Han So-jeong's words, I finally snapped back to reality. I had clearly been planning to hypnotize her, yet I'd gotten completely absorbed without realizing it.

"Thank you, Assistant Manager Maeng Do-yun."

She was looking straight into my eyes as she expressed her gratitude. Just moments ago when she'd come to my desk, she hadn't known my name and had to read it off the nameplate.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"I've taken up too much of your time. Shall we head out?"

"Sure. Ah, wait."

The last part sounded too much like acting.

"I've been using something for meditation lately. Would you like to see it?"

It was the same routine I'd used with Lee Yoo-na. But what could I do? This was the easiest method. I couldn't think of another way to explain the candle.

"Med…itation? What is it?"

Han So-jeong hesitated for a moment before sitting back down. I'd helped her this much, so she was willing to play along. Of course, if this had really been just a candle for meditation, she would've glanced at it and moved on.

Flicker! But this was hypnosis.

"Could you look at this candle flame for about three seconds? It really calms the mind."

I spoke softly, like a suggestion rather than a command.

"All right."

Han So-jeong's expression showed a hint of indifference as she answered.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Only three seconds. During those three seconds, the strength drained from her usually aloof eyes. Her focus grew hazy in a way different from Lee Yoo-na's. Her pupils lost their power, and only the candle flame burned brightly within them.

"Assistant Manager Han."

"……Yes……"

A weak answer slipped through her vivid red lips.

Done. I didn't know who made this or why, but I'd make good use of it.

"What's your name?"

"……Han So-jeong……"

"How old are you?"

"……Thirty……"

"Could you tell me your height too?"

"……Yes……161 cm……"

"Your weight as well, please."

"……50 kg……"

As expected. The fact that she even told me her weight confirmed it. I didn't have much sense for women's weight as a man, but 50 kg was quite slim.

"Are you under hypnosis?"

"……No……"

Her voice was faint but firm. She was convinced she wasn't hypnotized. Right, she wouldn't know.

I held my breath for a moment, then opened my eyes. This was the important part.

"Returnees from parental leave receive one secret assignment."

"……Return…assignment…what kind……?"

Her expression didn't change, but she showed a question mark, looking puzzled.

"Because it's a secret, no one knows except Han So-jeong."

"……Secret……only me……what…work……"

Her empty expression twitched slightly at the eyebrows.

The TIP I'd seen before came back to me. Had the suggestion gone too far? Why? Lee Yoo-na had accepted the "childhood friend since we were kids" suggestion without any reaction. My mind raced, and I reached one conclusion: people accepted things differently!

If I'd given Han So-jeong the suggestion that we'd been childhood friends, she would've kept doubting it. I still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠didn't know much about her. So……

"It's just ordinary civil servant work."

"……Ordinary…work……"

I used the information I had to the fullest. There had to be some incident or trigger that made her draw that line. There had to be a reason she only did her job. So the suggestion I planted had to be treated as just another part of work.

I quickly restructured the existing suggestion.

<01:58>

A little over two minutes left.

"It's the work a civil servant would normally do."

"……Normally…do…work……"

Now we were getting somewhere. I still hadn't told her what the work was.

"Have you ever doubted the work you do?"

"……No……"

I asked just in case. The answer was satisfying. Good, don't doubt it.

"It's what civil servants returning from parental leave normally do."

"……Returning…civil servant…do…work……"

"It's basic civil servant work."

"……Basic…work……"

I hadn't stated the purpose. The reason was simple: I planned to expand the boundaries of what Han So-jeong considered work. So that when new "work" appeared, she would accept it naturally.

The first step of that process.

"It's not much different from the work you normally do."

"……Not…different……"

"It's something all civil servants do."

"……Normally…do…work……"

Her usually aloof expression had softened, and a strange sensuality lingered on her face as she stared at the candle flame.

Whoosh! Time was up. The memory of the candle would disappear, right?

"Good work, Assistant Manager Han. Shall we head out?"

I gathered the documents and stood up before she could organize her thoughts.

"Ah…… Yes. Thank you for taking the time to help me."

"I hope you receive all the benefits!"

I smiled sincerely, clenching both fists. Even on her aloof and cold face, a faint smile appeared.

"Thank you."

So she did know how to smile. That was right. She was human too. At home, she might be a loving, affectionate wife.

Click. We stepped outside, and Han So-jeong went back into the office.

"Phew."

My palms were sweaty from how tense I'd been while restructuring the suggestion midway. Cold sweat too. If someone had opened the archive door and walked in, it would've been over. Thank goodness.

"Um…… Assistant Manager Maeng."

"……Yes?"

While I was calming my pounding heart, Lee Yoo-na approached cautiously. She wasn't smiling like usual.

"Sorry, but about the truck driving…… Is now a good time?"

Had she been waiting here because of the truck?

"Of course. It's fine. Let's go."

"Ah~! Thank you!"

The playful energy was gone from the way she bowed to me. She now saw me strictly as a professional colleague. Even though we'd been stuck together all morning.

"I'll just stop by the restroom first."

"Okay……!"

Hypnosis really was scary.

Sitting on the toilet in the stall, I opened my phone.

Two Play Setups. Even though it had only been a few days, I was starting to understand how to use them roughly.

I changed the name of the setup and left the restroom. Even while working, Lee Yoo-na maintained a strictly professional relationship. It wasn't the reaction she would show a friend. This feeling felt strangely new too.

"Assistant Manager Maeng! I'm done~"

"Yes, good work."

"You worked hard too, Assistant Manager Maeng~. It must be exhausting……?"

"No, I'm fine."

A relationship that felt comfortable yet uncomfortable at the same time. I never thought a normal relationship from the past year would feel so fresh. Someday, I might use this kind of feeling with hypnosis too. But for now……

It was time to focus on Han So-jeong. The buildup I was creating right now. Youth Dream Support. The name itself was a typical civil servant-style cheesy title, but what I really wanted was something else. I just wanted to watch the pretty married woman work up close. Well, this much was enough to justify hypnosis, wasn't it?

Inhale. I felt like I'd just had an incredibly trashy thought.