Chapter 445
Chapter 445
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 445
Chapter Title: Level Up System
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Yoo Ji-na, a reporter for the Sang-o Ilbo—one of Korea's more reputable newspapers—had been sensing something strange lately.
"Hye-na. Why are you suddenly doing stuff you never did before?"
Yoo Ji-na lived in an officetel with her twin sister, Yoo Hye-na. But lately, Hye-na's behavior had changed.
Hye-na, a career woman working at Seungjo Group headquarters, used to come home exhausted every day, shower, eat dinner, then flop on the sofa, scratching her belly while watching TV. That was her routine.
But recently, things were different. She wouldn't come straight home after work—instead, she'd hit the gym for an hour or two before returning. Once home, she'd slap on a face mask or fix her nails, putting extra effort into her appearance.
She even ordered lingerie online that was so lewd it was embarrassing to even browse. Ji-na wondered if she'd gotten a boyfriend, but after sneaking a peek at her smartphone, there was no sign of one.
In the end, Ji-na confronted her directly.
"Taking care of yourself is just common sense, right? Why don't you try it too, sis? No matter how pretty your base looks, it fades in an instant."
"What wind blew through you? Did you find someone you like at work?"
Ji-na figured Hye-na would scoff and tell her not to talk nonsense. But the response threw her off completely.
"Yeah. I did."
"...What? Who's the guy?"
Ji-na's eyes sparkled.
Her twin little sister, who'd always been too busy for dating, was finally interested in a man. Ignoring her own spinster status, Ji-na pressed for details.
"Who is it? Who? Tell me!"
"Ugh... Sis, you're too loud. Don't cling. My mask is peeling off."
"I won't tell Mom and Dad. Come on, spill. Is it that new sales guy you mentioned before?"
"No. Don't jump to conclusions. That won't work on me."
"Hey! What's the big deal if you tell me? Forgot those shoes I got you for your birthday? They were over 300,000 won!"
Hye-na let out a small sigh.
"...You won't tell anyone, right?"
"I'm a reporter, but my lips are sealed. Why would I go blabbing about my own sister's business?"
"..."
Hye-na eyed Ji-na suspiciously before finally speaking.
"It's the new executive director. I'm in love with him."
"...Executive director?"
Ji-na couldn't believe her ears. Thinking she'd misheard, she saw Hye-na nod.
"Yeah. The executive director."
"...You're insane. An executive director has to be at least in his forties."
"No. He's in his twenties."
"Twenties? Don't lie to me. Seungjo Group isn't some small company. How could a twenty-something get an executive position? Even the chairman's grandson couldn't pull that off."
"I tell you, and you don't believe me."
Ji-na swallowed her retort about it being a joke. Hye-na never liked that kind of humor anyway, and her face said she was dead serious.
"...A twenty-something executive director? At Seungjo Group headquarters?"
"Sis. How many times do I have to say it?"
"If that's true..."
Corruption.
Definite corruption.
Ji-na pulled out her smartphone and checked Seungjo Group's homepage for executive photos. No young directors in their twenties anywhere.
"Hye-na. What's that executive director's name?"
"Him? Sung Yu-jin."
"...Why add 'nim' to a person's name?"
"He deserves to be called that. Don't leave it off."
Hye-na's eyes glazed over dreamily, worse than a teen fangirl obsessed with a boy idol. Feeling uneasy, Ji-na rubbed her arms and searched for Sung Yu-jin.
Nothing useful came up.
'...If it was easy to find, that'd be weirder. A twenty-something executive would make headlines, but there's not a single article. Seungjo must've buried it.'
Her throat went dry.
This was a scoop for sure.
'...Should I dig into it? Keep it from the seniors and do it solo. I've never landed a real exclusive since becoming a reporter. If I make this my big break...'
Her greedy eyes turned to Hye-na.
"Hye-na. Got any photos of that Sung Yu-jin executive director?"
"Nope. I'm not even a team leader—how could I take a photo with him?"
"What if you snapped one and gave it to me?"
"No way. Company policy bans photos. And honestly... he told us not to talk about him, but you're family, so I did. You're not planning something, are you?"
"No. Of course not."
Ji-na waved it off with a smile. But her mind was already scheming.
Uncovering hard proof of corruption might be tough. But just evidence he existed would be enough for a scoop.
'Dangle the bait, and others will bite!'
???
A week passed.
Ji-na sighed. She'd tapped every contact investigating Sung Yu-jin at Seungjo headquarters but came up empty.
And it was getting weirder.
'This is too strange. Might not be simple corruption.'
Sung Yu-jin existed, but not on paper.
He was practically a ghost.
'Does he really exist? If there's no record, he doesn't. Is Hye-na pranking me? No... the employees she's met all seem to know him.'
It's weird. So weird.
This was the first time in her life she'd felt this kind of strangeness.
Fear mixed with growing curiosity.
'I'm a reporter. I'll uncover the truth about Sung Yu-jin.'
Her resolve ignited.
She cozied up to Hye-na again. Family helps each other, right?
"What does Sung Yu-jin look like?"
"...Ugh, why bring him up again."
"He's the guy you're into. I'm curious. What does he look like?"
"He's handsome."
"...How handsome? Like a celebrity?"
"Just handsome."
"..."
Ji-na tried other questions, but the answers were all vague fluff.
Finally, Hye-na snapped.
"Sis, why keep asking? Are you interrogating me?"
"N-no."
Ji-na got nothing useful from Hye-na.
A few days later, out of options, she stormed Seungjo Group headquarters.
But she was stopped at the first-floor lobby.
"My sister's in the planning team! Yoo Hye-na! I'm here to see her!"
"Doesn't matter. You can't enter. Leave, or we'll call the police."
With security glaring daggers, she had no choice but to back off.
'You think I'll give up that easily?'
Ji-na decided to sneak in. According to Hye-na, Sung Yu-jin's office was on the top floor, same as the chairman's. Suspicious as hell.
Night fell. Guards patrolled the first floor in three shifts, over ten strong. Overkill for a corporate HQ.
'There must be an emergency exit. Try the basement.'
Guards down there too.
Ji-na sighed in defeat. Breaking in was impossible.
'...Security this tight just makes it more suspicious.'
She gave up on infiltration.
'Can't sneak in. Bribing employees didn't work... Any other way?'
The breakthrough came a few days later.
"Cough. Cough."
Hye-na, up at 7 a.m. for work, was hacking away. She looked awful. Ji-na touched her forehead—scorching.
"Hye-na. Take the day off. You've got a high fever. Go to the hospital. Want me to call an ambulance?"
"It's just a cold—no ambulance. ...Yeah, I probably can't make it in. I'll call my section chief and head to the clinic."
Hye-na collapsed back into bed.
Ji-na watched sympathetically, then shuddered. A brilliant idea hit.
"Hye-na. I'll call for you."
"...You?"
"Yeah. I'm your sister. Ah, wish I could go to the hospital with you... but I've got work. Rest up for now."
"...I'm not a kid. I can go alone."
Hye-na grumbled and drifted off.
Ji-na's lips curled up. She rummaged through Hye-na's room and found pads in a drawer.
'Come to think of it, Hye-na hasn't had her period lately... Late from stress?'
Then the prize: her employee ID. Ji-na pocketed it and slipped out.
'Sorry, Hye-na. Just for today.'
Hye-na might get mad later, but they were blood-thick twins.
'Forgiveness is easier than permission.'
Ji-na hurried. First, the bathroom for a hair fix.
Both had dark brown hair, but Ji-na's was longer. Handy with styling, she mimicked Hye-na's easily.
A sleek, sophisticated semi-long cut falling to the chest.
Hye-na's gym-toned figure was better, but clothed, they were indistinguishable. Matching E-cup breasts and hips, as twins should.
'Perfect. Identical to Hye-na. Even Mom couldn't tell.'
In her suit, she admired herself, satisfied, then headed to work.
This was a crime.
Ji-na knew it.
'Sung Yu-jin! I'll just confirm he exists and bail. Won't take long. Low risk.'
They were identical twins. Hye-na would cover for her if needed.
'I'm a reporter. I'll uncover the truth.'
She was thrilled.
???
Thump-thump.
Mingling with the morning rush into Seungjo Group headquarters, Ji-na's heart pounded painfully hard. She worried it'd leap out.
'...Made it this far. No backing out.'
Legs and core tensed, she strode confidently to blend in.
She entered the HQ lobby.
Guards scanned employees sharply, checking each one.
"Yoo Hye-na-ssi. ID please. Bag on the scanner."
Ji-na handed over the neck-strung ID. The guard scanned the barcode, matched the photo to her face, and nodded.
Possessions checked thoroughly too.
"All clear. No issues. Go ahead, Yoo Hye-na-ssi."
"Yes. Thanks for your work."
She passed.
Her exploding heart calmed a bit.
Ji-na glanced around discreetly. Something odd.
'No one's using the first-floor elevators. Why? No out-of-order sign.'
Employees ignored them, heading to the second floor—even those for higher floors.
'Hye-na works on the 11th...'
Shaking off grim stair-climbing visions, she followed.
On the second floor, her eyes widened.
It looked like a public bathhouse changing room—and employees were actually undressing.
'Bathhouse...? No way! Guys are stripping too?!'
Men and women alike stripped naked, seemingly oblivious to the weirdness.
A naked man crawled out on all fours. Newbies to old section chiefs and managers—all did it.
"..."
Ji-na's face stiffened and flushed. Male genitals in plain view.
Her head spun from the bizarre scene.
Was she dreaming? She pinched her cheek. It hurt. Not a dream.
"Yoo Hye-na-ssi."
"...Yes?"
Not her name, so a beat late.
Turning toward the voice, a naked woman stood with arms crossed, staring at her.