Chapter 2
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Assistant Manager Lee Eun-ae Who Entered the Corruption Space
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"Eyes of Corruption?"
What the hell kind of nonsense was that?
A voice had suddenly drilled into my ear, leaving me flustered.
And there, on the secluded sandy beach, a space outlined in yellow held my feet captive.
I had no idea why it was only yellow over there.
"Tae-hu?"
Chan-woo's call snapped me back to reality, and I turned my gaze.
I figured it must have been a hallucination from nearly dying—something I saw and heard that wasn't real—and tried my best to ignore it all.
It'd probably go away after some rest.
So I headed back to the dorms to rest, and when I came out again that evening...
"Looks like it really was just my imagination."
The yellow space I'd seen that morning was completely gone.
They say sometimes when you're mentally exhausted, you hear voices or see things that aren't there.
Was that me?
"But it felt way too vivid."
Eyes of Corruption, huh.
What the heck was that voice?
General Affairs Department. HR Department. Planning Department. Sales Department. PR Department. Accounting Department. Management Department. Security Team, Guard Team, and so on.
As a large resort, we had a ton of employees and just as many departments.
And out of all those, the one I belonged to was...
"Everyone worked hard today. We're having a full Support Team dinner later. Everyone attend."
The Support Team steps in whenever another department has a vacancy due to vacation or personal issues—basically patching every hole.
They call it the Support Team, but it's mostly made up of demoted folks or newbies.
You could say it's a gathering of people who could get fired at any moment without it raising eyebrows.
Of course, do well enough, and you might get transferred to another department.
"Will you be joining us for dinner, Team Leader?"
Baek Ju-hee, the Team Leader.
A woman whose shoulder-length bob suited her perfectly. Her figure, maintained through daily yoga and aerobics, stood out.
And also...
She boasted an enormous bust that clashed wildly with her fresh, spring-like innocent image.
She was the real power in this place, the Support Team.
"Mm."
Unlike the rest of us, she never had to worry about getting canned here.
Her husband was the head of HR.
And that husband was a close hyung of mine whom I knew very well.
Thanks to his help, I'd gotten this job and been able to stick around this long.
In short, Team Leader Baek Ju-hee was basically like a sister-in-law to me.
"I heard there was a near-disaster this morning that almost turned into a big accident."
Her gaze turned to me.
"And the employee who prevented it happens to be on our team."
A smile crept onto her lips.
"They said the waves were rough, but I can't imagine jumping in bare-handed like that. That bold decision saved the guest. Intern Seo Tae-hu?"
"Y-yes? Yes!"
"You did amazing today. Thanks to you, our department's image got a boost too. I'd love to hear where that courage came from. Can you tell us at dinner later?"
With her gentle smile, I had only one possible response.
"Yes. Of course."
"See you all later then."
After she left...
Chan-woo hyung patted my shoulder.
"Whoa. You got praised by the Team Leader."
His sly grin made me laugh too.
She had strong pride and self-esteem. She was a total pro at work.
So she didn't hand out praise lightly.
And it wasn't just because I was her husband's acquaintance.
She'd never treated me special before.
"Hey, intern Seo, I heard you were awesome today?"
"I heard about it too. Weren't you scared of the waves?"
"Ugh, I probably would've been too freaked out to jump in. Those waves hit out of nowhere."
Maybe because of the Team Leader's praise, compliments poured in from the others too.
It felt awkward.
They were my superiors who'd always looked down on me before.
Even if we were all stuck in the Support Team, they were elites who'd resent a parachute like me.
It was only natural they'd have grudges since I'd waltzed into a place as hard to get into as a big corp.
Even Assistant Manager Lee Eun-ae, who always glared at me, must've felt that way.
But today, everyone was showering me with praise.
I didn't know how long it'd last, but it sure felt good.
True to its size, the large resort was well-equipped for entertainment.
There was a building with karaoke, billiards, PC bangs, bars, and more.
Hotel guests, pension stays, glamping visitors, golfers—they all came here in the evenings to eat, drink, and have fun.
Yangyang city was too far anyway, so employee dinners usually happened here.
No need to go out when the staff dorms were right here.
"Boss, sirloin and tenderloin here, and start with some brisket. Keep the meat coming without a break."
At the Team Leader's words, everyone's eyes went wide.
"T-Team Leader, we're having Hanwoo?"
It was a beef place, but they'd expected pork belly.
Support Team dinners were predictable like that.
"Yes. Hanwoo dinner today. The menu's been lacking lately, right? Eat up. It's on the company card from upstairs."
"Whoa? For real?"
"Yeah. Intern Seo pulled off a huge feat today, so the executive director sent over the card special."
"Whoaaa!!!"
"Intern Seo! Thanks to you, we're eating Hanwoo!"
"Man! Days like this actually happen!"
Everyone laughed heartily, fired up.
My mouth hung open in a grin too.
Soon, Hanwoo covered every table.
The juicy, savory Hanwoo delighted everyone's tongues.
And the booze that went with it? Pure bliss.
It'd been so long since I'd had Hanwoo, I devoured it mindlessly.
"Here's to today's hero, Intern Seo. Cheers!"
"Thank you."
"I think I misjudged you, intern. Who knew you had such a strong sense of responsibility. Sorry about before."
"No, it's fine. I'm good."
"Hahaha. Big heart too, I like it. Looking forward to more from you."
"Same here."
I didn't regret risking my life for that choice one bit.
Even Assistant Manager Park Dong-jin, who'd always been prickly with me, was acting this way.
After that, as I drank with the others, I got properly wasted.
Just when I thought I couldn't drink anymore.
When I wanted to step out for a smoke.
"Drunk a lot?"
A warm, soft voice came from right in front of me. It was Team Leader Baek Ju-hee.
"I'm fine."
"You sure you're really okay?"
"Yeah. I'm not drunk."
"Your face is super red though?"
"I always blush around beautiful women... Ah."
I must've lost my mind.
Making a joke like that to the Team Leader.
High on praise and booze, I'd slipped up without realizing.
Only then did I snap to my senses.
For someone with her pride, this kind of joke might...
"..."
But the Team Leader wore a subtle smile.
She didn't seem offended at all. Surprising.
"Didn't know you could flirt like that, Intern Seo."
"S-sorry."
"No, it's fine."
She chuckled lightly and lifted her glass.
"You wouldn't happen to be tapping out already?"
"Haven't even started."
"Hehe. Good."
Chan-woo hyung must've been dragged off by other superiors—now it was just me and the Team Leader at the table.
Felt a bit intimidating.
I could feel the sidelong glances from the other staff.
"Cheers, just us."
Clink.
The clean chime of glasses touching, and we downed our drinks smoothly.
As the heat burned down my throat, my face scrunched up naturally.
"I saw the CCTV. You jumped in without a second's hesitation."
"Ah, yeah. All I could think was that I had to save her."
"I was shocked watching it. Thought it was pretty cool too."
"Huh? Oh, th-thank you."
I'm losing it.
Not from the alcohol.
Because of those two plump moons perched on the table.
Leaning forward with her arms and chest propped up, gazing at me up close—the Team Leader's intoxicating scent wafted over.
Black suit jacket over a white dress shirt, but with the top two buttons undone, her cleavage peeked out teasingly.
Dizzying. Hard to look away.
Is her charisma from those breasts or what?
Still, gotta keep my head straight.
I quickly averted my eyes and poured her a drink first this time.
We traded drinks and chatted briefly like that.
"The woman you saved got a full checkup—thankfully, no issues. Good rescue job."
"She should still rest a few days though. Trauma and all."
"Heh. Worrying even now. She caught your eye, huh?"
"Huh? N-no."
"She was quite the beauty."
"I don't even remember her face."
"Kidding."
She giggled and poured, then drank again.
Who knew the ever-professional Team Leader had this side?
"My husband's recommendation was spot-on. Looking forward to more from you."
With that, she stood.
Like a ghost, Chan-woo hyung appeared and asked,
"What'd she say? What?"
"Just... got praised."
"Kuh! Flower road ahead for our Tae-hu now."
"Not that big a deal."
"Let's head out! To celebrate, smokes on me!"
"Hahaha. Sure."
The Hanwoo place was on the 5th floor.
Preferring fresh air over the stuffy smoking room, I headed to the railing.
The cool breeze and the view outside were stunning.
Colorful lights spilling from the camping and glamping sites. The soothing wave sounds, and the park wrapped in soft lighting.
Hard to find a work environment like this. No wonder it's tough to get in.
"Hm?"
Then, my eyes caught that yellow space again.
Far off in the corner of the park, in a dark, shadowy spot untouched by light.
This time, it wasn't my imagination. Not the booze either.
"Hyung. See that?"
"What?"
"The yellow over there."
"What yellow? Just looks creepy."
"You don't see it?"
"What're you seeing? Hey, hey. Tae-hu."
"Yeah?"
"Y'know, that spot looks perfect, doesn't it?"
"For what?"
"You know. That stuff. Heh."
"..."
"Hidden from view here, no light. Perfect for sneaking some fun."
"Staff Supervisor, into that kinda thing?"
"Just a fantasy. Outdoor play. My girl's too pure for that."
It did look that way. No CCTV there, as far as I knew.
"Couples actually do it in places like that?"
"Probably."
"Not scared? I'd chicken out."
"Who are we to judge perverts' tastes."
I chuckled, stubbed out my smoke, and turned to go.
But curiosity about the yellow space pulled me back out.
In the end, I went to check it out.
The closer I got, the denser the yellow glow.
"What the. Seriously."
Stepping inside, nothing felt different.
That was when...
"What are you doing here?"
The sudden voice made me whip around.
"Assistant Manager Lee?"
"Why'd you suddenly come to a place like this?"
Assistant Manager Lee Eun-ae stood there, arms crossed, glaring at me.
I wondered why she'd followed me here.
Then, the voice slammed into my ear again.
Entered Level 1 Corruption Space.
Lee Eun-ae's information is revealed.
Lee Eun-ae's Lust/Arousal Level increases.
Remaining time: 11 minutes.
What. Is this.