Chapter 9: When the Team Leader is Obsessed, There’s a Lot of Overtime-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 9: When the Team Leader is Obsessed, There’s a Lot of Overtime-1
The office began to stir at its usual hour.
Around 10:00 AM, people started trickling in one by one. Reflecting the company’s liberal atmosphere, their attire was casual and varied.
Perhaps because the heat of summer felt one step closer, the employees’ footsteps were light, and their clothes were just as airy.
It was a typical scene at the office. However, the employees gathered in small groups had already begun whispering about the big news that had broken that morning.
"In-ho is acting strange."
The talk was about Kang In-ho, the lone male in the department and the one who always took on the grunt work.
Whether he had been worn down by chronic overtime or not, the usually smiling Kang In-ho was currently slumped back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling in a state of total disarray.
"He has been working a lot of overtime lately," someone remarked, sipping coffee freshly bought from a cafe near the building.
"Right? Mina made In-ho stay late just to submit that proposal."
"Ugh, I don't know why she’s like that. Honestly, that wasn't even work In-ho had to do, was it?"
"Did In-ho get on Mina’s bad side or something...?"
"Oh? I thought it was because Mina was interested in him."
"I thought so too at first. But that’s not interest; that’s harassment. If it were me, I would’ve handed in my resignation already."
"Look at the dark circles under his eyes. I feel so bad for him. Poor guy."
Whispers about him drifted from every direction, but In-ho remained motionless, like a toy robot whose batteries had run dry.
He was merely counting the patterns on the ceiling with hollow eyes.
No, to be precise, he was looking at a message floating in the air.
[Dimension Transfer Notice-2]
[Possess a subject who is deceased or in an irrecoverable unconscious state within the corresponding dimension.]
[Number of Dimension Transfers: 3]
So the original owner of this body was dead. Dying while working overtime... what a sad life.
Perhaps because he had been an office worker himself, he felt a pang of pity for the body's original owner.
Three dimension transfers. The dimension where I was stabbed. The dimension where I was injected with drugs. And now, here.
Organizing his thoughts, In-ho pulled himself upright. As he moved for the first time in an hour, the eyes of those around him shifted toward him.
He pulled a towel from his drawer and headed to the restroom.
*
Inside the men’s restroom, In-ho splashed water and washed his face roughly.
He applied toothpaste to a toothbrush and cleaned his teeth thoroughly, then used a razor that was somehow at his desk to shave off his overgrown beard.
After tidying himself up as best as he could, In-ho looked into the mirror.
"Is giving me a handsome face your last bit of conscience? You damn pigeon."
Staring at the unfamiliar reflection of a man with a fairly decent face once again, In-ho gave a bitter smile.
He thought seriously that if the entity was going to show this much consideration, it might as well have just brought him back to life in his original dimension.
Today is Friday. Since I don't know anything about the work here, I’ll say I’m sick and leave early to buy some time.
In-ho had been in despair after the transfer, but he hadn't given up.
Since he had already crossed over, he had to adapt to this place again.
Obtaining personal information was easier than in the previous dimension.
For starters, his phone opened with a fingerprint scan, and he could view his personal details on the logged-in company intranet.
After drying his face with the towel, he returned to his seat.
Normally, his colleagues would have approached him to say hello, but perhaps because of his stiff expression, no one came near.
"Um... I’m planning to leave early today."
In-ho turned off his computer and spoke to the employee in the next seat.
The employee sitting at the desk with the nameplate 'Kim Yu-na' tilted her head in confusion.
"You’ll have to tell Mina... but In-ho, we have the morning scrum today. You should probably attend that. Are you feeling that bad?"
"When... does the scrum start? How long does it take?"
"Huh? Oh... it’s at the usual time. 11:00. It takes about thirty minutes. You really don't look well today, In-ho."
"Thank you for letting me know."
The current time was 10:45 AM.
He had to report his early departure to 'Lee Mina.' Looking at the organizational chart, she was the Team Leader. Likely the leader of his specific department.
Thinking it was an awkward time to skip out, he decided to attend the morning scrum.
When 10:55 AM arrived, he saw the surrounding employees standing up, and In-ho followed suit, taking his cues from them.
I don't know what kind of company this is, but it’s definitely female-dominated.
He noted that everyone except himself was a woman.
They entered the meeting room and sat in chairs, waiting for someone.
"She’s a bit late today," one employee remarked.
"The leader meeting must be running long. Oh, here she comes."
An employee near the door spoke while looking through the glass.
Soon, the door opened, and a woman with a slender build walked in.
She was the epitome of an 'office lady,' with a striking black bob.
In-ho’s eyes met hers. And then he realized.
In this dimension... it’s that woman.