One More Sacrifice for the Company
"Could you not make one more sacrifice for the company?"
It was the Department Head's earnest plea.
No—it was, in effect, an order that could not be refused.
And yet the corners of my mouth were trembling ever so slightly.
A sacrifice, he says.
This was practically a reward vacation.
An opportunity to play the role of lovers with the top star Song Hae-in—officially, and on the company's dime, no less.
"If you feel that strongly about it, Director... very well. I'll do it. As PR Team Leader, I'll take this on with a sense of responsibility."
I answered with a deliberately resolute expression.
Department Head Park, seemingly moved, clasped my hands in both of his.
"That's our Kim Team Leader for you! Why do you think I put you in the PR Team Leader's seat? It's exactly this kind of crisis-management ability. We'll negotiate your appearance fee separately and pay it in full—no skimping on the casting budget—so don't you worry."
"Thank you, sir."
The moment the Department Head left, I pulled out my phone.
At the words see you this weekend, my heart started beating like a fool.
Saturday morning.
The shoot was at a massive studio in Paju.
The treatment was completely different from when I'd participated as an extra last time.
"Kim Dong-su Team Leader has arrived!"
The staff came swarming out to greet me.
Now that I was both the advertiser and the main model, everyone's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
Before stepping out of the car, I checked my abilities.
Today was a public holiday.
The abilities available were...
Ability: Fashion King
Effect: Effortless fashion sense radiates from whatever you throw on.
Grade: ★☆☆☆☆
Caution: Usable only on public holidays
"Fashion King!"
A strange current swirled through my body.
I changed into the casual knit and slacks I'd prepared.
They were utterly ordinary clothes, yet the man in the mirror looked like a model who'd walked straight out of a fashion spread.
The shoulder line fell perfectly sharp, and the drape of the trousers was flawless.
And thanks to the Muscle Pump ability I'd used that morning, the physique showing through the fabric was rock solid as well.
"Wow..."
The moment I entered the waiting room, the head stylist couldn't close her mouth.
"Team Leader, that fit is no joke. We don't even need a fitting. You could go straight to the shoot looking like that."
"Really?"
Just then, Hae-in, her makeup finished, drew back the curtain and emerged.
In a pure white dress, she was nothing short of a goddess.
The moment she saw me, her eyes went round.
"What the... Kim Dong-su."
She approached and fidgeted with my collar.
"Why are you so handsome? Now I'm getting nervous."
Her whisper made my ears tingle.
I answered with a grin.
"The concept today is lovers, isn't it? We should look good together."
"Tch... you're already a pro."
The shoot began.
The concept of this ad was Your Most Reliable Partner.
It told its story by likening the relationship between bank and customer to that of two lovers.
"Alright, you two, face each other! Eye contact exchange! Ready, action!"
At the director's signal, the lights poured down.
We looked at each other.
No acting was required.
Because the woman before my eyes was someone I liked, and she was looking back at me with exactly the same gaze.
"Cut! Beautiful! Your eyes are incredible! You two look like an actual couple!"
The director kept showering us with admiration.
The shoot flowed along like water.
The scene of walking hand in hand down a street, the scene of reading a book together on the sofa, leaning against each other.
Every moment felt natural.
"Now, let's go a bit bolder this time. I want the feeling of Team Leader giving Hae-in a light kiss on the forehead!"
At the director's command, the set stirred.
Hae-in's face flushed slightly.
"Oh my, Director. That wasn't in the storyboard."
"The mood is just too good. Let's give it a try. Kim Team Leader, you can do that, right?"
I swallowed hard.
My heart felt like it would burst, but backing out now wasn't something a man did.
"Yes. I'll give it a try."
I slowly approached Hae-in.
I could see her eyelashes trembling.
As I drew close, a faint fragrance brushed the tip of my nose.
Carefully, I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pressed my lips to her forehead.
A soft peck.
A gentle, warm sensation.
Time seemed to stop.
"Cut! Okay!! Perfect!"
At the director's shout, we pulled apart slowly.
Hae-in hung her head low, her face crimson, and I felt heat rush through me as well.
The staff whistled and broke into applause.
"Wow, the chemistry between those two is insane."
"If this ad airs, it's going to cause a riot."
I cleared my throat to hide my embarrassment.
Was this acting, or reality?
The line was blurring.
And I liked that blurring line—immensely.
The shoot wrapped at four in the afternoon.
Earlier than expected.
We slipped away from the managers and staff and got into my car.
Our destination: the southern coast.
The trip to a place with no people that Hae-in had wanted was beginning.
"Woo-hoo! We're done!"
Hae-in, settling into the passenger seat, rolled down the window and shouted.
Hat tossed aside, mask tossed aside, she was savoring her freedom to the fullest.
"Good work, Noona. Tired?"
"Nope? Not tired at all. Not when I'm with you."
She turned toward me with a sly smile.
As if the afterglow from the set still lingered, her eyes were glistening.
"Dong-su."
"Yes?"
"When you kissed my forehead earlier... were you trembling?"
A fastball, right down the middle.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter and answered honestly.
"Yes. I thought my heart was going to burst. I even held my breath in case you could hear it."
"Pffthaha! Seriously? Same here."
She placed her hand over mine on the gearshift.
"Let's go on our trip, eat lots of good food, and get some proper rest. Forget about work for a while."
"Of course. Today, all I'll think about is you, Senior."
The car cruised smoothly down the highway.
Everything was rolling along perfectly.
Monday morning.
I arrived at the office, leaving the sweet memories of the southern coast behind.
The atmosphere of the PR Team was markedly different from last week.
"Team Leader! You're here!"
Deputy General Manager Choi Jin-ho was the first to spring up and bow at a full ninety degrees.
Ever since I'd used Time Pass to master every detail of the work and called it out last week, he had bent over completely backward for me.
"Ah, Deputy General Manager Choi. Did you have a good weekend?"
"Yes! Rested up nicely, thanks to you. Oh, and I've organized the approval documents on your desk. The urgent ones are on top."
"Appreciate it."
I sat down and turned on my PC.
The internal bulletin board was buzzing.
Apparently a teaser video of the ad we'd shot over the weekend had been previewed on the company intranet.
A dry laugh escaped me as I scrolled through the comments.
If the internal reaction was this hot, the public reaction would obviously be even hotter.
"Team Leader, have you seen this?"
Deputy General Manager Choi approached holding a tablet PC.
It was a report on the advertiser's preview screening reactions.
"The branch president watched the video and gave it glowing praise. He said it 'perfectly captures our bank's sense of trust and warmth,' and he's ordered the ad campaign budget increased by twenty percent."
"Twenty percent?"
"Yes. And they're also reviewing a plan to appoint you, Team Leader... as an official in-house model..."
"Ah, that one, no—"
I waved my hands dismissively.
Having my face sell too hard would be a problem.
"Please decline it gracefully for me. I prefer doing the actual work."
"Haha, so modest. Understood, sir. I'll field it appropriately."
Deputy General Manager Choi answered with a deep bow and withdrew.
As lunchtime approached, my eyelids grew heavy—no surprise, given the weekend's ad shoot followed by a trip.
And the ability designed for exactly this moment?
"Stealth Mode."
One hour a day.
Stacked onto the lunch hour, that made two hours of free time.
I quietly scanned my surroundings.
Everyone was buried in their work.
Ability: Stealth Mode
Effect: Even while seated at your desk, you remain invisible to your superiors. Slack off, sneak a peek at the stock market—no one will ever catch you.
A sensation as though my body had turned transparent.
I reclined my chair and put in my earphones.
Nothing beats an afternoon nap for recharging.
Time to shake off the fatigue.
Two hours later.
No one woke me until my alarm went off.
.
.
"Mmm..."
The alarm rang through my earphones.
When I opened my eyes, it was 2:05 in the afternoon.
Stealth Mode's one-hour duration, plus the one-hour lunch break—two full hours of napping.
Beyond refreshed; my head felt crystalline.
I pulled out the earphones and slowly stretched.
The sense of transparency faded, and the noise of the office came flooding back into my ears.
The clatter of keyboards, phones being answered, the whir of the copier.
Did anyone come looking for me, by any chance?
I looked around.
My eyes met Deputy General Manager Choi Jin-ho's, seated right in front of me.
"Oh! Team Leader! When did you get in? There's something in the Joongkyung Daily right now."
"The Joongkyung Daily? Why would a newspaper be calling?"