12. Dangsan Dowon (1)

Lately, it felt like time was flying by like an arrow.

Like every part of my life was being dismantled, with only fragments laid bare before my eyes.

...Actually, that's a lie.

The real reason I felt that way was because today was Monday.

'I don't want to go to work.'

Lying in bed early that morning, staring at the ceiling patterns, a sudden thought made me shudder.

"Aaagh! Ack! Aaaaaaagh!"

I screamed and kicked off the covers wildly.

Any office worker would understand. Mania is the faithful companion of livestock.

How much time passed like that?

I finally got fed up even with the belated childish tantrum.

I lay there on the bed, staring blankly.

"......"

Chirp chirp.

The sparrows chirping outside the window were the only ones voicing my feelings.

That was a lie too. In truth, nothing could express my feelings.

Why? Because today was the day of personnel transfers for the Follow-up Special Duty Division.

'...Choi Soo-jung.'

I thought of my former rival.

I recalled our tangled bad blood and bonds, good memories and bad, friendly rivalry or petty betrayal.

'Who knows...'

No conclusion came, as always since becoming a working adult. Nothing special there.

People don't need much reason to hate each other. That was the premise.

"Guess I have to go to work."

I dragged my weary body through the morning routine.

Unfortunately, it wrapped up far too quickly.

I arrived at the company at the usual time but loitered outside a bit before heading in late.

To avoid being alone in the office with Deputy Choi Soo-jung.

By the time I reached the Follow-up Special Duty Division office, it was exactly 9:03.

Late was late, even if it was barely noticeable for a lowly assistant manager like me—otherwise known as deputy-in-waiting.

"Oh Sung-jin! You punk, why are you so la—"

Team Leader Jo's bellow flew at me, as expected for being tardy.

Of course, I'd prepared a countermeasure.

I held out the coffee carrier in my hand.

"Huh? What's that?"

"Coffee. Since the new folks are joining today."

"Oh? Nice, there's a chocolate latte. How'd you know I like this?"

"You always get one at lunch."

Team Leader Jo's expression softened a bit.

Oh Sung-jin's Business Secret Technique Chapter 1: Corporate Survival Tactics in action.

Tardiness with a valid excuse isn't tardiness!

"Still, you should've clocked in first, you idiot. And use the company card for this stuff—why pay out of pocket?"

There it was, the scolding that wasn't quite a scolding.

Now, in Team Leader Jo's mind, I was the top-tier assistant manager who bought coffee for the team despite his heavy workload.

Time to drive it home...

"Eh, but using the company card for welcoming new hires feels off."

"That's exactly when you should use the company card, you fool."

"Heh heh, sorry."

"You stamped in properly? Alright, no tardy mark for today."

...Just like that.

"Alright—everyone, grab some of this and let's chat! Assistant Manager Oh got coffee!"

Team Leader Jo clapped sharply, and colleagues poked their heads over the partitions.

And so, the spirit of business blessed me with a perfect escape, only to immediately assign me the task of handing out coffee.

First, the chocolate latte ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to Team Leader ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Jo.

Next, the triple-shot espresso to Section Chief Ham.

"Oh, thanks, thanks. How'd you know I love this? You've got good sense, Sung-jin."

Unlike the fiend who guzzles Americano portions of espresso, Section Chief Ham gave a thumbs-up.

I smiled awkwardly and moved on.

"...Sung-jin."

It was Deputy Choi Soo-jung.

I bowed silently and handed her the iced Americano. Everyone else got this too. No office worker hates it.

"...Thanks."

Silent bow.

I ignored her sticky gaze clinging to me and moved on.

And there was a bomb waiting.

"Assistant Manager Song Go-eun?"

Poking her head over the partition was Song Go-eun from the Exploration Division.

"Assistant Manager Oh? Nice to see you! We're working together now!"

...Why is she here?

"How'd you end up in Follow-up Special Duty?"

"I went to the Exploration office today, and they said my spot was gone! Needed me somewhere else or something?"

Her bubbly reply hid grim news.

"So... you're officially on Follow-up Special Duty starting today?"

"Mom says if someone needs help, you gotta help 'em!"

I couldn't even guess what had happened.

More talk would just give me a headache.

I handed her the coffee first.

"Oh, thanks!"

Assistant Manager Song stuck a straw in and slurped away. As my panic cleared, I pieced it together.

"Hee ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hee, Americano's yummy."

She'd been demoted!

How does an assistant manager even get demoted? No idea.

...No point dwelling; it'd just hurt my head.

I moved on.

The last of the three transfers to Follow-up Special Duty. Another familiar face.

"Kyung-min?"

"Sung-jin. Fancy meeting you here."

Sitting behind the partition was a muscular guy with scary scars on his face—Ko Kyung-min, freelance fixer turned colleague from my Field Division posting.

"...How'd you end up here?"

"Well..."

He said he'd been adapting well to the Training Team. Good rep with colleagues, handling tasks competently.

"Then suddenly, a transfer notice hit."

The issue arose a few days ago. He got the notice, destination: Follow-up Special Duty.

"It was probation, so I figured it was temporary. Until I realized it wasn't."

He'd learned that morning.

"I thought Follow-up was just a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sub-division under Special Duty. Planned to return to Training after probation. But no."

"If not that, then...?"

"Checked the HR database—my probation's over. Stuck here for the foreseeable."

"......"

Yes. This insane company had forcibly slotted Kyung-min into our team!

"Still, I hear Follow-up doesn't have much work. Not many deployments, and seniors say it's chill... Er, forget I said that."

Kyung-min delivered it in his blunt, stiff tone.

I debated telling him the truth when he continued.

"Not so bad, actually. Seeing a familiar face is reassuring."

Anyone could see he looked uneasy as he said it.

Then he gave me a look like I'm counting on you. No clue why me.

"...I see."

"Yes. That's how it is."

"Not sure what to say."

"Might as well make the best of it. Let's work well together."

Kyung-min extended his hand. Something like camaraderie stirred deep inside.

"Yeah... we should."

We shook hands.

In that warm, shared-victim solidarity.

"Alright, newbies?"

It didn't take long for that warmth to shatter.

"You all reviewed the handover files? Time to get up. Meeting time."

Team Leader Jo's declaration was the first button.

"Meeting? Sung-jin, know anything?"

Kyung-min asked. I answered.

"Yes. Our division's got a secret project going."

"...Secret project?"

I brushed it off with an awkward smile. Too much to explain.

Containment failure observations, board summons, my vague title.

Secret projects are secret for a reason.

In my mind, it was like dumping every possible disaster into a trash bin.

We moved to the conference room. Team Leader Jo and the others sat.

Section Chief Ham distributed materials. I stepped forward and started the prepped presentation.

"...Sung-jin?"

I gave Kyung-min's confused face a vague smile.

Then a sigh. Tension.

Lights out.

Gazes converged.

Ko Assistant Manager's bewildered eyes, Song Assistant Manager's sparkling eyes, Deputy Choi Soo-jung's clingy eyes, Section Chief Ham and Team Leader Jo's wearily knowing eyes.

Facing those gazes, I opened my mouth.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Oh Sung-jin, assistant manager in charge of this project."

Kyung-min and Deputy Choi Soo-jung gasped. Song Assistant Manager kept her bubbly, puzzled grin.

"This must be sudden for our new colleagues..."

Click. Remote. Slide advanced.

"The company has decided to resume Field Division new recruit open recruitment, discontinued five years ago."

Silence.

"Wait! What does that mean?"

Deputy Choi Soo-jung shot to her feet.

"I don't get it. New recruit open recruitment? And handing something this major to Follow-up Special Duty out of nowhere?"

Aside from badmouthing her own department, a surprisingly normal reaction. I'd expected flak on my title.

"No worries. Personnel and Training will handle the full process."

Deputy Choi Soo-jung frowned at my words. Things might stall if this kept up.

"Please, quiet down. Questions after the presentation for smooth progress."

She sat, arms crossed, like fine, talk.

"As I said, our team's job isn't running the recruitment. It's something harder and heavier."

Click. Remote. Slide advanced.

"Recently, Mirae Co., Ltd.'s Future Observation Program detected a containment failure scenario for an anomaly at the event."

Here, Future Observation Program meant the Video that Kills on Third Viewing. The company had systematic setups even for this, as expected of a conglomerate.

"The open recruitment will fail. We're gathered to counter that. Namely..."

I looked at Deputy Choi Soo-jung, Assistant Manager Song Go-eun, and Assistant Manager Ko Kyung-min in turn.

"The reason you three are on our team."

Silence, laced with their individual emotions, pierced me.

All I felt was exhaustion.

"In one month, we six must prevent the scheduled failure of the new recruit open recruitment."

The conference room air began to stir.