Chapter 40

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 39

Chapter Title: Obsession Redirected

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Shiiit..."

Having left KakaoTalk and Messenger messages for Choi Hyun-min all day long, only to be read and ignored every time, Hye-ri spent the entire workday glaring at her innocent monitor instead of doing any of her assigned tasks.

'He started flirting first.'

A few meals, a movie. They were at that crucial point where things should shift from a flirtation to an actual relationship. Hye-ri had even been prepared to allow some light skinship by now, but Hyun-min's one-sided indifference made her hands and feet tremble with rage.

Was it because she was always the one receiving messages from guys? Hye-ri had never even imagined her own messages being ignored like this.

'Oh, playing it like that, huh?'

Hyun-min's apathy only fueled Hye-ri's determination. In the past, she would've brushed it off coolly as a minor hiccup, but the [Favorability] toward Hyun-min, amplified by the work system, made her cling desperately. Unaware that this was a side of herself she'd never shown before, Hye-ri failed to notice the change.

"Huh? Hye-ri, not heading out?"

Usually, she'd start shutting down her PC at 5:50 p.m. to prepare for leaving, but since it was past 6:00 and she was still at her desk, her teammates tossed out curious comments.

"Oh... I'm waiting to leave with a friend from another department today."

"Got it? I'll head out first then."

One by one, the team members clocked out, but Hye-ri stayed glued to her seat. Watching her from the desk next door, Yi Hyunwoo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠quickly pieced together the situation.

'Choi Hyun-min must be working late.'

A quick check of the messenger showed Hyun-min was still logged in. It was only natural that Hye-ri, the desperate one, would wait for him.

'Heh heh, good luck with that.'

"Hye-ri, I'll head out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first too. See you tomorrow."

"Yes, Deputy Manager Yi. Have a good evening."

Kim Hye-ri, who had been staring holes through her monitor, turned to Hyunwoo with a smile and a habitual eye crinkle that would make most men's hearts flutter. But to Hyunwoo, who knew her true intentions, it was just fox-like nonsense that fell flat.

About an hour or two after the rest of the team had left?

'Oh? Finally clocking out?'

Around 9:00 p.m., Choi Hyun-min's messenger finally logged off. Hye-ri bolted out of the office as if she'd been waiting for this moment. And sure enough, she ran into him in the first-floor lobby as he was leaving.

"Assistant Manager Choi!"

"...Oh, Hye-ri."

Normally, Hyun-min would've seized the chance to charm the "coincidentally" encountered Hye-ri into drinks, but he lacked the energy now. Exhausted from overtime and a day of grueling work, his mind was fixed solely on getting home.

"Why are you leaving so late?"

"Work's been piling up lately... What about you, Hye-ri?"

"Same here, just kinda ended up staying. Hehe."

"Hey, Assistant Manager Choi, had dinner yet? You must be hungry, right? Me too!! You treated me to movies and meals last time, so let me buy dinner tonight!"

Hye-ri spoke as if bestowing a great favor. But even when she offered to pay, Hyun-min's expression barely changed.

"Aw, awkward... I grabbed something quick during work earlier. Rain check on dinner, okay?"

Hyun-min's unexpected rejection. Yet Kim Hye-ri didn't give up.

"You already ate... Then we have to next time for sure."

"Oh, could you give me a ride home then? You said you'd let me check out your car last time."

Hyun-min had subtly bragged about his foreign import car to impress her.

'No way she'll refuse even this late.'

'Ugh... such a pain. It'll take an extra 30 minutes if I drop her off.'

Tortured by the new system for days, Hyun-min's condition was at rock bottom.

With the [Favorability] decrease toward Kim Hye-ri kicking in, it all piled up.

"Sigh... Hye-ri, I'm really beat today. I'm heading out first."

Hyun-min brushed her off coldly. Hye-ri's cat-like, coquettish gaze turned icy in an instant. Ignoring it, Hyun-min turned and strode away briskly.

"D... Deputy... Deputy Manager Yi! Deputy Manager Yi!!!"

Kim Hye-ri's pitiful voice echoed through the empty building after all the employees had left.

No tree falls after ten strikes, or so Kim Hye-ri thought. From childhood, whenever she wanted something—or someone—she made it hers.

At first, it was bewilderment. He was a decent catch, and initially, he'd pursued her aggressively like all the others. But just as she thought to advance things? Hyun-min did a complete 180.

Even as she swallowed her pride and clung desperately, his attitude grew colder with every attempt.

"Ha... seriously, stop contacting me. And I blocked you."

Choi Hyun-min's pent-up irritation finally exploded. The gift she'd carefully prepared lay discarded on the floor. Overwhelmed by sadness, anger, and humiliation, Hye-ri glared at his retreating back.

She already knew. The thrill of their movie date, the flirty messages—they no longer stirred [Favorability]. No, this was [Obsession]. She knew, but she couldn't rein in these feelings.

"Hey, Yi Hyunwoo."

"What?"

"Your team has that super hot intern, right?"

"Kim Hye-ri? Yeah, why?"

"She got some personality issue or what?"

"Hmm... Personality's fine, but she's a total slacker who doesn't do jack for work."

Park Jae-hoon, whom he'd run into in the smoking room, suddenly asked about Kim Hye-ri.

"You know how that slacker chick on your team is crushing hard on our team's deadbeat?"

"Dude, I told you about that before. And who at the company doesn't know now? Even kindergarteners probably heard."

"No, is Choi Hyun-min seriously impotent or something? If it were me, I'd devour her in one gulp. Sweeter than wild ginseng—twenty-year-old tenderloin!"

"You psycho... Leave it be. If he doesn't want her."

"Sigh... So many picky eaters. Hey, let's grab a meal with Hye-ri sometime. I can treat her way better than that loser Choi Hyun-min."

"Kukukuku, shut up. She's been total low-pressure mode lately because of him."

Without a shred of guilt, Hyunwoo bantered shamelessly with Jae-hoon. As Jae-hoon said, Hye-ri's aggressive pursuit had become the hottest gossip at the company—no employee was clueless.

"Ugh, useless bastard."

"My nose is numb too, man. Heading back in."

Returning to his desk, Hyunwoo activated the work system on his smartphone.

The perfect storm of moderate stress and misaligned emotions. With just a few tweaks, a masterful dish was complete.

A butterfly's wing—or a few taps—had whipped up a typhoon, shredding Hye-ri and Hyun-min's connection. Amazed at the swift development, Hyunwoo once again marveled at the work system's [Emotion Manipulation] prowess.

In Kim Hye-ri's case, her [Favorability] toward Choi Hyun-min had rocketed into [Obsession]. The farther their relationship drifted, the more her [Excitement] for intern life soured into [Irritation].

Worried she might quit, Hyunwoo dialed down her [Irritation] toward intern life. Still, judging by her expression, the bubbly girl from day one was long gone.

For Choi Hyun-min, his [Favorability] toward Hye-ri had flipped to outright [Dislike]. Already on edge from overflowing work, her constant messages sealed the deal. Now, he grimaced and dodged her whenever they crossed paths in the halls.

Hyun-min's reactions utterly crushed Kim Hye-ri's confidence. Her self-esteem, built on her looks, crumbled in a heartbeat.

And now, Hyunwoo had what he wanted.

When Mental hits its lowest, the work system allows transferring the emotional target to himself. With a few simple taps, Hyunwoo redirected Kim Hye-ri's fixation.

[Obsession toward Choi Hyun-min] → [Obsession toward Yi Hyunwoo]

'Obsession might be a bit scary, though.'

Recalling a scene from Misery, Hyunwoo quickly adjusted:

He toned down her [Obsession].

'Alright... time for the bite.'

"Deputy Manager Yi!"

'Shit, you scared me.'

The moment he pocketed his phone, Kim Hye-ri whipped her head around from the next desk. Startled like a guilty thief, Hyunwoo forced himself to stay calm.

"Wh... what is it, Hye-ri?"

"Let's grab lunch together todayyy."

Whispering in his ear so other department folks wouldn't hear, her subtle lavender shampoo scent wafted over. Definitely because she was younger—no heavy perfume, just a pleasant natural aroma that lifted his mood.

'Young girls are OP, as expected.'

"Sure, whatever."

Hiding his triumphant smirk, Hyunwoo replied curtly. She'd asked him to buy lunch several times before, but this was the first time she'd approached him so warmly.

The work system's tweaks had successfully transferred her [Obsession] from Hyun-min to Hyunwoo.

"Hehehe."

Hye-ri giggled flirtatiously, crinkling her eyes. He knew the smile was calculated, but still...

'Eh, she's cute anyway.'

Her beauty melted him with that eye smile.

A bit wary of her [Obsession], but their lunch vibe turned out surprisingly decent.

"Deputy Manager Yi, I've just been mooching off you. Next time, I'll treat you!"

"Nah, no need. I'm not fleecing an intern for a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠meal."

"Come onnn... You bought so much already, and I get paid too! Don't look down on me?"

"Fine, if you're really sorry, get it next time."

"Yesss~"

Had Kim Hye-ri, used to guys footing the bill, ever opened her wallet? Hyunwoo had treated her a few times since she started, but she'd never offered first.

And now she was insisting on paying.

'Work system's doing, no doubt.'

No harm in letting her. Hyunwoo shrugged it off and dug into his spicy pork stir-fry.

The trouble started after that.

- Vrrr vrrr

- What're you up to, Deputy Manager?

- Lunch was sooo good today~

- When next?

- Do you do Instagram? Let's follow each other.

Like the rotor stuck in Eun Seol's... whatever, Hyunwoo's phone buzzed nonstop. He rarely got messages outside the department group chat, so Hye-ri's barrage—aggressive beyond proactive—left him reeling.

A short reply, and she fired off more.

'I did decrease the [Obsession], right?'

If this was toned down, god knows what it was like for Hyun-min. The thought chilled him.

'Still, play along for now.'

One-sided [Obsession] could turn psychotic anytime. To diffuse Hye-ri's, his responses mattered.

"Haa..."

Fully aware of the psychological manipulation's power, Hyunwoo spent the day trading pokes with her to ease it.

After several meals and endless all-night poke loops...

Was it because Hyunwoo had gently patched up the mental damage Choi Hyun-min inflicted? Thankfully, her Misery-level [Obsession] vanished.

The emotional void filled with [Favorability] toward Yi Hyunwoo. Had Hyun-min played along moderately with her advances, he'd have been the target.

Through the work system's [Psychological Message] tweaks, Hyunwoo had finally brought Kim Hye-ri firmly under his thumb.