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“Thank you for visiting, the most famous person from the Gangseo Branch.”

With a subtle voice, Kim Pil-suk, the Gangbuk Branch Chief, began to guide me.

“Do you know why you’re here?”

“Um… I only heard it was a dispatch.”

“That’s right.”

That old woman. Kim Pil-suk muttered while clicking his tongue.

The Gangseo Branch Chief also frowned, seemingly thinking about him. It seems like being cautious wouldn’t hurt.

“Anyway… I have a request for you regarding some emotions.”

“If it’s about emotions, couldn’t you have just called me?”

“That’s true.”

He looked at me, then shifted his gaze to the three people behind me.

“I originally intended to do that.”

“You sure have a lot to say unnecessarily.”

Song Ah-rin, sensing his gaze, raised an eyebrow and retorted, and his gaze momentarily pierced into her before returning.

“I’m getting old, so I’ll take my leave now.”

He then began to walk ahead, and I opened my mouth to scold Song Ah-rin, who was trying to pass by me, but she spoke first.

“I did it on purpose.”

“…Why?”

“Two reasons. First, I’m mad. Second,… I’m worried.”

“Worried? Me?”

“…Let’s not talk.”

After sighing softly, Song Ah-rin stood next to me and began to walk.

“Anyway, the Gangbuk Branch Chief had a lot of bad things to say.”

“…Like what?”

“First of all, they said he’s surprisingly greedy.”

“Ah.”

I already knew that fact.

While carefully watching Kim Pil-suk, who continued to walk ahead, Song Ah-rin continued.

“Anyway, he’s jealous of the staff below him… and despite having good abilities, he’s still the Branch Chief.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

After all, he’s still the Branch Chief. If he’s capable, he can hold the position.

“I’ve heard rumors that before he became Branch Chief, he ate a containment object.”

“…Ate it?”

“Or he also has a rumor that he accidentally killed a Team Leader he clashed with every time.”

“…Why is someone like that the Branch Chief?”

“I’m curious too.”

Song Ah-rin clicked her tongue and started walking again.

“…”

Greed.

With such a lackluster description, I also decided not to move for now.

After all, he’s a Branch Chief. There’s no reason to fight, and the odds are against us.

I recalled Gangseo Branch Chief, Lee Ha-neul, who burst people with her bare hands while getting drenched in an unyielding rain.

Could we defeat her if we combined all four of our powers?

Absolutely not. Maybe we could buy some time.

He headed towards the staircase landing.

Staircase landing?

“Wait a moment.”

I quickly opened my mouth to stop Kim Pil-suk.

“…What’s the matter?”

“Isn’t it not allowed to take the stairs?”

“Y-You’re right.”

Yu Da-on also understood what it meant to take the stairs, having been in the same situation.

“Ah.”

And he smiled as if he understood my words.

“This is the opposite. If you’re curious, you can check the manual.”

“…”

I squinted my eyes at his words and opened the manual.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[PLZ – Save the Manual]

1. The manual is delicate. Please cherish it.

2. No matter how sturdy the manual is, please refrain from using it as a shield.

3. Treat the manual like an old friend.

4. Do not slap the manual.

You’re saying unnecessary nonsense.

Flip, the next page revealed the section I was looking for.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[Gangbuk Branch – Staircase Room]

1. There is no elevator in the Gangbuk Branch.

2. Even if you see an elevator, never board it.

3. If you happen to board the elevator, under no circumstances should you look at the floor.

4. If you end up looking at the floor, immediately refer to [T – Suicide Methods].

5. Use the stairs, but if it’s hard, take a break.

“So everyone here only uses the stairs?”

“It’s good for your health, and there’s nothing wrong with it.”

Seems like we’re going to die.

“But it’s not that far, so follow me.”

Following him, we climbed the stairs.

At the entrance of the second floor, Kim Pil-suk stopped and gestured for us to go ahead.

“Go ahead.”

“…”

As I opened the door and entered, the familiar sight of the isolation room corridor unfolded.

“…Isolation room?”

“You know it well.”

“Why is the isolation room on the second floor?”

“That’s how the Gangbuk Branch is.”

That’s a sufficiently convincing explanation.

Following him, I continued to walk.

“Actually, I found a mirror.”

“…A mirror?”

“That’s right.”

He nodded and looked at me.

“But each person who looks at it sees a different reflection.”

“…”

“And that’s why I called you.”

“Wouldn’t the Management Team handle it just fine?”

“Well, you see…”

He stared quietly ahead.

A woman was knocking on the door.

“Please… Please…”

With tears streaming down her face, she endlessly knocked on the door, and soon others appeared from the opposite side and began dragging her away.

“No! Please! Just let me see one more time! Please!”

Despite being held back by the people, she reached out desperately.

“…Tsk.”

As Song Ah-rin observed the scene, she clicked her tongue and turned her gaze toward the woman, who began to look dazed and was promptly taken away.

“Just now…”

“I put her under hypnosis.”

Song Ah-rin muttered as she stood behind me.

“It’s something I can only do, so I have to handle it.”

“…Heh.”

Kim Pil-suk laughed at that and walked to the door where the woman was previously knocking.

“Well, here we are.”

“…”

“It’s nothing strange. There’s a mirror, just look at it and tell me what you see.”

“Is that really all I need to do?”

“Would I ask you to do something else?”

He smiled and opened the door.

“Others, please do not enter.”

“Heh.”

At my words, the others hesitated, and Kim Pil-suk followed me to look at the mirror.

“This is dangerous…”

“I won’t.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve seen this mirror a lot. Unfortunately, I have too much to concern myself with to be swayed by something so trivial.”

His eyes held…

He chuckled as he laughed, feeling discomfort at his presence, I looked ahead.

It was an old mirror.

One that would typically be found at grandmother’s house.

A translucent window appeared above.

[Name: Mirror]

[Age: Created 49 years ago]

[Specialty: Reflection of Desires]

[Talent: X]

[Background: How can I make people happy? He spent all day in contemplation. Soon, he arrived at the conclusion. Let me make a mirror that can show what people desire.]

[Weakness: It doesn’t break from physical shock. Only by denying what’s inside can the mirror reveal the truth and the future.]

I gazed at the mirror.

I could see myself.

“…”

Just sitting in the office, wasting time, I saw myself.

There was no one beside me. No Team Leader, no other colleagues.

That wasn’t wrong either. I wanted something like that.

But being alone must be pretty boring.

As if reading my thoughts, the version of me in the mirror shook and reflected a new image.

This time, I was working happily with the Team Leader, Yu Da-on, Jang Chae-yeon, and Song Ah-rin.

“I see what this is.”

“Oh, you got it right away?”

Kim Pil-suk looked at me with a glow on his face.

“This is… um, a mirror that reflects a person’s desires.”

“…That’s right.”

Excitement filled his face.

“Is that all?”

“Huh?”

“I asked you if that was all.”

“…”

[Only by denying what’s inside can the mirror reveal the truth and the future.]

This old man must know the truth of the mirror, or at least somewhat understand what it means.

I recalled the earlier image of the old man.

There was no benefit to saying anything.

“I don’t know any more than this.”

“That’s too bad.”

He shook his head and stepped out the door.

“…If you could give me a little more time, I might be able to see more, could you?”

“Well, go ahead.”

He waved his hand and stepped outside.

I kept watching the scene of me working with my colleagues.

It may be what I desire, but is this it?

I thought it would be something a little more profound.

“…Hmm.”

After all, isn’t this fake?

I rubbed my temple.

I wasn’t even having a headache. So what did that woman see that made her so ecstatic?

While I was contemplating this, the mirror shook and began to show a new image.

“…What the…”

There I was.

Lying with a hole in my head.

The black sky was pouring down rain continuously, and everything around me was destroyed, leaving only ruins behind.

Yu Da-on, Jang Chae-yeon, and Song Ah-rin were nowhere to be found.

Someone stood next to my corpse and muttered.

“…Seems like you’ll keep getting in the way. Next time, I must-”

A static-laden voice.

Soon, the mirror shook again, showing a new image.

This time, there were other colleagues.

The location was the same ruin as before.

Song Ah-rin sighed, stepped forward, and after her arms were cut off, she fell down covered in blood.

Jang Chae-yeon smiled and shoved me, but moments later, her eyes were plucked out and she fell.

Yu Da-on was different.

She held on until the end, then pushed me-

– Screech!

“Ahhh…!”

Suddenly, a tremendous pain shot through my temple, causing the reflection in the mirror to dissipate like dust.

Thump, blood began to flow from my nose.

“…”

Lost in thought, I didn’t even think about wiping the blood that was dripping as I recalled the scene I had just witnessed.

The dead me, someone watching that, and my colleagues who perished after sending me off.

“…”

As I turned my back, wiping the dripping blood with my sleeve…

“…Hah.”

I met the eyes of Kim Pil-suk, who watched me with interest.

“…”

“It seems you’ve seen something entertaining.”

He narrowed his eyes, grinning like a snake.