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“There’s none.”

<Who is the most useless person in the team?>

“I said there’s none.”

<Who is the most useless person in the team?>

“I told you there’s none.”

<Who is the most useless person in the team?>

A sigh escapes me.

There’s a type of person I inherently dislike.

Of course, I can’t stand selfish types like Kim Wan Woo, but equally detestable are those who sow discord among others.

They’re truly malicious.

I gaze at the words, lost in thought.

<Who is the most useless person in the team?>

The most useless person in the team, huh.

I couldn’t understand the intent behind such a question in the first place.

A workplace that should focus on fostering unity among people is now posing questions designed to incite conflicts?

“…”

I reflect on the purpose of the test and my own experiences.

Initially, I thought it would involve the Isolation Team’s evaluations.

“…”

I continued walking without answering the question.

<Who is the most useless person in the team?>

I ignored the question echoing from above and moved on.

There’s no manual, no gun.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t solve problems.

This kind of test should end here.

*

“…”

Yu Da On stares blankly at the phrase in front of her.

<The most useless person.>

The most useless person, huh.

Who should I pick?

It’s a vexing question.

It was so hard that even Yu Da On thought so.

Who should I say?

Names start swirling in her mind.

First, Kim Jae Heon.

There was no room for doubt.

If he is useless, then everyone in the world would be the same.

After neatly wiping his name from her mind, Yu Da On continues to think.

Jang Chae Yeon.

Her fluttering white hair pops into her mind.

What a person to envy.

She possesses a strength Yu Da On lacks and a frankness she can’t imitate.

While men may not feel entirely comfortable around Jang Chae Yeon, she is someone who can wholeheartedly affirm them.

Of course, Yu Da On can also provide that affirmation.

But the affirmation she gives is different from what Jang Chae Yeon offers.

So, Jang Chae Yeon must not vanish for the men.

Next person.

After erasing Jang Chae Yeon from her mind, Yu Da On continues her thoughts.

Song Ah Rin.

The sharp gaze of her purple hair comes to mind.

She seems prickly on the outside, but she’s really someone who gets easily hurt.

Lately, it seems she’s been acting all sweet on men, which worries Yu Da On.

They say worry isn’t good for one’s health; she hopes to resolve it soon so as not to burden others.

Or would it be better if she vanished, to help the men?

“…No.”

Yu Da On shakes her head.

That’s not a correct thought at all, plus if she disappeared, the men might struggle.

That’s something she can’t allow.

Yu Da On wipes away thoughts of Song Ah Rin.

Next…

Yu Da On continues to think.

Herself.

How much of a help could Yu Da On be as a person?

What have I done?

I’ve caused discomfort to the men, associated with hospitals.

Someone without strength who can only foolishly charge into fights.

Isn’t that the epitome of a useless person?

“Yu Da On.”

Her pondering was brief.

-Rumble!

With the sound of thunder, it felt as if the sky was falling,

“…Huh?”

With a sound reminiscent of bright light shining, her gaze shifts forward.

A person with white and purple hair stood before her.

“So you—”

“You talk too much—”

Jang Chae Yeon and Song Ah Rin, who’d been bickering, turn to look at Yu Da On.

“…Who did you choose?”

Jang Chae Yeon asks Yu Da On.

“…Do I have to say?”

Of course, she could.

In the first place, it wouldn’t matter to her if those two chose her.

It wasn’t her business to care if they called her useless.

But she couldn’t stand the thought of them saying she was useless in front of the men.

“…True.”

Surprisingly, it was Jang Chae Yeon who first withdrew.

Nodding, Yu Da On turns her gaze to Song Ah Rin.

Looking down, as if she doesn’t even care.

“But, when is Jae Heon coming—”

<The individuals present each received one vote.>

A mechanical voice echoed.

<One person has yet to cast their vote, and based on the amount of votes that person casts, the rest will receive 'training' suited to them.>

<Currently, the three of you are in the 'one vote room'.>

<The person who receives another vote will transfer to the 'two vote room'.>

“…”

Song Ah Rin remains silent, and Jang Chae Yeon tilts her head.

Education suited to the number of votes.

Yu Da On wracks her brain.

She has one vote.

Jang Chae Yeon and Song Ah Rin also each have one vote.

This means the people here must have pointed fingers at each other or voted for themselves.

And…

“…”

Yu Da On’s body goes rigid.

The most crucial voter has yet to cast their vote.

Just a verbal vote; if cast against her, it would feel like a death sentence.

She looks up at the other two.

Had they thought the same? They both exchanged stiff glances, staring at each other.

An awkward silence lingered.

*

<Who is the most useless person in the team?>

Oh dear, so noisy.

I ignore the continuing sounds and walk away.

Ruins, and the same building patterns.

“…”

Five minutes ago, the crumbled building I walked through reappears in my view.

Amidst buildings that had crumbled beyond recognition, one building stands tall.

It’s not surprising anymore.

I approach the building.

As I step into the ruined structure, darkness, void of any sunlight, welcomes me.

<Who is the most useless person in the team?>

Outside, the sounds still echoed.

As I wander through the building, I lose my train of thought.

Though I use the term Safety and Health Education, it’s really akin to a job aptitude test.

It involves asking safe yet unpleasant questions, all while functioning like an aptitude evaluation.

One word pops into my mind.

Customized testing.

What indeed is a job aptitude test?

It evaluates whether one truly matches the job aptitude.

What was the aptitude I needed last year?

Writing documents, probably the jobs related to salaries.

I recall the phrases I saw earlier.

Me, Yu Da On, Jang Chae Yeon, and Song Ah Rin.

There are no names of Park Ye Eun or the Team Leader.

Which means the two didn’t come to this place to make a choice.

Looking back, that’s strange.

Especially regarding the Team Leader.

They clearly entered with us, so why didn’t the Team Leader answer this question?

It’s likely the Team Leader never intended to come here in the first place.

-Clatter!

As I step on stones beneath my feet, I pass the broken elevator and ascend the stairs.

<Who is the most useless person in the team?>

Thus, this question was posed solely for our four people.

I recall the previous question.

In retrospect, it was a question that incited discord.

A dark corridor unfolds.

I wander through the hallway.

Outside, the mechanized questions continued to flow.

If looked at from a different angle, it might also be a question to uncover our ties, rather than one to incite discord.

How much can each of us sacrifice for one another, how necessary do we deem someone, who do we consider useless?

Depending on our answers, it could either strengthen our friendships.

I stand before a door.

A faint light shines on the door before me.

Familiar voices can be heard from behind.

I can’t quite catch the words, but there’s a murmuring sound.

[Name: Test]

[Age: Generated 30 years ago]

[Specialty: Test]

[Talent: Test]

[Background: One of the common mistakes people make is thinking they must answer the questions to pass the test.]

[Weakness: It automatically ends after the test.]

I well understand the creator’s intent.

-Slam!

“…Huh?”

“…”

“What’s that?”

The brightly lit room welcomes me,

and the movements of three people come to a halt.

Yu Da On, Jang Chae Yeon, and Song Ah Rin were staring at me.

The three gazes widened in shock.

“Jae Heon, how did you…?”

“I came looking.”

As Yu Da On murmured, her eyes widened.

She didn’t ask how.

Instead, she presented an unexpected question.

“Did you… answer?”

Her expression fills with unease.

With a tense look, Yu Da On stares at me,

Jang Chae Yeon watches me emotionlessly but glances my way.

And Song Ah Rin looks down, avoiding my gaze.

“No.”

“Th-Then…”

Yu Da On stutters her words.

However, my answer was already decided.

“It’s me.”

-Rumble!

A faint thunder rolls outside,

<100% agreement. Proceeding to the next question.>

“Uh, huh?”

Yu Da On blinks, staring at me.

“But if you’re not here, it’s not working.”

“I don’t believe that.”

Listening to the thunder, I speak up.

Perhaps because I’m not outside, the phrases I saw earlier do not appear.

“A person who chooses others as useless is the truly useless one.”

From the moment they start measuring others negatively, their own value diminishes.

In that case, it’s better to choose myself.

Soon, the question echoes in the room.

<Since there are four of you gathered, if you were to leave one behind, who would it be?>

Three pairs of eyes turn to me.

“I-I will stay.”

“…I’ll leave it to you.”

“Me too.”

Yu Da On raises her hand, and the other two nod calmly.

“That’s fine.”

There was no longer any reason to take such a test.

I couldn’t understand the meaning or purpose behind these questions.

“Chae Yeon.”

“Yeah.”

This test by the Management Agency could signify that; perhaps it’s a ploy to make us detach from each other.

To work on-site means continually losing someone.

[Coordinate Rip: 3 times]

Of course, for someone like me, there could be a grand meaning I’m oblivious to.

But if such a meaning exists only to create discord among people, then it can stay gone.

“Let’s break it.”

“Okay.”

Jang Chae Yeon nods.

Questions like what, why, or how never came up as usual.

The world unfolds like graph paper.

What’s visible is the distortion of space.

-Crack!

As Jang Chae Yeon reaches out, her fist clenched,

the atmosphere begins to tear apart.

[Coordinate Rip: 2 times]

Once more, Jang Chae Yeon stretches her hand and clenches her fist.

-Crack!

The void tears.

Soon, the room where we had taken the test appears.

“Let’s go.”

The score for the Safety and Health Education hasn’t been released, but there was no transfer.

*

In the office, I tap on the keyboard.

Since Jang Chae Yeon and Yu Da On learned to efficiently do their work, productivity has increased.

Thanks to this, there’s even a happy occurrence of completing work before the usual quitting time.

After all, isn’t everything just about having enough people on board?

“Isn’t it getting chilly, Jae Heon?”

“That’s right.”

I agree with the Team Leader while looking out the window.

The Team Leader mentioned having taken a regular data analysis test.

It seems my hypothesis was correct.

From the radio the Team Leader left on, news spills out.

<What is art? A painter claims to have provided a perfect resolution to this question, and their exhibition lands here.>

“I guess I should wear a coat starting tomorrow.”

“You should.”

<Introducing 'Anonymous'. Everyone is brimming with excitement over news of the artwork from this artist referring to themselves as an anonymous figure.>

“By the way, does Da On recover quickly from a cold?”

“Yes! I get better right away!”

“That’s kind of enviable.”

“If Jae Heon gets sick, I’ll take care of you!”

As Yu Da On speaks, Jang Chae Yeon chimes in.

“How can someone who’s never been sick take care of anyone? I’ll do it.”

“…I can take care of people too!”

“Stop bickering.”

<In the near future, the exhibition of 'Anonymous' will hit the gallery. Everyone, please look forward to it!>

The radio reverberates in the chilly air.