Chapter 586

〈Chapter 586〉 Part 2, Chapter 1, Section 16

<One Week Later, Studio Cheongnyeon.>

“Why isn’t anyone coming?”

“It’s not that they’re not coming; it’s because the boss cut them all out.”

Yuna placed a strawberry yogurt on my table with a sarcastic tone. The yogurt from the downstairs café was filled with chopped strawberries. As I grabbed the yogurt, Yuna took her share of coffee.

“Boss, rumors about us are starting to spread. Like… the thing about hiring Eastern actresses…”

“What about it?”

“…people are saying it might actually be for adult videos or something.”

“That’s all bullcrap.”

“But the situation is like that, you know.”

Yuna flipped through the applicants’ resumes lying on the table. Despite offering family-like support and even raising salaries when necessary, providing lodging as part of company expenses in some cases, there weren’t many applications. Still, a few people had clearly submitted their forms.

“How about this one?”

Yuna pulled out what she thought was the best resume among them: a young man in his 20s, athletic build, decent looks, and even D-Rank durability including strength.

“Rejected.”

“Huh? Why?”

“The name gives off bad vibes. And he looks well-groomed now, but he’s definitely balding.”

The photo attached to the resume showed him in a suit, but he’d likely show up in a hoodie and jeans once hired. Besides, men were automatically disqualified.

“Yuna, let’s filter out all the men first.”

“Boss, so we’re really just targeting innocent Korean women, right? People think we’re luring them into something shady.”

Yuna opened the job posting site where Studio Cheongnyeon had its ad. Our company already had a poor reputation, with ratings hovering around one star.

– Is this place only hiring women? Isn’t it weird how they only recruit females? The owner’s foreign or something, but how did he even pass inspections?

– Let’s break it down. Government subsidy of 9 million won? Personal payout is 1 million won. After all the deductions, it’s basically a 20 million won annual salary lol.

– I went for an interview. As soon as I walked in, the villain-looking guy gave me the boot. The so-called boss sitting there is absolutely nuts, seriously.

“Look. All these reviews are terrible.”

“We’re only hiring women, yes, and after signing the contract, we’ll renegotiate their salaries. Plus, the last guy really was a villain.”

“…”

“That guy was sent by Kkot-sam. He’s here to spy on us and figure out our true nature.”

In Seoul, if you mess up, you might wake up missing a nose. But in New Seoul, messing up means being dragged away and enslaved. Sun Icheol secretly operates the ‘Pine Brigade,’ now known as the <National Youth Corps> in 2025. Their agents monitor our every move.

“I’m kind of a VIP from America, trying to establish connections while also being monitored closely to see if I slip up.”

“It’s more than just surveillance…”

“Yeah. If caught, we’d be brainwashed and turned into slaves. In our slang, that means becoming ‘classmates.'”

Most members of the National Youth Corps are former villains, controlled by S-Rank villain tattoos. If they refuse orders, they die instantly. They handle assassination of rivals, inciting unrest, and rooting out troublemakers, all under Sun Icheol’s absolute power. Naturally, they’re monitoring us too.

“So we need to be careful. Someone might seem nice at first but turns out to be from the Dark Legion, or look competent but is actually Sun Icheol’s henchman, or even appear unsavory but could be a spy-cum-bodyguard sent by some corporation to support us. It’s complicated.”

Like that time when someone leveled up from C-Rank to A-Rank only to end up being Sun Icheol’s lackey and trigger a game over. Or that B-Rank ally who tried joining without conditions, but turned out to be an Xroid sent by Yun Yuhwa. Players develop distrust and become better at reading people.

“We can only trust truly reliable people. Preferably women like you, Yuna.”

“Are you talking about easy-to-manipulate women or those with good chemistry?”

“I mean people who won’t spill my secrets no matter what.”

“…I’ll go wash some strawberries.”

“Leave the stems on, please.”

Anyway, recruiting teammates requires extreme caution. Some game companies even make their hiring staff play this game for two months because two-thirds of potential allies are usually trolls, spies, or monsters.

“But heroines are different.”

Heroines like Yuinah, once recruited, always act solely for the protagonist. Sometimes their interests align with the protagonist’s goals, but as long as the protagonist doesn’t betray them first, heroines stay loyal until the end.

Thus, players tend to seek out heroines, who guarantee loyalty and have growth potential, leading to heroine-centric squads.

“How about forming a temporary squad with just two heroines?”

For stable monster hunting, a team of at least three is needed. It’s not just about increasing magic power; combat experience must also be gained to truly cultivate special abilities.

“Boss, here are the washed strawberries.”

“Thanks. What time is it…?”

“A little past 11. Boss, uh…”

Yuna fidgeted with her fingers, glancing at me nervously. Her timing felt almost rehearsed, giving me chills.

<Magic Supply> Cool-down Time: 24 minutes 39 seconds.

“What’s ‘slightly’?”

“…Isn’t it time for some light stretching before finishing today’s workout?”

Not in 24 minutes and 39 seconds. She wanted to start now so that things would climax precisely 24 minutes and 39 seconds later. Though her attentiveness made me uneasy, it also thrilled me to see her coloring in my shade.

“Boss, since no one’s coming today anyway… So…”

Yuna casually sat on the edge of the bed. We had sofas, but her choice of seating was deliberate. Checking the time, I stood up and closed the window.

“You just aired it out, and you want to do it again? We need to keep quiet since the café downstairs is open.”

“It’s fine. Huan’s café has no customers anyway.”

“…Won’t the boss be hurt hearing that?”

“Doesn’t matter since we’re compensating by buying stuff, right? Hehe, Boss… No, Oppa. Hurry up and…”

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang. Yuna panicked, looking toward the café below, while I hastily buttoned up my shirt and headed to the office entrance.

“Who is it?”

“Uh, um, I…”

A disheveled woman appeared before us. Her unkempt appearance and several days’ worth of unwashed body odor were evident. Her worn-out coat looked like it was picked up cheaply from some wholesale market.

“Um… I came regarding the recruitment notice for Studio Cheongnyeon…”

“Accepted.”

“Huh?”

Both the woman and Yuna, who was tidying up the bed behind me, were surprised. Without even checking her resume, I had immediately accepted her.

“Uh, I, I thought I applied for an office clerk position…”

“Yes, but you’re hired as a security guard. There is a condition though.”

I firmly grasped her hand and locked eyes with her. Beneath her messy bangs, her gaze carried both fatigue and strong determination.

“You’ll be living here with me in the office. Is that okay?”

“…, Ho, Hold on…”

She gestured toward her own body with her eyes. The hand I held trembled with nervousness.

“…If it’s okay… Can I shower first? Could I get an advance on my salary…?”

“What’s your name?”

“…Park Ra-on.”

Park Ra-on. She lowered her head sheepishly, forcing a smile.

“I’m sorry for bringing up money right away… But my physical state is unbearable…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. We’ve got that covered. Look over there.”

I pointed to the bathroom set up in a corner behind the bed.

“There’s a shower stall and bathtub. Would you like to freshen up?”

“…”

Ra-on’s expression turned strange.

“Why does the office have a bathtub…?”

“Well, I originally only wanted a shower installed, but someone insisted that a bath was necessary.”

Yuna averted her gaze. I pulled Ra-on inside and closed the door.

“Yuna, help Ra-on get ready. I’m heading out for a bit.”

“Yes. May I call you sister? Ra-on-ssi, come this way please.”

I pushed Ra-on towards Yuna, who led her to the shower without showing any disgust at her smell. Confused, Ra-on allowed herself to be guided by Yuna’s assertiveness.

“Eh, uh…”

“One more thing. Before you go, may I ask you something?”

I deliberately quoted a line the original protagonist should say.

“Can I check your chest?”

“…”

Yuna stared at me incredulously, while Ra-on looked at me with complex emotions. Though my words were blatant sexual harassment, Ra-on, with her former A-Rank intuition, tried to read my intentions.

“…If it’s part of the job.”

Nice.

A line that would earn me a slap from Nuri but works with Ra-on. I pointed to the bathroom interior.

“Yuna, measure the size and let me know. I’ll go buy underwear.”

“Ah.”

Ra-on’s face, which had been conflicted in various ways, turned red. She was undoubtedly imagining scenarios like “my job involves nighttime care” or “an involuntary second career as a porn actress” flashing through her mind.

“I’ll be back shortly.”

Even though I already knew, I left the office to give Ra-on enough time to clean up.

* * *

It’s embarrassing to reveal your unkept self. Especially when your self-esteem is already at rock bottom, and showing your neglected body to another woman is even more humiliating.

“Wow…”

But Yuna couldn’t help but gasp in awe at Ra-on’s appearance after she cleaned up. Her ragged exterior seemed like a disguise, revealing a figure rivaling top models.

“What a figure.”

Most notably, Yuna couldn’t help but bow her head at the massive bust hidden beneath Ra-on’s clothes. Though confident in her own assets, Yuna felt a sense of reverence at the overwhelming volume rarely seen in Korea.

“That’s embarrassing to stare at.”

Ra-on, wearing a borrowed hoodie from Yuna, glanced at her nervously. The pants didn’t fit, so she wore the hoodie like a dress, draped in a blanket, and sat demurely on the sofa.

“You don’t need to use honorifics. You’re much older than me.”

“…But you’re my senior, aren’t you?”

“I’ve only been here a week longer. What’s the big deal?”

“I apologize. It’s just that I’m used to speaking formally.”

Ra-on stubbornly maintained her polite speech. Amazed by her tenacity, Yuna nodded and checked Ra-on’s profile.

“Hmm… You were a hero in the past?”

“Yes. Embarrassingly, I used to be <Unsah>. Now…”

Ra-on stopped speaking. The reason A-Rank hero Ra-on ended up at rock bottom was due to her damaged ‘core,’ rendering her a retired special ability user.

“My magic power is only E-Rank now, but my personal combat skills are still C-Rank. I believe I can at least provide D-Rank level full strength.”

“…Ugh.”

Yuna pulled her hair in frustration while Ra-on chuckled bitterly and bowed her head.

“…If you had high expectations, I apologize. But I will give my all to fulfill whatever you ask of me…”

“Half of the shifts are mine then. Four times a week since I’m the senior.”

“……????”

Ra-on was utterly confused.