The morning sunlight crept through pale curtains, brushing Se-jeong's face like a whisper that begged her to wake.
She groaned, dragged the blanket over her head, and pressed deeper into the warm cocoon of sleep. The alarm under her pillow buzzed faintly, then another joined from her desk, then another from the nightstand, a choir of chaos.
"Five more minutes," she murmured, voice muffled in cotton.
Five minutes turned into twenty.
Then came her mother's voice, slicing through the walls like divine punishment.
"Se-jeong! You're going to be late again!"
Her eyes snapped open.
"What-already?!"
She shot upright, hair sticking up like a failed science experiment. Her oversized T-shirt was wrinkled beyond redemption; one cheek bore the proud mark of her pillow. The clock glared back: 7:38.
"No, no, no, no-!"
She flung off the blanket, tripped over her bag, brushed her teeth with one hand while scrolling through team messages with the other, an acrobat of panic.
By the time she stumbled downstairs, her younger brother Sang-hyeon was halfway through breakfast, chewing smugly.
"You know it's morning when Se-jeong sprints like that," he said, grinning.
"Eat your food before I make you wear it," she muttered, tying her hair into a messy ponytail.
Her mother slid a plate of toast toward her, sighing. "You should sleep earlier, Se-jeong."
"I tried," she said between bites, "but my report tried harder."
She grabbed her keys and shoved her feet into shoes. "I might be late tonight!"
"Noona! Drop me off at school since you're heading that way," Sang-hyeon called, voice sugar-sweet.
"Why would I do that?" she asked, folding her arms.
"Just take him," her mother said without looking up. "Your father left early."
Se-jeong groaned. "Fine. But this is the last time."
---
Moments later, she was in the car, exhaling like someone preparing for battle. She glanced in the mirror to see what version of herself survived the morning rush, when the back door opened.
Sang-hyeon slid in, stretching across the seat.
"What's this? Do I look like your chauffeur?" she snapped.
"You always fought for the front seat when we were younger. I'm just being considerate," he said with a smirk.
She rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for your existence right now."
The car roared to life, dragging her Monday with it.
---
By 8:32, Team Leader Kim Se-jeong stormed into the Valent D'Maison offices with coffee in one hand, bag in the other, and the kind of energy only caffeine and fear could fuel.
"Morning!" she called, waving vaguely at the rows of cubicles.
"Good morning, Team Leader!" came a scattered chorus.
She bowed slightly. "Sorry I'm late. Any fires yet?"
Hye-ri didn't look up from her monitor. "Still a bunch of requests asking when the Encounter game is dropping."
Se-jeong sighed. "We should be flattered. But if one more person asks me for spoilers, I might start handing out fake endings."
A few laughs broke the tension. "Let's reply to as many as we can. Keep the fans happy, keep the chaos small. We've got this."
"Yes, Team Leader!" they chorused.
"Okay! Fighting!" she said, pumping her fist.
"Fighting!" echoed the team, smiling.
Se-jeong smiled faintly, sat down, whispered a quick prayer under her breath, and dived into the final chapter draft of the Encounter. Her world narrowed into panels and ink until-
"I preferred the previous ending."
She flinched. Director Kim stood right behind her, perfectly silent, perfectly terrifying.
"Did I startle you?" She questioned
Se-jeong shook her head "no! I wasn't just expecting you to suddenly appear behind me"
"So you were startled." Director Kim's tone was cool, unreadable. "How's the project going?"
"We're almost done with the manga. And since fans are requesting a full game, we plan to start development once the proposal is approved by you and the CEO."
Director Kim nodded, considering. "Gather your team. There's something I need to announce."
"Yes, ma'am."
The director turned to leave, then paused. "And don't release that new chapter. I've decided the previous version works better."
Se-jeong blinked. "But... you said it lacked emotional weight last week."
"I've changed my mind."
And just like that, she was gone.
Se-jeong exhaled hard. "She's allergic to consistency," she muttered, before calling out, "Team Five, conference room. Now."
---
Director Kim sat at the head of the table, scrolling through her iPad when they arrived. Her silence was a tension all on its own.
"You must be wondering why I called you," she said finally.
Everyone nodded, like nervous schoolchildren.
"It's about your project," she continued, voice even. "The CEO has decided to oversee it personally."
"What?!" exploded the room.
"Director, that's impossible!" Tae-hyun blurted. "He can't just-"
"He's the CEO," Director Kim cut in sharply. "He can do anything he wants."
Hye-ri bit her nails. "We're doomed. Everyone who's worked directly under him ends up crying, traumatized even."
"Let's not panic," Se-jeong said, forcing calm into her voice. "There must be a reason for this."
Director Kim folded her hands. "I don't know his motives. But if you succeed, you'll be at the top of this company. Think of it as a... dangerous privilege."
With that, she stood up and left.
The silence that followed was heavy enough to be measured.
"Guys, come on," Se-jeong said finally. "It's not like he's a monster."
"I've heard things," Hye-ri whispered. "Scary things."
"Same here," Seri added. "He once fired a whole division in a single meeting."
"Rumors," Se-jeong said, waving her hand. "Probably exaggerated. We've come this far; are we really backing out now?"
Ha-eun nodded. "Honestly, we should be proud. The CEO picked our project. That means we're doing something right."
Se-jeong grinned. "Exactly. Seven against one, what's the worst that could happen?"
"One CEO equals a thousand staff," Ji-woo muttered, but placed his hand in the center of the table. "Let's do this."
One by one, the others followed, until only Hye-ri hesitated.
"Fine," she sighed. "But if I die, I'm haunting you, Team Leader and Ji-woo."
Before Se-jeong could reply, Na-eun burst in, breathless. "Team Leader! The CEO just summoned you!"
The huddle broke. The words hung like thunder.
Se-jeong blinked. "He... summoned me?"
"You'll be fine, what could possibly go wrong" Hye-ri said forcing a smile, not sounding fine at all.
Se-jeong smiled tightly. "What could possibly go wrong?"
---
The elevator climbed higher than she'd ever gone. Her reflection in the steel doors looked like a brave imposter.
When they opened, a tall man stood waiting, expression unreadable, posture military. A bodyguard, she guessed. He said nothing, only gestured for her to follow.
The corridor was too quiet, too clean, every step echoing like a confession.
Inside the CEO's office, the air changed, colder, stiller. A man stood by the side, rigid and composed: Secretary Han, the company's living rumor. At the desk, another man sat, absorbed in his work. He didn't look up.
No one spoke.
For five whole minutes, silence stretched like a ritual.
Then, finally-
"Team Leader Kim Se-jeong," the man said, voice deep, deliberate, and dangerously calm, the kind that didn't ask questions, only gave orders.
She froze.
The predator had noticed his prey.