Clues
Prologue (1)

"Good morning sir."

"Hello."

Ji-Won, who mechanically answers without looking at the information table, suddenly feels a foreign energy that seems to be gripping the back of her head and turns her head slowly. He thought he was overreacting, but…. A strange man is seen clinging to Su-Bin, who is smiling sweetly like a picture, sneaking back, avoiding his gaze once his eyes meet with Ji-Won.

What happens in the morning? Huh, I don't believe it. That sucks, but I'm gonna pretend I didn't see it. Ji-Won, who has been suffering for a while with her eyebrows narrowed, sighed shortly as she looked towards Su-Bin, who was anxiously looking at her. She had never noticed her face before, but the traces of insomnia, which could not be covered with makeup, were clearly visible today.

"Kim Su Bin."

"Yes sir."

"I want you in my room for a minute."

"What's? Ah yes." oh yeah."

Surprised, Su-Bin quickly gets up from his seat and follows in Ji-Won's footsteps. Her heart was shaken by the unexpected behavior of the employer, who usually did not exchange words with her properly. But he was in no position to question his reason.

'Why did he call me today? Well, I'm not someone who can smile pretty, but…. Did I make a mistake? Ouch. He's not gonna fire me, is he? No, I didn't make enough mistakes to get fired, and he can't just fire an employee in this day and age. But if I get fired..., can I get unemployment benefits?'

“Director arrived early today. Huh huh? Su Bin...”

The secretary who greeted him kindly also could not hide her surprise when she saw Su-Bin who was following Ji-Won shyly. This was the first time an employer had unconditionally called an employee into his room. The Secretary asked with his eyes, 'What happened, did you make a mistake?' 'I don't know'. Su-Bin, who slightly shook his head in the worried eyes of the secretary, entered the director's office with heavy steps.

"Kim Su Bin."

"Yes sir."

“First of all, I will explain that what I will say is not because I have a personal interest in you. It also means that this is by no means an unnecessary trick I played on Kim Su-Bin.”

"Ah yes."

Su-Bin answers as decently as possible, struggling not to show a bitter look. It was a relief that he would not immediately fire her .but, he should not be too strict on her either. He doesn't like it either. It was only a moment when he excitedly received his soulless welcome in this room on his first day of work.

Of course, the man named Cha Ji-Won is a person who has many parts that can be a charm for others. With a neat, smooth, tall face, and even a well-proportioned figure like a model, she dressed well as a trendy gallery owner. He even has seven cars that will change every day depending on the atmosphere of the day. And according to the curators interested in the car, the price of all the cars added up is exactly 4 billion.

But what's the point of all that? His only plausible point is that he's handsome. He didn't even see people's faces when he said hello. That's very….

"Did your boyfriend just die?"

Su-Bin, who is secretly insinuating her employer while looking down, raises her head in surprise when she asks a question that completely deviates from the imaginary category.

“How can director...”.

“Length explanation. So I ask you frankly. Do you have a close relationship with him? So much so that you want to follow him?

Follow him.. Where? Su-Bin, who flashes in confusion for a long time, belatedly understands Ji-Won's words and jumps up and waves his hand.

"NO! I was so sad and tired for a while…. I have my own life…. I never thought I would die for .. "

"really?"

Ji-Won, who answers casually, takes out a piece of A4 paper and starts drawing things quickly. Su-Bin, who is staring blankly at Ji-Won's face with a missing face, opens his mouth involuntarily when he sees a picture he completed in just 30 seconds. The portrait, which was so complicated that he could not believe it was a rough drawing with a ballpoint pen, was very similar to a face in his memory.

"Is this the guy?"

"Yes." Yeah."

"Have you been dreaming about it lately?"

"…Yes.Yes."

"Did he ask you to go somewhere?"

“…!”

Su-Bin, who can't answer the last question, bites her lips. She has been unable to sleep for the past few days because her boyfriend, whom she tries to forget and live with, keeps appearing in her dreams. A year has passed since that terrible accident, and he has just gotten better. But every time he woke up from his dream, he had difficulty with the longing that came. He felt sorry for forgetting it little by little.

However, that feeling of affection quickly disappeared without a trace. Her boyfriend kept begging her to go to the East Sea. Could it be that in the East Sea she was implying him to go to the afterlife with her?! How can, how can….

"You don't want him to show up again, do you?"

When Su-Bin, who was turning blue in fear, nodded while trembling, Ji-Won took out a match from her inner pocket and burned the picture she drew cleanly. Then, he looked until the image had completely turned to ashes and opened his mouth in an indifferent voice.

"He won't show up again."

"Well, really?"

"Maybe. And I'm not usually this nosy, but Kim Su-Bin, you seem to be someone who is easily affected by the suggestion, so if I have to add a word…. Remember that. In the future, if a dead person appears in your dream and tells you to take a bus or train, you should not ride.”

"…why why?"

“That means a funeral will be held. And it will be yours.”

Ji-Won, who did not change a single expression upon seeing Su-Bin, who turned pale as if about to faint, nods small towards the door. That meant he had to leave now that his affairs were done.

"Excuse me sir."

Ji-Won, who is checking the stock price by tapping her phone, looks up. Su-Bin is a little intimidated by her eyes, which she seems to be annoyed with, but she can't help but ask.

“What if…. If I say I want to follow him to death…. Will he leave me alone today?”

Ji-Won, who has been deep in thought for a while, nods softly at Su-Bin's question. If it wasn't for someone she had to meet every day, and the hassles of hiring a new employee, she wouldn't have called someone else in her room with the intent to help from the start.

“He will do it. She is not in a position to interfere with Kim Su-Bin's life at will.”

***

Ji-Won, who signed some approval documents, lazily turns from side to side to check the time. It's 11 o'clock…. Maybe because he had lost strength since this morning, he felt tired. Should I leave work now? That's when Ji-Won, who decided to go to the Sauna hotel to relax at night, just got up from her seat. The intercom lit up after the beep.

"Yes." Yeah."

[Director, Head of Corporate Security Zanice has requested an interview. What should I do?]

Ji-Won's eyes grow a little on unexpected business. Zanice company? It's a cosmetics company. Why such a big company…. And the Chief Security Officer. He did not know if it was for marketing purposes or a partnership business. He had a hunch that it would be very troublesome, but he couldn't treat Zanice's staff like that. Ck, what's wrong with people?Ji-Won, who kicks her tongue in annoyance, answers in an unwanted voice.

"Send him in."

[Yes, understand.]

Soon after, a polite knock was heard, and a man in his 50s with a serious impression opened the door with a smile on his face. He smiled gently, but his gaze was quite sharp as he quickly looked at his opponent. Ji-Won, who realizes that she is overconfident, instantly feels bad. Of course, the hand that asks for a handshake is not good.

"Good morning sir. I'm Kwon Hyun-Ho, Head of Security at Zanice Company. I'm very sorry I came without making an appointment.”

“I'm Cha Ji-Won. But why Zanice Security Chief.

“Yes, we both don't have time to chat casually, so I'll tell you in person why I'm here. Director, do you know someone named Park Jae-Kwon?”

Park Jae Kwon's? Ji-Won, who searches in her memory for a moment, shakes her head strongly.

"No, I've never heard of anyone with that name before."

“Oh, you may not know his name. I need to explain it more specifically. Then do you remember the dead man in his mid-20s who the director sent to Jungcheon at 09:37 today? He said he was the girlfriend of one of the employees here during his life. And he made eye contact with the director just before he was forced to be sent to Jungcheon*.”

[T/N: Jungcheon or ⁇ ( ⁇ ), River of the Underworld, it is a place in Korean mythology and folklore where the spirits of the dead are believed to be tried and sent to their respective afterlife destinations.]

…What? Ji-Won, who is at a loss for words for a moment, can't find anything to reply to. But even before he could think of anything to refute, the other person said even stranger things with a relaxed face. Many foreign words appeared, but it was even more ridiculous to understand the contents roughly.

“I searched for it and found several cases of unofficial guides who were allegedly the activities of the Director. Starting with Sokcho 22 years ago, there was one case each in New York and London. And two years ago, a dead woman in her 40s was sent to Jungcheon near your home. Is that true?"

Ji-Won, who is listening quietly, raises her eyebrows slightly. First of all, it seemed to fit into the time when he got rid of the ghost…. Is Jungcheon a real place? No. gabe. No. gabe. More than that now…. Why is Security Chief Zanice talking nonsense with him? Besides, it's near his house. How does he know where he lives? What is this belief after doing a background check without permission? When he calmed down slightly due to his shock at the unexpected attack, his displeasure surged.

"What's wrong with that?"

Despite Ji-Won's sharp answer with a cold face, the Security Chief maintained the same kind-hearted expression as the first time. It was a smile that revealed the experiences of people who were not affected by this reaction.

“Of course, it's natural that you don't know…. In modern times, human rights are highly emphasized, so unless a brief decision is required, all deceased people are informed of the principles and guided to Jungcheon using as many nonviolent methods as possible. If the procedure is not followed correctly, there is a high possibility of rebellion.”

"The rebellion... the dead?"

"Yes. They can cause physical injury to the living, and also escape. As you know, society becomes so complicated, that it is not easy to find them if they hide with determination. Park Jae-Kwon, who you see in the morning, is also caught off guard, and the guide looks for him carefully. I'm sorry for the late remark, but I'm very grateful for your help in guiding her.”

“Coaching..”.

“It refers to a group of people who were instrumental in guiding the dead to Jungcheon in mankind. In Eastern cultures, the name Grim Reaper is primarily used, and in the West, it is called the Angel of Death. But it is now collectively referred to as a Guide to easier understanding. We are a global society.”

Ji-Won, who has a headache from the refreshing Head of Security's explanation, presses her temple. In modern society, even the human rights of ghosts must be respected and dealt with according to procedure. But he ignored her and acted as a Grim Reaper. That's a big enough problem to take away individuals' personal information and go after them.

“So what exactly is the purpose of visiting me?”

“Sorry to disturb you, but you have visited Jungcheon. CEO wants to meet you.”

"CEOS?"

“Yes, he* is the owner of Jungcheon and a representative of Zanice.” Company

[T/N: Korean pronouns for men and women alike. So I'll use 'he' for CEO Jungcheon for now.]

“Why should I follow your CEO's instructions? He can come alone if he has any business with me.”

The Chief of Security, who was always smiling, lowered the corner of his lips slightly for the first time responding to Ji-Won's harsh reply.

“CEO is a person who can judge all the existence of Earth. I sincerely mean it with good intentions, but it would be better for you to meet with the CEO at Jungcheon than the CEO who came here.”

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