Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Restructuring
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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“I’m sorry, Eunho.”
Team Leader Lee scratched his few remaining hairs.
“HR says there are no regular positions open for conversion this year. The economy is so bad….”
“The conversion…didn’t go through, then.”
Next month marks the end of my two-year contract.
In other words, I’m fired.
Here, too.
“It’s definitely not because you lack anything, Eunho. It’s, uh…restructuring. You know, restructuring, right?”
“Are you saying…layoffs?”
Can firing contract workers even be considered restructuring?
“Well, similar. The company’s situation isn’t great, so we have to cut labor costs. But it’s hard to just lay off existing employees. So instead, we’re just not hiring new ones.”
“…So you only hire contract workers. Because you still need hands.”
Contract workers who are easy to dismiss without the burden of severance pay.
“W-Well, it’s not like that….”
It feels strange to see him being unusually mindful of me. He usually yells quite loudly. Maybe now I’m truly an outsider.
He’s just like an interviewer who only says nice things to someone they plan to reject.
“Yes. I thought so.”
I didn’t feel overwhelmingly angry or betrayed.
Because, in the end, he’s just another salaried worker.
“Are you, are you okay? Don’t feel too bad, Eunho.”
“I don’t have any hard feelings towards you, Team Leader.”
My words were bitter, but he seemed relieved that I didn’t show resentment or anger. He finally relaxed his stiff expression and even propped his feet up on the small chair next to his desk.
“Phew, it’s good that you’re so resilient. You’ll do well wherever you go, Eunho. Even if things are a bit…you know…you’re still young.”
I could feel the gazes of my teammates peeking over the cubicle dividers. They’re probably all thinking the same thing.
‘A bit…you know…but resilient.’
“So, to cheer you up, how about lunch? How does sundaeguk sound?”
“Team Leader! The sundaeguk place is a ten-minute walk, so it might be difficult for Eunho…”
“Oh…then, how about the gukbap place across the street? Would that be okay, Eunho?”
A lame person who can’t even walk for ten minutes.
That’s Lee Eunho.
“…I have an appointment. Enjoy your lunch.”
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* * *
There was no appointment.
I just made an excuse because I felt like I’d get indigestion if I went with them on a day like this.
He would undoubtedly gulp down a bowl of gukbap in five minutes flat.
I’d rather just go to the convenience store and grab a lunchbox for myself.
That is, if I hadn’t happened to make eye contact with Jieun from the next team, who was also alone.
“Two years really fly by. It’s already time for your contract renewal.”
She spoke calmly and took a sip of her coffee.
Appropriately tart, appropriately nutty.
Delicious, as always.
Whatever else, I’ll miss this rooftop cafe.
The skyline view from the 25th floor, the garden filled with trees and flowers, the taste of coffee enjoyed in the open air.
Especially the view while sitting still.
I don’t have to think about how long it will take to get there, or if the person behind me will curse me for being slow.
“Eunho, you say that like it’s someone else’s story.”
Jieun, sitting across from me, laughed hollowly.
Jieun, who joined as a secretary a week after me, is my fellow contract worker.
Though ‘fellow’ doesn’t really capture our relationship.
‘Are we getting performance bonuses this time too?’
‘I don’t know.’
Or.
‘When is Executive Director Park arriving?’
‘He already left for the day.’
That’s the extent of our conversations.
“Well, everyone’s been saying the regular conversion rate has been 0% for the past five years.”
Honestly, I expected it from the beginning.
That a huge company like this wouldn’t give me a chance to work without any guarantees.
Maybe even getting hired as a contract worker was a stroke of luck.
“Do you have any plans after you leave?”
“I’m looking for a job…but as you know, it’s not easy.”
It was a casual remark, but Jieun lowered her head and said, “Oh, I’m sorry.”
She’s unnecessarily polite.
It’s not her fault that I have a limp.
“I’ll try to find something that’s not too physically demanding. I’m not going to starve at twenty-nine because I don’t have a job, right?”
“…You’re really positive, Eunho.”
A wry laugh escaped me. I wasn’t particularly positive, but rather devoid of expectations. About everything.
Doesn’t everyone become like that?
If you’re a promising track and field athlete, and you end up limping after an accident a week before the college entrance exam, that is.
Recovering, studying late, and getting into a mediocre community college for business administration.
Graduating with decent grades.
A life of hopping from one contract job to another in this difficult job market.
Because I didn’t have any expectations for this contract life, I didn’t have any complaints either.
If there was one thing I wished for….
‘To run until my heart bursts.’
Of course, it’s impossible.
Unless I’m reborn.
…That’s what I thought.
Until that stupid announcement came on, even more stupid than my crippled leg.
—Static.
“15 minutes left. Let’s head down soon.”
“Already?”
Ten steps to the return counter, sixteen steps to the elevator – it’s a long way for me.
Moreover, the 25th-floor elevator is always crowded with people using the rooftop cafe and smoking area.
I figured I might have to miss a few, so I hurried to get up.
—Static.
“You’re so strict about time. It’s almost over anyway.”
“I don’t want to get nagged about something like this.”
“Oh, give me your cup.”
“Thank you.”
Holding onto my right trouser leg, I ‘walked’ towards the return counter.
—Drag, step. Drag, step.
Dragging my stiff right leg, one step with my left.
Drag, another step.
Even places clearly visible in front of me are far away with my limping gait.
[…All personnel in the building…please….]
“Is that an announcement?”
“I can’t hear it very well…”
As I walked slowly, the speaker continued to crackle.
[We will announce this again.]
And then, a moment later, a bewildering announcement came on.
[The sale of this Earth was decided at yesterday’s board meeting. Restructuring of personnel will be carried out.]
Restructuring?
My brow furrowed.
[Restructuring targets will be fairly selected through missions.]
“I hope the Earth they’re talking about in the announcement isn’t the Earth I know.”
“What kind of prank is this? Restructuring or whatever.”
Just like Jieun and I felt uneasy about different aspects of it, everyone on the rooftop was buzzing in groups.
“What’s this all about?”
“They say it’s playing on other floors too. It must be a building-wide announcement.”
“No, it seems like this announcement is going out nationwide…?”
Three men in jeans and hoodies were chatting while looking at their smartphones.
Yellow employee IDs.
Are they employees of the gaming company that occupies floors six through nine?
[We will begin the first mission shortly. Please evacuate to the safe zone before the time limit.]
“Is this a disaster drill? And a mission? These days, even drills are like games.”
“Yeah. Maybe they’ll give us rewards for completing the mission.”
I heard their lunch breaks are pretty generous, since they’re a gaming company.
But I….
“Shall we go down?”
“You know how our team leader gets if we’re late.”
“But…”
PM 12:49.
Ten minutes before the end of lunch break.
If I’m even a minute late, he’ll line us up like children and lecture us.
“Do you think it’s a real fire drill? I’m getting nervous…”
Around then, Jieun, seemingly anxious, started biting her nails.
The ticking of a clock, which shouldn’t be audible outdoors, filled the air.
And then, out of nowhere, a green circle appeared on the cement floor.
[A safe zone has been created.]
A large circle, big enough to encompass most of the rooftop, including the cafe tables.
[The time limit is 10 minutes. After that, personnel outside the safe zone will be restructured.]
“Huh, how did that suddenly appear? Did they draw it beforehand?”
“Maybe they projected it with light? Or is it a hologram?”
As expected of gaming company employees.
Would they really want to discuss how that circle appeared in the middle of this?
“I think we have to go inside the circle.”
“Right. Thanks to everyone being distracted by that, we won’t miss the elevator. “
“Ah…but Eunho, the clock ticking…”
Without thinking, I turned towards the elevator, but Jieun fidgeted with her hands.
“Do you think it’s coming from the speakers? Anyway, let’s go…”
“Jieun? Eunho?”
“Oh, Chief Choi!”
Chief Choi, the real power of Jieun’s Domestic Sales Support Team, and his colleague approached.
The smell of cigarettes stung my nose.
I remembered Jieun once saying that he was “difficult to deal with”.
“What are you doing here instead of going down? Lunch break is almost over.”
I was about to say we were just about to go down when Jieun opened her mouth first.
“We were going to, but the announcement mentioned restructuring…”
“Restructuring?”
“Yes! Didn’t you hear it?”
“I heard it, but it doesn’t make sense, right? It’s not even an official company announcement.”
“Still, just in case… I thought we should wait for 10 minutes.”
Jieun pointed to the people already inside the circle – inside the table – as she made her excuses.
She seemed eager to participate in this ‘mission’, whatever it was.
Jieun is quite perceptive, perhaps because of her work as a secretary, and her unusual anxiety has been strange.
“Don’t you know that punctuality is basic in company life? Just because it’s not a lifetime job…”
Would it be paranoia if I interpreted Chief Choi’s muttering as, ‘Just because you’re contract workers…’?
“Eunho, too?”
“I don’t think it’s something you need to worry about, Chief. We won’t even be a few minutes late if we go down right now.”
So I blurted it out without realizing.
“Seriously.”
Actions I wouldn’t normally do, words I wouldn’t normally say.
“And a person with a disability, not even trying to be diligent, tsk.”
“Go down first, Chief. Let’s go, Eunho.”
As Chief Choi clicked his tongue, Jieun quickly ended the conversation.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing, Jieun?”
“I’m sorry for making you wait…”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to that kind of talk.”
With Jieun’s eyes filled with a mixture of apology and pity, I entered the foolish circle.
With my limping gait.
“Thank you. You could have gone down first.”
[The time limit will expire in 10 seconds.]
“I didn’t want to wait for the elevator alone. It’s fine. Like the Chief said, it’s not a lifetime job.”
“…I can’t laugh. I’m in the same boat.”
Through the glass door, I caught a glimpse of Chief Choi and his colleague waiting for the elevator.
The two were shaking their upper and lower bodies exaggeratedly, giggling.
Were they mimicking monkeys?
[…3, 2, 1. Time limit reached.]
“Oh, uh, Eunho!”
Jieun, who was looking at the same spot, tried to divert my gaze with a visibly flustered expression.
Ah…it was me.
They were imitating my gait.
[Personnel outside the safe zone will be eliminated.]
I lowered my head, thinking I might throw a punch if I kept watching.
“D-don’t mind them! Eunho!”
“….”
“Chief Choi is usually a bit…”
And when I raised my head again, Chief Choi was….
Flicker.
‘Flickering.’
Like a faulty fluorescent light.
And then.
“…?”
He disappeared.
Suddenly, like a fluorescent light burning out.
Chief Choi, and the colleague beside him.
“Jieun! Where did Chief Choi and the person next to him go?”
[The first mission is complete. A total of 184 people in MS Tower have been restructured. 1,796 survivors remain.]
“Um, maybe they got on the elevator?”
No one was there.
Except for those who were inside the circle, whether by chance or on purpose.
“The people waiting for the elevator… they’re all gone!”
“They must have gotten on, or they went somewhere else for a moment. It’s not like they disappeared, it’s more like…”
As I looked around frantically, trying to understand the situation, Jieun muttered in confusion.
[Select your mission reward.]
And a translucent window appeared before my eyes, like a hologram.
〔 Lee Eunho 〕
– Affiliation: 13th Earth, ROK-SEO-107 Sector, MS Tower
– Rank: Restructuring Target
– Stats: Stamina(12), Strength(11), Intellect(10), Judgment(15), Agility(1), Endurance(31)
– Traits: Unopened
– Skills: Unopened
I understand my name and age…
That’s all I understand.
An affiliation I’ve never heard of, stats, and the strangest thing was….
“This is…”
The hologram spinning below 〔 Lee Eunho 〕.
A 3D human figure, barely clad in underwear, showing off its front, side, and back as if asking for admiration.
“…Me?”
The face wasn’t detailed, but it was me.
Because the area around my right leg, connected to the spine, was depicted in black—clearly showing it as dead.
Is this a hallucination with realistic details?
Should I be thankful that even in my madness, it’s meticulous?
[Select your mission reward.]
So….
It was a coincidence.
That I chose my dead, blackened leg in the middle of all this.
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