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EP.31 Side Story - Punishment... I Guess I Deserve It?
Spy, criminal, loser...
Lee Hyuk-jin continuously tested Jung So-yeon's mental strength, pushed to her limits.
This went on for over 5 hours.
Without any rest, he repeatedly made her hear the same words, breaking down Jung So-yeon's own personality.
With her mind in complete disarray, she eventually fell into self-brainwashing and created false memories of trying to commit "espionage".
"I... I am a spy... Urgh!"
An intense rejection reaction like her head would explode.
Jung So-yeon retched and bent her head over the desk.
"Yes, that's right. You, Jung So-yeon, are a spy."
"Yes... I'm a spy..."
She unconsciously realized that accepting without resistance was the only way to escape this situation.
After all, no one had ever left the interrogation room unscathed.
"Then let's go back to the beginning, Ms. Jung So-yeon."
"Yes..."
Lee Hyuk-jin organized the scattered documents on the desk and put them in his bag.
The first document he had shown...
He placed only the selfie photo Jung So-yeon had taken and tapped it with his finger.
"So, Ms. Jung So-yeon. What confidential information were you trying to steal with this photo?"
Lee Hyuk-jin, with a sneer, secretly took out a recorder and recorded her voice.
The moment she directly confesses to criminal acts... Jung So-yeon's punishment is inevitable.
"I, I... I..."
No matter how you look at it, it's just an ordinary selfie.
Even if she wanted to say something, there was no confidential information about the shared property facility visible in this photo.
...He waited about 3 minutes.
Jung So-yeon remained silent, and Lee Hyuk-jin sighed, turned off the recorder, and flipped the photo over.
"Ms. Jung So-yeon."
"Yes..."
"Ms. Jung So-yeon! Look at me."
Her lost gaze looked at Lee Hyuk-jin sitting across from her.
"Ms. Jung So-yeon, you are a criminal."
"I'm a criminal..."
"You dared to commit the crime of trying to steal confidential information from the national shared property facility."
"Yes..."
"You can never return to your original life. Since it's a sensitive matter, you might receive the death penalty if you don't confess."
"Hnngh, yes..."
"Your life is over. You're a loser. You've become the human trash you so despised."
"Loser, human trash..."
Jung So-yeon stared blankly ahead and tears streamed down.
Her head was spinning.
She just wanted to close her eyes and sleep.
She didn't want to think about anything.
"I'm a criminal... trash... loser..."
The time of repeated brainwashing continued.
Having spent enough time breaking her mind, Lee Hyuk-jin flipped the photo again and tapped it with his finger.
"Now, I'll ask once more. What confidential information were you trying to steal from the shared property facility while pretending to take a selfie, Ms. Jung So-yeon?"
"I, I..."
What should I say here?
It's just an ordinary selfie...
"Well, that is..."
...
...
...
No.
No.
This isn't a selfie.
Pretending to take a selfie, trying to get some information... trying to leak it outside...
Jung So-yeon, fallen into self-brainwashing, reached out with trembling hands and pointed to anything in the photo.
"This..."
The first thing she pointed to was the paper towel dispenser hanging next to the sink.
Why this?
Why did I choose this?
I don't know.
My hand moved before my head.
I chose something first, then thought about the reason.
"I tried to steal information about the tissues used in the shared property facility..."
Assigning meaning to an ordinary object...
Jung So-yeon confessed to her crime.
"And this..."
This time she pointed to the mirror reflecting her face.
"I tried to steal information about the size of the sink mirror."
Why on earth would you do that?
What important information is that?
...
There's no reason.
It's just words I blurted out as they came to mind.
Of course, it was a confession full of contradictions anyone could see...
But Lee Hyuk-jin didn't question it, smirking as he wrote down what she said by hand on paper.
"And this..."
This time she pointed to the bathroom floor tiles reflected in the mirror.
"I tried to steal information about the floor color. And this..."
Jung So-yeon endlessly pointed out things in the photo, confessing to crimes.
As if playing spot the difference...
Not missing a single small detail, she created and proved evidence that this one scrap of a photo was for "espionage".
"I see."
Lee Hyuk-jin nodded as if agreeing, listening quietly to her words.
He doesn't ask deep questions.
Why did you do this, who instigated you, what did you gain in return...
Such questions and answers are meaningless.
The important thing is that Jung So-yeon herself confessed to being a 'spy'.
That alone is enough.
"Yes, I understand."
The interrogation was over.
With this, Jung So-yeon was branded as a spy who tried to steal confidential information from the national shared property facility.
"To summarize again, Ms. Jung So-yeon, you dared to try to steal information about the tissues used in the shared property facility's bathroom, the mirror size, the bathroom floor tile color... and numerous other confidential information. Is that correct?"
"Yes... hnngh, that's right..."
"I understand. Since you confessed obediently, I'll discuss a light punishment for you, Ms. Jung So-yeon."
"Thank you..."
"Then stand up and follow me. Surely... don't resist."
"Yes..."
Even if she wanted to resist... she no longer had the strength to resist.
Jung So-yeon, who had been sitting in the chair for hours, stretched out both legs and stood up, but her legs gave out and she collapsed back down.
"Are you alright?"
"Ah... yes..."
She grabbed Kim Hyuk-jin's hand, stood up and left the room together.
Interrogation room on the 2nd basement floor of the shared property facility main building.
Countless doors can be seen on both sides along the corridor with flickering lights.
What kind of people are trapped and being interrogated in those rooms..?
Jung So-yeon closed her eyes tightly, then opened them and walked down the corridor looking only ahead.
When she's worried about her own future, who has time to worry about others.
"We'll take the elevator up to the 10th floor. The HR manager is waiting."
"Yes..."
Her head is spinning.
She feels nauseous.
Barely moving her staggering body, she entered the room where the HR manager was waiting.
Sitting on the sofa drinking coffee, he smiled brightly at Jung So-yeon.
"We meet again sooner than expected. Come in and have a seat."
"Yes..."
Jung So-yeon sat down facing him with a dazed expression.
On the table were the resignation letter she had written earlier and her employee ID.
"Ms. Jung So-yeon, this case should rightfully go straight to trial, but I specially requested to bring you back. Aren't you grateful?"
"Yes... thank you..."
Why... is he showing mercy?
I don't understand his intentions.
Even if curious, she didn't ask.
No, Jung So-yeon was in such a dazed state that she couldn't even think of "asking questions" as a basic thought.
In her current state, pushed to her mental limits, it would be no exaggeration to call her a living corpse.
"Usually there are no second chances for those who resign."
"Yes..."
"But honestly, I think you're too valuable to lose, Ms. Jung So-yeon. So I'm going to specially give you one more chance."
"What..?"
Intrigued.
Jung So-yeon's eyes widened at the tempting proposal, her mind clearing a little.
A way out of this desperate situation.
Rejoining the shared property facility.
She couldn't think of any other option.
The HR manager held the resignation letter and waved it gently.
"Well~ If I tear up this resignation letter right in front of you now and reissue your employee ID... Ms. Jung So-yeon can think of today's events as a minor incident and forget about it cleanly. Simple, right?"
"Yes. I-I-I'll do that... I'll do that... Please let me rejoin..!"
Jung So-yeon pleaded desperately with tears in her eyes.
The HR manager smiled, raising the corners of his mouth, and shook his head.
"Hmm, of course it's not free."
"What..?"
"I'm going to hear how Ms. Jung So-yeon thinks about the shared property facility right here. I want to judge for myself whether Ms. Jung So-yeon is suitable talent for the shared property facility. Just... think of it as giving Ms. Jung So-yeon, who hopes to rejoin, an interview opportunity."
"Yes..."
A simple task of answering the HR manager's questions.
There was nothing difficult about it.
"Then lean back comfortably, lie down and close your eyes. I'm going to listen to Ms. Jung So-yeon's true feelings now."
"Yes..."
As he instructed, Jung So-yeon leaned back against the sofa backrest and gently closed her eyes in a comfortable position.
"Then I'll ask right away."
"Yes."
"Ms. Jung So-yeon... what do you think about the shared property facility?"
"I... well..."
Will she live a successful life as a researcher at the shared property facility, or become a criminal falsely accused as a spy...
Her future life depends on her answer.
Feeling someone approaching her, Jung So-yeon...
Thought once more before answering.
"Ah..."
Prick.
She felt a pain in her right arm and tried to open her eyes, but the HR manager who had somehow come to sit next to her covered both her eyes with his hands.
"Don't open your eyes. Slowly. Breathe and answer the question."
"Yes..."
What do I think about the shared property facility..?
I can't tell the truth...
I have to embellish it with lies and make it sound as good as possible.
"I think the shared property facility is..."
...
...
...
Snap─
Her memory cut off.
...
...
...
After a long while, Jung So-yeon finally came to her senses and got goosebumps at the familiar yet strange scene around her.
About a dozen people surrounding her.
And a man with a familiar face, Kim Jin.
"Eh..."
Jung So-yeon, lying on an operating table with her limbs tightly bound...
Realized this was the underground processing room of the shared property facility.
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