#Chapter One:
There are moments in life when you realize you've made a terrible mistake. For me, that moment came when I found myself sitting in a luxurious waiting room on the forty-seventh floor of Dimensions Tech Tower, waiting for a job interview for a position whose description I didn't fully understand.
"Administrative Assistant in the Phenomena Management Department"... that was the job title. I assumed it had something to do with project management or perhaps handling customer complaints. I wouldn't have cared if it involved cleaning toilets. After eight months of unemployment, I was ready to accept anything.
I checked my watch for the tenth time in five minutes. It was 9:55 AM. My interview was scheduled for 10:00 sharp. I had arrived forty minutes early, which my father considered "the bare minimum of respect" for a job interview.
"Kim Jun-ho?"
I looked up to find a young woman standing before me. She wore an elegant formal suit, her black hair tied back in a tight bun. Her black-framed glasses gave her a serious appearance, but her slight smile softened her features.
"Yes, I'm Kim Jun-ho," I said, quickly standing up, which caused my resume folder to fall from my lap. I bent down to pick it up, and at the same moment, she also bent down to help me. Our heads collided with a dull thud.
"I'm so sorry!" I said quickly, feeling heat rise to my face.
"It's fine," she said, rubbing her forehead. "I'm Park Mi-soo, Assistant to Director Choi. I'll escort you to the interview room."
I followed her through a long corridor decorated with strange artwork. Most were abstract, but one caught my attention: a painting of a building resembling Dimensions Tower itself, but the sky around it was distorted in an unnatural way, as if it were bending around the building.
"Are you alright?" asked Park Mi-soo, noticing my pause.
"Yes, sorry. This painting... it's strange."
She smiled a mysterious smile. "Yes, it is. A local artist painted it after... dreaming about the building. Come, Director Choi doesn't like to be kept waiting."
We arrived at a glass door with "Phenomena Management Department" written in elegant silver letters. Park opened the door and gestured for me to enter.
The office was larger than I expected. Clean white walls, modern furniture, and large windows overlooking Seoul's skyline. In the center of the room was a circular conference table, behind which sat a middle-aged man wearing an elegant gray suit.
"Mr. Kim, welcome. I'm Choi Sung-min, Director of the Phenomena Management Department. Please, sit down."
I sat across from him, while Park Mi-soo sat to his right. There was a third person in the room, a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties, sitting in a corner behind a laptop.
"This is Lee Ji-won, one of our team members," said Director Choi, pointing to the young man who raised his hand with a friendly smile.
"Thank you for having me," I said, trying to control my nervousness. "I'm very excited about this opportunity."
"Well, let's begin," said Director Choi, opening a file in front of him. "You have five years of administrative experience, mostly at Samsung Electronics, Customer Service Department. Then you moved to a tech startup before being... laid off due to cost-cutting. Correct?"
"Yes, that's right," I answered, trying to hide the frustration in my voice at the mention of my layoff.
"And you've been unemployed for eight months?"
"Unfortunately, yes. The job market is tough right now."
"Hmm," hummed Director Choi, examining my file. "What do you know about Dimensions, Mr. Kim?"
"I know it's one of the largest tech companies in Korea, specializing in artificial intelligence and augmented reality. It was founded 15 years ago and has branches in five different countries."
"Good. And what do you know about the Phenomena Management Department specifically?"
I paused for a moment. "Honestly, not much. The job posting was... somewhat vague."
Director Choi exchanged a quick glance with Park Mi-soo, then smiled slightly.
"That's expected. Our department is... somewhat special. We deal with... unusual phenomena encountered by the company."
"Unusual phenomena?" I repeated, unsure of what he meant.
"Yes. Unexpected problems, unexplained events, exceptional cases. We document them, analyze them, and deal with them."
"I see," I said, though I didn't fully understand. "Could you give me an example?"
"Of course. Imagine one of the company's products - let's say an augmented reality headset - causing users to see things that weren't programmed to be seen. That's a phenomenon that would require our intervention."
"So, you're a kind of... advanced quality control team?"
Lee Ji-won laughed in the corner of the room but stopped quickly when Park Mi-soo gave him a sharp look.
"You could say that," Director Choi answered calmly. "But our role is broader than that. We deal with anything... abnormal."
I felt a strange tension creeping into my stomach. There was something about the way he spoke - as if he was saying one thing and meaning something entirely different.
"Well, Mr. Kim," said Director Choi, changing the subject. "Let's talk about your qualifications. What makes you suitable for this position?"
I took a deep breath and began reciting my prepared answer about my administrative skills and experience handling difficult situations. I had been speaking for about a minute when he interrupted me.
"Do you believe in ghosts, Mr. Kim?"
I stopped mid-sentence, unsure of what I'd heard. "Excuse me?"
"Ghosts. Spirits. Invisible entities. Do you believe they exist?"
I looked around, wondering if this was some kind of joke. Everyone's faces were serious.
"I... no, I don't believe in them. I think most things attributed to ghosts have scientific or psychological explanations."
"Excellent," said Director Choi, noting something in his file. "And what about life beyond Earth?"
"I think the universe is vast, so life probably exists somewhere. But I don't think they visit Earth or abduct people."
"And supernatural abilities? Telepathy, telekinesis, predicting the future?"
"I don't believe in those either," I answered, wondering where this interview was heading. "I think science can explain most phenomena we see."
"Even those that current science cannot explain?"
"I believe science will evolve to explain them in the future."
Director Choi smiled a strange smile. "A rational person. That's good. We need logical minds on our team."
"Thank you," I said, unsure if this was a compliment or not.
"I have one final question, Mr. Kim. What would you do if you encountered something that couldn't be logically explained? Something that challenged everything you thought you knew about the world?"
I thought for a moment. "I would try to gather more information. Look for alternative explanations. Consult experts. I don't think there's anything that can't be explained eventually."
"Even if you saw it with your own eyes?"
"Eyes can be deceived. There are many possible optical illusions and hallucinations."
Director Choi nodded slowly. "Well, Mr. Kim. I think we're done with the formal questions. Do you have any questions for us?"
"Yes. What exactly are the daily responsibilities of this position?"
"You'll be responsible for documenting the cases we handle, organizing files, coordinating between team members, and occasionally participating in field investigations. Basically, you're the administrative backbone of the team."
"And how many team members are there?"
"Currently, five people including myself. You would be the sixth if you accept the offer."
"A small team for a company this size," I observed.
"As I said, our department is... special. We operate relatively independently from the rest of the company."
I nodded, thinking of another question. "What's the... strangest thing you've dealt with as a team?"
Director Choi exchanged another look with Park Mi-soo before answering. "Let me just say it was something that made me reconsider my understanding of reality."
I felt a shiver run down my spine. There was something in his tone - a deep seriousness - that made me uncomfortable.
"Well, Mr. Kim," said Director Choi, ending the interview. "We'll be in touch in the next few days. Thank you for your time."
I stood up and extended my hand to shake his. His hand was unnaturally cold.
"Ms. Park will escort you to the exit."
I followed Park Mi-soo again through the corridor. I was thinking about the strange interview when she suddenly stopped in front of the elevator.
"Mr. Kim, are you afraid of anything?" she asked in a casual tone, as if asking about the weather.
"Excuse me?"
"Fear. Everyone is afraid of something. What scares you?"
I thought for a moment. "I guess... confined spaces. And darkness sometimes."
"Claustrophobia and nyctophobia. Very common." She pressed the elevator button. "A small piece of advice, Mr. Kim. If we offer you the job, think carefully before accepting it. Our department isn't for everyone."
"What do you mean?"
She smiled that mysterious smile again. "Just that it's a... unique job. It requires a special mindset."
The elevator arrived and its doors opened. I entered, and before the doors closed, Park Mi-soo said something that made my heart stop for a moment.
"I hope we don't see you again, Mr. Kim. For your sake."
The elevator doors closed before I could respond. I felt confused and anxious throughout the elevator ride to the ground floor. What did she mean? Was she warning me?
I exited the building into the bright morning sun. The weather was warm and pleasant, but I felt a strange chill. I looked up at Dimensions Tower rising into the sky. For a moment, it seemed to me that the sky around the top of the tower was slightly distorted, just like in the painting I had seen. I blinked, and the distortion disappeared.
"Just an optical illusion," I whispered to myself.
On my way to the subway station, my phone vibrated announcing a new email. I stopped to check it.
From: HR Department, Dimensions Advanced Technology
Subject: Job Offer - Administrative Assistant, Phenomena Management Department
Dear Mr. Kim,
We are pleased to offer you a position as Administrative Assistant in the Phenomena Management Department, starting next week. Please respond with your acceptance or rejection within 24 hours.
Best regards,
HR Department
I stared at the message in astonishment. How could they make an offer so quickly? Only twenty minutes had passed since the interview ended!
I stood in the middle of the sidewalk, unable to make a decision. On one hand, I desperately needed a job. Eight months of unemployment had drained my savings, and I was reluctantly living with my parents again. On the other hand, there was something strange about this department, about these people.
"Think carefully before accepting it."
I remembered Park Mi-soo's warning. Why had she warned me? What made this department so different that she hoped not to see me again "for my sake"?
But the decision had already been made. I would start work on Monday. What could possibly go wrong?
I closed my eyes, trying to sleep. And at that very moment, I heard a faint sound - a whisper - coming from the corner of the room.
"Jun-ho..."
I sat up, my heart pounding. The room was dark, but I was sure I saw a shadow moving in the corner.
"Who's there?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
No answer. Just silence.
I got up and turned on the lamp. There was no one there. The room was empty.
"You're imagining things," I told myself. "All this stress is affecting you."
I returned to bed, but I left the lamp on. And as I dozed off, I couldn't shake the feeling that my life was about to change in ways I wasn't prepared for at all.
And I was right.