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#002 Geranium

It had been a while since you nearly forgot that time with Se Mi. Her number had sunk to the bottom of your contact list as client contacts continuously flooded in. Besides, your company was running low on funds and probably wouldn’t last much longer. Your desperate attempts to text, call, or meet potential partners yielded no positive results.

Dragging your feet home after a long, grueling workday, you wanted to reward yourself with a decent meal. But a quick glance at your nearly empty bank account made you reconsider. Instead, you carried your growling stomach back home.

After months of delayed salaries, you had no hope left that the company would bounce back. The mountain of corporate debt often left you dealing with thugs who barged into the office to wreak havoc.

"Better head home and write my resignation letter."

You massaged your throbbing temples and continued your way home.

---

After freshening up and changing into comfortable clothes, you slumped into the chair at your desk and powered on your old computer. Although you were ready to drop into bed, you were determined to draft your resignation tonight.

You weren’t the first to quit. Senior and junior colleagues had already jumped ship when the company hit rock bottom. Who could endure such a soul-crushing job anyway?

---

The resignation letter was done, and your fingers wasted no time hitting "send" on the email to your boss.

"Who cares if he approves or not?"

You collapsed onto your bed, silently promising yourself that tomorrow would be the day you broke free from this mess. Your eyes closed, and you drifted into the dreams you’d long yearned for.

---

At 7 a.m., your phone blared incessantly, dragging you out of sleep. Annoyed, you grabbed it, ready to chuck it across the room, but curiosity made you check the screen.

Seeing the string of missed calls from colleagues and friends, you sat up, your grogginess giving way to panic. At that moment, a call from one of your seniors came through.

"Are you awake yet? That old boss of ours took the money and ran!"

The phone slipped from your hand in shock. Regaining your composure, you stammered, "What do we do now? What about our salaries?"

"Listen carefully, and stay calm," she said, her voice trembling.

Her words made your heart pound faster, the alarm bells in your mind ringing louder.

"Our personal information was used to secure loans from loan sharks and banks."

Your head spun, your vision blurred. "You must be joking, right? Please tell me this is a joke... Hello?"

Tears welled up in your eyes, falling freely as silence was her only response.

"Is it all over for me?"

---

You knew the company’s financial woes inside and out. The debts, with both principal and interest, were enough to ruin a prominent politician, let alone someone like you.

The loans were scattered across multiple institutions, ranging from tens to hundreds of millions of won. You had no idea which one you were implicated in, but any of them could bankrupt you.

"Go check it for yourself," your senior advised before ending the call.

Hands trembling, you grabbed your laptop, which seemed slower than ever. You quickly entered your ID number, and the figure that appeared on the screen felt like a death sentence: 250 million won.

Your ears rang, your vision darkened, and you collapsed under the weight of the revelation.

---

Although you reported it to the police, there wasn’t a glimmer of hope. Your life was spiraling toward an end.

The debt collection agencies had taken over, and a nightmare began unfolding. Daily calls, threats, and physical assaults became your reality. Despite your attempts to explain, the ruthless collectors only cared about the money, no matter the brutality involved.

You had to surrender your rented apartment, selling off most of your belongings, only to scrape together a fraction of the owed amount.

You couldn’t bring yourself to tell your family, fearing they might do something drastic. You bore the shame and despair alone, trying to figure out how to start over.

But where to begin? You didn’t know.

---

While cleaning out your contacts one day, you stumbled upon Se Mi’s name. Memories resurfaced, making you sheepishly scratch your head. You slapped your cheeks to steady your thoughts, as your heart screamed to call her.

But seeing your disheveled reflection, you put the phone down.

---

You managed to find a cleaning job at a small café. The work was backbreaking, and the pay laughably low.

Despite your qualifications and experience, no company would hire you due to your massive debt. A simple background check would reveal everything. Who would employ a young woman weighed down by failure and a crushing debt?

---

One day, as you waited in a crowded subway tunnel for the next train, a deep voice called out to you.

"Want to play a game?"

---

Now, here you were, having lost a silly children’s game to a tall stranger.

"I can’t believe I lost at something so trivial."

In return, you received a business card and an invitation to participate in some bizarre game. You hadn’t paid much attention to the details, but the prize was irresistible: 45.6 billion won.

It sounded absurd, but you believed it. With nothing left to lose but your life, you agreed.

A van pulled up, and you stepped inside. Glancing around, you noticed a familiar figure sleeping soundly in one of the seats. Before you could process anything, the gas you inhaled knocked you out.

---

When you woke up, you were in a massive room filled with towering bunk beds. The brightly colored décor and playful shapes clashed starkly with the tense atmosphere.

You looked down to find yourself in a white shirt with the number 178 printed in large letters, paired with a green tracksuit.

"What is this place?"

Gripping your messy hair, you scanned your surroundings. Most people were still asleep, but a few, like you, were awake, their faces etched with confusion.

Suddenly, you spotted the familiar silhouette. Rushing over, you called out, "Se Mi."

Her face twisted in confusion.

"What are you doing here?"

"I got scammed and lost everything," you said, your voice low and trembling, though you tried to keep your composure.

"You? Scammed? That’s rich. What was it, a stock investment, darling?"

"Investment, my ass," you muttered, your frustration bubbling to the surface.

"How much?"

Without a word, you raised both hands—two fingers on one, five on the other.

"Twenty-five million?" she asked, a hint of disbelief in her tone.

"Two hundred and fifty," you corrected, biting your lip as if the number itself tasted bitter.

She sighed deeply, her gaze softening as if it could cradle your broken spirit. Se Mi, ever the enigma, slid closer and draped an arm over your fragile shoulders.

"And how has my little one been managing?"

"Worse than a stray dog," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "I returned my apartment to get the deposit back, sold everything I could, and it still wasn’t even a tenth of the money I lost."

"You, who used to pay for everything? Now look at you," she teased, a smirk playing at her lips.

"You sure know how to pick a spot to spend the night," you shot back, though your voice lacked the strength of your usual wit.

"Let’s not talk about the past," she said, brushing your words aside as if they were leaves in the wind.

"Fine. Next time, stay at my place," she offered, her voice lilting with amusement. "I guarantee you won’t lose a single penny."

She winked, her playful tone disarming and infuriating all at once. Heat flooded your cheeks, your ears burning as her words sank in.

"Why’s your face so red?" she teased, her finger brushing against your flushed cheek. "Need me to cool it down?"

Before you could retort, she leaned in, placing a soft, fleeting kiss on the other side of your face. Your body froze, limbs unresponsive, as if her touch had stolen the very command over them.

And then, a shrill, discordant melody shattered the air. You flinched, grimacing at the sound that clawed at your ears.

"What the hell is that?" you muttered, eyes darting around as confusion rippled through the crowd.

The others, too, seemed disoriented, their faces painted with the same mix of fear and bewilderment.

---

The figures in pink—silent and menacing—herded you all into a vast, open yard. Across the expanse loomed a grotesque doll, its oversized head turning slowly as if alive.

You instinctively drew closer to Se Mi, the familiar warmth of her presence the only anchor in this storm of uncertainty.

"What kind of nightmare have we walked into now?"

---

The world became a cacophony of screams and silence. Bodies fell like broken puppets, blood pooling around them in a grotesque dance of death. Your legs trembled, the weight of terror pressing down on your chest, but you forced yourself forward. To stop was to die.

The metallic stench clung to your skin, your clothes soaked with the remnants of lives lost. It churned your stomach, every breath a struggle against the urge to collapse.

When the haunting melody resumed, you ran as though your soul depended on it. But the ground betrayed you; your foot caught on the cold, lifeless body of another, and you fell.

The music stopped.

You closed your eyes, bracing for the sharp, final sound that would end it all. But there was nothing—no gunfire, no icy ground. Only her arms, strong and steady, holding you upright.

"You’ve gotten clumsier since I last saw you," Se Mi said, her voice a blend of exasperation and relief.

"I’ll give you my entire life for this," you blurted, the words tumbling out unbidden.

"Now, that’s an offer I’ll consider."

The signal blared again, and before you could respond, she seized your hand and dragged you forward. Together, you crossed the finish line, collapsing into the gritty dirt, gasping for breath.

"Thank you," you managed, your voice shaking.

Her cool hand brushed against your blood-streaked cheek, her touch tender as she wiped away the stains.

"Playing hero for my damsel in distress? It’s my pleasure."

"Beast in bed, hero on the battlefield," you quipped, the words slipping out before you could stop them.

"I’ll take that as a compliment," she said, smirking.

"Nobody’s complimenting you," you shot back, but your voice lacked its usual venom.

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