episode_0048

On the day of the buyer’s meeting, I woke up long before the alarm rang. The world outside the window was still shrouded in a bluish darkness, but perhaps thanks to Ms. Lizetta’s meticulous ‘service’ last night, or perhaps due to the anticipation of the upcoming decisive battle, my mind was unusually clear and sharp.

When I came out of the bathroom after showering, Ms. Lizetta was already waiting, having prepared a perfectly ironed suit. It had been so long since I last wore a suit, probably since my new employee interview. It wasn’t intentional, but it was a good thing I had a new suit tailored during my last shopping trip.

“It feels awkward wearing it after such a long time.” “It suits you very well, Hyeonseong-nim.” Ms. Lizetta said in an emotionless voice as she straightened my tie while I was wearing the suit. I smiled at her, satisfied with my reflection in the mirror.

After putting on the suit, I returned to the bedroom and spent some time alone. Then I picked up my smartphone, which was plugged into the charger, and launched the hypnosis app. ‘Maximized concentration, amplified logical thinking, unwavering composure, fluent speech in any situation.’ As I activated the self-suggestions I had set up for today’s meeting one by one, the change came quickly. A strange sensation of my mind simultaneously cooling and heating filled my body with overflowing confidence. I had already confirmed the effect when I prepared the supplementary materials for the meeting. That’s why I’m confident. My plan today will surely succeed.

A sharp pang! “Ugh.” It was at that very moment. A sudden, sharp headache, as if a keen ice pick was stabbing my temple, assaulted me. I lightly pressed my forehead, then quickly composed my expression as if nothing had happened. Fortunately, the pain didn’t last long.

‘This has been happening frequently lately.’ As the frequency of using the hypnosis app increased, these faint headaches occurred more often. I thought the side effects themselves had completely disappeared, but perhaps using the app incurs mental damage.

“Are you alright, Hyeonseong-nim?” Ms. Lizetta’s voice, which had approached the door without me noticing, broke my thoughts. Her eyes were as usual, but a faint hint of concern seemed to flicker within them. “It’s nothing. Just a momentary dizzy spell.” “That app might be straining your body and mind.” Ms. Lizetta’s perception really is extraordinary. “Yes, that might be true. But this much is nothing.” “Even so, it would be better if you reduced your usage as much as possible…” Ms. Lizetta trailed off worriedly and bowed her head. “…That was presumptuous of me. I apologize.” “No, thank you for worrying.” There was a point to her words, but I couldn’t reduce the app’s use now. At least not until this matter is over and Kang Jooyoung is subjugated.

I composed myself and turned my gaze to the app screen. I found Kang Jooyoung’s name in the registered target list and opened her status window. ========================= [Status Window] Name: Kang Jooyoung. … [Status] -Extreme anger and fatigue due to a fierce argument with her husband. -Decreased rational judgment due to hypnotic suggestion. -Ongoing confusion and cognitive dissonance regarding her own actions (kissing, fellatio, etc.). -Amplified abnormal trust and psychological dependence on Lee Hyunsung. ========================= A smile naturally appeared on my lips as I confirmed the updated status window content. If she’s this mentally cornered, it will be easy to exploit her when the time comes.

I put my phone in my pocket with satisfaction and headed for the entrance. “Well then, I’m off.” “I wish you good luck, Hyeonseong-nim.” [Don’t be so nervous you pee yourself~?] Leaving Ms. Lizetta’s send-off and Child’s nonsense behind, I left the house and went down the stairs.

Upon reaching the first floor, I saw the door slightly open. Immediately after, a familiar face popped out from the gap in the door. It was Jeong Seungah, the college student I had encountered before. Was this the first time I’d seen her since the morning I returned from the motel? She had messy hair as if she had just woken up, and a cat-ear shaped headset hung loosely around her neck. In her small hands, she held a rather large delivery box.

“Gasp?!” For a moment, our eyes met. Her round eyes widened in surprise, then quickly filled with wariness before she hurriedly disappeared back inside the door. Bang, and the sound of the door closing echoed unusually loudly on the staircase.

‘Looks like the misunderstanding still hasn’t been cleared up.’ It must be because of Ms. Lizetta’s maid outfit greeting incident from before. I should clear up the misunderstanding someday. Well, it’s a bother, so I’ll leave it for now. The only things I need to think about now are the meeting and Kang Jooyoung. Just those two.

I left the building with a pleasant anticipation for the events that would unfold today. It was certain that today would be a very long and interesting day.

****

The large conference room, the venue for the decisive battle, was filled with an atmosphere unlike usual. The tension preceding an important meeting, and the mixed expectations and anxieties about the project’s success or failure, hung heavily and ominously in the air.

On one side of the table, the Japanese team members, neatly dressed in suits, sat with nervous expressions. Opposite them, the Japanese buyers we had to deal with today were seated in relaxed postures. Two middle-aged men and one young woman. Their eyes were sharp and their thoughts were difficult to read.

Team Leader Kang Jooyoung sat at the head of the table, reviewing documents and maintaining her expression, but she couldn’t hide the trembling in her fingertips. It was clear that the aftermath of her big argument with her husband this morning and the pressure of the meeting were weighing her down.

Park Mina sat next to me, nervously swallowing dryly. She occasionally glared at me, her thighs constantly trembling.

Son Junhyuk, surprisingly, seemed brimming with confidence. He was giving his presentation materials a final check, a satisfied smile on his face.

‘Foolish man. He has no idea that the axe is about to fall on his own foot.’ I scoffed inwardly as I reviewed the suggestion contents. My mind was as cold and clear as ice. I felt as though I could perfectly handle any unexpected situation right now.

A moment later, the meeting officially began with Kang Jooyoung’s introduction.

“Good morning, I am Assistant Manager Son Junhyuk, in charge of today’s presentation. Thank you for taking your valuable time despite your busy schedules.” Receiving the microphone, Son Junhyuk opened with eloquent speech and refined manners. With a confident expression, he subtly glanced at the team members, including me, and continued.

“Now then, as the ‘core person in charge,’ I will personally begin the briefing on our project. The rest of you may simply observe comfortably.” The way he needlessly emphasized the phrase ‘core person in charge.’ His blatant intention to ignore me was obvious. Awkward coughs emerged among the other team members, but I listened to his presentation without changing my expression.

After that, Son Junhyuk smoothly proceeded with his prepared presentation. His skill in attractively packaging market analysis and the company’s strengths was evident. The Japanese buyers also nodded with interest, listening intently to his presentation. At that sight, a hint of relief seemed to flicker across Team Leader Kang Jooyoung’s face.

But that was as far as it went. When he reached the part explaining the project’s core data analysis and the understanding of the Japanese market’s cultural peculiarities, his presentation quickly began to reveal flaws. It was the moment his weaknesses, which I had already identified and reconfirmed through Mina, became clearly apparent.

“So, based on this data, Japan’s younger consumer base… um…” The moment he hesitated, as if speechless.

“Assistant Manager Son. Excuse me, but the source and analysis criteria for the data you’ve just shown don’t seem clear.” Mr. Tanaka, who appeared to be the most senior among the buyers, sharply interjected, not missing the opportunity. “It seems somewhat different from the recent market trends we’ve identified. Could you please explain this part in more detail?”

“Huh? Ah… that, that data was through a reliable institution that we ourselves…” Son Junhyuk’s face visibly flushed with embarrassment. He couldn’t give a proper answer, sweating and mumbling excuses. It seemed he was completely unprepared for questions outside of his prepared materials.

Mr. Tanaka, who was observing the situation, subtly furrowed his brow. The other buyers sitting next to him exchanged confused glances. The air in the conference room instantly turned cold.

“And also, regarding the promotion method you mentioned earlier.” To make matters worse, this time the young female buyer, Section Chief Sato, posed a question. “Considering current Japanese consumer trends and national sentiment, this method appears to risk causing backlash. Has a sufficient risk assessment been conducted for this part?”

“Ah, yes! We are well aware of that part, and…” Son Junhyuk sweat and again rambled out flimsy excuses. His confident demeanor from moments ago had completely vanished.

Ahem. A chilling silence, an awkward cough. Only the heavy rustling of papers echoed, replacing the silence in the conference room. The other team members fidgeted nervously, glancing at each other, and Kang Jooyoung’s face had turned stark white. Her composure, already precarious from the morning’s argument, seemed to have completely shattered. She gnawed on her lip, at a loss, until finally, as if asking for salvation, she turned her gaze towards me. Her eyes were desperately trembling. It was as if she was silently shouting, ‘Do something, Assistant Manager Lee.’ It was a sight unimaginable for her usual haughty and cool-headed self. But now, amid the suggestion and the desperate situation, she was unconsciously relying on me.

I met her gaze and nodded very faintly. I reaffirmed the suggestions I had set this morning and slowly rose from my seat. With the sound of the chair scraping, all eyes in the conference room focused on me. Especially distinct were the gazes from Son Junhyuk and the other team members, conveying ‘Why is that guy doing that?’ I walked past the frozen Son Junhyuk, confidently approaching the podium. And towards the chilling atmosphere, I opened my mouth with a soft yet confident voice.

“Buyers, may I briefly supplement the explanation?” My confident voice resonated through the conference room via the microphone.