"I want to be something more."
Rows of workers sat before their glowing monitors, fingers tapping like synchronized machinery. The hum of air conditioning drowned out human voices, yet in the middle of it all, one man's thoughts rose like a flare in the dark.
Kim Seo-jin. His nameplate glinted dully on the desk as if even the metal had grown tired. He stared at the screen, a polite mask over the quiet ache in his chest.
'I will do it today' As Seo-jin rose from his desk, a ripple passed through the office. At the far corner, two women leaned toward each other, giggling behind cupped hands as their eyes tracked him.
"Tell him today," one whispered, giving her friend a gentle push. The name tag pinned to her chest glowed faintly: Lee Ye-ji.
The younger woman hesitated, clutching something behind her back as though it were a charm. Ye-ji's sharp glare followed Seo-jin like a warning shadow.
Beside her, the other's nameplate gleamed with softer light: Park Ji-won. She stepped forward, shoulders stiff, breath shallow.
Seo-jin's gaze settled on her, voice calm and patient. "Yes, Ji-won-ssi?"
Ji-won lowered her eyes, her fingers twisting nervously against the hidden object. Then, gathering her courage, she lifted her gaze, cheeks blooming pink.
"Seonbae-nim… do you want to have dinner tonight?"
Seo-jin blinked, curiosity flickering behind his composed expression. 'Ji-won-ssi… the rumors painted her as creepy, but during her internship, even now, she has been kind, shy, and hardworking. Still… I didn't expect this.'
He closed his tired eyes for a moment and offered a small, respectful smile. 'Relationship? All through school and university, I studied to repay my parents' sacrifices and make them happy. They gave me everything despite our poverty. But the day I graduated…'
He shook the memory away. 'No. Focus on the present. Maybe this is my first step toward something different.'
"Of course, Ji-won-ssi. Let's go after work," he said softly. Seo-jin had never been in a relationship, but he was far from oblivious to romance. He had seen that look enough times to recognize it.
Hearing this, Ji-won and Ye-ji clasped each other's hands, hopping slightly in delight. Genuine smiles lit their faces as they exchanged small, joyful glances.
Ji-won walked past them, his gaze distant again. 'If she can be something more for me… I don't know if a relationship is that "something more." But if my last hope exists…'
"I want to be something more."
For anyone else, those words would be just a cliché, something fleeting, easily forgotten. But for Kim Seo-jin, they were a chant, a prayer, the last thread of hope in a world that had already taken everything.
Seo-jin walked toward the office and paused for a second in front of the door. A polished nameplate read: "CEO." He opened it and stepped inside.
A man in his fifties sat behind the desk, typing on a computer with one hand while sipping expensive coffee with the other.
The man looked up, eyes landing on Seo-jin. "Oh, my brilliant employee, Seo-jin. Did you finish the project for that Russian company?"
"Yes. Everything's ready. It just needs your Final signature."
The CEO took the paper, scanning it quickly before signing. "This is an amazing idea. What do you want for a reward? Bonus? A vacation to Hawaii?"
Seo-jin's calm gaze met his. He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "Yes, I'd like a vacation… an infinite vacation. I'm resigning."
The CEO froze for a beat, then laughed loudly. "Hahaha! Nice joke."
"I'm serious."
The CEO chuckled harder, wiping a tear from his eye. "Your reason?"
"I already have enough money to retire, and I don't see a future for my dreams here."
The CEO laughed even louder. "Don't you know history? In the past, brilliant workers like you could never retire easily. There's no way I'll let a great employee like you walk away."
Seo-jin sighed, annoyed. "I knew you'd say that."
"Of course, you've known me for years."
'Even as CEO, he always acted like this, closing distances unnecessarily, asserting control.'
Seo-jin took out another file and handed it to the CEO, then walked toward the door. "I'm sure you'll accept that resignation letter after seeing this."
The CEO flipped open the file, he frowned and lowered his gaze to the file. His expression gradually stiffened as he turned each page. The dossier was meticulously organized, containing evidence of illegal transactions, bribery, tax evasion, forged contracts, offshore accounts, money laundering, witness statements, murder, photographs, and bank transfers.
It didn't stop with him. Every crime involving his family was documented as well, his wife's fraudulent charities, his daughter's embezzlement through shell companies, the murder she had committed, and every step the CEO had taken to conceal her crimes. Even the names of everyone who had helped bury the truth were meticulously recorded. By the time he reached the final page, the color had drained from his face.
Recipients:
Prosecutor's Office
Financial Crimes Investigation Unit
Two national news agencies
At the bottom of the page was a single line.
In the event of Seo-jin's death, disappearance, or incapacitation, every copy of this dossier will be delivered immediately to the recipients listed above.
The CEO's hands trembled uncontrollably. His breathing grew ragged as his gaze darted between the list of recipients and the final sentence. He understood. 'The moment he made a move against Seo-jin, everything he had built would collapse.'
"WAIT, SEO-JIN! DON'T DO THIS! I'VE ALWAYS TAKEN CARE OF YOU! IS THIS REALLY HOW YOU REPAY ME?!"
Seo-jin smiled as he said, "Power has a habit of overlooking the hands that uphold it."
Seo-jin closed the door and walked away, leaving the CEO's pressure behind.
Then at his desk, he gathered his belongings into a cardboard box, ready to leave for good.
Everyone's fingers froze, eyes drifting away from their monitors. Of course, the scene before them was utterly bizarre.
Seo-jin, the company's most hardworking and renowned employee, packed his belongings into a cardboard box. Unless there was a very good reason, this was simply unbelievable.
Many employees rushed over, showering him with questions. He was loved by everyone, so this situation shocked them all.
Seo-jin's lips curved into a warm, respectful smile. "Everyone, I'm leaving this company. I know this might surprise you, but I've given it my full thought."
"Then why are you leaving?" All eyes turned toward the voice. Seo-jin saw Park Ji-won, the same person who had just asked him out minutes ago.
Lee Ye-ji stood nearby, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Tch." She stomped the floor in irritation and walked away.
Ji-won, however, was already in front of Seo-jin. Her normally cute face now wore a worried, heartbroken expression.
"Are you… okay? Did something happen? Do you…?" Her voice caught, as if her throat crushed the words.
A genuine smile appeared on Seo-jin's face for the first time in a long while. He gently tapped her shoulder, the touch warm and empathetic. "It's alright now. I'm totally fine. See?"
Ji-won's eyes didn't leave his. Seeing this, Seo-jin let out a calm sigh."Okay. I'll tell you the reason. I just want to move forward with my dreams, that's all."
Everyone else stood there, puzzled. What could someone like Seo-jin want, when he had already achieved so much? But only one voice broke the silence.
"Dream?" Ji-won's sharp gaze widened. She deliberately leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
Seo-jin didn't move. He slowly, gently tapped her head while turning toward the door. "Let's talk over dinner tonight," he said softly, calmly, then walked away.
Ji-won's face flushed, a warm rush of excitement spreading across her cheeks. She watched Seo-jin leave, longing in her eyes, still processing what had just happened.
***
As Seo-jin walked out of the main gate with his box of belongings, he noticed the day had turned gray. Large, dark clouds swallowed the sky, and rain began to patter loudly, as if heaven itself were crying over his impending future.
Watching the rain wash quietly over the city, Seo-jin couldn't help but smile. "Clouds drift with the wind. Rain falls to the earth. Streams gather into rivers. Even the river must leave its source to reach the sea."
"Perhaps people aren't so different."
The words slipped quietly into the rain. For the first time in years, the road ahead belonged to him alone.
"So… what's going to happen now?" Seo-jin turned his head toward the voice. A familiar figure stood a few meters away, just out of the falling rain. Leaning against a pillar, Lee Ye-ji held a cigarette in her right hand, smoke curling into the air in delicate, chaotic patterns.
Seo-jin walked over and leaned against the pillar beside her. 'Ye-ji… I've known her since before Ji-won even came to the company. We started at the same time, and we had a good rival relationship back then.'
"It's been a few years since we both started working," she said, holding out a cigarette. Seo-jin took it and placed it near his mouth. She flicked her lighter, lighting it for him.
"It's been years since I last smoked." Quiet emotion lingered behind his tone.
"I see… no, I already know. You don't take smoke breaks, unlike me."
"Well, I like to keep my health first. Still… it's nice to smoke with someone after so long."
"I didn't know you were that health-conscious. Trying to act old?"
"Health is just one thing. The main reason is survival.
"Survival? You're perfectly healthy, and you've got more than enough money to retire. So what exactly are you worried about?"
In this age, money just makes living a little easier, but if spending more means I survive longer, then I'll gladly risk burning some."
"Wow… you're also being quite unfiltered."
Ye-ji took a slow drag, exhaling into the rainy air. "You know… that line you muttered earlier? About the river and the sea?" She arched an eyebrow, a teasing smile on her lips. "It's… really good."
Seo-jin let the smoke drift away. "It just came to me. Nothing more."
"Nothing more?" she laughed softly. "You're too modest. You won the company poetry contest last year, remember? Everyone thought your piece was flawless."
He gave a faint smile. "I only write for myself. If someone else likes it, that's… a bonus."
Seo-jin inhaled, then exhaled slowly, eyes following the stormy sky. "So… not ready to say goodbye?"
Ye-ji fell silent for a moment before giving a small, bitter smile. "I just… reality hasn't fully sunk in yet." She looked at him quietly "Unlike Ji-won, I noticed you long ago, Someone who always looked exhausted, yet never made a single mistake at work.
She continued speaking, her voice lingering softly. "I always saw you as a rival... and I respected you for it. I admired how effortlessly you handled both life and work." She let out a quiet laugh. "It was fun. You were the only person who ever made me feel challenged."
Seo-jin could read everything from her eyes, sadness, regret, and the quiet reluctance of someone watching a person they had grown accustomed to disappear from their everyday life.
As their cigarettes burned down, they gently tapped the glowing embers together with a soft hiss, an unspoken habit neither of them had ever questioned. Seo-jin caught both cigarette butts before they hit the ground and flicked them into the nearby bin without a glance.
"Give me your phone," he said. Ye-ji handed it over, puzzled.
Seo-jin typed something before returning it. As he stepped into the rain, he glanced back over his shoulder. "I don't have an umbrella, so I'll just walk like this." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "You've already clocked out, haven't you? Want to walk to the station together?"
Ye-ji lowered her gaze to the screen, his contact information filled the display. She froze for a brief moment before a small smile found its way onto her face.
"Yeah... let's go." She slipped the phone into her pocket. "There's no way we'll get a taxi in this rain."
As they walked, they spoke about trivial things. For a while, the rain seemed to soften the silence between them.
Ye-ji smiled to herself... until her eyes caught something beneath Seo-jin's rain-soaked shirt.
The thin white fabric clung tightly to his body, revealing a long scar stretching across his torso.
It was grotesquely deep. Deep enough that any ordinary person would have bled to death within moments. Looking at it, it wasn't hard to imagine a blade nearly cutting him clean in half.
Ye-ji's steps slowed. "What... what happened?" Her voice came out quieter than she intended. "That doesn't look like an accident."
Seo-jin didn't turn, his eyes remained fixed on the road ahead. "I'd rather not talk about it." It instantly drags Seo-jin back to that memory, even if only for a split second.
She instinctively looked at his face and the moment their eyes met, her breath caught, a chill crawled down her spine.
His expression hadn't changed, yet his eyes had. They were cold, terrifyingly so. Beneath that calm exterior lurked a murderous intent so overwhelming that, for a fleeting instant, it felt as though she had become the target of something inhuman.
Ye-ji immediately changed the subject, forcing a smile as she steered the conversation toward lighter topics. Seo-jin answered as calmly as ever, as though nothing had happened.
As the station gradually came into view, Ye-ji shot him a sidelong glance. "By the way... what are you planning to do about Ji-won's date invitation? Don't even think about turning her down."
Seo-jin let out a quiet chuckle. "As if I would." His smile softened ever so slightly. "Her feelings seemed sincere. I'd be glad if she... truly became someone important in my life."
After a brief silence, he asked, "Come to think of it... I heard you two have been childhood friends. Why are there so many negative rumors about her?"
Ye-ji clicked her tongue, debating whether to answer. "It's nothing serious... not if you're worried about what kind of person she is."
"I'm not." Seo-jin's smile didn't fade. "She seems like a genuinely kind person."
Ye-ji let out a sigh, memories of their school days surfacing. "Anyway... if you end up dating her, try not to bring up her family or anything from high school, at least not in the beginning."
Before Seo-jin could ask why, she continued. "There was this stupid rumor back then... that Ji-won and her family were involved with some cult. A bunch of idiots latched onto it and made her school life miserable."
She suddenly threw an uppercut into the air before proudly flexing her arm. "I beat the crap out of every one of those idiots." A smug grin spread across her face before softening.
"Sure, she and her family are a little... different. But they're genuinely good people." She waved a hand dismissively, as though brushing away misunderstandings before they even had a chance to take root.
Seo-jin listened in silence, then gave a small nod As the train finally arrived, they stopped where the platform split.
Seo-jin raised a hand with a faint smile. "Call me this weekend. Bring Ji-won with you. Let's take a short trip somewhere."
Ye-ji waved back. "I will. That's a promise."
A mischievous grin spread across her face. "And don't forget your dinner today. If you stand her up, I'm emptying your wallet this weekend."
Seo-jin let out a quiet laugh before turning toward the train. After boarding, he settled into a seat by the window. As the train slowly pulled away, he watched the rain blur the city into soft streaks of light.
For some reason... it looked more beautiful than ever.
When the train began moving, Seo-jin closed his eyes, letting its rhythmic rattling carry him toward his next destination.
The rain tapped softly against the windows, soothing... almost hypnotic. It felt like the calm before a storm.
As though answering that very thought, an impossible scene unfolded before his eyes.
He was lying on his bed. 'What...?'
Confusion rippled through his mind. 'What's happening? There's no way I'm in my house. I don't remember anything after sitting on the train. I don't remember getting off. I don't remember coming home.'
He tried to move, but his body refused to respond. Even lifting a finger felt impossible. His eyelids grew heavy before slowly falling shut once more, not from exhaustion, but as though an unseen force was gently pressing them closed.
Then it began.
A clear, bell-like chime echoed through the silence, distant yet impossibly close, as though it resonated from every direction at once. Warmth spread through his body, leaving him with the strange sensation of sinking into something boundless, a place that felt almost like heaven... or perhaps somewhere just beneath it.
Golden light poured over everything, gentle yet all-consuming. It swallowed the world around him until even the light itself faded, leaving behind nothing but endless emptiness
When he opened his eyes again, discomfort struck him immediately, he couldn't control his body.
A loud, piercing cry echoed through the cave, sharp and raw enough to make his ears ring. It took him a heartbeat to realize the cry was coming from his own mouth.
His eyes darted around. A cave. Cold, damp, its frigid air carrying faint wisps of frost with every breath.
Then he felt it. He was moving. No... he was being carried.
Cradled in the arms of a woman dressed in an obsidian-black gown that clung elegantly to her figure, adorned with intricate gold and crimson ornaments. A black veil concealed her face, yet even through it, he could sense an indescribable beauty. Dirt and blood stained her clothes, as though she had crossed a battlefield before reaching him.
Turning his tiny head the other way, he saw them.
Dozens of figures, perhaps thirty, perhaps fifty, knelt in absolute silence. Not a single one moved. Not a single breath could be heard. Yet the air surrounding them felt impossibly heavy, saturated with an eerie presence that pressed against his senses.
Each figure was draped in a long cloak that concealed their entire body, leaving nothing visible beneath its folds.
'Cultists...' The word surfaced instinctively.
He had seen people dressed like them before, preaching on street corners or passing through crowded intersections, but never... never gathered in such numbers.
Some wore black. Others wore crimson. Every one of them remained perfectly still.
As the veiled woman carried him to the stone-carved throne and took her seat, a sudden vision flashed before his eyes.
A magnificent throne room unfolded before him. Crimson walls glowed like living flame, intricate gold carvings flowed across towering pillars, while polished black-and-white marble reflected the hall's regal splendor. It was breathtaking, the kind of grandeur that belonged only to the royal family of a fantasy world.
His tiny head trembled, and the vision shattered. The rough stone beneath him. The biting chill of the cave. The silence surrounding him.
And then he understood. '...Did I reincarnate as a cult's young master?' His newborn cry echoed helplessly through the cave, yet deep within his mind, something stirred.
A strange anticipation.