[March 25, 2019 — 4:12 AM] Gosiwon, Room 206.
Yun-jae hadn’t slept. Two USB drives and a cold can of coffee sat on his desk. The damp, early-morning air pressed down on the room like a physical weight.
He sat before the monitor. Beneath the file title, 'Lee Seo-jun Case Reconstruction – FINAL', the cursor blinked incessantly.
Yun-jae typed the final sentence.
[The defendant, Lee Seo-jun, demonstrates clear patterns of security protocol violations and internal data leakage.] Enter.
The words pierced his chest like a blade. But he had to do it. For his father. For the bigger war ahead.
[Submit File] Click.
A moment later, a cheerful notification chimed on his phone.
[A-73: 2nd Payment Complete – 10,000,000 KRW]
To Yun-jae, that sound didn't represent money; it sounded like Lee Seo-jun’s final scream from five years ago. He exhaled a jagged breath and opened his banking app.
[TRANSACTION LOG]
March 20: +15,000,000 (1st Job)
March 20: -15,000,000 (Hospital Deposit)
March 21: +35,000,000 (Jeong Woo-jin)
March 25: +10,000,000 (Lee Seo-jun Job)
CURRENT BALANCE: 60,000,000 KRW
He ran the math in his head.
Total Required: 82,300,000 KRW
Remaining Debt: 67,300,000 KRW
Current Gap: 7,300,000 KRW
To some, it was the price of a luxury bag. To him, it was thirty centimeters of life for his father. Only one game remained.
Buzz. A new notification appeared.[NEW TASK ASSIGNED]
Type: Civil Litigation Advisory
Volume: 80 Pages
Deadline: 72 Hours
Reward: 10,000,000 KRW
Mode: A-CLASS
It was the final puzzle piece he and Woo-jin had discussed. But then, a window flickered at the bottom of the screen.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
[Collaboration Mode: ACTIVE][User 3870-09 Joined]
It was Woo-jin.
[SECURE PRIVATE CHANNEL]
3870-09: You must be extremely careful before even starting this one. A-73: What do you mean?
3870-09: This task is A-Class. AS surveillance will be on a different level. Watch your deletion patterns especially. A-73: Deletion patterns? Explain.
3870-09: A-Class isn't just algorithmic monitoring. A real person is involved. A manager-level overseer. A-73: A manager?
3870-09: One of the twelve, from A-01 to A-12. You are under 'Re-education Review.' Every sentence, every word, every backspace... they will dissect it all.
Yun-jae’s fingertips went cold.
A-73: What should I do then? 3870-09: Remember. The goal of this task isn't perfection. It’s survival.
[10:30 AM] Collaboration mode turned on. The 80-page document opened automatically. At the top, a label appeared: [A-12 CONNECTED].
The sentences began to change. Backspaces were pressed by an invisible hand, swallowing his words. It felt like his very thoughts were being violated through his fingertips. His original intent was replaced by cold, dry, legal prose.
3870-09: Do you see it? A-12 is overwriting you constantly. 3870-09: Do NOT attempt to correct it back. They will see it as resistance.
"Is this even humanly possible?" Yun-jae muttered.
Suddenly, a system alert popped up:[A-12: Pattern Analysis Complete]
3870-09: A-12 is checking your compliance pattern. Act like you’re following. This is a camouflage tactic.
[03:15 PM] A sentence in the document was highlighted in red.
[A-12: Suspected Emotional Interference][A-12: User A-73, your typing speed slowed by 0.5 seconds. Hesitation is the beginning of 'Error.' Continue.]
“While the defendant’s circumstances should be considered—”
3870-09: Stop. Terms like 'circumstances' or 'considered' are forbidden. Using emotional triggers will trigger immediate re-education.
Yun-jae took his hands off the keys and stared at the screen. A-12 rewrote the line: “Accordingly, the defendant’s liability is clear—”
"...What am I turning into?"
[04:20 PM] His phone rang. An unknown number. "This is Seoul Central Hospital. Am I speaking with Han Yun-jae?" "Yes." "The surgery paperwork for your father has been placed on hold again." "...What?" "The foundation requires an additional review."
The strength left his legs; he had to lean on the desk to stay upright. They were holding his heart in their hands and squeezing.
He messaged Woo-jin frantically.[A-73: The hospital just called. The surgery is on hold.]
3870-09: AS is testing your reaction. Do NOT act impulsively. If you show agitation, they will drag you into re-education. A-73: Then what? What do I do? 3870-09: Finish the task. Fast and accurately. That is your signal of compliance.
Yun-jae placed his hands back on the keyboard. His mind was a storm, but his hands moved like clockwork.
[11:48 PM] 20 pages completed. A message appeared:[A-73 Pattern Stabilized. Risk Level Decreasing.]
3870-09: Good. You survived today.
Yun-jae closed his eyes tightly and shut the laptop.
[02:00 AM] Staring at the ceiling, he whispered the names: "My father. Lee Seo-jun. Jeong Woo-jin. AS. And me."
Suddenly, the laptop screen flared to life on its own. The silhouette of a man appeared—the same manager from before.
"User A-73, can you hear me?" The voice was hauntingly familiar.
"I am here to provide your re-education schedule."
The voice droned on in the darkness. "March 27th, 10:00 AM. Hyeonjuk Building, Basement Level 2. You have 24 hours to respond."
A brief pause. "In the event of a refusal, A-Class Protocol will be initiated immediately."
The silhouette vanished, but Yun-jae couldn't move. Terror was seeping into him, slow and ice-cold.
[Next Chapter Preview] March 26th. The surveillance of A-12 intensifies. Yun-jae must dive into the 72-hour grind while evading the re-education team's pursuit. In the process, Jeong Woo-jin reveals another enemy lurking inside AS.
It’s evidence.
how well Yoon-Jae can pretend to be empty—