Chapter 6: The Reckoning
Director Cha's downfall was televised.
Not literally—though Seo‑ah wondered, given the celestial audience, if it counted. But the scene that unfolded in the Daehan Corporation headquarters the next morning had all the drama of a primetime drama.
Seo‑ah arrived at 8:45 AM, ten minutes before the Ministry officials were scheduled to appear. She wore her best suit—the one she had bought for her father's funeral three years ago—and walked through the lobby with her head high.
The office was already buzzing. Word had spread. People whispered behind their hands as she passed. Some looked at her with sympathy. Others with admiration. A few with fear.
She ignored them all.
At 9 AM sharp, three officials from the Ministry of Employment and Labor walked into the executive wing. They were accompanied by two lawyers and a representative from the CEO's office. Director Cha, who had been in a meeting with his department heads, emerged from his office to find them waiting.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.
The senior official held up a folder. "Director Cha Myung‑soo, we have received a formal complaint regarding labor law violations spanning ten years. We are here to conduct an on‑site investigation."
Cha's eyes found Seo‑ah standing by the window. His face turned purple.
"You," he hissed.
"Me," she agreed.
He took a step toward her, but before he could do anything, Ju‑hyuk appeared from the CEO's office.
"Director Cha," he said, his voice carrying the weight of someone who had already won. "The CEO would like to see you. Now."
Cha looked from Ju‑hyuk to Seo‑ah to the Ministry officials. The calculation in his eyes was almost audible: How bad is this? Can I talk my way out? Who do I need to sacrifice?
"This is a misunderstanding," he said, smoothing his tie. "I'm sure we can resolve this internally."
Ju‑hyuk smiled. It was the same cold, pleasant smile he used in board meetings. "I'm afraid that's no longer possible. The CEO has also received the evidence regarding the embezzlement."
The word hung in the air like a bomb.
Cha's composure cracked. For a moment, Seo‑ah saw the man underneath—not the powerful director, but a small, cornered creature who had finally run out of room to hide.
"You'll regret this," he said, but his voice had lost its authority.
"I don't think I will," Seo‑ah said.
She turned and walked away.
The viewership counter hit 71%.
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That evening, Seo‑ah sat alone in her apartment, staring at the number. 71%. For the first time in her life, people were watching. The celestial audience was growing.
She should have felt triumphant. Instead, she felt hollow.
Her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number: "You didn't have to destroy him."
She deleted it without responding.
Then another message, from Ju‑hyuk: "How are you feeling?"
She typed: "Like I just killed someone and I'm not sure if it was murder or self‑defense."
His reply came quickly: "It was self‑defense. But that doesn't make it feel better."
She stared at the message for a long time. It was the most human thing he had said to her.
"Tomorrow," she wrote back. "My sister."
"I'll handle the arrangements," he replied. "Get some sleep."
She lay down on her bed, still in her suit, and closed her eyes. The viewership counter glowed faintly in the darkness: 71%.
She dreamed of a stage and a spotlight, and someone singing a song she had never heard.
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