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  SCREEEEEECH—BOOM!

  A deafening noise tore through the morning air. The sound of tearing metal and shattering glass was so loud it vibrated in his chest.

  Tae-yoon froze. He slowly turned his head toward the main road.

  There, at the exact bus stop where he stood every single morning, chaos reigned.

  A large delivery truck had skidded out of control, hopping the curb and smashing head-on into the main telephone pole. The concrete pole was snapped like a dry twig, dangling precariously by the wires.

  And right below it—the exact spot where Tae-yoon usually leaned while checking his phone—was buried under a mountain of twisted bumper metal and shattered windshield glass.

  Smoke rose from the truck's engine. People were screaming.

  If the cat hadn't blocked him... If he had insisted on taking his usual route...

  He would be under that truck right now. Not as a Manager, not as a Phantom, but as a corpse.

  Tae-yoon rubbed his arms, goosebumps rising under his suit jacket. The morning chill suddenly felt much colder.

  "Life is unpredictable... To think a stray cat would be my savior."

  He let out a short, shaky breath. But the shock could only last a second. He was still late.

  "Thank you, Boss cat! I owe you a whole tuna!"

  He shouted into the air and began to sprint toward the subway station like a madman.

  He arrived at the Daon Solution lobby with five minutes to spare.

  Tae-yoon gasped for air as he passed through the security gate, his face flushed red. He saw the elevator doors closing and shoved his hand in.

  Ding.

  The doors reopened.

  Standing inside, looking perfectly composed (though her hair was slightly more disheveled than usual), was Assistant Lee Hyun-ah.

  Their eyes met.

  "Oh my, Manager Kang," Hyun-ah said, arching an eyebrow. "For a 'Recon Scout', your reconnaissance of the clock seems to have failed. You look like you rolled down a hill."

  Tae-yoon leaned against the wall, straightening his crooked tie and wheezing.

  "Haa... Haa... Assistant Lee... You're late too? Even the ace of our company... The sun must have risen in the west today."

  Hyun-ah turned her head, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I'm not late. There are still five minutes left. And I just... didn't sleep well last night. Don't misunderstand."

  Tae-yoon grinned, regaining his breath and his composure.

  "Ah, don't tell me you couldn't sleep because you were thinking of my sexy back view from yesterday? I know, my charm is fatal."

  "Wake up from your dream! I swear, one of these days I'll hit you!"

  As they entered the office, Tae-yoon quickly scanned the room. Team Leader Park was on the phone, bowing repeatedly to the air as he spoke to someone from headquarters. Safe.

  Tae-yoon threw his bag onto his desk and collapsed into his chair. Immediately, a warm cup of coffee was placed in front of him.

  Clack.

  "Here. The coffee I promised."

  Tae-yoon looked up to see Hyun-ah standing there, her expression unreadable.

  "Oh! Assistant Lee! You really bought it? I'm touched! My caffeine levels were critical."

  Just as he was about to take a sip, Hyun-ah leaned down. Her voice dropped to a whisper, sharp and serious.

  "Manager Kang. I'm asking you seriously. How did you know where I lived yesterday? It’s really weird the more I think about it. Did you stalk me?"

  Tae-yoon took a sip of the coffee, savoring the bitterness, and answered with the most innocent face imaginable.

  "Assistant Lee, I told you. The cat hyung-nims in my neighborhood are no joke. I gave them some snacks yesterday and asked, 'Where does this pretty noona live?' and they pointed with their tails."

  Hyun-ah’s eyebrow twitched violently.

  "Are you kidding me? A cat gave you directions? Do you think I'm an idiot?"

  Tae-yoon lowered his voice, his eyes widening in mock seriousness.

  "Eyy, I'm serious. Even this morning, that chubby boss cat attacked my leg to stop me from going to the bus stop. He made such a fuss that I took a detour. And guess what? A truck smashed into the exact pole I usually stand next to. If it weren't for that cat, I wouldn't be here drinking this coffee."

  Hyun-ah’s eyes widened. "Really? An accident? Ha... You expect me to believe that? We aren't filming a fantasy movie here."

  "It's true. I've officially appointed them as my informants and guardians. Your address? Definitely a tip-off from the guardian deity."

  Hyun-ah let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded by his brazenness.

  "You really... you take the prize for talking nonsense. Fine. Accident and cat informants... It's my fault for asking."

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  She stormed back to her seat, huffing. Tae-yoon watched her go, sipping his coffee with a goofy look. But inside, his mind was already shifting gears. The near-death experience was filed away. Now, he had to prepare for the night.

  11:50 AM.

  Buzz.

  His phone vibrated. A message from 'Min-su'.

  [Tae-yoon. Are you free tonight? Our friend is coming too. I found something about your sister. Let's talk in person.]

  Tae-yoon’s eyes sharpened instantly, the goofy salaryman vanishing for a split second.

  Da-yeon.

  The name of his younger sister—his stepsister, whom he hadn't seen since his fall from grace. Min-su had found a lead.

  His heart hammered against his ribs, but he forced his face to remain slack.

  He stood up and stretched loudly, yawning like a lion.

  "Ah! Who's buying lunch today? Team Leader! You got a bonus yesterday, right? You're treating us to something expensive, aren't you?"

  Team Leader Park laughed heartily, pulling out his wallet.

  "Look at this guy! You have no shame, and I like it! Fine! Today, because Manager Kang saved our necks, I'm buying beef! Everyone, get up!"

  "Beef! Beef! Beef!"

  The office cheered. Tae-yoon grabbed his coat, slipping a USB drive deeper into his pocket. It contained the initial analysis report Ha-jun had sent.

  ‘A few failures are part of the calculation. But while pretending to fail, we will take what we need.’

  He followed Hyun-ah out the door.

  "Assistant Lee! Should we ask the cat what to eat for lunch? How about grilled fish?"

  "Will you be quiet?! Seriously!"

  Their bickering echoed down the hallway. The Ghost’s life was flowing smoothly again, hidden perfectly behind the mask of normalcy.

  Lunch. 'Gangnam Sutbul Galbi'.

  "Cheers!"

  The sound of glasses clinking was drowned out by the sizzling of marinated beef on the charcoal grill. Smoke filled the air, carrying the delicious scent of fat and garlic.

  Tae-yoon was already acting tipsy, his face flushed (a trick of holding his breath), pouring drinks for Team Leader Park with excessive enthusiasm.

  "Eyy, Team Leader! What did I do? It was all you! You stood behind me like a mountain, so I could act confidently. I just rode the bus you drove!"

  Park Chil-sung, drunk on praise and soju, slapped Tae-yoon’s back.

  "Hahaha! This guy knows how to talk! I knew you had potential! Drink up!"

  Next to them, Hyun-ah was wrapping a piece of meat in lettuce, glaring at Tae-yoon with suspicion. The story about the truck accident was still bothering her.

  "Manager Kang, drink moderately. This morning you said a cat saved your life. If you drink too much, are you going to become blood brothers with a stray cat tonight?"

  At her sharp remark, Tae-yoon flipped the meat with his tongs and grinned.

  "Oho, Assistant Lee. Your concern makes the alcohol taste sweeter. But looking at how you're devouring that beef... are you perhaps a feline yourself? I sense a strong carnivorous aura."

  "What? Seriously!"

  Hyun-ah raised her chopsticks threateningly, and the table erupted in laughter.

  As the mood lightened, Tae-yoon’s eyes grew hazy, but his ears were like radar dishes.

  He listened as Park complained about the "arrogant executives" at headquarters. He listened as the junior staff gossiped about the "weird server lag" they experienced during specific hours.

  Every complaint, every drunken slip of the tongue—it was all data.

  10:30 PM.

  The dinner ended late. After sending all the other staff home, Tae-yoon hailed a taxi for Hyun-ah.

  "Manager... really, go home safely. Don't get into an accident."

  Hyun-ah’s voice was softer than usual, perhaps due to the alcohol.

  Tae-yoon bowed politely. "Don't worry. My guardians will protect me. Goodnight, Assistant Lee."

  As the taxi's taillights disappeared around the corner, the flush on Tae-yoon’s face vanished instantly. His posture straightened. The goofy uncle was gone. The Phantom remained.

  He pulled up his collar against the night wind and walked toward the redevelopment district. He entered a rundown building and descended the stairs to a basement PC Bang.

  The air inside was thick with cigarette smoke and the smell of ramen. In the corner seat, shielded by a partition, sat a young boy with restless eyes and a man with a sharp jawline.

  Ha-jun and Min-su.

  "You're here? You smell like a brewery," Min-su noted dryly.

  Tae-yoon sat next to Ha-jun, loosening his tie.

  "Ugh, keeping up with Team Leader Park's rhythm is harder than hacking the Pentagon. Ha-jun, how is the second-stage log analysis of Sungjin going?"

  Ha-jun didn't look up from his screen, his fingers flying across the mechanical keyboard.

  [Hyung, Sungjin raised their security level by three steps. They completely blocked access to the mainframe. But they haven't found the backdoor I planted yet.]

  Tae-yoon patted Ha-jun’s shoulder. "That's my brother. Fixing that junk laptop for you in the subway tunnel was the best investment of my life."

  Ha-jun grinned. [Hyung, we have to be careful this time. Sungjin hired an external expert. There's someone trying to read my attack patterns.]

  Min-su fidgeted with his lighter, then spoke up, his voice heavy.

  "Tae-yoon. Forget security for a second... Are you really not going to see Da-yeon? I check the cafe near her place every day. She looks half-dead, waiting for you. I gave you the address."

  Tae-yoon’s eyes wavered. Pain flashed across his face.

  Da-yeon. The stepsister who had believed in him when the world turned its back.

  "Min-su... I can't. Not now. If I appear, Da-yeon becomes a target. Those bastards at Sungjin destroyed me; they won't hesitate to hurt her to get to me."

  Min-su clicked his tongue. "Hey, you aren't related by blood, but you two were closer than anyone. She suffered so much because of you. Revenge is good, but shouldn't you save the living first?"

  The atmosphere grew heavy. Ha-jun broke the tension by typing loudly.

  [Hyungs, don't fight. I'll crack the Sungjin main server and scrape every scrap of data related to 'Da-yeon' and the 'incident'. If something is twisted, the data will tell us.]

  Tae-yoon pressed his hand over Ha-jun’s trembling hand.

  "Ha-jun. Thank you. But listen. This isn't easy work. Even if it looks like a hole, it might be a trap. Always doubt."

  He closed his eyes, exhaling deeply.

  "Min-su, Ha-jun. Let's stick to the plan. Don't break the server at once. Leave traces of 'failure' on purpose. Make them arrogant. When they think, 'This hacker is nothing special,' that's when I'll go to Da-yeon. Proudly."

  Tae-yoon’s eyes were cold again.

  "That's it for today. Ha-jun, don't pull an all-nighter. Min-su, keep watching over her. I have to go before I'm late again tomorrow."

  The three men dispersed into the darkness.

  Back on the street, Tae-yoon saw a cat under a streetlight. He tossed a piece of beef jerky he had saved from dinner.

  "Hey, Guardian. Watch over my Da-yeon for me. Hyung is coming for her soon."

  The Next Morning (Friday).

  Despite the hangover, Tae-yoon woke up on time.

  He washed up and walked out, stopping habitually at the spot where the telephone pole used to be.

  Yellow police tape fluttered in the wind. The pavement was empty.

  "Hey. You worked hard standing here for 10 years. Thanks to you, I'm going to work today."

  The stray cat was sitting near the wall, looking at him with indifferent eyes. Tae-yoon winked at it and headed toward the subway.

  At the corner, near a Bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastry) food truck, a scene was unfolding.

  A four-year-old boy was lying spread-eagled on the pavement, crying. His father looked ready to cry himself.

  "Dad! I told you! If I eat the tail first, the fish hurts! I have to give it the head first so it dies quickly! Waaaah!"

  The dad wiped sweat from his brow. "Kid, I already broke the tail off! What do you want me to do?!"

  Tae-yoon chuckled. The innocence of worrying about a pastry's pain.

  He approached the truck, bought a fresh one, and tapped the kid on the shoulder.

  "Hey, kid."

  Tae-yoon held out a whole Bungeoppang.

  "I gave this one anesthesia. It won't hurt even if you eat the tail. Go quickly, catch up to your dad."

  The kid stopped crying, sniffing, and took the fish.

  "Really?"

  "Yeah. Uncle is a doctor for fish bread."

  Tae-yoon walked away, feeling lighter.

  He arrived at the office at 9:00 AM sharp.

  Team Leader Park, in a fantastic mood, handed him a cup of mix coffee he had made himself.

  Tae-yoon took a sip and looked at Park with a serious face.

  "Team Leader. Did you make this coffee with water from the 'Sea'?"

  "Huh? Why?"

  "Because it tastes like a 'Motae' Solo (Forever Single). Sweet but bitter... strangely lonely. Just like my taste."

  (Note: A pun on 'Sea' and 'Mother's Womb' sounding similar in Korean context regarding dating).

  Park blinked, then slapped his knee. "Bwahahaha! Look at this guy! You're a poet! A poet!"

  Assistant Lee Hyun-ah, organizing papers nearby, massaged her temples. She silently placed a hangover relief drink on Tae-yoon’s desk.

  Tae-yoon picked it up, grinning.

  "Assistant Lee. Is this a confession? Does this drink mean 'Let's date' after work?"

  Hyun-ah turned away, her ears red.

  "Wake up. The alcohol smell coming from you is polluting the office air. It's an environmental measure. And please, stop with the dad jokes."

  Park laughed, slapping Tae-yoon’s shoulder.

  "Hey, Manager Kang! Because we disciplined the headquarters, rumors say a bonus is coming down. Today, I'm letting the whole security team go home at 5 PM! Enjoy your weekend!"

  "Whooo!" The office cheered.

  Lunch Time.

  On the way to the cafeteria, Tae-yoon stopped and asked Hyun-ah.

  "Assistant Lee. Do you know who the poorest King in the world is?"

  Hyun-ah stared at him blankly.

  "The Lowest Wage King (Choi-Jeo-Im-King/Wage)."

  (Note: A pun on 'Wage' and 'King' sharing similar sounds).

  "But we are getting a bonus, so we are the Great Kings!"

  Hyun-ah shook her head, too tired to respond, while Park laughed until he choked.

  5:00 PM.

  The afternoon flew by. Tae-yoon stared blankly at his monitor, mentally organizing the encrypted codes Ha-jun had sent him.

  "Dismissed! Go home!" Park shouted.

  Tae-yoon grabbed his coat and waved to Hyun-ah.

  "Assistant Lee. Don't think about me too much over the weekend. Your face will get puffy on Monday."

  "Don't worry. My goal for the weekend is to completely erase your face from my memory."

  Leaving her grumbling behind, Tae-yoon walked out of the lobby.

  He boarded the bus home, watching the sunset paint the city in orange and purple. For the first time in a long time, he felt the peace of a normal salaryman.

  He arrived home, washed up, and lay on his bed. The tension in his muscles melted away.

  ‘Tomorrow... I meet Min-su and Ha-jun again.’

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