I must have been really tired yesterday – I overslept.
Even after going through all that, I still overslept.
I must really be something.
[It’s nice that you’re so optimistic. That kind of laid-back attitude has a good effect on your gift.]
This “spirit” sure talks a lot, even first thing in the morning.
After hastily grabbing a quick breakfast, I got ready to head out.
Looking in the mirror, of course, I saw the same face from yesterday.
“So, being reborn doesn’t mean I get to be better-looking or anything, huh?”
[You’re not happy with your face? I think it looks fine.]
The spirit paid me a compliment.
But what even is this thing?
An AI or something?
[What kind of AI can read people’s hearts? Once you start using your gift, you’ll see me differently — so hurry up and go.]
This “gift” thing sure seems to inspire a lot of confidence.
*
Since it was a weekday morning, Gangnam Station was quiet.
[Didn’t we agree to go somewhere with lots of people?]
“They’ll show up after lunch. We just came out early.”
Thinking about how everyone else was probably working made my heart sink a little.
Noticing my mood, the spirit stopped pushing me.
As we kept walking, the Pine Entertainment building came into view.
Its unique exterior made it a landmark around Gangnam Station.
A few years back, the company nearly collapsed because of the Black TNT drug scandal, but after a complete overhaul of its management, it made a miraculous recovery.
They reorganized around their labels, strengthened their acting division, and kept launching successful idol groups one after another.
Now, they’ve risen as a dark horse, threatening the “Big 3” entertainment companies.
[You sure know a lot about this company.]
“I applied for a position on their PR team. Figured I’d need to know this stuff for the interview.”
[How did the interview go?]
“I didn’t even make it past the document screening.”
[…….]
“You don’t have to console me. It’s not the first time I’ve been rejected.”
[Do you still want to work here?]
“Of course. I want to work on a PR team at a company like this.”
[Why a PR team at an entertainment company?]
“Because you get to help others shine.”
[That’s… not what I expected you to say.]
“When I was younger, I thought I’d be the one shining. But as I got older, I realized that wasn’t the case.”
So I figured — if I couldn’t be the one in the spotlight, I could at least help others get there.
And who shines brighter than celebrities, right?
If they’re already shining, I can help them shine even brighter.
And if they’re not, I can help them get there.
“PR’s all about presenting them in the best light, and I thought I’d be good at that.”
[That’s pretty romantic.]
“Maybe it’s because I’m used to supporting others. And it’s nice when you can turn what you’re good at into a job.”
[Now I see why the gods decided to remake you.]
That’s when everything changed.
Everything around me froze — except me.
“What… what’s happening?”
[I felt your sincerity. You’ve awakened the “Gift of Prophecy.” When you use it, time stops.]
“The Gift of Prophecy?”
[You can see things that are about to happen.]
A vision, like a screen projection, appeared in front of me.
The scene it showed… wasn’t good.
Not good at all.
“What the — someone’s getting stabbed?! Are they gonna die?!”
[Probably. They’re losing a lot of blood.]
“Where is this? Where’s it happening?!”
[Are you planning to save them?]
“Of course I am! I’ll call the police — it’s a freaking murder!”
[It hasn’t happened yet.]
Oh.
[And you wouldn’t have time anyway. The vision lasts less than 30 seconds.]
It’d be physically impossible for the police to get there in time.
“Isn’t there anything else? Something that’ll keep them from dying — like a protector or something? Just help me dodge that knife, at least!”
[Would you really save them? Even though she’s a complete stranger?]
“So what? Just because I don’t know her, I’m supposed to let her die? Why did you even show me this if I wasn’t supposed to do anything?!”
The spirit paused for a moment before speaking again.
[When the vision disappears, run to the stairs ahead of you. It leads to the underground parking lot. I’ll handle the knife.]
Time started flowing again.
I sprinted toward the stairs the spirit had pointed out.
Every second counted.
Time was of the essence.
*
At the entrance of the spacious underground parking lot, a black van was parked.
A man who looked like a bodyguard got out and opened the car door.
A woman stepped out from inside.
She adjusted her shoes in front of the car, as if something was uncomfortable.
The bodyguard walked ahead toward the entrance.
At that moment, a man wearing a cap pulled low over his face burst out from around the corner.
He was holding something in his hand and ran straight toward the woman.
I saw a glint — it looked like the knife I’d seen in the vision.
Neither the woman nor the bodyguard had noticed him yet.
“Damn it!”
Trusting the spirit’s words, I dashed between the woman and the man with the knife.
Startled, the man slowed down and swung the thing in his hand at me.
Thud!
“Ugh.”
What kind of psycho just stabs someone like that out of nowhere?!
“Hey! You said you’d block it!”
[Don’t be so dramatic.]…Huh?
Something felt… off.
“It… doesn’t hurt?”
When I looked down, I realized what was sticking into my stomach… was a dried squid.
“What… the hell is this?”
[Did you really think I’d just watch you get stabbed? I was just making sure you were serious.]
“This… is this another gift?”
[No, this is my power. Want me to show you another one?]
The ground suddenly split open with a sharp crack, and one of the man’s feet slipped into the gap.
He let out a short scream and crashed to the ground.
“Whoa… the ground split open?”
[If the Red Sea could part, this is nothing. Now take that thing from him. The ground will go back to normal soon.]
I twisted the man’s arm as he flailed on the ground, making him drop the squid.
The moment it hit the ground, it turned back into a knife.
Several bodyguards came running toward us.
In an instant, they surrounded the man and pinned him down.
The cracked ground had already smoothed itself back to normal.
Finally, I turned my head to look at the woman standing by the car.…Wait.
That’s Cha Soyeon.
A top-class actress that every South Korean knows.
I had just saved the nation’s first love.
*****
“What? Soyeon was attacked?”
Pine Entertainment’s chairman, Park Beom-jun, shot up from his seat.
“Some guy with a knife ran at her in the underground parking lot. If a passerby hadn’t stepped in, it could’ve been really bad.”
Yoon Sangho, the head of the department, answered with a grim expression.
Hearing this, Chairman Park’s face grew tense.
“A knife? Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“And someone stopped him? Who was it?”
“I just heard about it myself — I’m not sure yet. They brought him upstairs, should I call him in?”
“Of course! Bring him in right away.”
Just as Yoon was heading out the door, the chairman stopped him.
“And the guy with the knife? Who is he? Why did he go after Soyeon?”
“I’ll look into it. The police took him in, and our team lead went along — I’ll get in touch.”
“Alright. Do that.”
*
They sat me down in a conference room… and then just left me there.
Did I do something wrong?
[That woman was… a little strange.]
“Because of her expression, right?”
[Yeah.]
It had been a terrifyingly sharp knife.
Seeing it on the ground, she must have realized just how close she came to getting stabbed.
Any ordinary woman would’ve been trembling or crying by then — but Cha Soyeon’s reaction was… odd.
“How could she stay so expressionless?”
[Exactly. I couldn’t sense any emotion from her at all. I honestly wondered if she was even human.]
She had simply stood there, staring at me with a calm face.
When the bodyguard approached, she gave me a small nod and walked into the building without a single change in her eyes.
How could someone stay so unfazed in a situation like that?
I was genuinely curious.
[Someone’s coming.]
The door opened, and a middle-aged man with a kind face stepped in.
He smiled at me warmly.
“Sorry for the wait — there have been calls coming in from everywhere….”
As he spoke, he reached out his hand for a handshake.
“I’m Yoon Sangho, the Head of Department at Pine Entertainment.”
Head of Department?
That sounded like a pretty high-ranking position.
“Hello, I’m Shin Juwon.”
I bowed slightly as we shook hands.
A polite greeting was always a good way to ease any awkwardness.
“Nice to meet you. If you’re okay with it, would you mind coming upstairs with me? Chairman Park is waiting to meet you.”
“Chairman… Park?”
“Yes. Chairman Park Beomjun would like to see you.”
Wow — the chairman himself wanted to meet me just because I saved an actress?
That really showed how important Cha Soyeon was to this company.
Yoon Sangho led me up to the top floor.
*
“Please, have a seat. I thought it was only right to meet you face to face.”
“Thank you, Chairman.”
“What made you step in when that guy came at her with a knife? I don’t think I would’ve been able to do that.”
“I just happened to be passing by and saw a suspicious guy running toward her — I acted on instinct. Honestly, I didn’t know he had a knife. If I had, I probably would’ve hesitated.”
That was the answer I had prepared while waiting in the conference room.
I thought I’d be talking to a manager or team leader — I hadn’t expected to be questioned by the chairman himself.
“Even so, that was incredibly brave. These days, most people just mind their own business no matter what’s happening around them. I’m really grateful — if it weren’t for you, Soyeon could’ve been in real danger.”
I’d been a bit wary because of his sharp demeanor, but his thoughtful and respectful attitude made me feel more at ease.
“What do you do for a living? You look pretty fit — are you an athlete?”
“No, I’m currently looking for a job.”
“A job seeker, huh? Do you have any particular company in mind?”
“I’ve been applying to different places, but I haven’t had any good news yet. I’m still trying.”
“I see. What about here? I mean, I might be biased since I’m the chairman, but I think this is a pretty decent workplace.”
When I hesitated, Chairman Park asked again.
“Why? You’re not interested?”
“It’s not that — I actually applied here before, but I didn’t make it.”
Both Chairman Park and Yoon Sangho’s eyes widened in surprise.
Their expressions clearly said, What are the odds of that?
“You… applied to our company?”
“Yes. A few months ago, I applied for a position on the PR team, but I didn’t get through.”
“Well, this is quite something….”
Chairman Park crossed his arms, looking a bit conflicted.
Then he carefully studied my face again.
“Rejected applications are usually discarded right away, so your resume won’t be on file.But if you’re still interested in working here, bring your resume tomorrow.”
“If you don’t show up, I’ll take it as a sign you’re not interested — so think it over carefully today.”
He added that even if I didn’t end up joining the company, they’d still make sure to thank me properly for what I’d done.
“But… is it okay to reconsider someone who was already rejected?”
“When someone’s brave enough to risk their own safety to save another person, I think we can find a place for them.”
But if you want to stay here long term, you’ll have to prove that you’re capable.
“In other words, getting the job was a reward — but keeping it would be entirely up to me. If I didn’t perform well, they wouldn’t hesitate to let me go.”
[This is the bonus the god mentioned. It’s okay to accept it.]
I was still uncertain, but the spirit’s words gave me the final push I needed.
*
After Shin Juwon left, Yoon Sangho turned to Chairman Park.
“Sir, this is unlike you. You’re not usually one for favoritism.”
“I just had a feeling.”
“A feeling?”
“Yeah. That kid… there’s something different about him.”
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