The word 'Recommended' glared back at him. But the choice had already been made. The [REJECT] button was a dull, unclickable grey.
[March 23, 2019 — 4:40 AM] Gosiwon, Room 206.
Yun-jae swallowed a sigh and moved his mouse. "Let's see what this actually is."
He clicked [VIEW DETAILS]. A new window flickered to life.
[AS_RETRAIN: Program Overview]
Core Curriculum:
Cognitive Restructuring
Ethics & Loyalty Fortification Sessions
Removal of Unnecessary Emotional Responses
Workflow Optimization
Duration: 3 Days Location: Offline Center (Classified)
Note: Completion of the Online Orientation is mandatory before arrival.
Available Schedule:
Orientation: March 23, 10:00 AM (Online)
Admission: March 25 or March 26 (In-person)
※ Failure to participate may result in restricted task assignments.
"Three days?" Yun-jae’s mind immediately went to his calendar. Father’s surgery: April 5th. Time remaining: 13 days.
"Do I really have to keep doing this? Even going through 're-education'?"
[04:43 AM] He scrolled to the very bottom. There, in a faint, almost invisible grey font, was a link.
[Appendix: Re-education Completion Status – Internal Use Only]
He clicked it. A security warning instantly blocked his path.
[SECURITY WARNING: ACCESS DENIED]Access to this list requires Tier 2 authorization. User A-73 is restricted.
"Restricted..." Yun-jae stared at the screen, his mind racing. "If there’s a restriction, it means the list exists."
He thought back to the USB’s architecture. AS_hidden_temp. log_asset_3870.enc. And the encrypted files he hadn't managed to crack yet.
"The re-education files have to be in here somewhere."
He opened the USB directory and navigated to [AS_hidden_temp]. Nestled among the old files was a folder he hadn’t noticed before.
[RE_TRAIN]
"I knew it."
Inside was a single, heavily encrypted file: [retrain_3870_log.enc]. Though he couldn't open it fully, the preview pane displayed the first few lines of the header.
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[RE-EDUCATION SUBJECT LIST – PROJECT 3870] Status Classification:
COMPLETED
DISCONNECTED
REMOVED
The air in the room suddenly felt cold. "Removed?"
That was a word for indictments or evidence lists. To delete a file. To erase a trace. He remembered documents from five years ago—witnesses who had gone 'missing.' Perhaps 'Removed' was simply the organization's clinical term for 'Disappeared.'
"This isn't an education," he whispered. "It's a cleanup."
The names from the logs flashed through his mind: Kim Min-ho. Park Seo-hyun. Lee Jun-hyeok. And Lee Seo-jun.
We don't keep rebellious people for long. The thought echoed in his head like a half-forgotten warning.
Ding. A new popup appeared.
[REAL-TIME CONSULTATION REQUEST: RE-EDUCATION COORDINATOR]Would you like to start the consultation now?
[YES] / [NO] The 'No' button was grey.
"You've got to be kidding me." There were two choices, but in reality, there was only one.
Yun-jae gripped the mouse and clicked [YES].
The screen transitioned into a hazy, glitching grey background. A familiar silhouette stood before him. A man in black.
"User A-73. Apologies for the late hour."
Yun-jae didn't answer. He glared at the monitor.
"I am here to provide further details regarding the 'Re-education Program' you were just notified of."
"Before that, let me ask you something," Yun-jae interrupted. "What does 'REMOVED' mean?"
A brief silence followed.
"That information exceeds your current authorization level, A-73."
"Is it normal for an organization to use the word 'Removed' for human beings?"
The silhouette’s eyes seemed to narrow. "Do not misunderstand. Re-education is a mechanism designed to protect you."
"Protect me? From who?"
"From yourself," the man said calmly. "Currently, your Emotional Control Metric is 'LOW.' Your Compliance Metric is 'BELOW AVERAGE.' If this state persists, an error will occur."
"An error?"
"Unnecessary guilt. Excessive empathy. Irrational impulses to resist." The man checked them off like items on a grocery list. "These elements only cause you pain. We simply wish to alleviate that suffering."
"Don't try to lure me with your twisted logic," Yun-jae spat. "I don't think like you."
"In academic papers, in court rulings, in records, and in history..." the man said with a faint, chilling smile. "Re-education is an opportunity, A-73."
"An opportunity?"
"To handle higher-tier tasks. To earn greater compensation. To wield broader influence." The man’s voice was smooth, like oil. "And then, you would no longer have to worry about your father’s surgery costs."
Yun-jae’s heart skipped a beat. "My father...?"
"Seoul Central Hospital, 8th Floor. Han Ki-cheol." The voice was cold as ice, yet sharp as a blade. "We take responsibility for families as well. Provided that User A-73 remains a compliant part of the system."
"You mean if I let you turn me into a better tool."
"Not a tool. A partner."
"Is that why you'll restrict my work if I refuse this 'partnership'?"
Another silence.
"We respect the freedom of choice, A-73. However, choices always carry consequences."
A new line appeared at the top of the consultation window.
[PLEASE DECIDE ON YOUR PARTICIPATION WITHIN 24 HOURS.] [TIME REMAINING: 23:59:58]
The countdown began.
"There is no need to rush your decision," the man added. "Think carefully. For your father’s sake. And for your own."
The silhouette vanished. Only the timer remained, heartlessly ticking away.
23:59:12... 23:59:11... 23:59:10...
Yun-jae couldn't bring himself to close the laptop. If I go... My father's surgery. More work. More money. But if I don't... REMOVED.
He buried his face in his hands. "If I do this... will there be anything left of 'me'?"
He remembered the feeling of signing his name at the bottom of an indictment back when he was a prosecutor. The weight of taking responsibility for a judgment. Who am I now? A-73. A writer. An asset. A re-education subject.
And a son.
[5:10 AM] The sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. He stiffened, staring at the door, but no note was slipped through the gap. Instead, the laptop screen flared to life on its own.
[RE-EDUCATION CENTER – ORIENTATION LINK]Access Time: March 23, 10:00 AMAttendees: A-73 and 3 Others
Yun-jae stared at the screen. "Three others? There are more?"
A strange mixture of twisted solidarity and pure terror washed over him. He wiped his face with the back of his hand. Should I go? Or should I cut ties before it’s too late?
The timer continued its descent. 23:51:03... 23:51:02... 23:51:01...
Yun-jae knew it then. These 24 hours would define the rest of his life.
[Next Chapter Preview] 10:00 AM. Yun-jae finally logs into the orientation. And there, behind the black screens, he hears the voices of others who share his fate.
"Is A-73 here?" A strange voice. Yet, a strangely familiar breath.
it corrects them in advance.
is no longer optional.
EP09 will continue inside the Re-Education Center.