ACTSV chapter 26

Wonbeom merely gazed at the annual leave application in the folder without saying a word.

Jinwoo didn’t hold any grudge against him for making him stand there after calling him.

Even Jinwoo himself knew that applying for leave consecutively like this didn’t make sense.

So, he had applied for a half-day leave.

If it was rejected, he planned to ask for at least the time he had spent attending a meeting during his previous leave.

Since there was no important meeting tomorrow, having only Secretary Yang around would be sufficient. After calculating that he could make a quick trip if he combined it with lunchtime, he was ready.

Jinwoo kept his gaze fixed on the table as much as possible, avoiding eye contact with Wonbeom.

“Personal reasons.”

“……”

“What personal reasons?”

“I can’t disclose them because they are personal.”

He couldn’t write on the reason section that Jingyeom had fallen for a multi-level marketing scam and bought toothpaste, and that he was going to confront them.

It was ridiculous even when he thought about it again.

Moreover, after giving Jingyeom a hard time yesterday, Jingyeom had seemed dejected, and Jinwoo wanted to resolve it quickly.

Above all, he didn’t want to leave the person who deceived Jingyeom, Sanghoon, and the multi-level marketing company alone.

He just wanted Jingyeom to stay comfortably at home, but since that wasn’t entirely within his control, he set aside his feelings for the moment.

The folder closed and was placed on the table. There was no signature.

“I’m curious about those personal reasons. Did you think I would sign it just because you’re using leave right away?”

“……”

“You must have a single reason. Baek Jingyeom. What’s wrong this time?”

“It’s not something wrong. It’s truly personal.”

“Then I won’t sign it for my personal reasons either.”

It was purely an excuse.

Jinwoo furrowed his brows and let out a short sigh. Knowing Wonbeom’s stubbornness, he was contemplating whether to make up an excuse, even if it was a lie.

Every company requires a reason to be written down. However, if it’s written as a personal reason, it’s rare for them to ask probing questions.

There are some companies that do ask, but they are usually problematic, like Director Tak.

Jinwoo was naturally not good at lying. Wonbeom, who had observed Jinwoo, was also aware of this.

“……It’s not that I’m sick, but it is related.”

“What is it?”

“If I tell you, will you grant me annual leave instead of half-day leave?”

“Let me hear it.”

“Actually……”

Wonbeom’s lips twitched slightly as he listened to the story. He stopped tapping the table with his fingers and clenched his fist.

He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, staring intently at Jinwoo standing in front of him.

He didn’t have a face that suggested he was lying. Moreover, he couldn’t hide the incredulity even while speaking. His voice had a hint of excitement.

Wonbeom brought his hand from the table to his mouth. His large hand covered half of his face. His lips were slightly raised behind his palm.

“……You’re just going to get 300,000 won?”

“‘Just’ 300,000 won? I brought toothpaste! That box I……!”

Jinwoo’s voice, usually calm, rose in pitch.

He was kind and gentle only in front of Baek Jingyeom, but his real personality was fiery. After dealing with debt collectors so often, he wasn’t easily intimidated even at a young age.

“……Toothpaste?”

“Ah……”

He had only mentioned that he had been scammed in a multi-level marketing scheme and had lost money. Jinwoo awkwardly admitted that he had used the 300,000 won to buy toothpaste.

Wonbeom, who had been covering his mouth, slightly lowered his head. His shoulders seemed to be trembling a bit as well, trying to stop himself from laughing.

“…So, are you granting me leave for tomorrow?”

Wonbeom lowered his hand and handed the document folder to Jinwoo.

“Mark it as an external business trip. I’ll go with you.”

Jinwoo hesitated.

“…Pardon?”

“I said I’ll go with you.”

Jinwoo’s head tilted slightly to the side at Wonbeom’s words. It was as if he didn’t know what kind of expression he was making.

Jinwoo straightened his head and let out a shallow breath. He took the folder and tucked it under his arm.

It was hard for him to grasp the meaning of what Director Tak had just said.

If it had been Director Sun, he would have said it was “because it looked interesting.” But Director Tak was not someone who acted out of curiosity.

“Hyung… don’t you dislike it?”

“I don’t particularly like it.”

“…So, you don’t hate it?”

“Yeah.”

Jinwoo’s eyes narrowed. Director Tak had always disliked even mentioning Baek Jingyeom. But now his reaction was different from before.

It wasn’t that he hated it, but that he didn’t like it.

Others might not see a difference, but Jinwoo’s warning sensors were reacting quickly.

The way Tak had treated him and now Jingyeom seemed similar. This only meant one thing.

He wasn’t fond of it, but he was interested.

‘Is it happening here too?’

With Director Sun already being a nuisance and now Director Tak getting involved, Jinwoo felt a headache coming on for the first time in a long while.

His head was already cluttered with thoughts about Jingyeom, and now more annoying issues seemed to be cropping up.

But for now, the multi-level marketing company was the priority.

Furthermore, these companies are often linked to loan sharks.

They offer loans to people without money and profit from the interest.

Jinwoo, who had been thinking for a moment, smiled faintly.

Going with Director Tak wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If anything were to happen there…

‘It’s better to have a shield.’

Unless a bunch of adult men came at him, he was confident he wouldn’t lose.

But it was a given that going with Director Tak would make handling any aftermath much easier.

“Got it. I’m planning to go at 11 AM tomorrow. Is that alright with you?”

“Yeah. Do you know where it is?”

“Yes. I received a business card yesterday.”

“Let me see it.”

“…Pardon?”

“Give me the business card.”

Although he didn’t know why he was asked for it, Jinwoo took out the card he had kept in his bag and handed it to Wonbeom.

Wonbeom glanced at the card and then returned it.

“I’ll finish up any urgent payments today and leave work. So, Secretary Baek, make sure to leave on time. Go get the toothpaste…”

Wonbeom paused briefly before speaking again.

“Check if the toothpaste you bought for 300,000 won is still there.”

“……Understood.”

Jingyeom stayed as close to the bed as possible and reluctantly got up when the 8 o’clock alarm rang.

He went out to the living room, ate the meal Jinwoo had prepared before leaving for work, cleaned up the dishes, and then started cleaning.

He swept and mopped the floor, and since the house was small, the cleaning was done quickly.

Sitting on the living room floor, Jingyeom stared blankly at the ceiling. He was angry with Sanghoon for knowing about the multi-level marketing scheme, but he didn’t contact him immediately to say anything.

The multi-level marketing scheme was about pulling people in to fall together, rather than selling products.

He didn’t know Sanghoon’s circumstances, but perhaps he was deceived and ended up there himself.

There was a flyer distribution part-time job today, but he couldn’t bring himself to face Sanghoon with a calm expression, so he contacted them saying he couldn’t go.

When he heard the explanation yesterday, he thought it was a groundbreaking business.

Everyday items are things people need, so they would sell steadily, and his bank account would steadily fill up with profits.

It seemed like a real sensation.

But as soon as he heard Jinwoo’s explanation, he thought, “Why did I fall for such a simple scam?”

He remembered the chart with bright red pencil marks that had been explained so kindly and pouted his lips.

He wanted to quickly pay off his debts and buy Jinwoo new clothes and shoes.

Even though Wonbeom was covering hospital expenses, the monthly living expenses were not trivial.

The interest on the loan was also significant. He didn’t know the exact amount, and Jinwoo hadn’t even told him about the debt initially.

So, he wasn’t sure, but it was clear he wouldn’t be able to pay it off soon.

“……”

Was it just too much enthusiasm?

Jingyeom’s shoulders slumped.

He lay on his side, pressing his cheek against the cold floor.

His watch displayed his heart rate as it detected his movements.

On the day Jinwoo showed him self-defense techniques, he had installed a diary app on his phone.

Later, he wrote down everything that had happened up until now for Baek Jingyeom, who would return eventually.

He considered omitting the multi-level marketing story but decided he couldn’t, as Jinwoo knew about it.

He had to record the somewhat embarrassing event with his own fingers.

He added a defensive note that the multi-level marketing representative spoke too well, but omitted the fact that he had been completely duped.

It had been two weeks since he became Baek Jingyeom of “Gray.”

He had pretended to have amnesia, but it truly felt like he had amnesia.

It was so confusing. He couldn’t remember how old he was, where he lived, or what he had been doing.

The common side effect of transmigration is losing memories over time. Had it happened to him as well?

At first, he vaguely remembered minor things like family, pets, or the ceiling of his room.

But now, even trying to recall, he wondered, “Did I have a dog?”

Everything was uncertain.

It wasn’t that he was deeply anxious.

It was simply, “I really can’t remember,” and that was the end of it.

It was the same when he first opened his eyes in the hospital.

It was the same when he realized he had entered “Gray.”

Jingyeom lifted his body from his increasingly cold cheeks. His shoulders, which had been slumped, rose again.

Sniffing with his nose, he plugged in the charging jack to his phone.

Then, he immediately turned on the internet and began searching for information about multi-level marketing schemes.

Even though Jinwoo had offered to go with him, Jingyeom was worried about what might happen if they went unprepared and ended up being caught in a scam.

There were numerous cases reported online. He learned how dangerous multi-level marketing could be and how it often led to debt and bankruptcy rather than making money.

It was just as Jinwoo had said yesterday.

With a determined expression, Jingyeom continued his search.

He jotted down important information in his notebook and, to prepare for any possible situation, searched for self-defense videos on YouTube.

“There are so many…”

The videos Jinwoo had shown him were the ones with high view counts. Stepping outside, Jingyeom started mimicking the clumsy gestures and foot movements from the self-defense videos.

His flabby, weak arms barely moved through the air, only flailing around.

“Ha!”

Despite the small shouts he made while moving, Jingyeom’s expression remained intensely serious.