Seoul Object Story

In one corner of the park, where the grass was nice and green, a dog dashed around with nimble steps…

Each time it let out a playful growl, laughter erupted from those nearby. Even the passersby couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

It looked like a scene that came straight out of a painting.

The gentle warmth of the sunlight above bathed the leaves with just the perfect intensity, while I relaxed in the shade below, listening to the chirping of the cicadas.

Feeling my throat dry up as I looked around the park, I reached for a thermos and poured cold water down my throat. Despite my seemingly comfortable appearance, my back was soaked with cold sweat.

At first glance, it might look like a typical, happy part of everyday life, but beneath the facade, my face strained from the effort of maintaining a forced smile.

In fact, everything about this rest area was a lie—a fake space created inside a building. Even the passersby walking around the fake park were nothing but employees acting their parts.

They committed themselves fully to the act. And it was only a matter of course.

After all, making a single mistake would cost them their lives.

The seemingly happy scene of the dog excitedly running around the park, the owner eagerly chasing after it, and passersby admiring the sight while calling the puppy cute quickly came to an end.

The dog, who had been playing happily, jumped into its owner’s arms as if it had enough.

Before long it closed its eyes with a satisfied smile plastered on its face.

“Oh my, are you tired already? Shall we go back and rest?”

With a disappointed look on her face, the middle-aged woman picked up the dog and made her way towards the exit in the corner of the park.

As soon as the middle-aged woman left and the door closed back up, everything inside the park froze, as if time stood still.

The happy daily life that had filled the space up until a moment ago disappeared, revealing the faces of all the passersby as mere laborers.

Beep-!

As the buzzer beeped, signaling the end of the situation, everyone fell back into their seats and let out a collective sigh of relief.

Most of the lights that had illuminated the fields like the sun turned off, leaving only the bare minimum amount of light and plunging the park into a familiar darkness.

“Ah, I’m really going to die.”

As I was rubbing my facial muscles, which had stiffened from laughing so much, someone sat down next to me and grumbled.

It was an employee whose name I didn’t know. Despite my deliberate effort to avoid remembering all my co-workers’ names, the fact I didn’t even know his face suggested he was a new employee.

Just seeing him carelessly opening his mouth on the premises of the research institute where he was supposed to keep quiet was a dead giveaway that he was a newbie.

“I was told the job would pay well, so I accepted it. However, after working here, I realized the money was too little compared to the workload. Why do I have to pay attention to so many things just to take care of that crazy grotesque son of a bitch?”

As soon as I heard those words, goosebumps spread all over my body.

Considering just how exceptional a dog’s hearing was, the puppy wasn’t far enough for it to not be able to hear his words. Is he crazy?! Shouldn’t they properly train new recruits before letting them work?!

Suddenly, intense light as bright as sunlight flooded the park, while the chirping of the cicadas resumed. With these two things returning, the gloomy park once again turned into a happy park around noon.

In response, I quickly stood up, distancing myself from the stupid newbie, and brought back the professional smile I had erased earlier.

I was not the only one who did that. All the employees also smiled brightly and widened their distance from the newbie. Because of that, the clueless newbie finally realized what was going on.

“D-don’t tell me……”

However, much to the newbie’s dismay, the dog appeared in front of him.

Unlike the puppy from before, which could be hugged with one hand, the one that appeared after destroying the wall stood as large as a house.

“Wow!”

All the employees smiled brightly and continuously gave encouraging words as they looked at Cute Puppy.

Meanwhile, I found myself having to watch the puppy slowly dismember and eat the newbie, all while smiling and offering it words of encouragement.

It wasn’t included in my contract, but it was extra work that I had to do because of the newbie’s mistake.

After tearing the newbie apart for some time, the Object returned to the size of a puppy again, probably because it had relieved its anger. It then trotted towards its luxurious dog house, leaving behind the cheers of the employees.

In the place where the newbie had once stood, only a puddle of human blood remained, with a sheet containing information about the Object submerged in it.

Even though the human was torn to pieces, the sturdy report that was made of Object was still intact.