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The Truth Unfolds
Sange sat at the kitchen table, arms crossed, staring down her father.
Her mother stood nearby, wringing her hands, while Sampa sat in the corner, pretending not to listen.
"Start talking," Sange demanded. "I want the whole truth."
Her father exhaled heavily, rubbing his temples. "I already told you—our family is bound by a contract. You're the next in line to work for J Corporation."
Sange's jaw clenched. "That's not what I meant." She narrowed her eyes. "You're hiding something."
A flicker of unease crossed her father's face.
Gotcha.
"How much do we actually owe them?" she pressed. "And why was this contract never mentioned before? If it was just a simple debt, why does it feel like a curse?"
Her father hesitated.
Her mother cut in. "Sange, it's complicated—"
"Then simplify it!"
The room fell silent.
Her father sighed and finally spoke. "Your grandfather made a mistake—a devastating one." He leaned forward, voice low. "He worked for J Corporation, managing finances. But one day, a huge sum of money vanished from company accounts."
Sange's stomach dropped. "He… stole?"
"No!" her father said quickly. "At least, we don't think so. He swore he was innocent. But the money was gone, and the CEO at the time—Hyun Jae's grandfather—was furious."
Sange's pulse quickened. This was worse than she thought.
"So, what? Instead of sending him to jail, they enslaved our family?" she asked bitterly.
Her father's eyes darkened. "It was that, or ruin us completely."
Sange gritted her teeth. "Why didn't we fight it legally?"
Her father let out a humorless chuckle. "Because they are J Corporation, Sange. They own everything. A court case wouldn't have saved us. It would've destroyed us faster."
The walls felt like they were closing in.
This wasn't just debt. This was a legacy of ruin.
And now, it was her turn to suffer.
---
No Escape
Later that night, Sange refused to accept defeat.
She sat in front of her old laptop, searching every possible legal loophole.
"How to break a generational debt contract."
"Can a company force you to work for them?"
"J Corporation scandal 199X."
Nothing.
No evidence, no loopholes, no escape.
Desperate, she emailed a lawyer anonymously, asking if a contract forcing someone to work for a company was legal.
The response was brutal.
"If the contract was signed under legal circumstances and includes generational clauses, it is binding. Unless a direct agreement is reached with the corporation, you have no legal grounds to refuse."
Translation?
"They own you."
Sange slammed the laptop shut. Her hands trembled.
This wasn't fair. Why did she have to pay for something that happened before she was even born?
Frustration surged through her, and before she could stop herself, she grabbed a glass from her desk and hurled it against the wall.
It shattered.
Her door swung open.
"Dude."
Hiraya stood there, eating a bag of chips, completely unfazed by the dramatic glass-smashing.
"That bad, huh?"
---
Hiraya's Ridiculous Plan
Sange groaned and flopped onto her bed. "I'm doomed."
Hiraya sat beside her, still munching. "You know what this means, right?"
"That I should fake my own death?"
"No. That we're moving to Korea."
Sange blinked. "We?"
Hiraya grinned. "Obviously. I'm not letting you suffer alone."
Sange shot up. "Wait—are you serious?"
Hiraya smirked. "I mean, yeah? What's stopping me? My job is boring. I could totally find something better in Korea. Maybe I'll be a K-drama extra. Or a backup dancer. Or a—"
"Hiraya," Sange interrupted, "you can't even dance."
Hiraya shrugged. "That's never stopped me before."
Sange buried her face in her hands. "You're insane."
"And you're stuck in a CEO contract. We all have our struggles."
Despite everything, Sange laughed.
Maybe having Hiraya around wouldn't be so bad.
---
The Last Two Weeks
For the next few days, Sange felt like she was living in a weird dream.
Her parents were guilty but relieved. Her brother was annoying but supportive.
And Hiraya? Absolutely ridiculous.
She started applying for jobs in Korea but kept getting distracted.
One day, she excitedly told Sange: "I signed up to be a personal chef for an idol group!"
"Hiraya. You can't even cook."
"Okay, but imagine the drama when they find out."
She also tried auditioning for "K-Drama Side Character #73."
In between the madness, Sange prepared herself.
She studied J Corporation's history, trying to understand the people she was about to work for.
And then, the final day arrived.
Standing outside the airport, she took a deep breath.
Hiraya, beside her, threw an arm around her shoulders. "Ready for your billionaire CEO nightmare?"
Sange exhaled. "No."
But she had no choice.
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