Chapter 83: Dusty Corp. (1)

A conference room with a large screen installed.

On the conference room table, neatly arranged brand-new laptops were engraved with the phrase [Dusty Corp.].

The camera panned across the conference room before zooming in on the members' faces.

Members who had only worn school uniforms during the Starf days were now wearing stiff suits for the first time.

Average age: 19.7 years.

Everyone looked awkward and simply fiddled with their outfits, but there was one person who wore the suit as if he had been born in it.

The moment Kang Siwoo’s face was zoomed in, the Dustys gasped.

Today, his eyes seemed especially tired like that of an office worker, subtly exuding a decadent charm.

Especially when Kang Siwoo slightly unbuttoned the tight sleeve, the pace of real-time comments sped up.

-Kang Siwoo, are you insane? What’s up with your face today, pure bliss

-Kang Siwoo… that suit… insanely intense….

-Oppa, I love you

-Kang Siwoo, let’s get married ㅠㅠ

-How can a person be that sculpted?

Although he had shown a refreshing charm during the Concept Evaluation with , Kang Siwoo’s true essence was, after all, the suit fit.

Next to Kang Siwoo sat Ha Junseo…

He sat up straight, staring directly at the camera.

He was just sitting still, yet the comment section exploded.

-Wow, he really looks upright

-Even if I were the interviewer, I’d hire him on the spot lolololol

-So tall and neat, seriously handsome, Korea’s eternal demand

-Meet-the-parents pass Ha Junseo ㅠㅠ

└vs Meet-the-parents reject Kang Siwoo Cha Seongbin lolololololol

└Honestly, I feel like they’d let Kang Siwoo in, but Cha Seongbin would get blocked by my mom at the door lololol

└But damn, he's still so handsome ㅠㅠ

└Me… I like meet-the-parents reject types….

└Sorry Mom, your daughter likes flashy guys

Did those Dustys’ hearts get read?

Just then, Cha Seongbin burst in at the perfect timing.

Maybe because of his slicked-back blue hair, but as always, his flashy face exuded flair.

“All right, everyone.”

Bang.

Cha Seongbin slammed a thick A4 bundle onto the table and struck a pose.

It was the very scene shown in the trailer.

Seo Haim flinched and trembled.

“You scared me.”

Not that he cared.

Cha Seongbin continued with a serious face.

“Because our Dusty-Dust Star is facing the greatest crisis in human history….”

Dun dun.

“We must conquer Earth.”

“…We’re finally conquering Earth?”

“Yup!”

Dusty-Dust Star was about to embark on the most important project in its planetary history.

After decades of research and investigation for migration, one suitable planet had been selected.

Today, they gathered for the final meeting ahead of planetary migration.

Its name: Earth Conquest Project….

It was time to start presenting the research project they had prepared for a long time.

“Let’s get started quickly.”

“It’s already 9:10.”

“Let’s do that~.”

Everything was great, but…

Ha Junseo grabbed his throbbing head and looked up at the clock.

“When did Dusty Corp. have six employees?”

One seat felt conspicuously empty.

Kang Siwoo clenched his teeth and lifted his head.

“Do Intern?”

Where did that punk go?

-The youngest’s missing lololololol where’d he go

-Where’s Hamjji in a suit

-Disappeared as naturally as flowing water

-This is lolololol MZ Generation lololol

Just then,

Thud-thud-thud—

A youthful face burst through the conference room door.

Despite being ten minutes late, his face was gleaming and shameless.

Seohan blinked his eyes as he glanced around the now-silent room.

“Ah?”

“…….”

“Why didn’t you start already?”

What was with that confidence.

-Ah lolololololololol Seohan

-Damn, was this his concept ㅠㅠ that shamelessness is so cute

Kang Siwoo, the department head in charge of discipline at Dusty Corp., interlocked his fingers and asked coldly.

“Do Intern, why are you late?”

To that one question came a bright and carefree reply.

Seohan pointed to the door and smiled.

“Ah, I was coming via the metaverse, but there was a bit of traffic.”

“Metaverse…?”

Why is metaverse even coming up here?

At that moment, rookie employee Seo Haim clapped and chimed in with Do Seohan’s words.

“Ah~ yeah, the intervals between buses on that line are pretty bad!”

“You know it!”

“It’s even more expensive because it’s a red bus, right.”

The youngest line seemed to be getting along just fine.

Seo Haim and Do Seohan nodded enthusiastically and even exchanged a loud high five.

Seriously, they were having way too much fun.

-Metaverse is… a bus…?

-lolololololololol you crazy kids

-It’s definitely the heat, they’ve lost it

-Why does my mouth keep curling up when the youngest line talks

-Can someone explain what Do Seohan’s concept even is?

└MZ Generation alien hamster…?

└What kind of horrifying hybrid is that

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Ha Junseo clicked his tongue briefly and organized the situation. Together with Kang Siwoo, he played the role of one of the relatively normal employees at Dusty Corp.

"Anyway, let’s get started quickly. Please try to come earlier next time."

“Okaaay…”

Seohan drooped his head with a dejected expression. He looked just like a hamster sulking after getting his sunflower seeds taken away, bewitching many of the Dustys’ hearts.

-Byo-Seohan, why is he so cute today ㅠㅠ

└Feels like he was going for that infuriating MZ Generation concept but just ended up as an adorable hamster

└Our Do Hamjji is lovable no matter the concept, I’ll even break spelling rules for him

└Can you love the real high schooler vibe too?

└Yes, obviously!!!

One Dusty’s comment became prey for the rest of the fans.

└Noona, lunch sucked today, can I eat at your office?

└Ah damn it, noona don’t go to company dinners, there are guys there ㅡㅡ

└Noona, is it true your March mock exam score is the same as your college entrance exam score?

└Gasp, does your ID number start with a 2…? Is that even possible?

-Why is everyone like this to me ㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└But Do Hamjji is actually a real high schooler… Seohan… his ID number starts with a 3….

└Damn

└That’s right…

└Ah… noona’s sorry, sweetie

└Is this for real???

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋeveryone’s in shock

While one Dusty was getting eaten alive on the community board,

Seohan was awkwardly shifting, glancing between Ha Junseo and Kang Siwoo.

But his gloom didn’t last long.

“Huh?”

Seohan suddenly turned around and started rummaging through his bag.

Until that moment, the Dustys had thought he was just taking out a USB for his presentation. They were completely flustered when they saw what he actually pulled out.

No way… is that a—

Selfie stick?

-Why is that coming out of there???

-What the hell is this ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Yes, it was.

A must-have virtue of the MZ Generation.

Do Intern was aiming for the spot of a top influencer.

'If my YouTube blows up, I’m quitting this company.'

V-

As soon as Seohan sat down, he took out the selfie stick and precariously set up the stand next to his laptop.

After glancing around briefly, Seohan gave a bright smile and waved one hand.

His sly voice echoed through the conference room.

“Do Seohan’s Intern V-log~.”

-Damnㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ this is so infuriatingly funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-People say Do Seohan can’t act, but he’s so damn good at this annoying acting ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The Dustys who had picked Cha Seongbin as their one-pick during the Starf days screamed.

That familiar sense of déjà vu…

What the hell was it?

-Feels like he learned this from Cha Seongbin

└Honestly yeah, it really does

└Protect the youngest!!!!

└Someone isolate the youngest from Cha Seongbin ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└What did you teach the kid

With a radiant grin, Seohan shamelessly spoke up.

“If you’re curious about the daily life of an alien intern, please hit subscribe, like, and turn on notifications~.”

“……”

“Today, we’ll be capturing the dusty morning meeting time at Dusty Corp. Our department head~?”

With his energy skyrocketing, Seohan shoved the camera toward Kang Siwoo.

-The youngest is hyped ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ totally going wild ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-The one who wanted to do concept acting, Cha Seongbin… drowned in Do Hamjji’s madness….

“Ah, our handsome Department Head Kang Siwoo, please say a few words!”

Just then, as Seohan kept rambling, buried in his concept and completely fired up—

Kang Siwoo, who couldn’t take it anymore, gave a slight nod.

“Eliminate him.”

“Yessir.”

A short, sharp neck-slice from Jin Sehyun.

“Gak!”

Seohan let out a short scream and disappeared from the screen.

After the punishment of the MZ Intern, the employees of Dusty Corp. finally began the actual meeting.

Their faces suddenly turned serious, as if the laughter and chatter had never happened.

Kang Siwoo glanced around and opened his mouth.

“Hmm…. Who would like to go first?”

“I’ll start.”

The first one to step up, tapping on the screen, was Manager Ha Junseo.

Tall and with a clean, upright image, Ha Junseo suited the neat suit style quite well.

If you excluded the fact that this was self-produced content, it would have felt like a scene from a youth drama.

Ha Junseo smiled and picked up the remote.

At that moment, a short announcement popped up on the screen.

[All the PPTs shown in the meeting were made entirely by the members themselves.]

Despite being torn apart by their schedules, the members had prepared handmade PPTs in between.

Naturally, the Dustys grew curious about their quality and their eyes sparkled.

-Ha Junseo just feels like he’d be really good at this

└22222 I bet Ha Junseo will do well

└My boy is meticulous, smart, delicate, and a genius. He’s bound to be good at stuff like this

└Probably gonna have the cleanest PPT out of all seven

└I can already see Ha Junseo being great at work

└I’m totally falling for this….

But what the Dustys first encountered was….

“Tada.”

A blindingly pink screen and a big-eyed unicorn asserting its presence in the corner.

Its eyes were so bulging and vacant, the whole thing looked quite dumb.

Seo Ian’s voice trembled slightly.

“Pink unicorn…?”

-Where did that infuriating character come from???

└Oddly infuriating, what is this?

└Outright maddening

└Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Whoever said the quality would be good, come out

└Sorry

└I apologize for overestimating my idol,,,

└Face of someone who’d ace the interview but get fired on day one

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Even with that face, I can’t tolerate a Bonobono-style PPT….

This was seriously bad.

Next, Do Seohan’s face, as if shocked by Ha Junseo’s aesthetic sense, appeared on screen.

“What’s the default font?”

“Clean is good, right?”

“Myeongjo… honest…”

Seo Haim briefly gasped and covered her mouth.

But even Seo Haim couldn’t defend what came next—

The basic phrase plastered boldly at the bottom of the PPT.

[Insert subtitle here.]

“Uh… shouldn’t we at least delete that, as a human being?”

“Huh, why is that still there?”

Whoosh—

As Ha Junseo, flustered, flipped to the next slide, yet another strong presence appeared.

[Insert title here.]

[Insert subtitle here.]

[Insert subtitle here.]

“How exactly did you become a manager?”

“Probably through connections?”

“Honestly, not even filling in the title…”

“Sss, be quiet!”

Ha Junseo raised his voice to silence the staff.

Seohan looked like he wanted to say something, his lips twitching, but Ha Junseo cut in first.

“There’s a saying, ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll win every battle.’ To conquer them, we first need to understand everything about Earth! So today, I pre-investigated Earth’s ecosystem for smoother conquest.”

Though the PPT quality lacked, his speech flowed like water.

With a satisfied expression, Ha Junseo pressed the remote.

Whoosh—

Another PPT slide turned.

And then,

The entire screen was flooded with hamster photos.

“The first life form presumed to live on Earth… is the hamster.”

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋSo the first creature introduced is seriously a hamster?

-Why are those hamster pictures all crammed together?

└Even the sizes don’t match, it’s infuriating ^^

└But they’re cute though

Murmur murmur—

“Hamsters?”

“What’s that?”

With a serious face, Ha Junseo pointed at the screen.

“With deadly cuteness, they’re an extremely threatening existence.”

Just then, Jin Sehyun subtly raised his hand.

“Looks like Do Intern.”

“I do look like that.”

“Let’s compare…”

Ha Junseo stroked his chin and scanned Seohan up and down.

Sss.

A pleased smile crept onto his lips.

“He’s cuter.”

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋDid he just say the human hamster is cuter

└Why is Ha Junseo talking so seriously, it’s hilarious ㅠㅠ

-That was genuine

└Do Seohan, did you give birth to him or what ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why’s Ha Junseo’s mouth curling up ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Honestly, Seohan is cuter, yup yup our youngest Hamjji ㅠㅠ

└Angel Junseo, stop inserting personal feelings ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The older members took it a step further.

Jin Sehyun summarized firmly.

“That life form can be dealt with at Do Seohan’s level.”

“Go conquer Earth with cuteness.”

“I’ll do my best!”

With a voice full of spirit, Seohan clenched his fist.

Then various life forms resembling the members flashed by.

“Siberian Husky… seems like our department head could cut it in one go.”

“Yeah, he’s way scarier.”

“His gaze alone is enough to subdue!”

And then.

“A famous Sundubu-jjigae place in Seoul… it’s a threat because it’s too delicious.”

“…?”

“Seo Ian, please make an effort.”

“What exactly am I supposed to… do?”

Of course, there were some that weren’t even life forms.

Ah, this was more than enough.

Manager Ha Junseo, having finished his part, bowed his head in satisfaction.

He didn’t forget a bright closing.

“This concludes my presentation!”

Clap clap clap—

Even on the final slide, under the still-raging pink unicorn, the infuriating phrase remained.

[Insert subtitle here.]

“Please just delete it~.”

“Ahem.”

Ha Junseo cleared his throat and closed the window. He had to wrap up the presentation before more criticisms came in.

“Next up… Do Intern?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

Now it was Seohan’s turn.

Seohan pushed his chair back with a screech and stood up.

The youngest intern at Dusty Corp., Do Seohan, who had one foot out the door ready to quit as soon as his YouTube hit it big.

The Dustys, having already witnessed his MZ alien concept, weren’t expecting much.

-Seohan ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I bet he’s bringing a basic PPT, white background, Gothic font

└Honestly, that’d be a relief. Just stop with the pink unicorn

└He might even open Paint or something

└Honestly, I’d be fine with either

└Either way, he’ll be super cute. Baby Hamjji ㅠㅠㅠㅜ

-Don’t worry, just take it easy Seohan, no one’s expecting anything

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋthat’s so mean

└Show us everything you’ve wanted to show ^^

└Please just don’t bring another overly serious, infuriating Ha Junseo PPT

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋJunseo’s presentation made worse by how hard he tried ㅠㅠ

Seohan returned to his playful expression and grabbed the remote.

“Then, I’ll begin my presentation.”

And then.

The moment the screen lit up—

-??????????

The Dustys, who had been teasing Seohan, suddenly fell silent.

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