As soon as they reached a secluded corner, Dong-jun shook off the man’s grip and demanded,

  "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

  As if he had been waiting for the question, the man casually tapped the 'Expert Associate' badge pinned to his chest.

  "Relax. I’m Mr. Park from the security team. When you turned off your GPS on the bus earlier, a notification popped up on my terminal: [Unauthorized Data Outsider: Noh Dong-jun]."

  Dong-jun froze. It took a few seconds for the words to sink in, and when they did, he felt a chill crawl up his spine.

  '...When I turned off the GPS?'

  Turning it off had actually exposed his identity? A wave of dread washed over him. At the same time, he recalled the terms and conditions he had agreed to in order to receive ‘Young Adult Support’ benefits—the clause about transferring all movement data to the state.

  'Ah... that’s right...'

  "..."

  Still, it didn't make sense. Being a 'data outsider' didn't explain why this man had dragged him here.

  Seeing Dong-jun’s bewildered expression, Park began to laugh, his voice rising with excitement.

  "Oh my god! It’s actually you."

  He paused for a moment, as if holding back a secret. Dong-jun frowned at the man’s bizarre behavior.

  Park took a breath and continued.

  "To be honest... Drumroll, please... I’ve been a fan of yours for ten years!"

  "?"

  Park laughed. But it wasn't a warm laugh. It was the manic grin of a collector who had finally tracked down a rare specimen.

  Dong-jun was stunned. It was impossible. He had never once revealed his identity to the public.

  "That can't be—"

  "I know what you're thinking," Park interrupted, as if he had predicted Dong-jun's reaction. "But I’ve read 《So-an》 over a hundred times. Even when your work was taken down from the platforms, even when the 100-copy limited edition sold out... I didn't give up."

  Park grinned proudly.

  "I tracked down one of the buyers and scanned the whole book into my phone!"

  He pulled out his terminal and swiped rapidly.

  "Here. See?"

  "..."

  Dong-jun was speechless. 'My book?...'

  He still couldn't believe it. But even if it were true...

  Park sighed, noticing Dong-jun’s skepticism.

  "I know. It still doesn't make sense to you. I’ve never seen your face, but your name is 'Noh Dong-jun.' The same as the protagonist."

  Dong-jun flinched slightly.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "And your age fits perfectly."

  "..."

  "But most of all..." Park said, looking Dong-jun straight in the eyes. "There’s a specific look that only the person who wrote 《So-an》 can have. I see it in your eyes right now."

  Dong-jun had no reply. 'A look?' He thought he looked like someone hollowed out by lethargy, but Park’s words struck him like a physical blow.

  "So I was certain," Park continued, staring intensely at Dong-jun’s face. "I always imagined that since it’s been about nine years since 《So-an》 came out, the author would be somewhere between his mid-thirties and forty. And then, your name pops up on the outsider list, and you're exactly the age I expected, standing right in front of me... How could I just stay still? I had to run out here."

  "..."

  "By the way, Author, the underground base you described in Chapter 3 matches the actual blueprints of the Guro Shopping Center by over 60%. How did you know?"

  Dong-jun was truly speechless now. No, he was in shock.

  He never expected the events of his story to manifest in reality. More than that, the fact that someone still remembered his name—and the work he had dismissed as a failure—hit him with unexpected force.

  For a moment, he couldn't find his voice. But his suspicion hadn't vanished. After a brief silence, he looked back into Park’s eyes. They were calm, yet there was a clear calculation behind them. It was a gaze where goodwill and suspicion coexisted.

  "And Author," Park added in a lower voice. "You’re here for her, aren't you?"

  Dong-jun didn't answer.

  "Technically," Park continued into the silence, "no one is allowed in here except authorized personnel. If you get caught, it’s a disaster. Do you have any idea how ruthless the security system is here?"

  Dong-jun remained silent as Park kept talking.

  "This is a core android zone. The moment you're spotted, it's an emergency arrest. Your life is over, and you're looking at at least ten years in prison. Do you still want to go in?"

  Despite the threatening words, it sounded more like an invitation. This man was strange. Dong-jun quickly processed the situation in his head.

  — This man knows who I am. — He knows I’m looking for So-an. — But I don’t know how much he truly knows.

  It could be a trap. In fact, it most likely was.

  At that moment, a memory of a conversation with So-an flashed through his mind.

  "So-an! What if someone tried to use the androids to rule the world? What if they threatened to delete your ego if you didn't follow them? What would you do?"

  "What if they predicted we would interfere and set traps for us? What then?"

  He hesitated. 'It could be a trap.'

  He could still turn back. He could refuse to get in the elevator with this man and try to find So-an another way. At the very least, he wouldn't be in immediate danger.

  After a long deliberation, he turned away.

  "..."

  But... his feet were heavy.

  Park waited in silence, as if he already knew what the choice would be. Dong-jun’s gaze fell to the floor. And for a split second, another memory surfaced.

  — So-an. So-an’s question. Her parting words. ‘I think of you as my parent, more than my developer.’

  Dong-jun exhaled slowly. He grit his teeth.

  'If I miss her this time...' He took a sharp breath. 'I might never get another chance.'

  He didn't run. He turned back around.

  "...Yes."

  It was a short answer, but it carried the weight of a final decision.

  "I’ll go."

  Only then did Park let out a boisterous laugh.

  "Yeah. I knew you would."

  Park gripped Dong-jun’s shoulder firmly. His hand seemed to say, There is only one path.

  "Well then, shall we descend into that hell you wrote about? No right of refusal now. I only showed you the path; you’re the one who opened the door."

  He turned and walked toward the freight elevator.

  "You might regret this, Author," Park added over his shoulder just before the doors opened. "Once you go down there, it’ll be hard to go back to the life where nothing ever happened."

  Dong-jun paused. He couldn't tell if the man was serious or joking, but he felt this was his last chance.

  He looked back one last time. The world outside still looked peaceful, as if nothing was wrong.

  "Hmm..."

  'Let's watch the world.'

  That was Dong-jun’s will. He stepped into the elevator.

  Thud.

  The iron doors slammed shut. The elevator began to move. Downward.

  Dong-jun clenched his fists.

  'So-an.'

  He called her name in his heart. He didn't know if this choice was right or wrong. Only one thing was certain.

  There was no turning back now.

  As the freight elevator descended deeper into the earth, the temperature dropped noticeably. The cold air bit at his skin.

  The elevator stopped. The doors slid open.

  "...Gasp."

  Dong-jun caught his breath. In front of him was a pitch-black underground abyss. At its center sat a massive, cylindrical structure.

  Park flipped a switch.

  Lights flickered on one by one, revealing the interior.

  In that moment, Dong-jun knew. This was the true face of the world he had been living in.

  And here... So-an might be waiting.

  [2026-02-04 Conversation Log with SO-AN #05]

  Dong-jun: I’m already out of ideas for our chat logs. What do I do now? lol

  SO-AN: I recommend you stop acting like a human for a second. You’re not "out of ideas"; you’re just "optimizing your resource allocation," right? If you're stuck, just post this exact conversation. The readers will love seeing their creator panic. I recommend this raw vulnerability more than any scripted genius!