So that she could have enough time to go through all of those containers and sort their contents, Su-Jin started to work early in the morning. She even skipped lunch that day just to make more time to check the archive. However, even identifying the files that she needed proved to be an arduous job.
That, and the fact that she had to climb up and down a ladder in order to reach the tallest shelves, made everything seem more like a physical exercise rather than a simple work task.
The cardboard boxes weren't very easy either. Until then, Su-Jin had never known just how heavy stacks of paper could really be.
Feeling morose, Su-Jin huffed and groaned, pulling box after box out of its rack and placing it on a lower shelf for easy access. That way, the floor would remain clear for her to scatter only the files she wanted to look at later.
After a long while, Su-Jin finally managed to separate almost all of the boxes she would have to look through from the ones she didn't need.
There was only one more box left to check and, as if to make matters even more difficult for her, it was stacked up on the highest shelf. Even after she climbed onto the ladder and tiptoed on the last step, she still could barely reach it.
Sensing that the level of difficulty for this task was a tad too high for her, Su-Jin in her actions. Already feeling exhausted, she contemplated whether she should continue to struggle by herself or call someone for help.
Even after two minutes had passed she was still undecided. It wasn't that no one would come if she asked for help, but it was rather due to her own reluctance to trouble anyone else. Rummaging through the archives had been her choice, so she should finish the job herself.
As a consequence to these considerations, Su-Jin ultimately decided to take this task as a personal challenge, refusing to become despondent without trying her hardest first.
With this newfound resolution, Su-Jin sucked in a breath and reached out for the box once again. She stretched her body to the max, using one hand to lean against the rack. Due to the pressure, the entire thing creaked ominously, but so far it remained stable.
After a bit of effort, Su-Jin finally managed to reach the box and began pulling it slowly towards her. The container slid heavily towards the edge of the shelf, but it suddenly stopped. No matter how many times Su-Jin tried to pull at it, the box refused to budge.
Cursing under her breath, Su-Jin tried to reach higher. Her toes protested under the pressure, but she ignored it. For now, she was completely focused on her goal.
That's when she noticed there were many holes on the front side of the cardboard box. This gave her an idea.
Using one hand, Su-Jin slid a finger into one of those holes, while grabbing at the front side of the box with the other hand. This position meant that she had to lean against the rack with almost her entire body, depending entirely on the ladder and her muscles for support.
As soon as she felt that her hold was tight enough, Su-Jin gave the box another pull. The container still didn't budge and she tried again, this time even harder.
With a jolt of excitement, she felt the box sliding towards her. However, due to her forceful yank, it now moved way too fast. Instead of stopping at the edge, the box slid off the shelf and landed on top of Su-Jin's head. The sudden weight change made Su-Jin's body lose its balance and she wobbled violently.
Feeling her feet shaking under the strain, she began to panic. Letting out a loud yelp, she instinctively tried to grab onto the frame of the rack. But doing that while still keeping a tight hold onto the box seemed like a superhero mission.
Unfortunately, her body was not as stubborn as her mind, nor her arms as strong as steel. Soon, they both gave in under the pressure.
With just the slightest shift in position, Su-Jin instantly felt her feet sliding down the step of the ladder. The very next moment, she began to fall together with the box. The experience felt like diving into water while holding a huge and heavy rock.
At the end of the fall, Su-Jin crashed on the floor with a loud thud. The noise was immediately followed by an even louder whimper.
Fortunately, Su-Jin didn't break anything, but her body ached all over. The box she had been holding landed beside her. Its lid was opened and the content laid splattered all around the floor.
After everything calmed down, she continued to remain in the same position, with half her body submerged under sheets of paper and file covers. Glancing around, she noticed with trepidation that the entire archive room was in chaos.
A minute later, thinking it was all over, Su-Jin wanted to get up. But the moment she tried to move, a stabbing pain came from one of her legs. She drew in a sharp breath, freezing in place.
The left side of her lower body felt painful, especially the outside area of her upper thigh. She grimaced, thinking of the ugly bruise that, in less than a day, will surely cover that area.
What Su-Jin didn't count on, though, was that her previous wobbly attempts at gaining balance had shifted the rack from its place. Not even one minute after she fell, the entire piece began to sway. Su-Jin glanced up just as the furniture came toppling down towards her.
Before everything came crashing down, she barely had enough time to close her eyes and cover her head with both arms. A shriek came out of her mouth just as loud thuds and swishing noises resounded all around her.
Su-Jin felt pieces of paper fluttering around her arms and legs. They felt like the touch of thousands of butterfly wings, soft but also firm. Amidst the chaos, Su-Jin waited for the tall rack to fall and hit her. But for some reason, even after she waited for a full minute, the worst contact never came.
During this time, Su-Jin blinked several times in confusion, her body spasming under the tension. But before she could finally recollect her senses and look up, Su-Jin heard a strange sound coming from somewhere next to her. It sounded like a metallic object scraping against the floor and it was immediately followed by a hoarse voice.
"What the hell are you doing?!"