"Apologies for the oversight," Director Hye-su began, her tone gracious as she acknowledged the lack of formal introductions. She gestured to her right, drawing attention to a woman with hazel hair and a pair of glasses, radiating a youthful yet professional aura.
"This is Hae-won Gyeong, my secretary here at NexaCorp Korea," Director Hye-su began, but Hae-won cut in with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, Joon-ho. I take care of the director's schedule and assist with various administrative tasks. Mostly when she was out of NexaCorp Korea, where she missed out going there due to her business in this University."
Turning to her left, Director Hye-su directed Joon-ho's gaze towards a middle-aged man exuding a sense of authority and experience.
"And this is Dong-min Chang, our Global Partnership Manager," she continued. Dong-min nodded, extending his hand towards Joon-ho.
"Please to meet you, Joon-ho. I oversee our external partnerships and collaborations," Dong-min explained, his voice calm yet commanding .oon-ho hesitated momentarily before accepting Dong-min's handshake, the weight of the situation settling in.
"Nice to meet both of you," Joon-ho replied, trying to match their professionalism.
In the exchange of introductions, Joon-ho gleaned insight into the roles and significance of Hae-won and Dong-min within the context of their meeting.
Their presence hinted at the gravity of the situation at hand, their positions within NexaCorp Korea suggesting their involvement in matters of importance, such as the mysterious intruder to NexaRealm. The atmosphere in the room shifted subtly, imbued with an air of mystery and anticipation as Joon-ho contemplated the implications of their introductions.
As the silence in the room stretched on, Joon-ho felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach. Sensing the need to break the tension, he cleared his throat, preparing to introduce himself. However, before he could utter a word, Director Hye-su's voice cut through the silence.
"We're already familiar with you, Joon-ho," she stated briskly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Let's skip the formalities and get to the matter at hand."
Joon-ho's initial surprise quickly gave way to frustration and a growing sense of agitation. He couldn't help but feel a pang of anger at the implication that his personal information had been accessed without his consent.
"But why?" he blurted out, unable to contain his mounting frustration. "I wasn't aware of any background checks being conducted."Hae-won, noticing Joon-ho's agitation, interjected gently, her voice a soothing contrast to the tension in the room.
"It's standard procedure, Joon-ho," she explained, her tone calm and reassuring. "Every student admitted to NexaCorp Korea University undergoes a thorough background check. It's nothing personal."
Joon-ho nodded, though the knot of unease in his stomach persisted. His mind whirled with questions, his frustration mounting with each passing moment.
Dong-min, sensing Joon-ho's confusion, chose that moment to add his perspective to the conversation.
"The background check isn't just a routine formality," he clarified, his tone measured. "We take great care to ensure that our students align with the values and standards of NexaCorp Korea University."
Joon-ho's confusion only deepened at Dong-min's words, his mind reeling with the implications of what he had just heard. He couldn't help but wonder what information had been uncovered about him and how it would impact his standing within the university.
The room fell into a heavy silence once more as Joon-ho grappled with the unsettling revelations. Despite the reassurances of those around him, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over him like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over the proceedings.
Director Hye-su's voice cut through the tense atmosphere, bringing the focus back to the matter at hand.
"Let's return to the main topic," she said firmly, her tone brooking no further delay. She turned to Joon-ho, a slight tilt of her head indicating her expectation for him to continue.
Taking a deep breath, Joon-ho recounted his harrowing encounter with the mysterious man within the digital realm of NexaRealm.
"He just appeared out of nowhere," Joon-ho explained, his voice trembling slightly with the memory. "It was like nothing I've ever seen before."
Director Hye-su leaned forward, her expression intent.
"And what happened next?" she inquired, her tone sharp with curiosity.
"He... he just stood there," Joon-ho continued, his words tumbling out in a rush. "The Eclipse Behemoth lunged at him, but he... he vanished into thin air. And then the boss... it just... disappeared."
Hae-won, the secretary, furrowed her brow in concern.
"Just like that? Against the game system?" she mused, exchanging a glance with Dong-min.
Dong-min, the Global Partnership Manager, nodded thoughtfully.
"Indeed, it does," he agreed, his voice tinged with intrigue. "But if what Joon-ho says is true, then we may be dealing with something far beyond our understanding."
Director Hye-su's gaze hardened, her mind racing with possibilities.
"We need to investigate this further," she declared, her tone decisive. "This mysterious figure poses a potential threat to NexaRealm, and we cannot afford to ignore it."
Without a word, Dong-min retrieved a sleek device from his briefcase and placed it on the table before them. With a swift click of a button, the device projected a platform, resembling a laptop or television screen, into the air.
As the image materialized on the platform, Joon-ho's breath caught in his throat. It was a photograph of the mysterious man, captured from a high altitude. Despite the distance, the figure was unmistakable, his silhouette etched against the backdrop of the landscape below.
"We managed to obtain this image from our surveillance network," Director Hye-su explained, her voice tinged with gravity. "It appears that our visitor has caught the attention of more than just a few individuals."
Joon-ho studied the image intently, his mind racing with questions and theories. The man's identity remained shrouded in mystery, his features obscured by the distance. Yet, there was something about him that sent a shiver down Joon-ho's spine, a sense of foreboding that lingered in the air like an ominous shadow.
As the implications of the image began to sink in, a heavy silence descended upon the room once more. The gravity of their situation weighed heavily on each of them, the looming presence of the mysterious man casting a pall over their proceedings.
Director Hye-su leaned forward, her expression intense as she fixed her gaze on Joon-ho.
"Did you manage to get a good look at the man's face?" she inquired, her voice measured yet tinged with urgency.
Joon-ho shook his head, his brows furrowed in frustration.
"No, I couldn't," he admitted, a hint of disappointment in his tone. "It all happened too quickly, and he was too far away. All I saw was a vague outline."
As Joon-ho spoke, the image projected from the unfamiliar device began to flicker to life, depicting the chaotic scene within NexaRealm just as he had described. The Eclipse Behemoth lunged at the mysterious figure, only to vanish into thin air in a whirl of pixels.
Hae-won, the secretary, chimed in, her voice thoughtful.
"Perhaps we could enlist the help of the police," she suggested, her gaze shifting between Director Hye-su and Joon-ho. "They could use the man's physical attributes to create a list of potential suspects. After all, one's physique in the game often reflects their real-life appearance."
Director Hye-su considered the suggestion for a moment before shaking her head decisively.
"No, involving the police would only complicate matters further," she asserted, her tone firm. "We need to handle this internally, with discretion. I won't even choose them as the last course of action."
As Director Hye-su scrutinized the image of the mysterious man, a sense of familiarity washed over her, a nagging feeling that she couldn't quite shake. It was as though she knew him, or had crossed paths with him before, perhaps in a distant memory or a forgotten dream.
With a heavy sigh, Director Hye-su pushed aside her thoughts and refocused her attention on the task at hand.
"We'll continue our investigation," she declared, her voice resolute. "But for now, let's keep this within our circles. We can't risk attracting unwanted attention."
With that, the meeting drew to a close, leaving the room shrouded in a veil of uncertainty and intrigue. As Joon-ho and the others filed out, Director Hye-su remained seated, her mind buzzing with unanswered questions and a growing sense of unease.
With Joon-ho and the others exiting the meeting room, the weight of the encounter hung heavy in the air, each step echoing with the gravity of the situation. Director Hye-su's cryptic response and the mysterious man's enigmatic presence left them with more questions than answers, casting a shadow of uncertainty over their next moves.
With the image of the elusive figure burned into their minds, they parted ways, their thoughts consumed by the puzzle that lay before them, unaware of the tangled web of secrets and intrigue waiting to unravel in the days to come. As they dispersed, the lingering sense of familiarity surrounding the mysterious man left them unsettled, foreshadowing the challenges and revelations that awaited them on their journey ahead.