A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 196

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The opinion of Yusara, a third-year office worker (formerly), on K-dramas.
Weaving product placement naturally into the narrative is also a measure of the writer’s skill.
But this was my dream, and I was a writer without talent, so this PPL was unfolding in a complete disaster—viewers hemorrhaging away with every passing moment.
“Your eyes snap wide open!”
“No burnt taste!”
“Reduced sugar and cholesterol!”
“100% Arabica coffee!”
“I….”
This is insane….
Beside me as I sighed, Praha and Cyprus both cracked open their cans with expressionless faces.
Contrary to the advertisement’s claims, the coffee’s burnt aroma wafted in all directions.
The two men, their hands planted on their hips to showcase their muscles and neck lines, tilted their heads back unnecessarily and gulped down the coffee.
Glug—brown coffee trickling down Praha’s throat.
Without thinking, I reached out and wiped the coffee away with my hand.
“….”
Looking down at me with only his eyes, Praha watched as I found myself making excuses.
“Your shirt is white. Can’t let the coffee stain it.”
Beside me, Yujein, who had been bouncing around, held out a remaining can of coffee to me.
I took it without thinking and glanced around.
Everyone was looking at me.
“Go on, drink it. You’re the only one left, Yusara.”
“…Do I really have to?”
Of course I did….
Ha ha. Ha ha ha. I laughed awkwardly and cracked open the can.
I forced down a sip and muttered.
“A taste so good, you’d crave it even as a zombie. Seraphina Coffee.”
Was it the line that was the problem?
The moment the words left my mouth, zombies appeared from nowhere and swarmed toward us.
“Grrrrgh!”
“Kyaaaah!”
The zombies rushed forward, their eyes fixed only on the can in my hand.
“Aaaah!”
“Run!”
I hurled the coffee can and bolted.
I genuinely wanted to protest.
Is this even right?!
“Huff….”
“Gasp….”
“Pant….”
We barely escaped into the 18th Floor Conference Room.
I haven’t been to this floor since my first day of orientation. Was it always like this?
The Conference Room had no door.
Does that even make sense?
I don’t know… I guess it’s dramatic license.
Thanks to that, we were now hiding inside the completely open Conference Room, watching zombies shuffling between the partitions like we were trapped in some surreal nightmare.
“What do we do… we just need to get that far.”
“Just three more meters and we can reach the emergency exit.”
“But I think we’ll get caught the moment we go out. There are way too many zombies….”
Where did they all come from, gathering like this all at once? I sat on the floor, cold sweat dripping down my spine as I listened to my teammates murmur their despair.
‘I think this is my fault.’
It felt like I’d summoned every zombie on this floor.
While everyone else sat around in defeat, Praha alone leaned against the doorframe, watching the outside. His shirt stretched taut across his back, the fabric pulled straight by his rigid posture.
He looked oddly impressed by the situation.
“We’re done for….”
“Are we really going to die like this?”
“Can a helicopter reach this floor? If we break the window and jump onto the helicopter….”
“Yujein, what kind of drama do you think this is?”
Ignoring my teammates’ chatter, I tapped Cyprus on the shoulder.
“Hey. Come here for a second.”
“Huh?”
I dragged the confused Cyprus to the far end of the Conference Room.
“Search around here.”
“Why here all of a sudden?”
“Just hurry.”
Based on my experience, there’s definitely a breakthrough here.
As expected, after Cyprus had been opening and closing empty drawers for a while, he found something in a drawer way up high above his head.
“Huh? This is….”
“I knew it.”
I handed him the box and went back to Praha. Bring that with you.
The Manager, who had been standing guard against the doorframe without any weapons, looked at me approaching him once, then at Cyprus shuffling along behind me, and frowned.
“Your new husband?”
“Ugh.”
“Ugh? Really….”
I ignored Cyprus’s dejected response.
I gave Praha—who would definitely have become the talk of all Yeouido if he were really our company’s Manager—a once-over before asking.
“Do you work out regularly?”
“Enough to get you out of here alive.”
Oh. That’s very K-drama male lead of him.
“Take a look at this.”
I pointed to the coffee filling the box that Cyprus had brought.
I flashed a smile at Praha, who kept glancing between his coffee and me.
“The zombies chased us earlier because of this coffee’s smell, didn’t they?”
“That appears to be the case.”
“Then, what if I threw this coffee to the opposite side?”
“…Ah.”
“Yes, exactly.”
Hit it for us, Manager.
A few seconds later, Praha rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt to his elbows and hurled the coffee can down the Corridor.
The brown coffee flew through the air, scattering its rich, sweet aroma.
Crash!
Absurdly, in a high-rise Building like this, a single coffee can was enough to shatter the window.
“Grraahhh!”
The zombies, following the trajectory of the coffee, hurled themselves through the broken window at the end of the Corridor.
Whoosh—
“Uh….”
“This actually… works?”
The Corridor emptied out eerily.
I muttered to myself.
“A taste worth craving, even as a zombie.”
Seraphina Coffee.
“So we just need to go up one more floor?”
Is this the power of product placement?
Every time we encountered zombies, we threw the remaining coffee and climbed safely.
Only one floor separated us from the Rooftop Garden where the rescue helicopter would land.
Normally, the door to the Rooftop Garden would be open, and inside would be crowded with people on calls, drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes… but.
‘Right now, all those people might be zombies.’
Either way, once I get there and board the helicopter to leave, this dream will end, right?
Please.
Please!
I clasped my hands together in silent prayer.
Praha glanced back at me and spoke to the team.
“I think it’s best we wait here for now.”
“Pardon?”
“Why… why would we?!”
To the Manager’s urgent question, Praha silently pointed to the iron door leading to the Rooftop Garden.
Everyone held their breath at the sight of the X mark slashed across it in blood.
Creak… thud. Creak… thud.
And beside us, the elevator that wouldn’t close, emitting an ominous sound.
“If we all gather and open the rooftop door only to face zombies, there’s no way out. Cyprus and I will go up first and handle it.”
“Just… just the two of you?”
“Is there anyone willing to volunteer?”
Should we go together? I asked Praha with my eyes. The Manager quickly looked away.
“I will.”
Praha casually ignored me as I raised my hand eagerly, pointing instead to the last floor we’d just come from.
“You can wait there.”
“No, I’m coming too?”
“Go into the bathroom, lock the door, and stay there.”
Why are you ignoring me! I grabbed Praha’s elbow and shook it. Looking down at his captured arm, Praha whispered so only I could hear.
“You’re trying to follow Cyprus, not me.”
“No, that’s a misunderstanding…”
“Go inside. Stay safe.”
Firmly, Praha pushed me into the bathroom.
After checking once more that no one was inside and that the ventilation duct was secure, Praha turned to face everyone.
“Does anyone have a watch?”
“I do!”
Yujein raised her hand. Praha nodded and spoke.
“I’ll be back within thirty minutes.”
“No…”
So you’re really not taking me? I muttered in disbelief.
Praha ignored that too.
“I’ll return alive.”
And with that, the bathroom door closed.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Silence.
Everyone seemed exhausted and anxious, having lost their words. Each person stared at the floor, blinking slowly.
I looked at the floor too.
Desperately avoiding Yujein, who had been watching me with sparkling eyes since earlier.
‘No, no, no. Don’t do this. That’s not it.’
Even if Korean dramas love love triangles, or even quadrangles, this wasn’t it.
The viewers don’t want this.
So there I was, desperately squinting and staring only at the floor.
When suddenly the Manager jumped to his feet.
“I can’t take it anymore!”
Ah.
Here it comes?
[Characteristics of K-Dramas as Seen by Korean Office Workers (5)]
A middle-aged man who makes you clench your fists often appears.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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