Lobotomy Corporation but with Simulation System?

The moment X shouted, time seemed to freeze. The two Deans, rolling on the floor, their movements completely stopped, as if they were frozen in place—playing a game of statues.

After that pause of a few seconds, as if mimicking a mirror, the two Deans simultaneously made the same movement—they turned their heads to look at the dumbfounded Manager, X, standing at the doorway.

Their lips moved, but no sound came out. It was as if they were under a silencing spell, rendered completely mute.

The atmosphere was suffocating. It was difficult to know what to say… It felt as if the central air conditioning had been set to its highest cooling setting, threatening to freeze people into ice shards. A chill permeated the air.

X also found it hard to speak. This awkwardness was far more intense than the inexplicable fight between the two Deans in the office.

Because both the Information Department Dean and the Safety Department Dean's gazes were fixed on X, intently staring at this black-haired, golden-eyed woman who had suddenly burst in.

To be honest, being stared at like this by two people was truly frightening. X felt her scalp tingling.

Although she had experienced awkward moments before, and had been glared at by Yesod, she had never experienced such misery as today. Her toes were digging into the ground.

Yesod's gaze was terrifying, murderous. It was like a provoked cobra, suddenly rising up, baring its fangs, the venom in its sacs ready to strike at any moment.

"Uh… did I come at a bad time…? I— I'll just go out!"

X's feet began to retreat, not lifting, but dragging across the floor—a bizarre, backward movement, like a snail inching across the ground.

"Manager!"

Another pause of a few seconds, then a voice spoke.

"No!"

Another voice said this.

X was frightened by the words of the Information Department Dean and the Safety Department Dean. She froze in place, like an unsuspecting traveler who had been ambushed by a ferocious beast.

A narrow road, a viper and a tiger, a clash of titans, difficult to advance, difficult to retreat, a desperate situation.

At this moment, the two Deans who had been rolling on the floor both stood up. They glanced at each other from the corner of their eyes, ignoring each other. They straightened their clothes, smoothing out the wrinkles caused by their fight.

The atmosphere was tense. Neither side had any intention of speaking.

"Uh, why don't you sit down and talk first…? What's the conflict, Netzach?

Oh, Yesod, did Netzach upset you? Did she borrow your stamp again and not return it?"

"First, let's shake hands and reconcile— apologize to each other?"

X said with her eyes closed. She couldn't ignore this. As Manager, she had to deal with the Deans' fight. She had to smooth things over, even if it meant getting her hands dirty. She had to add a little water to the mud.

The Manager was like the lubricant between gears. When gears move, there is friction. Adding lubricant can reduce friction and lessen the wear and tear between the gears.

There were conflicts between the Deans. After all, their personalities were different, and they were all very individualistic. But this kind of situation…

It was just minor friction, a small conflict. It could even be classified as teasing or joking. Serious confrontations were rare.

Like now— a fight.

Although Netzach's lazy and irresponsible personality was really incompatible with Yesod's strict and rigorous personality, their contrasting personalities, and their mutual dislike, were normal. But it shouldn't have come to a physical fight…

X had thought that their relationship might not be good, but she hadn't expected it to be this bad. They had secretly been fighting.

Perhaps it was because they were in front of her. That was why each Department Dean had been more reserved… so their temperaments hadn't been so obvious…?

But X's attempt at mediation didn't work. Although the two Deans, at X's urging, sat down on the sofa, they still ignored each other, continuing to stare at X with terrifying expressions.

Forget about offering a hand, even a simple gesture of reconciliation. Neither the Information Department Dean nor the Safety Department Dean had any intention of speaking. They were both acting like statues.

It was like a silent play. What they were thinking was left entirely up to X to guess, based on their actions…

And if that were like above, it would have been easier. But the real situation was even worse—

The two Deans, following X's instructions, sat down. But one was on one sofa, and the other was on another sofa. They were like two separate worlds divided by a river, separated by the distance of an armchair.

The problem was that X had to decide which sofa to sit on. Which Dean should she sit next to?

Both Deans' gazes were fixed on X, as if conveying this meaning. Even for someone as slow as X, she sensed the wrongness of the situation.

She wasn't blind. She couldn't ignore those gazes. Even if she tried to ignore them, it was like a bowstring being pulled, it couldn't be released.

And because she understood, X felt a chill down her spine. Why had she been dragged into their fight…? The champagne in her arms felt like it was getting warm from her suddenly rising body temperature.

The champagne was getting hot, sweat was beading on her hands from the tension.

She swallowed several times, her throat dry and parched. X managed to formulate a plan in her head and was about to speak and act, but it was interrupted by the sudden illumination of the Lobotomy Logo.

—Sit next to the Information Department Dean

—Sit next to the Safety Department Dean

[The simulation has started—]

[Lobotomy Corp Simulator— The Best Workplace Romance Simulator]

[Day 6—What are you looking at? Looking at you!]

[After work, you plan to bring wine to the Deans for a get-together. Because of a morning agreement, you plan to visit the Information Department Dean first.]

[You didn't find the Information Department Dean in her office, so you went to the Safety Department.]

[You burst into the Safety Department Dean's office. You found the Information Department Dean, but unfortunately, the Information Department Dean was fighting with the Safety Department Dean.]

[You were drawn into this conflict. The two Deans have a very poor relationship. They sat down on separate sofas, ignoring each other, with no intention of reconciliation. You, as Manager, were extremely embarrassed.]

[You were glared at by both Deans, enduring their intense gazes. In this awkward atmosphere, you sat down next to Netzach, the Dean you were more familiar with.]

[You realized that the Safety Department Dean was hugging you, boasting to the other Dean. The Information Department Dean's expression was extremely unpleasant.]

[You were punished by the Safety Department Dean, and the Information Department Dean also punished you.]

OR…

[You were glared at by both Deans, enduring their intense gazes. In this awkward atmosphere, you sat down next to Yesod, the Dean you felt was more reliable.]

[You explained the situation to the Information Department Dean. Your explanation angered the Safety Department Dean. She was dissatisfied with your explanation and, to prove the truth of the matter, the meticulous Information Department Dean decided to verify the Safety Department Dean's account herself.]

[You were punished by the Information Department Dean, and the Safety Department Dean also punished you.]

….…

…

[Your mental state is distorted…]

[You enjoyed it…]

[You enjoyed the feeling of being punished…]

[… …]

[… …]

[Achievement Unlocked—Two slices of cheese sandwich]

[Friendly Reminder: An incorrectly cut cake angers the AI more than having no cake at all. It's like one cake has a cherry, and the other doesn't.]

[Please choose your reward for this outcome:

1. Fortitude (+1)

2. Prudence (+1)

3. Temperance (+1)

4. Justice (+1)]

[First-person perspective original YES/NO]

X felt a sudden chill. Judging from the simulation results, it was a terrible, malicious, pathetic ending. And the process itself… there were very few simulations that didn't involve work-related scenarios.

This kind of Game Over situation, caused by non-work factors, had rarely happened except in the first few days when she was still unfamiliar with things. But today…

Was it something special…? Or was she just exceptionally unlucky?

Her throat was dry and parched from the tension. Even in the air-conditioned room, sweat was breaking out. X wasn't feeling well…

That could be considered a side effect. After a certain number of simulations, a reaction would manifest. Nausea, discomfort, and other minor problems.

It was as if the imagined choices could actually change reality. Although the details weren't explained, there was a tangible reaction, and the effects were becoming increasingly prominent.

Even though she felt unwell, she had to suppress her discomfort and continue to deal with the unresolved situation.

"Oh, wait… Let me see… Netzach, where did you put the tall glasses? Ah, ah, ah, found them."

Ignoring the two Deans' gazes, X put the champagne on the coffee table. Carefully putting away the champagne, she turned and rummaged through the cupboard—

Mostly, there were large beer mugs. X rummaged through several cabinets before finding two tall glasses.

She grabbed wet wipes and rubbed them, until the glasses shone brightly. Then, she placed the glasses in front of the two Deans.

She opened the refrigerator and took out several ice cubes from the lower compartment filled with cold beer. She poured out the ice and put it into the glasses. Then, playing the role of a sommelier, she poured the wine for the two Deans.

The sparkling, bright champagne was poured into the tall glasses. Unlike the beer, the champagne bubbles didn't rise to form white foam, and the champagne shouldn't be poured to the brim.

Just one-third was enough. Fine wine shouldn't be over-poured. It should always be delicate, not a whole bowl.

"Try it, Netzach. It's excellent champagne, special champagne given to me by Angela."

"Don't frown, Yesod. You need to be happy when sipping champagne. Oh, do you need me to show you the correct way to drink champagne?"

X observed the two Deans' expressions, ignoring the suffocating atmosphere.

As if to liven up the atmosphere, X continued in an exaggerated tone—

"Hold the stem of the glass. Take a small sip. Close your eyes and enjoy the smooth bubbles. Of course, the most important thing is— it's meant to be shared. That's the charm of champagne."

X demonstrated this process for the Deans. She elegantly held the stem of the tall glass, gently swirling it. Then, her lips paused at the rim of the glass, and the rich, delicate champagne, with its abundant bubbles, slowly flowed into her mouth.

"Sorry, I seem to have used your glass. Don't mind if I get a new one."

X took out another tall glass, poured another glass of champagne, and placed it in front of the Information Department Dean, Yesod.

The Information Department Dean's expression was complex, but it wasn't related to disgust or aversion. It was a different emotion, an unusual emotion… She accepted the champagne that X had given her and took a small sip.

Her gaze, however, remained fixed on X and the glass in X's hand.

The Safety Department Dean, sitting on the opposite sofa, didn't need X to pour her wine. She had already finished her wine, her gaze wavering between the champagne on the table and X.

Elegance didn't suit Netzach. It wasn't so much that she was enjoying the fine wine, as that she was simply enjoying the numbing sensation of the alcohol. Whether it was fine wine or strong liquor, as long as it was strong enough, that was fine.

But she was still trying to be elegant, as if she wanted to maintain a non-existent image in front of X and the other Deans.

Compared to Yesod, Netzach's mouth was much easier to open. The method didn't matter, as long as it worked.

"Ahem, okay, you've all had a drink. Who wants to explain the situation first? The first person to speak gets a reward."

X spoke in a relatively relaxed and playful tone. There was no sign of blaming anyone. Compared to aggressively questioning or accusing someone, X preferred this gentler approach.

After all, she wasn't trying to determine who was right or wrong. She just wanted to know the root of the conflict.

Why had the incompatibility between the two Deans escalated to a physical fight? Speaking frankly and letting them know the reason was far better than silently resenting each other, fighting back and forth.

"Manager, I'm reporting. Yesod was the one who started it! She wanted to hit me!"

Perhaps the word "reward" had tempted Netzach, or perhaps Netzach simply felt that she was right. In any case, she spoke up, raising her hand high, pointing directly at Yesod.

Yesod's face immediately darkened. Her expression became extremely unpleasant. The words seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth. She was gritting her teeth at Netzach's "report."

"We agreed to resolve things ourselves. You openly broke your promise and told the Manager, Netzach?

As expected, you're an irresponsible bad person."

The Information Department Dean reacted even more intensely. It was as if the Safety Department Dean was making false accusations. She was petty and despicable.

To the Information Department Dean's angry criticism, the Safety Department Dean showed her contempt, sticking out her tongue and making a tsk-tsk-tsk sound, highly sarcastic.

"Cut it out. It sounds nice, but you just didn't want X to know. Pretending to be so just. I spit on you!"

"Manager, don't listen to the Viper's words. She was really fierce when she hit me. She harbored resentment toward me. She was taking revenge on me, deliberately finding reasons to hit me."

"Look, Yesod was the one who hit me. It hurt."