Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Even in a Ghost Story, I Have to Go to Work
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[Oh no.]
The Nostalgia Candy I'd been holding in my hand had vanished.
"…!"
"Haha…."
The vanished Nostalgia Candy reappeared like magic in Brown's gloved hand, only to disappear again in a flourish of sleight-of-hand.
...Completely gone.
"……."
Ah, should I have clapped?
Clap clap clap...
As I brought my palms together, Brown bowed his head like a stage magician.
"Um, where's the candy...?"
Snap.
The host snapped his fingers.
At the host's request, faceless staffers opened the door to my waiting room and greeted me cheerfully.
A white tablecloth was spread over the table in one corner of the room, and dishes began appearing in perfect unison.
Western cuisine, steaming hot.
A full-course feast that should come out in stages appeared all at once on the table.
"……."
...I suddenly realized it had been ages since I'd seen hot food.
The host, seated across from me, displayed a smiling emoticon on his TV screen and brandished his utensils on either side.
Bon appétit!!
...Somehow, the surroundings felt pitch black.
As if a spotlight shone solely on the banquet table...
Glint.
My silver ring sparkled under the table's light, then dulled as the gleam reflected off a fork.
"……."
I hesitated, then picked up my utensils.
But as I pondered what to eat first...
"……!"
With a gesture from the host, a curvaceous glass bottle filled with ruby-red liquid appeared on the table.
A wine bottle.
I absentmindedly read the vintage on the bottle: 1999.
The release year of the 'Happy Ending Teddy Bear' edition guest I'd booked this time.
"...Did you match it to this broadcast's guest vintage on purpose?"
The host uncorked the wine himself.
Ruby-red liquid sloshed into the glass and was placed before me.
......Hmm.
At this point, it'd be weirder not to drink, but somehow my appetite was there while my motivation wasn't.
"Ah, no, that's not it."
He seemed anxious.
I picked up the glass of wine and...
Took a sip.
......
"It's good."
"Yeah."
I picked up my utensils.
"……."
The meal continued.
Somehow, the more I ate and drank, the clearer my mind became.
Like nutrients entering a weary body... no, not a metaphor—it was exactly that.
'I thought I was in good shape.'
I might have been more exhausted than I realized.
......
...Wait a minute!
'No wonder—it's been a month since I last ate!'
Common sense: a human staying fine without food for a month? Impossible.
'I should've died. That would've been normal.'
Oh my god. And I was only realizing this now?
"No, nothing like that."
I kept eating.
The more I ate, the sharper my thoughts became.
'Even if I'm not corrupted by this Darkness, I was definitely affected to some degree.'
My mind must've been foggy.
Even here, I'd just been working nonstop.
Got too excited that I wasn't scared anymore... or something.
'Better check it out.'
I reached for a new candy from my tattoo but stopped, feeling it'd be a waste.
I needed the great host's permission, after all.
"Brown, could you return the candy you took earlier?"
"Now that I've eaten, I want one as a snack."
Brown placed a single candy back on my palm.
Nostalgia Candy.
Now I remembered clearly.
'This candy reverts you to your peak physical condition from the last 10 years.'
That's how I'd survived at Se-gwang Industrial High.
'Good.'
I popped the candy into my mouth.
......
Hm.
'No change?'
It just... confirmed what I suspected.
'Guess this means my current state is the best it's ever been.'
They say stress is the root of all disease—looks like doing work that suits you is key.
From now on, no more skipping meals just to work, even if working at this supernatural talk show makes it feel fine...
It's clearly had an effect.
'Come to think of it, just working nonstop was weird too.'
I set down my empty wine glass and said seriously,
"Brown. No matter how I think about it, I have to bring this up..."
"My employment contract. Shouldn't we discuss vacation and pay?"
Brown looked at me somewhat awkwardly, and an emoticon on the TV screen clutched its forehead.
I-is that so?
'Guess I wasn't in my right mind from not eating.'
Now that I thought about it, my memories of the first few days working here were hazy.
I'd even lost everything from Daydream Corporation... This was maddening.
"Sorry. But could we negotiate working conditions now?"
With a full belly and clear head, I fiercely negotiated with the host and finalized my employment contract.
Two days off per week, summer and winter vacations, 50 Silver Coins from the bizarre ones base pay, plus performance bonuses every half-year...
Hm. Not bad.
"Got it."
"Haha... um, sorry. What is it?"
Brown pointed at my forearm with his gloved hand.
Ah.
I lifted my arm and looked at the letters.
My forearm, with its smeared makeup, was mottled red and blotchy.
"……."
"Hold on."
"These tattoos have been useful in all sorts of ways."
Hm.
"Still, these could be fun to use..."
Especially the inventory tattoo.
'Could stage all sorts of fun bits on the talk show too.'
Like pulling something out of my arm like magic to surprise the audience. Even off-stage, it could help staff with sets or lights in a pinch?
"Why remove an existing ability? I'm just asking because it doesn't make sense to me."
The host steepled his hands.
An emoticon wiping away tears appeared on Brown's TV screen.
"Yeah. Thanks."
The host confirmed the catering staff had cleared away every trace of the meal, waved, and left my waiting room.
"Phew."
I sat on the sofa.
The next talk show wasn't mine to appear in, and I'd already finished guest booking and production meetings for the week, so I had some free time.
'Time to tidy up.'
If the tattoos might get erased, better sort out the items inside now.
Since I'd noticed losing Daydream Corporation stuff, might as well properly inventory everything.
Thud.
I reached into the inventory tattoo and began pulling out items, lining them up on the table.
'Most everything's intact.'
Besides company items, the blood bath was gone... ah, that was in the bathroom too. So nothing missing.
Even the custom gear from the company was fine...
Some weren't made by me but gifted.
"Ah."
I pulled out a black button the size of a fingernail.
...Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je's communicator button.
'Is this what Section Chief Lee Jaheon mentioned?'
Hm, guess she meant to stay in touch.
'Appreciate it.'
I'll try it when I get vacation later. Smiling, I pocketed the button.
Then past Happy Maker, emergency rations, bloodsucking knife, wrappers, Necronomicon...
And the red button too.
'No way he meant this button.'
Something like this is for life-or-death emergencies!
No need or reason to pitch it to someone gainfully employed elsewhere.
I casually set it on the table.
'Almost done.'
Hardly anything left in the tattoo... ah, one more.
A paper bag with a theme park mascot emerged from the tattoo.
Inside: dragon-shaped churros.
Wow.
'No idea how long it's been in there.'
I think I sold one to that Disaster Management Bureau clerk and kept the rest?
Stored in the inventory tattoo, it seemed unspoiled.
I went to set it on the table but paused at a strange feeling and examined it.
Text I couldn't read before was now legible.
Ecstatic Flavor
Healthy snack for children
Healthy snack, huh.
'...Safe to eat?'
Because, well, the host said candy was fine.
And to eat proper meals!
'If the tattoo gets erased, it'll spoil—better eat it quick.'
Wouldn't want to waste it.
'Yeah.'
I popped the churros into my mouth.
The junk-food-like texture popped and crunched, sliding down my throat...
And then.
And...
"~~!!"
Something surged up from my throat.
Glug glug glug.
Dark blue water began gushing from my mouth where I'd swallowed the churros.
Salty seawater stench filled the air.
"…!! ~~!!"
With my throat and mouth completely filled with seawater, it poured madly onto the talk show waiting room floor.
Ca-can't breathe!
No air!
'Wh-what the...'
What kind of healthy snack is this shit— no! No swearing! But in this situation, what am I supposed to...
Ah, no. Oxygen thinning out—mind fading. Dying, dyi...
......
'That one.'
I barely got my hand on the table.
Rummaging wildly through the scattered items, the moment my fingers touched the red button.
"~!!"
I slammed the table with my arm like mad and pressed the button.
Now seawater streamed from my eyes, nose, and ears too.
'Sa-save...'
And then.
Piiiiing!
A deafening alarm blared in my head...