Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Have to Go to Work
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That evening, when Kim Sol-eum consulted with Director Ho and decided to infiltrate the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau as a spy.
At the same time, Baek Saheon was enjoying an extraordinarily peaceful private life at the company dorm.
All thanks to his damn psychopath roommate going missing!
'That bastard, I knew he'd die pulling stunts like that.'
Baek Saheon flashed a triumphant smile.
Even though D Squad's lunatic leader—who looked exactly like that psychopath—had persistently requested interviews with him several times about the "Tamra Express Train."
And because of it, he'd suffered that horrific... contamination flare-up, but now it had mostly settled down. He no longer vomited or had his sanity crumble just thinking about that great talk... fuck, whatever it was.
Thanks to that, he could now access the Fox Counseling Office.
For free!
'A perk I'd normally have to become a team lead to get... not a bad trade.'
Thanks to D Squad's leader handling it, getting his own Fox Counseling plaque was a clear win.
And the counselor in that ghost story even gave out extra plaques with every session. With the "resolution" he'd gotten from the company, he could use it until he was "moderately recovered."
'I could always sneak it off and pass it to someone else once in a while?'
As long as he played it smart.
'At least three more months before promotion to team lead... I can milk this.'
For today, though, he'd use it once more himself.
Baek Saheon hummed a tune as he hung the plaque on his already-searched roommate's door to visit the Fox Counseling Office again.
And opened the door...
"Ah. It's closed for holiday today."
"...?!"
A black-haired office worker with a chilling expression stood beyond the door, speaking casually.
And stepped out.
A face he'd never forget, even in his dreams. A familiar one.
It was... it was...
"K-Kim Sol-eum."
His missing-and-presumed-dead former roommate looked at him and smirked.
Huh?
Huuh?
"...?!"
Baek Saheon seriously began to suspect.
'D-Dream?'
Or had he fallen into some hypnotic darkness?
Otherwise, why was this psycho bastard—who'd been declared dead after going missing—emerging from the Fox Counseling door...
Smack.
Baek Saheon slapped his own cheek.
It stung.
Not a dream, at least.
'Goddamn it.'
And he felt the pitying gaze of someone looking at a fool who'd just punched himself in the face.
"Hm... I get why you wanted counseling."
"!?"
"But it's closed today, like I said. Take off the plaque and come back next time."
Thud.
Kim Sol-eum fully exited the room and shut the door.
Then, exerting clear physical force, he ripped the plaque off what had once been his own door and tossed it to Baek Saheon.
"...!"
He caught it on reflex.
"But... why'd you open the door right now?"
"...."
"Didn't expect to run into you like this."
Baek Saheon swallowed hard.
At the same time, his brain kicked into overdrive.
In this absurd, unexpected situation forcing him to question what was going on, one thing became crystal clear.
A thick halo pierced through his eyepatch like a shot.
Warning alarm.
A processed-dead employee standing perfectly fine right in front of him meant a company-level conspiracy—or worse.
'They even used me as a disappearance witness...!'
Baek Saheon swallowed again, trying not to recall the horrific, mind-melting contamination he'd endured while tracking Kim Sol-eum's disappearance from the bathroom.
His head spun with rage and dizziness, but the warning hit first.
'...Wait, but now that this psycho bastard is standing here alive and well...'
Can I
see him?
"...."
"...."
The surest way for that psychopath to deal with him...
-Murder to silence.
'Ah, no!'
Baek Saheon quickly corrected the ridiculous thought that flashed reflexively.
Why bother with such inefficient crap in modern society?
'He has my brainwashing pen...'
The item traded for his eye. Baek Saheon clenched his fist.
Right. He'd brainwash his way out. Make it so he never saw anything. Easy and simple—why complicate it...
"You wish I'd erase your memory with the pen, huh?"
"!!"
"Not gonna."
Countermeasures raced through Baek Saheon's mind—punching, using gear, reporting, begging—all discarded in an instant.
'Oh, shit.'
Acting rashly could lead to who-knows-what.
He hated to admit it, but true to psychopath form, this bastard was ruthlessly capable.
To avoid getting dragged down or killed, he needed to stay calm.
What the hell does he want?
No way he actually wants to kill me...
'...No!'
A reconstructed sentence flashed through Baek Saheon's mind like lightning.
-He wants something.
This bastard must want something, that's why he's facing me!
Baek Saheon finally calmed down.
Forcing nonchalance, he crossed his arms.
"...Team Lead, looks like you want something."
"Hm."
See!
"...Ah. Do you need my witness statement or something, Team Lead? Like with the disappearance! You know, report to the company that I felt like I saw Team Lead Kim Sol-eum at the dorm or whatever..."
"No."
Damn it.
Barely holding back curses, Baek Saheon faced him with maximum composure.
Kim Sol-eum stared right back.
Now that he looked, the guy was in a suit, but his hair was slightly trimmed, and one arm was splinted. Not entirely "fine."
'Where'd he get hurt?'
And the suit itself was a bit different.
Odd. It looked more expensive and flashy than standard office wear, like something for show...
'The kind you'd wear on TV...'
...Huh?
Just as a strange connection sparked in his mind.
The other spoke words he couldn't ignore.
"You seem item-hungry."
"...!"
"Not junk—real stuff. Hypnosis, suppression, healing... Want more useful items like that?"
A desire and need topping everything flashed at the top of Baek Saheon's priorities.
Baek Saheon snapped his head up.
Kim Sol-eum was smiling.
"Then tell me regularly what's going on at Daydream Corporation from now on."
"...."
The offer was a deal.
An information trade.
"...Like the company-held high-grade darkness exploration manuals?"
Kim Sol-eum gave him an incredulous look. Right, even he wouldn't demand Field Exploration Team secrets...
"Why would I want boring crap like that."
"...."
"Rumors floating around the office are fine, personnel changes, employee gossip. Bring 'info valuable to an insider' as you see it."
"...Why?"
"Curious?"
"...?!"
"Nah, got fired so I can't hear it anymore. Bored."
No fuck!
Baek Saheon felt like losing his mind and jumping.
Anyone else would beat around the bush about not wanting to share, but this was Kim Sol-eum.
'He might actually mean it!'
Like a total nutjob listening to office gossip for dopamine hits. Made him even harder to read...!
'Ha...'
"So. Bring info, trade for items?"
"Info,"
....
....
"I could... bring some."
Baek Saheon thought.
'Who cares if I get caught.'
By the company?
Claim blackmail or brainwashing—done.
The company was lenient with Field Exploration Team as long as they didn't sell masks or collectors.
Answering a "former employee" about "office vibes"? Pfft!
Even if the company was "mistaken" thinking he was dead, not his problem.
No way they'd discipline for this.
'Not selling to the Bureau, either?'
He wasn't exec level or R&D leaking tech secrets.
'Good.'
No matter how he sliced it, this was a winning deal.
...Hated to admit it, but Kim Sol-eum never stiffed on promised rewards or humiliated over this stuff.
'Let's do it.'
Grab the gains!
The moment he saw room to stretch his legs, slyness returned to Baek Saheon's face.
"But, Team Lead—no, wait, you're not anymore, right?"
"...."
"Anyway, not sure what makes you trust me... I could lie out of fear."
If you want trust, front some items.
Kim Sol-eum grinned wide.
"Lie? Sounds fun. Go ahead, try."
"...."
No dice.
'Bastard.'
"But bring more fun, interesting info, and the items I give'll naturally be better, right? Basic trade."
"...!"
Means he'll pay properly for good stuff.
In the end, Baek Saheon sweated coldly but grinned and extended his hand.
"Deal. I'll bring good 'fun info.'"
"Good."
Kim Sol-eum shook it.
Thus, Kim Sol-eum successfully planted a sharp info-spy back in the company.
'Phew.'
Survived!
Kim Sol-eum inwardly sighed in relief.
'Unofficial intel source... secured.'
Director Ho had deliberately mentioned "fellow rookies" to subtly mislead him, but Kim Sol-eum knew.
His situation was worlds apart from his peers.
'I'm the only one officially dead.'
Plus, fired.
Meaning all natural channels for company news were cut off.
'And Director Ho's the boss happy to exploit my isolation.'
Kim Sol-eum perfectly recalled Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je's words.
-I don't know what other team members are doing on this project. Director Ho won't let employees from different departments talk at all.
No way he'd look out for him.
So he needed another line.
'But not D Squad.'
Somehow, Ho already knew that connection. Sending the plaque via Eun Ha-je was blatant.
He'd planned to target Baek Saheon or Kang Ihak anyway—perfect timing.
'Honestly, Mr. Kang Ihak... feels like he'd sell all my info to the highest bidder.'
Just thinking about it gave him chills.
In that sense, Baek Saheon—properly scared of him yet wary of others, with killer survival instincts—was the right pawn.
Kim Sol-eum scanned his ex-roommate and nodded.
"Then I'm off."
"Pardon? ...Busy, I guess."
Kim Sol-eum nodded at Baek Saheon's soulless words.
"Got work."
Weeks left until Bureau deployment? Barely.
'Tight.'
Time to prep now.
Not as a Daydream rookie—but a Bureau agent-worthy new character!
February 22nd.
"Bronze Agent, sir. Aptitude test materials for new recruits are ready."
"Yes."
Ryu Jaegwan, the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau agent with code name "Bronze," stood before the glass holding files.
Actually, the glass was one-way; to those on the other side, it'd just be a mirror.
And soon, candidates to become the Bureau's new agents would wait there.
The group seated tensely around the room wore strange resolve on their faces.
Aptitude test was all that remained.
But it was the biggest hurdle.
'Fail aptitude, and they'll forget even applying and go home.'
No redo chances.
Because it meant they couldn't handle Bureau work—or had unethical views.
Absolutely unfit.
"...."
Knowing most applicants here had their own stories, Ryu Jaegwan inwardly hoped most would pass aptitude unscathed.
Especially those seeking missing kin or desperate to eradicate some supernatural disaster.
"Let's begin."
"Yes!"
But never one to grade leniently, his hopes didn't show.
Assistant interviewers just swallowed, eyeing "Bronze Agent."
'Pass bar's brutal, they say.'
'These applicants are doomed.'
They exchanged glances, then began the aptitude test per Bronze's orders.
The announcement came from the room beyond the glass.
Four final interviewees named stepped to the center.
Tense #1, age 25. Seemingly calm but pale-faced #2, age 38. Eyes blazing #3, age 31. And...
"Pfft!"
"A-Agent, sir?"
Ryu Jaegwan hurriedly stifled a cough.
Thought it was an illusion, but the reflection beyond the glass didn't change.
The bizarre, kind figure he'd unexpectedly glimpsed multiple times in supernatural phenomena over the past half-year.
'...Grape Agent!'
Kim Sol-eum.
The Daydream Corporation employee stood there opposite the mirror, awkwardly hunching and fiddling with his glasses!!
As Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau agent candidate, Group 'Da' #4.