Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work
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Go Yeongeun had shown me the agents' group chat, and it left a huge shock and realization.
'No wonder Agent Choi so readily assigned me to the New Investigation Squad.'
It was because my transfer to Geommu Team 1 was already set in stone.
Even Agent Cheongdong's consideration in sending me to Go Yeongeun's team today—was that because today was my last day on the Emergency Rescue Squad...!
'This is so unfair...'
No, judging by appearances alone, wasn't I just the one who got infected while throwing a tantrum to stay one more day at the singularity Agent Podu created, taking care of the kids?
So I'd let my guard down, but apparently, with the supernatural disaster that barely managed regular rescues now concluded, I was the only variable that stood out glaringly.
And if that variable's nickname was 'Destruction King Newbie'...
Was my image basically ruined from the start?
Yeah!
'Ha.'
"......"
"Um... Sol-eum. Are you okay?"
I nodded.
But I must not have looked great, because Go Yeongeun eyed me with a hint of worry.
'Acting too down would look suspicious...'
Time to snap out of it before they clocked me as a total wimp.
I forced a calm tone, feigning mild regret as I spoke.
"The Emergency Rescue Squad is of course a great team, but I'm better suited for paperwork than fieldwork... so I was a bit caught off guard."
"......"
"Yeongeun?"
"Yeah, uh, yes..."
For some reason, Go Yeongeun's gaze seemed to sour a bit.
But the next moment, she started comforting me. Must've been my imagination.
"Well, on the bright side, it might actually be good. After all, each team has its...!"
...?
The employee in front of me abruptly cut off.
And pressed her hand against the spot where Director Ho had placed the seal.
"......!"
Pretending to be away, but someone in this office was eavesdropping on the newbies' conversation.
I locked eyes with Go Yeongeun.
'Don't panic.'
She was probably about to say something like, 'Since one gets assigned to each team, it balances things out.'
I smoothly picked up the thread.
"Right. Every team has its strengths, so even if I end up on the Emergency Rescue Squad... I'll work hard."
"Yeah. Let's do our best...!"
Thankfully, the exchange ended casually.
We struck fighting poses, raising both hands like fresh newbies.
After that, Go Yeongeun naturally shifted to introducing the work of New Investigation Squad White Tiger Team 2.
'Phew.'
Later, we spotted an agent yawning and rising from under a desk in the corner of the office, and pretended to be maximally startled.
"A-Agent?"
"Ah, sorry. Just catching a quick nap... You're a newbie too, huh? You two are already buddies. Good luck out there. I'm off today... yawn."
"Yes! Thank you!"
The agent gave us a warm look before leaving the office. I inwardly sighed in relief.
'No openings to grab onto.'
Not so much spying... more like the newbies were cute and intriguing, and maybe wondering if they needed help, so he listened absentmindedly. Still, we needed to be more careful.
'...Director Ho's seal really helped.'
Go Yeongeun and I avoided the topic entirely afterward, focusing on PC setup. Soon, agents returned from field work.
"We're back, Yeongeun!"
"Team Leader."
I stuck by Go Yeongeun's side for greetings.
The White Tiger Team 2 leader had a very hearty vibe and chuckled upon seeing me.
"Ah, so you're that... um, the new recruit!"
"......"
Did he just almost call me Destruction King and catch himself?
If all these folks were in that group chat, my nickname might be irreversible now.
'Ha...'
I never thought I'd say this, but working as a junior at Daydream felt less embarrassing...
"You just got back from rescue ops the other day. Heard you did big things. Today, just chill and get a feel for what White Tiger Team does. Got it?"
"...Thank you."
I nearly botched the character I'd built.
I bowed my head meekly, suppressing the urge to unleash some crazy MZ-gen response like back at Daydream...
"Alright, alright. Sit next to Agent Park Ha and work today!"
And so I took a seat at some agent's empty spot—who was off today—and got a quick briefing from Go Yeongeun.
Phew.
"Today's task is ghost story investigation... Not fieldwork, so get the hang of PC work and how to handle the paperwork afterward."
"Agent Park Ha will show me?"
"Yes. I've been handling this kind of work a lot lately."
Go Yeongeun hesitated a bit before adding,
"That agent who went to the mart with me... um, after some erratic behavior, started assigning me mostly paperwork."
Ah.
'The newbie nearly died to a water ghost out of nowhere, so they pulled her from fieldwork for now.'
Of course, Go Yeongeun, with her Daydream experience, had already mentally cut ties and recovered quickly...
'She'll probably be back on fieldwork within a month here too.'
Either way, if she stuck to paperwork, she might naturally access the secret archives at the Disaster Management Bureau in Gangwon Province someday.
'...Jealous.'
I wanted that route.
'...No.'
Not too late yet.
'This time, I'll make a proper pitch.'
Perfect, since it wasn't fieldwork.
Time to show how skilled I was at ghost story documentation...!
Especially since.
New Investigation Squad paperwork?
'That's tracking and documenting ghost stories.'
Made for me.
I sat at the PC with a smile.
"Let's do this."
And so, the ghost story I had to track down during my shift today was...
An internet forum post-origin ghost story.
The modern internet is nothing less than a breeding ground for urban legends.
All sorts of rumors, gossip, and ghost stories run rampant, true and false blurring together as they spread from mouth to mouth—no, post to post, video to video.
People twist stories to fit their worldviews.
In the direction they find most intriguing, entertaining, and believable.
And through mutations and recreations, a few gain tremendous lifespans.
Even if they started as blatant lies.
For example...
Like this ghost story I'm investigating right now.
This was the most famous original post from two months ago.
A ghost story about spotting something suspicious and conspicuous near a subway Exit 4.
The chill of encountering an everyday object in an eerie way in a mundane space, combined with imaginative dread.
It spread across forums and SNS, spawning similar sightings.
And two months later, now.
The urban legend has become terror.
That's just what I captured.
And crucially...
Someone actually found hair and paper inside the clothes...
(Photo)
Idk what it is but vibes are all wrong. Stay safe everyone
Even more brutal and chilling testimonies emerged.
And comment sections and quote posts everywhere turned into chaos.
Up to here, it feels like a real-life ghost story with a creepy twist.
Red clothes still popping up at subway entrances everywhere, no police involvement possible, so those in the know tremble in fear as victims keep appearing.
But it doesn't die down.
It's ongoing.
People casually consuming these internet horror tales as mild thrills started feeling the eerie closeness and dread hit home, so they began seeking real-world solutions.
Police.
Public outcry.
And more grounded sightings.
And finally, this internet urban legend trickled into the Disaster Management Bureau.
Of course, most internet ghost stories are just coincidences, misperceptions, and wishful thinking colliding.
The Bureau initially approached it that way too.
The problem is...
Thus, I, 'Agent Grape,' was tasked with collecting various internet tales on the Red Clothes at Exit 4...
Registration is basically done; just need more online backing data.
A bit spooky, but compared to fieldwork, it's just reading ghost stories.
Truly newbie training, downtime work.
But...
'Stopping there would be a waste.'
I said it, right?
I'm stronger at paperwork.
And compiling internet ghost stories into docs?
'This is my true specialty.'
I'll show you proper.
I grinned and placed my hands on the PC.