Chapter 227
Chapter 227
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 227
Chapter Title: Chapter 227 - 괴담에 떨어져도 출근을 해야 하는구나 227화
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 227
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work
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Let's think about this.
Baek Saheon had left this paper boat in Jisam Village. He must have left it for the 'Grape Agent' he'd met back then.
Of course, he wouldn't know the agent's name was Grape.
'If he knew that, he would've already realized I'm Kim Sol-eum.'
Since he didn't know, he'd left the communication item behind.
So in this situation, responding like an agent would be the best way to keep the conversation going.
I wrote as neatly as I could.
With my body melted down and crammed into the suit, the uneven power distribution made my handwriting shake a little.
Are you the citizen I met in Jisam Village?
Is that correct?
If so, what are you gonna do about it?
You seem to have evacuated safely.
That's a relief.
Baek Saheon didn't respond.
But the text I'd written disappeared naturally after a short while, as if he'd confirmed it, and I continued writing.
Sorry for the late reply. I only just found it.
I didn't know I had to unfold the paper boat to use it.
Are you an idiot? How do you not know that?
Yeah. I knew you'd say that.
'The Viper personality hasn't gone anywhere...'
The moment I wondered how to productively press this guy while maintaining my agent identity.
Well, maybe you wouldn't know.
……?
You don't have much experience, I see. Can't even guess properly.
How long have you been an agent?
Yes. That's correct.
But I think I handled things pretty well back then, at least.
Another silence.
'What?'
Anyway, leaving this communication paper behind...
Does that mean you have some information to report?
Report my ass.
I left it because I have questions.
The brisk handwriting slowed down this time, updating after a pause.
How's the village?
Jisam Village?
You think I'd be asking about some other village from here? Obviously that one.
What happened back then?
Well, less laziness and more...
'Like he was too scared to check.'
Baek Saheon apparently hadn't gone anywhere near Jisam Village since fleeing.
He'd probably sensed something from the sounds or pressure while escaping.
'And after that... all contact from the village would've cut off.'
October was almost here. With Chuseok approaching, he was probably getting even more anxious. Wondering if he had to go back down, if the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau had failed and the village had ended up in even worse shape.
I declared it concisely.
The supernatural disaster you were worried about is gone.
No more lotteries or festivals.
The centipede deity they'd brewed into alcohol and pinned under the shrine had vanished, now falling under the Bureau's jurisdiction.
You are free.
For a long while, Baek Saheon didn't respond.
I continued.
That said, I don't know the village's current state for sure, so it'd be best to be cautious if you visit.
I've been working other supernatural disasters since then, so I haven't gotten any detailed updates.
It was somehow true...
I nearly got a bit depressed, but I could end it there, having given the info an agent would've shared.
Of course, as an experiencer of that supernatural disaster, contacting the Bureau officially would get you safer handling.
Of course, you won't do that.
Fine.
I knew it.
Your handwriting really sucks.
'But a sudden personal attack...?'
Sorry about that. You'll learn it's hard to make precise movements requiring fine control when your brain and body are mush from head to toe...
It was impressive I hadn't crumpled this paper yet.
Sorry.
My hand's a bit injured.
Another silence.
Then the topic changed with a reply.
Hey.
Is this contact from the Darkness right now too?
To some extent, yes.
But you used the term 'Darkness'...
You already know where I hang around, so why pretend to ask?
The agent who was with you seemed to recognize me.
Threatening me with this won't work.
This guy had been like that even during newbie orientation. Why was he always so reckless?
There's no need to threaten you as a citizen, nor any desire to.
And if you're talking to someone and think they're really trying to threaten you, don't retort like this— just leave. That's safer.
More silence.
I held back a sigh and continued.
I just had something I wanted to ask personally.
About Daydream Corporation.
Are you crazy? You think I'll answer that and get chewed out by the company? lol
Stop with the nonsense.
Understood.
I knew you'd say that. Naturally, I was picking options for what bait to use to hook him.
Then text appeared slyly.
What are you curious about?
What was this guy after?
But for now, I threw out the prepared question.
I wanted to ask if any previous employees had rejoined among the new hires,
and if there were any familiar faces from your perspective.
First, confirmation on Jang Heo-un.
I could ask Kwak Je-gang too, but I didn't want to give that mad scientist the nuance that I was paying undue special attention to Jang Heo-un.
'It'd spark curiosity.'
No matter that I'd bound him with the 'Red Finger,' it wasn't wise to give that lunatic motivation to find some workaround. Especially toward someone around him rather than the man himself.
'Same reason I haven't asked Go Yeongeun or Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je.'
Of course, it wouldn't fly with Baek Saheon mouth-to-mouth either, so while choosing between carrot or stick...
Wait a bit.
I'll check when I get to work tomorrow.
'...? ?'
What... did he eat wrong?
I had no idea what was going on.
Anyway, if he's doing it, great for me.
Thanks.
And don't forget a sign of sincerity.
I mean, prepare something useful. None of that coffee gift card crap.
Hey. I can't even buy a coffee gift card right now...
Then that might be difficult.
Sorry. I'm not in a position to acquire items right now.
Not even planning to scrape some together later and pay up? No tact, no flexibility—how'd you manage as an agent this long?
My thoughts exactly.
In that case, I'll pay up whatever comes available later. Thanks.
'Hmm.'
The 'Grape Agent' must've earned some trust from Baek Saheon during the Jisam Village incident.
'How'd he pull that off?'
No idea. It was completely unexpected.
'...Even though I'm not even an agent anymore.'
It was surreal that I'd end up communicating with him ongoing as one.
Anyway, I'd wait for Baek Saheon's answer to this first question.
It was the segment where I had to obediently do annex duty for the next steps anyway.
Right.
A few days passed like that.
I'd been very obediently manning the annex front desk nonstop, while silently pressuring the company that payday meant salaries had to be paid.
By the way, I'd gone out once more to collect Darkness in the interim, capturing it safely this time too.
It was a Darkness from the [Darkness Exploration Records] wiki, and analyzing the manual in my right mind meant it wasn't particularly dangerous or hard. Especially with my fear and emotions dulled.
Otherwise, things were fairly peaceful. Surprisingly, Deputy Manager Lee Sa-hye had even dropped by the annex a few times during our shifts with snacks.
'If I track down the digestive organs and reassemble them someday, maybe I can try eating.'
For now, I'd handed it all over to Security Chief.
No response yet from Baek Saheon's paper boat. He probably hadn't checked all the new hire faces.
And so, time passed until today, when the shift format changed a bit.
Yes.
Night solo shift.
The company, seeing I'd worked obediently for over a week, seemed to think 'let's test him this far' and stationed me solo at the front desk.
'I wouldn't have tried this...'
But since they did, it was a ghost story world's insane company.
Security Chief and Foreman Park Minseong would handle their usual duties, deploying if a security call came from my side.
Thus, I was left alone at the front desk in the open mobile chamber.
The result.
"……."
"……."
Seven out of every ten people approaching the front desk were hesitating.
'Sigh...'
Good thing they'd gotten used to the mobile chamber over the past few days—otherwise, security calls would've poured in already.
"Um... Mobile chamber? Employee? I'm trying to access the Twilight Grade 'Self Cookie'."
Issue ID.
I formed text with smoke, while extruding just my left hand from the mobile chamber to register the ID and toss it to them.
"Th-thanks...?"
Safe use requested.
Whispers of "He does the job well" drifted from the employees fleeing into the hallway.
Don't give evaluations like that loud enough to hear in front of what looks like a Darkness mobile chamber...
'Newbie.'
There were a lot of them.
A few days had passed since the entrance exam, about the timing to introduce new hires to the annex and such, letting them use it themselves.
I'd done it too.
'...Was it around then I made my custom gear?'
Memories surfaced of the days getting all sorts of help from D Squad's superiors.
'…….'
I was passing the time quietly amid the smoke like that.
The annex's entrance door opened, and another person in a suit stepped cautiously inside.
"H-hello..."
Seemed like another newbie. A tall man.
But this one froze upon spotting me at the front desk as he entered.
'Yeah. That can happen.'
Question: Necessity of ID
"...!"
The newbie's feet sped up at my text, hurrying almost desperately to the front desk.
'...Huh?'
More precisely, upon seeing the black smoke and yellow light emanating from the open mobile chamber.
As if recognizing it...
…….
……!
I hurriedly floated text.
Question: Situation at time of hiring
Visited Annex Basement Level 13?
"...!!"
The footsteps rushing to the front desk grew louder.
"You... remember me?"
This manner of speaking.
Build, probably polite expression, relatively long hair...
"I-I thought maybe you couldn't recognize my face or identify me..."
Question: Name
…….
Slowly, a mouth opened on the mosaic-melted face.
"Heo-un..."
…….
As expected.
"Employee."
I faced the motive for rejoining I'd met again.
A torrent of questions flashed through my mind.
Reason for joining company
"...There's something I need to find."
The hand resting on the front desk tightened slightly, then relaxed.
CCTV was watching, so no detailed conversation possible.
'...So my guess was right.'
Jang Heo-un, turned human by the Wish Grant, had rejoined Daydream Corporation to fulfill his wish.
"Um, employee."
I wanted to talk more, but not in this open space.
'At least we've acknowledged each other for now.'
Issue ID
"......Thanks."
I assigned him access to the Twilight Grade Darkness he named.
But Jang Heo-un glanced around the annex briefly before returning the ID to me and heading out.
"I'll come again."
Leaving those words behind.
…….
'...Did he come looking after hearing the rumors from the start?'
About the security employee cloaked in mist at the annex front desk.
I.e., about me.
It was possible.
'...Sigh.'
Anyway, it was a relief to confirm he was safe as a human.
As a resort employee contaminated, he couldn't extract Dream Essence and thus wouldn't have passed for the Field Exploration Team.
'Asked Baek Saheon for nothing.'
Maybe should've checked other info, but I hadn't expected to meet him this soon.
No one around now, so I pulled Baek Saheon's paper boat—tucked away in the mobile chamber's smoke—out to a CCTV blind spot under the iron cage's shadow and unfolded it.
'Ah.'
A response had come in the meantime.
So, Baek Saheon's reply to my question about previous employees rejoining among the new hires or familiar faces:
None.
…….
What?
No rejoiners among Daydream's new hires, no familiar faces for me either. No celebrities or anything.
This what you wanted to know?
…….
Hold on.
Then...
What was that Jang Heo-un who just left the annex?
…….
Hey
You checked, right? Why no reply?
Thanks. I'll contact you again.
I folded the paper boat back up and slipped it into the smoke.
All sorts of possibilities swirled in my head.
One of them lying, both lying, both truthful with some misunderstanding.
At the same time, the most primal method occurred to me too...
The simplest way I hadn't thought of until now.
…….
'Brown.'
Amid the bell-granted clear mind and the fuzzily passed dulled shock, my reason asked.
The good friend stuck by my side who could identify human faces.
'Was that guy earlier the Jang Heo-un I knew... the Daydream Corporation employee who wore the bison mask?'
And the answer.
Me?
The pleasant, classic announcer voice spoke three words.
...!!
'Ah.'
I might not have a human form, but I still retained one identity.
The Flower Golden Resort mascot.
Because it was forged from contract and achievements.
In that case.
'I could've called Jang Heo-un—the mascot's subordinate and resort employee—anytime...!'
'Right.'
That was why I could transfer his custody to the Bureau in the first place.
But since custody had gone to the Bureau, they'd be taking measures to restore the contaminated Jang Heo-un to human form, so I hadn't touched him.
'In a situation like now, though.'
Better to try calling him once.
If no response to the call or his presence couldn't be felt, it meant he'd returned to human, so safe.
'…….'
I took a deep breath.
And 'called'.
Jang Heo-un.
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