Become the Containment Special Task Force

The Council Chairwoman?

I thought about it for a moment.

The Management Bureau Council, huh.

By the genre conventions of containment fiction, the people on the Management Bureau Council wielded enormous power. The chairwoman among them would need no further introduction.

"What are you thinking about?"

That endlessly leisurely smile of hers was all the proof I needed.

She seems like an actress, but… no way!

Is that a figurative expression?

Maybe she was the CEO of some massive corporation sponsoring the Management Bureau attraction from behind the scenes!

Either way, she was definitely someone important.

And that chairwoman had one more distinctive trait.

Pretty flat.

She was flat-chested.

Regrettable.

To put it kindly, she was slender. Her whole silhouette was slim and delicate.

"Hmm. You're looking me over quite carefully."

"If that bothered you, I apologize."

"No, it's fine. I'm deeply interested in you as well. Thanks to you, we were able to respond to the random Noclip Incident much faster. I was quite satisfied."

Her soft, measured way of speaking was similar to Lael's, but fundamentally different. If Lael spoke pleasantly because she was already in a superior position, this woman gave off the feeling that you could never tell what she was thinking.

The type of person that makes your skin crawl.

The chairwoman tilted her head and smiled again.

"The random Noclip Incident was terrorism. A hostile group carried out sabotage against the Management Bureau."

"What for? To cause a containment breach?"

"Something like that. …Director. Have you ever heard of SIN-002?"

How would I have?

But the number was low. Gut feeling said this was one hell of a strong one.

"Like a final boss?"

"That's right. You have good insight. Let's just say the 'final boss' is the setting."

The chairwoman propped her chin on her hand and beamed.

"The hostile group triggered the Noclip Phenomenon in an attempt to seize SIN-002. They failed, of course."

"Why?"

"Because SIN-002 is contained with absolute thoroughness. No one even knows its true nature."

For some reason I got the ominous feeling that I would run into ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that thing someday.

I listened in silence, then asked the chairwoman,

"So you called me here just to promote the strongest guy in your setting?"

"Oh my, of course not. That was a bit of a long preamble, wasn't it? Please understand."

Click.

The chairwoman pressed some button, and the ceiling overhead vanished.

I was standing beneath a vast night sky.

Something like an aurora of mysterious colors blanketed the entire heavens and rippled. A curtain of mixed green, teal, and deep crimson undulated softly.

"The Noosphere. Humanity's collective cognitive field. We've visualized it so it can be seen with the naked eye."

"Whoa. Nice tech. You make this with some constellation-shooting beam projector or what?"

"Believe whatever you like. What I want to say is that you are special."

The chairwoman sent me a look I couldn't read.

"Reality adjustment, common-sense alteration, magic—things like that differ in principle, but they all share a common trait. They leave residual traces in the Noosphere. Mu-lines, psychic waves, whatever you want to call them."

"Aww, complicated…"

"But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you are different. Perfect stealth. You leave no residual traces whatsoever in the Noosphere and overturn everything in an instant. All that remains is reality overlaid with your common sense."

The chairwoman asked point-blank,

"How do you do it?"

This damn…

How the hell would I know, you brain-broken woman.

It's not like I'm an actual reality adjuster. It's just some fluff setting.

What was I supposed to answer?

Might as well just say what I always think.

"All you need is belief. Ever heard of justification by faith?"

"Justification by faith (Justification by Faith). Righteousness obtained through faith. Isn't that a core doctrine of Christianity?"

"Yeah. My name uses the character for 'faith' too. But I'm a middle-school dropout, so I don't know the religious doctrine all that well. I do know the one-line summary, though."

I spoke flatly.

"What matters is unbreakable belief."

How easy and quick to understand.

"…How very interesting. I may have to form a task force with the authorities from the Department of Religious Theology and the Department of Cognitive Technology."

The chairwoman laughed brightly and tapped the desk.

"Director. Now it's reward time. I'd like to make you a good offer. Our Management Bureau attraction has a variety of experience products. Among them, I'd like to invite you to the most thrilling VIP lineup. You would become both guest and employee."

"So that means I'd be running into even more dangerous anomalies?"

"Exactly. Do you know sports like wingsuit flying or parkour? This would be dozens of times more dangerous than that."

"That much more spirit and dopamine, then."

"That's right."

Silence settled for a moment. The crackle of the fireplace filled the quiet.

"You'll also receive various privileges. You will no longer be confined to a containment cell, and you'll be provided with dormitory housing. You'll be free to go out and spend leisure time as you please. The same goes for the children of Haetsal Orphanage."

Oh.

Something smelled a bit scammy, but I might as well hear her out.

"What do you want from me?"

The smile vanished from the chairwoman's face.

For the first time, I thought this woman's sense of pressure might not be an act.

"Director, are you interested in becoming a Containment Special Task Force member?"

As a Management Bureau enthusiast, it was an offer I could not refuse.

"Yulha! Arin! Director's taking a second job!!"

"Does that mean the salary is double too?"

"Direc'or… too loud…"

After becoming a Containment Special Task Force member, clear changes had taken place.

First of all.

I received a security ID.

Which meant I had been liberated from the containment cell. In a sense, I had reclaimed a certain amount of freedom.

Felt like I'd gotten hired at some company.

Wait. The Management Bureau attraction seems pretty massive in scale—doesn't that make this a major corporation?

So was this the first step on the road to success?

Hey, Lee Juhee. My beloved mother. Watch over your son's smooth path from up in heaven.

And second.

They said I was allowed to carry Pookjjiki around.

<Why, why won't you put me back the way I was!? What experiment and observation are you even talking about?!>

Augh, so noisy. Gotta keep her somewhere the kids can't reach.

<Heyyyy!! Don't ignore meee!!>

I roughly shoved her up on top of the fridge.

Judging by the vibe, Pookjjiki's gender identity seemed to be that of a girly little kid.

And finally, the long-awaited third change.

"Director. Are we really going to live here?"

"Of course, of course. This is our NEO Haetsal Orphanage!"

The attraction side had provided us with dormitory housing.

I'd been expecting some old, shabby dorm, but it was nothing of the sort.

A city view outside the windows. A spacious living room and kitchen. Three rooms and two bathrooms.

Apartment move-in complete.

Holy crap. You can even call the elevator from inside the unit?

I rubbed my eyes for a second, wondering if this was real.

Not a dream.

I'd heard that companies with money would buy or lease apartments to provide as employee housing, but they were giving one to a guy who'd just been hired?

Damn, Attraction! What the hell is this benefit package?!

My body was heating up!

I'd heard the building's gym facilities were decent too—I'd have to check it out later.

"Waaah… it's reeeally high! Heehee!"

Arin looked out the window and grinned from ear to ear. Being daytime, the scenery was spectacular.

Seeing my daughters happy made me extremely happy too, but…

Can we even afford this?

I sent Seoa a DM.

Oh.

A chance to hang out with Seoa for the first time in a long while. Over the past few years, the number of times the two of us had met alone could be counted on one hand.

Why?

"Jang Arin. Don't run around. We can't handle the noise complaints from downstairs."

"Uuu. I knowww…"

Because I still had two daughters who needed looking after.

Leave these kids home alone and go out laughing and having fun with Seoa?

That's a no! Weirdos might mess with our kids like last time!!

There was the option of asking Ju Eunseong, but… he'd already filled in as a daily babysitter several times.

Yeah, I'd better say I don't have time. Seoa would look all dejected.

Bzzzt—

When I picked up my phone again, a call came in.

[SilverBro]

Ju Eunseong?

I answered the phone.

"Is this the man himself? Where's the funeral home?"

"You start with this bullshit the second you pick up. …Whatever, just go."

"What?"

A solid, hearty laugh came through the receiver.

"I more or less heard the situation. I'll watch your kids for you, so go on a date with Seoa."

Ah.

This absolute bastard…

Ju Eunseong!!

As expected, you are my left nut!!

Before I could even get a word of thanks out, Ju Eunseong struck first.

"I'm heading over now. Twenty minutes max."

The call ended.

Damn you, Ju Eunseong! I won't forget this debt!

As I stood there with a strange smile on my face, Yulha sidled up and asked,

"Director. Are you going out? Is Teacher Eunseong coming?"

"Yeah. I won't be too late. Make sure you listen to Eunseong, okay?"

"Waaah! Teacher Eunseong!"

The kids liked Ju Eunseong too, so it shouldn't be a problem.

While getting ready to leave and waiting for Ju Eunseong, a sudden curiosity struck me.

Who lives next door?

I should go say hello tomorrow.

I came out to a nearby park.

I was just standing there without thinking, but people kept giving me a wide berth.

"…Gulp."

"Whoa. Look at that body. Must be a gangster."

"Dude. He's looking this way. Let's go, quick."

I was used to it.

A few times I'd tried to clear up the misunderstanding by approaching people and ended up getting investigated at the police station. Best to just avoid their eyes and keep ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my mouth shut.

When's Seoa gonna get here.

Honestly, I was a little excited.

Objectively speaking, Yu Seoa was a good person.

Beyond just being pretty, she was kind and soft-hearted. Like harmlessness itself given form and walking around.

And she had a purer, more good-natured character than anyone else I knew.

I was interested in Seoa.

Not as a childhood friend—I meant romantic interest as a member of the opposite sex.

Well, it doesn't seem like Seoa feels that way, though.

The fact that I liked someone could itself become a wound for that person.

So I must not launch a confession attack. I also had two daughters I absolutely had to take responsibility for.

While I was steeling myself like that, light, soft footsteps approached.

"Ah, Oppa!"

I went blank for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a second and looked ahead.

A white off-shoulder crop knit that left her shoulders and collarbones fully exposed. A slender waist that stood in stark contrast to her extremely heavy chest.

Above the short black skirt, her navel was clearly visible, and when a light breeze blew, her glossy black hair fluttered.

Seoa walked toward me with a bright smile.

"Oppa! Did you wait long?"

Ah.

The difficulty of holding back a confession attack just went way up.