Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: The Employee ID's Secret
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12.
I unintentionally let out an overly exaggerated reaction.
But the man acted as if he didn't mind in the slightest.
“First time visiting, I take it?”
“……Ah, yes.”
A lie slipped out.
What if he asks for specific details about the GRA...? All sorts of thoughts raced through my mind.
“No need to be so on guard. I only asked because you seem awfully familiar with the place for a first-timer.”
“…If I've been rude in any way, I apologize…….”
I didn't want to get on the bad side of the shopkeeper at a place I might visit regularly in the future.
“Huh? No, not at all.”
Contrary to my worries, I got a straightforward reply.
“Anything else you need?”
The man, who had switched back into shrewd merchant mode at some point, asked if I wanted to buy anything more.
Ching.
But at that moment, I felt a movement from my pocket.
‘Oh, right.’
I almost forgot.
The reason I'd come to the Ghost Story Pawnshop wasn't just to buy items—there was one other thing.
Rustle.
I pulled the Employee ID from my pants pocket and held it out to the man.
“Do you do appraisals here, by any chance?”
“That's my specialty. Leave it to me.”
This was something I already knew, of course.
But to avoid raising the same suspicions as before, I phrased it indirectly.
“Let me see…….”
The man took the Employee ID and casually examined it from every angle.
As I blankly watched him, the thought that crossed my mind was:
Can you really tell just by looking with the naked eye?
The description in the Ghost Story Pawnshop entry only mentioned that you could get items appraised there—no graphic details on the process.
‘Seeing it in person... my trust is…….’
I eyed him suspiciously, but fortunately, he didn't seem to notice.
Clack.
The man gently set the Employee ID down on the counter, looking at it with intrigued eyes.
“……Fascinating.”
“Yes?”
He slid the Employee ID toward me and asked, puzzled:
“Who gave you this?”
“…….”
For some reason, today my mouth wouldn't stay shut.
Once again, in the ensuing silence, the man didn't press the issue.
“…Never mind. I must have asked something unnecessary. It seems like a valuable item, so I'll return it right away.”
“…….”
……Huh?
Valuable?
Isn't this just a regular Employee ID?
Well, sure, it was given to me by a ghost story itself, so of course it'd be special. But the man's reaction suggested something I didn't know was hidden within it.
I'm dying of curiosity here.
Please tell me!
“Is there something wrong with the appraisal?”
“…Customer, do you know how the items here are made?”
Come on, man!
If I didn't know something this basic, I couldn't claim to be a fan of this world.
‘Who do you think I am!’
The origin of items with ghost story-level power is, naturally, discovered during explorations of ghost stories.
My recently acquired ‘Little Friends’ were a perfect example.
Items once used by the ghost stories themselves, or deeply tied to their themes, imbue with strange powers.
Obviously, it's hard to tell with the naked eye which everyday objects harbor special powers.
That's why the GRA uses devices to detect and collect those specific items.
Anything deeper is TMI, so I'll skip it for now.
What’s certain is:
Items imbued with strange powers are usually only obtainable from within ghost stories.
If memory serves, the GRA's tech could only produce low-quality items in small quantities.
I explained this briefly to the man.
“……That's about all I know.”
“You're well-informed. Spot on. Even now, the GRA's best bet for items is sourcing them from ghost stories.”
Feeling a bit proud at the praise, I wondered all the more: if that's the case, what ghost story item was this Employee ID I'd been carrying that had him so shocked?
My curiosity only grew.
“…It's a ghost story.”
“……Pardon?”
“The item you're holding is a ghost story compressed into an item through some method. An absurd creation.”
“………….”
……A ghost story?
This Employee ID?
The idea of turning a ghost story into an item wasn't even in the original web novel.
Which meant this Employee ID in my palm was like a byproduct that shouldn't exist in this world.
‘This Employee ID is a ghost story?’
No matter how I looked at it, it was just an ordinary Employee ID on the surface.
As the man's earlier naked-eye inspection flashed in my mind, and while Park Yeon-jeong examined it similarly:
An unexpected statement followed.
“That Employee ID... it seems infused with the power of a ghost story that handled sub-spaces. I have no idea why glasses... and a bear doll? are inside it, though.”
“…….”
“The key point is, this item was artificially created by someone………No, I can't hold back!”
Thud!
Lurch!
The man, who had been calm until a second ago, suddenly thrust his head forward, exuding a completely changed aura.
“I can't contain myself! Customer!”
“Y-Yes?!”
What can't you contain?!
“Please introduce me to whoever made this item!”
“…….”
“I'll make it worth your while!”
Th……that's not a person.
It's a ghost story.
But this confirmed it.
The sudden disappearance of my ‘Top Student Glasses’ and ‘Little Friends’ was tied to this Employee ID.
“Just make the introduction! I'll give you the most expensive item in my shop!”
“!!!”
My eyes sparkled involuntarily.
…But.
I snapped out of it.
If I told him that, the Announcement Broadcast might have me killed.
It was too risky to judge hastily now.
“…Sorry. Pretend you didn't hear that. I'll be going now.”
“Huh? W-Wait!!”
Grab!
But the man's eyes were already half-mad.
“One isn't enough, right! Right!!
Then two... no, three. No, as many as you want! Just tell that person about me!!”
“……….”
This guy's scary!
Help!
Eyes burning with madness rivaling a ghost story's.
Who knows how strong he is—I couldn't break free.
As I sensed he'd hold me captive until he got what he wanted:
Bzzz-
My pants pocket vibrated again from my smartphone.
But this time, I didn't need to check.
Static-
Along with the familiar static brushing my ear.
“……Huh?”
Thud!
The air... had changed.
A bright light scorning my crown.
The familiar building interior.
At some point, I was standing in the central hall of that damned library.
………Why?
Bzzz-
My smartphone vibrated again.
The mad man was gone from before my eyes. But my wrist still throbbed from his grip.
It wasn't a dream.
Bzzz-
Finally, with the persistent vibration, I checked my phone.
The source was a notification I'd never set.
[Work Hours]
And the time on my phone was exactly:
AM09:00.
‘……Work hours. Right on the dot.’
Clocking in... on time?
*****
Static-
“………”
Static-
From earlier, the speakers weren't playing his voice.
Static-
Just endless static leaking from the speakers, tickling my ears.
I waited endlessly for the unknown arrival, wondering if I was developing tinnitus.
Tap tap.
A touch on my shoulder.
Turning my gaze, there was a white glove waving at me.
It was the White Librarian.
“…Good morning.”
I returned a morning greeting in kind.
And as if responding to my greeting, another white glove appeared.
Flutter.
In the other one's hand was a piece of paper, which it promptly handed to me.
“……Can I look?”
It was a pretty cowardly moment, but this was a ghost story where even the ordinary floor needed caution.
As the saying goes, test the bridge before crossing.
Here, suspect everything, observe, and act with care.
The White Librarian, hearing me, gestured:
OK.
As if to reassure me……but of course, I didn't want to check if I had a choice.
‘…Still, I have to.’
The Announcement Broadcast still silent, and the White Librarian suddenly handing me paper.
If I didn't check, things wouldn't proceed.
Supporting the philosophy that it's better to take the hit first, Park Yeon-jeong flipped over the received paper.
Someone's writing was there.
I could read it.
『Congratulations on your second day, Employee Park Yeon-jeong!』
That was it.
Just that on the A4 paper.
…Not going for negative space, it was utterly nutrient-free.
If it was just a simple greeting, wouldn't saying it aloud have been better? As I eyed it skeptically:
Flutter!
Another sheet was added.
Love letter?
“…Thank you.”
Another simple thanks, and I checked the back.
『I wanted to congratulate you in person, but it's truly a shame.』
Flutter!
I'd just read that short line when another sheet was issued.
…If you're doing this, give them all at once.
『Actually, today of all days, there's a meeting with a very important figure responsible for the company's future!』
Flutter!
『I wanted to arrange for Employee Park Yeon-jeong to join, but. ‘Work-life balance’…….』
Flutter!
『‘Work-life balance,’ they said! Your time is your own, Employee Park Yeon-jeong.』
Flutter!
『Sadly, you couldn't attend the meeting, but please handle one simple task in my stead.』
That phrase ‘simple task.’
I declared I wouldn't believe it anymore.
Flutter!
『I always believe in you, Employee Park Yeon-jeong. ☺』
As my gaze hit that final smiley and turned to the White Librarian:
It held no more paper scraps.
…Is that the end?
Park Yeon-jeong had received the message in a style fit for a corny proposal.
And at some point:
A white wooden door leading to another ghost story stood ready for work anytime.
I blankly stared at the glove still floating in midair.
“……By any chance.”
It might look bizarre to others, but it was the only one here capable of minimal communication.
“Do I have to go in right now?”
Then another glove appeared, answering my question with a hand gesture.
X.
Thank goodness.
“Thank you.”
I maintained courtesy to the end.
Politeness cost nothing, so no need to leave a bad impression.
This confirmed it.
The gloves called the White Librarian in this library were independent intelligent beings too.
Not having to enter the next ghost story immediately eased my mind a bit.
Before entering a ghost story, my task was to check my items.
Current inventory:
[Top Student Glasses]
[Quill Pen?]
[Employee ID?]
[Little Friends]
[Taste of Death x 3]
[(Ordinary) Lighter]
[Thousands of Gazes]
Excluding the two whose names and uses I didn't know:
Usable items: 4.
[Top Student Glasses]
[Little Friends]
[Taste of Death x 3]
[(Ordinary) Lighter]
[Thousands of Gazes]
But the problem was:
‘How do I take out the glasses and bear dolls?’
The Ghost Story Pawnshop man's appraisal confirmed items were inside the Employee ID.
But I hadn't asked how to retrieve them.
Ching.
Park Yeon-jeong examined the Employee ID closely.
The sight reminded me of that man from the pawnshop.
……No matter how much I looked, it seemed like just an ordinary Employee ID.
No way a newbie like me could figure it out by staring at this tiny thing all day.
Especially an item not listed in the [Ghost Story Archive].
……This left me with only 2 truly usable items.
[Taste of Death x 3]
[(Ordinary) Lighter]
[Thousands of Gazes]
My options narrowed sharply.
Rustle.
But then the White Librarian approached me.
‘…Does it know?’
I politely held out the Employee ID to the White Librarian.
“Any chance you could help me take out the items inside?”
The White Librarian looked around the Employee ID at my words.
Snatch!
It swiped the Employee ID from my palm.
Startled by the sudden action, but the White Librarian approached, unfurled the ID strap gently from over my head,
brushed down my cheek,
Ching.
And hung the taken Employee ID around my neck.
???
It made an ‘OK’ sign with a very satisfied expression, then left Park Yeon-jeong's side.
-Employee Park Yeon-jeong: Normal clock-in.
Along with the mysterious text in midair.
Ptooey!
A sound like spitting something out, and a small something fell to the floor below.
“……That guy.”
One bear doll happily waving its tiny stuffed arm at me.
…You just wear it around your neck?
Simpler than expected. So how do you store it back?
‘More importantly, where are the glasses?’
The other two bear dolls were nowhere in sight. As doubts about the exact usage lingered:
Peek.
……Huh?
Lowering my gaze slightly, another bear doll was half-emerged from the Employee ID, greeting me in this bizarre scene.
Wiggle wiggle!
Excitedly waving its arms, the bear doll suddenly lost balance.
Splat!
Ah....
Its body slipped fully out of the Employee ID and fell to the floor.
The spot it emerged from was the inner space of the Employee ID.
…Gulp.
I swallowed dryly.
If the bear doll came out of this Employee ID, other items were likely inside too.
Park Yeon-jeong slowly touched the Employee ID's surface with a finger.
Schlurp!
!!!
My finger got sucked straight into the Employee ID.
One thing was certain.
‘Aaaah!!!’
The tactile feedback of this item was the absolute worst.