Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Mistaken for a Disaster-Level Ghost Story Employee
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05.
-------
from. Son.
Mom, Dad, I hope you're doing well.
I'm doing fine. (Fine... was what I was doing....)
The reason I'm writing this letter so suddenly today is... I got a job. (It's a black-hearted company.)
To my parents who raised and cared for me all this time, your eldest son, Park Yeon-jeong,
has finally become a fine man who bears a pillar of society.
You must be happy....
...Ah, the intro got too long.
I think I should get going now.
Please take care of your health, and with this final farewell... I'll work hard from now on.
P.S. - ...Please save me.
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*****
For years, job seeker Park Yeon-jeong had been wading through the employment market.
And finally!
He crossed that massive threshold called employment. Now a proper member of society, he had become a pillar of it himself.
So, what was Park Yeon-jeong's first impression upon becoming a member of society?
'Fucking hell!'
Was he so overjoyed that curses just spilled out?
[I'd like to hear how it feels to become a formal employee. Park Yeon-jeong, new employee.]
That damn 'feeling' question again.
What does it feel like?
“......”
He barely held back a curse from bursting out. (...Come to think of it, I already let one slip earlier?)
Anyway.
This won't do.
The original plan of escaping from the interview room was now impossible.
Squeeze.
He clutched his head with both hands.
He had to think.
No, he had to come up with something!
Another way to escape this place.
Move!
My neuron legion!
=======
[Exploration Record, 15th Round.]
Kang Hoon Employee escaped the interview room in exactly the manner described in the manual...
=======
No.
There has to be another way!
=======
[Exploration Record, 1■th Round.]
Kim■■ Employee ■ the interviewer ■■■ and ■■...
=======
Damn, damn, damn!
Gaps are forming in his memory.
It won't come... it won't come to mind.
More than that, was there really... really any escape method besides the interview room?
It was making him doubt himself.
Even the memories he'd reviewed up to now were distorting. In this situation where he felt like he could lose his mind any second.
[Park Yeon-jeong Employee.]
“!!”
His frozen gaze turned toward the speaker.
The Announcement Broadcast called out to him in a remarkably steady tone.
He was more tense than ever, holding even his breath. Until the next words from the Announcement Broadcast came.
His time might as well have stopped.
[Could it be... you're still worried about the remaining applicants?]
......Yes?
No.
No way.
Not when I'm about to die myself—do I have the leisure to think about others' lives?
[You really are a selfless person. A rare type in this day and age.]
......Thank you for misunderstanding me that way.
[In celebration of Park Yeon-jeong becoming a formal employee of our company, we'll allow you to bid them farewell.]
Click!
The lights went out again.
Not all the lights. Every light except the one on Park Yeon-jeong's position.
Click!
When the lights came back on again.
“......Wh-where is this.”
“We're back where we started!”
“We survived! We survived!”
Each one had a pale, unhinged face, like a screw was loose.
Everyone except Park Yeon-jeong must have been dragged to the interview room for their interviews.
‘......6 people?’
The numbers had decreased.
There should have been 12 others besides himself, but now it was half.
Which meant.
They died.
Obvious without seeing.
The remaining 6 not here were probably cold corpses in the interview room.
He quickly checked the states of those he'd spent the short time with.
The horn-rimmed glasses woman was sweating coldly, the female student he'd accidentally saved and her friend were collapsed in fear.
None of them looked good.
But they were still alive.
Those gathered here didn't seem to know why they'd returned, but since they'd been here once before, some sighed in relief.
Static-
The lively voice of the Announcement Broadcast rang out again.
[Applicants! Sorry for pulling you out mid-interview. But right now! Something truly joyous happened, so I took a little liberty.]
Click!
A few more lights turned on, shining strongly on Park Yeon-jeong's position.
[Namely! The delightful fact that applicant Park Yeon-jeong has been approved as a 'formal employee' after the executive meeting!]
[Come on, everyone, clap!!]
[Celebrate him! Bless him! Look forward to his future!]
Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap......
An over-the-top reaction unlike before. And mysterious bouquets of flowers flying in from around.
“Formal employee...? So, that guy gets to leave this place?”
“No way, he used us?!”
“Then... all those times he helped us were for this... Fucking hell! I knew it!”
......What?
They were misunderstanding it like that?
It wasn't that he couldn't understand their reaction.
They were humans gripped by considerable fear too. If he were in their shoes, he might act the same.
......But.
Understanding doesn't excuse everything like some cheat key.
He frowned without realizing it.
The horn-rimmed glasses woman, who had been silently watching, saw the overheated situation.
“Everyone, calm do......”
The moment she tried to tell them to calm down belatedly.
[...Really. Didn't I just say it? To clap.]
Click!
The lights went out.
Precisely, the lights on the three who had raised their voices at Park Yeon-jeong went out simultaneously.
“...Wh-what......!”
“W-wait a sec!”
Crunch!
An unpleasant bursting sound came with the lights going out.
Everyone sensed it was no ordinary sound, yet no one screamed.
Probably to avoid further provoking the Announcement Broadcast any more.
Now, not screaming in this situation had become second nature.
Static-
The guy opened his mouth again.
[......Ha. Why can't humans ever celebrate another's happiness.]
It was a voice laced with genuine regret.
[Park Yeon-jeong Employee. Contrary to your thoughts, some of them seem not to fit our company.]
[But don't be too disheartened. You're just someone who trusts others too much.]
“......”
The moment he saw three people die right in front of him just for being annoying.
He realized again that this place was a ghost story.
And.
His celebration time wasn't over yet.
[The other applicants aren't the jealous type like just now, right?]
[You'll celebrate your colleague's formal employment, won't you?]
“......”
The horn-rimmed glasses woman, having witnessed the massacre right beside her, locked eyes with him as the Announcement Broadcast finished.
Her pale face.
Held desperate pleading in her gaze.
...Yeah.
It wasn't over yet.
There was still a chance.
He nodded his head very slowly up and down to the horn-rimmed glasses woman.
At his signal.
Clap!
She started clapping without a hint of doubt.
“P-Park Yeon-jeong, congratulations. Congratulations!”
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The sound of clapping began to echo.
She went to the two collapsed female students and roughly pulled them up.
And shouted.
“You have to congratulate him too!”
“......”
“Hurry!”
Her lips smiled, but her eyes shone with an indescribable desperation.
...Clap.
The short-haired female student Min-ji weakly clapped her trembling palms together at that gaze.
“C-Congratulations, congratulations, mister.”
“......”
Her friend Hye-seon, who had been watching, met his eyes through her swollen eyelids.
He forced a faint smile too.
'That's how you survive.'
He wasn't sure if his lip shape conveyed it.
Clap.
‘...Yeah.’
Fortunately, the last female student began clapping laboriously too.
This should be it, right?
It had to be.
Everyone, including Park Yeon-jeong, held their breath waiting for the next Announcement Broadcast.
[......Sob.]
A sob came from beyond the speaker.
Freeze!
Everyone halted at the sound, swallowing dryly.
[As expected... this, people sincerely celebrating for each other. I think this is the most beautiful.]
[Don't you agree! Park Yeon-jeong Employee!]
“......Yes, I a-agree.”
No other response came to mind.
If he added anything half-hearted here. What would happen to these three in front of him.
He couldn't even guess.
He was afraid someone might die because of him.
‘How can I......’
Escape this place?
Is escape even possible?
Or is it... already over....
Countless stray thoughts cluttered his mind.
He wished that irritating static in his ears would never return.
Static-
......Shit.
[Well then, with the farewells done.]
[The remaining three applicants should finish what you were doing, right?]
!!
No.
If it's this pattern, they'll be dragged back to the interview room.
If this continues, these three will definitely die.
Confusing...
Three people die.
So what? They're not your people?
People are dying!
Do you want to play the protagonist?
You murderer fuck!
I've done enough. I've done enough, you dumb fuck!
“W-wait a moment!”
He shouted before he knew it.
The three's lights... hadn't gone out yet.
Fortunately, the Announcement Broadcast seemed focused on his voice.
[......This is the second time.]
Chilling.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Second time?
This was definitely a 'warning'.
A warning sign from the guy who'd been friendly to him so far.
There won't be a next one.
His lips trembled.
His thoughts froze, his ability to organize them plummeting.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Swallowing dryly endlessly, he opened his mouth again.
“Th-the remaining... applicants, how about scheduling an additional interview day next time...?”
......Crazy bastard.
“There were a lot of things today too....”
The bullshit wouldn't stop.
“...They're still. Too regretful to drop them here....”
Repeating the same as before.
“...Don't you think?”
[.......]
With that, he plastered on a dumb smile.
He dropped his rigid face to the floor.
Fuck... it's over.
He thought.
Anyone could see his words just now were forced. Just stalling, self-muttering.
We're all dying here.
Clap.
......Hm?
Clap clap clap.
Had he finally lost his mind?
Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!
Artificial clapping from beyond the speaker. At first, he thought he'd misheard.
Did that useless persuasion actually work?
[To the very end, sacrificing himself for others. That part of Park Yeon-jeong Employee!]
[As expected, you're hired! Hired! Park Yeon-jeong Employee, you are the perfect sample of the talent our company seeks!]
It really worked?
[As Park Yeon-jeong Employee said, we'll postpone the remaining three's interviews to next time.]
[We'll see you again on the next interview day.]
The white-gloved hand that had been holding the banner now grasped the library entrance handle.
Creak.
With an eerie sound.
As if marking the exit path. The glove stood there blankly beside it.
“......”
“......”
“......”
The three stared at the long-awaited open entrance, but none stepped forward readily.
The horn-rimmed glasses woman met his eyes several times, but even he couldn't give her a clear answer this time.
He wasn't sure either.
“......”
The horn-rimmed glasses woman stared at the dark entrance for a while.
......Bow.
She deeply bowed toward him. And that was her last sight of him.
She strode forward and passed through the entrance first.
The two female students, who had been watching blankly, glanced at each other.
Then, following her, they hesitantly shuffled toward the entrance.
Everyone passed through.
...Everyone left, leaving him alone.
The white glove, from who-knows-where, held a handkerchief and wiped at tears.
“......”
He quietly held his breath until the guy made his next move.
Static-
The guy was no saint either.
[.........Haa.]
A deep sigh.
An suffocating atmosphere where even swallowing was forbidden.
[Park Yeon-jeong Employee... Do you know how long I've waited for this day!]
......Huh?
Why the sudden solo acceleration?
The crappy audio quality made the madness beyond the speaker feel even stronger.
He'd somewhat braced for death alone, but it reminded him again that a ghost story place was utterly unpredictable.
Click!
The lights went out.
As he sank into thoughts of finally dying.
Click!
When the lights came back on, illuminating him.
What was before his eyes.
Wasn't a gallows.
Instead, a lavishly set table awaited him.
[We sincerely congratulate you on joining our company! Park Yeon-jeong Employee!]
“......”
Overly kind, to the point of suffocating.
“...Th-thank you.”
He spat out thanks unwittingly, but he still couldn't grasp the situation.
Static crackle-
A tearing voice followed.
[Park Yeon-jeong Emplo■! Truth is, all the other ■ applicants were unnece■sary from the sta■!]
[Only ■you! We've had our eye on you from the be■inning.]
......Yes?
Why me?
I'm just an utterly ordinary 'job seeker H' type guy?
But at his 'I don't know anything' face, the Announcement Broadcast kindly.
Explained why he was chosen.
This time, the audio quality normalized.
[Park Yeon-jeong Employee! Let's be honest. You know, don't you?
About me
......Or should I say 'us'?]
.........No way.
No.
It can't be.
No way.
He prayed the guy's intent wasn't in that direction.
Even if he'd slipped a little, that guy couldn't be an intelligent being capable of that inference.
It's an F-grade ghost story, right?
And such intelligence wasn't even listed on the site.
No matter what, he had to deny it now.
“What do you......”
[Lies won't work.]
“!!”
The guy cut in abruptly.
[......Well now.]
[I thought it was strange. From the moment you filled out our company's resume. To urging others to put their all into theirs.]
[As if you knew what would happen next if they didn't fill out the resume.]
......From the beginning, huh.
[Park Yeon-jeong Employee... Let me ask once more.]
The speaker noise worsened.
[Let's be honest with ea■h other.]
[You kno■ about......us, right?]
The worst route, worse than death.
His identity.
Exposed to the ghost story.