Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Soi's Job Hunt
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It was still quite some time before the incident—a full day away.
While lingering doubts about Noise and Eve's relationship continued to unsettle a corner of my mind...
……Clatter.
A situation that only complicated my feelings further came crashing down on me.
Clatter—
Current time.
Saturday.
3:34 PM.
I'd just arrived at Soi's house, and the moment I did, I braced for a thorough scolding from her...
But it never came.
Far from it.
"Master, please eat."
"…Yeah, sure."
I received the same treatment as always. No stern lecture from Soi, nothing of the sort.
If anything, Soi seemed to be in a good mood.
That radiant smile, like she owned the world.
......
And that's precisely why.
That bright smile of hers.
It made me even more uneasy.
Part of me wished she'd just chew me out right then and there.
Even now, if she'd grabbed me by the collar and given me hell like a cornered rat, it might've eased the knot in my stomach.
But what I got instead...
Wasn't Soi grabbing my collar.
Just a warm meal.
Not that I was unhappy with the current situation.
It was just the first time I'd ever felt like choking on a feast like this.
"Master."
"!!"
Soi's voice hit me out of nowhere, and I barely shoved the rice grains back down my throat before they could go down the wrong pipe.
Even as I nearly choked, Soi's cheerful voice pressed on.
"I already heard about it from him beforehand."
"…Huh?"
The "him" Soi mentioned could only be Noise.
Which meant...
'What did Noise tell her?'
I hadn't heard anything from Noise about Soi.
Aside from the serious conversation we'd just had, Soi hadn't come up at all.
Soi was talking about something I'd never heard.
That left only one conclusion: While I was passed out, Noise had said something to her.
'What the hell did he say?'
Worry was already creeping in.
And.
I had to find out.
What Noise had told Soi—that was the priority.
"Oh, right, yeah. But... it's not that I forgot or anything. Mind telling me what he said...?"
"......Master. You didn't actually forget, did you?"
"No way."
She was sharp.
But I tried to play it off with the smarmiest grin I could muster.
The moment Soi saw my affectionate smile, she seemed to give in and let it slide.
"Master, honestly..."
And so, the words shrouded in mystery were revealed.
"He said you gave me this special body so I could move around freely outside."
"......"
"He told me he'd made it to suppress my ghost story powers as much as possible. And that you'd specially asked him for it as a gift."
"......A gift, uh... yeah, a gift. That's right."
"Thank you, Master."
Stories of ghost stories wandering the human world aren't unheard of in the [Ghost Story Archive], though they're rare.
But the real issue was.
'Noise, you... can even make something like that?'
He was starting to show his true colors more openly—no more hiding that he himself was a dangerous ghost story.
Still, hearing the veiled part lifted, it didn't seem all bad.
Given Soi's personality, she wasn't the type to harm anyone. So even if she went out, it probably wouldn't be a big deal.
At least, up until that point.
Until those next words came from her innocent expression.
"There's something I've wanted to do first thing once I got a body."
"What?"
"Get a job."
"......Huh?"
Huh?
Did I hear that wrong?
The moment she got a body that could move around freely, the first thing she wanted was a job.
I nearly spat out the water I was drinking.
[The World Where Even Ghost Stories Get Jobs.]
It sounded like absurd nonsense straight out of some social satire title.
"I originally told him I wanted to go where you work, Master."
"......And?"
"But he said there's a place even better suited for me. He even said he'd already filled out my 'application' for me."
"......"
An inexplicable unease washed over me.
"Do you know the name of the company on that application?"
I caught a glimpse of the white skull on my right forearm flashing a bright smile, our eyes meeting for a split second.
Please, not there.
I prayed desperately.
But.
There's that saying.
If you tell someone not to think of an elephant, that's the exact moment an elephant pops into their head.
That was me right now.
The only company in this world that came to mind was one.
GRA Agency.
"GRA, he said."
"......"
'Noise, you!!'
I should've just lied back then. Said Eve hated Noise—not just disliked, but loathed him, despised him utterly.
Out of all the jobs in the world, why recommend the GRA Agency that manages ghost stories!
Sending a ghost story straight into the heart of their operations.
It sounded like a death wish.
I had to stop her from going, right now. If I let her waltz into the enemy den clueless...
It'd be permanent isolation END. Or.
Extermination END.
"Soi. That GRA place... you shouldn't go there..."
"......Pardon?"
Crack—
...Crack?
It'd been a while since I'd heard that sound.
Memories flashed of Soi shattering countless dishes.
"He said... it was a gift from you, Master."
"......"
"Was it... a lie......"
"......"
Noise! I hate you!
'I'll deal with you on Monday!'
Noise was using my name to push Soi straight into the GRA Agency's lair.
I had no idea what he was thinking.
Crack—
Another innocent dish teetered on the brink of splitting in half.
Soi's face was a picture of misery, like the whole room might drown in dampness.
I'd always felt this way, but in front of Soi's tears, I kept buckling.
Staring into those watery eyes on the verge of bursting...
I changed tactics.
"...It's a gift. But... no matter the company, you can't take getting a job lightly."
"......Pardon?"
Soi's eyes, brimming with tears just moments ago, suddenly sparkled with life as my explanation continued.
...Yeah.
I wanted Soi to take my words to heart.
I'd scare her off with the harsh realities of the job market.
'Don't underestimate the job market.'
The GRA Agency Soi was applying to recruited hundreds monthly—a massive corporation.
Competition for big company spots was endless.
But spots were limited.
It'd be nice if every applicant got in, but reality didn't work that way.
"......"
"So, even if you don't make it, don't get too down."
"...Any other points to note?"
Plenty.
Of course there were.
The job market was realism incarnate—a real-world ghost story rooted in harsh truth.
It wasn't decided solely by 'skills' or 'specs.'
Specs, experience, interview skills, luck, timing—a complex mix played out on-site.
Jobs demanded skill as baseline, strategy as essential.
"So, rushing in might not be best. Better to prepare thoroughly first."
"...And what else?"
......
This Soi kid—her thirst for knowledge seemed unusually high. Was I imagining it?
But from there, I wove in my knowledge of the job market's realities with my personal takes.
Soi listened intently, and for a while, we dove into a heated discussion on a topic worlds apart from rampaging ghost stories.
"...The job market's way more complex and ruthless than I thought."
"Yeah. So no need to rush prep. Take your time..."
"But don't worry, Master."
"Huh?"
I'd hoped hearing the job market's truths would make Soi back off, even a little.
Ideally, she'd never mention GRA Agency again.
But.
It backfired.
"I get that you're worried about me, Master."
"......"
Soi had misinterpreted my words in a whole other direction.
"But no need to worry. I prepared while you were away."
"...Prepared what?"
"Job hunting! I've been waiting for this day!"
*****
Monday morning again.
Choi Kang-in eyed the girl before him, sitting quietly, waiting for her name to be called.
'...High schooler?'
She looked about that age, at first glance.
"Ch-Choi Section Chief!"
A panting employee rushed up behind him, thrusting a list into his hands.
"A m-missing... missing! Application... there was one!"
Catching his breath raggedly, he handed the list to Choi Kang-in.
-Applicant: Soi
'...A real applicant, huh.'
Only after confirming the girl's words were true did Choi Kang-in belatedly call the name on the list.
"Soi, applicant."
"Yes."
The girl stepped forward slowly, taking her checklist from Choi Kang-in.
With a light bow, she entered the building.
And in that fleeting moment as she brushed past, Soi's faint mutter grazed his ear.
"I'll definitely get in. For Master."
"......"
Even at his middle-aged ears, the word "Master" echoed endlessly.
'...Headache.'
He was already dreading his role as new hire supervisor this time.
*****
The first test was the simplest: the 'written exam.'
Standard time: exactly 60 minutes.
The goal was to speedily and sincerely mark answers for the 120 questions provided, then submit.
Consistency in responses was checked, naturally.
The fastest submitter in this written exam's history was still legendary—shockingly so.
A high school freshman who submitted all 120 questions in 5 minutes.
Absurd speed, obviously.
And just as obviously.
The answer sheet was filled entirely with option 3.
The name on that sheet?
'Lee Jui.'
Everyone initially thought it was some high school girl messing around for laughs.
Until she aced the remaining two tests.
It became a legendary anomaly.
A situation no one expected to repeat.
Or so they thought.
"Here okay?"
".........Yes."
One applicant submitted her written exam first. Right on the dot.
Exactly 5 minutes.
Choi Kang-in never imagined witnessing this as the proctor.
Rustle—
He checked the name on the sheet.
-Writer: Soi.
'Applicant 22...'
Choi Kang-in glanced at the answer sheet. Unlike Executive Director Lee Jui's infamous 3-spam terror.
It was gorgeously filled out. At a glance, it looked earnestly solved...
...Huh?
Huh!
Huh?!
This answer sheet...
'It's a perfect score!'
Applicant Soi.
Written test.
Overwhelming pass.