Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 102

Chapter 102

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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A single question and answer returned as a reward for winning the rock-paper-scissors game against the elevator mirror ghost.

Naturally, the truth revealed by a ghost story was not always good.

It might not be to my liking.

Or it might be completely useless.

It could fall into either of the two.

For instance, if one wrote asking when humanity would go extinct, it would answer in a way like ‘long after you die.’

‘That is also the truth, though.’

So, if I asked, ‘What is the way for me to return to where I originally lived?’, it meant it might only tell me in extremely extreme and fragmented words.

Rather than doing that, it was better to check if the method I was currently aiming for could definitely send me back to my original world.

‘Daydream Co.’s Wish Ticket potion.’

My heart pounded.

The answer, which was said to reply with the truth no matter what, appeared on the window painfully slowly.

It was…

You can return. Absolutely.

A very clear positive sentence.

“……!”

I slid to the floor with a deep sigh of relief.

‘Wow.’

It felt like all my tension was melting away.

…To be honest, I had been worried… that a very vague or negative answer would come out.

Although I tried hard not to think about it, sometimes… doubts did creep in.

-What if I can’t even return with the Wish Ticket potion?

-What if I set the conditions wrong and it manifests in a weird way?

But I tried my best to suppress those thoughts.

Because even if I doubted it, the fact that the Wish Ticket was the method with the highest probability did not change.

‘Even if I’m anxious, what I have to do doesn’t change…’

And only by believing that I could absolutely return through the Wish Ticket could I endure these terrible horrors and work…

“……”

But now I could work with greater certainty.

‘Let’s do it.’

I can do it.

The remaining Wish Tickets, let’s gather them as quickly and safely as possible with all my might!

I pulled myself together and stood up.

‘My motivation to work is surging…’

Very rarely, that is.

However, I had not escaped the ghost story yet.

‘The final stage of the ritual remains.’

If I received the answer safely, now was the time to finish the ritual and go back.

Depending on which number I won the rock-paper-scissors game to reach the highest floor, what I had to do to return safely differed.

If you came from number 1: Go to number 10.

If you came from number 6: Go to number 11.

Number 1 was the case of immediately winning the rock-paper-scissors and smoothly reaching the highest floor.

So if one went to number 10, it ended with instructions like ‘go down the stairs to return home, and do not ride an elevator with mirrors attached on both sides for three days.’ But…

‘…I failed, though.’

In this case, the things to do became creepier and more painful.

“…Phew.”

Since it was getting confusing, let’s read the manual material provided by the company.

Number 11.

11. In the case where you reached the highest floor by winning rock-paper-scissors led by ‘someone in the mirror,’ the coping method differs depending on how many times you answered the questions.

First, you must ride the elevator.

Swallowing hard, I turned around and stood in front of the elevator door again.

Since the elevator was still stopped on the 12th floor, the doors opened as soon as I pressed the button.

Ding.

Along with a short sound, the interior of the old elevator, where the right mirror was shattered to pieces, was revealed…

In this stage, you must keep pressing the open button while staying inside the elevator.

Never take your hand off the button.

And look into the opposite mirror, not the mirror you played rock-paper-scissors with while coming up to the highest floor.

I turned my gaze to the left mirror.

Because the opposite mirror was shattered, there was no infinitely repeating space inside it.

In that place, which reflected the dark interior of the elevator where only diffuse reflections from the fragmented mirror glinted…

You will see something strange.

There is myself.

With its head hung unnaturally low.

Wearing a completely worn-out suit.

Bizarrely motionless.

The ghost that had played rock-paper-scissors with me.

……

The figure in the mirror slowly raised its head.

Its expressionless face got closer and closer while looking at me.

Closer.

As if sticking to the mirror.

You must hold out until a sound comes from the elevator. You must not move or run away. You must stare at it until it ends.

The more you answered the questions, the longer this time becomes.

I endured.

But there was a limit to everything. Even though a windowpane was clearly blocking it, it came closer and closer, bit by bit, endlessly, endlessly…

My hand pressing the open button trembled.

I, I had to think of other things…

‘Did that thing… write the answer to the graffiti I wrote on the window?’

Yes. It must have…

Thump!

I almost let go of the button.

The ghost was glaring at me with its head pressed against the mirror.

And the mouth shape.

iwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetout

I hurriedly lowered my gaze slightly to avoid looking directly. Cold sweat gathered on my chin and dripped down.

But piercing through the fear, the effect of the silver ring shone.

You want to get out?

‘…Because you are trapped in the mirror?’

My head spun rapidly.

‘Come to think of it, that ghost… couldn’t make the scissor hand shape, right?’

Why was that?

The reason it couldn’t put out scissors.

I pictured the scissor hand gesture of rock-paper-scissors.

Whether raising the thumb along with it, or raising the middle finger along with it.

Regardless of the way, the image of raising the index finger as the main focus would usually come to mind.

And when thinking of hand shapes raising the index finger in an elevator, there was one action that was immediately associated with it.

When pressing buttons.

‘…Could it be that the ghost cannot press buttons?’

Of course, it could physically press it by hitting it with a fist or slamming its head, but this was a matter of concept and imagery.

A ghost trapped in the world inside the infinitely continuous mirrors of an elevator.

A completely enclosed space created by two mirrors facing each other.

And the warning text written in the manual for when one failed the ritual by losing the rock-paper-scissors game.

You should be careful every time you ride an elevator from now on. Because the thing in the mirror will try to find you and meet you.

Could that perhaps…

‘…Be because it wants to get out?’

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump

Seriously, fuck…!

I continued to think while trying my best not to look at the ghost still slamming its head against the mirror.

…Perhaps.

‘Is that ghost trapped in the elevator?’

It was then.

Beep— Beep— Beep—

A signal sounded.

The sound made when holding the elevator open for too long.

When you hear the sound, immediately exit the elevator and move to the stairs.

Never use that elevator again. It is recommended to put up an <Under Repair> sign so that other people cannot ride it either, preferably until the sun rises the next day.

And in the future, when boarding an elevator with mirrors attached on both sides, do not stare into the mirrors for more than 5 seconds.

It will come to find you.

If that was the case.

I hesitated, then took my hand off the open button as I stepped out of the elevator.

And at the same time, I touched one of the buttons.

[1F]

Naturally, because it was a mirror, the 1st-floor button inside the elevator in the reflection also lit up.

I quickly rushed out of the open doors without looking at the expression of the ghost that had my face.

Slide.

Freed from the coercion of the open button, the doors closed, and the elevator moved.

[Going down…]

I went down to the 1st floor via the stairs from the 12th floor.

While running down the old stairs, I thought I heard the cheerful sound of the elevator opening and saying ‘1st floor’…

* * *

“Phew.”

By the time I walked out of the rental apartment building, which had practically become an abandoned building, the sun had already set quite a long time ago.

‘They said time flows strangely inside, and it was true.’

It was already 7 o’clock.

I immediately called one person.

[Ah, Sol-eum…!]

It was Jang Heo-un, whom I had asked to meet at 5 o’clock.

But for having left him waiting for two hours, my apology flowed out smoothly.

Because…

“I’m sorry. I did tell you beforehand that a problem might arise, but you waited for too long, didn’t you?”

[Ah, no. It’s fine. It’s a nice cafe! If an urgent matter came up, it couldn’t be helped. I’m perfectly fine!]

Indeed.

Because I had asked Jang Heo-un to meet at 5 o’clock on purpose.

‘Just in case the research team, having received a report that I entered alone, tries to divert Jang Heo-un to some other bizarre ghost story in the meantime.’

That crazy psychopath researcher was fully capable of doing so, saying things like, ‘Ah, since it turned out like this, I wish you would go somewhere else instead.’

‘Working at this company really sucks…’

Anyway, I apologized to Jang Heo-un, who was sitting in the cafe, afterward.

And I explained the whole story.

In a way that wasn’t overly shocking, giving the impression that I had arbitrarily refused because the research team was trying to make us do something dangerous with little value for either of us.

But Jang Heo-un focused on a different point.

[Wait a minute. Then won’t you get into trouble, Sol-eum? You broke the company’s instructions without authorization…!]

“Ah, it’s fine.”

I spoke warmly.

“As long as you keep it a secret, Heo-un, I have a use for all of this.”

[…??]

And a short while later.

As soon as I came to return the dreamscape collector, I was urgently summoned by Gwak Je-gang.

And I shamelessly explained the situation.

“…So, you just left a member of the Cleanup Team behind… Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes.”

Gwak Je-gang stared at me for a moment as if he had lost his words, but eventually sighed and burst into a broad laugh.

Of course, it was not in a good sense.

He found it absurd.

“No, Mr. Roe! This is grounds for disciplinary action… The company isn’t a school; did you think you could just do whatever you wanted? Did Manager Lee Ja-heon say you could do that?”

“No. Leader Lee Ja-heon always advises us to comply with company regulations and the field exploration manual.”

“Oh dear, if you knew that, why did you do it? Good grief, hmph…”

And he asked in an insinuating tone.

“Do you have a strong aversion to your colleague being sacrificed in the exploration? Since you two are acquainted, after all.”

I knew you would say that.

I answered immediately.

“…? It’s frustrating.”

“……??”

“Why should I drag along, well, excuse my language, yes, a useless deadweight to a place I can clear quickly on my own?”

“…!”

Gwak Je-gang stared at me with a dumbfounded expression, then hurriedly spoke.

“No, after clearing it, you could have just left him alone in the elevator and come out…”

“That’s what I’m saying: why should I care about such things while exploring the Dark?”

I frowned slightly and argued as if I couldn’t stand it.

“Whether the employee waiting below the elevator will run away, or whether we can send him up at the right timing—those things don’t help at all in shortening the exploration time or increasing the solution concentration.”

“…….”

“Isn’t extracting high-concentration solution as quickly as possible to supply the raw material for the Daydream potion the very reason for the existence of field exploration personnel? Why on earth should I do work that is unrelated to my job?”

“No, this is also work…”

“Isn’t that your job, Manager?”

Gwak Je-gang shut his mouth.

He seemed to have been rendered speechless by my crazy MZ-generation vibe.

Though in reality, just like actual MZs who get ground down at work as rookies, it was all a concept for me too!

“So, I decided it would be better to receive disciplinary action instead.”

“…Because that is more efficient?”

“Yes.”

I answered as if it were obvious.

“Because they will at least discipline me during a period when we aren’t exploring the Dark.”

“…….”

Gwak Je-gang was looking at me as if he were observing some new type of chemical element.

Even you find it absurd, don’t you?

Indeed.

‘This is exactly the weakness you wanted so badly…!’

A fastidious efficiency freak who adheres to his own principles!

Thanks to that, I might look moral, but in reality, if something goes against the rules I set up arbitrarily on my own, I do socially awkward things as if having a fit.

‘This kind of extreme personality is normally a weakness.’

If I could continuously prevent Gwak Je-gang’s useless probing, the disciplinary side was far more manageable…!

“Then, I will await the decision on the disciplinary action.”

I maintained the concept of a crazy bastard until the end and left the research lab.

‘I should go find Brown.’

I felt very proud.

* * *

The office of Research Team 1, quiet after Kim Sol-eum left.

In that place where all the other employees had gone home, Gwak Je-gang, who was silently sitting at his desk summarizing what had happened yesterday and today…

“Hahahahaha!”

“Left him behind because it was frustrating? Hahaha!”

How could it be this amusing!

If it had been any other employee, they would have fallen for it completely.

When swept away by those extreme remarks and having one’s heart won over by overwhelming achievements, everything sounded plausible.

But…

“Because I have observed people a lot!”

Actions always speak louder than words.

And predicting patterns of other actions based on those behaviors was precisely one of the joys of this job…!

“Ah, this is fun.”

Gwak Je-gang smiled broadly as he finished his notes, stood up from his desk, and headed home with a light step.

Clack.

His humming echoed in the office for a brief moment, then vanished with the sound of the door closing.

On the desk he left behind, only a few sheets of documented materials remained.

[Supervisor Kim Sol-eum / Field Exploration Team]

It was indeed Kim Sol-eum’s profile file.

Beneath it, a memo scribbled by Gwak Je-gang was visible…

Characteristics (predicted with meaningful probability)

1. Kind-heartedness.

2. Timid.