Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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I stared at Quarantine Room B14, frozen.
Creeeak, creeeeeak.
The rusted hinges made a sound like a scream, widening the gap of the quarantine room door.
The door that should absolutely never open was opening. And from inside, a dark figure…
“Run.”
I immediately turned around and sprinted toward the quarantine corridor entrance.
Beside me, I heard the sound of Supervisor Park Min-sung running like crazy as well. While survival instinct urged my feet forward, my head was in confusion.
‘What is this?’
What is this situation?
‘In the work rules tips…’
Rule 4, telling me to ignore sounds from the quarantine rooms, and Rule 11, telling me it would quiet down if I yelled at it to shut up.
The door opened before I could even decide which of the two to follow?
What on earth is in there right now…
“Hey guys.”
The supervisor and I almost tripped at the same time.
It was a voice we both knew.
But without looking back, I kept running around the corner toward the green emergency exit sign at the end of the corridor. I even threw my cleaning tools aside. My panting reached all the way to my chin.
The moment Supervisor Park Min-sung grabbed the doorknob under the green emergency light without even taking a breath,
[BEEEEEEP!!]
“…!!”
[Unauthorized opening of quarantine room confirmed.]
[Corridor is being sealed.]
Red emergency lights lit up in the corridor.
Along with an emotionless mechanical voice, the sound of the protective shutter coming down outside the doorknob Supervisor Park Min-sung was holding began to be heard.
The supervisor and I looked back at each other for a split second.
“……”
Leaving us inside.
The corridor was sealed.
‘I’m fucked.’
Damn it, damn it!!
I searched my pockets. To check the work tips to see if there were any relevant rules…
“Look at that. You’re like Dumb and Dumber. Did you trade your exploration manuals for candy? Where did all your composure go?”
……
‘Huh?’
It was a dejected voice.
It seemed to suppress irritation, but had a somewhat routine feel to it…
Plod, plod.
“This is driving me crazy, seriously. No, wait, should I praise you for being cautious… whew.”
Before I knew it, the voice caught up right behind my back.
But there was no anomaly like I had expected.
There was no creepy laughter, nor any cold hand reaching from behind or chilling behavior.
“……”
“Damn it. Phew, no. Calm down… guys. I know I said some crazy things earlier. But I couldn’t help it if I wanted to use the escape item. We don’t have time, so accept it quickly. Huh?”
“What wouldn’t I say to get out? I was trying to extract some information while pretending to be crazy, but the item suddenly activated and the door opened, so I got out.”
That voice,
“Get a grip. I’ll give you 10 seconds. Hurry.”
……
……
“…Assistant Manager?”
“Yeah.”
I couldn’t stop Supervisor Park Min-sung, who mumbled beside me, from looking back.
To be precise, I looked back as well.
Then, a familiar silhouette was visible.
Short hair.
Clear eyes.
A woman wearing a cool-looking suit.
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je, whom we knew, was standing in the corridor.
With a displeased face, scanning the cleaning tools we had cast aside.
“…Is it okay to leave those like that? No, check that later… I have to make you accept it first.”
“……”
“……”
The strength in Supervisor Park Min-sung’s hand holding my shoulder faded.
We stared blankly at the other person.
“Badger, and… Roe.”
An expression settled on Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je’s face.
“How have you been.”
The face of a boss slightly stained with composure, leisure, boredom, and fatigue.
And a fierce smile.
“Seriously, this fucking company… whew.”
The Assistant Manager shook her head, let out a deep sigh, and gestured.
“I’m sorry to trouble you, but please open the door to that quarantine corridor for me.”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je spoke calmly.
“After that, I’ll get out on my own.”
The supervisor and I didn’t answer, as if by agreement.
It felt like my head was about to explode.
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je wore a bitter smile.
“Can’t even answer. Right, well, it’s a wise decision. I would have done the same…”
What was this?
‘Why does it… feel so plausible?’
Why does it feel so real…
‘No, there is no way!’
“Supervisor.”
I swallowed hard and spoke in a low, rapid whisper to Supervisor Park Min-sung, as if repeating it to myself.
“Remember. The Assistant Manager resigned. There’s no way she could be here…”
……
‘Wait a minute.’
Is she really not here?
I recalled several strange points that had remained as doubts all this time.
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je, whose contact had been cut off.
Passing over her own equipment without even meeting face-to-face, only checking text messages without replying, phone calls failing to connect, and hearing only stories through Leader Lee Ja-heon was everything…
Could it be.
‘Because she is trapped here?’
I hurriedly recalled the conditions for being transferred to the containment area by the Security Team.
Emergency contaminated personnel, in-house anomalies, dangerous elements, spies, disciplined individuals, and even creepy unknown conditions censored with black boxes…
‘They are diverse.’
Since even Supervisor Park Min-sung or I were temporarily confined.
If so.
What was the possibility that Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je also fell under this?
“…Roe?”
“Hold on… hold on a second.”
Isn’t there a possibility?
I wanted to immediately ask the person who had Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je’s appearance about the situation in detail, verify it, and find out what had happened.
But I couldn’t gamble on possibility.
‘First, let’s try another method.’
I asked the ghost story resident.
‘Brown, about the thing in front that looks like a person. Is that the Group D Assistant Manager who worked with us a few months ago?’
Brown answered cheerfully.
-Oh dear, unfortunately, this legendary host is an entertainer, not a criminal investigator!
-Of course my discernment is outstanding, but there are limits to what can be seen with these pebble-like eyes of a cotton-filled body…
-The appearance looks identical, but who knows? There are masters of flawless disguise in the world, after all.
Damn it.
‘Still, could you check just one thing? I’m just curious about your judgment through your eyes. I trust you.’
-…! In that case, I will gladly answer, friend!
‘Thank you. Then…’
I swallowed hard.
‘Is the thing in front of my eyes a human in every aspect of mind and body…?’
-Ah, that is a question I can certainly answer.
Brown asserted in a cheerful voice.
-Yes, it is!
Sigh…
‘It is human, indeed.’
This is driving me crazy.
I would rather it said the entity before my eyes was not human. That would settle it, wouldn’t it?
…That it was not Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je.
But the person with the familiar appearance before my eyes continued speaking in a familiar tone.
“어지간하면 나도 공들여서 설득하고 싶은데, 시간이 얼마 없다. 얘들아.”
Her complexion turned slightly pale.
“The Security Team will soon deploy to assess the situation, and for me to get out of here, I have no choice but to escape before then.”
“……”
“I don’t ask for much. I’ll hide for a moment, so let me through when the door opens.”
I admitted it.
‘I cannot tell with the naked eye at all.’
In that case, I had no choice but to take a small risk.
I immediately spoke.
“Supervisor.”
“Uh, yes?”
To Supervisor Park Min-sung.
“Don’t you think meeting the Assistant Manager who is on leave in the Security Team’s containment space is something that couldn’t possibly happen?”
“Right…?”
“Oh. Indirect conversation. A decent method, Roe.”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je admired briefly, then mumbled rapidly.
“Since I said I was resigning, they threw me in here telling me to think about it until I change my mind. Thinking about it again, believing in this damn company was my mistake. Fuck.”
“Supervisor. Even if someone who is contained goes out through the corridor door, wouldn’t they get caught quickly?”
“Do you think I’m stupid? I have items prepared. The issue is time. There’s no time. The Security Team must be on their way right now. It’s driving me crazy not being able to check either, seriously…”
Checking.
‘…Wait!’
I recalled what was in my back pocket.
‘The walkie-talkie.’
After pressing my back against the door, I placed one hand behind my back invisibly and carefully grabbed the walkie-talkie from my pocket.
And raised the volume ever so slightly…
Bip-bip-bip!
[Sealing now…]
Damn it!
‘The Security Team Leader has been transmitting walkie-talkie signals continuously!’
I immediately turned off the walkie-talkie sound.
But it was already too late.
“I hear the sound of a walkie-talkie.”
“…!!”
“Well, it’s up to the person holding it, so you can contact freely. But I have a question…”
“They wouldn’t give a walkie-talkie to a cleaner, though.”
“……”
My back grew cold.
“Did someone give it to you specifically? That is also… strange. Cleaning staff read the manual, record their attendance through automated devices, and enter. It’s a system where there’s no need to meet other employees.”
Suspicion and tension blended in Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je’s voice.
“Is the one… connected to that really the Security Team?”
“……”
“Roe. Who did you meet.”
Sweat pooled in my hands.
This was the first time I faced such a crazy situation.
‘I have no way of knowing what to believe.’
There was no hint. No, even if it was indeed Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je, how could I let her through? Hiding from the Security Team? Is that even possible?
‘To grasp the situation even slightly more…’
Ah!
I remembered what I originally intended to look at.
The second note where the work tips were written.
‘If I read all the remaining tips, I might be able to grasp the truth from the context.’
I pulled out the note immediately and read down to the next number.
12. If a strange smell comes from the gap in the door or something starts leaking out, run away unconditionally.
It’s a sign that always appears before the door opens. Conversely, if there are no such things, it’s usually safe.
I will talk about other exceptional situations in detail in the next number.
I recommend reading it after a little time has passed.
I immediately read the next item…
13. Oh? The door opened?
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
I reflexively folded the paper as if crumpling it.
My pulse pounded in my hand as if throbbing.
“Roe, what’s wrong?”
Composure, be composed…
“Let’s calm down for now. Since the Security Team is on their way, we just need to think about what is the best thing to do from now on.”
Supervisor Park Min-sung, pretending to pat my back…
“A way for us to escape…”
was writing something on my back with his finger.
N
O
T
H
E
R
……
Not her.
I raised my head, frozen.
“Wow.”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je.
Or rather, the thing wearing Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je’s face bowed its head toward us.
“How did you know?”
How did you know? How did you know? How did you know? How did you know? How did you know? How did you know? How did you know?
How did you know?
Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe!!
Plop
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je’s head fell to the floor.
And it stood upside down.
Its two legs and arms, sticking straight up toward the ceiling, looked back at us.
Hello!!!
Do you believe in my Lorddddd??
I.
passed out at this point.
* * *
“Roe.”
“……”
“Roe?”
Ah.
I raised my head.
“Are you very tired? Then take a little rest. I’ll do it.”
Supervisor Park Min-sung, holding a wet mop handle, was looking down at me with worried eyes. Looking around, I saw the quarantine corridor where all the doors were perfectly shut…
“Sigh…”
I grabbed the wet mop handle and hung my head low.
“A-Are you okay?”
“Yes… I’m sorry.”
Was it a nightmare?
‘The logic was indeed off.’
A quarantine room door suddenly opening, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je being a ghost… anyway, it was a nonsense dream. I pressed my temples.
“…I’m sorry. I think I dozed off for a moment.”
“No need to be sorry! It’s fine. You worked during the day too, so of course it must be hard.”
Supervisor Park Min-sung patted my back.
“Let’s hang in there a little more. Only two days left now.”
“……”
…Two days?
Not… three days?
“Supervisor. What date is it today?”
“Uh… since midnight has passed, it’s the 30th, right? December 30th.”
“……”
Not the 29th.
The 30th.
“Since yesterday’s cleaning ended safely, let’s finish well today too.”
“……”
“Ah, here is the new work tip note! They told me to read it when it becomes the second day. I’ll give you… Roe? Roe!”