Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Baek Sa-heon.
-You idiots. If you can escape with just one eye, you should do it quickly!
The colleague who had caused that fuss in the subway.
That fellow, who was also a big name in the <Records of the Dark Exploration>, would eventually be promoted to manager and consistently leave his footprints in the future….
“He will die?”
Suddenly, the stuffed doll inside the ghost story had declared a death sentence for Baek Sa-heon.
Reflexively, this question had no choice but to come out.
“Why?”
No, I know the future where he makes a living up to manager, though…?
-Ah, it is very typical. It is typical… Roe Deer, have you by any chance seen such a movie?
“…A movie?”
-Yes. I mean a movie where a serial killer appears.
Oh, please.
-In popular art, there are targets that become the sacrificial lambs of it. Blonde, college student, hitchhiker, or conspicuous symbols like wearing red shoes.
-Among those, do you know what the most typical and sequential selection of a sacrificial lamb is?
The shadow of the stuffed doll whispered.
-It is picking up the killer’s item.
“…….”
The giant black shadow cast on the wall pointed beyond the wall.
-Roe Deer’s ‘work colleague’ picked up an item, and he will soon die miserably!
“…….”
Genuinely, seriously….
“First of all, thank you for letting me know.”
-Don’t mention it!
I said ‘I have to go to work tomorrow so I must sleep’ as gently as possible, and fortunately the ‘Good Friend’ readily understood my situation.
-Oh dear, it must have been a tiring day. I hope you fall into a deep sleep while dreaming sweet dreams!
That seemed ruined.
‘And your share is also in that ruin….’
-Adios!
The smartphone flashlight went out on its own.
The giant shadow cast on the wall also vanished.
After agonizing, I made a moderately fluffy bed with a clean towel on the desk and placed the stuffed doll on it.
‘With this much, he won’t chase me in my dreams with a knife, muttering about why the treatment is like this.’
Of course, it seemed I should worry first about whether I could even fall asleep and dream, though.
“Hmm.”
I turned on the mood light to maximum brightness and lay on the bed.
Baek Sa-heon.
He is probably sleeping in the room next door right now, but….
‘What on earth did you do?’
Just how atrocious a ghost story item did you pick up for the stuffed doll beyond the wall to detect it?
Is it a butterfly effect? Or was it something that originally happened but he overcame it?
I recalled the things Baek Sa-heon did in the <Records of the Dark Exploration>, and even when searching the wiki, nothing in particular came up.
Perhaps it was natural. If it was an event that occurred personally rather than during work.
Phew.
“…….”
‘If I knock on his door at this time of night, he’ll probably have a fit, won’t he?’
Moreover, from my perspective, I didn’t want to voluntarily approach a terrifying ghost story that was at the level of being selected as the serial killer’s next target personally….
Honestly, my roommate wasn’t a possessor of a character that was worth me risking my life for either.
‘Still, since I know, warning him would be the decent thing to do.’
A way to approach indirectly….
‘There is.’
It happened to be related to the next thing I had to do.
Lying on the bed, I checked my smartphone messenger.
[Jang Heo-un: It is the rookie employee group chat. You can connect here. Thank you! (Link)]
My Group Y colleague had sent it.
I clicked the link with a sigh.
[17th Class Field Exploration Team Group Chat]
It was an open chat room.
I wondered why it was in this form, but it seemed they made it so it wouldn’t link with the address book to minimize the impact when hearing news of a passing.
In any case, since everyone set their profile names as their real names, there would be no problem distinguishing them.
‘I should set my name and enter too.’
[Kim Sol-eum has entered.]
And just when I was composing a greeting….
[Wow]
[Heup]
[Is it really Kim Sol-eum?]
[Nice to meet you^^]
[Is it real? Who invited him?]
“…??”
Before I even composed it, fierce reactions poured out.
‘Don’t tell me they’re saying who the hell invited that person without tact.’
To look at it positively, since my recent performances were decent, perhaps they felt curious or rumors had circulated.
I lightly posted a greeting.
[Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.]
As if waiting, someone asked.
[Kang I-hak: Is it true that you received forty thousand points? haha]
Hmm.
[Yes.]
[Kang I-hak: I’m jealous! I’m curious as to what method you used to receive it, haha]
[I did my best.]
Without answering further, I just sent an emoticon bowing my head.
‘It is nothing short of a jungle.’
I had wondered if it was a warm group chat where rookies shared tips and information and enjoyed hobby life together, but it seemed absolutely not.
‘It is like a group chat for interns where only 10% get converted to regular employees.’
It meant the atmosphere was one of trying to scrape benefits somehow while pretending not to.
‘Right. When people dying is a common occurrence, the Wish Ticket is far and earnest, so it can’t be helped.’
Because if one felt a sense of belonging to this group chat for no reason, it would be perfect to get depressed at the news of a passing, after all.
My mouth was slightly bitter, but it was understandable.
[Go Yeong-eun: (Fighting Emoticon)]
[Go Yeong-eun: (Clapping Emoticon)]
Still, there were colleagues who still looked like good people.
‘It seems you are doing well….’
I nodded as I watched the neat emoticon of my medical school dropout colleague who had fully supported my opinion in the subway where people were dying.
‘Well, shall I do what I have to do now?’
Following the voice of my conscience.
I found Baek Sa-heon’s profile in this group chat and sent him a one-on-one open chat.
And I said.
[Beware of serial killers]
In 1 second, the 1 disappeared.
But no reply came.
Well, perhaps he also feels guilty?
‘If he feels guilty, he’ll be careful.’
This much seemed decent as a warning.
“I should send it to him every morning in the future.”
About a week until the impact of the warning wore off would suffice.
Giving myself a passing grade, I turned off my smartphone.
‘…Now let’s sleep.’
I didn’t know if I could sleep, but I should try. Because I have to go to work tomorrow too… ugh.
‘I wish the company would explode.’
Bitterly chewing on the sad fact that I still had to go to work due to the nature of the company, I stayed awake all night with open eyes….
When I fell into a light sleep in the early morning, I had a nightmare of being chased by theme park mascots swinging entrails while offering churros to a stuffed doll.
‘Save me.’
It was the night of a normal office worker suffering from trauma.
Though the news I heard the next day wasn’t very normal.
* * *
“Roe Deer. You hit the jackpot.”
“……?”
“You… won twenty thousand points.”
Excuse me?
I raised my head and looked at the accumulated points of this morning.
[Employee Kim Sol-eum / Accumulated Points: 20,000p]
It was real.
‘Clearly they said only ten thousand points would come in yesterday…?’
The supervisor patted my shoulder violently.
“It seems Group A’s Assistant Manager Jin filed a report saying you must unconditionally be given extra points!”
Assistant Manager Jin…!
Even though my palm was pierced, you recognized my hard work in trying to save you, Assistant Manager!
I upgraded the internal evaluation of the butterfly mask assistant manager, who had been work-oriented to the point of being a psychopath, by about three steps.
From now on, she is a competent boss who works well, is quick-witted, and is clear with rewards and punishments.
“Originally, our group leader was also talked about as a main contributor to the clear, but because Group A’s leader is throwing a fit….”
Ah.
That was…… honestly, from their perspective, throwing a fit was understandable….
‘Did I gain a bit of benefit as a bystander?’
I wasn’t sure if I should be happy about this, but I would take it gratefully.
“Anyway, it’s a jackpot, Roe Deer, they say you aren’t just at the level of the shortest record for joining the company anymore?? It’s crazy.”
“Thank you.”
Only, I might have to slowly give up on not standing out at the company….
‘Still, the points are sweet.’
But it didn’t end here.
Before the morning ended, a call came.
“…Assistant Manager Jin?”
-Yeah.
It was a moment when I should have spent a somewhat relaxed day while writing documents since we finished the B-grade Dark exploration yesterday, after all.
A call had come from the Group A assistant manager through the corporate network.
I thanked her immediately first.
“Umm, thank you. They said you recommended me as a main contributor to the theme park Dark clear….”
-The one who did well should take more points for work to run properly, isn’t that right? Why do you say thank you for such a thing?
Ah, yes.
-Anyway, you come up.
“……?”
-Our group is going into a Dark today, but we are short-handed. You come and help.
“…….”
-Dislike it?
Yes!
The rookie who almost died yesterday, would it hurt to let him rest today!
“Please wait a moment. ……Umm, Assistant Manager Eun. A call came.”
“Uh, why.”
Help me, colleague boss of my team!
After calling my group’s superiors and handing over the phone, I tried to roughly brush off the call and pass it.
But it didn’t work.
“Group A has a vacancy? Was this a call for a vacancy in Group A?”
“…!”
Uh-oh.
Even the supervisor, who had his head buried on his desk over there, flew over in his chair and whispered.
“Wait a minute, Group A called Roe Deer to a vacant slot today?”
I don’t know either, Supervisor. My shoulder hurts, so do not shake me.
“For starters, I understand. Yes.”
In the meantime, the assistant manager hung up the phone.
And with glittering eyes, she shook her fist at me.
“Hey. Go.”
…Excuse me?
“That’s right! Group A right now is good news! It is safer, but you can earn more, you must not miss this!”
“It’s all points. It’s points, Roe Deer.”
“…….”
…So, it meant this.
‘For starters, elite team Group A gets separate extra points per case.’
That was said to be quite sweet.
But seeing that there was no call for a Cleanup Team like Group Y, it wasn’t a Dark that required a sacrificial lamb either.
Additionally, since she called me as a rookie substitute, it didn’t seem to be a very tricky Dark either.
In short, it was extra work, but the pay was good and it was a sweet treat to eat up!
“Because a vacancy arose and they had to take someone along, it seems they are trying to take you once because they looked at you favorably yesterday. Go!”
“…….”
‘I have no excuse to give….’
The words that I couldn’t sleep because I was scared and wanted to rest a bit could absolutely not be spoken even if my mouth were ripped, after all.
‘A field exploration employee who makes such remarks when quite a few points are on the line in a relatively safe situation? That’s too suspicious…!’
Unless I wanted to get branded a coward and go to the Cleanup Team, I had to shut my mouth.
And thus, dragging my steps that wouldn’t move, I ended up heading to the 15th floor….
“Splendid, the rookie’s vigor!”
Vigor? It feels more like defeat, though.
Struggling not to trudge, I moved to the elevator.
And when I arrived at the top floor of the Field Exploration Team, the 15th floor, and the door opened.
I was slightly surprised.
“…!”
The cubicles and desktops densely packed commonly seen in offices were absent.
Instead, a luxurious reception room that would be seen in some hotel came into view. And beyond that, individual spaces separated by opaque glass were visible.
Every single one was a private office with the employee’s name attached.
‘Oh my god.’
One room per person.
It was a welfare that would exist for executive offices.
‘Is it a kind of motivation?’
It seemed once one became an elite team in the Field Exploration Team, they could use a private space like this.
‘It is a worker’s dream, but….’
Just then, a familiar face walked out from the glass door right next to me.
The superior already wearing her butterfly mask.
“Hello, Assistant Manager Jin.”
“Yeah.”
Assistant Manager Jin of Group A looked a bit more human than when seen in the ghost story.
“Because the group leader wanted to see you one more time. He said so.”
And from the larger office opposite, the Group A leader carrying coffee walked out.
“Roe Deer.”
“Group Leader, hello.”
With a hollowly good-natured face, the middle-aged Group A leader smiled and tapped my shoulder.
He is acting as if staring dead-eyed at Group Leader Lee Ja-heon in the theme park was something that never happened.
“Assistant Manager Jin isn’t the style to praise people, but she seemed to look very highly of our Roe Deer. I heard many good stories.”
To that extent…?
“So I tried calling you once today. Because it’s the first time Assistant Manager Jin has said someone works so well, you see.”
Reflexively, I turned to look at the Group A assistant manager.
The assistant manager wearing the butterfly mask snorted and smiled.
“I merely reported the facts as they were.”
“Ayy, doing this again.”
The superior wearing the butterfly mask frowned when our eyes met, but her voice was softened.
“Why? You did work well, after all.”
“…Thank you.”
“Yeah. Do well today too.”
“Oh dear, how harmonious the young people are.”
Laughing hollowly and watching that scene, the Group A leader put on his mallard duck mask.
“Welcome to Group A. Kim Sol-eum.”
“…….”
“Then let’s go to work.”
* * *
Honestly, I was also slightly curious.
‘Do elite teams have different clearing methods?’
The expectation that the work process itself of the Field Exploration Team might be different.
Wouldn’t it be different from the normal teams that just received the task on the day, read the manual, entered the Dark, and rolled!
And it was indeed different.
“Confirmed collector, confirmed recording tape recorder, confirmed mask, confirmed equipment, confirmed basic materials. 31 minutes before entry time 11:00 for ‘identification code Qterw-C-402’, declaring the completion of the readiness check as of the present time.”
Mmh… rigid.
It was completely different from the atmosphere of Group D, which sat around a sofa to brief and entered the Dark trudgingly while the leader cracked jokes no one understood.
Even though one had died and only two remained, the hierarchy and manual were firmly established.
That she made me do the preparation check briefing right upon entering, I mean.
“…That is all.”
“Good. Now let’s enter.”
“Yes.”
Whether I was a temporary substitute or whatever, it meant I unconditionally had to do the tasks the lowest rank in this team had to do.
‘Come to think of it, Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol probably doesn’t have a normal personality either, but she used formal language to the group leader exactly by the book….’
Right. In any case, I would have gone through such a team at some point.
It seemed not bad to experience this kind of thing in advance at least once.
‘As long as I don’t get caught as a coward….’
If I only knew which ghost story we were entering today, I would be able to prepare myself mentally.
The Group A leader, holding a manual, addressed me.
“Ah, Sol-eum, you haven’t read the manual, right?”
“Yes.”
Trying to think positively, I politely extended both hands to the group leader.
Right before the manual paper of the Dark to enter this time was allocated to me.
The Group A leader’s hand stopped.
……?
“Right. Sol-eum, how about entering without such a thing and experiencing it directly?”
Excuse me?
“I heard your specialty is deducing without a manual.”
I raised my head suddenly.
Below the mallard duck mask, the smiling lower face of the Group A leader was visible.
“If it looks dangerous, I’ll give it to you immediately. Got it?”
“…….”
That… wasn’t saying he would give it if I asked.
‘He will judge whether it’s dangerous or not.’
It meant he might never give it until I died.
“…….”
To make me enter the ghost story blind while they know everything?
“Then shall we enter? Oh, I’ll be working enjoyably after a long time~”
Wait. Is this by any chance…….
‘Corporate bullying?’
It is so typical that it feels like a joke. My mind grows dizzy.
But the manager of another team I saw for the first time yesterday had no reason to… ah.
‘……Lee Ja-heon!!’
Don’t tell me, because our team’s Lizard manager fell completely out of favor, they are taking it out on me, the rookie of that group!
Am I also targeted together!