Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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A ghost story set in a school.
Actually, it was a long-standing tradition since ancient times.
Since hundreds of teenagers had to live in a single building all day, it would be stranger if they never showed interest in scary and bizarre rumors, mysterious rituals, or ghosts.
The Seven Wonders, Bunshinsaba…
Naturally, having graduated from school myself, I had also found it quite interesting.
Was it not a universal and popular horror story?
‘That was also why I had mustered up the courage to add to the exploration records for the first time.’
Fortunately, the record was not taken down by a barrage of ‘Not Recommended’ downvotes, and using this opportunity, I had even created and uploaded a ghost story of my own…
But.
‘I’m… going in there?’
It was a strange feeling.
Of course, hearing that I was entering a ghost story made my spine chill first, but there was also a strange churning sensation.
Like having an educational book in front of me—no, it was not that…
Anticipation and fear?
‘I do not know how to put it…’
In any case, the manual had already been distributed, and I had to at least ‘attempt’ to enter.
If that was the case.
-Shall we perform a short ritual before falling asleep today? I wonder if it is Mr. Roe’s unique secret to falling into a deep sleep!
“Not really.”
I silently made the bed.
“I’m going to try to have a ‘special dream’ that the company told me about.”
-Ah, are you trying to go to that ‘high school’?
Yeah.
‘Even if it is not here, I have to enter a ghost story anyway.’
Since only a few people who met the specific conditions at any given time could enter, it was better to enter this one, which the company compensated well with points.
‘Phew.’
The company housing at night.
I opened the ‘specific book’ in question that I had received from the company.
-If you fall asleep after reading a specific book on a night with a full moon, you may wake up in a school at night.
It was exactly as Manager Lee Ja-heon had explained.
What was a bit unique was that this was a text file.
In the Black Shade.txt
This file was said to sometimes be included when downloading a text file collection from the internet titled ‘Collection of Masterpiece Horror Novels of the 2000s’ (which flagrantly ignored copyrights).
The file size was definitely large enough to be two books. However…
I clicked to open the file.
All of this happened on our graduation day.
This single line was the end of the content.
And as I scrolled further down in confusion, unrecognizable corrupted characters filled the text file chaotically…
Unable to open file.
Then disappeared.
“…….”
Ha.
Seriously, nothing is easy…!
‘At this rate, I’ll go first from a heart attack…’
Just then, I heard swearing from the next room.
Baek Sa-heon was probably preparing to enter this ghost story too. Since it was targeted at all employees…
‘Maybe we will meet after going in.’
Well, the probability of Baek Sa-heon happening to meet the exact conditions and entering was low, though.
Each time this ghost story opened, the conditions for who could enter changed.
‘But I know the ‘confirmed entry’ method that appears in the mid-to-late stages of the exploration records…’
So I had already prepared that method.
The important thing was that I did not know how much information had been released to the employees at this point.
‘Even if the exploration records are not fully compiled, other rumors might have circulated by word of mouth due to the nature of this ghost story.’
Since all employees were preparing to enter, this point bothered me a bit.
Hmm.
‘Shall I check?’
It was also the right time to check him so he would not do something stupid.
I walked over to Baek Sa-heon’s door and knocked politely.
Knock knock.
“W-What!”
“I’m coming in.”
Creaaak.
When I opened the door, Baek Sa-heon glared at me with a face somewhere between fluster, fear, and irritation, then gritted his teeth and forced a smile.
“Isn’t it a social contract that you only enter after receiving an answer to your knock saying ‘Come in’? Yes?”
“Really?”
I went back out and knocked on the door.
Knock knock.
Knock knock.
Knock knock.
Knock knock.
Knock…
“You son of a… Ahh! Just come in!”
Opening the door and stepping inside, I cast a pitying look at him.
“The result is the same.”
“…….”
“You… live so inefficiently.”
Baek Sa-heon seemed to be swelling with resentment, but he appeared to have successfully suppressed it. Well, it was a relief that manners between people finally seemed to be developing.
“Anyway, I’m extremely curious as to why you suddenly thought of barging into someone else’s room for the first time in the middle of the night…”
And as he spoke, he seemed to have realized the answer himself at the same time.
“…Look, no, aren’t you also supposed to enter the Dark as the company ordered, Supervisor? Going into that high school.”
“Yeah.”
“Ah, I knew it. So you were preparing right now?”
Then, Baek Sa-heon scanned and checked the area near the pillow on my bed beyond the open door, very quickly, persistently, and greedily.
It was obvious to anyone that he was trying to squeeze out a hint.
‘Look at him go.’
I smiled without bothering to block the doorway.
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“Is that so? I heard we won’t know whether we will enter or not until we fall asleep… But you look so certain, Supervisor, which is intriguing. Do you have some kind of secret?”
“You have a lot of questions.”
“Since you came all the way to my room, I figured I should listen to what you have to say.”
I threw out casually.
“Do you need a hint?”
“…Well, if you’re willing to tell me?”
“Why should I?”
“…….”
Baek Sa-heon gritted his teeth and smiled.
“…Should I transfer three days’ worth of salary to you again?”
“I don’t need money, but there’s something I want to hear.”
“…!”
“You want to enter, right? What’s the reason.”
A brief and intense conflict flashed across Baek Sa-heon’s face.
It was not so much that he did not want to speak, but rather he seemed to be busy weighing options to see if he could extract something more from me by saying it.
Then, having reached a conclusion, he spoke as if it were no big deal.
“…Well, there was a rumor in the company.”
A rumor.
“Something like, items obtained in that ghost story can be brought outside as they are… So it is unconditionally profitable to enter and bring back whatever you can.”
“…….”
“And they say you won’t easily die either.”
Hmm.
So that was what the employees knew at this point.
As a ‘ghost story that is profitable once you enter.’
“Actually, I don’t think the hint you are talking about is worth this much, but since we are peers and roommates, I’m sharing this information…”
Oh, trying to downplay it so naturally.
I deliberately nodded seriously.
“Indeed, my hint doesn’t seem to be worth much.”
“…!”
“You don’t need to hear it, right? Let’s act like this never happened. Ah, I listened well, though.”
“…!! You son of a—”
I looked at Baek Sa-heon. He stopped swearing and quickly smiled again.
“…Supervisor, if an employee living in the same company housing extorts a poor rookie’s salary and personal information through blackmail, couldn’t I request an interview with a superior for workplace harassment?”
Dear me.
I looked at Baek Sa-heon with a pitying expression.
“Do you… really believe this company would care about that?”
“…….”
“Well, belief is a free choice.”
“…….”
Baek Sa-heon seemed to be wandering somewhere between anger and despondency…
Well, should I leave it at that.
‘I should give him what is due.’
I said lightly.
“Put a photo of your high school days under your pillow before sleeping.”
…?!
“On the back, write down which grade and class you were in, and write a profile. Like a graduation album.”
I kindly wrote down an example on the post-it note placed on his desk.
Name:
A word to friends:
“And then see what happens.”
“…….”
As if unable to believe it, Baek Sa-heon probed persistently, asking if I had also put a high school photo.
I went straight to my room, pulled out the photo from under my pillow, and showed it to him.
It was a printout of one of the photos from my high school days stored on my smartphone.
“…….”
Baek Sa-heon stared with an unbelievable expression, then shut his mouth.
“Did you think I was lying?”
“…Usually! Since you speak so skillfully, you have that kind of image, don’t you, Supervisor?”
“Really? I’ve never lied, though.”
“…….”
“Think about it carefully.”
I asked Baek Sa-heon, who now had a somewhat blank face, to leave.
“Anyway, I need to do the remaining preparations with Brown, so you should leave now.”
-I hope you enter safely, ordinary fellow employee!
Baek Sa-heon looked at me with an expression that was hard to tell if he was disgusted or mystified, but he eventually backed away and quickly walked into his own room.
Thud.
‘Good.’
It was a bit tiring having to keep him in check like this every time, but it couldn’t be helped.
Think of the new employee in Group D. That was just how social life was…
“Phew.”
I went back to the pillow on my bed.
For starters, the tip I gave Baek Sa-heon was the truth.
Exploration Record #15
Confirmed entry of all three members of Group K into Sekwang Technical High School using the explorer’s high school graduation photos.
Proof of validity.
And if entry was confirmed like this.
Naturally, the next priority was ‘what to bring.’
This was because only the things placed under the pillow before falling asleep would enter as belongings in the dream-world ‘Sekwang Technical High School.’
Since the volume of items that could be placed under the pillow while sleeping was limited, I had to choose carefully.
‘If I put them in the wrist tattoo and they don’t activate in the dream, I’m done.’
I was already slightly anxious because it was a ghost story where appearance changed.
In the end, I packed the important items under my pillow like playing Tetris to fit the capacity, and then,
Lastly, I placed Brown under the most comfortable spot at the edge.
Hmm. Naturally… Brown ended up in a rather awkward position.
-…….
‘Sorry. Is it very stuffy?’
-Hmm, it is bearable! Though if this were a studio, I probably would have called the staff. Haha!
‘R-Right. Thank you.’
It meant he was extremely uncomfortable.
I must not make the ghost story resident, who used to burn people with a snap of his fingers, any more uncomfortable…!
I quickly rested my head on the pillow and tried to sleep, being careful not to crush Brown as much as possible.
‘The pillow is lumpy…’
“…….”
However,
my eyes closed.
So much so that it was hard to believe someone who had suffered from insomnia had laid down on an uncomfortable pillow.
Drowsiness quickly rushed into my mind…
Mist.
Black shade.
And…
[Ding-Dong-Dang-Dong-]
…School.
[Ding-Dong-Dang-Dong-]
I opened my eyes.
I saw a classroom in the dim darkness, without a single light turned on.
Looking down at my clothes, I was wearing a school uniform before I knew it.
[■■ High School]
The familiar uniform of my high school was neatly worn, with only the school name erased as if scratched off with a needle.
I could not confirm it directly, but I knew.
That my appearance itself had reverted to my high school days…
And.
“W-What is this??”
The characteristic of this ghost story, do you remember hearing it earlier?
-I heard we won’t know whether we will enter or not until we fall asleep…
In other words, it also meant this.
That it was not only our company’s employees entering.
“Huh? Huh? Why am I in a school uniform…”
“Oh my goodness!”
“Excuse me, do you happen to know where this is?”
A classroom at midnight, without a single bulb glowing.
People who had been sitting at dark desks stood up one by one, screaming in panic as they looked at each other or checking their surroundings.
They were civilians who had been dragged in here by chance.
“Is this some kind of event? Ha.”
“Wait a minute, why am I in a uniform… Uh, wait! Why am I a high school student?!”
“It’s a dream, this.”
“Excuse me, did you look outside the window? I think this is the second floor…”
‘…It feels like returning to the subway ghost story.’
I felt a stomachache looking at the people scanning their surroundings, wavering between panic, fear, curiosity, and amusement.
And… a thick tension as well.
“Huh?”
One of the people walking around looked toward the corner and finally spotted it.
A student sitting without making a single movement.
“Why isn’t this person moving?”
It was a bizarre sight.
Right in the middle of a dark classroom where people wearing all sorts of uniforms were screaming and moving around actively.
Yet, it was as if only one person sat frozen in their seat.
Not even blinking.
That male student, who looked like an extremely detailed wax doll, wore an intact name tag.
[Sekwang Technical High School]
“Is it a mannequin? Yah.”
Poke, poke.
“Ack!”
The person who poked him pulled their hand away in surprise.
“It’s warm, though??”
“Heol, really?”
I stood up from my seat.
And without ever taking my eyes off him, I slowly approached the classroom door.
‘I have to open the door in advance.’
Clatter.
As I tried to move my hands amidst the tension, the stuffed doll key ring almost fell out of my front school uniform pocket.
I grabbed it in a panic.
Phew.
‘Thank goodness, Brown.’
Silence.
“…Brown?”
I lifted the stuffed doll.
The doll hung limply.
“……!”
I hurriedly pressed around the doll’s belly. The shape of the coin, the Silver Coin Snake, which I had used for the ritual to summon ‘Good Friend’…
was gone.
“…….”
This was just a doll.
‘Good Friend’ had not followed me into my dream.
“…….”
“Outside there… Uh, u-uh-uh, aaaaaack!!!”
I was screwed.