Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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I decided to use the blood bathtub once more.
-If I rejuvenate a bit more, it will be much easier to accompany Mr. Roe Deer!
I had accepted this argument of Brown’s.
Although the stuffed doll might grow a bit larger… well, about one more time seemed fine. Since it was still the size of a normal key ring doll.
However, Brown looked dead serious at the idea of using my blood as a bath product so easily.
-My goodness! I must politely decline. Heavens, there are bodily fluids of sentient beings all around us, so why does my friend keep trying to see his own blood?
It seemed that my deliberate attempt to scare him last time was continuing to have an effect.
‘Well, I wasn’t planning on spilling that much this time anyway…’
I also felt a bit sorry, wondering if I had been too harsh.
Since he said so anyway, we agreed to obtain blood through another method.
-Great, wonderful… Let us search for a suitable bath product, friend!
Sure.
It was actually somewhat better that I had another task to distract my mind in the midst of company politics…
‘He’s already helpful.’
I sighed and went to work.
As a side note, Baek Sa-heon did not return to the company housing at all yesterday. I would see just how long he could hold out like that.
At any rate, since I didn’t know how long Director Cheong would wait, I also had to make a decision quickly…
“Sol-eum…!”
Uh?
As I turned my head while waiting for the elevator, my colleague holding a bison mask walked in.
‘Jang Heo-un!’
He was the employee I had met at Sekwang Technical High School last night and accompanied for a brief, eventful moment.
“You were safe!”
“Yes. It looks like you also escaped safely, Heo-un.”
“Yes, yes! Thank you. I cleared it safely…”
Yesterday, it was such a series of shocks that I couldn’t think of checking on others or anything else, but it was nice to meet like this anyway.
Moreover, perhaps because Jang Heo-un had left with an unexpectedly good impression of the agent, he replied with a fairly bright face when the related topic came up.
“T-That person was a better person than I thought. He didn’t use me as bait… and I even heard an explanation about the bureau at the end.”
Isn’t your standard too low…?
At any rate, that person seemed to have a lot of regrets regarding Daydream Co., and I wondered if he had experienced a change of heart after accompanying an employee with a decent character.
Anyway, since there was no big problem, Jang Heo-un’s complexion must be fine.
‘Maybe I can sell ghost story food again next time.’
A slight hope for side income arose.
“And… that agent seemed to worry about you, Sol-eum, until the very end. B-But I didn’t mention anything about giving them your name tag!”
Ah, the name tag!
“I used the name tag you gave me well. Thank you.”
Actually, although there was a way to get a name tag even after borrowing the school uniform, it was true that I used it well and quickly thanks to him.
“It must have been a precious name tag for you too, Heo-un, but I won’t forget that you conceded it out of concern for me.”
“Ah, no… it was nothing. Compared to what you did for me.”
“…?”
Me?
At that moment, Jang Heo-un clenched his fists and spoke with a joyful expression.
“Sol-eum. I… have been assigned to the General Team…!”
“…!”
“They really changed it because I held out for three months. Thank you so, so… much. I think I held out thanks to you!”
Oh!
There were so many incidents during the regular assignment season that I couldn’t check other people’s groups, but this was very good news.
I asked warmly.
“Congratulations, truly! Which group are you in?”
“I was assigned to Group F…!”
“…”
Ah.
“You’re in the same group as… Baek Sa-heon.”
“Yes! He was kind.”
“…”
It seemed correct that this person’s standard for a good person had become infinitely low after experiencing the Cleanup Team…
‘No wonder they were traveling together in the last ghost story.’
So they didn’t just run into each other, they were in the same group.
I said with a smile.
“It is an interesting coincidence. I share company housing with him. …Let’s gather as colleagues next time and have dinner together.”
“Ah, thank… yes!”
And at this point, an unexpected encounter occurred once more in front of the elevator.
“Hello, Manager Lee Ja-heon!”
“Yes. Hello.”
I ran into Manager Lee Ja-heon, who was on his way to work.
Manager Lee Ja-heon replied like that to Jang Heo-un, who bowed to him, and then got straight to the point.
Meaning he spoke to me.
“Sol-eum, you have a summons.”
Again??
“Do I… not need to stop by the office and just move directly?”
“Yes.”
Feeling like I was going to develop a neurosis from all these summons, I eventually pressed the button for the 25th floor instead of the 13th, just as Lee Ja-heon told me.
‘I’ve left the Field Exploration Team’s floor again…’
Please let it be nothing.
“I hope you have a good day, Sol-eum!”
“Yes. You too, Heo-un.”
After sending Jang Heo-un off, I got off on the 25th floor with Manager Lee Ja-heon.
Ding.
“Follow me.”
“Yes.”
I trudged along behind the manager.
‘It seems farther than I thought.’
After turning around corners in the hallway several times, a door appeared instead of a meeting room.
Out of nowhere, a warm-colored wooden nameplate was hung there…
Fox Counseling Room
“…”
Wait.
“Leader, here…”
Thud.
At that moment.
I was pinned against the wall by Manager Lee Ja-heon.
…?!
“Kim Sol-eum. Answer the following questions immediately without any hesitation.”
-Oh dear! Would this be a situation where my help is needed, friend?
‘No, wait…!’
The atmosphere was unusual.
I looked at Lizard.
His red vertical pupils were staring intently at me.
“Do you remember the conversation we had yesterday?”
I swallowed my saliva.
“…Yes.”
“What topic did the conversation end with?”
“That Group D could become an Elite Team,”
“That was not the final topic. Answer again.”
What?
“It is the final topic!”
“No. We conversed about another topic after that.”
No!
I must have. But it was just small talk, wasn’t…
“Do not hesitate.”
“…!”
“Answer.”
Damn it!
“I don’t remember well!”
“…”
“It was just small talk… small talk, wasn’t it.”
A heavy silence and pressure followed.
And…
Softly.
“I see.”
Manager Lee Ja-heon let go of me from the wall.
I didn’t know what it was, but for now, thank goodness…
“Kim Sol-eum.”
“Yes.”
“You are contaminated.”
“…”
Uh?
But, that…
“…Naturally, if you go on explorations, to some extent…”
However, I could not finish my sentence.
Thud.
Lee Ja-heon opened the door to the counseling room in one go, grabbed me by the collar, and threw me inside.
“…!”
“You cannot come out until you finish the counseling. I will wait outside the door.”
Slam.
And the door closed.
“…”
No.
No!!
-How dare he be so rude to my friend!!
W-Wait.
Don’t you start too, let’s calm down…
‘It’s okay. It seems there’s some misunderstanding.’
I held back a sigh and raised my head.
Although I wasn’t very keen…
‘I might as well just get counseled once. It’s good for mental health too.’
Side effects… let’s try not to think about them as much as possible, isn’t the probability extremely low anyway.
-Hmm… If that is Mr. Roe Deer’s opinion!
Phew.
It was decided.
I dragged my feet with a reluctant feeling and moved my steps…
First, what appeared before my eyes was a space that looked like a changing room.
And a floral-patterned sign was attached on top of the locker.
Welcome, Client!
Please change into a gown and enter ^^
And hospital gowns with green grass patterns were lined up by size.
Health screening look…?
-If clothing only pursued comfort, we would have to walk around naked.
-In that sense, this is a piece of cloth that is even worse than that. It has no utility other than covering the body.
I understand.
‘Still, I have to wear it.’
Outside, a lizard who physically destroyed ghost stories was guarding. I had to undergo counseling once before leaving.
I finished changing clothes.
‘That curtain seems to be the direction leading to the counseling space.’
And it was the moment I was about to pull back the curtain that looked like the changing room exit.
A phrase was attached.
From here on, it is a space allowed only for the client ^^
Friends, family, guardians, only up to here!
‘Ah.’
Well… no matter if it was welfare or whatever, it was a ghost story, so it was better not to break the rules.
“Brown, you can wait for a bit, right?”
-Oh, it would be a lie to say I am not worried, but in this case, of course, I must respect Mr. Roe Deer’s privacy!
Okay.
I carefully placed Brown near the flower vase on the locker room table and pulled back the curtain.
Jingle…
Then, sunlight poured fully over my head.
“…!”
A small and cozy space was revealed in front of my eyes.
A warm midday room, which calmed even the mind.
———————=
Records of the Dark Exploration / Ghost Story
[Fox Counseling Room]
: A ghost story appearing in the <Records of the Dark Exploration>, Daydream Co.’s identification code is Qterw-E-925.
A counseling space consisting of a window side where warm sunlight enters, a soft pastel-toned sofa, and a small silver bell-shaped doorbell with a clear sound.
One of Daydream Co.’s Grade E employee benefits, it is somewhat effective for mental stabilization and pollution recovery.
For the full utilization record of the Fox Counseling Room, refer to the corresponding document.
———————=
Certainly, it was… indeed a room with a good atmosphere.
-I hope it will be a useful counseling session, friend!
I hope so, desperately.
After drawing the curtain well again, I walked into the room.
This time too, guidance text was visible.
Sit comfortably on the sofa
And enjoy the scenery outside!
I sat on the sofa just as it said.
And crossed my arms.
Well, the atmosphere was nice, but…
‘I already know what’s going to happen anyway.’
It’s truly amazing. It makes me regain the motivation I had lost, and reminds me of the things I had forgotten…….
-Interview after the counseling of Lee Jung-eun (Supervisor)
Someone appeared outside the window to counsel you.
What appeared was customized for each person.
At any rate, there was a high probability that they would show a person or object related to my trauma and stage a situation where it was resolved well for me to watch.
A deeply immersed person eventually obtaining a kind of emotional healing effect, crying their eyes out or leaving with a comfortable face, was the cliché of the utilization records of this ‘Fox Counseling Room’ ghost story.
‘Will it really be effective when I already know everything.’
Thinking about it now, I was skeptical of that too.
I crossed my arms and looked at the huge window that fully showed a beautiful outdoor garden filled with sunlight…
And at that moment.
Someone appeared from the side of the garden.
“…!!”
That was…
Me.
The ‘me’ with a tired and dark expression stood in the sunlit outdoor garden, then turned to look at the me inside the room.
And waved his hand.
“…!”
I raised my hand without realizing it… then lowered it.
‘What is this.’
It wasn’t even a doppelgänger.
A feeling of discomfort and repulsion arose.
But the ‘Kim Sol-eum’ standing in the outdoor garden did not end there; he looked around, grabbed a suitable chair, and came to sit right in front of the window.
And he smiled brightly, looking at me face-to-face.
“…”
‘Should I just stand up.’
Although they said the door would only open after an hour passed, it would be possible to just hang around in front of the door…
It was the moment I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable in my seat.
“Mr. Kim Sol-eum.”
“…!!”
“Thank you so much for coming for counseling today. I am your counselor.”
The thing outside the window that had my appearance began to chatter.
“Your body seems very fatigued today. How have you been falling asleep recently? How long do you sleep?”
I clenched my teeth.
“…I sleep tolerably well.”
“I see… Could you perhaps tell me in concrete numbers? More than 5 hours?”
“…There are times like that.”
“I see. Could… sleeping for only a short time occasionally be related to company work being difficult?”
Wow!
‘This is driving me crazy.’
I barely managed to reply.
“I do not wish to answer. Since you say such things with my appearance, it only makes me feel repulsed.”
“Why do you feel repulsed, Mr. Kim Sol-eum?”
“Originally, wouldn’t a person feel a threat to their existence when they see someone identical to themselves?”
“But… I am a sentient being with a clear difference from you, Mr. Kim Sol-eum.”
What?
“Would you like to look for it? What difference could there be?”
I inadvertently scanned the other person.
Eyes, nose, mouth, body, clothing.
“…It is identical, though.”
“Then, shall we take a look at the mirror to compare better?”
Rattle.
In an instant, the bookshelf next to the sofa where I was sitting moved, and a full-length mirror emerged from inside it.
I inadvertently looked into it.
A fatigued worker.
“…”
“Would you like to try comparing?”
Whether I compare or not, it’s completely identical…
“…”
“How is it?”
“…My side,”
I looked in the mirror.
“Seems to have… a worse complexion… indeed.”
Is it… just my imagination?
“I see.”
However, the me outside the window nodded.
“Why is there such a difference?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then let’s observe a little more. Maybe something more will be visible.”
I alternated between looking at the me outside the window and the me in the mirror again.
Eyes, nose, mouth, shoulders, arms…
Wrist.
“Tattoo.”
I muttered as if possessed.
“You are missing a tattoo.”
The tattoo left from the theme park was there.
But…
: Benefactor :
This was missing.
That tattoo that had served as my inventory.
“What kind of tattoo is it? Ah, that one!”
“Yes.”
“There must be a reason why you got such a tattoo. What kind of effect did it have?”
“I can store items inside this.”
“I see. Are there various items in there right now too?”
“Yes.”
“Could you show me once? Ah, if you are reluctant to show me, it is also fine to just lay them down where I cannot see them.”
“…Yes.”
I took the items out of the tattoo.
Items, equipment, coins…
They were all things I knew.
“I have taken everything out, though.”
I didn’t know why they made me do this.
How was this different from the me outside the window?
“Mr. Kim Sol-eum.”
“Yes?”
“In my opinion, it seems there is still something left inside the tattoo.”
Silence.
“Would you like to extend your hand to me once?”
I don’t want to kno—
“No. You want to know, and you can do it.”
“…”
I stood up from the sofa.
And approached right in front of the window…
And extended my hand.
“You have really worked hard.”
The me outside the window grabbed my hand.
And.
Suddenly thrust his hand into my tattoo.