Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 99

Chapter 99

===================

Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

I knew.

That the Disaster Management Bureau tightly managed the information of this ghost story, the ‘Dokkaebi Workshop,’ to prevent it from leaking.

Precisely… only up to that point!

‘I didn’t know in what manner they managed the ghost story…’

Because it wasn’t even mentioned in the <Records of the Dark Exploration>!

Who would have thought they would be doing undercover duty inside the ghost story to weed out visitors and monitor the manufacturing of equipment.

A Disaster Management Bureau employee, a human, pretending to be a dokkaebi inside a ghost story!

[Uh-oh? The reply is late!]

My head spun.

‘…What should I do?’

Wait a minute, what did I talk about so far?

With my blood running cold, I reviewed the past conversation that flashed through my head like a panorama.

A decisive mistake… right, I didn’t make a mistake.

‘…It’s fine!’

I can still make up for it. I can make up for it…

If so.

I intentionally exposed a completely bewildered look, with a slightly pale impression.

“I am sorry, elder, but I was not granted permission to speak of such things…”

[…….]

I don’t know.

I am a rookie who hasn’t noticed at all that the other party is a human, my senior agent.

I am just a person who is startled because the dokkaebi in a ghost story pried into my personal details, flustered and struggling, yet trying to respond well!

‘Please!’

I slightly raised my head with an expression that seemed to say, ‘What should I do with this dokkaebi?’

[My, the Seobang Kims who do state affairs have so many things to worry about.]

“…….”

Whew.

[You Seobang Kims call your affiliations over there ‘teams,’ so why can’t you tell me??]

“Yes. Well, yes… I am sorry. Because the nation set it that way.”

[How boring indeed!]

The agent pretending to be a dokkaebi smacked his lips and stepped back.

‘It worked.’

Did it come this way?

[Still, I’ll let it slide for the kind-hearted Seobang Kim who gave me the ginseng!]

Apparently, the agent intended to keep pretending to be a dokkaebi.

‘…Did the guiding work well?’

So-called teasing a junior.

I built up his desire to make this rookie faint in surprise later upon hearing from a senior that ‘that person is an agent.’

I guessed it by seeing that agent smelling the ginseng stored in the tattoo just like a real dokkaebi.

‘Did he copy the dokkaebi and have his abilities and personality become similar as well.’

Thinking that he might have used that kind of ‘equipment.’

And because dokkaebi can’t resist such pranks.

“Th-thank you.”

I bowed my head deeply in response to that.

[Kind-hearted Seobang Kim, still, I should return the favor for the medicinal liquor!]

[Now, state what dokkaebi item you wish to have! You may recite a song, or dance…]

Now he was trying to give the rookie something.

Apparently, he considered that the wild ginseng I held was a precious item obtained from somewhere, but I had handed it over too readily out of fluster.

‘…The most natural countermeasure is,’

“I-it’s fine, elder! Then… I hope you will show favor to the, um, ‘Seobang Kims doing state affairs’ who visit next. As much as you are in a good mood.”

[…Oh, is that so?]

“Yes!”

[I got it, Seobang Kim. I do pay for my drinks!]

I smiled brightly and nodded. The dokkaebi also looked at me with a slightly satisfied complexion and danced joyfully.

Good. It seems this topic passed.

And naturally, the next topic moved to the GripTok I was holding.

[So Seobang Kim came here today… wishing for this norigae to be repaired prettily, is that it?]

“…Yes.”

This was the problem.

This agent recognized that my GripTok was not made here…

Cold sweat gathered in my palms.

Sure enough, the agent wearing the dokkaebi mask asked while pretending not to.

[Where did this object originate?]

“I, I don’t know well. Because I received it as a gift from the state…”

[Right, right. These days, do the Seobang Kims doing state affairs also run factories? They keep sourcing items from other places…]

[A dangerous deed it is.]

“…….”

[Who knows when a daytime dokkaebi will pop out!]

Right. The place where the Disaster Management Bureau manufactured agent supplies was no longer just this workshop.

‘The Silver Heart also originated from elsewhere.’

At any rate, he seemed to have misunderstood it as something manufactured in one of those places.

It was a very grateful misunderstanding.

‘Saved thanks to it.’

Seeing the agent pretending to be a dokkaebi to the very end, even mentioning the daytime dokkaebi, my mind stabilized slightly.

Thanks to that, I could accept it empty-heartedly.

‘I am fucked anyway.’

That agent will definitely remember me, who visited suddenly today and even offered the ginseng.

‘The moment that person leaves this ghost story and talks with the Disaster Management Bureau people, I will be tracked down as a person of interest.’

…Is there really no way out?

[At any rate, I will repair this norigae completely, so wait here!]

“Yes…”

The agent imitating a dokkaebi went inside the tile-roofed house, which meant the ‘workshop,’ carrying my GripTok.

Probably intending to leave it to the other dokkaebi who would be inside.

I waited quietly.

Even though ominous imaginations of the agent realizing the situation, confiscating my GripTok, and placing an emergency call to the Disaster Management Bureau made me break out in cold sweat.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long.

[Take the norigae!]

The returning agent lightly tossed the GripTok to me. Suppressing curses, I carefully caught it.

The GripTok still had cracks on it.

But the grooves were smoothly filled with something glossy.

Glue sparkling with a jade color.

“Ah, has the repair been completed with this?”

[Aha, even when cooking rice one has to steam it, how could an elder’s skill be finished as easily as eating cold porridge? You must wait until the glue is completely dry!]

[Do not wear it for a month, and take care of it as if treating a swaddled baby like gold and jade. While making wishes on what kind of appearance you would like it to have. Then it will become a very wonderful norigae!]

A whole month?

“…Thank you.”

I gently grabbed the GripTok.

‘…It feels like it will split apart just like that if I apply even a little force.’

It meant I had to handle it extremely carefully for a month while the glue cured.

Which meant…

‘It means I cannot browse the wiki for a month.’

Currently, I was straining to read it through every day and remember as much as clearly as possible, but it meant I couldn’t perform that routine.

Naturally, because there were limits to a human’s memory, I became anxious… but there was no choice. I had to endure. Since obtaining a new GripTok seemed far out of reach.

‘At any rate, it is a relief that I succeeded in repairing it.’

Then only one remaining problem.

How on earth do I leave naturally from here.

[Now, now, then while eating one of the buckwheat cakes brought by the young Seobang Kim… shall we listen to stories about what the Seobang Kims doing state affairs are doing these days!]

I don’t know either…

‘If I converse further like this, it is only a matter of time before I am caught.’

Regardless of being wanted, I might be bound with arrest ropes right on this spot, transferred to the Disaster Management Bureau, and sent to a glass prison.

…Right.

I firmed up my resolve.

‘I am caught in the long run anyway.’

If so… even if it leaves a stronger impression,

I’ll go for it!

“Yes, elder. I…”

*Heave.*

I did not suppress the spitting of blood, just throwing it up out of my mouth.

Gushing, clotted blood flowed down my chin.

Hastily wiping it with my sleeve, I looked at the dokkaebi with a flustered face.

“S-sorry…”

I didn’t merely prompt fluster.

Blood was.

[Seobang Kim…!!]

Traditionally, it was also the dokkaebi’s taboo.

*Rumble.*

The huge tile-roofed house shook.

Scary! Scary! Scary!

Why is it scary? Why is it scary? Why is it scary?

[Oh dear! Everyone stop making a fuss! Nothing is happening!]

Scary! Who is it? Scary! Who is it?

Even when the agent yelled, the tile-roofed house still vibrated. Turning pale white, I covered my mouth and gagged.

“S-sorry.”

[Get out quickly. The crazy bastard who sent a sick rookie to the dokkaebi playground, I’ll just…!]

“Ah, no! Elder, I… I entered without knowing anything.”

[Elder my foot! You brat, you still don’t know?]

I should pretend to realize it now.

“…!”

I opened my eyes wide, then stood up hurriedly.

“By any chance…”

The agent in the form of a dokkaebi folded his arms.

[Be grateful that this senior is on this spot. Rookie.]

“Yes, yes… I am sorry.”

I stood up as if barely regaining my senses, with a soulless face that seemed to say, ‘I don’t know what on earth is going on.’

*Thump. Thump.*

Now, a sound like a broom or a wooden club clashing was heard from the door of the tile-roofed house.

The agent, who clicked his tongue upon hearing that, glared at me and barked.

[If your body is sick, you should rest. Where do you think you’re crawling in? Did headquarters order this?]

Huh?

If I weave this together well…

“…No.”

I quickly searched my mind and pulled out one of the various episodes that had occurred in the Disaster Management Bureau.

‘…There was a culture of betting during training institute days!’

Like a sort of courage test, competing with each other in competence and boldness.

Good. With this…!

“…My colleagues told me to repair the Memorial GripTok on my own, so…”

The agent flinched.

[…Do they still do that kind of thing these days?]

I just gave a bitter smile.

The agent wearing the dokkaebi mask seemed to suppress a groan, rubbed his face, and waved his hand at me.

[……I’ll let it slide without telling headquarters. Just leave.]

It worked.

“Th-thank you.”

[What is your codename?]

“It hasn’t come out yet… I am, well, pondering what would be good.”

[…Right. We’ll see each other if fate permits.]

The agent pretending to be a dokkaebi waved his hand.

*Whoosh.*

At that gesture, I was pushed away, and…

[Go in and rest.]

*Thud!*

I landed on my butt.

“Whew…”

I raised my head to find myself on the street in Hongdae.

It was still lively, the day was sunny, and the blue-roofed cafe over there was thriving in business…

‘…Saved!’

I came out without being caught.

-It was an excellent ad-lib, my friend!

I let out a long sigh and covered my face.

I almost sprawled out on the roadside.

* * *

The next two days were truly spent recuperating.

Unable to use the GripTok, I was anxious and even tried to copy the contents in my head onto paper, but stopped out of concern that I might instead distort details through creation.

Instead, as I compulsively kept reviewing it in my head, time passed quickly.

And…

“Mr. Kim Sol-eum.”

“Manager.”

Three days later, I went to work and met Manager Lizard again.

“Is your body okay?”

“Yes. Mr. Kim Sol-eum, receive additional counseling within this month.”

“……Yes.”

Fortunately, that side was also perfectly fine.

Moreover, Manager Lee Ja-heon did not ask me further.

Neither about Brown’s ability like ‘Turn Off Lights,’ nor about the black water mass mascot that chased me.

He had merely reacted with ‘I see’ even while listening to my story which I rambled to the extent I could.

‘Consistent.’

Because of that, it also became difficult for me to ask Manager Lee Ja-heon for anything more…

In the first place, after coming back from using sick leave for three days, there was too much work to do, so it wasn’t a situation to catch a mood and pry.

‘Wow, when am I going to finish all of this.’

We escaped as irregulars once again, but except for the two employee-grade who came for support, the entirety of Group D took a rest immediately after?

The nagging from here and there was no joke.

I spent the day with Manager Lee Ja-heon writing reports, conducting interviews, and even making calls to Director Cheong expressing gratitude.

In the midst of that, because the taxi Dark used while escaping Samangdan-gil had to be mentioned in the report, I wracked my brain on how to write down how I knew to call it.

‘Should I say I saw a flyer advertisement in Samangdan-gil?’

But wouldn’t that pollute the manual?

It was when my head was spinning.

“The taxi you called is a Dark pending in the manual review.”

“…!”

“It means it is information that cannot be acquired through normal use of the company’s system.”

Wow.

Looking back at Manager Lee Ja-heon with a chilled feeling,

Lizard spoke to me like this.

“So I changed the designated taxi caller.”

“……To whom?”

“Me.”

Wait a minute.

“You changed the report to state that you, Group Leader, called the taxi?”

“Yes.”

Now I roughly understand this lizard’s principle of action too.

“…As a reward for my active contribution to escaping Samangdan-gil, and to take responsibility for the joint work as the group leader?”

“Yes.”

Moreover, this was not the end.

“Um, by any chance do you remember, Group Leader? There was equipment you promised in the pantry room ghost story previously…”

“Yes. It will be ready by next week.”

Wow.

I firmed up my mind to sincerely respect Manager Lee Ja-heon.

So what if he is a bit frustrating. He is truly a dream boss!

‘Endure the frustration on your own!’

Got that, Kim Sol-eum!

Scolding myself, I diligently worked on the paperwork.

New dedicated equipment manufacturing, to a new rank team.

A new chapter of company life was right in front of me.

Though a new Dark was waiting for me before that, however.

…Along with a face that was not welcome at all.

* * *

“My, long time no see, Mr. Roe Deer!”

Research Team Gwak Je-gang waved his hand at me while smiling.

“Are you interested in abandoned elevators by any chance?”

I said no!!