Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 129

A moment later.

I called the number I received from Deputy Manager Eun Hajae.

It was an internal company number connected to Director Ho’s private office.

[Hello?]

“…!”

“Good morning, Director Ho.”

From the moment the call connected, the superiors fell silent.

I continued speaking as politely as possible, without showing any agitation.

“This is Assistant Manager Kim Soleum, who went missing a month ago. I’ve finally emerged from the darkness and am contacting you.”

[Oh. Hello, Soleum! Have you been well for the past month?]

…An unusually nonchalant greeting came back.

It sent shivers down my spine, hearing such a somewhat welcoming and warm tone, as if talking to a guest who hadn’t been in touch for a long time.

This was absolutely not the reaction one would have when an employee, presumed dead, suddenly called.

‘This isn’t normal.’

Director Cheong Dallae would have been better, but she wasn’t in a situation where I could contact her right now.

So, I listened attentively to Director Ho’s words.

[It’s such a relief you’re not dead. It makes me feel good to know you’re safe.]

“Thank you.”

[But aren’t you in a difficult position? If you return like this, you’ll likely incur significant point losses…]

As expected, he knew everything.

‘He’s talking as if the company will charge me for the expenses.’

Even though he was a director in the development department and could easily prevent this, Director Ho spoke as if he was worried but seemed to have no intention of helping.

Of course, I hadn’t expected him to.

What I had prepared myself for was…

“Yes. That’s what I want to discuss.”

I deliberately paused for a beat and calmly asked.

“Director. Is your previous offer for me to join your project still valid?”

…

[Wow, Soleum.]

[You’ve had a really good idea!]

A bright voice rained down on my ears.

[You want to join my project, treat your disappearance over the past month as a classified assignment that occurred during the project, and avoid any point losses, right?]

Chills ran down my spine.

Beside me, Deputy Manager Eun Hajae clenched her fist.

[That’s a truly brilliant idea!]

I couldn’t bring myself to say ‘Thank you.’

It was beyond the point of being happy that we communicated well; she was like some kind of monster.

[And, of course, it’s possible.]

“Thank you…”

[So, from now on, Assistant Manager Kim Soleum is a member of Director Ho Yoowon’s newly formed project team, and this is an acceptance clearly recorded in the call logs. Welcome!]

“……”

It felt like I was being forced to stamp a contract after a five-minute glance at a faulty piece of real estate, just before the agreement was finalized without my full consent.

“Thank you very much for your generous words. However, I was merely asking for your valuable opinion and didn’t intend to express my immediate willingness to participate…”

[Ah, of course, you could be.]

[Then, shall we meet?]

“…I would be very grateful if we could, but as you know, it’s difficult for me to come to the company in my current situation.”

[Ah, so it is, isn’t it? I was thinking it would be good to meet somewhere else anyway.]

Surprisingly generous words came out.

‘…Where does he want to meet?’

I vaguely imagined a private dining room or something similar.

[Fox Counseling Room.]

“…!”

What did he say?

[How about it? Wouldn’t it be warm and nice?]

[I’ll send the nameplate with Deputy Manager Eun Hajae.]

“……”

We slowly turned to look at Deputy Manager Eun Hajae.

‘She clearly said she had received work that required her to avoid the other employees.’

Director Ho, as if knowing the deputy manager was present, said…

[Please wait just a little longer.]

“…Yes. Thank you too.”

With a kind and polite farewell, the call with the director ended.

And immediately after.

Drrrring!

Deputy Manager Eun Hajae’s phone rang.

The deputy manager immediately showed us the name on her smartphone before answering.

[Director Ho Yoowon]

“……”

“Yes. Yes…. Hmm. Understood. I’ll return immediately.”

Click.

“Did you hear that? He’s not an ordinary person.”

Deputy Manager Eun Hajae took the smartphone away from his face, looking disgusted.

“Fox Counseling Room, he says… He’ll probably say something flowery like, ‘Soleum might be struggling with the contamination, so let’s get some counseling and talk while we’re at it,’ but in reality, he’s trying to seize control of the atmosphere.”

“……”

“Roe Deer.”

Deputy Manager Eun Hajae lowered his smartphone with a displeased expression.

“Even if it takes a bit longer, it’s my firm opinion that it’s better not to do Director Ho’s project. The points are a shame, but… damn it.”

Finally, the deputy manager ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

It was probably because he knew how precious points were to the Field Exploration Team members, almost like their lives…

“I’ll bring the nameplate for now, so don’t give in easily. Dodge and weave well, and don’t let the director drag you along. …I trust you, you’re quite articulate.”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

“I’ll listen carefully and come back.”

“Alright.”

A moment later.

I received the item Director Ho had promised from Deputy Manager Eun Hajae, who had returned from the company.

The nameplate, which was now quite familiar.

Fox Counseling Room

‘Phew.’

“Roe Deer. If the atmosphere isn’t good, just bolt out of there!”

“Thank you, Assistant Manager.”

With the encouragement and advice of my superiors, I hung the nameplate on an arbitrary door.

And for the first time in a long time, I opened the door of the Fox Counseling Room and stepped inside…

Creeeak.

“……”

Before, this was definitely where the changing room was, but this time, a different space appeared instead.

‘A waiting room?’

It was a small space that seemed suitable for chatting and waiting before counseling, or for psychological tests.

However, the ivory-colored room with a few cypress wood tables and chairs had a charming, modest feel, but the door leading to the actual counseling room was firmly shut.

And a notice attached above the door.

Closed today ^^^

(Please take your nameplate back!)

‘Wait, if this is the case…’

Tap, tap.

“Hello, Soleum!”

I nearly fainted.

I turned my head. I saw a young man with a benevolent impression tapping my shoulder…

Director Ho, smiling kindly, bowed to me.

“It’s perfect that the Fox Counseling Center is closed today! No one else will come in either. How is it, are you okay?”

“……Yes. Thank you.”

How on earth did Director Ho know that the counseling center in the ghost story was closed?

‘It seems he’s hinting that he has some connection to the Fox Counseling Room.’

For now, let’s not dig into this point unnecessarily.

I need to focus on the main issue.

What I needed was point recovery.

“Shall we sit then?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Anyway, I sat in the comfortable waiting room chair, facing the director.

It wasn’t a very realistic scene.

‘Phew.’

I made a cup of green tea from the tea bags provided in the waiting room and placed it in front of the director. The director thanked me but said nothing more, just smiling broadly.

‘He’s not going to start the conversation first, is he?’

In that case.

“Director. Thinking of someone as inadequate as myself joining the project, there’s something that bothers me…”

“My goodness, to think you feel that way. What exactly bothers you? I clearly heard on the phone that you were willing.”

Stay calm.

‘The current me is an outsider who has been terminated.’

Bluntly speaking, if I don’t return, I’ll become a civilian, so the director’s influence isn’t as strong as before.

It’s right to say what needs to be said.

I clasped my hands and said.

“Yes. I’m afraid of dying.”

“…!”

“Losing points is painful, but what’s the use if I die before accumulating all the points?”

“Aha.”

“If it’s more dangerous than the existing Field Exploration Team, doing the project feels terribly frightening…. I’m even considering just returning or resigning.”

“I see. Wow. You’re really smart!”

“……”

Is he being sarcastic?

But the director merely replied earnestly with an inscrutably benevolent expression.

“And I think that’s a good point of question. ‘Is Director Ho’s internal classified project more dangerous than the Field Exploration Team’s?’”

“……”

“My answer to that is…”

Director Ho smiled faintly.

“‘It’s not dangerous.’ In fact, the survival rate might even be higher.”

“…!!”

“Ah, of course, depending on the task, there might be a statistically higher chance of more dangerous situations… but that’s definitely not the task I’m proposing to you, Soleum.”

“…You probably can’t tell me specifically, can you?”

“That’s right. That’s all I can tell you.”

Director Ho looked regretful and then added in a gentle tone.

“But I can assure you that it’s a better situation than before, and the task has a higher survival rate!”

“……”

“So, are you joining the project now? For your information… from next time, our team will be completely finalized, and we might not be able to accept new people.”

He was completely hammering home that this was the last chance.

I looked at Director Ho, deliberately paused for a few seconds as if agonizing, and then…

I nodded.

“I want to do it.”

“Oh! Very good.”

‘I want to do it’ rather than ‘I will do it.’

It was a phrase that allowed me to back out at the last minute if necessary. But fortunately, Director Ho clapped his hands and seemed pleased.

He was so pleased that he refilled the warm water and placed green tea in front of me.

I wasn’t grateful at all; it sent shivers down my spine…

“You’ve made a really good choice. Truly, I told you the working conditions have improved, didn’t I?”

“…Working conditions, you mean.”

“Yes. You’ll be more comfortable.”

The director narrowed his eyes and smiled as he drank his green tea.

“You must have endured a lot of hardship being in the darkness for a month, so I thought it would be difficult for you to enter a high-grade darkness again.”

The director spoke in a benevolent tone.

“I thought, how about trying something fun?”

Somewhere.

It was a subtle nuance.

“…Something fun, you say.”

“Yes! So, the task you’ll be doing, Soleum, is…”

And then, Assistant Manager Kim Soleum’s preposterous ‘task’ was casually revealed.

“You’re going to infiltrate the Disaster Management Bureau.”

“…!!”

“Is this what they call a spy?”

Director Ho winked.

“Infiltrate as a new agent with a completely clean record, having passed the public exam… blend in and live as an agent there.”

Oh my god.

“And from there, you’ll find information about a specific supernatural disaster they manage. Simple, right?”

I swallowed.

“What supernatural disaster do you want me to find information about?”

Director Ho slightly raised his eyebrows and then smiled kindly again.

“You’re not asking how to do it, but what the target is first. As expected.”

“……”

“I’ll tell you that gradually. For now, successfully infiltrating is important…”

Director Ho looked at me with a strange gaze.

“In my opinion, there’s no one more suitable than you, Soleum.”

“……”

Did he find out?

That I had quite a few connections with the Disaster Management Bureau.

And that I possessed an item belonging to them.

I tried not to be conscious of the silver heart still in my pocket.

‘Director Ho seemed to intensely dislike the Disaster Management Bureau.’

For now, let’s just keep quiet.

Because Director Ho’s shocking statements didn’t end there.

“And you might be lonely alone, so others will be deployed with you.”

Excuse me?

“…Who?”

I briefly thought of Deputy Manager Eun Hajae, but an entirely unexpected answer came back.

“Two of your colleagues.”

“…!!”

“Want to see?”

I checked a single page of documents the director handed me, all blurred except for the names and affiliations.

Field Exploration Team R-Group Go Youngeun (Employee)

Field Exploration Team F-Group Jang Heoun (Employee)

…Among my colleagues, two names were written there, seemingly chosen for personalities that the Disaster Management Bureau would accept…

“Alright, Soleum.”

Director Ho smiled brightly.

“I’m looking forward to your great performance as a spy for the Disaster Management Bureau!”