Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 143

Days spent in the chilling supermarket ghost story.

Each day was filled with shriveled sanity, severed arms, cold sweat, tension, surprise, and terror.

‘Ah.’

My arm hurts.

But it’s okay. I’m out of there now.

From now on, I can rest assured…

Wait, that doesn’t seem right?

…

Huh?

It feels like I’m still there.

I lifted my head.

I looked around.

The gloomy, bizarre, unlit second-floor food court of the supermarket was visible.

I… was still standing there.

“…”

Still here?

Was escaping a dream?

Was escape… impossible?

Did I misjudge?

Then why did I cut off my arm?

I…

—Oh dear, you’re having a nightmare, friend!

“…!!”

I opened my eyes.

The sunlight stung my eyes.

It was a clean and peaceful hospital room. Clear late-winter sunlight streamed through the window.

…It’s not the supermarket.

I gasped for breath.

It’s peaceful.

‘…It’s reality.’

Yes.

After successfully escaping Looky Mart, I was transferred to an ambulance sent by the Disaster Management Bureau.

And then I lost consciousness…

“Ah, you’re awake.”

“…?!”

Turning my head, I saw a person in an agent’s uniform, peeling an apple while sitting in a caregiver’s chair.

…?

“Did you sleep well? You seemed to be having a nightmare.”

He had the appearance of a neat office worker, but strangely, a prominent scar near his neck stood out… a stranger.

Who is it?

The person who met my gaze held out a slice of the peeled apple and winked.

“Nice to meet you, junior! Thanks to you, I got to experience going into Looky Mart and coming out in three minutes.”

“…!”

Ah.

“That’s right. I’m the agent you called.”

I had made a high school student send a rescue request message to the Disaster Management Bureau to reopen the supermarket.

‘So, the one who was dispatched because of that…’

It must be him.

“I heard the story. You came up with the reverse idea of ‘opening the supermarket door,’ didn’t you, junior? That’s truly the talent needed for this kind of work.”

“…”

“Oh, don’t be embarrassed.”

As I quietly lowered my gaze, the smiling man stood up and extended his hand.

“Shall I introduce myself first? Hmm, I don’t usually use my agent alias because it’s a bit embarrassing…”

Wait a minute.

This line…

“Just call me Agent Choi.”

“…”

My goodness.

‘It’s that agent.’

/Recording Log Start

Agent Choi: So, I’m on the 3rd floor now. I’ve found the door to the 4th floor.

The main character of almost the only concrete exploration record related to the 4th floor that I remembered.

Agent Choi: Welcome to Looky Mart!

Agent Choi, the Disaster Management Bureau agent who was originally tragically lost while exploring the 4th floor of Looky Mart.

‘An early-era big shot…!’

Yes.

He was a named character even before the setting of ‘Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau agents are called by aliases’ was established with the expansion of the worldview.

Agent Choi.

Back when the Dark Exploration Records only contained government exploration records without data from other agencies, he was one of the most active figures.

‘…That scar on his neck.’

I even remember how that happened. That was… the Cold Storage Ghost Story.

I swallowed.

‘He was an agent who frequently appeared in famous early exploration records…’

Even though his end was a terrible disappearance.

There was an uproar about whether it was acceptable to make an early-era named character disappear so horribly, but it was approved despite protests and tears, with the argument, ‘Isn’t that fitting for a ghost story worldview?’

But…

‘…Has it changed?’

The moment my and Go Youngeun’s experiences are conveyed, the stair landing to the 4th floor will be used for a different purpose.

‘A recommendation will be attached to the notice as well.’

Then the timeline will change.

Agent Choi might not necessarily open the 4th floor door.

This time, he even entered Looky Mart and came out ‘just’ in three minutes.

‘My goodness.’

The fate of an early-era named character has changed.

I felt a strange emotion for a moment, looking at him, and then belatedly managed to respond.

“Yes, Agent Choi.”

“You can call me Senior Choi, you know.”

Agent Choi, who had been winking and beaming, slightly sobered his expression as he looked at my severed right arm.

But he still had a smile on his face.

“Don’t worry about your arm. We’ll ‘take care’ of everything.”

“…”

“Just rest well for now. No, wait a minute!”

Then he suddenly opened the hospital room door and pushed someone who seemed to be waiting outside into the room.

…It’s Agent Cheongdong.

He seemed to have tidied his clothes, wearing casual attire instead of his agent uniform, but his complexion didn’t look very good.

“…You’re awake. That’s a relief.”

“Yes.”

A subtly awkward atmosphere flowed between them.

However, Agent Choi heartily patted Agent Cheongdong’s back and offered me the apple he had peeled again.

“Jaegwan, no, Agent Cheongdong just put you straight into the Hyunmu Team 1, didn’t he? I wondered why that straitlaced guy suddenly ignored the procedure and brought a newcomer, but he really does have a good eye.”

And he extended his hand to me.

“Welcome to Hyunmu Team 1. You’ll have meaningful work here.”

“…”

“Come on, you really want to call me senior now, don’t you?”

Hmm…

About that.

“No. I…”

I deliberately lowered my head with a scared and depressed expression.

“Please, I want to transfer departments.”

“…?!”

I’m sorry, but this is what I was aiming for.

‘An opportunity to escape the Rescue Team…!’

Honestly, there weren’t many ways to get out now that I was already registered with the Dispatch and Rescue Team.

In modern society, if you cling to your boss’s pants because you don’t like your assigned department at work, wouldn’t you just be labeled a problem child?

‘That would be the worst for a spy…’

However, in the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau, there was one loophole due to its nature.

That is… a traumatic experience!

‘It’s the blind spot of ghost story exploration.’

The fact that you never know what will happen.

But a new recruit, on their very first ghost story, attempts something as extreme as cutting off their own arm and barely escapes?

It’s an organization that has enough compassion to let you go if you express trauma.

‘This is definitely going to work.’

The only problem is.

It seems I… did a bit better than I thought.

“Just one more time! Let’s try it just one more time!”

The early-era named agent is desperately trying to persuade me, tearing at his hair like some crying internet meme…

“This is your aptitude! You survived an irregular situation, and you even brought back another civilian with an agent! This is an unbelievable achievement!”

It sounded like a wail from someone who couldn’t give up useful manpower.

Typical of a civil servant suffering from chronic labor shortages. The relaxed, sociable office worker I saw earlier had disappeared…

Now he’s even pointing at my severed arm.

“And the decisiveness to cut off your arm, no, to risk bodily harm!”

Hmm.

“About that.”

I gasped for breath, my face pale.

“It was crazy.”

“…”

Excuse me, but I’m going to attack your conscience a bit.

“I, I don’t even know what I was feeling when I did that.”

I know.

“I’m a little… sorry. I know I might seem weak, but I just can’t do it.”

But… all of this is pre-determined talk.

The more I speak, the more sincerity it carries.

“I think I’ll die from stress if this continues.”

I clenched my remaining hand tightly, lowered my head, and mumbled.

“I was so worried about the kids dying…”

“…”

Agent Choi eventually opened and closed his mouth without speaking.

“I really… I can’t do this anymore. I’m sorry.”

“…”

The atmosphere in the hospital room grew heavy.

“Hmm… yes. That’s perfectly understandable.”

Agent Choi, looking a bit calmer, skillfully sat in the caregiver’s chair and spoke.

“However, if you transfer departments after only your first mission, when your department has already been assigned, it won’t look good for you. …People might misunderstand it as being dismissed and treat you like a problem child.”

His calm and concerned voice worried about my future.

And he continued in a subtle tone.

“Of course, you won’t get fired, but rumors will…”

“I will restore your original status.”

“Jaegwan!”

“I mean, as a provisional agent who hasn’t been assigned a department yet.”

Ryu Jaekwan interrupted, breaking Agent Choi’s flow.

He glanced at me, then averted his gaze with a dark expression.

“…You can try working in other teams as you wish. And you can tell me which department you prefer after three weeks.”

“…!”

“I can… do that much within my authority.”

“…Thank you.”

“Hey, but at least meet our seniors first… Ugh.”

Agent Choi sighed.

“Right. Experiencing other departments for three weeks… that makes sense.”

It was settled like that.

—Agent Kim Soleum, as a new recruit, will experience various departments for three weeks and then report her desired department to Agent Cheongdong.

—Agent Cheongdong, using his senior authority, will strongly recommend Kim Soleum’s desired department to upper management.

…Like this.

“Think about it. We’re really a good team.”

Agent Choi continued to appeal to me, telling me to “keep my options open.”

He said I’d do well, that our team members were all unique and fun, and that the work would be truly rewarding…

And then, finally, this topic came up.

“And the kids you saved, you know.”

“…!”

“Aren’t you curious what happened to them?”

He was talking about the students we rescued this time.

Agent Choi nudged Ryu Jaekwan, pushing him towards me.

“Please tell her, Agent Cheongdong.”

“…All three returned home safely.”

Ah.

Agent Cheongdong calmly explained the whereabouts of the three to me.

Their injuries were well treated, and they had tearful reunions with their families.

And the high school student I was in charge of was actively participating in interviews with the Disaster Management Bureau, emphasizing how much I had helped them at Looky Mart.

“…They kept asking if you were safe, and now they’ll finally get a proper answer.”

Student Lee Soobin, who had suffered such severe psychological shock that she nearly lost her will, was fine after a mild memory erasure procedure.

And in this process, Agent Cheongdong apparently even excused himself to the government regarding the Nostalgia Candy the student was eating, claiming it was a ghost story-derived food he had acquired.

He talked about it so casually that I almost missed it.

‘…That’s kind of him.’

“All three of them wanted to see you in person and thank you.”

When they were told it was difficult due to Bureau guidelines, they said they would send a letter instead.

“…That’s all.”

So, everything ended well.

Even Go Youngeun.

“And the agent you saved is recuperating but should be able to return soon.”

“Yes.”

I took a deep breath, rested my head on the bed. And unconsciously savored it.

Everyone is safe.

Everyone returned alive and well.

“Happy?”

“…”

“Yeah. I knew you would be. That’s your aptitude… Agh!”

Agent Choi smiled warmly, but Ryu Jaekwan pushed him towards the door.

“Agh! Jaegwan is going to kill me!”

“Then please rest more for now. …Don’t worry about anything else.”

“Yes.”

I sat on the bed and bowed my head to Agent Cheongdong.

“Thank you… for being so considerate.”

“…No.”

Agent Cheongdong looked at me with a complicated expression, but eventually turned his head towards the door.

“But that junior is really perfect for Hyunmu Team 1… Hmm. Okay, rest well!”

Agent Cheongdong gave Agent Choi a menacing look, and Agent Choi closed his mouth. Then, both of them left the hospital room.

Screeeak.

“…Phew.”

It ended well.

I let out a long sigh of relief and lay back down on the bed.

‘Escape from the Dispatch and Rescue Team… successful.’

It was an excellent outcome.

However.

‘It’s awkward.’

Both the missing arm and the relationship with Agent Cheongdong.

‘He’s showing goodwill, but it feels like he’s subtly offended.’

Still, it was a relief that I seemed to have definitely escaped suspicion of being a spy.

“…Oof.”

I tried not to mind the pain in my empty right arm and stretched out with a sigh.

Then, the words I had just heard automatically came to mind.

—Don’t worry about your arm. We’ll ‘take care’ of everything.

…‘Take care of it,’ huh.

Various treatments for agents with missing body parts in the Disaster Management Bureau came to mind.

Among them, the most impressive and anticipated method.

‘Well, even if it’s too expensive for them to do that, they won’t just leave me like this, right…?’

And besides.

There was also an opportunity to extract another ‘method’ before the Disaster Management Bureau took action.

“Hmm.”

I found my smartphone inside the bedside table.

And I checked the text message received last night.

[Consultation Schedule / See you this Friday, Teacher Soleum ^^]

The time to give my first spy activity report to Director Ho was approaching.

And I didn’t just plan to report on my work there.

‘I should get everything I can.’

“Director, I’m filing for workers’ compensation.”

“…!”