Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel (End Part 1) - Chapter 204

A video plays on the glass wall. Oh my god! I’m stuck in a weird prison! Where am I? Ah, this is the Crystal Cave in **city? Thank you, Brown! What? You’ll even explain how to get out? Thank you so much! We really are the best of friends! It’s a miniature-style classic animation. A conversation between a protagonist dressed exactly like me and a rabbit doll. Strange. Strange…

I turn my head. But the video plays there too. I see! I’ll break the glass beads around me, kill the prisoners, use them as bait, and lure out the guard!

‘…!’

As if following my gaze, the video follows wherever I turn my head.

It plays on all the glass walls.

Oh my goodness, such an easy way!

You’re really amazing, Brown!

The rabbit doll in the video, the same size as me, kindly moves through space, explaining the escape method. How to move with the glass beads, how to torture the guards, even maps and routes. It calmly explains astonishingly detailed and ridiculously malicious methods.

As if explaining instructions in a children’s animation…

Ah.

-That’s right! Isn’t it suitable for Mr. Roe Deer’s preference? It has an immersion effect. Very good…

The video, with its extremely childlike art style, shows blood and screams, the severed limbs of guards, and fleeing Disaster Management Bureau officials.

And it ended with the ‘protagonist’ and the rabbit doll Brown high-fiving each other as they watched it.

Alright! This is how we escape!

The last phrase of the video lingered in my ears… and I heard applause.

Clap, clap, clap.

The crisp sound of gloves striking.

-Phew! It was a short but great journey! How was it? Friend, are you now ready to escape as Mini Brown told you?

“……”

The intense, ostentatious, and classically chilling TV video.

It was Brown’s work, which I was starting to get used to.

But I noticed one thing.

-Oh, don’t worry. As I said, isn’t watching TV an extremely ordinary thing?

‘No.’

-Hmm?

I saw the rabbit doll’s shadow.

‘You didn’t break the rules of the glass prison like that.’

-Oh.

Because…

‘You played the video from outside the glass wall.’

It’s just projected inside this prison. Just like I conversed with Agent Bronze who was standing outside the glass wall.

‘You got the idea from that, didn’t you?’

That’s how he circumvented the rules.

‘It seems he aimed for a more shocking effect by making it feel like it was happening inside the glass prison.’

After a short silence.

-My goodness… That’s correct, friend! Your keen eye and brilliant deduction must be the nightmare of magicians!

-What excellent talent. Oh, yes indeed. It’s a pity whenever I feel such admiration…

-But that’s not what’s important right now, is it? I haven’t heard your impressions of the program yet!

“……”

-Well, what do you think?

I opened my mouth.

‘Something occurred to me.’

-Oh, a question about escaping?

‘No.’

That’s not it.

What I’m curious about is…

‘How much do you know about my thoughts?’

…

-Aha.

-I know as much as is necessary for understanding between friends!

‘Is that so?’

It was somehow the answer I expected.

After the late-night talk show incident, I realized that the host seemed to be reading my mind quite a lot. Perhaps even the information I casually thought of.

I even suspected that the ‘Glass Prison Escape Method’ I just saw might have been created based on that information.

But…

‘That’s the limit, then.’

-……

-Mr. Roe Deer. I sense a ridiculous nuance in your words… Oh, haha. It must be my imagination. Surely, this Brown… doesn’t mean I don’t understand my friend enough, does it?

‘No.’

A hollow laugh rose to my lips.

‘It means you understand exactly as much as you need to.’

He must be picking and choosing.

Based on what’s most important to him.

‘That would be entertainment, wouldn’t it?’

A cheerful voice was heard.

-There’s nothing more important to an entertainer than that!

-And this is also what Mr. Roe Deer willingly promised. I distinctly remember you asserting that you would amuse me…

‘Right. But… I was a little mistaken.’

-Mistaken, you say? Could you share what you mean by that?

I suppressed a sigh and spoke.

Now I could face it.

‘I unconsciously thought you would prioritize my situation over the enjoyment of the show.’

It was, in fact, a ridiculous expectation.

I don’t know what I was expecting from a strange talk show host from a ghost story.

But sharing so many secrets and incidents, and even successfully escaping with an agreement on the talk show, seemed to have fostered a vague trust that went beyond rational judgment.

A ‘feeling that it would somehow be so.’

Even forgetting the logic of ‘for a more enjoyable show’ that I used every time to persuade him.

That’s because, having received help every time at critical moments, I couldn’t help but develop emotional bias.

Towards that ‘good friend.’

It was a unilateral trust that had developed inductively.

‘I won’t do that anymore.’

And actually, these words didn’t mean much either.

I just need to be more careful.

But…

I guess I can say this much.

‘You said you were disappointed earlier, didn’t you? I felt something similar.’

…

-My goodness.

The host’s sigh was heard.

-Yes. That was it… I had expected it, but I understand now. Mr. Roe Deer, you were greatly disheartened when I refused your help a few days ago.

Phew.

-Such a misunderstanding! This Brown only wanted to give his friend the best help. Now, let’s think a little more…

The host’s voice lowered.

-What if I had ‘just’ helped you there? You would have vanished as if by magic.

-Then, instead of continuing this splendid spy role, you would have had to simply run away without context.

This is driving me crazy.

-For all the stories you’ve built up to just end so futilely. Could there be a more meaningless conclusion than that? Is that truly what Mr. Roe Deer wanted? No, right?

“That…”

At that moment, the will-o’-the-wisp clinging to the wall approached.

Huh?

“What’s wrong?”

I carefully held it in one hand. Then, as if mustering great courage, the will-o’-the-wisp stretched out its body and formed a shape towards the rabbit doll.

A thumb pointing downwards.

“……”

And it (probably) buried its head in my side, hiding.

-Oh, dear.

‘Don’t be angry. It’s fun. So you have to endure it.’

-……

‘Sorry. But isn’t that similar to what you said?’

I know it sounds a bit crazy, but him saying it so openly somehow made me feel a bit refreshed.

‘Anyway… that’s all I wanted to say. It’s not that your actions were wrong.’

The host’s reaction was as expected anyway.

…I won’t be disappointed anymore.

Let’s just be satisfied that I have a conversational partner who can probabilistically offer help.

• …Friend. You don’t believe me.

-Alright. Misunderstandings always accompany any relationship. I will consider this my share to endure…

The sound of displeased footsteps echoed a few times, but soon disappeared.

This was a bit surprising.

I didn’t think he’d be patient.

‘Is it because something more important is at stake right now?’

-There’s something more urgent now than arguments between acquaintances. It’s not very amusing to see my friend wasting time, being left neglected in this small, stuffy place.

Escape.

-Are you ready?

Hmm.

I stood up.

I could see the circular solitary cell within the small glass sphere.

And the ‘escape method’ from the video was already ingrained in my mind, as if etched.

Now, strangely, I knew how to escape this infamous glass prison by causing a terrible commotion.

If I followed that, it would become an irregular incident worthy of being recorded in the <Darkness Exploration Log>.

But…

…

‘No.’

I deliberated.

And came to a conclusion.

To choose the best method I could right now.

-Surely you don’t intend to undergo the interrogation as is, do you?

…

‘Yes, I do.’

I sat back down in the chair.

‘…I’ll undergo all the interrogations.’

“……”

Agent Choi lowered his head.

Inmate Number: 37-999

Inmate: Kim ■■ (Agent Name: Grape)

Affiliation: Field Rescue Team, Hyunmu Team 1 (On hold)

The updated interrogation record of the inmate was in his hand.

As he turned page after page, he saw the week-long interrogation record, which was almost devastating.

Refusal to testify and deteriorating health. Interrogation methods becoming increasingly extreme.

But past that painful section, changes began to appear.

Like this.

Day 8.

Inmate’s condition: Poor. (Recovering)

Significant change observed in inmate’s attitude after the previous day’s interrogation.

Uncooperative responses during interrogation, such as deliberately inducing audiovisual noise to avoid questions or remaining silent, have significantly decreased.

Sleep and meal times have increased to be similar to recommended amounts; observed caring for the will-o’-the-wisp or checking the doll (referred to as ‘friend’) he possessed.

Presumed to be due to the influence of a familiar agent being appointed as the new interrogator.

This has been since Ryu Jaekwan arrived.

Personal opinion of the officer in charge: The inmate certainly seems to be regaining stability. It would be more efficient to elicit a natural confession this way rather than increasing the intensity of the interrogation.

The majority of relevant personnel agreed with this opinion without dissent.

Thus, pages piled up.

Day 9.

Inmate’s condition: Poor. (Recovering)

Special meal (Galbitang) approved. The interrogator brought the same menu and ate with the inmate while conducting the interrogation.

Inmate diligently participated in the Q&A.

Acknowledged that his contamination traces originated from supernatural disasters he experienced separately before working at the Disaster Management Bureau.

The inmate detained in the glass prison began to reveal more and more things, and hints of deeper conversations with the interrogator appeared throughout the record.

His personal history, personality, affection for the Disaster Management Bureau, fear of supernatural disasters, and the sense of relief and reward from rescuing citizens.

And so, a few days passed…

And finally, it reached this point.

Day 12.

Inmate testified that he worked at ■■■ Corporation.

Confirmed that there was involuntary pressure during the process of applying for the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau’s open recruitment, and that there was a separate goal to achieve during his employment.

However, it was determined to be true that there was a powerful inhibition akin to death, that he had no intention of harming the Bureau, and that there was no actual damage to the Bureau during the inmate’s employment.

Confirmed the inmate’s desire to continue working regardless of the purpose of his employment.

The interrogator reported this statement to higher authorities.

“……”

The agent’s slightly trembling hand steadied for a moment as he turned to the next page.

The last page.

Day 13.

Inmate’s condition: Good.

And.

Testimony obtained during inmate interrogation passed a reliability test.

Detention of 37-999 (Agent Name: Grape) lifted and agent status restoration approved.

Scheduled for release tomorrow.

And that tomorrow, is today.

Thump.

Agent Choi closed the page.

Tension and relief crossed his fatigued face.

“He’ll be out soon.”

“Yes.”

“Stop moving.”

“I should.”

But Agent Choi was still pacing back and forth in the waiting room.

Because the future plan was clearly materializing in his mind.

‘This isn’t the end.’

Since his spy status was practically acknowledged, he might have to go through quite a difficult procedure.

But that was the gratitude and discipline given to an agent.

Kim Sol-eum, as an agent of Hyunmu Team 1, would undergo that investigation…

‘Then I can help him somehow.’

That was important.

Now, the glass prison official would retrieve Agent Grape’s glass sphere, lift the inhibition, and transfer custody to them.

Then, before the disciplinary action, they would have to have a frank conversation about Baekilmong Corporation, and also discuss the secrets, items, and abilities he had been hiding…

‘That can be done slowly too.’

What was important was that the interrogation process had ended well, and Kim Sol-eum had regained stability.

They had taken a long way around, but they succeeded.

Agent Choi finally let out a sigh of relief.

The agonizing past two weeks were over.

He wondered how many things he had tried to achieve this conclusion. And…

“…Jaekwan.”

“……”

“Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”

Agent Bronze, who was sitting opposite him, nodded slightly.

It was a blunt demeanor, but Agent Choi, reading a soft gesture of reconciliation within it, quietly looked at his junior.

A smile returned to Agent Choi’s face.

Apology and gratitude intertwined.

“First, the three of us should go to a hot spring. Seriously. I’ll pay for everything there.”

“Yes.”

It was when he patted Ryu Jaekwan’s back.

Knock, knock.

“…!”

The door opened, and the official appeared.

“The detention has been lifted.”

“Then…”

“Yes. Agent Grape is currently waiting in the waiting room.”

“Thank you.”

Agent Choi hastily shook hands with the official and then quickly moved his steps.

“Wait, just a moment…”

He already knew the location of the waiting room. Agent Choi unhesitatingly entered the cave and headed towards the iron door near the entrance with a nameplate.

Kim Sol-eum would be inside.

“……”

…What to start with, was still a mystery.

Honestly, he didn’t even know his true identity.

‘What on earth was that?’

That bizarre laboratory and even the appearance of the supernatural being.

What he could be sure of, however, was that Kim Sol-eum had tried to save him that night the inhibition was put on.

Risking death.

“……”

So.

‘I guess I’ll just have to get to know him starting now.’

Agent Choi did not hesitate and forcefully opened the iron door. And…

No one was there.

“……”

The empty waiting room had no trace of a person.

As if there had been no one there from the beginning.

“Agent?”

Agent Choi, frozen, looked around the waiting room again.

Only something pure white remained unusually on the metal chair.

A single, neatly folded piece of paper.

One word was written on the front.

Resignation

Agent Choi picked it up.

Small objects tucked inside the paper scattered to the floor.

From a lollipop to a stick-shaped syringe.

They looked like miscellaneous items, but each one seemed to be an item.

“……”

He froze again for a moment, then unfolded the folded paper.

Neatly pressed handwriting was visible.

Hello, Agent.

I sincerely wanted to apologize for everything that has happened so far.

I am truly sorry.

Thus began Agent Grape’s letter.