Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 219

One of the many offices in the main building of Dreamwalking Inc.

A small-statured employee with long curly hair sat in a meeting chair in that neat space.

“Mm-hmm.”

An elite member of the Field Exploration Team, already wearing a dolphin mask on her head.

The few documents on the table she was reading were yesterday’s assigned special task for today.

One that had specifically designated her.

And…

“Hello, Deputy Manager!”

Deputy Manager Lee Seonghae looked up.

An employee entered the office, opening the door, and greeted her jovially with a bow.

“My name is Kang Yihak. Oh, you can just call me Pony!”

“Yep. Hello.”

She was an employee Lee Seonghae was acquainted with.

If you survived about a year after joining the company, many employees gradually started to remember each other.

There was an incident that served as proof of that.

Promotion to Team Leader.

“Ah, you just got promoted to Team Leader, right?”

“Yes, yes, yes. We all got promoted together. Uh-huh, it’s good not to have to treat everyone to a promotion dinner~”

Kang Yihak laughed and patted her chest.

That’s right.

About half of the Field Exploration Team newcomers who had survived without dying or retiring were almost uniformly promoted to Team Leader just before the selection of new employees this year.

Of course, some with good performance had been promoted two or three months earlier, but Kang Yihak had preferred to decline that.

She had recently realized.

‘No need to create expenses unnecessarily!’

Isn’t it human nature for shameless people to expect favors when things are going well for you?

This place wasn’t structured so that getting promoted first meant earning a lot more or having good darkness fall into your lap.

Of course, if a significant reward—like something shiny gold or green—was given, that would be a different story!

A slight increase in salary was a loss in the grand scheme of things.

Thanks to that, she could suppress the reward center that craved the dopamine of short-term gains…

‘Some people just seem to like being a superior first.’

Kang Yihak recalled a colleague who had been promoted before her.

Baek Sa-heon, the goat-masked employee who always wore an eye patch.

That employee had been obsessed with information and items from the start, sweet-talking his superiors, and eventually even got promoted first.

‘He seemed quite bold about investing in extracting information from seniors from the beginning!’

Recently, he had somehow become quieter. He must have realized the truth that it’s better to invest in darkness.

And as her thoughts reached that point, other colleagues came to mind.

People who were no longer in their positions at the main office’s Field Exploration Team.

“Ah~ There were some who got promoted really fast, and some who were very exemplary… Oh, do you remember them?”

Kim Soleum, Go Yeong-eun.

The two people who recalled the same colleagues nodded.

“Yeah. They were good people, it’s such a shame…”

Lee Seonghae frowned, as if genuinely regretful.

Kang Yihak subtly smiled and changed the subject. No need to ruin the boss’s mood when there’s no money in it!

“Deputy Manager, congratulations on your promotion too~ I heard the news that you’ve been newly assigned to Team B with your promotion.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Lee Seonghae nodded.

“Hahaha, how’s Team B?”

“Hmm. Work’s the same, I guess!”

But information from the elite team was valuable.

Kang Yihak’s tone became more ingratiating.

“Oh come on, still, the people you work with have changed, if you have anything you want to say, just tell me freely…”

“Huh, me?”

“No need. Yep!”

Don’t provoke your superior! Again, no need to ruin the superior’s mood!

Especially if it’s someone rumored to have drowned their two superiors in darkness in Team C and been sent to Team B!

‘Long-term perspective, long-term perspective.’

Kang Yihak quickly changed her stance and sat down politely.

“Then I’ll also diligently read the materials!”

“Yes, yes.”

After the brief pre-work small talk ended, and they finished reading and familiarizing themselves with the work materials on the table…

“How do you do!”

A research team employee appeared.

The one who would brief them on today’s task.

Manager Kwak Jegang of Research Team 1, a superior from another department, stood up with appropriate courtesy.

“Have you all reviewed the materials?”

“Yes. We have!”

“Wow~ While Deputy Manager Lee of our elite team is expected, Team Leader Kang is quite fast. Is it because you’re a Team Leader now!”

“Hahaha, thank you!”

No. It was because she had found a way to extract side income from the work.

And Kwak Jegang knew this too, but he still smiled, looked at the two of them, and then did the most important thing.

Introducing the darkness that held their life and death in its hands.

“Then… this is the superior you will be serving today!”

The office door opened.

The being that appeared with black smoke.

Bizarre bone-like horns were massive like a crown, and lamp-like yellow eyes and a light source gleamed amidst the black security team uniform.

Lee Seonghae’s eyes widened at the familiar sight.

The owner of Flower Golden Resort!

“Mascot… no, Security Team Employee!”

To see him again like this!

Lee Seonghae, with a beaming smile, stood up and approached.

“It’s really good to see you! How have you been?”

The black security team special department employee stood motionless, looking down at the other person.

And one eye seemed to glance at the researcher for a moment, but soon bowed its head towards Lee Seonghae and raised a hand…

Question: Current health status

“I’m always healthy!”

As expected, he was still a kind and good employee!

“As expected of Deputy Manager Dolphin of the elite team. You even know this strong-looking security team employee!”

And Kang Yihak, understanding the situation, quickly saw an opportunity and approached.

“It’s truly a pleasure to meet you. I would be grateful if you would call me Pony, Employee!”

She even offered a handshake.

“…”

“…”

Ah.

I made a mistake.

The moment that chilling sensation passed through her mind, a gloved hand emerged from the black smoke and took the outstretched hand.

“!”

The other party, surprisingly, accepted the handshake.

But a bizarre sense of crisis climbed up Kang Yihak’s throat.

It was chilling.

A tingling sensation ran down her spine.

A danger signal, the instinctive alarm of power and greatness.

…But it also felt somewhat familiar?

Like something she had encountered in the darkness sometime…

“Alright, anyway. This person called our two field exploration teams because it’s difficult for them to walk into a broadcasting station.”

But before Kang Yihak could recall anything, the handshake ended, and the work briefing continued.

Kwak Jegang smiled and explained why the two field exploration teams had been summoned.

Because they needed two people familiar with darkness but not heavily contaminated.

“The employees who usually assist this person are from the security team, so they can’t go to the broadcasting station during the day either. Haha!”

That’s right.

Since this ghost story occurred in a public place like a broadcasting station, where many eyes were focused, cooperation from relevant personnel was needed to properly investigate.

It was a situation where overly conspicuous supernatural beings or security team members who couldn’t usually go out during the day naturally found it difficult to step forward.

Lee Seonghae smiled brightly at the researcher who explained, ‘We’ve already secured the PD.’

“So we’re bringing dangerous darkness from the broadcasting station!”

“Exactly!”

“Hmm, good!”

If Dreamwalking secured and isolated that darkness, ordinary people would no longer be caught up in dangerous ghost stories.

Rarely, Lee Seonghae gladly welcomed this task, which had a good premise from the start.

Soon, the ‘Employee’s’ transportation method was introduced.

“Now, they’ll be inside this, so you just need to carry them around.”

Watching the ‘Employee’ seemingly ‘stored’ in the black transport box, the two field exploration team members felt a strangeness similar to what they felt in the darkness.

And a communication device was also provided in case of emergencies.

A small walkie-talkie.

“It’s a walkie-talkie connected to the security team members… Well, you can press it if an ’emergency’ occurs.”

The researcher laughed, saying it would be enough to make a new employee nervous.

And a brief preliminary call was also made.

Click.

[Hmm… can you hear me…]

“Yep. I can hear you well!”

“Yep. This is Team Leader Pony from Team I, and I’m Dolphin from Team B! Nice to meet you.”

Silence.

[…Team B?]

“Yep.”

[…I see.]

[Hmm… Be careful… when carrying. Don’t drop them…]

The languid male voice slowly explained.

How to call their assigned security team if a problem arose.

And even how to communicate simply with the ‘Employee’ inside the transport box.

[When agreeing… once, if not agreeing, twice… I’ll tap.]

“Oh, I understand.”

Kang Yihak noticed.

That Manager Kwak Jegang was watching them, trying to suppress his grin, as the security team over the walkie-talkie conversed with Deputy Manager Lee Seonghae.

But it has nothing to do with me!

Realizing that there was no scent of money for now, Kang Yihak immediately turned her head.

Towards something that smelled of money right now.

The transport box holding the Employee.

Dark, black, and chilling, it exuded a strange presence even when left alone on the floor…

“Haha… Then, shall I carry it? Isn’t it right for the junior to do such things!”

How much would it be worth?

If she could just take this transport box and smuggle it somewhere?

There was a darkness somewhere in the annex that was said to return gold equivalent to the weight of anything interesting offered to it. What if she offered this transport box?

Kang Yihak approached the transport box…

“…”

Dolphin, who had been staring, opened her mouth.

“Excuse me.”

“…Yes?”

“I’ll carry it. The transport box.”

“…Yep!”

Thus, Deputy Manager Lee Seonghae picked up the transport box.

It was cold and light.

Though deep darkness resided within, Lee Seonghae stroked the bars without hesitation and asked.

“Are you comfortable?”

Thump.

“That’s a relief!”

She hummed a tune and carefully cradled the transport box.

And together with Pony, she headed to the site.

To the broadcasting station.

“Um, that, um, those… you’re the people introduced by the company… Dreamwalking, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

They were guided to the entertainment department’s editing room through a pre-arranged staff entrance.

There, a PD with deep dark circles under his eyes, looking anxious, met them alone in a secluded inner room.

Believing the elaborate identity Dreamwalking Inc. used when unavoidably dealing with supernatural matters in the civilian world, he took a breath and continued speaking.

“To actually meet people who specialize in this kind of work… Is it true that you can really do exorcisms?”

“Of course.”

The two strange people in suits and masks, paradoxically, gave the PD a strange sense of trust, and he calmed down a bit.

Still, his face was pale. His gaunt face was filled with worry and fear.

No, not just the PD. The main writer, two assistant writers, and even the lighting director they had encountered on the way here all looked unwell.

Something everyone knew to this extent.

“Um, you’ve roughly heard the story, right? About, well, the current situation…”

Deputy Manager Lee Seonghae recalled.

An internet post attached to the documents on the table.

A spooky urban legend circulating among civilians.

[Has anyone seen this man on a PBS broadcast program? (Caution: Photo)]

———————=

Does anyone remember PBS?

Even kids in school now have probably heard of it.

It’s an old broadcasting station from about 20 years ago, a channel that’s now defunct.

Until twenty or thirty years ago, many popular entertainment shows of the time were broadcast on PBS. Things like ‘Sarangbang Sports Day,’ ‘Family’s Outing,’ ‘Hot Talk Talk,’ ‘Happy Saturday Night.’

———————=

Various images were attached.

Large, colorful subtitles, low quality, exaggerated audience reactions and sound effects.

Various entertainment scenes from around the 2000s, which now look a bit tacky but evoke a strange nostalgia.

They had one thing in common.

All of them had many cast members.

———————=

You know those entertainment shows with lots of people on screen?

Where there are tons of panelists, dozens of participants for special features, or even hundreds of audience members whose reactions are captured by sound or screen.

They were popular before observation reality shows or YouTube content became big. Some people still miss them, apparently. Conversely, many dislike them, finding them chaotic and old-fashioned… Anyway, during that era, that format of entertainment seemed to dominate.

But there was something that spread quietly among the PDs and editing staff in charge at the time.

Look at this.

(Photo)

———————=

It was a photo that looked like a screenshot from a video of people doing a sports day in an old-style traditional house set.

‘Sarangbang Sports Day,’ the PBS entertainment show just mentioned.

And the photos didn’t stop there.

After that, photos randomly captured from different entertainment shows continued to be listed.

‘Family’s Outing,’ ‘Hot Talk Talk,’ ‘Happy Saturday Night’…

And at the very end.

———————=

Did you notice?

———————=

It showed all those photos again, with red circles drawn in the corners.

One person.

———————=

It’s all the same person.

———————=

A man with black eyes looking at the camera.

Wearing a hat, with a smile that didn’t show his teeth.

———————=

This man was reportedly seen among the cast or audience members, among the crowds, in most entertainment programs broadcast on PBS.

Someone editing found it strange and looked into it, and it was really there.

And as people talked among themselves, they realized something…

This man only appears in Chapter 6.

———————=

A description was attached below the photo.

———————=

The rumor spread that he only appeared in Chapters whose numbers ended in 6.

Creepy, right?

But then again, there are so many ghost stories in the broadcasting industry. Ghost sightings also happen frequently…

So it was just something staff members talked about among themselves, and it appeared in ghost story magazines at the time, spreading slightly among general viewers.

In fact, although the probability is low, it’s certainly possible for the same person to continuously appear as a panelist or audience member in these shows.

But then, something unusual happened.

———————=

A newspaper article was attached.

An incident where broadcast data was lost due to a power outage at the broadcasting station.

———————=

There was a problem saving edited data for filming due to a power outage. There were problems in the documentary and news sectors too… But the important thing is this.

Among them, it seems the final edited version of ‘Hot Talk Talk’ Chapter 166 was lost.

So Chapter 166 was just broadcast as a compilation of highlights from previous Chapters….

And

From here, things started getting weirder and weirder.

…

This man was seen in every highlight reel.