Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 56

“Think carefully,” said the official, dressed in the typical attire of a serial killer, in a reassuring tone. “It’s a seniority-based system; you’ll never be fired, and you’ll work until you’re 65. It’s a special position, so there’s a separate allowance.”

Why am I even listening to this Supernatural Disaster Management Agency job fair?

“If you’re constitutionally predisposed to supernatural incidents, wouldn’t it be better to have the protection of money and authority?”

I already do…

No matter how I think about it, an 8th-grade civil servant is unlikely to earn more than a pharmaceutical company employee!

But I couldn’t possibly say here that I work for <Daydream Corporation>, even if my mouth were to split open. I don’t want to be flagged as a person of interest and reported to the Management Agency!

‘I should have just kept writing.’

I’m starting to regret using my voice for faster and more impactful communication after agonizing over it.

With a feeling that I was about to break into a cold sweat, I opened my mouth. First, they seem to view me as a ‘civilian easily involved in supernatural phenomena,’ so let’s reinforce that…

“This incident was truly terrifying, and I tried to do something about it, but I’m not someone capable of eliminating supernatural phenomena. An agent? No way.”

……

The official looked at me with a slightly bewildered expression.

Why not?

“You concluded the contract with the lodgekeeper, believing him to be the root cause of this phenomenon, to prevent another incident, correct?”

“Yes… right?”

“Then, you unilaterally led to the complete termination of this supernatural phenomenon, didn’t you?”

……

“Innate talent.”

No.

It’s thanks to the wiki…

“I’m sorry, but I really don’t think I can do it. Actually, I discussed this with my friend who came with me…”

Please, I beg you.

“I’m not good at fighting or have any special abilities to be an agent.”

“Special abilities.”

The official’s lips curled up slightly.

“There’s a way to… ‘cultivate’ those.”

…!!

“You’ll hear more details after your appointment.”

I’m going crazy.

“Why are you doing this, what do you believe about me…?”

“Aren’t you carrying a small silver badge shaped like a shield?”

…!!

“That’s the reason.”

Damn it.

‘Sharp.’

I considered this scenario, but I deliberately feigned surprise, acting shocked.

“What? How…?”

“That’s persuasion equipment used by the Disaster Management Agency. I heard it was once distributed to citizens who had performed great deeds in the past… but this is my first time seeing someone who can use it.”

“Ah…”

“Only good people can use it; it also serves as a kind of certification.”

And he looks at me intently.

“Were you keeping it in your pocket?”

This guy is clever.

‘If I pretend I don’t know, it’ll look suspicious.’

Let’s just get recognition for its effectiveness.

Don’t forget, this only works on ‘good people’!

‘They won’t take it back. Unless I caused an accident, there have been no such precedents.’

Fortunately, my brain worked frantically, and a response popped out seamlessly.

With a slightly melancholic expression, as if I had a story to tell, I rummaged through my pocket, took out the small silver badge, and held it up. Naturally mentioning the only legitimate way I could have obtained it, so it wouldn’t seem strange that I possessed it.

“…I inherited it from my family.”

The goods box is my family from today onwards.

“I was told to use it when I need a voice in an emergency…”

“Yes.”

The official nodded, looking at me with a slightly pitiful expression.

“You have a wonderful family.”

……

‘Did he misunderstand that they’re watching from heaven?’ In a way, it’s not a misunderstanding… well…

I tried not to think about the black goods box floating in the sky and said,

“They told me not to do dangerous things voluntarily, and I want to keep that promise as much as possible…”

……

My parents’ words dissuading me from pursuing finance were true, and I didn’t volunteer for this company’s job either, so that wasn’t a lie. No lies!

“…Understood.”

The official looked at me with a slightly regretful expression, but readily backed down.

“Then, there’s nothing I can do.”

Whew.

Thus, the sweat-inducing job fair concluded.

An unexpected harvest, to be sure.

“If you have any worries or problems, please contact me.”

Around the time I was leaving the mountain lodge, I received another contact from the civil servant.

However, this time the format was different.

Ryu Jaekwan

010-XXXX-XXXX

“This is my work contact number.”

Oh.

“This will be better than the business card I gave you before. That one might take time for a response team to be deployed, and you can’t know what kind of agents will come.”

In short, it was a free pass to escape from ghost stories

I exchanged the contact information I had received with this one, like changing cassette tapes.

I never thought I’d use this.

If I go back before we exchange names… they’ll probably investigate me anyway.

‘In that case.’

I scratched the back of my head, feigning embarrassment.

“Um, actually, during the Salmon Market incident, I was so scared that I communicated in writing… next time we meet, I’d like to speak to you like this, with my voice.”

“Of course.”

“And… um, could my identity be kept confidential? I’m a little… scared.”

……

The civil servant fell silent for a moment.

“You can go now.”

They let it slide.

Yes!

‘This means they’re leaving my identity unknown, right?’

Since I also left room for future transactions, it was perfect.

‘Next time, I can sell more food without raising suspicion.’

“Be careful going down.”

“You too, officer.”

I shook hands with the civil servant.

The civil servant left on their bicycle.

Even when the civil servant offered one more suggestion as we parted ways, I naturally declined.

– To be honest, this situation is so hard… I’m at my limit right now. I don’t think I can do it.

This was truly sincere.

Baek Saheon, get that creepy stare off me.

The civil servant must have just been making a suggestion out of regret, as they nodded and rode away without hesitation.

Along with life-saving advice to leave before the ‘Management Bureau Cleanup Team’ arrives.

‘I need to get out of here.’

As if by magic, I left the mountain lodge, where the landslide debris and bus stop had disappeared, and started walking down the mountain path.

‘Phew.’

The tension finally released.

– My dear Braun, I know you sacrificed sleep these past few days for that artistic final shot! You worked hard.

Yes. It was incredibly disgusting, terrifying, and exhausting….

‘To be deployed alone to deal with this urban legend… the Disaster Management Agency is nothing like I expected.’

Has Daydream Corporation’s corporate score ever been higher in my mind than it was today?

‘Getting paid and points is something, at least.’

They say even a servant needs a master’s house to work in; that’s exactly what this was.

Though, I don’t think there’s much satisfaction…

I looked back at my coworker, who is also involved in this thankless task.

“Let’s get down from here. This damn mountain lodge…!”

……

“Damn it, I’m not getting paid or points, and I’m stuck dealing with this crap!”

“You have something to say before that.”

Baek Saheon clamped their mouths shut.

Then they looked at me and said defensively.

“I can’t compensate you for this. I didn’t ask to be saved, anyway.”

Oh really?

“The cassette exchange compensation was only given to… Chief Kim Soleum. That’s settled, right?”

“Oh.”

I smiled.

“Interesting. Do you have the nerve to say that to someone who wasted their weekend and took unauthorized leave because of you?”

……

Baek Saheon’s face turned blue, then returned to normal.

And they asked with difficulty.

“……What do you want?”

“Nothing.”

“…?!”

“It was actually fun.”

“…!!”

I strode down the mountain path.

I heard Baek Saheon’s hurried footsteps and belated reply from behind.

“…Anyway, I’ll admit that I caused you trouble with your weekend and unauthorized absence.”

……

“I said so.”

Oh.

“I’ll deposit three days’ worth of salary, so wait for it.”

“Fine.”

But a moment later.

The moment we entered a service area and the data connection started, Baek Saheon screamed.

“The date is the same!”

Right.

Don’t they know that time flows differently in urban legends?

“Anyway, I used three days.”

“…!”

But I received my salary, and Baek Saheon, with a look of resentment, relief, and anger, looked at me, then quickly lowered their gaze and ran away.

– Haha, even if it weren’t this, it seems like I’m the type who has a hard time staying healthy!

Is that so?

Actually, there was something else I had to say.

‘I didn’t think you wouldn’t say thank you until the end.’

You were truly an amazing person in many ways.

Still, it seems less poisonous and more humane than what I saw in <Darkness Exploration Records>…

Actually, when the civil servant met this guy in the basement earlier, he looked at him with cold eyes for a moment and advised me.

– Someone inherits a silver heart, and someone inherits a cassette tape…

-…….

– It’s better to choose someone who suits you.

– Um, yes. Thank you.

That’s right.

The government mobilized only those whose guilt was certain, while letting the cassette tape fall into the hands of villains.

So, this guy… meant that he was a villain officially recognized by the government.

Even if I let him go because he’s kind, at least one of Baek Saheon’s acquisition routes involves a villain.

-…It’s something I had at home. I inherited it from a relative.

……Relative.

‘It’s likely there’s a story behind it.’

But I stopped thinking for now.

I didn’t have the time to explore the behind-the-scenes stories of the characters in the wiki.

‘I need to survive the ghost story company first.’

And not long after, this damned company started doing company-like things again.

It brought in bizarre, unpredictable things as if they were common sense.

A few days later.

“Manager Kim!”

While on an errand for my boss to buy coffee, a familiar face called me in the hallway.

It was Lee Byeongjin, the missing manual review manager, who had gone missing.

“Ah~ Congratulations. I knew Manager Kim would do well!”

We’ve only known each other for less than two months…

“Top in entry, scouted by Team A, saved me, has connections with the security team, and now a rapid promotion? Wow, that’s great.”

“Thank you.”

It wasn’t great, but I answered like that.

However, instead of ending the conversation casually and leaving, Lee Byeongjin lowered his voice and muttered.

“Director Ho is keeping an eye on Manager Kim.”

“…….”

“He’s the best superior in this company. Don’t miss this opportunity.”

Opportunity…?

“There are rumors that the director is running a top-secret project team under him… You might be transferred there.”

Haha. You don’t know anything.

In the ghost story worldview, when ‘top-secret’ is attached, the survival rate drops below 50%…

Instead of saying that, I politely shook my head.

“I haven’t even been here for half a year, so I don’t expect anything like that. I’ll just work hard in my current position.”

“Wow, so humble! I’ve got a good eye for people. Haha!”

I was just grateful that he easily forgot my high-handed attitude when I pretended to be a security guard. Are people really creatures of their environment?

Lee Byeongjin patted my shoulder a few times as if he were proud, then left with this remark.

“Anyway, I’m curious where you’ll go, really!”

“……?”

The nuance is strangely different.

‘Why does it feel like he’s saying this on the premise that I’ll go somewhere?’

This question will soon be answered.

That afternoon.

“Hey, Roe Deer ya. Even if you go to a different team, let’s see each other sometimes. I didn’t get a chance to buy you a meal.”

Excuse me?

I blinked, looking at the slightly dejected team leader.

Different team?

Did I… get demoted to some strange place?

Was the director’s ‘keeping an eye’ thing actually a bluff to shock me and get a reaction?

Why would they do such a pointless and evil thing to a mere employee…!?

“No, I’d rather you stayed on our team… but seeing how things are going now.”

Fortunately, before I panicked, the supervisor kindly explained.

The field investigation team usually has a quota of 3 people per team, and sometimes one or two extra people are assigned, usually for new employee training.

And this additional member stays with the team until they get promoted.

“But you’re a team leader now.”

Ah.

I… was excluded from that general case.

“The chances of you being transferred somewhere else are quite high… um, but you might not need to worry too much.”

I asked with a little hope.

“Am I being treated as an exception?”

“Not really… it’s just that the 3-person quota seems to fit perfectly. Keep this to yourself.”

“Huh?”

The team leader chuckled.

“I’m resigning soon.”

“…!!”

A colleague’s escape announcement appeared!