Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 97

When I found the shoes by the entrance, I initially thought, “So Baek Saheon, that kid, finally got off work and came back to the company housing.”

‘He finally found his courage after several days.’

Or maybe he heard a rumor that I hadn’t returned from the ghost story investigation and rushed back.

‘But I just got off work.’

So I was pondering how to deal with him, knowing he was in his room, when–

– Oh dear, Mr. Roe Deer. Judging by your story, there seems to be a slight misunderstanding!

Misunderstanding?

– Those shoes have always been in the same spot every evening, my friend.

“……!”

What?

No. Clearly, on the first day, when I left, there was nothing in this entrance…

‘…Wait a minute.’

I suddenly remembered the last time I saw Baek Saheon.

Sekwang Industrial High School.

Amidst the clash between the Disaster Management Agency and the Field Investigation Team, he caused chaos and ran away with an item.

And the effect of the fountain pen-shaped item he had was…

‘Brainwashing.’

“…….”

I looked down at my hands.

A silver ring.

A mental defense item I bought today.

‘…Aha.’

So that’s how it was.

Baek Saheon wasn’t leaving before me and returning later, or commuting from somewhere else.

He had been returning to the company housing all along.

He had simply placed a suggestion on me.

To make me unable to recognize him.

‘But it didn’t work on me now.’

Thanks to the silver ring protecting my mind, I ‘witnessed’ Baek Saheon’s shoes for the first time in days.

“…Ha.”

Seriously.

My body already feels bad and I’m exhausted to death, and now I have to worry about this at home…

– Ah, a perfectly fitting and delightfully satisfying deduction!

– However… isn’t it a traditional and instructive plot that those who try to deceive someone pay the price?

Braun’s voice is tinged with sinister amusement.

Normally, I would have been terrified…

Hmm.

‘Braun.’

– What is it, friend?

‘I’m thinking of doing something fun, how about it?’

I smiled, even with the headache throbbing in my head.

‘It’ll be right up your alley.’

-…!!

‘Phew.’

As soon as the noise from the entrance subsided, Baek Saheon carefully got up from the bed.

‘What the hell was that guy doing without quickly going into his room?’

It had already been several days since leaving Sekwang High School. He had been quietly living in seclusion in the company housing.

All to avoid being discovered by Kim Soleum!

‘…I originally just wrote it off as screwed.’

Imagine waking up in the morning and realizing that a psychopath is waiting for you in the next room, harboring a grudge!

The thought of what might happen if he encountered Kim Soleum made him create a situation where his presence or traces couldn’t be perceived.

‘It really was a great item.’

Since that psychopath didn’t notice at all!

Even so, he was desperately avoiding being seen within the company housing for fear that the suggestion might be lifted, and he didn’t make unnecessary noises even in his room.

He even thought about trying a stronger brainwashing or suggestion, but the consequences of failure were too terrifying…

Still.

‘…Maybe I can try a stronger one soon?’

The suggestion had been successfully maintained for several days. He thought maybe it was time to take a risk.

Such as, if something happened at the company, he would make Kim Soleum sacrifice himself to save him, or he could obtain good items and then make her forget about it, making him think he lost them…

‘Hmm.’

Furthermore, he had heard that the darkness Kim Soleum had entered this time was an alley where various equipment and items could be obtained.

He heard that from Jang Heoun, who was in the same team.

‘…Lucky.’

Baek Saheon clenched his fist briefly, recalling his colleague from the cleanup team who was in his team.

He needed a chance to get items. More chances…!

He could brainwash his coworkers and subtly steal their items…

‘I can’t do that now!’

The fountain pen could only brainwash one person at a time. Since it was being used entirely by Kim Soleum, it was impossible to use it on anyone else.

He was restless.

‘I really need to get something more from Kim Soleum.’

The timing was perfect.

‘Let’s make a plan.’

Once Kim Soleum fell asleep tonight, using a fountain pen…

He opened the door to get a drink of water, sketching in his mind.

And he was startled.

“…!”

Kim Soleum was in the dark kitchen.

He was sitting at the table, arranging some unknown snack-like items and looking at the wrappers.

And in the center of the table was a fluffy stuffed animal on a cushion.

The creepy rabbit doll that Kim Soleum called ‘Braun’ and always carried around.

“What? You think it’s cheap?”

A flinch.

“Right. It’s kind of that concept of a snack. It was a stationery store.”

‘That crazy bastard.’

He’s talking to the doll again.

‘Why isn’t he going to his room and still out here doing this…!’

Baek Saheon recoiled and tried to go back to his room… but hesitated.

A natural encounter might be an opportunity.

It seemed like perfect timing to reinforce the suggestion without further attempts.

“…….”

Baek Saheon made up his mind and took out his fountain pen.

And quietly moved his feet.

“Yes, but even this item has its own effect.”

Towards Kim Soleum’s back.

Going right behind the psychopath who was talking to himself, with the fountain pen…

“Like my roommate’s fountain pen passing behind me right now.”
“…….”

Ah.

Baek Saheon froze, feeling his blood run cold.

“Braun, you know? My roommate tried to brainwash and control me.”

“…….”

“Yes, I even prepared a gift to repay my debt…”
Kim Soleum spoke slowly.

It was because he felt like he would cough up blood again if he spoke quickly, but his voice, lowered by burning pain and fatigue, was further tainted with the smell of blood…

All of it sounded more threatening and meaningful.

“Isn’t that impolite?”

Kim Soleum put the snacks down on the table and turned his head.

“And someone who’s impolite… doesn’t deserve to be a roommate, does he?”

“…!!”

Their eyes met.

‘F*** f*** f***…!’

Caught.

How did he know? No, that wasn’t important right now. He was caught. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely!

“I, I’ll go out!”
Baek Saheon shouted in a trembling voice without thinking.

“Supervisor! I think I’m not qualified! I’ll leave immediately! I’ll leave right now and never come back!”
Kim Soleum frowned.

“It’s giving me a headache. Don’t you know etiquette? Why are you yelling in an apartment building at night?”

F***…!

Baek Saheon inwardly cursed but resented himself for automatically shutting his mouth.
“Braun.”
Meanwhile, Kim Soleum was talking to the rabbit doll again.

“It’s noisy, but hearing him say it like that… even if he doesn’t deserve to live here, I should give him one chance.”

What?!

“I don’t need…”

“You don’t need it?”

Kim Soleum quickly turned his head.

“You don’t need a chance to live here?”

“…….”

Why does that sound like ‘you don’t need a chance to survive here’?

Baek Saheon swallowed his saliva and answered.

“I need it.”

“Right?”

“Yes…”

“Good. Then hand over the item.”

“……!”

“Your fountain pen. An item where writing a phrase on a Post-it note makes that phrase a suggestion.”

“…….”

“I’ll have to put it somewhere else for a while, you might do something weird again.”

How does he even know that?

Baek Saheon gritted his teeth despite the fear rising in his neck.

“I… can’t give it.”
“…….”

“Think, Supervisor. Honestly, my actions haven’t caused you any harm.”

He spoke urgently and desperately.

“It’s a necessary item. I absolutely can’t give it to anyone. I won’t use it again for Supervisor Kim, so please…”

“Hmm.”

Kim Soleum replied impassively.

“Why would I believe you?”

“…!”

“Reflect on yourself.”
Kim Soleum pointed at Baek Saheon.

“I showed you the definite entry method to the Sekwang Industrial High School where you got the item, I didn’t even get angry when you tried to kill me there…”

It was a simple fact.

“But what you returned was brainwashing? I have no reason to trust you.”

“…….”

That, that…

Might be… true.

My supervisor might be crazy, but he’s incredibly competent. Pushing back this hard… maybe *I’m* the one doing something crazy.

‘What? What?’

Did I make the wrong choice?

Baek Saheon’s mind spun, a weak sense of guilt and self-loathing fiercely battling a powerful fear, all mixed together in the name of reason…

And then.

“But you did acquire the item, so… um… shall we offer some compensation?”

Huh?

Kim Soleum took something from the kitchen table. The transparently wrapped object was…

“A left eye.”

What the hell!!

Baek Saheon suppressed a scream, staring at the black circle with its purplish iris moving around. But…

“This isn’t just an eye. It’s a bio-engineered device.”

“…!”

“And its abilities are…”

Kim Soleum explained the eye’s abilities. Baek Saheon’s expression changed with each word.

“…….”

“Need it?”

Baek Saheon gritted his teeth. He couldn’t believe it, but…

“…Yes.”

He voluntarily returned the fountain pen. And with trembling hands, full of expectation and confusion, he received the bio-engineered device Kim Soleum offered.

‘Whew.’

I’m sweating bullets.

Finally finishing my conversation with Baek Saheon, I sat on my bed, suffering from a headache and coughing up blood. It took incredible willpower to hide how much pain I was in.

‘Did I at least hold my own?’

Wow, I almost flinched when he almost lunged at me. My body hurts, why am I doing this? I’m starting to question everything…

But I needed to deal with this immediately. I couldn’t leave a sociopath with a mind control item near me for three days while I was sick.

‘I think I used carrots and sticks well.’

I recalled the purple eye that was now out of my hands. Not threatening to me, but useful to Baek Saheon. It was a left eye, so he could use it without needing to have his own eye removed.

Anyway, having to be roommates with that guy… no, thinking about it, Go Youngeun and Jang Heoun were special cases; Baek Saheon is just average for company standards.

There are so many sociopaths in this area, it’s ridiculous!

‘Thinking about this makes me depressed, so let’s think of something good…’

Like… the upcoming gift-giving ceremony.

“Braun.”

I stood up and took out something I’d kept carefully hidden within my tattoo. The ribbon hair tie I’d impulsively bought at the boutique with my change.

“It’s a gift.”

-!

“Is it alright? I kind of figured you’d expect something like this.”

If it doesn’t meet aesthetic standards, I might have to start sweating bullets and find another tribute…

But Braun’s response was joyful.

– Ah, the evidence is overwhelmingly clear!

– It would be unthinkable for a show host to not have guessed. …But it’s also something an entertainer shouldn’t do, to flaunt that they’ve figured it out.

– Well then, this fluffy body can finally have a neat appearance.

For once, the tone was tinged with anticipation.

‘Thank goodness.’

Smiling, I adjusted the hair tie after taking it from the envelope and carefully tied it to the fluffy rabbit doll.

“Thank you for everything so far, Braun.”

The rabbit’s round button eyes looked into the void; the moment I looked away, I received a cheerful host’s response.

– It’s what a friend should do, Mr. Roe Deer.

I may not have known that the ribbon hair tie might have no effect beyond looking fancy and stylish. But Braun’s voice, with his bow tie, overflowed with joy.

– Neat appearance is essential etiquette for someone who appears before the audience, isn’t it?

Braun happily accepted my repeated adjustments to the bow tie. But he also urged me to go to bed.

– Mr. Roe Deer, maintaining condition is the basic professional quality. Rest is important too, so you should go to dreamland early today!

“Right.”

A gift-giving ceremony for a good friend. This is one of the more rewarding things that happened today…

Normally I would reread the wiki, but neither my aching body nor my broken smartphone seem up to it.

As soon as the sun rises tomorrow, I’ll either buy a new phone or get this one repaired…

Anyway, as long as my Memorial Griptok is intact, changing phones won’t affect my Wiki browsing.

I lay comfortably in bed.

And first, I detached the Griptok from my malfunctioning smartphone…….

“…….”
– Friend?

I hurriedly flipped my smartphone over.

The Griptok was cracked.