An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 110

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 110
Part 5. Sales Team 1 Workshop (2)
The day of the workshop had arrived.
The sky was so clear it seemed heaven itself was lending a hand, and the breeze that swept across was refreshing—the weather was absolutely perfect.
*Whoooosh.*
This workshop was exclusively for Sales Team 1.
Since the group was small and some members couldn’t drive, we decided to depart from in front of the Company.
Kang Hyung-seok was driving along the usual congested morning commute route when his phone rang.
*Beep.*
“Hello?”
(Are you heading to work?)
It was Shin Yoseph.
Kang Hyung-seok glanced at his watch, then his gaze shifted to the vehicle’s Bluetooth speaker.
“Yeah. What’s up?”
(If you don’t have anything scheduled today, stop by for a moment. There’s something I want to talk about.)
His voice was lower than usual, so Kang Hyung-seok raised one eyebrow as he responded.
“I have something scheduled, so that won’t work. What’s this about?”
(Remember the scissors from before? The ones I said I found in an acquaintance’s office ceiling?)
Of course I remembered.
They were the object I’d discovered in Lee Ha-yoon’s office ceiling—Shin Jung-ah’s friend.
Thanks to that, I’d been able to build a connection with Lee Ha-yoon, but nothing had been revealed about the true nature of those scissors.
“Did you find something out?”
(It’s not something I can discuss over the phone. Just stop by.)
“Today really won’t work. I can’t skip the workshop.”
(What?)
“The workshop.”
A sigh from Shin Yoseph came through the vehicle speaker.
He clearly hadn’t imagined this would be the reason, but even for Kang Hyung-seok, there was nothing to be done about it.
“It’s a two-night, three-day trip. I’ll come by as soon as it’s over.”
(Where are you going?)
Kang Hyung-seok narrowed his eyes slightly, thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“I’m not telling you.”
Shin Yoseph seemed oddly anxious, so if he learned the destination, he might show up unannounced.
This workshop had the entire team moving together.
It wasn’t a major event, but it wasn’t the kind of schedule where Shin Yoseph could suddenly pop in without warning.
(You’re leaving like this for a major client?)
“It’s not work-related, sir.”
Kang Hyung-seok responded to the joke with a joke of his own, and as the Company came into view, he placed his thumb over the call-end button.
“Just wait a few days. I’ll contact you right after it’s over.”
(Hey.)
*Beep.*
A voice tinged with disappointment had come through just before, but Kang Hyung-seok ended the call.
I felt a pang of guilt.
But as a working professional, I couldn’t ignore the company schedule and move about as I pleased.
“Ugh, damn it.”
If it was that urgent, they should’ve called yesterday.
With a troubled expression, I sipped the convenience store coffee hanging from the cup holder and pulled into the company parking lot.
Then I let out a laugh that felt like releasing a breath—I’d spotted my team members clustered in front of Gwak Young-ho’s vehicle.
“Hey! Manager Kang!”
Gwak Young-ho, recognizing my car, threw his hand up, and everyone else’s attention turned toward me.
*Creak.*
I stepped out of the car without turning off the engine and opened my mouth while nodding to Gwak Young-ho.
“You all came out early.”
“I reported it to the higher-ups and had some things to prepare.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“No need for thanks. So, how should everyone get there?”
Only Gwak Young-ho and I had cars.
Shin Jung-ah, Namgoong Min-ah, and Lee Jin-pyung typically used company vehicles, so they didn’t have their own.
“I’ll ride in Manager Kang’s car.”
“Sure? Then Lee can come with me, and Min-ah, what about you?”
“I’ve never ridden in the manager’s car before—is it okay if I go with you?”
Namgoong Min-ah stared intently at Gwak Young-ho’s vehicle with sparkling eyes.
It wasn’t because his car was better than mine, but simply out of pure curiosity.
“I don’t mind the crowd, but Manager Kang might get bored.”
“I’m not that taciturn, you know.”
When Shin Jung-ah spoke with reluctance, Gwak Young-ho laughed heartily and said, “I know, I know.”
“Manager Kang, you know the destination, right?”
“Yes. I’ve saved it in the navigation.”
“Then drive carefully, and of course, there can’t be any accidents, understood?”
As the department head, Gwak Young-ho didn’t distrust me.
However, since the team was traveling together, an accident would be catastrophic in terms of personnel.
I nodded while looking at Lee Jin-pyung, who had recently been discharged from the hospital after being hospitalized from a traffic accident.
“I understand completely.”
It was a conversation made with Lee Jin-pyung in mind.
Yet seeing him look so unbothered, I thought it was just like Lee Jin-pyung.
“Then let’s meet at the destination. If you want to gather at a rest stop on the way, have Manager Shin call instead.”
“Understood.”
Gwak Young-ho gave me a look that said “I’m counting on you” and climbed into his car.
And I pulled out of the parking lot with Shin Jung-ah in the passenger seat.
*Vroooom.*
“The weather is really nice.”
“It really is. It’s been a while.”
“It has. This is the first time since the Shinjiang Knife incident, isn’t it?”
Shin Jung-ah’s face contorted for a moment before she forced a smile.
Kang Hyung-seok looked at her with a smile, then turned his gaze forward.
“The weather really is nice.”
As life goes on, we find ourselves looking at the sky less and less.
I’m certain I gazed at the sky far more often as a child than I do now, but as I’ve grown older and busier, even the leisure to appreciate the sky has gradually slipped away.
Every so often, Kang Hyung-seok glanced upward at the sky while following Gwak Young-ho’s car.
Though there was no real need with the navigation system, Gwak Young-ho kept ahead as if to say, “You’d better keep up.”
Vroooom.
We entered the expressway, merged onto the highway midway, passed through a toll booth, and drove along a road lined with low-rise buildings on both sides.
Whirrrrr.
Shin Jung-ah rolled down the passenger window and the rear glass, letting the outside breeze flow in.
The air is wonderful.
It’s the clean, rural air—untainted by the stench of livestock farms.
The air is so crystalline and fresh, as if washing away the grime clinging to one’s soul, that it unmistakably announces our arrival far from the city.
“Manager Kang, I’m going to…”
“Go ahead.”
Shin Jung-ah laughed awkwardly, lit a cigarette, and soon the scent of the city filled the car before quickly dissipating as if sensing it didn’t belong.
Kang Hyung-seok held out his empty coffee cup, and Shin Jung-ah tapped her ash into it while checking to ensure none fell elsewhere.
In this manner, we arrived at our destination—the pension.
Click.
“Ahh! The air is wonderful.”
Gwak Young-ho stepped out of the car and stretched his stiffened back, while Namgoong Min-ah emerged with a drowsy expression.
In the meantime, Lee Jin-pyung quietly unloaded the luggage, finishing in a flash before anyone could offer help.
“The air really is nice, isn’t it?”
“Right? I really did search carefully for this place. There’s even a sheep ranch nearby. Just a bit further and you’ll find the valley.”
Kang Hyung-seok looked behind the pension building.
A verdant mountain rose in the distance—the valley itself wasn’t visible, but the scent of water was unmistakable.
“It’s wonderful. Thank you for your effort.”
“Hah! If Manager Kang says it’s good, then it’s good for me too. Alright, let’s each organize our luggage first.”
As everyone gathered their belongings, Namgoong Min-ah quickly asked a question.
“Department Head! Which room are we in?”
“Ah, the women go up the left staircase to the first room, and the men are in the opposite room.”
“Yes, sir!”
Namgoong Min-ah eagerly tried to carry Gwak Young-ho and Lee Jin-pyung’s luggage as well, which even caught Lee Jin-pyung off guard.
Youth certainly has its advantages.
Kang Hyung-seok exchanged a knowing glance with Shin Jung-ah, confirming they shared the same thought, then each headed to their rooms to unpack.
We reconvened in front of the pension, where Shin Jung-ah was ordering coffee at the cafe on the first floor.
“Head out to the terrace in front. Kang Hyung-seok, could you help me for a moment?”
“Of course.”
*Tap tap.*
After setting down coffee on the terrace in front of the pension with Kang Hyung-seok, Shin Jung-ah turned to Gwak Young-ho.
“Could you brief us?”
“A briefing? Really?”
“Still, this is a workshop. You must have planned something, right?”
Everyone knew it was a workshop in name only.
In truth, we’d come here to rest, but since it was technically a workshop, we needed to maintain at least the bare minimum appearance—that was Shin Jung-ah’s point.
“As everyone knows, we’re just here to relax a bit, that’s all.”
“…You really have nothing planned?”
Gwak Young-ho’s face creased with amusement as he chuckled playfully.
“Actually, I’ve thought of a few things. Wait, don’t take notes.”
“Oh, you don’t need me to?”
Gwak Young-ho nodded to Namgoong Min-ah, who had been about to jot something down on her phone, and continued.
“As you all know, our job involves a lot of business trips. It’d be a shame to come all this way and just wander around. So I’ve arranged things to minimize travel—does that sound good?”
Everyone nodded or silently agreed.
We were in sales.
Unlike general office workers who stay rooted in place from arrival to departure, we had to be out in the field constantly.
“You’ve really thought this through?”
Shin Jung-ah spoke playfully, and a smile spread across Gwak Young-ho’s face.
“Of course! I used to be out in the field myself, so I know exactly how it feels.”
“When I checked the room earlier, there was a smart TV. And all the streaming services are available too.”
“That’s for people to watch whatever they want at night. But we came all this way—it’d be sad to just sit around the pension.”
Gwak Young-ho took a sip of coffee that felt refreshing all the way to his mind through the straw, then gazed appreciatively at the scenery surrounding the pension.
“We’ll do a barbecue at night and have fun that way.”
“That sounds great!”
Namgoong Min-ah clapped her hands in delight, and Lee Jin-pyung quietly opened and closed the lid of the barbecue grill beside him.
“Manager, should I go out and buy the meat?”
At Kang Hyung-seok’s question, Gwak Young-ho glanced at his wristwatch and shook his head.
“We have plenty of time. Let’s go pick up the meat and vegetables later—Kang Hyung-seok and I will handle that. In the meantime, the rest of you can prep for the barbecue. The pension said they’d provide the charcoal and dishes.”
“Understood.”
“Then shall we check out the valley first? Let’s take a walk and have a look around.”
Gwak Young-ho stood up, pointing with his thumb toward the direction where the scent of water drifted, and the other team members followed behind him with light expressions.
The entire atmosphere was so relaxed it seemed almost unbelievable for a weekday during a non-vacation season.
*Whoooosh!*
“Wow! This valley is almost like a waterfall.”
“It seems like there was recent rain.”
“Still, this is impressive. Wow.”
“There’s a dam further up. Why don’t we climb a bit higher and take a look?”
Gwak Young-ho moved upstream along the valley, following the cascading water with evident delight.
Lush greenery surrounded the area, and with moss settling naturally along the rocks, the valley felt like a remote wilderness far removed from civilization.
Still, a path had been naturally worn by visitors, allowing Gwak Young-ho to climb the incline by grasping at branches.
“This place is completely different!”
Whether the embankment had been built by the pension owner or existed naturally, the water near it flowed with perfect serenity.
“This looks perfect for a swim.”
Gwak Young-ho kicked off his shoes and socks without ceremony, while Namgoong Min-ah prepared to enter the water like a retriever discovering a pond.
That was when it happened.
Shin Jung-ah, who had been wearing a warm smile, suddenly sensed something amiss and shifted her gaze toward Kang Hyung-seok.
“Kang? What’s wrong?”
He stood motionless, staring intently upstream.
His gaze was so fixed and unnatural that Shin Jung-ah followed his line of sight to the same spot.
“Don’t look.”
Kang Hyung-seok’s voice came suddenly, and Shin Jung-ah sensed the reason behind his warning.
*Whoooosh.*
From upstream, where clear, refreshing water poured ceaselessly toward the embankment, something shadowy became visible.
No—it was there.
Something was definitely there.
Shin Jung-ah turned her gaze back to Kang Hyung-seok, who continued staring upstream.
Then he nodded slowly, his expression grave.
*Whoooosh.*
Swaying leaves, water, grass, and moss.
Above the valley where these elements harmonized, a Bloated Water Spirit stood motionless, its gaze fixed directly upon them.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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