Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work Episode 011

The circumstances match up.

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Talk Show

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[Good evening, viewers! Tuesday’s joy, Tuesday’s excitement.]

[You are now! Watching the ‘Tuesday Quiz Show’!]

The live broadcast had begun.

With the cheerful band’s performance, a host in a business suit waved to the audience’s cheers.

It was a typical American-style talk show.

Except for the fact that all the staff’s faces were smudged out, and the host had an old TV attached to his head instead of a face.

======================

Specific Day of the Week

Entry is only possible on ■day’s talk show.

======================

[Have you all been waiting for Tuesday? So have I! It’s the only day we can see our lovely new faces, the quiz show participants!]

“….”

It matches.

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Complete Answer Key

99 Explorations

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[Amazingly… there hasn’t been a single wrong answer for the past several dozen weeks! Amazing, truly amazing….]

It matches.

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However, the 111th round.

100th time

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[Will the participants be able to get the correct answers this time as well?]

Ba-bam-bam-ba-bam!

The lights shone with sound effects.

Seven platforms arranged in a semicircle.

Three of them.

Pinpointing the platforms that the Team Leader, Assistant Manager, and I had climbed onto respectively.

[Badger, Peregrine Falcon, and Noru.]

[Please give them all a big round of applause!]

Ohhh!

The invisible audience sent their applause.

I felt like I was going to faint.

What if… what if.

[Oh my goodness, breaking news!]

“…!”

The host made a fuss as he received something from the staff.

[It’s been quite a while since all participants got the correct answers, right? That period has been a whopping….]

A whopping.

[98 times!]

“…!”

[That means today is the 99th time. Haha!]

I’m alive.

‘It’s not the 100th time…!’

My heart felt like it was going to burst out.

‘Right, the probability of hitting exactly the 100th time would actually be low.’

I almost grabbed the platform in relief, but I held back.

Because it was clearly written in the ‘Tuesday Talk Show’ answer key PDF I received earlier.

-If you disrupt the broadcast, you will be incinerated.

It wasn’t even a penalty. It was ‘incineration.’

And this was a live broadcast.

In other words, if anything seemed even slightly off, I would die.

[Will the 99th participants be able to continue their winning streak and pass the baton to the 100th participants? Or will this amazing record crumble?]

[Stay tuned and keep watching!]

I turned my head.

The Assistant Manager and Team Leader on the other platforms gave me light nods or smiles with faces that weren’t particularly tense.

Like people who were confident that this time would be the same, proceeding through a ghost story that had become patterned with nearly 3 years of accumulated safety over 99 rounds.

‘Deep breath.’

It’s okay.

…It will be okay.

I took a deep breath in, then exhaled.

[Now then, Noru!]

“Yes.”

[Are you very nervous?]

“Yes. This is my first time participating in a quiz show like this.”

[Ah, good, good… Then let’s start with an easy first question!]

Strange text appeared on the host’s head, the spherical TV.

It was an unfamiliar and ominous language system I’d never seen before, but I could read it. A headache and nausea surged up and then disappeared.

[Question: Choose the component that is NOT suitable as a human element.]

1. Water

2. Iron

3. Oil

4. Soil

“…Number 4, soil.”

[Correct!]

The quiz show that proceeded like this was… smooth.

‘The topics are somewhat creepy, but they’re not questions at a level I can’t answer at all.’

Moreover, the effect of the past question list that the Field Investigation Team had extracted from this ghost story was definite.

They weren’t completely identical, but there was no difficulty in getting the correct answers.

‘Rather, because I have to use my brain for that, the probability of getting it wrong has become even lower.’

[This can’t be! Correct!]

[Again?]

[Ahhh, ah… you’re conflicted. Conflicted… Yes, number 3! What will be Noru’s fate for choosing strangulation?? …Correct! Hooray!]

The past questions match up well, and everything proceeds smoothly without problems.

I deliberately pretended to think before answering, trying my best to match the broadcast atmosphere.

‘I have to get through this broadcast well somehow.’

An obsessive thought completely dominated my mind.

During the commercial break, when the host said something like ‘please participate again,’ I screamed internally while outwardly deflecting it with a noncommittal response.

Number 2, 3, 4, 5… passing through the 9th question.

[Noru! This is the last question.]

Finally, I could see the end of this insane situation.

[The other participants have amazingly answered all questions correctly, continuing their winning streak once again!]

[Will Noru be able to complete the final link?]

On the other platforms, I saw my supervisors looking at me, each slightly waving their hands or nodding their heads.

Now if I just got this right, it would be over.

[Are you ready?]

“Yes.”

[Good!]

The question appeared.

[Question: Choose what percentage of blood loss causes death in humans.]

1. 40%

2. 45%

3. 50%

4. 55%

“…”

Did they put in a trap because it’s the last question?

I caught my breath.

“The answer is… number 1,”

[Ah, you chose number 1…]

“And number 2.”

[…!]

“And number 3, number 4… All of them.”

[…]

“Humans typically become life-threatened when they lose about 30 to 40 percent of their blood on average.”

[Oh.]

“So, they would die if they lost more than that too.”

[No, no… this can’t be!]

The TV flashes.

Even if I got it wrong, it didn’t seem like I would die.

But because I didn’t want to give this dangerous ghost story any excuse, I was gritting my teeth to avoid traps as much as possible.

[So you’re saying it’s multiple correct answers! By any chance, do you want to change your answer?]

“No.”

Ooooh.

Murmuring can be heard from the audience seats.

And… a faceless staff member hurriedly ran up onto the stage…?

[…Oh my! I have surprising news to tell you.]

[Actually, the answer our writing staff prepared was number 1.]

W-wait a minute.

[Noru’s answer is much more impressive! It’s more logical too, right? Right?]

Yes!! I could hear the audience shouting.

The host spread both arms wide.

[Then of course it’s correct! I’ll mark it as a perfect answer! Excellent!]

“…!”

Ha.

‘Anyway, I survived.’

Why did I try to dig a trap for myself and fall into it! I screamed internally in relief and squeezed my eyes shut before opening them.

Taking it as emotion, the host came over and patted my back in an embrace-like gesture.

The fact that he had body temperature made it even more eerie.

[Amazing, amazing!]

“…Thank you.”

[Then with this….]

The host grabbed the microphone and shouted emotionally.

[Amazingly, all of our participants are continuing their winning streaks! Incredible!]

Pop.

Flower petals burst and cheers erupted.

On each platform, the supervisors were making expressions like ‘it’s finally ending.’ It was obvious even through their masks.

[But there’s only one MVP who will take home the grand prize. That person is….]

A drum roll continued….

The host pointed.

[It’s Noru!]

Waaaah!

The band added loud celebratory sound effects.

[Congratulations! Please take this prize!]

“Thank, you.”

I accepted the small gift box the host held out to me.

I was happy. Of course, not because I received something.

‘It’s finally over.’

Now I could leave once the cameras turned off.

‘Please, let’s just go.’

My mind was starting to calm down as I imagined returning to the office in a 21st-century Seoul building.

[Unfortunately, it’s time to wrap up Tuesday Quiz Show. Tomorrow we’ll have even more wonderful guests for Wednes… hm?]

Click.

Out of nowhere.

Suddenly lights came on over the four empty platforms.

“…?!”

There were already silhouettes standing there.

Four people looking around bewildered.

All wearing business suits and masks.

‘Company employees?’

They were definitely from another team in the field investigation unit.

Just one mask looked familiar – probably my fellow new employee.

I understood that much. But….

‘Why did they overlap?’

Was it possible to enter a ghost story overlapping like this? No, regardless of whether it was possible or not….

‘…This is a broadcast accident.’

Silence was flowing through the studio.

1 second.

2 seconds.

3 seconds.

“….”

Something was wrong.

The zebra masked employee standing right next to me seemed to sense it too.

“Th-this, what, why are there people who came first….”

[Oh my.]

He burst into flames.

“…!”

The zebra masked employee, who caught fire quickly and silently, seemed unable to grasp the situation and remained with his mouth open, then collapsed as if it were a lie.

All that remained was ash piled in the shape of shoes.

The camera hurriedly turned away.

[…Surprise!]

[That was a sneak preview of next Tuesday’s participants!]

Loud band music hurriedly played to cover things up.

Now the camera was filming me.

“…!”

Damn.

Damn damn!

I desperately waved the gift box I was holding in the air without showing any disturbance.

As if I was excited!

Pop.

Flower petals fell from the air again and drums rang loudly. The host drew cheers from the audience.

[Tomorrow we’ll meet you with an even more enjoyable show!]

[Then… have a good night!]

Bang!

With the cheerful sound of a guitar, the camera lights went out.

“….”

It’s over.

It’s… over,

isn’t it?

Why are we still here?

[Phew. We almost ruined the live broadcast. Thank goodness it was handled well!]

The camera was definitely turned off.

Faceless staff members rushed onto the stage, and the audience seats went dark.

The band disappeared too.

We entered the backstage filled with noise and murmuring, exposing the cold steel framework.

But we don’t disappear.

…An ominous feeling creeps up my spine.

[Noru! That was excellent sense. Are you interested in being a regular panelist?]

“…I already have a job.”

[Oh my! Well, our talk show’s application postcards are always open anyway!]

Why is the ghost story continuing?

The reason was simple.

The thoughtful host wanted to hold onto the participants and kindly explain why this situation had occurred.

[Ah, and new participants!]

[You must have been startled, worried about ruining the broadcast. It wasn’t intentional, right? I believe you. Don’t blame yourselves too much!]

[And don’t worry either. We’ll give you three another chance too!]

The host spoke to the employees who had suddenly entered midway, the ‘new participants,’ with a kind and friendly attitude.

As if there had always been three of them.

Meanwhile, staff members swept up the ashes left by the one person who had been incinerated with brooms.

I feel like I’m going insane.

[I’d love to give you all a chance to participate right away, but unfortunately our show is live. Let’s meet again next week!]

But we can leave like this.

Please, please just like this! End it like this!

[Then everyone should head home for now… hm?]

That’s when it happened.

Someone holding a megaphone in one hand came running onto the stage.

Their face was blurred by the stage lights and couldn’t be seen properly, but unlike other staff, they could be identified by the sunglasses they wore.

That figure holding the megaphone hurriedly whispered something to the host.

[…! Ah, oh no.]

The host turns to look at us.

[You know. This is really difficult for me to say but… uh.]

The emoticon on the TV monitor makes a dejected expression.

[Just now, our show was cancelled.]

“…!”

[To be precise, the Tuesday Quiz Show was. So strictly speaking, my show isn’t over, but yes.]

[The quiz corner has been replaced.]

What did he say.

[We won’t be able to have you as participants for the 100th consecutive win challenge. I truly want to apologize with all my heart.]

The host seemed truly sorry and ashamed, even the antenna on top of his TV head drooped.

“Then… is it, is it cleared?”

“Hah. Haah…”

I faintly hear the voices of other team employees around me, filled with confusion, fear, panic, but also hope.

However, the back of my neck was chilled with cold sweat.

‘No.’

This development is…

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Exploration Record #100

Started in the same studio as previous rounds.

Program name changed

Cancelled

Since participants answered correctly 99 times in a row, the penalty became meaningless and the corner was disciplined for not being stimulating enough.

Material that can attract viewers’ interest

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[Ah! Wait a moment!]

The host’s TV antenna suddenly spreads wide upon receiving a signal from staff.

[Good news. We’ll have all of you as participants in the new corner too!]

“…!!”

[It’s even a recorded broadcast, so it’ll be easier than before! Haha!]

[Let’s proceed with filming right away! Although I’ll only be in a supporting role, yes, I’ll do my best to make it a good show…]

“Wait a moment.”

Our team’s deputy raised his hand with a stern face.

“We already participated in the show, so we’ll be heading back now…”

[You want to leave even though filming isn’t over?]

“…!”

The TV screen that had moved right up to the Assistant Manager’s face crackled with static.

[Oh my… it was all written on the application postcard. Well, if you really can’t participate… I suppose there’s no helping it.]

“….”

[Tell me. Can’t you do it?]

The Assistant Manager slowly moved his eyes and made eye contact with me across the room.

I subtly shook my head.

The Assistant Manager must have realized it too.

That “no helping it” didn’t mean they’d let us go home, but rather that they’d simply incinerate us.

[You can do it! Good.]

An ominous silence.

The studio filled with the breathing of the pale-faced company employees.

I was probably one of them too.

No, was I even breathing?

[Oh my! There’s tension in the air. New programs are always like this.]

[Let’s do our best! Noru, you showed such wonderful performance on the live broadcast! You’ll be able to show us something amazing this time too….]

Isn’t there some… plausible excuse?

Some convincing words?

“Yes. But I didn’t know I’d be appearing on broadcasts consecutively.”

[Ho.]

“I might make mistakes, you know.”

I gripped the platform so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

“If I could prepare a bit more and participate again next Tuesday….”

[Ah! It’s starting! Look there, the lights are coming on! 3, 2, 1….]

The host muttered in an excited voice.

My words didn’t get through.

As if completely possessed by the broadcast, the host rushed in front of the camera.

[Good evening, viewers! Tuesday’s joy, Tuesday’s passion.]

[You are now! Watching our talk show’s brand new segment!]

This is driving me crazy.

[Sad that the quiz show is gone? You don’t need to be. Because this is a more advanced form of quiz show!]

[Something has been added on top of the quiz! What could it be?]

The host reading the prompter waved both hands around.

[What touches the weary heartstrings more than anything else is melody.]

[Especially voices! Chorus, ah, what a beautiful sound!]

….

[Haha, our band doesn’t need to feel left out. We’ve invited a master of a completely different genre!]

[A new guest is appearing!]

Behind the set opens and someone emerges.

The nose-piercing smell of rusted iron, stench, a dark and massive pig head.

[The Purgatory Choir Conductor, the Dirty, Ugly, and Great Butcher of Melodies!]

[That’s right. The name of the new segment is… Tuesday’s Choir!]

Hell had arrived.

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