Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 110

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

Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work Episode 110

Director Ho’s project team.

It was a classified project with an unprecedented reward—if successful, every team member would receive a Wish Potion.

‘And I refused it.’

Because the risk was too great and it seemed suspicious.

But Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je, who’s on leave… is working there?

“Look at Noru’s expression. Yeah. I know you received an offer and completely kicked it away.”

The smile disappeared from Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je’s face.

“…You did well. Don’t ever join. It’s a headache-inducing team.”

“…”

But Deputy Manager, aren’t you working there yourself…

“What kind of work do you do there…”

“Can’t say.”

“…”

Should I tell her?

Let’s tell her.

“Actually, I was offered to be a candidate for project team leader.”

“What?!”

“Of course, it seemed like it was just for motivation, and I refused…”

“No, wait. I’m telling you this in case you get tempted later…”

Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je lowered her voice and whispered.

“Director Ho is a crazy bastard.”

“…!”

“I don’t know what other team members do in this project. Director Ho completely prevents employees with different responsibilities from even talking to each other.”

The deputy manager swallowed.

“I think… he dragged me in because I submitted a leave application. He made the offer because I could work on the project without being noticed by others.”

“…So that’s why you were hiding around?”

“Right. That’s what he demanded.”

That’s also why she secretly and quietly infiltrated your company housing, Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je clicked her tongue.

“I was worried your roommate might catch me.”

“Don’t worry about that. He’s not at the housing.”

“Is that so? Damn, I worried for nothing.”

Baek Sa-heon cleverly used his vacation days attached to January 1st despite his seniority. He’s not at that house right now.

“Anyway, I really can’t tell you more. Keep that in mind.”

And Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je truly didn’t answer any of my follow-up questions (why she needed the Wish Potion, what exactly she was doing, how she was recruited).

She only said this.

“I’m someone who originally made a living digging into crazy bastards’ affairs. What’s so surprising.”

But there’s a crucial difference between humans and ghost stories, Deputy Manager…!

“You be careful, you.”

Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je soon smiled bitterly.

“Noru. Don’t worry too much about others. Whether it’s this company or not, there are few paths in society that make you as tired as that.”

“…”

“It might sound ridiculous coming from someone like me who benefited from your concern, but I’m not saying this for no reason.”

“No. It’s not ridiculous at all. …Thank you.”

“…Haha, you brat, still the same.”

Even while leaving the annex building, Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je repeatedly told me to stop caring and look after myself.

“Thanks again, and remember. January 2nd.”

And she left instantly in front of the annex building as if disappearing.

“…”

Director Ho’s project team.

‘Just hearing about it felt dangerous.’

I can’t worry about it right now since I have my own problems, but let me remember it.

-Anyway, we’ve secured many interesting statements! January 2nd, the whirlpool of conspiracy surrounding Noru…

-How about it, Friend. Any interesting plans to avoid the death sentence? Of course, don’t forget that your Good Friend Brown is always by your side when you’re in trouble.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

-Don’t mention it!

That’s how I got my first plan for the new year.

Finding a way to escape from the darkness I’ll enter on January 2nd.

And this plan was quite successfully realized throughout the entire New Year’s Day holiday…

The normal work day approached.

January 2nd.

Right after coming to work, I was truly given a new darkness investigation mission.

However, ‘only to me.’

“…So, you’re saying the Team Leader has an executive meeting this afternoon and ‘unavoidably’ has to skip it?”

“Yes.”

“By any chance, am I going into the darkness alone…”

“No. To comply with the 3-person team manual, 2 support personnel will be assigned this afternoon.”

Yes, I thought so.

And at this point, I suspected Gwak Je-gang might be pulling some tricks.

‘Isn’t he pairing me up with strange employees like dumping them on me?’

Group project villains always drive situations to the worst…

‘I should prepare myself.’

But the situation took a strange turn.

First, before darkness was even assigned to me on January 2nd, an announcement was posted.

The reorganization of Team D’s elite team.

[Field Investigation Team Organizational Restructuring Notice]

Director Cheong’s radical proposal finally surfaced.

And when the Field Investigation Team learned that this situation, which had only been rumors, was truly a radical restructuring of ‘organizing Team D itself as an elite team,’ they were completely turned upside down.

Moreover, the remaining spot in elite Team D would allow even regular employees to work short-term with elite team treatment!

People who wanted to ask anyone about this personnel matter… finally found the person with the lowest rank and least experience among those involved!

Yeah.

That’s me.

“…”

Ding, ding, diiiing!

[Hello Team Leader~^^ Congratulations on becoming an elite team! If you don’t mind, could I ask a few things about…]

[This is the first time I’m contacting you like this after only seeing you in the group chat. It’s about the remaining spot on the Elite Team….]

‘This is really burdensome….’

This is already the seventh call.

I wish they’d think about it logically. There’s no way a mere supervisor would have personnel authority….

-Hmm? Friend, didn’t you have a chance to choose colleague employees to work with? I vividly remember the moment when you received an interesting proposal!

That’s… a bus that’s already left….

I didn’t eat the poisoned apple and refused, so now it’s someone else’s problem.

‘Anyway, I have no authority.’

I roughly changed ‘What authority do I have, I’m just a lowly employee too’ into polite corporate language and sent replies, spending my morning that way.

Anyway, thanks to that, I did realize something.

‘I can’t just send anyone on this investigation, can I?’

Today, January 2nd’s new darkness exploration has a strange symbolic meaning.

Elite Team D’s first trial run!

All the Field Investigation Team employees are watching, so I can’t just attach any random people to me.

That would ruin the image of a successful new Elite Team launch.

‘I don’t think Gwak Je-gang can pull any tricks.’

I was puzzled.

‘Who on earth will come as the 2 accompanying employees?’

…And at 2 PM.

“Oh, please take care of me, Deer Supervisor!”

I almost broke out in cold sweat seeing the employee with the cheerful voice entering the D-Team office.

It’s Dolphin Assistant Manager from Team C.

Elite Team!

“Ah, do you know who the other employee is? I’m curious!”

“…Yes. I’m really curious too.”

I suddenly started getting an ominous feeling.

And 10 minutes later.

Right on the appointed time, the door opened once more, and that premonition became reality….

“Both of you have a sense of time.”

Bold footsteps entering through the open door.

A perfectly fitted suit, hair tied up high, and a gorgeous butterfly mask.

It was Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol from Team A.

‘Good heavens.’

They assigned me two Elite Team members!!

Moreover, seeing this ability-supremacist superior after so long made me dizzy, but just as I was about to bow and greet her first.

“Deputy Manager, it’s been a while.”

“Yeah. You rejected Director Ho’s proposal, I heard.”

“….”

“You made another foolish choice but still became Elite Team? If everyone were as competent as you, work would be easy. At least today I won’t have to see anyone whining.”

…Yes.

I’m really happy to see you too, Deputy Manager….

“Thank you for the compliment.”

I barely managed to answer.

I felt like I was going to lose my mind.

But my mouth was faithfully giving proper corporate responses.

“What? This investigation is in the provinces. How annoying.”

“Yes. But the company said they’ll provide generous transportation expenses.”

Right.

This C-grade ghost story needs to be handled all the way in Mokpo.

‘Finally a provincial business trip.’

Actually, urban legends tend to arise in places where many people live together. The high frequency in the metropolitan area didn’t contradict the worldview’s plausibility.

‘Still, the fact that we’ve only done darkness explorations mostly in Seoul suburbs until now… is somewhat strange.’

Anyway, I diligently read the room with the two Elite Team seniors and left the company.

Dolphin Assistant Manager was quite friendly in striking up conversations.

“You haven’t moved to the upper floor yet! You will soon, right? It’s good that Elite Team gets private offices, respects privacy too!”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Ah, speak comfortably! We’re the same rank!”

“Still, you’re my senior, and I might cause trouble since there’s a lot I don’t know, so I can’t do that from the start. I’ll be more respectful.”

“Wow. You’re really polite!”

Seeing Dolphin Assistant Manager give a thumbs up made me relax a little.

Right. She seemed like a person with a good personality.

‘Let me try some small talk.’

I smiled somewhat warmly and brought up an appropriate person as a topic.

The Team C person who was sitting next to Dolphin Assistant Manager in that ghost story where I almost fainted from applause!

“How is Leopard Deputy doing?”

“Ah, he died.”

“….”

“He went after being rude to a Cleanup Team employee, so it was his own fault. The point waste is a bit regrettable though!”

“I see. I pray for the deceased’s soul.”

This person definitely doesn’t have ordinary civilian sensibilities.

‘Save me.’

We arrived at the KTX station just in time.

I sat extremely politely next to Dolphin Assistant Manager on the train, trembling only internally.

And I began showing all due respect to the senior who became Elite Team as a supervisor….

‘Never act up just because we’re the same rank.’

Let’s make sure I don’t get marked as someone with bad character…!

…By the way, Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol sitting in front of us….

“I’m going to sleep, so don’t talk to me.”

“…Yes.”

I was rather grateful….

-Oh, quite the colorful companions you have!

Right….

And what this means is.

‘The two best-performing non-executive level employees in the company got assigned as my companions.’

Let me say this again.

The two most competent and capable employee-level staff in the current situation are attached to my side, and they’ll confirm everything I do…!

‘Deputy Manager, how exactly do I escape without entering the darkness among these people…!’

I broke out in cold sweat. The plan I had set up was getting full of holes.

‘I never expected them to assign two Elite Team members.’

I had actually simulated more cases involving trolls.

I maintained a calm appearance while desperately racking my brain to quickly add Plan B.

‘In the worst case scenario….’

Let’s say I’m going to the bathroom… and run away.

Just thinking about it makes me want to cry from shame, but my life is more important.

And when I return later, I can just say I ‘accidentally’ got caught up in another darkness and just came out.

‘Find a suitable darkness on the wiki, actually find a ghost story that matches the grade and isn’t too difficult, clear it and match the solution grade… that should be believable.’

It was a plan possible because this was a provincial business trip.

‘Good, alright.’

I think I can handle this well.

I finally let out a sigh of relief at the plausibility of the plan I’d woven together, and only then looked at the destination displayed on the train’s electronic board for this business trip.

Come to think of it, this seems like almost my first time going to Mokpo…

…

Huh?

The destination text at the bottom of the crackling advertisement board in the train car, in the next moment…

Changed.

“…!!”

I shot up from my seat.

“Huh? What’s wrong, Team Leader… huh? The electronic board?”

“Yes. We need to get out right now…”

…

No.

No, you already know this, don’t you.

‘It’s too late.’

This is… something that was finished the moment you got on the train, took a seat, and the destination changed.

From that point on, you can’t get off.

“…”

It comes back to me.

-That was the longest document among the human error incidents recorded in the Disaster Management Bureau archives, and it was even recorded as a short story on the wiki.

What this is.

-The great disaster that happened because of the Silver Heart, just once.

That train accident.

A tragic ghost story I know very well.

That insane high-speed railway where there was only one survivor from Daydream Corporation.

‘…Ah.’

I realized.

Today, January 2nd, when my death was scheduled to be processed.

‘The C-grade darkness wasn’t the problem.’

The threat prepared for me wasn’t the darkness at the provincial business trip destination that the company had designated and provided manuals for.

‘This train.’

This train, which was supposed to be just transportation to get there, was the threat itself.

“…”

I looked outside the window.

Instead of the outside, an electronic board was reflected.

The train departed with a thunderous roar.

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