Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 121
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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 121
An office with the lights turned off.
Tap tap tap.
Someone sits alone, typing away.
Text appears on the lit monitor screen.
Report Draft
Author: Lee Ja-heon
20XX. 01. 02. Witness testimony record of the clearing process of the anomalous C-grade darkness that occurred on the high-speed train to Mokpo and the (presumed) death process of Supervisor Kim Sol-eum.
The typing continued with a steady sound, creating sentences without hesitation or deliberation.
As if the entire timeline had been organized in their head.
Witnesses: Employee A, Employee C, Employee F (Initials selected based on each person’s assigned team for ease of reference.)
Employee A: Are we going to do this crap (interview) again? It doesn’t seem to have much meaning.
Employee A: Anyway… Yes. I got on the train to go on a business trip to the provinces, and it was running over the sea.
Employee C: The clearing went very smoothly! Sol-eum did a lot of things proactively, and it was nice to see her efforts to minimize civilian casualties!
(Employee A inquired whether the occurrence of this darkness was an intentional plan by the company, but stated that the research team answered it was ‘purely coincidental’ – refer to the 3rd interview for additional confirmation)
Three elite team members proactively cleared the anomalous darkness. Confirmed collection of C-grade solution.
From this point on, it was a common testimony that the train was a completely real space, not darkness.
Employee C: Kim Sol-eum checked the solution first and went to the bathroom. Yes, ‘that’ bathroom.
After the train departed, Supervisor Kim Sol-eum left her seat after saying ‘I’m going to the bathroom.’ Lost contact for 15 minutes.
At the 17-minute mark: Employee F, who was aboard car 3 of the train, visited the seats of the three elite team members.
The purpose of the visit was stated as ‘to pay respects.’
Employee F: Ah, as I mentioned last time… I was on vacation. Manager.
Employee F: I was suddenly caught up in the darkness and panicked, but I still tried to assist the three of you and respond to the situation calmly. It’s only natural as an employee of our company.
Employee F: After everything was over, I went to pay my respects to my superiors, and when they said my colleague friend wasn’t at their seat, I went out to look for them.
Employee C: Ah, they were trying to go to the opposite side of the bathroom, so I guided them in the right direction!
I think they might have reflexively tried to go back the way they came since their original seat was in that direction!
Employee F moved to the bathroom following Employee C’s guidance.
Confirmed a male collapsed in front of the door.
There was no bleeding, but both hands and feet had been removed, and fine ash was stuck to the cut surfaces.
Medical personnel diagnosed it as instant incineration by extremely high temperature.
(Source: Somang Medical Center (Baekillmong Corporation affiliated hospital corporation))
Employee F: I thought something was not right. But the bathroom door was locked. There was no other response even when I knocked.
Employee F: Well, it’s not bragging, but I’m quite handy… I tried to unlock the mechanism and open the door. And I succeeded!
Employee F: …But. (Sound of inhaling)
At the 21-minute mark, the high-speed train bathroom door was opened.
Employee F: The inside of the bathroom… was quiet.
Employee F: No one was there, it was just a clean high-speed train bathroom. That made it feel even stranger, so I tried to leave and stepped back…
Employee F: Suddenly, objects started pouring down from the air. …Along with blood.
The hands that were typing paused for a moment.
They grabbed the mouse and headed to the ‘Situation Photos’ folder on the computer desktop, then attached several photos to the document.
Photos of the interior of the bathroom next to car 7 of the high-speed train, covered in blood.
Everything was scattered on the floor covered in blood, with bloodstains filling the walls and floor.
A mask, employee ID, briefcase, and… a dream collector filled with C-grade solution.
However, there was exactly one clean space.
Tiles without bloodstains in the shape of a small bathtub.
As if… someone had taken it away.
Employee F: And suddenly, a giant hand appeared… Uurgh! Uuuurgh, it, it pushed me! Flash flash flash flash… Good evening, tonight’s entertainment, new faces we meet every day, and your familiar host! Good evening, this is late night talk… Uheeeeek (Interview interrupted)
Contamination and PTSD symptoms. 7th interview ended after recommending Fox Counseling Room application.
Subsequently citing testimony from the 4th interview.
(4th Interview)
Employee F: A hand appeared from the air, appeared with a halo, no, strange light, no… No.
Employee F: (Deep breath)
Employee F: It took away the strange bathtub that was lying on the floor. A small bathtub with checkered pattern and golden feet. In, in that process, blood spilled on the floor, and strange black ribbon fragments fell together…
Employee F: The hand took the ribbon too. And, and… on the mirror.
Employee F: It wrote a message.
The hands that were typing stopped once more.
And they took a photo that had already been developed from the board next to the desk and stared at it.
Writing in elegant cursive script on the bathroom mirror, using blood as ink.
Kim Sol-eum
will be commuting
to a different place
from today.
🙂
The Research Team speculates that the phrase is ‘likely related to the Darkness of the Tamra Express where anomalies occurred on the train.’
(This deduction is considered highly reliable within the Research Team and is being documented in their internal records.)
Supporting evidence includes Kim Sol-eum’s leading actions within that Darkness, and the probability of irregularities occurring due to unique ethical attempts leading to clearance.
The possibility that it’s a phrase suggesting death after being invited to an unknown space called ‘Tamra’ during a provincial business trip.
Or mixed opinions that Kim Sol-eum was selected as the final sacrifice for the Tamra-bound train.
Tap.
The moment he finished writing that far, the author stopped his hand again.
It wasn’t because he couldn’t think of what to write next.
“Team Leader.”
“Deputy Eun Ha-je.”
Because a visitor had come to the dark office.
Manager Lee Ja-heon looked up.
Eun Ha-je with a haggard expression was standing at the office door, leaning against it with her arms crossed.
“Please stop now.”
“….”
“Just how many times are you going to conduct that damn interview? Even the directors are getting tired of it now.”
Eun Ha-je walked into the office.
Eventually, having only received the sentence ‘presumed to have died on January 2nd,’ she glanced over her junior’s empty seat with dark eyes.
“It’s already been a month.”
Deputy Eun Ha-je stood in front of the desk of the D-Team Leader who no longer had any team members.
“When there’s no news for about a month, people should know when to give up. …Writing reports won’t bring back the dead.”
“….”
“I heard the Dream Collector records were also processed as having been returned due to death.”
That’s right.
The missing employee’s groans and short mutterings like ‘Should I?’ were confirmed in the Dream Collector audio records.
It is meaningfully deduced to be part of the mental derangement symptoms from the Darkness where anomalies occurred during the Elite Team’s business trip, commonly known as the ‘Tamra Express.’
Statistical predictions indicate there’s more than an 80% probability that the employee is in a state of deep contamination or death.
And according to regulations, if there are no meaningful status reports for 30 days after the Dream Collector is returned, automatic death processing proceeds in the system.
It was already a finished matter.
“…He’s already been registered on today’s resignation list too, Manager.”
Kim Sol-eum (Employment contract terminated due to death)
…Usually by that point, death is certain.
Deputy Eun Ha-je rubbed her face dry and opened her mouth.
“…The company won’t provide support anymore. You know this isn’t a company that spends money and time on dead people.”
The searches and repeated reviews so far were only ‘invested’ in because Kim Sol-eum was such a unique and capable employee.
However, the Tamra Express had no proper manual for what mechanism caused that Darkness to occur, and it hadn’t reoccurred once in a month.
“Is there any meaning to this kind of organization? Don’t you think it’s time to stop?”
“No.”
“….”
There is meaning, and he doesn’t think he should stop?
“What’s the reason?”
“Because Kim Sol-eum isn’t dead.”
“…!!”
Deputy Eun Ha-je’s eyes widened.
Manager Lee Ja-heon didn’t have the talent to speak of hope definitively.
So this meant… he really believed it to be true!
And Manager Lee Ja-heon wasn’t someone who believed without reason.
There must be almost certain evidence!
“Why, why do you think that?!”
“There’s a hint.”
Manager Lee Ja-heon recalled.
An episode from the end of last year that seemed unrelated to this incident at first glance, something that felt separate.
-Please take care of this.
When Kim Sol-eum was deployed into the Darkness, he had entrusted him with one precious item for half a day.
A small stuffed doll.
-Good heavens. Entrusting me to a blade-wielder. Mr. Noru!
The archaic and strange way of speaking that doll chattered.
Of course, he didn’t respond to the doll. He aspired to maintain the appearance of a sensible modern person, and he had no obligation to answer a doll.
However, he caught something familiar in that way of speaking.
And the bathroom that was Kim Sol-eum’s disappearance site.
On the bathroom floor, all of Kim Sol-eum’s company-related belongings were scattered as if carelessly dropped, but actually Lee Ja-heon had focused more on the writing on the mirror.
Because he caught something familiar in the handwriting of that phrase too.
“Please compare.”
He took out a photo of the mirror’s phrase along with an old postcard he had kept in storage in case it might be needed, and held them out for Deputy Eun Ha-je to see.
It had taken several weeks just to retrieve this postcard again.
“This is…”
The broadcast-themed Darkness that Team D had entered and cleared several times.
However, in the most recent exploration, an unexpected situation occurred where one team was completely wiped out, and Team D safely escaped thanks to one employee’s quick thinking, extracting Grade A solution.
The Darkness that was still floating between the Research Team and the evaluation department with its grade unadjusted due to conflicting opinions.
Quiz Show Application
To :
From :
“…Tuesday Talk Show!”
The handwriting matched.
Manager Lee Ja-heon nodded.
“Kim Sol-eum will be there.”
In whatever form.
That is.
A studio under brilliant lights.
Thunderous applause and cheers pour from the audience seats onto the stage set.
[Thank you! Thank you!]
The audience, completely absorbed in the fun of the last corner that just ended, cheers while even whistling.
The host dramatically places his hand on his chest as if deeply moved.
[No, if you send us such enthusiasm… haha, should we start over from the beginning? You are currently watching Brown’s Late Night Talk Show… oh my.]
Waaaah!
The host, who had been pretending to be surprised by the bursting cheers, soon displayed a smiling face on his TV and greeted again.
[Unfortunately, it seems we must have a heart-wrenching farewell before the angry advertisers come running. But don’t be too heartbroken! We’ll meet again tomorrow!]
The band ensemble announcing the talk show’s ending plays cheerfully and excitedly.
The host comes out to the center of the studio and politely bows his TV head.
[To all the viewers who watched the talk show today, those crying in repentance underground, and everyone watching through e-pub viewers.]
[Tomorrow, at 11:33 PM, we will meet again… Have a pleasant night!]
As the band performance reaches its climax, the host raises both hands to respond to the overflowing applause.
And then…
[Cut!]
The show ends.
Click.
Everything becomes quiet all at once.
Above where the audience has disappeared, the numerous brilliant lights go out.
And when calm electric lighting illuminates the empty audience seats in the background, staff members rush out to maintain the stage and performers.
I was also in that gap.
To be precise,
[Kim Sol-eum!]
I’m receiving praise from the host.
[Come here. You were absolutely wonderful! Your skill in topic and guest selection is truly interesting. You always pick exactly the right candidates each time…]
Hmm. It’s a bit embarrassing.
‘It’s all thanks to .’
This talk show called ‘Brown’s Late Night Talk Show’ actually feels like a Darkness Investigation Records comedy routine to me.
The difference is that it’s more realistic and interesting.
Since we actually call ghost story residents for interviews.
And we brief about recent supernatural issues and several incidents while making jokes and doing interesting attempts with the audience.
Sometimes audience members who don’t know better and think it’s a dream do dangerous things, and the thrill and comedy of watching that precariousness from a third person’s perspective was just right.
Moreover, the audience now seems to be invited through various media, not just postcards.
Anyway, honestly all I do is mention a few interesting-looking ghost stories once or twice a week… but each time they praise me, saying the good reactions are all thanks to my information network.
‘It’s easier than I thought…’
I wonder if work has ever been this easy and fun in my life.
[Ah, it’s been truly enjoyable for a month! And I’m really happy to be able to share this news…]
A tearful smile appears on Brown’s TV face.
[Our show’s ratings have achieved another new record.]
“…!”
[It’s truly a terrifying upward curve! So I’m asking. How was it, did Kim Sol-eum also find it fun and enjoyable?]
I felt a slight tension within the confident assurance. Oh my.
I smiled and nodded.
“It was fun.”
[Right?]
[No, this legendary host knew it all along. That this would be the workplace Kim Sol-eum would be most satisfied with.]
The TV head smiles brightly.
I also smiled slightly with a peaceful mind.
It’s not scary.
There are no elements here that threaten me.
I create content, but I don’t actually experience the ghost stories that are the content!
So working at this talk show, I felt like I’d never have to worry again… well, of course there’s pressure about performance. But isn’t that level of stress necessary for life?
Something like this.
[However, I do notice some disappointing points. Wait a moment…]
Brown put his hand on my shoulder and whispered.
[We’re gradually entering a stagnation phase. The corners feel overly repetitive.]
Ah.
[Don’t you think about trying more stimulating and bold ideas, Kim Sol-eum? More freely, in this self-produced talk show without pressure from investors and producers, we can do anything… And.]
Thud.
…The host grabs my shoulder.
[Your dedication over the past month has been amazing, your adaptation was quick, and your results were brilliant, weren’t they.]
[You can definitely do it.]
…I should work harder.
I tried to nod with a slightly nervous mind.
But at that moment.
Unexpected words come from the host’s mouth.
[So… I think the time has come now.]
[Not as staff, but standing next to this Brown as a cast member.]
“…!”
[I’m speaking from the depths of my heart, you already have the qualifications. Oh, Sol-eum. My friend. Let’s share stories together and bring joy to people.]
[A new face would be good stimulation for the audience as well.]
“…No, it’s okay. I don’t really like appearing in front of an audience….”
[Now, now, making such quick decisions hurts this Brown’s feelings! Let’s think about it….]
The hand around my shoulder tightens its grip.
[In this Brown’s view, Sol-eum definitely has quality showmanship. This kind of thing is in the realm of talent.]
[Do you remember? When you played the role of prophet and cult leader on that sea train. That’s something only those born with talent can do. Yes.]
[But if my dear friend is too anxious, there are also roles prepared that only last a few minutes, no, even a few seconds….]
[Shall we think about it comfortably?]
….
Would that much be okay?
Come to think of it, I don’t really think I couldn’t do it at all.
‘If you work, you should produce results.’
In the end, I nodded my head somewhat shyly.
“Well, if it’s a very small role.”
[That’s right! Good.]
The TV head smiles happily.
[Even being modest, truly befitting a former MVP of my show. Isn’t that right?]
[There hasn’t been a single unenjoyable day since you joined our talk show!]
Come to think of it, was that already a month ago?
Time has flowed by without me even knowing how it passed.
Busy, enjoyable, and rewarding.
‘The staff are unexpectedly kind too.’
I was bowing my head to the coordinator who handed me water and disappeared, when I casually asked Brown.
“Um, but why do all the staff here not have faces?”
[Ah, it’s a thoughtful heart considering the show. They made the decision themselves to prevent screams, coughs, voices, etc. from biological functions or unexpected accidents during live broadcasts.]
“Their professionalism is amazing. Um, do I also need to remove my face….”
[What are you talking about, Sol-eum!]
Oh my.
[People who go on stage absolutely need expressions and faces. Expressiveness is the essence of entertainment!]
[Ah, of course if Sol-eum really wants it…. There are alternatives. Wait.]
Grab.
The host grabbed my chin.
And stares as if making an estimate….
[Hmm. I could remove your face. Instead, I’ll make you a very splendid… mask.]
That’s….
….
“I’ll think about it more next time.”
[Right? Haha! It would be a waste to remove that face.]
The host released his hand.
I looked at Brown smiling brightly and smiled along.
[Ah, I need to prepare for the next broadcast again. This time’s audience… oh, office workers. I’ll have to make those tired people happy.]
[Then… Sol-eum will also be going on stage today?]
“I’ll work hard.”
[Good. Very good…. It will be Sol-eum’s wonderful debut!]
Mm. I hope so.
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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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