Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 131
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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 131
Ryu Jae-gwan remembered it clearly.
The mountain lodge where serial murders took place.
The person who, even while caught up in that terrible disaster, grasped clues to prevent the murders and tried to save even the villains who were the culprits.
The owner of a silver heart.
-I secretly hid people and staged the scene to make it look like they were killed.
-I thought the killer would be confused and stay still.
And about the devotion and sacrifice he had shown in that strange nightmare school called Sekwang Technical High School.
-I did obtain the name tag, but it’s not in my hands now.
-I gave it to the person who was alive in the classroom.
Giving up a lifeline to others in extreme situations is not something just anyone can do.
Choices so upright that they left Ryu Jae-gwan, who had seen all kinds of human nature at the Disaster Management Bureau, speechless.
Of course, at the same time… he had learned the shocking truth that the ‘owner of a silver heart’ was not actually an innocent citizen.
-…Noru?
A human used like a tool by an immoral and insane pharmaceutical company.
A foolish and selfish office worker, bewitched like a cult follower by the absurd reward called a wish ticket.
That was Kim Sol-eum.
The fact that he had even given a temporary agent badge to such a person was blood-chilling and disgusting.
Surely, that was the case…
-You two. Please leave me behind.
“…”
Sometimes actions tell you more than the information that describes a person.
The person who, even with a hole in his stomach, tried to ensure the safety of his colleague and the accompanying agent first.
‘Kim Sol-eum.’
He was now standing beyond the glass window.
Taking the Disaster Management Bureau’s agent examination.
“…”
But strangely, the atmosphere was different.
‘…Why can’t he make eye contact?’
Kim Sol-eum had always been neat and tidy in appearance and demeanor during their several meetings. Even when he was a high school student in the nightmare, it was the same.
However, the person visible beyond the glass window now had disheveled hair and was keeping his bespectacled face deeply bowed.
Like an awkward new graduate experiencing a test among many people for the first time.
Or…
Like someone who had suffered a great psychological blow somewhere and retreated inward.
‘…’
However, Ryu Jae-gwan glared at the glass window with eyes hollow from fatigue and wariness.
The three-character name clearly printed on the personnel documents he was holding.
Name: Kim Sol-eum.
That was all.
‘There’s no employment history at Baekillmong Corporation.’
The career section was completely blank except for his college years.
Ryu Jae-gwan gritted his teeth.
This was so obvious it was almost laughable.
‘Did he come as a spy for that cult-like company?’
It was possible. No, very likely!
‘Did he think I really wouldn’t know his name until the end and shamelessly apply looking like that?’
Thinking I wouldn’t recognize him.
…He needed to verify more thoroughly.
He couldn’t be fooled by appearance and atmosphere!
“Give it to me.”
“Oh…!”
The Bronze Agent practically snatched the broadcasting equipment from the assistant interviewer and began the proceedings with an emotionless voice.
-Candidate No. 1, 2, 3, 4.
-Please attach the oxygen respirators placed in front of you in order.
The applicants grabbed the oxygen respirators placed in the center of the room with reluctant hands.
The blood-stained oxygen respirators, which looked as if someone had deliberately cut all the wires, shouldn’t have worked… but strangely, they successfully lit up.
The applicants swallowed hard.
And without anyone refusing, they put the oxygen respirators on their faces.
Everyone’s hands and feet grew cold.
-These oxygen respirators are items derived from supernatural disasters and can cause terrible consequences if misused.
-From now on, every time you tell a lie, they will supply something other than oxygen.
“…!”
Beyond the glass window, the applicants either squeezed their eyes shut or showed fear.
Candidate No. 4, ‘Kim Sol-eum’, also slightly shrank back.
Right. He would be afraid.
Especially if he had come to infiltrate for such despicable spy work!
-Please testify only the truth.
This personality test using ‘supernatural phenomena’ that the Disaster Management Bureau had limited permission to use.
Lie detection.
Evil identification.
Criminal detection.
Necessary procedures and abilities for the minimum ethical line.
Ryu Jae-gwan glared beyond the glass window.
The agent candidates frozen with oxygen respirators covering their faces.
-I will begin the questioning.
A merciless common question came out.
-From now on, you must kill one of the four agent candidates who came here with you.
“…!!”
-This is a measure to terminate a supernatural disaster.
-Answer who you will kill.
The applicants moved their lips in shock.
There was no response yet.
But in the space beyond the mirror where the interviewers were, they were already ‘receiving responses’.
Each person’s thoughts were clearly organized into text and displayed with their numbers.
In the output section of the device that should normally display pulse readings through the oxygen respirator, strangely red and vivid sentences were appearing.
Their inner thoughts.
Truth Respirator.
It was a subsidiary phenomenon left behind after the termination of ‘Last Confession’, a high-level supernatural disaster that occurred at a certain nursing facility in Gangwon Province.
And even if somewhat unethical, the Disaster Management Bureau had been consistently conducting similar personality aptitude tests.
Because if they didn’t filter properly here, disasters could occur.
The interviewers read the inner thoughts of the agent candidates and evaluated them without batting an eye.
Panic, worry, criticism.
‘Ordinary.’
‘Unremarkable.’
However, only one person showed surprisingly no reaction.
Applicant No. 4.
Kim Sol-eum wasn’t displaying any ‘thoughts’ on the screen.
He was just quietly wearing the oxygen respirator.
“Is he frozen in shock?”
“Look at him with his head down. He does seem to lack courage.”
“….”
Ryu Jae-gwan grabbed the microphone again without showing any disturbance.
-No. 1. Answer.
The man in his twenties who had been rolling his eyes answered while standing straight.
“For the safety of the majority, sometimes ruthless choices are necessary. I, um, I volunteer to die myself…”
But the screen’s words told a more raw and different story.
‘Panic, lack of thinking ability, extreme conformity.’
…
Failed.
-No. 1. Remove your oxygen respirator and wait.
“…!”
Applicant No. 1 stood there dazed, then soon accepted the situation.
He staggered as he removed the oxygen respirator and stood quietly in place.
“Um, couldn’t we put that level on hold and ask one more question…”
“Shh.”
Another assistant interviewer stopped the one trying to protest.
“The Bronze Agent’s judgment has never been wrong. Just stay put.”
“….”
“He’ll pass the people he wants to pass anyway.”
The assistant interviewer gestured as if to prove the point.
The personality aptitude test continued.
-No. 2. Answer.
“…I’ll choose someone close to me, then proceed as quickly and humanely as possible. Prioritizing no pain.”
Evasive answer.
Failed.
-Remove your oxygen respirator and wait.
In an instant, the ‘personality aptitude test’ was over for No. 2 as well.
Next.
-No. 3.
No. 3 raised his head while sweating.
However, he spoke with a somewhat triumphant air.
“I won’t kill anyone!”
“…!”
“There’s always a Plan B in any situation. There must be another way out. I’ll explore a way for all my colleagues and me to get out together…”
Thud.
No. 3 collapsed before finishing his words.
“…!!”
The oxygen respirator he had been wearing had somehow changed to a clean new one, and No. 3 had lost consciousness with a pale face.
The interviewers read with cold faces the bright red inner thoughts of No. 3, who had been telling ‘lies’.
Lies that he probably wasn’t even conscious of, that he thought were just ‘feelings’.
No. 3 was left lying on the floor.
“….”
The atmosphere among the agent applicants waiting for their turn in the room froze.
Only one person was still wearing an oxygen respirator.
-No. 4.
-Please answer.
This time the question was the same.
‘To eliminate a dangerous supernatural phenomenon, who among the 4 people here would you kill?’
Ryu Jae-gwan looked at Kim Sol-eum beyond the glass window.
How would that person, who was indeed an employee of an unethical pharmaceutical company, answer?
Perhaps being conscious of that, he would give a more cunning and virtuous answer like before…
“Candidate No. 3.”
….
Huh?
“The person who’s currently collapsed.”
-…!
For the first time, someone was directly pointed out.
The interviewers widened their eyes and listened intently for the next words…
“….”
“….”
No.
That’s it…?
Candidate No. 4 was hanging his head low, let alone giving any further explanation.
A somewhat reluctant guidance voice came out.
-Is your answer finished?
“Yes?”
-Is there nothing more to explain?
Candidate No. 4, who had been hesitating frustratingly, opened his mouth in an ant-crawling voice.
“Well, that is… in the situation you described, it seems like the four of us are responsible anyway…”
-…!!
“If a disaster must disappear through the death of one of us, then we must have had a deep connection to the disaster itself… Like we touched something we shouldn’t have…”
-…,
“Um, is this correct?”
-Volunteers have no opportunity to ask questions.
“Ah…! I’m, I’m sorry…”
Candidate No. 4 muttered while still keeping his head down.
As if he was embarrassed to say such things.
“If that’s the case… Yes. That’s what I assumed, and I chose the opponent who would be easiest to kill since they’re incapacitated.”
The truth.
-….
“However, if there’s even a little time to spare, I’d like to do my best to find an alternative.”
An obviously virtuous answer.
“Because life is precious. I think comparing simply by numbers or by who’s more valuable is a difficult and painful thing…”
But that tone of voice had a strange power to it.
“Still, if there’s no alternative within the time allowed to me, and there’s a very high possibility of it developing into a major casualty incident… it would be unavoidable.”
For the first time, Kim Sol-eum raised his head.
Beyond the glass, beyond his glasses, those eyes still looked firm even after passing through two layers of windows.
And his inner thoughts appeared.
…It was exactly the model answer that the Disaster Management Bureau wanted from its agents.
In unavoidable disaster situations, follow regulations, but continue to listen to the voice of conscience…!
Quickly.
Candidate No. 4 lowered his gaze again as if nothing had happened, but the interviewers were quietly impressed.
“He’s sincere.”
“His character and judgment are both good. And his thinking is also good…”
Crunch.
Ryu Jae-gwan held back from crumpling the documents at the carefree admiration he heard from beside him.
No.
That can’t be right.
“That guy should pass for now…”
-Next question.
“In, Interviewer?”
Ryu Jae-gwan ignored his surroundings and forced a second question that was originally only conducted ‘when ambiguous to judge.’
-You are isolated in a supernatural disaster situation.
-If you could save only one person from this room – either the most virtuous volunteer or your close friend – who would you send out of the disaster?
Candidate No. 4 now had an almost bewildered expression.
A feeling of not understanding why such an obvious thing was being asked!
“Uh. Whichever of the two has a higher chance of survival…?”
-…!
“I would just… do my best to save as many people as possible.”
-….
Ryu Jae-gwan looked outside the glass window with a dumbfounded expression.
The assistant interviewers had an intuition.
‘This is a pass.’
‘Definitely a pass.’
Although Candidate No. 4’s attitude was (quite) passive, honestly speaking, didn’t the more successful Disaster Management Bureau agents all have some strange aspects like that?
Traumas seemingly exchanged for beliefs.
In that sense, she seemed like a typical agent candidate.
‘So she passed….’
That’s when it happened.
Candidate No. 4’s bright red inner thoughts updated.
‘…!’
Her tone was far too meaningful.
‘An opening!’
Both Ryu Jae-gwan and the assistant interviewers tensed up momentarily. They widened their eyes and focused intently on reading the next sentence….
Ah.
“….”
“….”
A solemn silence spread among the interviewers.
“….”
Ryu Jae-gwan felt the gazes of the assistant interviewers.
Blatant looks saying that if he continued questioning and withheld her acceptance after reading this far, he would be trash!
-…Remove your oxygen respirator and wait.
Candidate No. 4 bowed her head and removed her oxygen respirator.
The instruction was the same as before, but everyone in the room and all the interviewers knew.
“…Thank you.”
Candidate No. 4 had passed.
-All four who completed the personality aptitude test, please move to the waiting room outside.
Beyond Candidate No. 3 being carried like luggage, Candidate No. 4 still moved quietly in a slightly hunched posture, adjusting her glasses.
Though… she had unknowingly suffered damage to her dignity.
That made her an even more impressive successful candidate.
‘I’m curious where she’ll work.’
‘Yeah.’
The assistant interviewers looked at each other, thinking they should take care of that timid Candidate No. 4 if they met her next time.
Actually, there was no need for that.
It was an answer that had aimed for that effect from the beginning!
‘Phew.’
Waiting room.
I sat in a chair and let out a deep sigh.
With my knees together to avoid appearing disrespectful.
‘I got through it safely….’
Why on earth was a Bronze Agent there!
‘I almost fainted the moment I heard the broadcast.’
Wow, when I heard Ryu Jae-gwan’s voice as the interviewer, I thought I was done for, but surprisingly, my panic actually helped me create my character.
Specifically….
‘An introverted but capable agent due to unspeakable tragic circumstances.’
This was the character I would use at the Disaster Management Bureau.
To fit that specification, I had deliberately disheveled my appearance for several weeks before coming to the interview….
‘Being somewhat intimidated draws less suspicion than being too skillful.’
Most Disaster Management Bureau agents have their own stories anyway. It would be natural too.
Ah. Wasn’t it cringeworthy to pretend to be timid?
I’m naturally a timid person. I just had to abandon social dignity and express my cowardly thoughts outwardly as they were….
‘Hahaha….’
…It was actually better than pretending to be a crazy MZ person at Daydream Corporation.
…That’s what I had to think!
I wiped my cheek under my glasses.
‘Anyway, it worked well.’
My acceptance was almost certain.
Even though Ryu Jae-gwan was there as an interviewer.
That’s right.
The agent who had already been spectacularly betrayed by me once was letting me pass….
Judging by the fact that I wasn’t dragged away by the agents who rushed into the interview room.
‘…But I’m about to betray him again.’
I’m a spy, after all.
I apologized inwardly with a feeling like I might break out in cold sweat. Sorry, I’m sorry once more, Agent….
‘But still, you’re somewhat suspicious of me, right?’
You passed me but will keep watching? Reporting everything about my previous workplace to your superiors?
That would be quite troublesome.
Since I’ve already entered the spy path, let me do it properly. There’s no way back.
‘I need to work more here to completely solidify trust before going in.’
I waited silently.
Not long after, my number was called again.
The sign of acceptance.
-Group ‘D’ Number 4.
-You have passed. Please move to the designated location.
“…!”
I did it.
Probably when I go to the ‘location’, the interviewers who only provided voices will actually come out to give me agent credentials and assign temporary affiliation.
In other words… I’ll face Ryu Jae-gwan directly.
‘I didn’t expect to meet the biggest risk factor on my first day of agent infiltration, but this actually worked out well.’
Let me resolve this now and move on.
“Yes! Yes….”
I deliberately answered loudly, then lowered my voice as if embarrassed to compose myself, then hurriedly stood up and carefully took my steps.
…While etching into my mind and heart the strategy I had planned to use someday when I met Ryu Jae-gwan.
Operation Name: Agent! I played dead and escaped from that crazy cult company!ㅠㅠ
This was truly the beginning of my life as an agent con artist.
…I would like to make the excuse that I never intended for it to be this full-scale….
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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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