Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 153

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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 153

Regular rescue missions.

Written like this, you might wonder what the hell this even means, but surprisingly, it’s something that happens naturally in reality too.

“If people frequently fall and get hurt in places I manage, I end up looking into it more closely. It’s like that.”

When working near natural features or facilities where people frequently get into accidents, they regularly patrol and monitor to see if anyone is in danger, performing rescue operations.

It was similar at the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.

“We designate several supernatural disasters and enter ghost stories to check them out every few months like this.”

While confirming if there’s anyone who needs rescue.

But one most important prerequisite is added.

-Ghost stories where rescue calls are impossible.

“It’s for people who can’t call for ‘help me~’ even when caught up in supernatural disasters.”

That’s right. Some ghost stories, by their very nature, make it completely impossible to request rescue using phones and such.

Among such ghost stories, when agents can relatively safely enter and exit, the emergency rescue team makes regular rounds as routine work.

‘…Certainly, there were exploration records written based on that setting.’

It was like that when recording changes over time was an important fun point, or when points that changed as episodes accumulated were the fun points.

In this aspect, it could be seen as similar to the assigned darkness that Baekillmong Corporation allocated to employees or teams.

Though the purpose is incomparably more noble…

Agent Choi, who had been irritatingly good at getting under people’s skin until just now, stroked the back of his head leisurely with a rather trustworthy expression.

“And this ghost story… well, it’s not dangerous if you just follow the rules quickly and well, but due to the nature of those rules, it absolutely must be a two-person team for things to work properly. It’s a two-person job.”

Hm?

“But earlier you said it was for three people…”

“Right! Our junior is the kkakdugi!”

Kkak, kkakdugi…

Though I felt slightly dizzy from treatment I’d never experienced in my life, I soon realized it was actually beneficial and shut my mouth.

‘Whatever it is, more people means less scary.’

Besides, Disaster Management Bureau agents probably wouldn’t have trolls either.

Moreover, hearing the lineup, they were very familiar people.

“Me and Jae-gwan!”

Agent Choi roughly shaped something in the air with his hands for the Bronze Agent who had briefly disappeared for a report, then pointed alternately at himself and the shape.

Then that hand pointed toward me.

“And our kkakdugi here.”

“Y-yes…”

I gave up on everything and agreed emptily.

Then Agent Choi, who had been studying my expression, chuckled and patted my shoulder.

“Kid, you endure well.”

“…?”

“Let’s go. Jae-gwan will get a crick in his neck from waiting! Your senior will find his way to the destination just fine too~”

Agent Choi took me toward the elevator.

Location: Basement Level 2.

“Kids going out on field work are at headquarters? You can think of most of them as waiting on Basement Level 2.”

An explanation followed that since speed was often vital, they were allocated relatively lower floors.

And as soon as we got off the elevator and turned the corner in the corridor, a nameplate was visible.

Agent Choi cheerfully opened the door.

“Ta-da! Welcome to the Hyeonmu Team 1 Standby Area!”

Inside was surprisingly… a cozy space.

Round sofas, a tea station, blankets, a bookshelf haphazardly stuffed with board games, philosophy books, and comic books.

Like rest areas for public institution personnel, it didn’t have an expensive, modern feel, but it was a space that oddly gave the impression of a club room.

Old graffiti remained intact on the whiteboard on the wall.

-The best rescue agent was here

-If you play EDM at my funeral, a dokkaebi will take you

-We’ll never forget our Hyeonmu Team 1

…It seemed like messages left behind by people who could no longer perform missions accumulated without being erased.

It could be seen as the complete opposite feeling from Baekillmong Corporation’s Elite Team’s clean, personal individual office spaces.

“Haha, there was a retired person whose hobby was home interior, and he’d even pick up haunted picture frames… Pretty nice, isn’t it? Just sitting there automatically creates work!”

“Yes. …It’s a pleasant space.”

“…”

Agent Choi, who had been silent as if slightly flustered, smiled broadly.

“Right? I told you it was a good team. It wasn’t a lie.”

“…”

“In that sense, hey, you could also join our team…”

“I’m fine.”

I almost gave him an opening there.

“Right, right! There’s still time left anyway.”

Agent Choi guided me to the sofa, and we sat facing each other and caught our breath for a moment.

There was a table between the two sofas, covered with a tablecloth, probably to prevent dust, making it bumpy but oddly charming.

“Whew! Let’s rest a bit until Jae-gwan comes.”

“Yes.”

“And… this.”

Agent Choi suddenly smiled somewhat warmly, then pulled out a well-sealed paper from his chest.

…It was that piece of paper I had given him, purchased from the Manhole Market.

Oh.

“Sorry, but it seems there’s no supernatural disaster in the Disaster Management Bureau database that matches the writing on this note.”

“…”

Well, of course. That was just a hint indicating the location of the research lab behind the manhole…

And Agent Choi, as if familiar with such situations, added words as if comforting a new employee.

“Probably… it seems the Management Bureau hasn’t caught it yet, but this kind of thing happens frequently, so let’s wait a bit and give it time.”

“…”

“Will that be okay?”

He was probably asking because what he said meant ‘we probably can’t save this person.’

However, I nodded.

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

And I took a breath and accepted the note Agent Choi offered.

‘Actually, I already confirmed the corpse of the researcher I had dealt with…’

If this had been a real situation… I would have answered like this.

“I think there’s meaning in having tried anyway.”

“…”

Agent Choi was silent for a moment.

‘…Was it too obvious?’

The moment I slightly regretted it.

“Junior, give me that again.”

“…?!”

Agent Choi extended his hand toward me again.

“I’ll look into it just one more time.”

“Pardon?”

“When you’ve got this much experience under your belt, you have know-how beyond just databases. I might as well give it another try.”

…And so the paper note returned to Agent Choi once more.

I felt a bit guilty, but this was a matter of life and death for me too, so I endured it. I’ll repay the Disaster Management Bureau by working like an ox….

“…Thank you.”

“Okay.”

This time, Agent Choi didn’t say anything about joining his team if I was grateful, he just chuckled softly.

‘…Is he planning to ask his information sources too?’

Agent Choi had so many exploration records that he was connected to many factions.

As a result, he had become a well-connected character with various networks everywhere.

So when he said he’d look into it once more, it probably meant he’d dig up information from outside the Disaster Management Bureau too.

‘Doesn’t matter to me.’

He literally just meant he’d take a look, right? This is probably another ploy to try to recruit me to Xuanwu Team 1….

…Wait a minute.

‘He’s not actually going to find a ghost story, is he?’

A completely insane and implausible development where there happens to be a ghost story that matches that paper… No way, that can’t be right.

Yeah, it was just a delusion that made me break out in cold sweat just thinking about it. Let’s stop.

And right after Agent Choi tucked the paper note back into his jacket, the final agent for today’s mission finally opened the waiting room door and entered.

“Oh, Jae-gwan!”

The Bronze Agent strode in and sat down on the sofa.

Right, this is the person I should express my guilty conscience to!

I immediately bowed my head.

“Bronze Agent! Um, I’m sorry….”

“…Yes?”

“You went to all that trouble to look out for me, but I couldn’t handle the work properly in the Field Cleanup Team….”

“….”

Now that I’ve apologized like this, please give me just one more chance.

I haven’t given up on that Field Cleanup Team yet…!

And the Bronze Agent let out a small sigh and shook his head.

“You don’t need to apologize.”

“Right~ It’d be weirder for an agent to apologize for destroying a supernatural disaster!”

“…Agent.”

“Oh my, Jae-gwan is scary~ Let’s work, work.”

When the Bronze Agent glared at him, Agent Choi pretended not to notice and hastily pulled out the briefing documents.

…Thanks to that, I missed my appeal time. I’ll aim for the next opportunity.

Anyway, if we’re going into today’s work together, there will be another chance.

“Junior, where did I leave off?”

“Ah, you mentioned that today’s mission is a three-person team….”

“That’s right! But on top of that, a very reliable person will also be helping us.”

Agent Choi pointed to the wall next to the sofa.

There was a translucent curtain hanging down.

“It’s our Elder. Team Manager!”

“….”

The curtain?

I barely managed to say.

“…I can’t see anything.”

“You can’t see them, but you believe they’re there!”

“….”

“The Elder said they absolutely must help since a new employee is coming today.”

‘Is this some kind of hazing ritual for new employees?’

I was starting to get confused.

Just as I was about to search through the Darkness Investigation Records in my head to see if someone could actually transform into a curtain and whether that was possible, Agent Choi urged me to get up from the sofa and stand politely before that curtain.

“Jae-gwan stands here, Junior stands in the middle… good.”

Bronze Agent, me, Agent Choi.

And Agent Choi stepped forward and drew back the curtain.

Light poured through the curtain.

“…!!”

Behind the translucent curtain, there was surprisingly a glass window that hadn’t been visible before.

Of course, since this was underground, you couldn’t see outside, but auspicious and mystical light like aurora danced beyond the glass window.

A glass window rippling between window frames like hanji paper doors.

“Amazing, right? This was also made with some kind of mystical glass doing this and that… I don’t really know.”

Agent Choi approached with a smile.

“The important thing is that the Elder watches over this place through this!”

Elder.

“Who exactly is this Elder?”

“I told you. It’s our Xuanwu Team 1’s Team Manager!”

Surprisingly, even the Bronze Agent didn’t object and remained quiet. That meant it was true.

“Jae-gwan. That thing.”

The Bronze Agent respectfully removed the cloth covering the table between the sofas.

Swoosh.

What was placed on the revealed table was… food.

‘Buckwheat jelly, and… raw chocolate?’

What kind of combination is this supposed to be?

“Now. Wave your hands.”

Agent Choi raised both hands as if setting an example. Even the Bronze Agent raised his hands, so I quickly raised mine too.

“Please receive many blessings today, Elder!”

And we all bowed deeply toward the window together.

“…?!”

“Please take good care of today’s mission.”

I can say with certainty that this was something I’d never read about in the Darkness Investigation Records, and my mind became confused. But like a proper new employee, I tactfully followed along and bowed.

The moment I stood up.

“…!!”

My body began to shrink.

My field of vision lowered, and my hands and feet became smaller. Everything that came into view became slightly larger and swayed.

No, what was swaying was my head! My relatively large head compared to my shrunken body momentarily lost its balance and staggered.

“Huh.”

My voice had changed too. And….

The transformation stopped.

“….”

“….”

Now, there are only two things in my field of vision that haven’t grown larger than before.

The two people on either side of me.

“Well prepared. Thank you, Elder.”

I turned my head.

Where Agent Choi had been standing, some elementary student was now standing there, examining me thoroughly as if inspecting me.

No, I mean… it’s Agent Choi who’s been turned young! I can see the slickness and composure on the child’s face!

“Are you alright?”

On the opposite side is the Bronze Agent child. This one is equally stone-faced, no, wait…

‘Good heavens.’

I looked down at my hands.

I could also see the Dokkaebi Fire Child’s arms, which had shrunk in size to match my reduced body size.

Instead of giving me a thumbs up, it waves its hand excitedly at me.

“Great. Mission preparation complete.”

“…”

“Today’s supernatural disaster is… the Place Only Children Can Enter in New Country.”

“…”

“So we’ve all become 8-year-old children!”

I think I’m going to lose my mind.

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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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