Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 190
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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 190
-A spy. Ah, yes indeed. A classic and popular identity that makes the audience’s heart race in any era.
-The cathartic reversal when the mysterious and powerful identity of an extraordinary person is revealed!
-Isn’t this the perfect profession for my talented Friend?
Hehe.
On my way to work, I entered the Disaster Management Bureau while listening to Brown’s enthusiastic commentary.
‘Thank goodness the Disaster Management Bureau jacket has front pockets.’
The stuffed doll’s ears were also covered by the fabric flap covering the pocket, making it barely noticeable at first glance.
I naturally greeted the agents as I crossed the Management Bureau’s main lobby.
-A special entry method through a hidden entrance. A special agent cliché. This seems like an organization that understands romance quite well.
-Let’s see where Noru’s workplace is? How exciting!
The start was good. Brown gave the Disaster Management Bureau’s hidden exit a pretty decent score, and gave a fair score to the sights visible after entering.
‘I’m glad it likes it.’
I responded appropriately while taking the elevator, passing through the corridor and opening the door.
Thus, Genbu Team 1’s waiting room was revealed.
And…
-….
‘Brown?’
-Oh, I see you’ve decorated a spare temporary space to look decent like a break room.
-Haha. Noru, it’s quite amusing that you’ve learned to be clever while I wasn’t watching! Are you going to secretly enjoy a short rest here before going to your actual workplace?
‘This is it.’
-Hmm?
‘This is my workplace.’
There was no response from Good Friend.
-Are you going to charm visitors here to extract information? Excellent skill using an unofficial break area…
No.
‘This really is my official workplace.’
–Friend, what exactly do you do here?
‘Sit on the sofa.’
Good Friend showed no response again. It seemed dead…
-Oh. You’re trying to deceive me.
Aaaah!
‘Then when we get called, we deploy. To rescue people in various unusual disaster situations.’
-Aha.
‘This is just a waiting room.’
-Hahaha. So the real work hasn’t even started yet.
-Oh, you’re trying to deceive me! That was quite entertaining, Friend!
‘Right? Hahahaha…’
Cold sweat trickled down. Right, this was what it was originally like traveling with Brown… Phew.
Then, my right hand tucked in the pocket moved secretly.
Making a thumb… and forcefully pointing it downward.
“….”
Yeah. I understand.
-Good. Then this place doesn’t seem to be the worst location for resting alone either!
‘It’s a waiting room the whole team uses together.’
-….
‘It’s okay. Everyone’s fun and good people.’
Brown seemed somewhat shocked, but it couldn’t be helped. It seemed to be comparing this to the large pharmaceutical company that provided private offices…
-…Fine. How many people work with Noru in total?
‘Ah, right now there are three people… but only two come into the waiting room.’
I looked at the whiteboard in the waiting room.
That place where memos from people who had passed through Genbu Team 1 remained.
‘…Originally about seven people work here.’
This was just knowledge I had.
In , the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau’s Emergency Rescue Team, especially the headquarters’ Genbu teams, had been reinforced up to a total of 7 teams.
But after that, due to some incident, half died or went missing, and there was a time when it was reorganized into 3 teams.
‘It was a really eerie ghost story.’
Anyway, there was a time when they were actively recruiting people… and it seemed like now was that time.
-That’s fortunate indeed. Phew, seven people in this shabby room. It’s not like they’re unsuccessful comedians or anything.
“…Mm.”
I just smiled bitterly.
And after thinking about it, I picked up the marker from the whiteboard and left a line myself.
People worthy of respect.
While thinking of the early wiki’s Disaster Management Bureau, Genbu Team 1.
-You left some writing? My! A spy’s trace… how intriguing. Could you bring me closer so I can see it in more detail?
It’s nothing particularly profound though.
“Sure.”
That wasn’t difficult. I took the stuffed doll out of my front pocket and supported its body with both hands, placing it near the whiteboard…
Click.
“Grape, you came early again today? Did you sleep well last night…”
Agent Choi, who made eye contact with me, looks at the doll in my hands.
And then looks at my hands respectfully holding that doll against the whiteboard.
Ah, ahhh…
“G-good morning. Agent Choi.”
“Yeah. It’s a good morning, but… are you donating a doll to our waiting room? That’s nice.”
“Ah, no. It’s not like that…”
-Oh?
I hunched my shoulders and hurriedly grabbed Brown, stuffing it back into my front pocket.
But Agent Choi stopped me.
The agent’s eyes were scanning the text I had written on the whiteboard.
“Hm? No no, it’s fine. Kids these days take verification shots with stuff like this, right?”
But does Grape use SNS too, internal agency photos are classified so you can’t upload them, think of it like the National Intelligence Service… I hurriedly responded in character to Agent Choi who was saying such things.
“No. This one is just, something I always carry around, um, a friend.”
-Nice to meet you! Oh, that scar on your neck is quite stylish. I’d love to hear the interesting story behind it sometime.
“…Friend?”
“Yes…”
At that moment, Bronze Agent also opened the waiting room door and came in.
“Good morn…”
“Jae-gwan, come here. The youngest brought a doll!”
“A doll?”
Agent Choi hurriedly grabbed Bronze Agent and dragged him over.
This is burdensome.
-My goodness, isn’t this the one who played the serial killer at the mountain lodge! …Aha! Could it be that you’ve infiltrated under the pretense of going along with his persistent casting offers?
No. I got caught because I looked suspicious…
-Either way, not bad. Two sidekicks to assist you!
No. They’re my superiors…
Meanwhile, my two superior agents were looking at Brown with curiosity.
“But if you always carry it around, why haven’t we seen it? Jae-gwan, have you seen it?”
Bronze Agent’s expression became subtle.
He must be remembering Brown that was sometimes hanging outside my clothes or stuck in my pocket when we met before…!
‘But if he testifies, he’d have to say we knew each other from before!’
I intervened to reduce the agent’s dilemma.
“Ah, the friend I originally had got torn due to my mistake… so I recently made a new one.”
“…”
Bronze Agent’s expression became even more peculiar.
And after muttering “friend” to himself several times, he soon asks.
“Don’t tell me during your break… you ‘made’ a friend?”
Surprisingly, it was the truth.
“Yes. That’s right! Ah, I didn’t make it myself, I just bought it from a store though…”
“…”
“Grape, if you keep calling a doll a friend, a ghost will attach to it…”
“Go get the documents.”
“Ack!”
Bronze Agent kicked Agent Choi’s butt and they both left the waiting room together.
And he turned back to me and said kindly.
“The New Investigation Team has called for Agent Grape. The rescue signal will come here, so don’t worry and go.”
“Yes? Yes.”
And the two disappeared in an instant.
Thud.
‘Phew.’
I thought they’d ask more questions, but fortunately they didn’t.
If I had looked suspicious at that moment, Agent Choi would have brought out ghost story detection equipment and… Hmm. That would have been a close call.
Although Brown had boasted that “no matter what they use, they won’t be able to figure out who I am,” there’s nothing wrong with being careful.
‘I thought it would be better to show it naturally from the beginning rather than hide it and get caught, but still.’
I didn’t expect it to happen like this.
Is this… good?
–Friend? And what kind of place is the New Investigation Team?
‘Ah, let’s go see now.’
Anyway, since the New Investigation Team called for me, let me go out briefly and come back.
I moved with Brown through the actual personnel work areas of the Disaster Management Bureau, that is, the office corridors. And…
-My goodness, I’d rather this were a comedy corner… To think my friend fell for an employment scam.
“…”
In the eyes of the host from the glamorous capitalist era mass media ghost story, the 21st century government facilities seemed truly outdated and substandard…
Fortunately, another element that could capture Brown’s interest soon appeared.
It was my fellow spy standing in front of the New Investigation Team office.
Go Young-eun.
“Agent Grape!”
Go Young-eun, who had been waving at me with a happy expression, looked at the stuffed doll on my chest as I approached and her expression became subtle.
“That… you’re carrying it around again?”
“…Yes.”
Come to think of it, Young-eun had seen Brown in the Good Friend form quite often too.
Even in that exhibition ghost story, ‘Mansion of the Blind,’ she had glimpsed me several times when I was intimidating Baek Sa-heon with Brown…
Anyway, it seems Brown had more presence than I thought, and she’s acknowledging it.
‘I thought it wouldn’t be that noticeable since it’s small…’
In this crazy company from the ghost story world, people carry around everything from rabbit feet to mummy bandages.
Since everyone wears bizarre animal masks to begin with, I thought a stuffed doll keychain would be fine.
Hmm. Apparently not…
Still, Go Young-eun remains kind.
“It’s still cute! I think you chose well.”
-Oh my, someone with good taste. An audience with discernment is always an entertainer’s pleasure.
Anyway, everyone’s satisfied, so that’s fortunate. I smiled and opened my mouth.
“Thank you. By any chance, does Agent Park Ha also have a similar doll…”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
“…”
No, I was trying to ask if you had one. A doll keychain…
Cold sweat breaks out.
Ah, it seems the Rabbit Doll stands out more than I expected.
‘This won’t do.’
After asking Brown for understanding, I pulled down the fabric cover of my front pocket more to hide the doll’s shape as much as possible.
“Agent Grape! We need your statement over here… Huh? That’s cute. Did your younger brother give it to you?”
“Oh my, what’s that? A doll?”
But despite that, as I moved and it became visible, it became small talk material several times…
And the finale was when I finished giving a simple statement to the New Investigation Team and returned to the Genbu Team 1 waiting room.
Click.
“Grape!”
As I entered, the two agents who had arrived first jumped up.
And Agent Choi is grinning suspiciously.
…?
“Sorry. I spoke a bit harshly to your friend earlier! Calling it a ghost. Right?”
-Hmm. Now you’re trying to be polite. I’ll accept it.
“It’s, it’s fine.”
What’s this?
Anyway, now that I know the Stuffed Doll stands out more than expected, I think I need to handle this.
I sat quietly on the sofa and muttered.
“I’ll, I’ll carry it around carefully so it doesn’t stand out, so even if it’s uncomfortable, please bear with it a little…”
“Hahaha, what are you talking about. Of course our Grape’s friend can stay in our waiting room.”
Suddenly Agent Choi put his arm around my shoulder and showed me something.
“Here, here’s your friend’s spot.”
A neatly folded handkerchief was placed on the soft armrest of the window-side sofa. It’s a navy-colored handkerchief issued to agents…
‘…’
No.
What is this. This atmosphere.
-Haha, I appreciate the kindness but I’ll decline! I have my own handkerchief that I carry… Oh dear, where did it go? Strangely, I can’t see it!
I’ll buy you one later, just wait!
“Th, thank you…”
I eventually gave in to the atmosphere and placed Brown on that handkerchief.
Agent Choi still asks kindly with a smiling face.
“What’s our friend’s name?”
“Br, Brown.”
“…It’s pink though?”
“Yes?”
“Hahaha, no. That can happen! Hey, the heart wants what it wants~”
“Yes… thank you.”
What on earth is this.
I looked at Bronze Agent with a feeling of asking for help, but when Bronze Agent met my eyes, he only smiled with difficulty.
He seems to be trying to look warm…
‘…??’
I became even more confused.
“Here, I’ll give you this too. It’s called a diary string, it would be cute tied to the ears.”
Like that, Brown even received a cushion near the window and successfully blended into the Genbu Team 1 waiting room without being suspected…
‘…??’
And the cause of this situation is revealed through the group chat.
[Let’s not say anything unnecessary about Destroyer Rookie carrying around a doll keychain. It’s a precious friend.]
[?]
[Then it’s not a supernatural phenomenon?]
[It’s not that, and according to testimony from a teammate, they seem to have been carrying it around from before and using it to calm their mind. Let’s not pry into personal matters unnecessarily.]
[Ah…]
[Confirmed]
[We all understand that feeling]
[I’m the person who asked if your sister gave you that doll today. If you’re reading this, I’m sorry, Agent. ㅠㅠ]
“…”
Agent Bronze…!!
-In that sense, this place is… Hmm. I’ll give it 39 points.
On the way home from work.
I quickened my steps toward the motel while listening to Brown’s fairly generous score for the Disaster Management Bureau.
Except for a brief deployment for a low-grade supernatural disaster in the afternoon, it was an ordinary day shift, so my condition should have been fine but…
‘I’m tired…’
There were too many things mentally, and as an ending, an unplanned character trait was added to me…
‘Ugh.’
I want to rest.
‘…Should I sleep somewhere better just for today.’
As I walked down the road where the sun had set, I searched for other lodging on my smartphone…
Bzzzz.
A popup appears on the phone with vibration.
A text message.
[J: I found out the information]
[J : A bit]
“…!”
It’s the Security Chief.
This was the first time since I gave him the smartphone.
But he got information?
[J: Problem]
[What do you mean?]
I hurriedly sent a reply.
But there was no response for several minutes.
“….”
And after a long while.
[J: I’m going out]
A chill ran down my spine.
I immediately called him. But he didn’t answer.
‘What’s going on.’
The signal was clearly going through, so why wasn’t he picking up the phone?
[Where are you?]
[Are you okay?]
The 1 disappears from the text. That means he’s checking it.
‘Wait. He said he was… going out?’
I hurriedly narrowed down my lodging search to around Baekillmong Company and picked a suitable unmanned hotel.
Then I put the address, room number, and password into a text message.
[If you’ve come out, please come here (link)]
Then I immediately rushed back into the subway.
To head to that unmanned hotel near the company.
A short while later.
“…?!”
When I opened the door to the unmanned hotel room and entered, I witnessed a scene I never could have expected.
“Mmph!”
Gwak Je-gang was tied up and lying face down on the floor.
And the Security Chief sitting on top of him, keeping him subdued.
And….
“No, Noru.”
Park Min-seong turning to look at me, dripping with cold sweat.
He was wearing a Security Team uniform.
“….”
What the hell is this mess?
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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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