Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 204

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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 204

Images flow from the glass walls. Oh no! I’m trapped in a strange prison! Where is this place? Ah, this is inside the crystal cave of ■■ City? Thanks Brown! What? You’ll even explain how to get out, thank you so much! We really are the best of friends! It’s a miniature classic animation. A conversation between a protagonist dressed exactly like me and a rabbit doll. This is strange. This is strange…

I turn my head. But images come from there too. I see! I break the glass orbs around me to kill the prisoners and use them as bait to lure out the guards!

‘…!’

As if following my gaze, the images follow wherever I turn my head.

They come from every glass wall.

What an easy method!

You’re really amazing, Brown!

The rabbit doll, the same size as me in the video, kindly explains escape methods while moving through space. How to move while in the glass orb, how to torture guards, maps and travel routes. It calmly explains methods that are shockingly detailed and absurdly vicious.

Just like giving instructions in a children’s animation…

Ah.

-That’s right! Doesn’t this suit Noru’s preferences perfectly? It’s effective for immersion. Very good…

The extremely childish animated video shows blood and screams, severed limbs of guards, and evacuating Disaster Management Bureau staff.

And it ended with the ‘protagonist’ and rabbit doll Brown giving each other high-fives while watching it.

Great! This is how we escape!

The final phrase of the video echoes in my ears… and I hear applause.

Clap clap clap.

The cheerful sound of gloves hitting together.

-Whew! What a short but amazing journey! How about it, Friend, are you ready to escape as mini Brown showed you?

“…”

Intense, ostentatious, and more eerie for being classic TV footage.

This seems like Brown’s handiwork that I’m getting used to now.

But I noticed one thing.

-Oh, don’t worry. As I said, watching TV is such an everyday thing, isn’t it!

‘No.’

-Hmm?

I looked at the rabbit doll’s shadow.

‘You didn’t break the glass prison’s rules in that way.’

-Oh.

Because…

‘The video was played from outside the glass walls.’

It’s just being projected into this prison. Just like how I talked with the Bronze Agent who was standing outside the glass walls.

‘You got the idea from there, right?’

That’s how you circumvented the rules.

‘You seemed to aim for more shocking direction by making it feel like it was happening inside the glass prison.’

After a brief silence.

-My goodness… that’s correct, Friend! Your keen eye and brilliant deduction would be a nightmare for magicians!

-What excellent talent. Oh, absolutely. Every time I’m impressed like this, it becomes such a waste…

-But that’s not what’s important right now. I haven’t heard your thoughts on the program yet!

“…”

-So, how about it?

I opened my mouth.

‘I have a question.’

-Oh, a question about escaping?

‘No.’

That’s not it.

What I’m curious about is…

‘How much of my thoughts do you know?’

…

-Aha.

-I know as much as necessary for understanding between friends!

‘Is that so.’

Somehow that was the answer I expected.

After the late-night talk show incident, I realized that the Host seems to read quite a lot of what’s in my head. Maybe even information I casually think of.

I suspect the glass prison escape method I just saw was probably made based on that information too.

But…

‘That’s the end of it.’

-…

-Noru. I sense an absurd nuance in your words… oh, haha. It must be my mistake. Surely you don’t mean that this Brown… doesn’t understand his friend sufficiently?

‘No.’

A hollow laugh came to my lips.

‘I mean you understand exactly as much as you need.’

You’re probably being selective.

By the standard most important to you.

‘Which is entertainment.’

A cheerful voice is heard.

-Nothing is more important than that to an entertainer!

-And this is also something Noru willingly promised. I clearly remember you declaring that you would entertain me…

‘Right. But… I was mistaken about something.’

-A mistake? Could you share what you mean by that?

I said while holding back a sigh.

Now I could face it somewhat.

‘I unconsciously thought you would consider my position before the enjoyment of the show.’

Actually, it’s an absurd expectation.

I don’t know what I expected from the bizarre talk show host in this ghost story.

But after sharing so many secrets and incidents, and even successfully escaping from the talk show through agreement, it seems I developed a vague faith different from rational judgment.

A ‘feeling that it would somehow work out’.

I even forgot the logic I used every time to persuade – ‘for a more enjoyable show’.

That’s understandable since receiving help at every crucial moment inevitably creates emotional bias.

Toward that ‘Good Friend’.

It was one-sided trust that developed inductively.

‘I’ll try not to do that in the future.’

And honestly, even saying this didn’t mean much.

I’ll just be more careful.

But….

This much should be okay to say.

‘You said you felt hurt earlier? I felt something similar.’

….

-Good heavens.

I hear the host sighing.

-Yes. So that was it…. I expected as much, but now I understand clearly. Noru, you were deeply hurt when I refused your help a few days ago.

Phew.

-What a misunderstanding! This Brown only wanted to give the best help to my Friend. Now, let’s think about this more….

The host’s voice lowers.

-What if I had ‘simply’ helped you there? You would have disappeared like magic.

-Then instead of continuing this wonderful spy role, you would have just fled without context.

This is driving me crazy.

-An ending where all the story you’ve built up until now just stops meaninglessly. Could there be a more futile conclusion? Is that really what you wanted, Noru? No, right?

“That’s….”

At that moment, the Dokkaebi Fire that had been stuck to the wall approached me.

Huh?

“What’s wrong?”

I carefully picked it up with one hand. Then the Dokkaebi Fire seemed to gather great courage, stretched its body, and made a shape toward the Rabbit Doll.

A thumbs down.

“….”

And then it (probably) buried its head in my side and hid.

-Oh my.

‘Don’t get angry. It’s funny. You have to accept it then.’

-….

‘Sorry. But it’s similar to what you said, isn’t it?’

I think it’s a bit crazy, but doing this so openly somehow made me feel refreshed.

‘Anyway… that’s all I wanted to say. I’m not saying your actions were wrong.’

The host’s reaction was as expected too.

…I won’t be disappointed in the future.

I’ll just be satisfied that there’s a conversation partner who can probabilistically provide help.

-…Friend. You don’t trust my words.

-Fine. Misunderstandings always follow any relationship. I’ll try to think of this as something I must endure as well….

There were a few sounds of displeased footsteps, but they soon disappeared.

This was a bit surprising.

I didn’t know he could be patient.

‘Maybe because there’s something more important ahead.’

-Right now there’s something more urgent than arguments between personnel. The sight of my Friend being left in this narrow, stuffy place and wasting time is not very pleasant.

Escape.

-Are you mentally prepared?

Hmm.

I stood up from my seat.

Inside the small glass orb, I can see the circular solitary cell.

And the ‘escape method’ from the video is already etched into my mind.

Now I strangely know how to escape from this infamous glass prison by causing a terrible riot.

If I did that, it would become an irregular incident worthy of being recorded in .

But….

….

‘No.’

I pondered.

And reached a conclusion.

I decided to choose the best method I could do right now.

-You don’t mean to just sit there and undergo interrogation, do you?

….

‘That’s right though.’

I sat back down in the chair.

‘…I’m going to undergo the full interrogation.’

“….”

Agent Choi lowered his head.

Prisoner Number: 37-999

Prisoner: Kim■■ (Agent Name: Grape)

Affiliation: Emergency Rescue Team Genbu Team 1 (On Hold)

The updated interrogation records of the prisoner were held in those hands.

Page by page, the devastating interrogation records of an entire week were revealed.

Refusal to testify and deteriorating health conditions. Interrogation methods gradually becoming more extreme.

But after passing through that agonizing period, changes began to show.

Like this.

Day 8.

Prisoner condition: Poor. (Recovering trend)

Significant changes were observed in the prisoner’s attitude after the interrogation conducted the previous day.

Non-cooperative responses such as deliberately causing audiovisual disturbances to avoid hearing questions or maintaining consistent silence were greatly reduced.

Sleep and meal times increased to levels similar to recommended amounts, and the prisoner was observed caring for dokkaebi fire or checking a doll he possessed (which he referred to as a friend).

This is presumed to be the influence of a familiar agent being selected as the new interrogator.

It was from after Ryu Jae-gwan arrived.

Personal opinion of the person in charge: The prisoner appears to be definitely regaining stability. Rather than increasing interrogation intensity, it would be more efficient to naturally draw out a confession as things are.

Multiple personnel agreed with this opinion without dissent.

The pages continued to accumulate like that.

Day 9.

Prisoner condition: Poor. (Recovering trend)

Special meal (galbitang) provision was approved. The interrogator brought the same menu and conducted the interrogation while eating together with the prisoner.

The prisoner faithfully participated in the question and answer session.

He acknowledged that his contamination traces originated from supernatural disasters he had separately experienced before working at the Disaster Management Bureau.

The person imprisoned in the glass prison gradually began talking about many things, and hints appeared throughout that he had deeper conversations with the interrogator.

His personal life and personality, his fondness for the Disaster Management Bureau, his fear of supernatural disasters, and even the relief and satisfaction he felt when rescuing citizens.

After several days passed like that…

It finally reached this point.

Day 12.

The prisoner testified that he had worked at [REDACTED] Corporation.

He affirmed that there was external pressure during the process of applying for public recruitment at the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau and that he had separate goals to achieve while working.

However, it was confirmed as truth that there was a powerful prohibition equivalent to a death sentence, that he had no intention of harming the Management Bureau, and that no actual damage had ever occurred to the Management Bureau during the prisoner’s service.

It was confirmed that the prisoner had a desire to continue working regardless of his original purpose for joining.

The interrogator reported this testimony to higher authorities.

“…”

The agent momentarily calmed his slightly trembling hand and turned to the next page.

The last page.

Day 13.

Prisoner condition: Good.

And.

The testimony secured during prisoner interrogation passed the reliability test.

The detention status of 37-999 (Agent name: Grape) is lifted and restoration of agent status is approved.

Scheduled for release tomorrow.

And that tomorrow was today.

Thud.

Agent Choi closed the pages.

Tension and relief crossed his tired face.

“He’ll be coming out soon now.”

“Right.”

“Please stop moving around.”

“I should.”

But Agent Choi was still pacing back and forth in the waiting room.

Because future plans were clearly taking concrete shape in his mind.

‘This isn’t the end.’

Since it was as good as officially acknowledged that he had been a spy, he might have to go through quite rigorous procedures.

But that would be an audit and disciplinary action given to an agent.

Kim Sol-eum would receive that investigation as an agent of Genbu Team 1…

‘Then I can help him somehow.’

That was what mattered.

Now the person in charge of the glass prison would retrieve the glass orb where Grape Agent had been imprisoned, lift the prohibition, and transfer custody to them.

Then before the disciplinary action, they’d need to have an open conversation about Baekillmong Corporation, and they’d also need to discuss the secrets, items, and abilities that guy had been hiding…

‘That can also proceed slowly.’

What was important was that the interrogation procedure had ended well, and that Kim Sol-eum had regained stability.

It was a long detour, but they had succeeded.

Agent Choi finally let out a sigh of relief.

The blood-drying past two weeks were over.

He didn’t know how many different things he had tried to achieve this conclusion. And…

“…Jae-gwan.”

“…”

“Thank you. You worked hard.”

Bronze Agent sitting across from him nodded slightly.

Though his attitude was blunt, Agent Choi, who read the gentle gesture of reconciliation within it, just quietly looked at his junior.

A smile returned to Agent Choi’s face.

Regret and gratitude intersected.

“First, all three of us need to go to a hot spring. Really. I’ll pay for everything we do there.”

“Yes.”

It was when he patted Ryu Jae-gwan’s back like that.

Knock knock.

“…!”

The door opened and the person in charge appeared.

“The detention has been lifted.”

“Then…”

“Yes. Grape Agent is currently waiting in the waiting room.”

“Thank you.”

Agent Choi hastily shook hands with the person in charge, then quickly moved his steps.

“W-wait…”

He already knew the location of the waiting room. Agent Choi unhesitatingly entered the cave and headed toward the iron door with a nameplate near the entrance.

He would be inside.

Kim Sol-eum.

“…”

…What story to start with was still completely unclear.

Honestly, I don’t even know what his identity is.

‘What the hell was that thing anyway.’

That strange research laboratory and even the appearance of that supernatural being.

However, what I can be certain of is that on that night when the prohibition spell was cast, Kim Sol-eum tried to save me.

Even prepared to risk death.

“….”

So that means.

‘I can just get to know him from now on.’

Agent Choi didn’t hesitate and opened the iron door at once. And….

There was no one there.

“….”

There were no traces of people in the empty waiting room.

As if there had been no one from the beginning.

“Agent?”

Agent Choi froze, then looked around the waiting room again.

Only something pure white remained incongruously on the metal chair.

A single neatly folded piece of paper.

A single word was written on the front.

Resignation Letter

Agent Choi picked it up.

Small items that had been contained in the paper scattered to the floor.

From eyeball candy to rod-shaped syringes.

They looked like miscellaneous items, but each one was probably an item.

“….”

He froze again for a moment, then unfolded the paper.

He could see writing pressed down firmly.

Hello, Agent.

I really wanted to apologize for everything that has happened so far.

I’m truly sorry.

A letter from Grape Agent that began like that.

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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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