Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 304

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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 304

 

The last time I met Jang Heo-un. …No, when I ‘summoned’ him, he appeared still as a resort employee.

 

A ghost story working at a ghost story resort.

 

Once human but no longer human, an eerie existence.

 

But what’s in front of me now is…

 

“Well, I mean, I… huh?”

 

A person.

 

“Brother!”

 

Too much like a person. When his eyes met Kim Heo-woon’s, tears streamed down as they embraced each other.

 

The sight of someone reuniting with family they thought was dead.

 

In human, human form…

 

[Oh, how touching. A family reunion!]

 

…!

 

Right.

 

Just because someone expresses natural emotions doesn’t automatically make them human.

 

‘He couldn’t have appeared like this if he were human in the first place.’

 

Because the person named Jang Heo-un died and only the resort employee remained, he could be summoned to this ‘rental space’ I selected as the new resort grounds.

 

So in other words…

 

‘He’s still darkness, but appears as if he’s regained his living personality’—something like that.

 

‘…How is this even possible?’

 

Something that might be wonder or fear runs down my spine.

 

Meanwhile, Jang Heo-un, having barely finished the reunion, turns to me and says.

 

“Um, Mascot. Thank you…! Is this also something you did for me…?”

 

…I silently looked at that employee, then asked.

 

W h o

 

a r e y o u ?

 

He hesitates.

 

“…Huh? Well, I mean… Deulso, I mean… I’m Deulso who worked at Daydream Company and then came to work at the resort.”

 

W h o

 

a m I ?

 

As if realizing something, Jang Heo-un’s expression changes.

 

“I know that you’re Noru, Mascot.”

 

…!

 

“Ever since I was on the Cleanup Team, I’ve only received help from you. …Mascot.”

 

Jang Heo-un swallows.

 

“I… died. Right?”

 

…

 

“In that resort room, by another employee… And you saved me, so… I survived as an employee of Flower Golden Resort… is that correct?”

 

T h a t ‘ s r i g h t

 

“…Yes.”

 

Jang Heo-un, who had been hanging his head low, soon continued in a slightly brighter tone that seemed artificially created.

 

“Well, I was definitely in some hot spring-like place where agents were, and I faintly regained self-awareness there too.”

 

Ah.

 

‘So it wasn’t completely without effect.’

 

Of course, it was such a minor change that meaningful recovery was deemed impossible, making it the kind that would leave a bitter taste as the despair of false hope would be even greater.

 

However, now expectation and tension swirl in Jang Heo-un’s eyes.

 

“But now, my consciousness is clear. Am I… recovered? Is this also something you do for employees?”

 

At that moment, Kim Heo-woon couldn’t hold back and spoke with an anxious expression.

 

“I want to become an employee too…! You brought me here alive to ask me that, right? Do I just need to sign?”

 

Dying, being revived, not being human.

 

Despite experiencing these insane occult events multiple times, these two people raised in Mumyeong Chanran Temple’s facilities treat me strangely casually.

 

That creates an eerie chill.

 

And my thoughts deepen…

 

I f y o u s i g n

 

y o u h a v e t o w o r k

 

I pointed with my front paws.

 

H e r e

 

“Here… you mean.”

 

Slightly bewildered expressions appear on both shadowy figures’ faces.

 

An empty space connected to the platform with nothing in it.

 

A small shopping complex space less than fifteen pyeong.

 

F o r a w h i l e

 

h e r e

 

c a n ‘ t l e a v e

 

“…!”

 

Right.

 

‘Can’t leave with a sound mind…’

 

The moment they leave, their living personalities would disappear again and only the resort ghost story employees would remain.

 

Essentially, they would have to stay trapped in this space.

 

In a narrow space less than 10 pyeong.

 

S o r r y

 

o n l y h e r e

 

t h a t f o r m

 

And if I eliminate this space, they’d have to return to the resort. There, they couldn’t exist with their living personalities like this.

 

A brief silence flowed.

 

However.

 

“…Still, I’d like to try staying here.”

 

…!

 

“If this is also a resort, it should be fine.”

 

Then he adds slightly as if gauging my reaction.

 

“And if I can work together with my brother… I’ll be able to work more joyfully.”

 

“Yes, I’m used to being in small spaces. I can do well…!”

 

The ‘Heo-woons’ answered as if actively appealing to me.

 

The fondness a mascot feels when seeing passionate employees and the complex emotions Kim Sol-eum feels as a human simultaneously occupied my mind.

 

And both acknowledged it.

 

That there was only one answer now.

 

U n d e r s t o o d

 

I received Kim Heo-woon’s signature on the employment contract.

 

“Um, then what kind of work should I do?”

 

S o u v e n i r S a l e s

 

At that moment.

 

The material of the floor and ceiling of the space I rented changed.

 

“…!”

 

Formal wood and golden decorations.

 

They belonged to Flower Golden Resort.

 

And items were displayed on a wooden stall that suddenly rose up in the center.

 

Products and amenities sold at Flower Golden Resort’s gift shop.

 

And most importantly… food items.

 

Good Child Chocolate Bar (Golden Edition), Flower Cookies, Garden Salad, and even hot dogs with the Cheerful Theme Park logo and several other theme park foods.

 

[ Flower Golden Resort ]

 

Souvenir Pop-up Store

 

It was a substitute for Delusional Home Shopping.

 

‘Since that place was blown away, the survivors have lost one place to get groceries.’

 

That meant the lives of the survivors on the train would become more difficult, and there was a high probability that Go Young-eun would be adversely affected somehow.

 

‘So I need to substitute for it.’

 

There would be a risk of contamination, but since I brought food items that were as much as possible ‘consumable by humans,’ it should be fine.

 

‘Even if I want to sell more or give them away for free… this is the limit.’

 

Surprisingly, even bringing these items from the resort mainland to here incurred something like ‘shipping costs.’

 

‘I have to rapidly consume coins to transfer them.’

 

At least it seemed possible because this place was a broadcasting station, which allowed some ‘connection’ with ghost stories beyond Segwang Special City.

 

I suppressed a sigh.

 

And.

 

B e C a r e f u l

 

T r u t h

 

I W i l l C h a s e A w a y

 

One mass-produced mascot was deployed.

 

‘Since it’s resort territory.’

 

It would perform basic functions as a Golden Mascot.

 

Fortunately, the employees could come out beyond the gold line drawn at 10 pyeong. If I, as the resort’s mascot, permitted it.

 

‘Phew.’

 

…It was just fortunate that their range of movement within Afternoon Station had expanded.

 

[Impressive. Though it’s probably not a choice that greatly benefits the resort… there’s fun in pioneering new paths.]

 

[Your two employees look happy too! My, good employers like my friend are rare indeed.]

 

…That probably wasn’t true, but it was still fortunate.

 

‘Phew.’

 

But still, seeing two dead people who smiled, conversed, and moved like ordinary people—ghost stories—evoked a strange feeling.

 

How was this possible?

 

‘Park Min-seong and I… at least weren’t in a dead state.’

 

It wasn’t even because it was a dream. They were truly summoned into Segwang Special City.

 

Yet the fact that they could appear in such human-like forms might mean….

 

‘A characteristic of Segwang Special City…?’

 

Wait a minute.

 

-And I heard strange words. To heaven? To paradise… I think that’s what it meant….

 

Could it be that Segwang Special City’s disaster.

 

The Joyful Research Institute’s research about heaven and paradise….

 

Was related to this phenomenon?

 

W a i t

 

I left the employees behind and looked beyond the empty space of the shopping complex marked with rental signs.

 

‘As expected.’

 

Like during Hanbit Library’s closure, a normal waiting room was connected beyond it.

 

I passed through the waiting room and headed to the platform on the opposite side.

 

‘…!’

 

…There, I discovered several shocking pieces of news from the facilities.

 

But even that shock had to be pushed aside in the face of the immediate task. Something urgent was right in front of me.

 

Bronze Agent and Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je.

 

Canceling the day labor contracts of the dead people.

 

 

“Deputy Manager.”

 

Eun Ha-je opened her eyes.

 

In front of her, her junior was looking down at her with a pale complexion.

 

“Noru.”

 

Eun Ha-je reflexively checked if her limbs were intact, then looked around and frowned.

 

“Are we still in Segwang City?”

 

“….”

 

Beside her, the rigid government official was regaining consciousness like herself.

 

What that meant was that he was still somewhat stiffly raising his dead body.

 

Honestly, it was a creepy sight.

 

‘What strange things we experience.’

 

To think we’d move around as corpses.

 

“I’m sorry. I….”

 

“What are you talking about, again.”

 

Eun Ha-je tapped her junior’s forehead.

 

“We all agreed to come in together from the start, and we just had bad luck and took the euthanasia drug first. Isn’t that right, Government Official?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

The agent’s eyes held shock, but more than that, there was composure and relief.

 

‘I guess he’s thinking it’s fortunate that Sol-eum is fine and the others seem to have gotten out safely.’

 

Eun Ha-je felt the same way.

 

Still, he asked to confirm.

 

“What about the other companions? I roughly heard you did some kind of greatest show on earth on live broadcast, and something about the home shopping being seized. We were organizing luggage in the storage room.”

 

“It’s roughly similar, but it wasn’t really like the greatest show on earth… Anyway, the others got out safely.”

 

“Good.”

 

Then that was settled.

 

Eun Ha-je craved a cigarette, but he didn’t light one here. He wasn’t sure if he could smoke with a dead body.

 

Besides, the place they were in now looked like some kind of shop.

 

“What is this place?”

 

“Ah. This is a safe place. I rented it. Through a lease contract.”

 

Rented?

 

The feeling wasn’t good.

 

Kim Sol-eum smiled. Behind him, a human shadow was visible, and it looked somewhat familiar…

 

“…Agent Hwagak?”

 

“…!”

 

Ryu Jae-gwan tried to get up immediately to check the shadow behind. Kim Sol-eum rushed over to stop him.

 

“Please calm down, Agent.”

 

“What exactly happened?”

 

“It would be better to go outside and talk.”

 

“Noru.”

 

Eun Ha-je deliberately shook his dead body somewhat comically.

 

“We… *sigh*. It seems difficult for us to go out.”

 

“No!”

 

Kim Sol-eum hurriedly pulled out two sheets of paper from his chest. They were the day worker employment contracts they had signed.

 

“I obtained both of your contracts. If I destroy these, you can get out of here…”

 

And his expression hardened.

 

“Noru?”

 

The contract

 

wouldn’t be destroyed.

 

‘…Why?’

 

Kim Sol-eum, feeling dizzy as if falling, realized the next moment.

 

‘I was too weak…!’

 

The idea of renting only an extremely small part of the rental space ultimately led to insufficient control.

 

While he could make the employees move as if they were living people, the rental contractor didn’t have the authority to cancel and destroy the subordination itself.

 

Because he didn’t have that much power.

 

But that could be solved.

 

He could just borrow the deposit!

 

“…There was a slight problem, but don’t worry. I can solve it right away. Um…”

 

“What kind of problem?”

 

“…”

 

“I asked what kind of problem. Grape Agent.”

 

“…I think it’s because I contracted the rental space too small. If I contract it bigger…”

 

“Don’t do it.”

 

“…!”

 

“You must not carelessly make contracts in supernatural disasters! If you’ve already made a contract, at least don’t increase its size.”

 

Ryu Jae-gwan grabbed Kim Sol-eum’s arm.

 

“Agent, you only contracted this much because you know that, don’t you?”

 

“…”

 

“What did you do to rent this space? What price did you pay?”

 

“It’s really okay.”

 

Kim Sol-eum pulled his arm away.

 

“I handled it well. There’s a safe way to borrow the remaining cost…”

 

“Are you in your right mind?!”

 

Oops.

 

“Never, absolutely never think about owing debt to a supernatural disaster!”

 

“…”

 

Something like fatigue briefly appeared on Kim Sol-eum’s face, then soon disappeared as he became nonchalant.

 

“I’m already in debt.”

 

“…!”

 

“The amount won’t make much difference. So…”

 

“Won’t it??”

 

This crazy bastard!

 

Eun Ha-je quickly grabbed his junior and whispered.

 

“Have you ever seen anyone who became a debtor by constantly borrowing from monsters in the darkness have a good ending?”

 

“…”

 

“No. You know that too.”

 

Kim Sol-eum’s expression darkened, then he soon gritted his teeth.

 

But Eun Ha-je didn’t change his words.

 

“So just leave it for now.”

 

“Deputy Manager,”

 

“Don’t forget. Our bodies are perfectly fine outside.”

 

Eun Ha-je pointed to the air with his thumb.

 

To the outside.

 

“You said this was entry through dreams. Like some kind of coma.”

 

“…”

 

“Actually, it’s good. Since we’re already dead, we don’t have to worry about starvation or contamination.”

 

“What nonsense…!”

 

“It makes more sense than owing rental costs to a ghost story, so be quiet.”

 

“…”

 

Eun Ha-je patted the back of Kim Sol-eum who had closed his mouth.

 

Exchanging glances with the agent.

 

“Let’s… think of it as having a long dream. Got it?”

 

Actually, he knew it wasn’t true.

 

Their minds trapped dead in a nightmare ghost story while in suspended animation? They were right on the verge of being treated as missing…

 

“Let’s take the long view.”

 

But this conclusion was sincere.

 

 

A few hours later.

 

We sent a signal to the train shelter entering the platform and boarded it.

 

“Are you alri…!”

 

Go Young-eun, who seemed to have a lot to say while looking at us with a brightened expression, saw the drastically reduced number of people and atmosphere, then just accepted us with the words “You’ve been through a lot.”

 

And my two companions and I separated and moved apart.

 

Because our purposes were different.

 

“….”

 

Now that things have come to this, I can’t just leave.

 

‘I’ll check the next station too.’

 

No, I’ll check as many of the Joyful Research Institute facilities at the stations as possible, as quickly as possible. I’ll identify the hidden elements and find a way to get people out of here no matter what…

 

I recalled.

 

The reaction I showed to the two people who said they would accompany me when I said I was going to the next station.

 

-You can’t!

 

-….

 

-No, I mean… please stay on the train as much as possible. If staying on the train isn’t feasible, then at Afternoon Station, next to the street vendors, please absolutely don’t help with any work and just stay there…

 

-Got it.

 

The hand that calmly patted my shoulder.

 

-I’ll somehow squeeze my butt into the train and stick around, so don’t worry. This old-fashioned guy will probably develop some nerve as he goes along.

 

-….

 

-I’ll find out whatever I can.

 

I agreed to those words.

 

‘Because if they stay on the train, they can remain in their intact state.’

 

Then the two of them would be safe too.

 

So right now, the two of them had gone to see Go Young-eun’s aunt, who manages the rear cars of this train shelter…

 

Taking along several bribes to give to the train conductor in the front cars.

 

‘It’s okay.’

 

And I, who would still remain as an outsider, decided to use what I had purchased from the street vendors in Car 7 during my previous visit.

 

-Car 8 Accommodation Ticket Purchase Window

 

“Here it is.”

 

The ‘train accommodation ticket’ was a transit card with a series of numbers carved into it with an awl.

 

I handed the item to the shelter person standing guard at the door and was able to enter Car 8 of the train.

 

Clatter.

 

With the sound of the door opening, the last train car equipped with blankets and shabby bedding revealed itself.

 

I caught my breath.

 

‘Just one day… let’s sleep for just one day and then move.’

 

So many things have happened that I don’t even know if I’m making the right decisions right now.

 

Heo-un and Heo-un, the dead Deputy Manager and Agent, Segwang Special City, Joyful Research Institute, Paradise, talk show, resort…

 

‘I need to rest.’

 

Unlike 130666, the human body needs to eat, sleep, and rest.

 

Let’s sleep first and wake up, then think again.

 

I instinctively went to the spot at the very end and got into the bedding.

 

But since I’m already sleeping, questions like whether sleeping again has any meaning swirled in my head, making it impossible to fall asleep.

 

So I asked.

 

‘Brown. Those people whose contracts you took over, have they all… started working at the talk show?’

 

[That’s right, Noru! Hmm, there’s quite a variety from reasonably useful personnel to those who can barely manage to run errands.]

 

And among them would be my companions too.

 

‘…When my companions return home, could you deliver a letter from me?’

 

[It’s not a difficult request, Noru!]

 

I quickly wrote a letter from where I sat.

 

That the two people had become unable to escape from Segwang Special City while dead.

 

…That I bore responsibility for this situation.

 

But that I would find a way somehow, and for that purpose, I would continue exploring in Segwang Special City for now.

 

So there was no need to panic even if I didn’t wake up.

 

And…

 

Along with a request to deliver the letter to Agent Choi as well, though I was truly sorry.

 

‘…Please deliver this to Manager Lee Ja-heon.’

 

[Noru, I find it really difficult to understand why my friend is writing such a humble letter to a swordsman… Good heavens, even the letter itself would be more than he deserves.]

 

I expected him to say something like that, but I just appeased him appropriately and finished my request to Brown.

 

‘Thank you.’

 

And silence returned again.

 

“….”

 

Inside the bright train car. Lying on the floor, I turned my gaze around meaninglessly.

 

Since it was the last car, there was no door, but instead that spot was properly finished. My eyes gradually became vacant as I looked at the panel fastened with screws.

 

Screws, metallic colors, all the same specifications, but occasionally some had wrinkle-like marks from wear over time. For instance, the second screw from the left looked like a logo…

 

‘…Wait.’

 

It’s a Daydream Company potion bottle cap.

 

“…!!”

 

I sat up.

 

I looked at the screw again.

 

Still, my impression remained the same.

 

‘That’s right.’

 

I rummaged through my pocket and pulled out the bottle of low-grade regeneration potion I had left over, then held its cap up to the screw…

 

…The pattern in the center matched.

 

“….”

 

I reached for the cap disguised as a screw and pulled it with force.

 

There was resistance, but surprisingly, it eventually came out with a pop.

 

And a piece of paper rolled up like a screw attached to the cap revealed itself…

 

Oh~ you figured this out?

 

Then you’re qualified to read this tip lol

 

“…!”

 

Read carefully and work hard

 

At the end of the note that began like that, the author’s name was written.

 

-Lee Kang-heon

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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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