Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 337

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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 337

 

Why is the Bronze Agent… wearing a Segwang High School uniform in a young appearance?

 

“….”

 

I almost became dazed by this insane situation, but I immediately pulled myself together and began to assess the situation.

 

The Bronze Agent looked slightly younger than the high school student appearance I had seen in the ‘In the Black Shadow’ ghost story.

 

And it wasn’t just the uniform that had changed.

 

His expression and atmosphere definitely showed his young age.

 

“Um…”

 

And he doesn’t recognize me.

 

‘…Has he been assimilated into the Segwang Special City ghost story?’

 

Like me, properly ‘placed’ as a citizen of this Segwang Special City on May 4th.

 

…Wait a minute.

 

If all the companions who fell here are in this state, then how on earth do I take them and escape?

 

How do I convince them?

 

The relief of finding a companion was brief, and urgent choices came again.

 

I desperately racked my brain. Meanwhile, high school student Ryu Jae-gwan, who had been running after me, caught his breath and chose his words.

 

“Earlier, the bicycle… are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

I looked at that face that was even youthful.

 

It was an expression mixed with bewilderment and concern, but he was calm considering he had witnessed something that would only be seen in ghost stories become reality at that age.

 

‘…Bronze Agent said he was first caught up in a ghost story and rescued by the Disaster Management Bureau when he was a student.’

 

Could it be reflected from an even earlier time point? No, the important thing is how to get him to accompany me first.

 

I asked while pretending to look at the other person’s uniform that had no name tag.

 

“More than that… student?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Is your destination Segwang High School by any chance? It looks like that school’s uniform.”

 

“That’s right, but…”

 

“That works out well. I’m also heading that way.”

 

Then I approached the shared bicycle rack and started breaking the bicycle locks with a stone.

 

“…!”

 

“Renting shared bicycles with smartphones will be difficult now. This will be faster than making pointless attempts.”

 

“….”

 

“Did you see any swelling people on your way here? Or disaster messages?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“From now on, only listen to the alarms and never check the disaster messages. If people are walking around in groups on the street, never approach them.”

 

In the meantime, the lock of one bicycle was completely broken, but I didn’t stop and broke the lock of the next bicycle as well.

 

Then I took one out and handed it to the high school student.

 

“Do you know how to ride a bicycle?”

 

High school student Ryu Jae-gwan looked at me with trembling eyes, then firmly nodded his head.

 

* * *

 

I was riding a bicycle and leading the way.

 

Behind me, high school student Ryu Jae-gwan was following on the shared bicycle I had given him.

 

Seeing him gritting his teeth and following along, it seemed Bronze Agent’s bicycle riding skills were good from the start…

 

I skillfully avoided the disaster message sounds and screams coming from various places and continued to detour toward Sekwang Technical High School.

 

But those dangerous signals would soon disappear too.

 

…When no survivors remain in this area, naturally the messages would stop ringing.

 

‘I need to move quickly.’

 

My head was spinning like crazy. I was planning the route ahead when… I spotted something.

 

A convenience store.

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

“Yes?”

 

I confirmed that Ryu Jae-gwan’s movement wasn’t wavering and stopped briefly in front of the convenience store.

 

Then I quickly opened the door, went in, and swept up various items.

 

‘Focusing on food.’

 

However, I didn’t take too much. Mobility was essential.

 

Instead, after some consideration, I bought two of the sturdiest-looking long umbrellas and a tool set.

 

And throughout the checkout, I spoke to the part-timer at the counter who had been glancing at a book with earphones plugged in.

 

“Get out of here quickly.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“There’s a biochemical terror attack spreading from near City Hall. Run to the subway station as fast as possible.”

 

“!!”

 

Only then did he turn on his phone and check his contacts. The convenience store part-timer began frantically looking at his phone with a panicked face.

 

As I came out, I briefly saw that part-timer gathering items from the convenience store like I had…

 

And I spoke to high school student Ryu Jae-gwan, who was looking at me awkwardly while holding his bicycle.

 

“Open your bag.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

I also put two small bottles of water and calorie bars into Ryu Jae-gwan’s school bag. Then I handed him an umbrella to attach to the side of his bicycle.

 

“We don’t know how the situation will develop, so it’s better to take these along. Use the umbrella to push things away when urgent.”

 

“Th-thank you.”

 

Jae-gwan grabbed his bag but hesitated and said.

 

“Um, I’ll pay you for this.”

 

“I’m not going to take money from a student in this kind of emergency. Get on your bicycle. We’ll head quickly toward Segwang High.”

 

“But… yes.”

 

Jae-gwan looked like he had many things to say and questions, but knowing the seriousness of the situation, he wiped his sweat and grabbed his bicycle again.

 

But he eventually asked this.

 

“How… do you know all this so well?”

 

“…I’m used to it.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

I changed the subject.

 

“More than that, school time has passed, so why are you going to school now?”

 

“I had some business at the bank, so I was a bit late.”

 

“Did you contact your family?”

 

“…It’s fine.”

 

From that indirect answer, I realized that Jae-gwan’s setting here would be similar to reality.

 

-My parents divorced when I was young, and after my mother passed away, I grew up in an orphanage.

 

…Let’s not talk about this anymore.

 

“I understand.”

 

I quietly rode my bicycle again.

 

Perhaps because of his good physique, Jae-gwan’s bicycle safely followed me afterward as well.

 

‘Good.’

 

Soon the wall of Sekwang Technical High School came into view.

 

“Whew.”

 

The area around the school wasn’t chaotic yet.

 

However, disaster message sounds could be heard from the opposite wall and nearby apartment complex…

 

Along with intersecting screams.

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

Jae-gwan and I very carefully approached the school’s main entrance.

 

I could feel the other person’s gaze examining me.

 

“Um, why… did you come to this school?”

 

“There’s someone I need to find.”

 

I answered without delay, quietly looking around as I entered the school grounds.

 

And when I parked my bicycle in an inconspicuous corner, Ryu Jae-gwan similarly followed me, parking his bicycle and following along.

 

He was holding an umbrella in his hand, following my example.

 

That felt oddly endearing, but the tension only heightened.

 

‘…The security guard isn’t coming out.’

 

It was strange.

 

We carefully watched our footsteps as we headed toward the school entrance.

 

Soon, high school student Ryu Jae-gwan grabbed the front door handle. He pulled on the door, but… it wouldn’t open properly due to some strange resistance.

 

As if something was stuck.

 

‘Hmm?’

 

Ryu Jae-gwan hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the door again and pulled harder…

 

“Wait.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Come over here.”

 

Something bothered me.

 

I stopped Ryu Jae-gwan, then carefully called the student over to the window without opening the front door.

 

A window that allowed us to look inside the first floor corridor.

 

There were soft-colored curtains hanging there, but we could peek inside through the gaps.

 

“…Phew.”

 

I looked through the gap first, then stepped aside to make room for Ryu Jae-gwan.

 

The student looked at me with a puzzled expression, then turned his head to the gap, and his tense face soon turned pale as a sheet.

 

“…Why?”

 

As expected.

 

I saw the students lying asleep in the corridor.

 

It was the peaceful ending credits I had seen after clearing the ‘In the Black Shadow’ ghost story.

 

Seeing the talismans attached to the gaps of every classroom door and window, I felt a strange lingering sensation.

 

‘So Team Leader Hong’s barrier was implemented in this way…’

 

Making the children continue sleeping even during the repeating disaster days.

 

That comatose state was probably judged as a kind of death, like the Snow White Mountain apple I had eaten, isolated from the extinction-level disaster spreading through disaster messages.

 

So we shouldn’t open the school door.

 

It probably wouldn’t open easily anyway.

 

But Ryu Jae-gwan, a student at this school, seemed to get an eerie impression seeing the students collapsed side by side in the school corridor.

 

“What is this, what on earth…”

 

I quietly looked back at Ryu Jae-gwan.

 

“Do you remember anything by chance?”

 

“…Remember?”

 

“I mean, does seeing that scene bring anything to mind. Especially,”

 

I pointed at the talisman with my finger.

 

The pattern that the Bronze Agent had drawn directly.

 

“That talisman.”

 

“…”

 

A strange gleam momentarily appeared in Ryu Jae-gwan’s eyes as he traced the talisman’s pattern.

 

But it soon became clouded with worry and confusion, and the teenager’s gaze returned.

 

And the eyes that looked back at me held strange wariness and tension.

 

“I don’t know what you mean.”

 

“…”

 

Well, I only escaped after repeating over 600 times, so expecting the Bronze Agent to suddenly come to his senses with such words was an unreasonable expectation.

 

Rather, I would only look suspicious pointing at talismans and saying such things in this situation.

 

‘I shouldn’t get impatient.’

 

In that case.

 

“You don’t need to worry.”

 

I looked back at high school student Ryu Jae-gwan and smiled.

 

“Those are protective talismans. This school will be safe from the current situation as long as no one tears off the talismans.”

 

An expression of ‘how do you know such things’ crossed the high school student’s face, but his demeanor changed to something closer to curiosity rather than wariness.

 

“So don’t worry about your friends, and let’s think about how to get out of here.”

 

“…Um, what will you do, Teacher? Didn’t you say the person you need to meet is at school?”

 

Right. Ho Yu-won.

 

But doubt arose in my mind.

 

With the school door locked and everyone asleep, how could the counseling teacher come out?

 

At that moment.

 

Both mine and Ryu Jae-gwan’s disaster messages rang simultaneously.

 

“…!”

 

I reflexively turned my head.

 

…Near the school gate.

 

In the shadow of the school building corner, a smiling security guard was looking at us with a phone in one hand.

 

And he stepped out of the shadow, slowly walking toward us.

 

I watched frozen in place.

 

I realized that the security guard wasn’t just one…

 

There was one more upper body connected behind the spine, one more lower body attached like a tail.

 

It had merged with another security guard.

 

“…!”

 

And that wasn’t the end.

 

…People were visible beyond the school gate.

 

Segwang City residents who appeared to be from nearby apartments, wearing peaceful expressions.

 

Some of the crowd walking along the main road was visible right outside the school gate…

 

‘Damn.’

 

The security guards were walking across the playground.

 

Disaster messages kept ringing, and there was no way out through the school gate…

 

I slapped my own hand that was trying to grab my smartphone to check the disaster message, then also grabbed and lowered Ryu Jae-gwan’s smartphone.

 

‘Can’t go out through the main entrance.’

 

Waiting for the counseling teacher… I’ll give up on that for now.

 

“Student.”

 

“…”

 

“Carefully, as soon as you grab your bicycle, we’re going to the back gate. Got it? You absolutely must not encounter the crowd at the school gate.”

 

Ryu Jae-gwan slowly nodded.

 

Cold sweat ran down my chin.

 

To do that…

 

‘…As expected, I need to lure that thing away first.’

 

I really didn’t want to, but there was no choice.

 

I focused on the security guard first, not the crowd.

 

‘I can’t let that thing enter the school building.’

 

If that security guard or crowd was lured because of the irregular situation of me entering the high school, it would be the worst-case scenario.

 

I suppressed the creeping feeling and swallowed. Then I was about to run straight toward the school gate.

 

But the moment I lifted my foot.

 

[Oh my, there are other customers here. Friend!]

 

I saw the silhouette of someone heading toward the school gate before me.

 

And I was too familiar with that person’s back.

 

The counseling teacher.

 

The being I had been waiting for seemed somewhat flustered, but soon came to his senses and started running.

 

“…!!”

 

The counseling teacher headed toward the school gate despite the crowd outside, but soon stopped when she saw the security guards.

 

And the moment the ‘security guards’ spotted the counseling teacher.

 

…The teacher walks steadily toward the security guards.

 

‘No.’

 

A chill ran down my spine.

 

‘Are you insane!’

 

In the end, I gritted my teeth and ran to grab the bicycle.

 

“Go now! To the rear gate!”

 

“…!”

 

And I got on the bicycle and started heading frantically toward the school gate.

 

The wheels hit the ground.

 

‘Please!’

 

I trust my Disaster Management Bureau-style bicycle skills!

 

But at that moment….

 

The counseling teacher stuck her hand into the security guard.

 

“…!”

 

It rummaged through the mutated security guard’s head flesh as if searching for something. The security guard swayed from the motion.

 

I realized again what I knew but hadn’t fully grasped.

 

The counseling teacher is not human.

 

A cooperative spirit.

 

In other words, that was also a ghost story.

 

I reflexively stopped the bicycle wheels.

 

The being before my eyes was exploring the security guard’s insides seriously and academically, as if trying to understand what this was.

 

But.

 

“…!”

 

The counseling teacher flinched.

 

As if noticing something strange, she tries to pull her hand out.

 

But the hand wouldn’t come out.

 

Instead, the counseling teacher’s arm gets sucked into the security guard’s mutated torso. My disaster alert makes a loud noise and rings. The area around the counseling teacher distorts strangely, and in my head a strange stimulus?tiled house?strange and blue forest high fever mama seems to be rushing….

 

“Gasp!”

 

I came to my senses and looked up again.

 

In the meantime, the counseling teacher had almost pulled her arm out of the security guard’s head, but the exposed arm was….

 

Melting and dripping down.

 

“…!!”

 

And the security guard was slowly reaching out as if trying to grab the counseling teacher.

 

‘Damn…!’

 

After hesitating, I eventually drove the bicycle again, gritted my teeth, and rushed forward.

 

And with an internal scream, I barely managed to grab the counseling teacher in front of the ‘security guards’.

 

“…!”

 

The counseling teacher’s arm barely came out of the security guard due to the bicycle’s momentum.

 

A nosebleed dripped from my nose due to the strange headache and pressure.

 

The bicycle almost fell over due to the counseling teacher’s weight, but I almost dragged the bicycle with force to balance it and started riding again.

 

My head shakes.

 

[That’s acrobatic skill worth praising, Noru!]

 

The counseling teacher, half-dragged by the bicycle, was loaded on my back like luggage.

 

But she seemed to be holding herself so that her infected arm wouldn’t touch my back.

 

‘…Ha.’

 

I barely managed to shake off the ‘security guards’ after almost falling three times.

 

My hands become damp.

 

When I remembered the movements of agents who ride bicycles better than me, I couldn’t miss Agent Choi and Bronze Agent more.

 

‘Please.’

 

Feeling cold sweat running down my spine, I pedaled frantically.

 

A confused voice comes from behind.

 

“You are….”

 

“Conversation later!”

 

And I crossed the playground toward the rear gate, met up with Ryu Jae-gwan coming out from there, and barely managed to get my bearings straight and run again.

 

Toward the direction where disaster alert notifications couldn’t be heard as much as possible.

 

Since both hands were occupied, fortunately I didn’t accidentally check the disaster alerts.

 

During this time, the counseling teacher I had picked up was riding behind me with her mouth shut.

 

“Huff!”

 

I ran at full speed and only stopped the bicycle near the school backhill.

 

This place, quite far from City Hall and sparsely populated, didn’t show any signs of disaster infection sources yet.

 

And….

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“….”

 

I felt a warm hand grabbing my shoulder.

 

I turned my head.

 

The counseling teacher who had been riding behind the bicycle was holding me with her uninfected hand and looking at me with a worried expression.

 

Ho Yu-won’s face, but a person with an unfamiliarly comfortable and friendly atmosphere.

 

“You’re an agent…right? Thank you for helping me. Are you injured anywhere… ah, it doesn’t seem like it. That’s a relief.”

 

Director Ho’s true form.

 

The target he had been desperately searching for, trapped in Segwang Special City, was looking at me.

 

“Cooperative spirit.”

 

“You can just call me counseling teacher.”

 

“Teacher.”

 

I swallowed.

 

I really hate to say this but….

 

“Give me your arm.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Give me your arm and bite down on this.”

 

No matter how I look at it, it needs to be amputated.

 

However, the other party smiled and declined.

 

“Contamination only applies to citizens. I’m fine….”

 

But the counseling teacher’s expression darkened as she looked at her arm again.

 

Because the form was collapsing into a mushy mess.

 

“…I’ll begin.”

 

“….”

 

The teacher stopped declining.

 

I took out something appropriate from the tool set and started the treatment….

 

“…Student.”

 

“….”

 

“Please turn around and look away.”

 

But Ryu Jae-gwan sat next to me with a pale face.

 

“I’ll help you.”

 

“You can’t.”

 

“Go to the back.”

 

However, this high school student stubbornly handed me a saw from the tool set beside me.

 

His hands were trembling.

 

Even though it must be difficult to understand what this situation is, I could see stubborn determination in his two eyes amidst his pale face.

 

I held back a sigh and finally began the amputation.

 

Thud.

 

But the Counseling Teacher’s expression remained calm.

 

Strangely, there seemed to be no pain or anything at all.

 

The part below the elbow where the form had collapsed just fell away.

 

As if it had never been there.

 

As if it was being deleted.

 

“….”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Was it because they weren’t human?

 

I hid the goosebumps rising on the hand holding the saw and silently nodded.

 

The Counseling Teacher, looking indifferently at where their hand had disappeared, had an eerily calm complexion for someone who could be called human.

 

But for a different reason, a slight urgency crept into their voice.

 

“Could I ask you for one more favor? I have somewhere to go to terminate this disaster. There’s something I need to find.”

 

“….”

 

“If you could give me a ride on the bicycle to the station, I’ll attempt termination with the Hyeonmu Team agents while you’re conducting rescue operations.”

 

However, I knew.

 

All the efforts of the Counseling Teacher and the agents would fail miserably.

 

Trapped inside, endlessly repeating the day of disaster.

 

“….”

 

My mood sank.

 

But the Counseling Teacher, seeing my expression, spoke as if joking deliberately.

 

“Since you’re wearing my jacket, I’d appreciate it if you could do me this favor.”

 

“…!”

 

“I guess you found it in the branch office break room.”

 

I looked down at my clothes.

 

…Juror No. 1’s jacket.

 

In other words, Ho Yu-won’s Disaster Management Bureau jacket was still draped over my body.

 

The Counseling Teacher Ho Yu-won in front of me was looking at the fox picture patch on my jacket.

 

They had noticed it was theirs.

 

‘…In that case.’

 

I smiled awkwardly in return.

 

“It must be your jacket, Teacher. I was taking a break from work, so I grabbed it in a hurry. I’m sorry.”

 

A slight smile also spread across the Counseling Teacher’s anxious face.

 

“It’s fine. Are you a Blue Dragon Team agent?”

 

That’s when it happened.

 

“…Did you say agent?”

 

Both the Counseling Teacher and I turned to look at him.

 

Ryu Jae-gwan.

 

In his slightly trembling voice, there was composure trying to suppress confusion and fear.

 

But there was also faint curiosity.

 

“What kind of… agent are you?”

 

“….”

 

At that moment, I realized it.

 

A way to accompany Ryu Jae-gwan.

 

I slowly opened my mouth.

 

“You saw it earlier, didn’t you? The disaster messages, monsters, strange phenomena. Things like ghost stories.”

 

“….”

 

High School Student Ryu Jae-gwan nodded.

 

I continued my explanation calmly.

 

“This is a disaster called a supernatural phenomenon. I’m an agent from a government agency that specializes in these phenomena… the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.”

 

“…!”

 

“I came here because there are people I absolutely must rescue….”

 

I said, looking at Ryu Jae-gwan whose eyes were unknowingly lighting up.

 

“Do you know who one of them is?”

 

“…Is it the Counseling Teacher?”

 

“No.”

 

I smiled as I looked at the high school student.

 

“It’s you.”

 

“…!”

 

“Student Ryu Jae-gwan.”

 

Seeing the unfamiliar agent calling his name that had never been revealed, High School Student Ryu Jae-gwan’s eyes wavered.

 

“I’m glad I found you quickly. So….”

 

I said, grasping his shoulder.

 

“Until Student Ryu Jae-gwan safely escapes this disaster, I will accompany you.”

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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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