Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 344

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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 344

 

I looked at Researcher Lee Ja-heon, no… Manager Lee Ja-heon.

 

Though he no longer appeared as a lizard, I still naturally imagined those reptilian vertical pupils.

 

“…Since when have you remembered?”

 

“? I’ve always remembered.”

 

In an instant, tremendous relief spread through me while a hollow laugh nearly escaped my lips.

 

“I see…”

 

The tension releases from my shoulders.

 

‘Phew…’

 

It seems I had been feeling far more immense pressure than I thought.

 

Being dropped into an unfamiliar time period without knowing a single person, trying alone to save acquaintances who had no memory.

 

…It must have been difficult.

 

[Noru…]

 

[However, strictly speaking, you weren’t alone. Your friend was always with you, comforting and guiding you with witty words.]

 

Th-that’s true.

 

Thank you.

 

[Oh, don’t mention it!]

 

Let’s avoid saying something like ‘I meant acquaintances who have physical form’ only to have the Host pop out saying ‘Oh, I understand perfectly!’…

 

I decided to simply enjoy this moment of relief, however brief.

 

Rather than someone I needed to rescue, I now had someone who would cooperate in rescuing others.

 

Moreover.

 

‘Come to think of it, it’s actually more natural for Manager Lee Ja-heon to have his memory like me.’

 

After all, he fell into this place under conditions not much different from mine.

 

We both came here after escaping the loop and then… well, dying.

 

‘Did I put on that show with the researcher ID at the door for nothing…’

 

Feeling slightly embarrassed, just as I was about to quickly review that part again.

 

“Then let me inform you again.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I don’t recommend attempting to go to the ground floor of this place, including the rooftop of Segwang City Hall.”

 

…!

 

Like being doused with cold water, my mind snapped back to awareness of the situation.

 

The Counseling Teacher had suggested we go to the rooftop…

 

‘The Manager cut him off.’

 

Looking back, that entity was smiling while looking at Researcher Lee Ja-heon.

 

“Do you have the right to say that?”

 

“Advice doesn’t require qualifications.”

 

However, the Counseling Teacher didn’t ask perfunctory questions like ‘Oh, did you two know each other?’

 

He simply quietly ignored Lee Ja-heon’s words, focused on me, then approached and grasped both my hands with his remaining hand like a friendly relative.

 

And spoke quietly.

 

“Agent.”

 

…While looking at his own agent uniform I was wearing.

 

“Actually, my jacket was in the counseling room, not at the Management Bureau branch office.”

 

…!!

 

‘I know you lied.’

 

That had to be what he meant.

 

However, there was no hostility in the Counseling Teacher’s eyes.

 

Rather, there was an inexplicable friendliness.

 

“But I can sense my ritual from you…”

 

“…”

 

“Have you ever received counseling from me?”

 

Ah.

 

I slowly nodded my head.

 

The other person smiled slightly.

 

“I thought so. But I remember all the clients I’ve counseled, yet strangely I don’t remember you.”

 

“…”

 

“You’ve been helping me from the beginning. So perhaps… you might be someone that a past version of myself arranged for my own sake…”

 

…

 

“If that’s the case, would you be willing to help me?”

 

I raised my head to look at the Counseling Teacher.

 

At Ho Yu-won’s face.

 

“…You want to go to the City Hall rooftop and try to find your fox orb? Betting on the chance it was used in experiments there?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I can’t guarantee what state that place is in right now.”

 

“Yes.”

 

I took a deep breath.

 

“…If the ground level of Segwang Special City is now a place where supernatural phenomena cannot exist, you might not be able to exist there either.”

 

“…”

 

The Counseling Teacher was briefly silent before speaking.

 

“Still, I don’t want to go back when there’s a method I could try.”

 

“…”

 

“Right now, someone outside is desperately trying to rescue citizens and end this disaster, so I should at least try too.”

 

Ha.

 

Really…

 

I pressed both my eyes and said.

 

“I’ll accompany you.”

 

“…!”

 

A smile spread across the Counseling Teacher’s face.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Noru.”

 

Wait a moment.

 

“Manager.”

 

I held him back as if trying to calm a researcher from the Joyful Research Institute, then spoke ambiguously to Manager Lee Ja-heon.

 

“I think we need to find out how he became Director Ho.”

 

“That means…”

 

“Yes, exactly what you’re thinking.”

 

Please don’t make statements with implied subjects and meanings in front of the Counseling Teacher.

 

Instead, I spoke ambiguously once more.

 

“Perhaps we might be able to prevent the tragedy that will unfold afterward.”

 

“…”

 

If we really succeeded in retrieving the orb, we might be able to stop this day of disaster and end the ghost story.

 

‘Even if not, we might gain information or hints.’

 

“And there’s something I’d like to ask of you, Manager.”

 

Though Lee Ja-heon’s face wasn’t visible, I swallowed.

 

“I’d like you to help the other two members of our exploration team escape.”

 

Beep beep beep beep beep!

 

The fire alarm sounds intermittently again.

 

I urgently looked back at my two companions.

 

“Agent…!”

 

“Student Jae-gwan. Listen carefully.”

 

I grabbed his shoulders and spoke.

 

“When you go out, definitely take the train and go to the station farthest from here. Exit through that station’s entrance, and go outside together with that researcher. Understood?”

 

“…Yes?”

 

“He’s someone you can trust. He’ll definitely protect you both.”

 

“…”

 

All sorts of questions seemed to arise in the high school student’s eyes, but he eventually asked quietly.

 

“Then Agent, does that mean you won’t be coming with us?”

 

“It’s fine. I’ll follow later.”

 

“How exactly do you plan to… escape later?”

 

“That’s not something for you to worry about. You should focus more on your own safety than an adult’s wellbeing. Got it?”

 

“…”

 

However, High School Student Ryu Jae-gwan just stared at me silently like a wooden statue instead of answering.

 

I felt anxious.

 

“Jae-gwan…”

 

“Is there really a need to do that?”

 

Journalist Eun Ha-je interrupted.

 

And she spoke in a tone as if taking Ryu Jae-gwan’s side.

 

“From what I heard from the researcher earlier, the subway station building seems safe, so we can just wait there.”

 

Ah.

 

“Well, after taking a quick look to see if there’s anything more to find here and then going out right away. I’d also like to get some interviews with the station people.”

 

After some consideration, I nodded.

 

The people who had evacuated to Segwang Station’s station building were at least all alive until they despaired about there being no rescue.

 

‘Anyway, most crowded places in Segwang City are probably already contaminated.’

 

The area around any station would be chaotic, so it might actually be safer for me to join them and go out together.

 

Especially if the counseling teacher is there.

 

‘I need to go and come back before this corridor gets engulfed in flames.’

 

I felt impatient.

 

“…Understood. But if I can’t come back before this place burns down completely, you must move first. I’ll go to the subway by another method.”

 

“…”

 

Journalist Eun Ha-je seemed to have already noticed my face-saving statement, but just nodded.

 

However, she didn’t miss this.

 

“But how do you know that handsome fellow? You didn’t seem to recognize him earlier.”

 

“…He looked different when I met him.”

 

Ugh.

 

I mumbled vaguely to the puzzled Journalist Eun Ha-je and went over to Manager Lee Ja-heon who was approaching.

 

And once again said with emphasis.

 

“I’m going up.”

 

“I see.”

 

Manager Lee Ja-heon was silent for a moment as if thinking about something, then took something out of his pocket and held it out.

 

“Take this.”

 

It was a button-shaped item… no, wait a minute.

 

This is ‘We Help’!

 

‘Why does he have this…?’

 

Wait a minute.

 

‘…Why is Manager Lee Ja-heon here as a Joyful researcher in the first place?’

 

I awakened in Segwang Special City as someone from the profession I used to work in the past. That means…

 

I lowered my voice so the people around couldn’t hear and asked.

 

“Manager. By any chance, were you ever a researcher at the Joyful Research Institute in the past?”

 

“Yes.”

 

…!!

 

“I’ll correct that. Manager Lee Ja-heon was not. However, ‘we’ have been.”

 

What does that mean?

 

But seeing the ‘We Help’ button in his hand, I suddenly recalled a memory.

 

-Is the reason for purchase to escape from your current location coordinates to a safe place? We do not recommend it.

 

-There are records of failed escape attempts.

 

“…Did someone from the Joyful Research Institute personnel try to escape using this button but fail?”

 

“Yes.”

 

…

 

“Are you currently performing that role, Manager?”

 

“Yes.”

 

…I see.

 

Looking at the faceless Manager Lee Ja-heon, I unconsciously guessed.

 

Could it have been Manager Lee Ja-heon who came out after receiving the researcher’s call back then?

 

“At that time, the rescue request was activated three days after the disaster occurrence date. Considering the difference in environmental conditions, usage in the current situation is recommended.”

 

Right. Since it’s the day the incident happened, the situation could be different.

 

“…Thank you.”

 

I bowed and received the item. Manager Lee Ja-heon nodded.

 

I unconsciously asked.

 

“Um, then what does ‘we’ think about this situation?”

 

“Unknown.”

 

…?

 

Beep beep beep beep beep!

 

“…!”

 

The fire alarm sounds again.

 

“If you’ve decided, you must move quickly. The probability that there’s less than 40 minutes left before fire spreads to that floor is high.”

 

I swallowed and nodded.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

I looked at the counseling teacher extending his hand.

 

I could see small red berries in his palm.

 

“…”

 

I took them and swallowed one.

 

“If you feel dizzy or have strange impulses, take another one immediately.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Thus our group split in two.

 

Lee Ja-heon, Eun Ha-je, and Ryu Jae-gwan went to the subway entrance.

 

And we…

 

“I can see the elevator.”

 

Went to the emergency staircase.

 

“…”

 

The elevator still looked fine. It was sparkling in a magically splendid appearance, but riding it would only lead to a fiery hell.

 

So we opened the emergency stair door next to the elevator.

 

Creeeeak.

 

As if not used often, the door opened with a strained sound and revealed the stairs.

 

It looked like an ordinary old emergency staircase.

 

And in the center of the stair landing, this was written…

 

[B3]

 

“I understand that the emergency staircase of this research institute’s core floor leads directly to city hall in case of emergency.”

 

“…”

 

“So from here on, it’s a space of reality without the flashy supernatural phenomena like in the research institute.”

 

In other words, it also meant we had already set foot on the basement 3rd floor of Segwang City Hall.

 

I took a deep breath.

 

“…Confirmed.”

 

I turned off my smartphone.

 

Indoors, the range would be too narrow anyway, so avoiding things with disaster alerts would be meaningless.

 

“In a place like this, it’s better to see with your eyes, listen for signs, and avoid them. If we’re going straight up to the rooftop via the emergency staircase anyway, there’s a chance we might not encounter any entities at all.”

 

“I see. You’re quite skilled.”

 

“…Thank you.”

 

I took the lead and began climbing the stairs.

 

At a slightly quick pace.

 

Step, step.

 

There were no signs of anything until we left the underground floor.

 

Only the sound of the counseling teacher and me walking.

 

“….”

 

[1F]

 

Soon we entered the ground floor.

 

Step, step.

 

The emergency staircase was still eerily quiet, and now it was even bright with sunlight streaming in from outside.

 

It felt almost like we had come in together after lunch to exercise and were just walking around.

 

Step, step.

 

…Splat.

 

I stopped walking.

 

“Just now.”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

…From behind.

 

There was a sound of something melting and falling to the floor.

 

It was a sound I’d heard before.

 

…When I cut off Ho Yu-won’s hand.

 

When that hand fell to the floor with a squelching sound, there had been a similar bursting noise….

 

“Right now you….”

 

“Don’t look back.”

 

“….”

 

I stopped my head from turning.

 

As long as I didn’t turn around, all I could confirm from behind was the counseling teacher’s calm voice.

 

It continued to be heard.

 

“If it’s alright with you, could you keep talking with me as we walk?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

I took a deep breath and started walking again.

 

Step, step.

 

“Is there anything you were curious about regarding me?”

 

I swallowed.

 

If I had to find a topic….

 

“…What exactly is the Nine-Tailed Fox Disease?”

 

“You know about that too? That’s… one of the methods I use to treat my clients.”

 

The voice from behind became somewhat brighter.

 

“Do you happen to know about the role reversal technique used in counseling?”

 

“…Where people in group counseling take on other people’s roles and talk, making them understand each other more deeply… that one?”

 

The counseling teacher’s voice laughed warmly.

 

“You know well. That’s exactly right. It helps make that technique easier to perform.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Of course, it used to be a real disease before. Something closer to a trick for stealing human livers….”

 

Splat.

 

The sound of a large mass falling.

 

“…!”

 

I grabbed the handrail and barely managed not to turn around.

 

Pouring sounds, the sound and vibration of stumbling and staggering echoed through the stair handrail.

 

This….

 

“Don’t look back.”

 

“….”

 

“Keep walking.”

 

This won’t do.

 

‘It seems like they’re disappearing due to the supernatural phenomenon after all.’

 

Then, then….

 

‘…!’

 

I started walking slowly again and spoke in as natural a tone as possible.

 

Cold sweat dripped from my chin.

 

“You have various counseling techniques. You’re truly an amazing counselor.”

 

What about the opposite?

 

I continued talking about realistic identity, not supernatural phenomena.

 

“You must have been popular at school while counseling too, right?”

 

“Haha….”

 

“It’s hard to find a good counselor, so please give me your business card later when we get to the office. Counselor.”

 

Step, step.

 

“That’s right…. I am a counselor. A counselor. Counsel…or.”

 

Splat.

 

Again, there was a sound of something falling. Tension shot up to the top of my head, but….

 

This time, that was the end of it.

 

‘Quickly.’

 

Next.

 

Next, something more about realistic identity….

 

Ah.

 

“That’s right. You are a counselor.”

 

“….”

 

“A very capable counselor. Your name is….”

 

So.

 

“Your name is Ho Yu-won.”

 

“Was it?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“That’s nice. The character Ho meaning ‘protect,’ Yu meaning ‘clear,’ and Won meaning ‘help’? ‘Protecting the heart, reflecting clearly like a mirror, and helping people.’ It’s really a name befitting a counselor.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Step, step.

 

“That’s really true. Teacher Ho Yu-won. A young counseling teacher living in Segwang Special City has such a nice name.”

 

“Hahaha… Thank you.”

 

I kept walking.

 

…Now, I could no longer hear the sound of something melting and falling with a splat from behind.

 

Only the sound of our footsteps could be heard.

 

“….”

 

I let out a small but deep sigh of relief.

 

And….

 

[12F]

 

“It’s the top floor.”

 

The end was in sight.

 

I climbed one more floor up the bright emergency staircase, heading toward a stair landing with no floor number attached.

 

[Rooftop Exit Door]

 

And grabbing the door handle….

 

“Let’s go.”

 

I opened the rooftop door.

—————
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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