Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 39

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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 039

I took a deep breath and recalled the Blood Bathtub manual.

First, fill the bathtub with warm water.

1. Pour clean water into the bathtub to your desired level.

(The ‘Youth Bathtub – Foot Massage Edition’ does not support automatic water supply.)

Following those instructions, I drew enough hot water from the washbasin to submerge one stuffed doll and poured it into the bathtub.

And then….

This is where it gets serious.

2. Once the water reaches your desired level, pour at least 200ml of fresh blood over it.

The fresher the blood from a healthy and vigorous subject, the better the effect.

The fact that such insane instructions are written in a friendly, gentle font is already crazy enough, but fortunately I have a substitute.

I picked up the Wild Ginseng.

Then I cut one medium-sized outer root with the scissors.

‘Ugh.’

A dark purple sap that looked nauseating just to look at began oozing from the severed root.

Thank goodness I was wearing rubber gloves.

Trying my best not to touch it, I pressed the cut surface of the root against the Blood Bathtub.

Then an amazing sight unfolded.

Bubble bubble.

The sap touching the bathtub began to foam and emit a fantastic fragrance.

“…!”

The nauseating dark purple sap had somehow transformed into a rich, beautiful rose-cream color that sparkled.

Strange and fantastic.

Bath water so comfortable and luxurious that anyone would be tempted to dip their feet in was prepared just like that….

3. Fully immerse your body in the bath additive and enjoy your bath.

(The Foot Massage Edition provides vitality to your entire body.)

An expectant sound came from under the dark bed.

-Finally!

The stuffed doll’s laughter.

-Ah, there’s no need to pick me up and move me! Noru.

-Just don’t turn around.

I froze in place.

…Behind me, sounds began to emerge.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

The sound of the stuffed doll walking.

No, is it really the stuffed doll? It also sounds like a man’s dress shoes. The somewhat light yet heavy sound passed right behind me, then stopped.

Then I heard a splash, the sound of something falling into the bathtub right next to me….

-You can look forward now.

I turned my head.

In the small bathtub, a small stuffed doll soaked in the bath additive was floating, maintaining the same smiling animal mascot appearance without any change in expression….

“…Brown?”

There was no answer.

Of course. I can’t have a direct conversation with a doll face-to-face in reality.

But it would be listening.

“I’ll put away the Wild Ginseng for now. Enjoy your bath.”

I moved the Wild Ginseng, which had stopped oozing sap, back onto the desk and looked at the bathtub.

Recalling the records of people who had used the Blood Bathtub.

======================

Usage Record #5

Water in the Blood Bathtub

30 seconds elapsed until the bathtub was completely drained.

Mid-30s

That night, the user was arrested while fleeing after loading the Blood Bathtub into a car.

======================

Hmm, nothing like that is happening.

‘As expected, it doesn’t work on dolls.’

I should bring a towel.

I was turning toward the drawer when it happened.

-Ooh!

A voice?

I turned my head.

In the invisible bathtub, electric sparks flew up like sparks from an old TV.

-Light is entering my powerless limbs!

Flash.

The shadow of the stuffed doll raising both arms above the bathtub cast a dark, large silhouette.

What is that?

-Noru!

Don’t call me!

-This is really an interesting item! Haha, hahahaha!

I swallowed and watched that spectacle.

‘…Is my strength really returning?’

I had never seen records of the Blood Bathtub’s rejuvenation extending to such a range.

This was a new case.

One I didn’t know about.

-More bath additive! Please pour in more!

Bath additive.

I unconsciously grabbed the Wild Ginseng on the desk….

[Aaaahhh these bastards are grabbing the Wild Ginseng!!!]

[No, Noble Person!! Noble Person! Save me! Please save me!!]

Ugh, damn it!

‘It woke up!!’

I reflexively threw the Wild Ginseng in shock.

Thunk.

As if by magic, the Wild Ginseng that fell into the Blood Bathtub thrashed about, seemingly sensing its remaining essence transforming into fragrant bath additive.

[Aaaahhh!!]

But that was all.

The Wild Ginseng seemed unable to pull its usual tricks. Whether the Blood Bathtub’s strange power was suppressing it, or Brown had done something, I couldn’t tell.

A scream rang out.

[Please save me, Noble Person!! Noble Person!! I was wrong! I was wrong!]

[I’ll work hard! I’ll work hard!! I’ll serve you!!]

-How rude and noisy!

Electricity sparked again from inside the Blood Bathtub.

It looked like a TV screen being composited….

From within, the angry Host’s shouts echoed loudly.

Friend

“….”

I got up.

And without looking into the bathtub, I said.

“You don’t have to do that to make it quiet.”

-….

“You don’t need to use extreme methods.”

-In shows, a single moment, one timing can determine all reactions and feelings.

“But this isn’t a show right now, is it?”

-That’s….

The electricity sparking from the bathtub subsided.

-I see. Yes. You’re right.

Phewwww.

‘I almost got registered as “Blood Bathtub New Usage Record – Irregular” or something like that.’

The situation was already absurd enough as it was.

A pitiful sobbing voice came from inside the bathtub.

[Thank you… thank you, Benefactor.]

[Kind Noble Person! Now please take me out of here and save me from this wicked monster’s hands….]

I crossed my arms.

“I never said I’d save you.”

[…?!]

Who gets caught in the latter half of ghost stories?

Exactly the kind-hearted people who let their guard down at moments like this!

‘If you get soft-hearted just because a ghost is crying, that’s exactly when scary things happen!’

At times like this, you need to stay calm and act tough. I stared at the Wild Ginseng abandoned in the Blood Bathtub through the ceramic.

“Do you know what would happen to me if I saved you?”

Sobbing sounds could be heard.

[Then, then… how about this? The field! I’ll tell you about the precious items around the field where I was!]

“Don’t need it.”

It would probably be some ghost-possessed cursed object anyway.

[Then, then….]

I sighed.

“Just prove that you won’t harm anyone. Stay quiet.”

[….]

The Wild Ginseng shut its mouth.

At least I seemed to have bought some time with this.

For several minutes, time passed that was suffocating for me and (probably) enjoyable for Brown….

’10 minutes.’

That’s when I checked the time.

-Mm. That was a good bath.

“….”

Was it over?

I was just about to turn my head, thinking I should help Brown out of the bathtub.

-Ah, excellent…. Thank you, Noru.

The Stuffed Doll’s voice became sinister.

-Wait until my bath is finished!

Bang.

[Kyaaaaaaak!!]

Thunderous noise and screams poured from the bathtub.

This is insane!

Friend

[You said you’d spare me, you said you’d spare meeeee!]

-Haha! But Noru never promised to spare you!

“Wait!”

I finally ran to the bathtub.

I thought I heard a clicking sound, but it disappeared when I lowered my head toward the bathtub.

What I saw was Wild Ginseng huddled in the corner, frantically shaking its fruit and flailing about.

The fruit was half-crushed as if someone had kicked it, and the root was also mangled on the side as if someone had tried to squeeze out its essence.

[Save me, save me…]

Wild Ginseng seemed to have exhausted its strength as the fruit’s movement slowed down.

[Please, please free me…]

…Free you?

I rummaged through Wild Ginseng in the bathtub with my rubber-gloved hand.

‘It’s not tied up though.’

[Save me…]

Following Wild Ginseng’s words, a vibration came to my hand.

“…”

A vibration.

Come to think of it, whenever this Wild Ginseng said something resembling words, this kind of wave was transmitted to my hand.

It wasn’t strange. Voice is also a type of wave after all.

But there was something odd.

‘The root isn’t shaking.’

Come to think of it, even when I first saw it in the field, only the leaves and fruit shook when it spoke.

The root just stretched out like infected tentacles.

“…”

In that case.

I instinctively grabbed Wild Ginseng and plucked off the fruit.

At that moment.

[Hoooooo!]

The fruit trembled frantically and bounced up from my hand.

“…!”

And it circled in my palm as if it didn’t know what to do with joy.

[I’m free!! I’m free! The tiger’s maw is disappearing! Disappearing aaaaah…]

[Thank you, Benefactor!! Thank you!!]

The fruit gradually became fainter and shimmered, then eventually floated up into the air like light and disappeared as if flying out the window.

“…”

So that was the main body.

-Oh no! It escaped. What a waste.

Phew.

-Such a lowly and despicable creature that loves to go back on its word should never be given a chance!

“Is that so. Still, please let’s agree on things beforehand next time…”

-Even in moments that require quick reflexes?

“If no one’s going to die, yes.”

Friend

The voice sounded somewhat sulky, but I got a definite answer anyway.

Let’s be satisfied with that…

-By the way, look at this! I’ve rejuvenated quite a bit now!

I looked into the bathtub again.

The Stuffed Doll had become miraculously quiet when I looked at it.

The wet cotton somehow had a lustrous sheen.

“…?”

Oh, it really did look somehow more expensive. Should I say it looked higher quality.

It seemed to have grown slightly bigger as it claimed.

‘…It can’t get any bigger though, right?’

It’s keyring-sized so I can carry it around without suspicion. A full-grown office worker carrying around a doll bigger than their hand would draw too much attention.

I’m already conspicuous enough at the company.

‘Let me think about it before the next time I use the blood bathtub.’

Actually, it would be better if I could go home before then.

“Right. Very nice.”

I fished out Brown, carefully dried it with the hair dryer, and tucked it into the sleeping towel.

Then when I came back to drain the bathtub water, I saw something surprising.

“…The Wild Ginseng root is still here.”

After the fruit flew away, I thought Wild Ginseng would disappear too, but it remained perfectly intact.

In fact, it was in better condition.

The Wild Ginseng that had been discolored as if contaminated had somehow regained its clean, original ivory color.

‘It even seems to give off a pleasant fragrance.’

It looked sacred. In a way completely opposite to ghost stories.

“Hmm.”

I hesitated for a moment, then picked it up and put it in my desk drawer.

It might come in handy somewhere.

“So with this… is it over?”

‘I got through one case…’

I slowly sprawled out on the bed.

Wow, I feel like my lifespan has shortened by about twenty years since entering this ghost story world.

‘I really need to gather points quickly and get out.’

The ironic situation where I’d have to tackle ghost stories more aggressively to do that is funny…

-Noru.

Geez, you scared me.

-Your body and mouth move much more easily now!

-Oh my, please don’t look this way.

I fixed my head back onto the pillow, having almost turned around.

Then Brown started chattering again.

-Now it seems we can have conversations even here, as long as we don’t make direct eye contact.

-Quite a shy method, isn’t it? Frustrating, but interesting in its own way.

Yeah. Chatter away to your heart’s content…

‘When I enter ghost stories again, you’ll have to be my lifeline anyway…’

Friend

I fell asleep as if fainting.

It was a refreshing sleep that completely relieved several days’ worth of fatigue.

…Though when I woke up, another problem had erupted.

The same day, afternoon.

While Kim Sol-eum was having casual small talk with his supervisors in the D-Team office, this employee who had been quite connected to his recent circumstances was walking down the corridor…

“Ah, Manager Lee Byeong-jin.”

That’s right. The manager who had gone missing and was rescued by Kim Sol-eum.

“Yes, yes!”

And the one who called out to him was one of the directors.

It wasn’t a particularly welcome encounter for an office worker, but the manager forced his facial muscles to produce a bright smile and politely accepted the handshake.

He had no choice.

The company lifeline he had grabbed onto.

The person at the very top of that line connected to Team A and going upward, at the apex of this strange and frightening corporation’s food chain!

‘Director Ho!’

The director who had called him out in the corridor smiled and asked.

“I heard you went missing and came back. Are you alright?”

“Oh, I’m healthy, Director. Thanks to your concern, I’m working very hard for our company’s well-being, yes, very diligently.”

“Haha.”

The director didn’t point out the other’s empty words. Instead, he spoke softly and gently.

“You were lucky. Many people who fall into the darkness once can’t get out.”

“Ah. That’s true… I was lucky to be rescued.”

“Rescued? Did you perhaps receive help from the Disaster Management Bureau?”

The director’s tone didn’t change, but Manager Lee Byeong-jin jumped.

This director was someone who found government involvement extremely uncomfortable, to the point of retaliation.

Cold sweat ran down his back.

“No, no way! An employee from our company found me!”

“I see.”

“Yes, yes. Ah, he’s a new member of the Field Investigation Team, a really good guy! Really!”

Who would have thought such a statement could be extracted from the mouth of this self-serving person.

The director smiled and asked.

“What’s his name?”

“Ah! Kim Sol-eum… Team D newbie. Kim Sol-eum.”

From Manager Lee Byeong-jin’s perspective, this was quite a display of courage.

To repay his life’s benefactor!

‘Director Ho is a bit creepy, but he’s a decent superior.’

As long as you don’t touch his trigger keywords.

“He’s a very promising new employee. Yes.”

And so, unbeknownst to the person in question, connections were being formed!

Manager Lee Byeong-jin wiped his nose.

‘Sol-eum, when you find out later, you’ll be grateful to me!’

He was wrong!

But anyway, this action by Manager Lee Byeong-jin would cause quite a butterfly effect…

“Oh, I should remember that.”

Just a few days later, an incident erupted at the company.

Specifically, in the Field Investigation Team.

—————
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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