Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 99

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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 099

I knew.

That the Disaster Management Bureau was strictly managing to prevent information about this ghost story, the ‘Dokkaebi Workshop’, from leaking out.

To be precise… only up to that point!

‘I had no idea exactly how they managed the ghost story…’

It wasn’t even mentioned in the !

Who would have ever thought they’d be doing undercover work directly inside the ghost story, weeding out visitors and monitoring the creation of equipment.

Disaster Management Bureau employees, humans pretending to be dokkaebi inside the ghost story!

[Oh my? You’re slow to answer!]

My head is spinning.

‘…What should I do?’

Wait, what have I been babbling about until now?

With a feeling of my blood running cold, I replayed the past conversation that flashed through my mind like a panorama.

The critical mistake was… right, I didn’t make a mistake.

‘…It’s okay!’

I can still recover from this. I can, recover…

In that case.

I deliberately showed my slightly pale expression and bewildered state completely.

“I’m sorry, elder, but I haven’t received permission to tell you such things…”

[…]

I don’t know.

I’m a New Employee who hasn’t noticed at all that they’re human, that they’re my Senior Agent.

I’m just flustered and don’t know what to do because a dokkaebi in the ghost story is prying into my personal information, but I’m trying to respond well!

‘Please!’

I slightly raised my head with an expression like ‘what should I do about this dokkaebi’.

[Well, well, these Kim Seobangs doing government work sure have a lot to worry about.]

“…”

Phew.

[Kim Seobangs call their affiliation over there a team, so why can’t you tell me??]

“Yes. That, yes… I’m sorry. The government decided it that way.”

[How boring!]

The agent pretending to be a dokkaebi clicked their tongue and stepped back.

‘Good.’

Did they buy it?

[Still, I’ll look after the kind-hearted Kim Seobang who gave me ginseng!]

It seemed the agent was going to continue pretending to be a dokkaebi.

‘…Did the guidance work well?’

The so-called teasing of juniors.

I had nurtured their desire to make this New Employee faint when they later hear from a senior ‘that person is an agent’.

I guessed this when I saw that agent smell the ginseng stored in my tattoo like a real dokkaebi.

‘Maybe they became similar in abilities and personality while imitating dokkaebi.’

Perhaps they’re using that kind of ‘equipment’, I thought.

And since dokkaebi can’t resist such pranks.

“Th, thank you.”

I bowed my head deeply to match that.

[Kind-hearted Kim Seobang, I should still give you rice wine in return!]

[Come now, tell me what dokkaebi item you want! You can recite it in song, or dance…]

Now they’re trying to give something to the New Employee.

Probably considering that the Wild Ginseng I was holding was a precious item obtained somewhere, and I gave it away too hastily in my panic.

‘…The most natural response would be,’

“It’s, it’s fine. Elder! Then… I hope you’ll show kindness to the next visiting, um, ‘Kim Seobangs doing government work’. As much as you’re in a good mood.”

[…Oho, really?]

“Yes!”

[Alright, Kim Seobang. I’ll pay for the drinks!]

I smiled brightly and nodded. The dokkaebi also looked at me with a somewhat satisfied expression and swayed.

Good. This topic seems to have passed.

And naturally, the next topic moved to the Grip Tok I was holding.

[So Kim Seobang came here today because… you want this ornament prettily fixed, is that it?]

“…Yes.”

This is the problem.

This agent figured out that my Grip Tok wasn’t made here…

Cold sweat formed in my palms.

Sure enough, the agent wearing the dokkaebi mask asks while pretending not to know.

[Where did this item come from?]

“I, I’m not sure. I received it as a gift from the government…”

[I see, I see. These days even the Kim Seobangs doing government work run factories, they keep getting items from other places…]

[It’s dangerous business.]

“…”

[You never know when Day Dokkaebi might appear!]

Right. The Disaster Management Bureau no longer had just this one workshop making Issued Equipment for agents.

‘The Silver Heart is also from somewhere else.’

Anyway, it seemed like he had misunderstood that I had made it at one of those places.

It was a very grateful misunderstanding.

‘Thanks to that, I survived.’

Seeing the agent pretend to be a dokkaebi until the very end, even mentioning Day Dokkaebi at the last moment, made me feel somewhat relieved.

Thanks to that, I could acknowledge it with resignation.

‘Anyway, I’m screwed.’

That agent will definitely remember me, who suddenly visited today and even offered ginseng.

‘The moment that person leaves this ghost story and chats with the Disaster Management Bureau people, I’ll be tracked as a person of interest.’

…Really, is there no way out?

[Anyway, I’ll fix this ornament completely, so wait here!]

“Yes…”

The agent pretending to be a dokkaebi swiftly entered the tile-roofed house, or rather the ‘workshop’, holding my grip tok.

He was probably going to entrust it to the other dokkaebis inside.

I waited obediently.

Cold sweat broke out from ominous thoughts that the agent might figure out the situation, confiscate my grip tok, and make an emergency call to the Disaster Management Bureau.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long.

[Take your ornament!]

The returning agent lightly tossed the grip tok to me. I held back my curses and carefully caught it.

The grip tok still had crack marks on it.

But the grooves were smoothly filled with something glossy.

Adhesive that sparkled with a jade-like color.

“Ah, is the repair complete with this?”

[Oh my, even cooking rice requires steaming time, so how could an elder’s craftsmanship be completed as easily as eating cold porridge? You have to wait until all the adhesive dries!]

[Don’t handle it roughly for a month, and treat it preciously like handling a baby wrapped in swaddling cloth. Make wishes about what form you’d like it to become. Then it will become a truly magnificent ornament!]

A whole month?

“…Thank you.”

I gently grasped the grip tok.

‘…It looks like it would split open again with just a little force.’

It meant I had to handle it very carefully for the month while the adhesive hardened.

In other words…

‘I can’t access the wiki for a month.’

Right now I was desperately trying to reread it daily and remember as much as possible as clearly as I could, but I wouldn’t be able to maintain that routine.

Naturally, human memory had its limits, so I became anxious… but it couldn’t be helped. I had to endure it. Getting a new grip tok seemed unlikely.

‘Anyway, succeeding in fixing it is something.’

Then there was one remaining problem.

How exactly do I naturally leave this place.

[Now then, while having one of the buckwheat rice cakes that young Kim Seobang brought… shall we hear about what the Kim Seobangs doing government work these days are up to!]

I don’t know either…

‘If I continue this conversation, getting exposed is just a matter of time.’

Forget being wanted – I might be tied up with rope restraints right here and transported to the Disaster Management Bureau to go to the glass prison.

…Right.

I steeled my resolve.

‘I’m caught in the long run anyway.’

Then… even if it leaves a slightly stronger impression,

I’ll go for it!

“Yes, elder. I am this…”

Retch.

I didn’t hold back the hemoptysis and just spat it out of my mouth.

Retch, clotted blood flowed down my chin.

Hastily wiping it with my sleeve, I looked at the dokkaebi with a flustered face.

“S-sorry…”

I hadn’t simply induced panic.

Blood is.

[Kim Seobang…!!]

Traditionally also a dokkaebi’s reverse scale.

Thud thud thud thud.

The massive tile-roofed house trembled.

Scary! Scary! Scary!

Why scary? Why scary? Why scary?

[Oh my! Everyone stop making a fuss! Nothing’s wrong!]

Scary! Who is it? Scary! Who is it?

Even when the agent shouted, the tile-roofed house still vibrated. I turned pale and covered my mouth while retching.

“S-sorry.”

[Get out quickly. That crazy bastard who sent a sick new employee to the dokkaebi board, I’ll just…!]

“N-no! Elder, I… I came in without knowing anything.”

[What elder! You bastard, still don’t get it?]

I should start pretending to catch on.

“…!”

I widened my eyes and hurriedly stood up.

“Could it be…”

The agent in dokkaebi form crossed his arms.

[Be grateful that this senior is here. New employee.]

“Y-yes… I’m sorry.”

I got up with a soul-drained expression that said ‘I have no idea what this situation is about’ as if barely coming to my senses.

Thump. Thump.

Now sounds like brooms or wooden clubs hitting came from the door of the tile-roofed house.

Hearing that, the agent clicked his tongue and barked at me.

[If you’re sick, you should rest. What are you doing crawling into a place like this? Did headquarters order you to?]

Huh?

If I weave this together well….

“…No, sir.”

I quickly racked my brain and pulled out one of the various episodes that had happened at the Disaster Management Bureau.

‘…There was a betting culture back during training center days!’

It was like a kind of courage test where they competed with each other over competence and boldness.

Good. I’ll go with this…!

“…My colleagues told me to go fix the Memorial Grip Tok on my own….”

The agent flinched.

[…Do they still do that kind of thing these days?]

I just smiled bitterly.

The agent wearing the dokkaebi mask seemed to be holding back a sigh, then rubbed their face and waved their hand at me dismissively.

[…I’ll let it slide without reporting to headquarters. Just get out of here.]

It worked.

“Th-thank you.”

[What’s your codename?]

“I don’t have one yet… I’m still thinking about what would be good.”

[…I see. I’ll probably see you around when our paths cross.]

The agent pretending to be a dokkaebi waved their hand.

Whoosh.

With that gesture, I was pushed back….

[Go inside and rest.]

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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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