It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story 056

“Think it over carefully.”

The public official, dressed like a typical serial killer, spoke confidently.

“It’s a position that won’t be cut, allowing you to work until you’re 65, with a wage system in place. Since it’s a specialized field, additional allowances are also provided.”

Why on earth am I listening to something like a job fair for the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau here?

“If you’re naturally prone to getting entangled in supernatural events, wouldn’t it be better to at least receive proper pay and protection from the system?”

I’m already receiving that…

No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t seem like an 8th-grade public servant would earn more than the pharmaceutical conglomerate!

But there’s no way I can mention that I work at the Daydream Corporation; that would just strain my face!

I do NOT want to be reported as a person of interest to the Bureau!

“Maybe I should have just continued writing notes.”

I started to regret using my voice after contemplating the benefits of quick communication, a more persuasive style, and impact.

Feeling like I was about to break into a cold sweat, I opened my mouth.

For now, since they seem to perceive me as a “civilian easily caught up in supernatural phenomena,” let’s emphasize that…

“I did find this incident genuinely frightening and tried to do something about it, but I’m really not capable of getting rid of such supernatural occurrences. I’m definitely not an agent.”

“……”

The public official looked at me with a kind of bewilderment.

Huh, why?

“Since you believe the culprit behind this phenomenon is the lodge keeper, you decided to terminate the contract to prevent the next incident from happening?”

“Uh… right?”

“So you took it upon yourself to completely end this supernatural phenomenon, didn’t you?”

“……”

“You have a natural talent.”

No, I don’t.

It’s Wiki magic…

“I’m really sorry, but I don’t think I can do it. In fact, this was something I discussed with a friend who came with me…”

Oh, please.

“I don’t have any special abilities or fighting skills that would qualify me to be an agent.”

“Special abilities.”

The public official’s lips slightly curled upward.

“That… has its own ‘learning methods.’”

“…!”

“You’ll hear all about it after you get appointed.”

Incredible.

“What makes you trust me so much…?”

“You’re currently in possession of a small silver badge shaped like a shield, aren’t you?”

“…!!”

“That’s the reason.”

Oh crap.

‘Sharp as a tack.’

I had considered this situation, but I pretended to be more flustered and startled.

“Eh? Uh, how…?”

“That’s a persuasion device used by the Disaster Management Bureau. I’ve heard it was once distributed to citizens who have performed great merits… I’ve never met anyone capable of using it before.”

“Ah….”

“That’s an item only good people can use, serving as a sort of certification.”

And then they eyed me sharply.

“Did you use it by keeping it in your pocket?”

This guy’s pretty sharp.

‘If I play dumb now, it would be even more suspicious.’

Let’s rather acknowledge the effects.

Remember, this is only effective for “good people!”

‘There’s no way they’d want it back. Unless I caused a scene, in which case there’d never be such an incident.’

Thankfully, after my brain frantically processed through all possibilities, I quickly reacted without a pause.

I rummaged through my pocket, putting on a somewhat bittersweet expression as if I had a backstory and pulled out the small silver badge, presenting it with ease.

As if it’s completely normal for me to have it and casually mentioning the only legitimate route.

“…I inherited it from my family.”

The goods box is now my family from today onwards.

“They said that it could be used when you need a say in an emergency situation…”

“Yes.”

The public official nodded, looking a bit sorry for me.

“You have wonderful family members.”

“…….”

Did they mistakenly think I was saying, ‘They’re watching from above’?

In a way, it’s not entirely untrue, but still…

I tried to avoid thinking about the dark goods box floating in the sky.

“They told me not to volunteer for dangerous tasks, and I want to keep that in mind…”

“……”

What my parents said while trying to dissuade me from entering the financial industry also holds true, so I’m not lying here. Not lying at all!

“…I understand.”

The public official looked at me with slightly disappointed eyes but yielded fairly easily.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do then.”

Phew.

Thus, the intense job fair came to an end.

With an unexpected harvest, no less.

“If you ever have concerns or issues, please contact me.”

As I was about to leave the lodge, I received another contact number from the public official.

However, this time it had a different format.

Ryu Jaekwan

010-XXXX-XXXX

“This is my work contact number.”

Oh.

“This one will be better than the business card I previously gave you. There might be delays in dispatching the response team, and you wouldn’t know what type of agent would be coming.”

In other words, it was a free pass to escape the horror story.

I exchanged the contact I previously received for this one, like I was switching out a cassette tape.

I never knew this would come in handy.

I should hurry back before they ask me to introduce myself… but then again, they’re probably going to look into me anyway.

‘In that case…’

I deliberately scratched the back of my head as if feeling a little awkward.

“Um, actually, I was quite scared at the Salmon Market, so I communicated through writing… but next time I’d like to talk like this instead.”

“Of course.”

“And… may I request that my identity remains confidential? It’s a bit burdensome and… scary, to be honest.”

“……”

The public official briefly fell silent but replied,

“You should be fine as you are.”

They cut me some slack.

Sweet!

‘Does this mean I’m going to remain anonymous?’

Having left room for future dealings, it was perfect.

‘Next time, I’ll be able to sell food with fewer suspicions.’

“Please take care going down.”

“You too, agent.”

I shook hands with the public official.

They left on their bike soon after.

Even on our way out, the public official made a last suggestion, which I managed to brush off quite naturally.

-Honestly, this situation is difficult for me too… I’m close to my breaking point right now. I don’t think it’ll work out.

This was truly sincere.

Baek Sa-heon, get those creepy eyes away from me.

The public official, perhaps having just been feeling a bit sentimental, nodded sincerely before effortlessly riding off on their bike.

With the advice to leave before the “Bureau’s cleanup crew” arrived.

‘I need to get out now.’

I departed from the lodge, where, as if by magic, the landslide debris and bus stop had vanished, starting to walk up the hiking trail.

‘Hoo.’

Only now did the tension finally release.

-Over the last few days, your efforts, sacrificing sleep for that artistic final cut, have been noted by this Brown! You’ve worked hard.

Yeah, that was really gross, scary, and tiring….

‘To be thrown into such a horror story alone—it’s definitely not the Disaster Management Bureau.’

Has there ever been a time when the corporate score of Daydream Corporation was higher than today within me?

‘Where else can you get money and points?’

They say even the labor of a servant should take place in a noble house, and this is how it felt.

Though it doesn’t seem all that rewarding…

I turned to my colleague who had been sharing in the bonus-less work.

“Let’s get out of here; this damn lodge…!”

“…….”

“For crying out loud, getting caught up in this mess without any points or money!”

“There’s something I need to say first.”

Baek Sa-heon firmly closed his mouth.

Then he turned to me and said defensively.

“I can’t pay for something like this. After all, I never asked to be saved.”

Oh wow.

“Besides, you’re the only one who got the cassette exchange compensation… So it’s settled, right?”

“Oh.”

I smiled widely.

“Interesting. Do you have the audacity to say that to someone who wasted their weekend and was absent without notice because of you?”

“……”

Baek Sa-heon’s face turned an eerie shade of pale and then returned to normal.

After which, he asked with great difficulty.

“…What do you want?”

“Nothing.”

“…?!”

“Honestly, I had fun.”

“…!!”

I strode briskly down the mountain path.

From behind me, I could hear Baek Sa-heon scrambling to catch up, his late response following closely.

“…Anyway, I’ll admit that I disrupted your weekend and your absence.”

“…….”

“Besides, I’ll transfer three days’ worth of pay to you, so wait for it.”

“Okay.”

But a moment later.

As we entered the communication zone, and data started to come through, Baek Sa-heon shouted.

“Wait, that’s the same date!”

Right.

Doesn’t he know that in horror stories, the flow of time is totally off?

“Anyway, I used three days.”

“…!”

Nevertheless, I received my salary, and Baek Sa-heon, with a mixture of frustration and relief in his expression, stared at me before hurriedly looking away and escaping.

-Haha, it seems like a tough type to survive even without this job!

Pretty much, right?

There was something else I needed to say, though.

‘I didn’t expect you to not say thank you till the end.’

He truly was remarkable in many ways.

Still, it seems like he was a bit less vicious and even had some blood and tears compared to what I saw in the Dark Exploration Records…

Actually, when the public official met this guy in the basement, they briefly shot him a cold glance before advising me.

-Some inherit silver hearts, while others inherit cassette tapes…

-…….

-You would do well to choose your accomplices wisely.

-Hmm. Yes. Thank you.

How about that.

The government had allowed cassette tapes to fall into the hands of known offenders, only conscripting those with confirmed guilt.

So this guy is…

Which means he’s a government-sanctioned villain.

Even if I’m generous and let it slide, it implies there’s a villain in at least Baek Sa-heon’s acquisition route.

-…It was just a household item. I inherited it from my relatives.

……Relatives, huh.

‘Sounds like there’s a story there.’

But I decided to stop my thoughts for now.

I had no time to explore the backstories of characters in the Wiki.

‘First, I need to survive in the horror story corporation.’

And before long, this guy’s company began to act like a real company again.

Introducing the unpredictable and bizarre events as if they were the norm.

A few days later.

“Chief Kim!”

As I was out getting coffee on my superior’s errand, an acquaintance called out to me in the hallway.

It was Manager Lee Byeong-jin, the person responsible for the manual review who had gone missing.

“Ah~ Congratulations. I knew our Chief Kim would do well!”

We’ve only known each other for less than two months, though…

“You’re the top of the recruitment class, scouted by Group A, rescued me, and even have connections in the Security Team, and now you’re about to get a fast promotion too? Wow, that’s great.”

“Thank you.”

I didn’t think it was all that great but replied like that anyway.

But instead of wrapping up the conversation, Manager Lee Byeong-jin lowered his voice and whispered.

“Director Ho has been keeping an eye on Chief Kim.”

“……”

“He’s the best superior in this company. Don’t let this opportunity slip away.”

Opportunity…?

“I also heard rumors that the Director runs a secret external project team… so you could be transferred there.”

Ha ha, you don’t know something.

When something is labeled ‘external secrecy’ in the horror story universe, survival rates drop below fifty percent…

Instead of saying that, I politely shook my head.

“I’ve only been employed for half a year. I’m not looking for anything like that. I’ll just do my best in the position I’ve been given.”

“Wow, such humility! I’ve got a great eye for people. Haha!”

I was thankful for him forgetting the high-handed attitude when I pretended to be a security guard. Truly, people are creatures of their environments.

Manager Lee Byeong-jin patted my shoulder several times as if he was proud of me before leaving me with this parting comment.

“Anyways, I’m curious about where you’ll end up, really!”

“……?”

The nuance was strangely different.

‘Why do I feel like you’re speaking on the assumption that I’ll go anywhere?’

That question would soon be revealed.

That very afternoon.

“Hey, Doe! Even if you join another team, we should meet occasionally. I haven’t treated you to a meal yet.”

Huh?

I blinked, looking at the slightly deflated Chief.

Another team, you say?

Did I… get quietly demoted somewhere strange?

Did the director’s interest in me actually turn out to be a bluff to settle me down and draw out a reaction?!

Why would a mere employee do something so unnecessary and malicious…?!

“No, I’d rather hope you’d stay in our team… but looking at the current situation…”

Fortunately before panic set in, my assistant manager kindly explained.

The Field Exploration Team usually has a three-person capacity, but if one or two additional people were assigned, it’s typically for training new recruits.

And up until this employee gets promoted, they usually stay on as an extra member of the team.

“But you’re now a chief.”

Ah.

I… was excluded from the typical case.

“It’s likely that I might bounce to another section… um, but maybe you don’t need to worry too much.”

I asked hopefully with a bit of hope.

“Am I being handled as an exception?”

“Not exactly… I think there’s a good chance that the three-person limit will be just right, so keep this to yourself.”

“Eh?”

The assistant manager chuckled.

“I’m planning to resign soon.”

“…!!”

A colleague’s escape announcement just dropped!