Chapter 27: Ch 27: Dragged into it
Baek Saheon.
– You morons. If one eye is all it takes to escape, just do it already!
My coworker, the one who caused that commotion on the subway.
He’s also a notable figure in the <Dark Exploration Records> and will
probably keep leaving his mark on his way up to section chief...
"What? He’ll die?"
Suddenly, a keychain plushie from a creepypasta just sentenced Baek
Saheon to death.
Reflexively, I couldn’t help but ask this question.
"Why?"
But I know a future where he’s promoted up to section chief...?
– Ah, it’s a classic. Really classic... Mr. Roe Deer, have you ever seen
movies like that?
"...Movies?"
– Yes. The kind with a serial killer in them."
Ah, please.
– In popular media, there are certain typical targets who end up as victims.
Blondes, college students, hitchhikers, or those wearing something like red
shoes—these kinds of noticeable symbols.
– And do you know what the most classic and foolproof victim selection is?
The shadow of the plush doll whispered.
– It’s picking up something that belongs to the killer.
"..."
The large black shadow cast on the wall pointed beyond it.
– Your ’work colleague’ picked up an item, and now he’s going to die in a
brutal way!
"..."
Hah, seriously...
"Anyway, thanks for the warning."
– You’re most welcome!
As politely as possible, I told him that I needed to sleep for work tomorrow,
and thankfully, my ’Good Friend’ gladly understood my situation.
– Goodness, it must have been a tiring day. May you sleep soundly and
have sweet dreams!
That seems unlikely.
’And you contributed to that disaster...’
– Adios!
The flashlight on my phone switched off on its own, and the large shadow
on the wall disappeared.
After a moment’s thought, I grabbed a clean towel, made a soft little spot on
the desk, and placed the plush doll on it.
’Hopefully, with this much courtesy, he won’t come after me in a nightmare
with a cleaver.’
Of course, I probably need to worry about whether I can even fall asleep
and dream at this point.
"Hm."
I turned the night light to its brightest setting and lay down in bed.
Baek Saheon.
He’s probably asleep next door by now...
’What exactly did he pick up?’
What sort of horrendous ghost story artifact did he grab for the plush doll
next door to sense it through the wall?
Is it the butterfly effect? Or was it something that was already bound to
happen?
I thought back to what Baek Saheon had done in the <Dark Exploration
Records>, but even after searching through the wiki, I couldn’t find any
relevant information.
Maybe that’s not surprising. If it happened outside of work, it might not
have been documented.
Huu.
"..."
’If I go knocking on his door in the middle of the night, he’ll probably have
a heart attack, won’t he?’
Besides, I’m not exactly eager to voluntarily approach something scary
enough to put me on a serial killer’s target list...
Honestly, he’s not even the type of roommate I’d risk my life to warn.
’But now that I know, giving him at least a warning is the right thing to do.’
An indirect way to reach out...
’Got it.’
It also ties into what I was going to do next.
I lay in bed and checked my phone messenger.
[Jang Heo-un : This is the rookie group chat.
Please join using this link. Thank you! (Link)]
A colleague from Y-squad had sent it.
With a sigh, I clicked the link.
It was an open KakaoTalk chat.
The reason for this setup probably had something to do with reducing the
emotional impact when news of a death came through, as it wasn’t linked to
personal contacts.
In any case, everyone used their names for their profile names, so
identifying people wouldn’t be a problem.
’I’d better set mine to my name and enter.’
And as I began to type a greeting...
[whoa]
[dang]
[Is it really you, Kim Soleum-ssi?]
[welcome ^^]
[It’s really you? May I ask who gave the invite?]
"...??"
Even before I could write a greeting, intense reactions poured in.
’Surely, they’re not wondering who cluelessly invited that person, right?’
On the positive side, maybe my recent performance had been good enough
to spark some curiosity or rumors.
I simply posted a short greeting.
[Nice to meet you all. I’ll be in your care.]
As if waiting for it, someone immediately asked.
[Kang Yihak : Is it true you received 40,000
points? haha]
Hmm.
[Yes.]
[Kang Yihak : So jealous! I’m curious about how
you managed to get that, haha]
[I just did my best.]
I didn’t respond further and simply sent a bowing emoticon.
’This place is just like a jungle.’
I wondered if this might be a warm group chat where colleagues share tips,
support each other, and enjoy hobbies together, but that doesn’t seem to be
the case.
’It’s more like an intern group chat where only 10% will make it to full-
time positions.’
In other words, everyone is subtly trying to gain any advantage they can.
’Well, with people constantly dying and the wish ticket feeling so far out of
reach, I guess it’s understandable.’
Getting too attached to this chat could make the news of someone’s death
all the more depressing.
It left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth, but I could understand it.
[Go Yeongeun : (hwaiting emoji)]
[Go Yeongeun : (clapping emoji)]
Still, there seemed to be some genuinely nice colleagues here.
’She seems to be doing well...’
I nodded, seeing the clean, supportive emoticons from my med-school-
dropout colleague who’d backed me up that time on the death-ridden
subway.
’Alright, let’s do what I came here to do.’
Time to follow the voice of my conscience.
I found Baek Saheon’s profile in the group chat and initiated a one-on-one
open chat with him.
And I wrote:
watch out for serial killers –
The number 1 serving as an ’unread’ mark disappeared in a second.
But no reply came.
Hmm, maybe he feels a bit guilty himself?
’If he feels guilty, he’ll be careful.’
This should be enough as a warning.
"I’ll send it every morning from now on."
If I keep this up for about a week, the message’s impact should hold until it
wears off.
Satisfied with my efforts, I turned off my phone.
’...Time to sleep.’
Whether I’ll actually manage to sleep is uncertain, but I should at least try. I
have work tomorrow... sob.
’If only the company would explode.’
I lay there, feeling the weight of the sad reality that, given the company’s
nature, I’d still have to show up for work. I ended up staying awake all
night...
When I finally dozed off in the early hours, I dreamed of being chased by
theme park mascots wielding intestines, then offering churros to the plushie.
’Save me.’
Just another night of trauma for a regular office worker.
The news I heard the next day, however, was anything but ordinary.
T/N: Soleum slowly and methodically driving Saheon insane with his antics
is just so hilarious to me lmaoo
* * *
"Roe, you hit the jackpot."
"...?"
"You... earned 20,000 points."
Pardon?
I looked up and checked this morning’s point total.
[Employee Kim Soleum / Earned Points : 20000P]
It’s for real.
’They definitely told me yesterday it’d only be 10,000 points...?’
Supervisor Park slapped my shoulder repeatedly.
"Assistant Manager Jin from A-squad reported that you absolutely deserved
the extra points!"
Assistant Manager Jin...!
Thank you, Assistant Manager Jin, for recognizing my desperate efforts to
get us all out, even to the point that you had to drill a hole in my palm.
In my mind, I raised my evaluation of the butterfly-mask-wearing assistant
manager from a cold, work-driven psycho to a quick-witted and fair
superior.
"Originally, our squad leader was also supposed to be named a primary
contributor for the mission, but the A-squad leader threw a fit..."
Ah.
Well... honestly, I could see why she would react that way from her
perspective...
’Did I benefit unintentionally from the fallout?’
Not sure if I should feel pleased, but I’ll accept it gratefully.
"Anyway, Roe, it’s a big win for you. You’ve already broken the fastest
point-earning record since joining! Insane."
"Thank you."
Though I may have to give up on staying unnoticed in this company soon...
’Still, points are sweet.’
And that wasn’t even the end of it.
Before the morning was over, I got a call.
"...Assistant Manager Jin?"
– Yeah.
I had just been expecting to relax a bit after finishing a B-level ghost story
exploration yesterday and working on some paperwork.
A call came in over the internal network from the A-squad Assistant
Manager.
Naturally, I began with gratitude.
"Thank you. I heard you recommended me as a primary contributor for
clearing the theme park Darkness..."
– Things work best when the person who does well gets more points. No
need to thank me for that.
Ah, yes.
– Anyway, get up here.
"...?"
– My team’s going into a Darkness mission today, but we’re short-staffed.
So, you’re coming to help.
"..."
– Don’t want to?
Yes, I don’t want to! I’m a poor rookie who nearly kicked the bucket
yesterday—would it hurt to give me a break today?!
"Please hold on a moment... Assistant Manager Eun, there’s a call for you."
"Oh, what’s up?"
Help me out here, dear superior!
I tried passing the call over to my superiors in hopes of dodging it, but it
didn’t work.
"A-squad is short-staffed? Is this an A-squad backup call?"
"...!"
Uh-oh.
Even Supervisor Park, who had been slumped over his desk, sprang up with
his chair and started whispering with interest.
"Wait a second, did A-squad really ask for Roe to fill the spot?"
I don’t know, supervisor. My shoulders hurt. Please stop shaking me.
"Got it, yes."
In the meantime, Assistant Manager Eun ended the call, then shook her fist
at me with a gleam in her eye.
"Hey. Go."
...Pardon?
"That’s right! With A-squad as it is right now, it’s a golden opportunity!
Safer conditions and more money—don’t let this slip by!"
"All those points, Roe. Points."
"..."
...So, basically.
’The elite A-squad gets extra points for each assignment.’
That’s a pretty sweet deal.
And since there’s no call for Y-squad or the other round-off squads, it
doesn’t sound like a sacrificial type of Darkness either.
On top of that, they even called a rookie like me as a stand-in, so it likely
isn’t a tough mission.
In short, it’s overtime work with good pay and an easy win!
"With the vacancy, they needed to bring someone along. They must’ve
liked what they saw in you yesterday and thought they’d give you a chance.
Go for it!"
"..."
I have no excuse left...
Saying something like ’I was so scared that I couldn’t even sleep, so now I
just want to rest’ would sound completely ridiculous now.
’If an employee from the Field Exploration Team talks about being scared
when a relatively safe situation with substantial points is on the line...
they’d look suspicious...!’
If I didn’t want to be branded a coward and sent to the Round-Off Team, I’d
have to keep my mouth shut.
So, with reluctant steps, I dragged myself toward the 15th floor...
"That’s right, rookie spirit!"
It feels more like defeat than spirit, honestly.
I trudged to the elevator, trying not to look too miserable. When I reached
the top floor of the Field Exploration Team, the 15th floor, and the doors
opened, I was in for a surprise.
"...!"
There were no cramped desks or partitions typical of an office.
Instead, it looked like a luxurious lounge you’d find in a hotel, with
separate, private glass-walled spaces beyond, each marked with a staff
member’s name.
’My god.’
A personal office for each person.
It was the kind of benefit you’d expect for executives.
’Is this some kind of motivation?’
Apparently, becoming an elite team member in the Field Exploration Team
granted access to private space like this.
’It’s every office worker’s dream...’
Just then, a familiar face stepped out from the glass door next to me.
It was my superior, already wearing her butterfly mask.
"Hello, Assistant Manager Jin."
"Hey."
Assistant Manager Jin from A-squad looked more human than she had in
the ghost story.
"The Squad Leader said she’d like to see you again."
Then, from the larger office opposite, A-squad’s leader emerged, holding a
cup of joe.
"Mr. Roe Deer."
"Good morning, Section Chief."
The middle-aged A-squad leader smiled warmly and patted me on the
shoulder as if she hadn’t been glaring at Squad Leader Lee Jaheon like she
was about to kill him back at the theme park.
"Assistant Manager Jin isn’t the type to praise others, but she seems to think
very highly of you, Mr. Roe Deer. I’ve heard great things."
Is it really that much...?
"So, I thought I’d call you over today. It’s the first time I’ve seen Assistant
Manager Jin compliment someone like that."
Reflexively, I glanced over at A-squad’s Assistant Manager.
Wearing her butterfly mask, she smirked with a slight scoff.
"I was simply reporting the facts."
"Oh, there you go again."
The butterfly-masked superior frowned as she made eye contact with me,
but her tone softened.
"What? You did a good job, didn’t you?"
"...Thank you."
"Yeah. Do well today too."
"Ah, youngsters, learn to get along."
With a chuckle, the A-squad leader, who was wearing a teal duck mask,
watched the scene unfold.
"Welcome to A-squad, Kim Soleum."
"..."
"Alright then, let’s get to work."
* * *
Honestly, I was a bit curious.
’Do elite teams have a different approach?’
There was a sense of anticipation that perhaps A-squad’s process would be
different from the regular team’s, who get thrown into Darkness with only a
quick briefing and the manual to read on the day of the mission.
And it is different, alright.
"Collector confirmed, data recorder confirmed, mask confirmed, equipment
confirmed, basic supplies confirmed. With 31 minutes remaining until entry
time of ’Identification Code Qterw-C-402’ at 1100H, preparation check
completed."
Umm... this is intense.
The atmosphere here was entirely different from D-squad, where we’d sit
around a couch, exchange jokes, and head off into the Darkness, often with
the squad leader not understanding half the humor.
Despite being down a member and with only two people left, A-squad
maintained a strict hierarchy and protocol.
Right as I arrived, they immediately had me run through the equipment
check briefing.
"...All done."
"Good. Let’s head in."
"Yes, ma’am."
Temporary or not, it was clear that the lowest-ranking member would do the
grunt work here.
’Come to think of it, Assistant Manager Jin isn’t the easiest person to get
along with, yet she was formally respectful to the squad leader...’
Well, at some point, I’d have to experience a team like this.
It might be good to go through this kind of experience at least once.
’As long as they don’t find out I’m a scaredy-cat...’
If only I knew what kind of ghost story we’d be entering today, I could
mentally prepare.
Just then, A-squad’s leader, holding the manual, addressed me.
"Oh, Soleum-ssi, you haven’t read the manual, have you?"
"I haven’t, ma’am."
Trying to stay positive, I reached out politely to receive it from the squad
leader.
But just as the manual for this Darkness exploration was about to be handed
to me, she paused.
...?
"Actually, Soleum-ssi, why don’t you try going in without one this time?"
Pardon?
"I heard your specialty is figuring things out without a manual."
I looked up in shock.
Underneath the teal duck mask, I could see A-squad’s leader smiling.
"If it seems dangerous, I’ll give it to you immediately. Got it?"
"..."
So, what she’s saying is... she’ll decide if it’s dangerous, not me.
Meaning she might never hand it over until the end.
"..."
They both know what’s in the manual, yet I’m supposed to go in blind?
"Alright, shall we go? Ah, it’s been a while since work has felt this fun~"
Wait. Is this...
’Bullying in the workplace?’
It’s so stereotypical it feels like a joke. I feel light-headed.
But why would a squad leader from another squad that I just met yesterday
go out of her way to do this... oh.
’...Lee Jaheon!!’
Could it be that our D-squad’s Lizard Chief really rubbed her the wrong
way, and now she’s taking it out on me, his rookie?
Why must I be dragged into this mess as well?!