Chapter 85: Ch 85: Contamination
The warm sunlight streamed into the Fox Counseling Office.
Standing outside the window was another version of me.
He was gripping my arm and stirring through the tattoo.
...
Huh?
That’s someone else, isn’t it?
Then I must reject this. Did I break the rules? No. Exactly, this situation
isn’t right! It isn’t right! It isn’t right! It isn’t right! I must follow the rules
because I’m a new teacher who adheres to them.
"All done, Sir."
The hand that had been stirring inside my tattoo withdrew.
Thud.
An object emerged along with the hand that had come out of what should
have been an empty tattoo.
"This was inside."
Under the garden’s lights, the bold red title came into clear view.
A brown file folder.
<■■ Kindergarten Handbook>
"It looks familiar. How do you remember it?"
Good god.
It felt like cold water had been dumped on me, and my mind instantly
cleared.
’That...!!’
And like a dam breaking, fragments of blurred memories from the past few
weeks came flooding back vividly.
When I had sealed the contaminated Supervisor Park Minseong from the
kindergarten into my wrist!
The tattoo’s space had consumed him effortlessly... Ah, the handbook must
have touched me! I meant to handle it separately and would never have
done that intentionally.
The handbook Park Minseong had been holding was absorbed into my
tattoo along with him in one go!
I must’ve suppressed the urge to handle it separately, even though I fully
intended to report everything to the Security Team after the rescue.
But...
– If you’ve taken any items or supplies from the "Hungry Hangman"
Darkness, please return them.
– Oh, I don’t have any.
I hadn’t returned the handbook.
More accurately, whenever I tried to recall if there was anything else in the
tattoo, an unconscious sense of rejection stopped me.
Doubting the rules is against the rules!
And even the fact that I felt rejection was gradually buried, as if I wasn’t
allowed to acknowledge it.
Because teachers mustn’t feel resistance to the rules...
No, I shouldn’t overthink this!
What’s clear is that I did make repeated attempts.
Attempts to let others know that something was wrong with me.
– ...Squad Leader.
– Yes.
– If it seems like I have a strange obsession with the rules, please look into
it...
– Yes.
– ...Ah. I’ve just been overly focused on work lately, so I thought I’d
mention it.
– I see.
I had even brought it up to Section Chief Lee Jaheon several times, though
each conversation ended with vague self-doubt and trailed off.
’I almost made a serious mistake.’
The handbook within the tattoo had begun to erode my subconscious, and
eventually, it all seemed natural to me so I could no longer recognize any of
the bizarre signs...
’...At least I regained my senses at Sekwang Technical High School!’
Thanks to taking the Nostalgia Candy.
But the moment I woke from that dream, even that reprieve ended.
And yesterday, the ’last topic’ I had with Section Chief Lee Jaheon in that
conversation culminated everything.
– Kim Soleum-ssi.
– Yes?
– Have you recently felt an unusual compulsion or pressure to follow the
rules?
– Following the rules is only natural for a member of the workplace, Squad
Leader!
– I see.
"..."
Wow. Oh my god.
’I feel like throwing up.’
Was that really me??
I staggered and leaned against the window.
’So that’s why Section Chief Lee Jaheon...’
He’d been so insistent on sending me straight to the counseling office.
"...Ha."
Everything was becoming clear now.
It felt as if I’d taken off a too-tight turtleneck or wiped clean a pair of
smudged glasses.
A refreshing sense of liberation and exhaustion wrapped around my entire
body.
And... unease, too.
"..."
"What are you thinking right now?"
"...I feel both tired and relieved."
"Does it feel like you’ve escaped from some uncomfortable compulsion?"
"...Yes."
The ’counselor’, who looked like me and stood outside the window, gazed
at me with a comforting expression.
"You’ve done very well. Staying here and following through with
counseling is a testament to your strong will."
"..."
Then, he quietly set the handbook down on the garden floor, retrieved a
shovel from somewhere, and lightly dug into the ground.
"When you’re caught in powerful compulsions or ideas against your will,
it’s truly distressing, isn’t it?"
Rustle, rustle.
The ’Kim Soleum’ outside the window created a small dirt hole in the
corner of the outdoor garden.
Thuk.
The handbook was tossed into the hole.
"While change isn’t always bad, it’s only right to resist when your body and
mind are being strained."
The me outside the window neatly covered the hole with soil, then dusted
off his hands with satisfaction.
"Sir Soleum, do you see the small plant in that pot?"
A pot?
When I turned my head, there was indeed a small pot on the table near the
sofa.
It was a sprig with tiny, under-ripe fruits the size of beans.
"Could you pick one of the fruits you like and bring it to me?"
"..."
I carefully plucked a fruit that seemed the ripest and handed it over to the
’me’ beyond the window.
"You did very well."
The counselor outside the window held both the fruit and my hand.
Then—
"...!"
The fruit in my hand ripened to a vivid red.
It swelled, looking plump and appetizing, as if it had absorbed plenty of
nutrients.
"Chew it thoroughly before you swallow."
"..."
I placed the fruit in my mouth.
A torrent of intense anxiety, frustration, thoughts, and irrational sorrow and
pain slowly melted away along with the fruit...
When a client with severe mental contamination visits, red fruits (suspected
to be from the Fox’s Pouch family or Fox Beads) are offered as
medication.
The fruit has been shown to have excellent effects on mental stabilization.
Any attempts to take the fruit outside result in its disappearance the moment
it crosses the doorway.
Huu.
With a deep breath, all the emotional residue scattered like grains of sand.
I felt at peace.
Just an ordinary, weary office worker once more.
Back to being my usual self.
I lifted my head and looked at the counselor standing by the window.
"Thank you. I feel much better now."
"No, I should be thanking you, Sir Kim Soleum!"
The counselor’s face brightened noticeably.
For some reason, they no longer seemed to be mimicking my appearance.
"Shall we talk a little more?"
From that point on, it was an ordinary therapy session.
To be precise, it felt like a very skillful and comfortable counselor had
helped me open up about various things.
’I’ll give credit where it’s due.’
If this profit-driven ghost story company, Daydream Inc., did one thing
right, it was including this in their employee benefits.
"I’ll give you a sign so you can visit the Fox Counseling Office anytime
you feel overwhelmed by negative thoughts."
On my way out, I received an item.
It was the same sign that had been on the door I entered through earlier.
Fox Counseling Office
"If you attach this sign to a door and open it, it will connect to our
counseling office."
"...Thank you."
Though I’d like to keep it, I’d have to attach it to a door once I left.
Every client who uses the company’s welfare program is required to affix
the sign to the door after completing their session.
’The nameplate I used earlier must have disappeared by now.’
Thinking of it as repaying a debt made it easier to accept.
"Well then, I’ll take my leave now."
I was about to stand up when the counselor’s regretful voice stopped me.
"Actually, scheduling regular appointments every one or two weeks is the
best approach..."
Ahhhh!
"Sorry, but I’m too busy... That might be difficult."
"Of course. These days, everyone says that..."
The ’counselor’ looked slightly dejected, nodding their head.
But I couldn’t afford to fall for that look.
’Scheduling regular counseling increases the likelihood of side effects
dramatically...!’
Usage Record #521 (Irregular)
The ’counselor’ strongly urged the client to schedule regular sessions.
The client initially declined, but after 1 hour and 21 minutes of persistent
persuasion, the client accepted with a sense of ease.
Afterward, the client went missing.
※ Full access to this record requires B-level security clearance.
Fortunately, the counselor let me go with a smile instead of pressing further.
"Still, it’s a relief that you have good colleagues, family, and friends around
you, Sir Kim Soleum."
"..."
Wait a second.
It’s true that even in this insane ghost-story-filled world, I have decent
people and a ’good friend’ around me, but...
"Family...? What do you mean?"
The counselor extended a hand and tapped their wrist.
I looked down at my own wrist.
The spot was...
: Socius :
"That person."
"...?!"
♬♩♪♬~♪♪♩~
"Ah, our time is up. Take care, Sir Kim Soleum."
I lifted my head.
No one was there.
The counselor who had been smiling at the window vanished like a lie,
leaving only the sunlight pouring in from the quaint, beautiful outdoor
garden...
♬♩♪♬~♪♪♩~
A light waltz melody signaled the end of the session.
In the distance, I thought I glimpsed a fox’s bright orange tail darting away
under the garden’s stone wall.
"..."
I rose from the sofa and headed toward the changing room curtain.
On the way, I noticed a cool-looking drink placed on a floral lace table.
Keep up the good work today!
*^^*
"..."
I downed the drink in one go and set it down with gratitude.
It was a delicious, nutty barley tea.
– Was the counseling helpful, Friend?
"Yeah."
I grabbed my ’Good Friend’ plushie.
...Now that my mind had cleared, I had a few thoughts about this little
thing as well...
’I’ll save that for after work.’
For now, there was someone I had to face first.
Creak.
I opened the door and stepped out.
The head of a white lizard in a black suit, as he was leaning against the
opposite wall, turned to look at me.
"Did you complete the counseling session?"
"Yes."
I was sure I had an awkward expression on my face as I answered.
"Thank you, Squad Leader. Thanks to you, I’ve been freed from the
contamination."
"No need to thank me."
Chief Lizard being humble...?!
"Kim Soleum-ssi, you are still contaminated. Make sure to attend
counseling sessions regularly."
"...Yes."
Ah. So that’s what he meant.
"Still, I feel much better than before. Doesn’t it seem that way to you too,
Squad Leader?"
"Yes."
Chief Lizard scrutinized me carefully before declaring,
"Let’s proceed now."
"Proceed... with what?"
"A message from Supervisor Park Minseong."
"...!!"
Section Chief Lee Jaheon pulled a small post-it from his suit pocket and
handed it to me.
You’ve worked hard, Roe. Thank you for getting me out.
"...."
I took a deep breath.
"Has he recovered?"
"What exactly is the standard for recovery..."
"Can he communicate rationally?"
"It’s possible, technically speaking."
Huu...
’So that means he’s still a bit unstable.’
Regardless, it was a relief to know I was recovering.
And naturally, another teammate came to mind.
"...By the way, Assistant Manager Eun Haje hasn’t contacted you at all...
right, sir?"
"Yes."
"...."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje had completely vanished as soon as she went
on leave.
If I sent her texts or messages on KakaoTalk, she’d occasionally read them,
but she never replied. Just the read receipt.
’She’s probably trying to distance herself from this ghost story company.’
After all the chaos caused by mental contamination, it seemed like a wise
move.
Anyway, with that, my morning schedule came to an end.
"Should I head back to the office now?"
"Yes."
"Once again, thank you so much, Squad Leader."
"Yes."
Section Chief Lee Jaheon went off to attend to his own tasks, and I spent
some time browsing the welfare mall in the office before lunch.
It was a small luxury made possible by having just secured an A-grade
essence.
’Being sane definitely feels better....’
I don’t know. This company is terrifying.
Knock, knock.
"Good afternoon."
Huh?
I looked up from my monitor.
Someone had entered the office without me noticing and was carefully
tapping on my desk.
It was a young man in a gray suit.
’A face I don’t recognize.’
Was he from another squad or department?
He seemed to be around my age but had the kind of presence you’d never
want to face as a competitor during an interview....
’Why didn’t he just join another major corporation instead of this one?’
For a brief moment, I almost pitied him, but I quickly adjusted my posture.
"Good afternoon. How can I help you?"
"Oh, I had something to ask."
He spoke just as politely.
"Did your counseling session go well, Soleum-nim?"
"...!"
"It’s good to see you’ve recovered so much. I’m glad. I’m Ho Yoowon, by
the way."
He extended a hand for a handshake.
"I heard Director Cheong recently made you an interesting offer."
"...."
Director Cheong.
He didn’t use an honorific.
(T/N: Instead of eesa-nim, he just said eesa)
And that name.
Ho Yoowon.
...
...Director Ho!!
"It’s quite a coincidence. I also have a proposal to make."
Director Ho had paid a personal visit to D-squad’s office.