Immunity for use of deadly force!
Now that I think about it, the Guard Team does have immunity for lethal force!
"If I kill him… and the Security Team reports 'no target for dispatch'… that's not a lie… and we can just move on. Plus… it'll buy us some time…"
"No, you can't."
"P-Please calm down, Sergeant!"
No, I mean, the Guard Team's immunity for deadly force isn't for the guards themselves!
'It's so the company isn't liable if someone dies during the suppression of a ghost story incident!'
And on top of that, it's more like, 'Since they have immunity, don't get in the way and make it cost more when the Guard Team is working.'
From the start…
"The immunity for deadly force is the right for the Guard Team to kill employees who interfere during official duties. You're not in the middle of official duty right now!"
If it were that easy to kill someone, Kwak Jaekang would have already been turned into a puddle by another member of the Guard Team a long time ago.
"Well, that's true… hm."
"L-Let's think of another way."
"Yes! We'll think of a good way!"
"Hmm… okay…"
Cold sweat broke out on my skin.
'I-It's a relief the sergeant isn't that motivated…'
No wonder he made it all the way to squad leader of an elite team. His judgment is so unflinching.
…Honestly, it wasn't just the immunity he was thinking of. He was really considering just killing this guy to get rid of any evidence.
It's only lucky that he's not a bad person at heart. I wiped the sweat from my brow.
…And honestly, this situation was my fault.
I was too tempted when the sergeant said he'd look into the Cheerful Research Institute for me.
– It's a moment of decision, Friend! Will you gamble for a flawless outcome, or accept a little loss for the sake of safety?
– Oh, if you want advice from this host, I'm more than ready to give you a hint!
'…You're going to tell me to gamble and erase the evidence, right?'
– Correct!
Damn it.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, then suddenly…
An idea came to me.
'No.'
– Hm?
'A way to erase evidence… there's one!'
"I'll take care of it."
I pulled out an item I'd been keeping in my inventory.
Disguise Syrup for Kids
(Green Grape Flavor)
★★★★★
* * *
A short time later.
"…Hm?"
Assistant Manager Kwak Jaekang opened his eyes.
Or rather, it was a guess that he would, since we'd covered his eyes.
"Ooooh? Am I in the Darkness... No, that's not it. My eyes are just covered."
The excited tone in his voice instantly cooled and became listless.
But soon, perhaps realizing why he was in this situation, his tone changed again.
He'd been following the sergeant, got caught and tied up, and was knocked out.
"No! Just because you cover my eyes doesn't mean I forget what I saw! Hahaha! Oh, heavens. How do you plan to explain this to the company, pulling a stunt like this?"
"..."
"The situation has changed a lot since you were the leader of the B-squad~ Do you still believe the company will give you special treatment? Golly."
Things like, 'Did you really think your immunity for deadly force means you can just kill a real researcher?', or, 'I wonder how the company would react if a busy section chief of the Research Team like me turned up as a fresh corpse?'—
He speaks in that typical tone of someone proud of their own irreplaceability, mixing subtle threats and ominous predictions, but lightly.
However, soon.
"Or… maybe you're desperate enough that you have to go this far."
"..."
"What were you looking for in the special research lab in the annex? Don't tell me…"
His voice took on a meaningful edge.
"Were you hoping to find the Darkness you disappeared into there?"
"..."
"Hey, I'm telling you, the entrance has collapsed! Even if you're curious what state the staff still trapped in there might be in by now—"
He'd talked enough.
I briskly pulled off the cloth covering his eyes.
Kwak Jaekang looked pleased, as if about to say something else, but.
"…!"
But instead of the sergeant—the former elite team leader—he'd been expecting, there was me.
Wearing a Security Team suit.
"..."
In front of the frozen Kwak Jaekang, I took out my pager and flicked it.
"…Aha, so you're the one who responded to the call! This must be… hmm, the Security Team area?"
Silence.
"By any chance, was there a guard sergeant in the spot where I was?"
Silence.
"…Not much of a talker, huh. ...Wait a second."
Realization flickered in Kwak Jaekang's eyes.
"It's a special suit."
He recognized my outfit.
The uniform for the Security Team's Special Division.
"What's going on? You, responding to a mere Research Team section chief's call? This kind of cleanup shouldn't be the job of someone as special and rare as you! Hahaha… Unless you have some other motive—"
As he thought of the next words, his expression changed.
Right.
'Unless there's some other motive.'
I silently raised my hand and placed something on the desk in front of him.
[Fun Truth Game!]
[Shall we play a round?]
"…!"
A carrot-shaped plastic recording toy, cheerfully announcing itself.
It looked childish and cheap, completely out of place, but Kwak Jaekang's face went stiff.
'As I thought, he recognizes it.'
One of the most famous Security Team interrogation tools from Dark Exploration Records.
========================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[All the Things the Carrot Can Do]
: A ghost story featured in
: Daydream Inc. identification code – Qterw-E-2525.
A party toy that helps you play a game of Truth or Dare.
If the opponent doesn't tell the truth, it notices immediately and, as a penalty, issues a brutal and shocking dare.
If the mission is not completed, the other game participants can punish the one who failed.
========================
Right.
Where did I get this?
To be honest—
'It's fake.'
I poured the 'Disguise Syrup for Kids' on my smartphone and created a knockoff.
That's why it's rated five stars.
It doesn't disguise me, it disguises whatever I want.
So, because it's for objects and not people, it is highly versatile. And, it perfectly mimics the look and function the user wants.
And it doesn't matter if it's a fake imitating the original.
The important thing is that the person in front of me believes it's real.
For the first time, I saw a flicker of confusion in Kwak Jaekang's eyes.
"…What is this? No, there's no need to go this far, is there? I…"
Now I was ready.
From here on, it was all about skillfully pushing my confused opponent and wrapping up the situation.
Preferably in a way that gave us a bit of an advantage.
[If everyone's ready, we'll begin.]
[Now, the question!]
While the carrot blared on, I subtly shifted my position so Kwak Jaekang could see more clearly.
Behind me, the prototype Dream Incubator from the Cheerful Research Institute came into view.
"…!"
Kwak Jaekang's gaze wavered, but the 'carrot' asked its recorded question.
[What do you know about the machine in front of you?]
Thus began the ridiculously efficient clean-up plan.
-x-X-x-
The underground laboratory.
Kwak Jaekang's eyes tremble as he looks around the Dream Incubation Room of the Cheerful Research Institute, his gaze landing on the massive incubator in the center.
But the countdown had already begun.
The low-quality recorded melody and the cheerful voice rang out.
[10! 9! 8!]
"What do I know? Are you telling me to spill everything I know about that potion-manufacturing device?"
I looked at him in silence.
[7! 6!]
"No, haha. Potion manufacturing? Did I see it once when I joined the company? Even if you ask this of a raw material procurement researcher, you know… The unreasonable is the charm of the Darkness, but this…"
Kwak Jaekang's movements stopped.
"...Wait."
His voice trembled.
"Is that, by any chance, that thing?"
Not fear, but excitement.
[5! 4!]
A mad gleam burst in the eyes of someone who realized what it was.
"It's a prototype potion maker!"
The countdown stopped.
But Kwak Jaekang's mouth did not.
"The version with no production quality restrictions! Ah, I'm not especially passionate about Daydream Inc.'s potions, but potion-manufacturing devices are a different story, haha…"
A smile spread across Kwak Jaekang's face.
"It originated from a Darkness, didn't it? And that's the original device that was taken out of the Darkness!"
...!!
"To think it's right in front of my eyes! If you'd just shown it to me instead of all this, I would've testified to anything!"
He murmured, practically licking the Dream Incubator with his gaze.
"Where on earth did you get this? If it gives out Wish Tickets, it must be an Abyss-grade Darkness, right? What ghost story did it come from? I don't know which superior is running this operation, but don't you need a researcher? I'm tight-lipped and full of passion for research!"
A beaming smile spread across Kwak Jaekang's face.
"This is way better than the useless work I was doing in the annex! Hey, can I take a look? That one—"
Whoosh.
I set a heavy layer of black smoke before Kwak Jaekang as he tried to get up.
He stopped in his tracks.
But the eyes raised toward me shone not with fear, but with curiosity.
"You're quite something, aren't you? Haha… Where are you from? Which Darkness answered Daydream Inc.'s call? Fire? Water? The conception of madness? A fairytale? The Throne of Pure Silver?"
I didn't answer.
But in my mind, the various special exploration records Kwak Jaekang had been involved with flashed by.
What would it be best to let him misunderstand?
'Something as powerful as possible, but that Kwak Jaekang doesn't know much about.'
But also something that would let his imagination run wild.
I reached out and pointed.
At…
The yellow lantern at my waist, wrapped in horn-like ribs.
"…A star?"
Kwak Jaekang muttered.
So that's how he interpreted it.
"A Darkness related to a star. Gold, restraints… Haha, interesting… Are you interested in humans?"
I didn't answer.
Instead, I pressed the carrot.
[Next round starting.]
[Now, the question!]
Kwak Jaekang was now looking at me more with intrigue than tension.
He seemed excited at the thought that the question might be related to information about the Dream Incubator.
But this.
This question wasn't about the incubator.
It's about smashing your skull in.
[Are you still observing Darkness Qterw-B-553, which you secretly swapped in to deploy the J-squad without your superior's knowledge?]
Kwak Jaekang's face stiffened.
[10, 9, 8…]
"I'm still observing it."
The countdown stopped.
"…How did you know? Does the company already know about this?"
Of course not.
It's just that, through the '#Exploration Records (Extras)' page of Dark Exploration Records, I knew all the crazy things Kwak Jaekang had done.
Of those, I picked a certain unexpected incident that was particularly large-scale, caused a stir in the Development Department when discovered, but went undetected until the very end.
Endless Life of the J-squad
This notorious irregular record was famous for making people feel unpleasant just by reading it, to the point you'd be unsettled imagining it really happened.
But in this situation, it was definitely useful.
'There's no way he'll ever think I'm just a former employee who quit.'
No matter how good Kwak Jaekang is at reading people, it's simply impossible.
He can't help but think this way instead.
'Ah, someone higher up in the company must have caught on to what I did.'
From here on, things get easier.
"…Haha, if you called me in like this through the Security Team instead of handing out official disciplinary action… what exactly did I touch in there? Just what secret was I getting close to?"
By letting the other person misunderstand, you can guide the situation however you want.
"What does this place have to do with it?"
I didn't answer Kwak Jaekang, who was muttering to himself. Instead…
[Next…]
I turned off the carrot.
Then I approached Kwak Jaekang and reached out my hand.
"…!"
Still tied to the chair, I pushed him forward toward the incubator.
"Ha… haha!"
Kwak Jaekang laughed nervously, cold sweat running down his face. Even in his fear, I could sense his anticipation for what was to come, which was a little unsettling, but either way, he stopped in front of the gleaming Dream Incubator.
The light of the Dream Essence was reflected in his glasses.
Then, I turned the carrot recorder back on.
A cheerful child's voice came out.
[What function do you think the machine in front of you has?]
"…A more powerful, fundamental potion-manufacturing function! Since it originates from the Darkness, I'm sure it has even more extreme, incomprehensible rules! Can I touch it? Or at least observe it?"
I allowed Kwak Jaekang to stand up, but closely monitored everything he did as he touched the incubator.
Even as he broke out in a cold sweat, he couldn't hide his excitement and busily examined and tapped all over the incubator.
"It's crude… but more complicated than the completed company manufacturing machine. Well, I guess that's obvious. There are fewer buttons… But, emojis? What's this? It's…"
Then he pressed the side of the incubator.
…A pipe similar to the one where I'd poured in the essence appeared.
There was something like that too.
'Does that mean you can draw out the essence from there?'
I should remember this. If necessary, I could extract all the Dream Essence from there in an emergency.
Even as I thought this, Kwak Jaekang, as if possessed, examined everything, even peering into the glass container where the Dream Essence was stored.
Specifically, at the faint silhouette visible inside the Dream Essence.
A lump about five times the size of an egg, glowing a reddish-orange.
"That thing in the center! What is that? That wasn't in the company's manufacturing machine!"
I didn't say anything.
Because I didn't know, either…
But thanks to the scenario I'd set up, it seemed Kwak Jaekang took it as a hint that 'this isn't something I'll tell you'.
He licked his lips and withdrew his hand, but his gaze still greedily swept over the incubator.
Then his eyes stopped at the very bottom.
Where a button had been removed.
◎
"Ahh, here… this looks like the spot for the Wish Ticket."
...!
"Is that right? I think so. Ah, did you remove it so I wouldn't press it by accident?"
Wait a second.
That spot… is where a Wish Ticket button is supposed to go?
Even a prototype had a Wish Ticket output function?
'Then, originally… the Wish Tickets were even more powerful than they are now.'
Just what had the Cheerful Research Institute been trying to make?
And…
'If I find and restore that button, I might even be able to get the Cheerful Research Institute version of a Wish Ticket?'
Thump, thump.
My head spun with the sound of my pounding heart.
No, no… calm down.
This is only Kwak Jaekang's speculation.
And even if that speculation is correct, all the Wish Tickets I know about are based on what Daydream Inc. refined.
As for the 'original' produced by the Cheerful Research Institute… who knows what kind of insane effect it might have. No one could say for sure.
Don't get swept up by the temptation of a gamble when I have clear answers in front of me!
'Huu.'
"If you gave me a little more time, I feel like I could learn even more. I don't know who you are, but if you let me join this project…"
Kwak Jaekang spoke suggestively, looking at me.
I stared back at him in silence.
Black smoke stretched toward him like a line.
Kwak Jaekang flinched.
The black smoke circled him, as if warning him not to do anything foolish, or perhaps as if appraising him, then, as I inhaled, it was sucked back into my body.
"Ha."
I reached out and activated 'All the Things the Carrot Can Do' again.
Time to wrap this up.
'If I get greedy, he might catch on.'
And the final touch… is for a perfect setup.
[What did you want to hide during today's Truth or Dare?]
"…!"
It's the question that the Security Team always asks at the very end of an interrogation.
A direct hit that leaves those who've been skirting the truth in despair, thinking, 'As long as I don't lie, I'll be fine.'
But Kwak Jaekang just smiled.
"Nothing in particular. Haha!"
He really seemed off his rocker.
"Anyway, it feels like you already know and are ignoring all the disciplinary issues I was trying to hide, so what's there to keep secret?"
He smacked his lips.
"It's just disappointing. I guess I'm not the type of talent that this team is looking for? Hm, then who would be on that team… Confidential team, missing persons, hm."
And then.
"Supervisor Kim Soleum?"
I almost jumped off the floor.
"Seeing it this way, your build seems pretty similar… Now that I think about it, right, Supervisor Kim Soleum's mask also had horns, didn't it? Did you perhaps abduct that employee from the train to use as your vessel?"
What the actual hell.
"No wonder it felt strange! That train Darkness wasn't the type to just disappear like that, but now the puzzle pieces fit. Hahaha."
Wait.
He said the train Darkness wasn't the type to just disappear like that?
That makes it sound as if.
'He already knew about the Tamra Express ghost story!'
At that moment, it hit me.
'This bastard set it up!'
The sudden business trip, and getting caught up in the train ghost story along the way.
It wasn't just bad luck, this guy orchestrated it.
'He'd already gathered information about Tamra Express.'
Right, Kwak Jaekang can mess around in ways not recorded in
Because of the variable called 'me'!
"A morally upright and cowardly newcomer. Wow, even just listing it out, that sounds like the perfect candidate for a human sacrifice…"
And from the way he spoke, it seemed he'd looked into me, 'Kim Soleum', much more than I expected.
…He knew?
My personality?
"Anyway. Now I really want to confirm if my hypothesis is right! Is that Security Team uniform made from the leather of that unfortunate employee? Was it a match?"
Stay calm.
I deliberately gave no reaction.
Whether he spouted nonsense or deduced the truth, I wouldn't give him any information.
As if I had no meaning or interest outside the task I was assigned.
Then, as if suddenly thinking of it, I picked up the carrot recorder and gave it a small shake.
"…Tsk. So silent…"
Just then.
The sergeant who'd been hiding behind the desk leaped out and struck Kwak Jaekang in the back of the neck, knocking him out.
"Mmf."
With a short thud, the guy's body collapsed to the floor.
'Huu.'
For some reason, I felt relieved.
"I just leave him outside… right?"
I quickly nodded.
As I watched the sergeant move Kwak Jaekang, I hurried to take off the Security Team uniform.
'…Done.'
So what happens now?
The sergeant will dump Kwak Jaekang near the company, and he'll be 'found' and taken in by Supervisor Park Minseong.
This way, Supervisor Park Minseong can report that he 'found Section Chief Kwak Jaekang passed out near the company and returned him to work'.
That's the last eyewitness account!
'Any sighting of me or the sergeant will have nothing to do with official duties.'
This way, Supervisor Park Minseong didn't have to lie, and could omit my sighting from his report.
– Mr. Roe Deer! Ah, what a delightful performance. Wit, deception, secrets. You used all three elements very well.
After changing back, I picked up Braun, who had been sitting off to the side of the office, and put him in my front pocket. He burst into applause.
'Really? It didn't look awkward?'
– Ah, it was perfect. That composure, not even batting an eye when your own name came up! It was a wonderful performance.
– But aren't you worried that man will go back and expose everything that happened here, Friend?
Ah. That.
I smiled confidently.
'That won't happen.'
– Oho?
Because Kwak Jaekang is the type whose mind is always working.
Security Team interrogations are a strict non-disclosure matter.
Usually, unless someone directly involved asks, everyone keeps their mouth shut.
Especially in Kwak Jaekang's case.
All the more so if the interrogation was about some outrageous abuse of authority on his part!
'Why would anyone go around blabbing that they did something to get disciplined?'
Especially when they haven't even gotten to experience the catharsis of 'observing' what result comes of it.
– I see!
This was better than any binding.
I recalled Supervisor Park Minseong's anxious voice.
– If only there we had a memory-erasing pill, or a silencing pill.
We could have bought those, but I opted not to use one.
Those are potions made by Daydream Inc.
Someone in Kwak Jaekang's position could just buy an antidote from the points mall, and he'd be suspicious of a binding that could be undone so easily.
What's important is to handle this in the most natural way possible.
Make it seem like there's no real point in talking about it, even if you do.
And even in the unlikely event that Kwak Jaekang does talk, the higher-ups who hear it will just assume it's another secret project of some powerful faction and find nothing strange about it.
– So Mr. Roe Deer, you went to great lengths to perfectly recreate a 'Security Team interrogation'.
– To make even the insiders get the wrong idea, if word gets out.
'That's right.'
The only thing that nags at me is… the way Kwak Jaekang associated Supervisor Kim Soleum with my Security Team disguise.
But even if he goes around later telling people in great detail, by the time that news reaches Director Ho, I won't be here anymore.
"All done."
In this way, I managed to extract all the information from Kwak Jaekang while also cleaning up the situation.
My whole body aches…
'Maybe I should rest a bit before the sergeant gets here.'
After dealing with that insane researcher, my stomach's starting to hurt.
I put away the Security Team uniform into my inventory tattoo and sat down in front of the Dream Incubator.
I gazed at it for a moment.
– Friend, sorry to disturb your break, but… now I feel like giving you a small hint and a preview.
'…A preview?'
– Indeed! Let's raise the tension just a bit.
– A very interesting incident will occur soon.
"…Braun?"
Just then.
Bzzz.
My phone buzzed.
"…!"
A call at this hour.
Could it be something that happened at the Disaster Management Bureau? Maybe there were so many rescue requests that they overlapped beyond what could be handled.
I immediately opened my smartphone. But…
[K.LEE: Oh it's been a while since I've contacted you Employeeㅋㅋㅋ]
[K.LEE: Have you been doing well?]
Huh?
A person whose profile picture is a Hawaiian beach.
Someone who introduced himself as Assistant Manager Lee Kangheon from the C-squad, the one who connected me to the Salmon Market.
But...
A message from him?
'But that's impossible.'
Because, because…
I'm already a dead person to Daydream Inc.
I changed my number a long time ago.
'...'
Something's wrong.
And yet, my phone kept buzzing.
[K.LEE: RightㅋㅋYou're a supervisor now aren't you]
[K.LEE: Or rather…]
[K.LEE: A spy, right?]
"So that's how it is."
I turned my head.
"If you really want to be a spy…"
From behind the office chair in the Dream Incubation Room, someone took off the goblin hat they'd been wearing.
Agent Choi.
In his hand was the crumpled note I'd given him.
"You should have found some way to slip out a hint like this in the middle. …Mr. Roe Deer."
And then, the blades descended.
T/N: The 'blades' in this context refer to a shaman's weapon, which are also tools to show off their divine power. To prove that a spirit has descended, shamans would 'ride' a pair of these blades.
For more info on this, read: namu.wiki/w/작두#s-3
Other notes:
Hi? What? What the fuck? Hello??? Agent Choi?????? AAAAAAHHHHHH
I rolled to dodge the falling blades.
But the downpour of blades had already struck my foot.
"…!"
At that moment, Agent Choi lunged at me with frightening speed and pulled something else out with his hand.
A round object.
A glass marble, glinting in the light of the Dream Essence.
'The emergency glass prison!'
If that hits me, I'll be bound and transported straight to the Disaster Management Bureau's infamous glass prison.
The moment that happens, it's all over.
The spy mission. The Wish Ticket. Everything.
'No.'
Gritting my teeth, I grabbed the blade embedded in my foot and rolled to the side.
Ping, ti-di-ding…
The glass marble I barely dodged bounced away with a cheerful sound.
But the prison was already open.
"...!"
LET THE ROPE OF
JUSTICE FALL UPON
THE SINNER
Countless hands reached out from within the emptiness of the glass, grabbing hold of me.
I clung to the office furniture, but it was hopeless. I was dragged in. My hands, scraped along the floor, had my fingernails shattered as they were pulled.
There was no time to take out any items.
'Braun!'
– Oh, you're desperately hoping for the devoted help of your Good Friend, are you, Friend!
– But I'm afraid that will be difficult.
What?
– This is a decision made for more interesting developments, so I trust you'll graciously understand, Mr. Roe Deer. Ah, but my heart aches, too! Of course it does…
– The troubles of a friend!
My blood ran cold.
I was trapped in the glass.
Chalalalak.
With a clear, sharp sound as if the glass was resonating, I was separated from the outside world as if I was looking through a shattered mirror.
'Braun?'
No answer. Fuck!
'No.'
I grit my teeth.
If the agent contacted the Disaster Management Bureau now, everything would be over.
And Agent Choi is absolutely the kind of person who would do just that!
'He's already started contacting them.'
The glass marble spun in Agent Choi's grip. It was a kind of emergency ritual to summon the warden of the prison.
'Damn it, damn it!'
How do I stop this? How do I persuade him? He's a warm person who sometimes lets his emotions get the better of him, but that only works when there's a gap to exploit.
Now that he knows I'm a spy, he'll throw me in the glass prison first, and then—
...
Wait.
Instead of looking at the hand holding the glass marble, I looked at his other, left hand.
He was holding a crumpled piece of paper.
'...'
There it is.
"Is that the note I gave you? Did you solve the riddle recently and that's how you found this place?"
Agent Choi didn't answer, just kept rolling the glass marble in his hand. But I kept talking, undaunted.
"At the very least, when you received that note, did you think I was genuinely asking for help to help someone else?"
"No."
"…!"
"At first, I assumed there must be some trick to it. Given your background."
…!!
"What are you so surprised about? You transferred from Daydream Inc. to the Bureau here using your real name. Did you really think no one would notice?"
The shock hit me like a hammer to the head, and the result became clear.
'It was suspicious.'
Yeah. I definitely thought it was strange.
When it turned out the C-squad's Lee Kangheon didn't exist, and when Supervisor Lee Seonghae, who supposedly exchanged messages with him, said she'd never met him either.
It was easy enough to deduce the reason with just a little thinking.
That person never existed in the first place.
It was just someone posing as a Daydream Inc. employee to dig for information.
And that person was Agent Choi.
So he'd known from the beginning that I was from Daydream Inc…
"But you know."
Agent Choi's voice turned hollow.
"You're really good at your job. …You work hard."
"..."
"Trying so hard to help everyone you meet, including kids and even the annoying ones, without picking or choosing. Willing to do anything, even if it means getting hurt or taking a loss."
His voice shook.
"That's not something you can fake. Usually, Daydream Inc. employees can't stand losing out. So I thought. …Maybe, just like you told Jaekwan, you really did fake your death at the company and run away."
…!
"So I figured, if I kept you on our team and managed you well…"
Agent Choi gripped the glass marble tightly.
"I just believed what I wanted. Hah, making a mistake like this after all these years."
"..."
"Yeah, people only act if they think they'll get a greater benefit even if they take a loss. And I forgot about your tendency to risk your life for a Wish Ticket. But…"
Agent Choi's eyes darkened.
"Mr. Roe Deer. Are you even human?"
"..."
"What was that form just now? And what is this place? What are you doing to the Disaster Management Bureau that Daydream Inc. would grant you a wish? Say something."
I kept my mouth shut.
Agent Choi met my eyes for a moment, then finally smiled.
"Pointless, isn't it?"
"..."
"Yeah. You can talk as much as you want after you get to prison…"
"Prison?"
A voice came from above Agent Choi's head.
"…!"
Looking over him was the black shadow of a monstrous form resembling a giant wolf, with teeth and eyes jutting out haphazardly.
It was the sergeant.
He had returned.
As I continued to stall for time, I clenched my teeth and shouted,
"Aim for the glass marble!"
"Son of a—"
Agent Choi tried to grab the blade at his waist, but it was too late.
The teeth closed in.
Crunch.
The blade was shattered, and the glass marble was crushed together with Agent Choi's hand.
"Urk!"
As the glass marble shattered between those jaws, the makeshift prison holding me broke apart as well.
I immediately sprang forward and, seizing the opportunity, subdued Agent Choi.
Targeting the area where his reaction would be slowest.
His neck.
"…!"
I deliberately aimed for the scar on his neck.
Whether it was guilt or tension, I couldn't tell, but a chill ran down my spine.
Thud.
Agent Choi was pinned to the floor. From the wolf-like monster's black muzzle that bit his arm, fangs and tongue-like lumps appeared, as if about to bite it clean off…
"Don't."
I gasped, speaking urgently.
"Don't kill him."
"..."
Gradually, the monstrous form faded, revealing the dried-up, apathetic face of the sergeant.
"I wasn't… trying to kill him… Just… scare him a little…"
Huu.
"That kind of intimidation doesn't work on someone like him."
I looked down.
My heart was pounding.
What should I do now?
Does this mean my mission is a complete failure? My Wish Ticket… Can I even still get one? How do I resolve this situation? What do I need to—
"Soleum-ah."
"..."
"Cough— Kim Soleum. Hey."
From below, with a small cough and a clogged voice, Agent Choi grinned.
"That blade didn't hurt much, did it?"
…!
"A blade like that isn't something you can just keep moving on after it's stuck in your foot. You saw it, too, right? When the that elite team member from your company got hit."
I saw it.
In the Twinkle Twinkle Ocean Palace ghost story.
The moment the blade struck, Assistant Manager Jin Nasol had collapsed, barely able to stifle her groans.
And the fact that it didn't really hurt me, that means…
"It means you're not such a bad guy, right?"
"..."
"Grapes. It's not too late."
…!
"If I don't report you, I can quietly take care of this myself. There are plenty of people in the Bureau with unusual backgrounds."
"..."
"Let's just cover this up. Then, just like you said, you can go on living as a new recruit who escaped from that scam company and joined the Disaster Management Bureau."
Agent Choi's eyes were calm and clear again.
"Just… keep working with us as the youngest on Black-Tortoise Team 1. Saving people."
"..."
"I don't know why you're still tied to that damned company… but be honest. Wasn't it a lot more fun being on our team?"
"..."
"And maybe, just maybe, we could grant your wish, too."
His low voice carried a warmth.
"I'll help you, Soleum-ah."
...
I moved my hand.
"Agent."
"Yeah?"
"Please stop lying. It won't work on me."
"…!"
I twisted Agent Choi's left arm behind his back.
Thunk—
The pager fell from under his left elbow. I grabbed it and crushed it.
"You…!"
As expected.
"Agent Choi."
While pressing both of his hands behind his back, I spoke firmly.
"I already know."
"..."
"Pressing the pager you stick under your left elbow is your usual way out of situations."
Agent Choi's eyes widened.
"But when it becomes too difficult to retrieve the pager like this… you usually start thinking up ways to subdue your opponent. Normally, you use your dokkaebi flame, but sometimes you also use a book you got from Ijeong Bookstore."
"..."
"But you only do that when you need to protect someone you're rescuing. In this situation, you'll choose escape. Jay-ssi, there's another pocket inside this person's pants pocket. There should be a sneaker shoelace in there. Please take it out."
The sergeant did as I asked.
Agent Choi's smile turned pale when he saw his own escape item in my hand.
I declared,
"I know you. I can predict everything you'll try to do."
"..."
"Don't make the situation worse with pointless attempts."
"Haha… you bastard."
His voice trembled.
"What are you?"
"..."
"Who are you?"
I couldn't answer.
This was all to make sure he couldn't act recklessly, to instill a sense of caution.
I then systematically stripped Agent Choi of all his weapons and stored everything in my inventory tattoo.
That was the first stage of neutralizing him.
'Huu.'
But instead of feeling relieved, my head was spinning.
Next. What next…
'I have to get out of here.'
It was too dangerous to stay here with Agent Choi. If the Disaster Management Bureau managed to track us down, it would be trouble.
'The motel.'
For now, we should go to a third location.
"Walk. Quietly."
"..."
"No funny business."
I stood Agent Choi up and held him. With the sergeant on the other side, to anyone else we would just look like two coworkers helping a drunk colleague.
As we left the Dream Incubation Room, I tried to think of a way to clean up this mess…
"Soleum-ah."
"..."
Agent Choi smiled with a cold sweat.
"So what are you going to do, bury me somewhere? Or… hand me over to Daydream Inc.?"
"..."
"But you know better than anyone how awful those bastards are. You saw with your own eyes how they were about to use the kids we barely rescued from the Ocean Palace as test subjects."
We kept moving.
"You're really going to hand me over to them? Seriously?"
"..."
"Just tell me what you were doing in the Bureau. I'll help you."
I couldn't say a word.
And… I knew he wouldn't help anyway.
He was just waiting for me to slip up or let my guard down for even a second.
If I showed even the slightest weakness, the experienced Agent Choi would either send me straight to the glass prison, or escape and come back with backup.
That would be the end. No…
'Is it already over?'
My stomach churned.
It felt like I had passed a point of no return.
I'd thought I could just quietly sneak out the documents Director Ho wanted, but now… there was no going back.
I realized I was about to fall into a swamp I'd never be able to get out of.
I felt like throwing up.
'...What do I do?'
Is there any way?
There's no use in Daydream Inc.'s potions that erase memories or force secrecy oaths.
'He'd get caught in less than a week.'
Agent Choi gets a company check-up every week to make sure nothing suspicious has gotten into him. He'd be caught there.
If only, if only…
"Um…"
"..."
"Excuse me."
I looked at the sergeant across from me.
The sergeant glanced at the agent he was supporting and restraining, and spoke.
"This person… Disaster Management Bureau…?"
"…Yes."
"Hmm… I don't know what's going on, but…"
The sergeant spoke as if he had realized something.
"You seemed to know each other… and seemed able to communicate."
"...!"
"How about… talking it out, for now?"
But what was I supposed to say?
I couldn't reveal what I was doing as a spy, or exactly what Daydream Inc. demanded from me, and those were the most important things. Director Ho's binding was in place.
If I left that out, what could I talk about…?
...
Only the parts of me that weren't about being a spy.
Kim Soleum.
What I wanted.
What I'd been thinking about as I worked at the Disaster Management Bureau.
Whether I ever intended to deceive them.
"..."
Maybe… I could at least talk about that.
At the very least, I could say that I had no intention of harming the Disaster Management Bureau.
If I could just prove that I hadn't done any real harm, maybe we could find a compromise, somehow.
For now… I'd try that.
"…Yes."
After stepping out into the alley and moving toward the road, I saw a taxi parked there and spoke quietly to Agent Choi.
"We're going to take a taxi."
"..."
"Don't make a scene."
"Smart, Mr. Roe Deer."
If there were civilians around, he wouldn't be able to act rashly or attack. He'd worry that the taxi driver might get hurt or even killed in the process.
'This way, I can actually prevent any unexpected incidents.'
I felt uneasy about using even this, but there was no other choice.
"Let's get in."
The three of us got into the back seat of the taxi together. Then, to keep the driver from being alarmed, we kept up the appearance of supporting a drunken friend…
"Soleum-nim!"
"…!!"
A familiar face turned from the driver's seat.
Someone who wasn't the taxi driver. He looked at me with a voice full of regret.
…It was Director Ho.
'What is this.'
How did he get here?
Why… here?
But shock overtook all other questions.
Director Ho made his declaration.
"Oh dear, you've been caught."
"..."
No.
"But you secured things very quickly! I came out to greet you myself so you wouldn't have to trouble yourself coming to me."
Director Ho's gaze shifted.
Ignoring the sergeant as if he didn't exist, his eyes settled on the person in the middle of the back seat, restrained by us—Agent Choi.
"How do you do?"
Something inhuman. Something that clearly showed unbridled hatred and resentment toward the Disaster Management Bureau.
That's what was looking at the bureau agent next to me.
In turn, a tense smile spread across Agent Choi's face.
"Doesn't really feel like you're asking about my well-being, does it?"
"Oh dear, that's not it."
A smile appeared on Director Ho's face as well.
"You'll be at peace soon."
No.
"Please wait."
I hurriedly stepped into Director Ho's line of sight.
My back was damp with cold sweat.
"If he dies, disappears, or mutates, a notification will be sent to the Bureau immediately."
"Is that so?"
"It's certain. So it would be much more efficient and safer to simply place a binding on him and let him return to his daily routine…"
"Soleum-nim."
Director Ho looked at me and smiled apologetically.
"You've been exposed so quickly, it's hard for me to trust your judgment any longer…"
A chill ran to the tips of my hair.
"I'll handle this myself."
"..."
Stiffly, I turned my head.
Over Agent Choi's face, a circular ripple began to spread.
Director Ho's spell.
Director Ho's lips did not move.
But the incantation had begun.
– Man.
Rippling circles appeared across Agent Choi's face.
The smile on his face twisted with the waves.
And the moment he pulled his body back.
Thud.
"…!!"
As if one side of his face had collapsed, blood began to pour out.
Chunks of flesh were torn off in the exact shape of the ripples.
No.
"Don't move. Please don't move."
I held on to Agent Choi.
'He's doing it to his face, not the back of his hand.'
He was being treated differently than spies.
In other words, move and you die.
Cold sweat ran down my neck.
The incantation continued.
– You shall never be able to speak of this.
That.
– You shall become unable to speak of it.
The bleeding grew heavier.
Blood flowed over my hands as I gripped Agent Choi's shoulders.
What could I do?
Director Ho's spell wasn't spoken out loud. Even if I tried to speak to him or plead, it wouldn't stop.
– Your final appearance shall be as follows.
If I just held on, wouldn't I be making it easier, making Agent Choi's death even swifter and smoother?
I couldn't help him escape, either. The spell had already begun, and all his equipment… his equipment was all in my tattoo inventory.
'If only I hadn't disarmed him.'
No, if only I hadn't given him that note in the first place.
Maybe even being sent to the glass prison at the last moment would have been better.
But every moment had passed, and now Director Ho continued.
– Any hint revealed by accident, any change in behavior, any giving of clues is strictly forbidden, and your loss of free will shall never appear on the surface.
– Any attempt to reveal the existence of the binding shall fail, and you shall appear no different than before.
– Any attempt to change this shall result in punishment.
'...'
Is it over?
That sounds like the closing spell, right? So is it just a powerful binding and that's all?
For a moment, I was relieved.
If I just made it through this, maybe I could figure out another way. At this level, maybe somehow…
– And tonight.
The spell was not over.
– You will resolve to die.
No.
– In despair over your fate, you will, in the lowest, filthiest part of this alley, take your own life…
I lunged forward.
I kicked the back of Director Ho's seat, grabbed his collar, and shoved him roughly against the steering wheel.
Beeeeeeep!
The horn blared madly under the pressure.
That sound drowned out the incantation, shattered his concentration, and broke the oppressive force pressing on the space.
In that instant, the ripples disappeared from Agent Choi's face.
Panting.
Silence.
…Stillness.
"..."
"..."
"Soleum-nim."
"..."
"Did you just attack me?"
I let go.
My mouth barely worked.
"You've got to stop."
"..."
"That was the wrong choice."
It was a crazy choice.
I had just criticized someone unimaginably higher-ranking, someone who'd placed a binding on me and could kill me at any time—a being who might not even be human.
"Aha."
Director Ho clapped his hands together with a loud smack.
"So you think you know better than me!"
"..."
"You couldn't even last a quarter after infiltrating, you got exposed to your own team supervisor, and now, without even a word of warning to me, you're secretly meeting with the Guard Team as a spy!"
I might die.
One wrong step here and I could die.
Director Ho had never shown such direct hostility before. I'm going to die.
But, but…
Still.
"That was your mistake, sir."
...
"What?"
"From the beginning, the setup was far too sloppy. An infiltrator should never be sent in under their real name."
Right.
"If you truly thought the Disaster Management Bureau wouldn't do a background check on their new hires, then as a planner, that was a hopelessly naive decision."
Unbelievable words came out of my mouth, all directed at someone impossibly above me.
I couldn't stop.
"Why did you send me in under such easily discoverable conditions? I thought there were other safeguards in place, but it turns out there were none. Did you do this on purpose…"
...
Wait a minute.
"I see."
I looked at Director Ho.
"You did it on purpose. You wanted me to get caught."
"...!"
"You sent me in expecting to be discovered from the very beginning. That's why you had me use my real name, and that's why you only selected new hires, not veterans."
You were hoping the inexperienced ones would make mistakes.
Making an easy excuse about 'outsmarting the Bureau's detection capabilities', you deliberately picked the most decent, diligent rookies who'd fit right in at the Bureau.
And there was another side effect to all this.
"The agents who uncover the identities of those infiltrators will become even more confused. After all, there's no difference in character between them and the real new agents."
There would be intense debate internally about how to handle them.
And on top of that, everyone would realize that no personality test could filter out a spy, and suspicion would begin to spread among them.
In this way…
"Was it to induce internal strife within the Disaster Management Bureau?"
"..."
"To slowly unravel a tightly knit organization by sowing seeds of distrust, making it so the existing members can't trust new hires?"
"Soleum-nim, you have a vivid imagination!"
Do I?
"But you're not directly denying it."
Freeze.
Director Ho stared at me in silence.
"'I had no such intention, and I swear on the Counseling Room that it's true.' …Can you declare that?"
"..."
"I asked if you can make that declaration."
"Soleum-nim."
A gentle, friendly smile appeared on Director Ho's face.
"Even if I did, it wouldn't change anything."
"...!"
"There was only ever one promise from the beginning."
Director Ho raised an index finger.
"If you bring me the documents I asked for, the Wish Ticket will be given. That condition is an absolutely unbreakable guarantee."
"So."
My mouth was dry with tension.
My heart was pounding like crazy.
But my mouth moved without hesitation.
"So whether I get caught or not, that's not actually important. As long as I can get you the 'documents'."
"..."
"As long as you get to hear that information."
Information about an annihilation-sanctioned supernatural disaster.
...
Right.
"In that case, I'll bring it no matter what."
"The documents?"
"The information you want."
"But you've already been exposed."
"Even so."
I met Director Ho's gaze.
"I can still bring it."
And at the same time, I pointed to Agent Choi and subtly shielded him with my body.
"But if this agent dies or becomes incapacitated here, it will be impossible to carry out."
"And why is that?"
"Because from that point on, I won't be able to manage the aftermath."
"..."
"..."
Director Ho kept silently smiling at me.
And I couldn't look away either. I held on.
And then.
"Very well."
Director Ho announced.
"Our agreement has not changed. I'm truly looking forward to seeing just how you'll manage to bring me those documents, Soleum-nim."
"..."
Relief barely managed to slide down my throat.
"But… you'll still have to accept your punishment, won't you?"
...!
"I trust you already know how outrageously rude and inappropriate your actions just now were."
My eyelids trembled.
"From the start… no one else got caught, so I don't see how you can claim this wasn't entirely your own fault."
A cold wave of dread ran down my spine.
"Excuses are free, but attacking your superior just because your opinion wasn't accepted was too much… If I were to guess why you went that far."
"..."
"Did you get attached?"
Cold sweat trickled down my chin.
"Did you get scared of having a fellow agent you worked with die? It seems you're the type to form precious attachments even in unfamiliar places."
"Director."
I replied as calmly as I could.
"For a human being, it's only natural to be afraid of another person dying."
"..."
"If you were offended by my rebuttal, I apologize."
"Oh, not at all! I'm not offended. You're absolutely right."
Director Ho smiled again.
"But rules are rules."
"..."
"Would you hold out your hand? You'll need to accept your punishment."
...
Slowly, I extended both hands, just barely keeping them from trembling, palms up.
– Man.
Ripples spread.
But unlike the subtle secret binding from before, this was not gentle.
A massive, deep indentation brought a bizarre pain and a twisted sensation to the back of my hand.
"…!"
I clenched my teeth, sweating coldly. Don't move. If I move…
– You shall die in one month.
…!
– However, if you fulfill your promise with ■■■, this duty shall be revoked.
– Any attempt to avoid this shall result in punishment.
I bit back a scream.
As the ripples faded from the back of my hand, the bizarre sensation and pain slowly disappeared…
"I was worried you might be lying to stall for time. So this time, as you said, I made sure not to be naive!"
Director Ho beamed.
"Thank you for letting me know."
"..."
I drew my hands back.
For a moment, I met Agent Choi's trembling gaze.
"Ah. I should get going now."
"..."
"I only meant to wrap things up quickly, but I didn't expect such a long chat with you, Soleum-nim."
"It… didn't feel like a conversation at all..."
...!!
"You just said… you'll kill him in a month…"
Sergeant!
'Don't say anything, please!'
For the first time, Director Ho seemed to acknowledge the sergeant's presence and looked at him.
Then… he smiled and spoke.
"Give Director Cheong my regards."
...!
It was as if Director Ho hadn't even heard what the sergeant said. He just turned his head back, smiling at me.
"Well then, have a good night, Soleum-nim!"
And with that.
Director Ho disappeared from the driver's seat.
"..."
"..."
"Director Cheong… will be impossible to meet… Ah, he's gone."
I'm alive.
I nearly collapsed onto the taxi floor.
But realizing I was already sitting, I forced my trembling body to move.
The bleeding on Agent Choi's face was now severe.
I opened up the medical supplies I'd confiscated from Agent Choi and began administering first aid.
"..."
The bleeding on his face stopped, and after some work, he started to stabilize.
Agent Choi didn't resist.
But he still didn't speak.
"Agent."
He just turned his eyes to look at me.
"Don't think about it."
"Think about what?"
"Any way to break the binding Director placed on you. Don't even try to come up with ideas."
"..."
The first binding Director Ho recited had already been applied to Agent Choi.
Now he could no longer transmit any information about me being a spy, or about what happened today.
He would have to live tomorrow as if nothing had changed from yesterday.
If not.
"You'll be punished."
"Punished."
"Yes."
I looked up and spoke clearly.
"Whatever is most precious to you will end up meeting the director."
"..."
Agent Choi quietly took his own medical kit from my hand and continued the first aid himself.
He moved with the practiced skill of someone who's done this kind of work for a long time.
And then…
"…He's a director, you said."
I didn't answer.
"What kind of binding did the director put on you?"
"..."
"Right now it sounds like he said he'd kill you in a month if you can't pull off this spy job properly. What did he do to you before?"
I opened the car door.
And nodded my chin toward it.
"Go home."
"How do you plan to get the information?"
"That's none of your concern."
Agent Choi looked at me with an unreadable expression.
"If you tell me what kind of information it is, maybe I can help."
"That's not necessary. I'm not going to ask you to steal anything."
"So what's the wish you're trying to fulfill?"
I couldn't hold it back.
"I just want to go back home."
"...!"
"…I'll leave your gear in the trunk."
I got out of the car with the sergeant.
Then I took all of Agent Choi's equipment and placed it in the trunk, leaving one low-grade Daydream Inc. regeneration potion with it.
I had no idea what kind of talk he'd have to endure showing up to work tomorrow with his face like that.
…While I did that, Agent Choi did not get out of the car.
Click.
I closed the trunk roughly and walked away with the sergeant.
…Somewhere.
"..."
"Um… Are you okay…?"
"…Yes."
The worst was avoided.
Certainly, I'd managed to get through this situation.
One month.
That was enough. I could do it. I have a plan…
I could do it.
"Mm..."
The sergeant spoke in his slow voice.
"Um, if it really gets impossible… come find me…"
"…Thank you."
Even just the words were a comfort.
I finally pulled myself together.
"Ah, I'm sorry. You always help me out, and I should treat you to something."
Wasn't there a bakery nearby? Even if not donuts, I wanted to buy him something, but the sergeant slowly shook his head.
"Mm. Next time… at a good restaurant…"
"…Yes. Next time. For sure."
A faint laugh escaped me.
…I felt a little lighter.
"Um… and the information I found out…?"
"I'll hear that next time, too."
I'm at my limit.
I barely managed a faint smile as I saw the sergeant off.
He looked back at me several times, but in the end, he needed to head back to Daydream Inc. before sundown…
"..."
– Huu, that was suffocating suspense!
I bowed my head.
I looked at the plush doll on my chest.
– Now that your journey has entered a new phase, I can't wait to see where it will lead next. Don't you think so, Friend?
...
"Think what you want."
And I took the plush out of my jacket.
For a split second, I felt the urge to throw it onto the main road, but I just stuffed it back in my jacket pocket.
At least I wouldn't have to hear his voice. At least not today.
"..."
I returned to the old motel I'd been renting for the long term.
And five hours later, I reported for work at the Disaster Management Bureau.
As if nothing had changed.
"..."
I stared at the Black-Tortoise Team 1 waiting room door.
After everything I'd gone through, it felt strangely unreal that I was still standing here in front of it.
But habits were such honest things.
Click.
I opened the door and went inside.
And…
"You're here?"
Agent Bronze stood up to greet me with a welcoming expression.
"Good morning. …Agent Grapes, you don't look well."
Ah.
"Did you have trouble sleeping again?"
"Just… didn't sleep very well, that's all. I'm alright."
Thankfully, I'd treated any visible wounds in advance.
"If you're too tired, you need to let us know."
"…Yes. Thank you."
I managed to smile as usual and chat with Agent Bronze, then sat down on the sofa across from him.
And I waited.
"..."
My palms were sweaty.
But after several minutes, the only people in the waiting room were the two of us.
The person who should have appeared… wasn't here.
"Um."
"Yes?"
"Agent Choi is…"
"Oh. Agent Choi won't be able to come in today."
"..."
What?
'Wait.'
Did something go wrong?
'No.'
Could it be Director Ho went to him again? Or maybe he tried to break the binding and got hurt? I…
"He actually came in a little early, but said he wasn't feeling well and took the day off."
"...I see."
There was a witness.
A feeling swept through my chest. It was too strong to call it relief, but something like it.
"You really don't need to worry. That person… I mean, Agent Choi looked totally fine. And also…"
Agent Bronze went over to a small fridge in the corner of the waiting room and took something out.
A drink carrier with café drinks inside.
"He left these. Said he stopped by a café on the way."
"..."
"This one's for you, Agent Grapes."
I accepted the drink.
It was a can of green grape ade.
A café-style packaged cookie was tucked into the cupholder, and above it, there was a mark in black marker.
A handwritten message from Agent Choi.
[Black-Tortoise Team 1, fighting]
And then it was crossed out with a line.
"..."
"Agent Grapes?"
"…Thank you."
I picked up the ade.
It was so sweet it shocked me awake.
* * *
Whether it was the sugar or adrenaline, my head was clear all morning.
My plans, all the things I needed to accomplish in the next month, spun through my mind.
'For now, keep a low profile.'
Since there was the incident with Agent Choi, I'd keep quiet for about a week, try not to stand out at the Disaster Management Bureau, quietly do some groundwork, then take action.
For me, timing was more important than simply having a lot of time.
But…
There was one thing I worried about.
'…Should I tell Yeongeun-ssi about this?'
It seemed like I should share my current situation, but it was hard to judge exactly how much to say. I wasn't sure where the line was.
How would Yeongeun-ssi react if I said I'd have to resolve everything within a month?
Was it right to tell her about Director Ho's malice, that we'd been sent in as decoy spies, expecting we'd be discovered from the start?
But even if she knew, is there really anything she could do about it...
"..."
Wouldn't it be easier and less conspicuous for her spy work if she didn't know?
My stomach hurt.
It felt like acid.
'No. It's alright.'
Yeongeun-ssi only has to work here for one more month.
If I do everything properly, I'll be able to deliver the information Director Ho wants, in the form he wants. And in that process, I'll be able to assert Yeongeun-ssi's share.
Then it will all end without a problem.
'Alright.'
Let's do this.
"Huu."
I set down the empty ade.
Agent Bronze, who was reviewing documents while sipping a vanilla latte, spoke up.
"I don't see your doll today."
"...!"
"You know, the little rabbit plush you call Braun."
"…It's right here."
I pulled the plush out of my jacket and showed it, then put it away again.
"Is it doing well?"
"Probably."
I quickly withdrew my hand from my pocket, the one that had touched the plush.
Then—
Beep beep beep beep beep beep!!
"…!"
A shrill alarm sounded from Agent Bronze's wrist.
A call.
'Rescue request!'
"Please stand by."
Agent Bronze tossed the documents aside and got up from his seat.
He checked the code displayed on the call device to see what kind of ghost story it was, then began to get ready…
"…Looks like this is a case where two people are required for the rescue. We'll go in together."
"Alright."
I got up right away, too.
The experience of the past few weeks had conditioned my body to move automatically. And that, ironically, helped ground me in reality.
"The dispatch site is a little far away. Normally, the local branch would get the call, but this time the rescue request came straight to headquarters."
"Where is it?"
"Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do. Also, this particular supernatural disaster… is rather large in scale, so there's a lot to keep in mind."
Agent Bronze quickly pulled a small booklet-style document from the bookshelf.
"This is a manual and set of tips put together by our team. Please read it while we're on the move."
"Yes."
As soon as Agent Bronze sent out a call to the off-duty members, we immediately left headquarters to travel.
And our means of transport…
"Since the rescue window for this disaster isn't that tight, we'll use public transportation."
…was a high-speed train.
Departing from Seoul Station.
Bound for Mokpo
"..."
"Agent Grapes?"
"I-It's nothing."
I sat in a seat on the train.
Don't panic.
'The Tamra Express incident was a special case.'
It doesn't happen all the time, and Daydream Inc. is probably already monitoring the conditions for its occurrence for research purposes…
It's okay.
'I can do this.'
Don't get anxious.
If I can't handle this, then I wouldn't be able to do anything, not even go into a convenience store without flinching, or take the elevator, or step onto a subway train…
Departing
The train departed without incident.
I'm alright.
'Distract yourself.'
Yes. The manual.
"There's a binding on it, so unless you're from the Disaster Management Bureau, you'll see different content. So feel free to read it."
When I took out the booklet, Agent Bronze kindly added this explanation. Good. I'll focus on reading the ghost story manual and tips, and plan a rescue.
I turned the pages of the booklet—
– I really worked hard on this, Grapes-ie. Use it well, okay? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
"…!!"
"What's wr… ah."
Agent Bronze frowned and sighed.
"Agent Choi wrote most of it. There are a lot of unnecessary comments… and since he joined, he's added quite a few more."
I blankly turned the pages.
There were entries that looked like they were written earlier.
– New recruits are totally welcome, here are Agent Choi's ace tips for Team Black-Tortoise 1
└ Please stop writing stuff like this
└ also includes agent bronze's less-sweet tips
└ ha…
Different handwriting, different pens.
– Be sure to read the next page thoroughly. It's an introduction to this supernatural disaster. It's a bit hard, but try reading it like a novel.
My eyes trembled as I read on.
A field manual and tips for supernatural disasters, handwritten by Agent Choi, something I'd never seen even in the
-x-X-x-
This guide is solely for smooth human rescue in incident registration number 1006PSYA.1941.아06, a.k.a. 'Jisan-so Facility Offering Ritual'.
While the strict bureau classified this supernatural disaster as fracture-sanctioned, the author strongly argues for a higher grade.
Even if the rescue itself isn't difficult, the disaster cannot be completely resolved, and according to the testimony of several dokkaebi, there is something even more malevolent inside.
So don't let your guard down, and be prepared for dispatch during the 4th and 5th lunar months!
"We're here."
We got off at Cheonan-Asan Station.
Then we rode government-issued bicycles stored at the station.
"It's about thirty minutes by bike."
Just as he said.
Site: Jisan Village, ■■-ri, Asan-si
The farther we left the station and the city, the more winding unpaved roads appeared, making the bike seats rattle.
And then, in the distance, a small village came into view.
A typical rural village.
Old houses and tiled-roof homes, patched here and there with modern repairs, power lines along the streetlamps, the unpaved road was maintained at least through the village.
It's a place you can easily get to as long as you have transportation, but it's mostly families and is closed to outsiders. (No real estate on the market. Moving in undercover is impossible.)
However, during the 'Jisan Festival', they welcome outsiders, and visitors can participate in the festival events.
"There it is. …It's begun."
A banner comes into view.
Jisan Festival
May the fortune of Jisan be with you
This festival is the supernatural phenomenon.
"This way."
We parked our bikes at a corner near the village entrance. There were a few cars with 'Seoul' or 'Gyeonggi' plates parked haphazardly.
"..."
"Remember this."
I nodded.
Then, together with Agent Bronze, I entered the village.
Heeyaaaaaah!
As we drew closer, people came into view.
It wasn't a huge crowd, fitting for a small rural festival, but there were traditional performance groups, people taking photos, people sitting and eating boiled pork and soup distributed by the village.
And others, bored, fiddling with their smartphones.
※Quick tips before entering!
Never wear your Bureau jacket, bring earplugs, matches, and bells.
Most importantly…
Don't sit among the villagers.
"Hey, what the heck. This is shady."
"Just wait it out. They're about to do a raffle."
We sat next to them, playing the part of uninterested outsiders.
Food was quickly served to us.
"Please have a bite! May the fortune of Jisan be with you!"
A villager who made eye contact with me grinned.
She seemed to be a woman around my age, and there was something like a bird's feather pinned to her chest.
It's simple to distinguish villagers at the Jisan Festival.
If they're wearing a brooch made of feathers, they're a local.
– I swiped one and analyzed it, and it turned out to be a rooster feather. The dokkaebi hated it.
All sorts of voices rang out here and there:
"Oh my, you're from Mapo? My son works in Mapo too! In Seoul!"
"No smoking here. Absolutely forbidden!"
"Have a drink. I made it myself, it's real homemade rice wine."
The villagers chatted up the outsiders or treated them kindly, offering drinks as well.
It seemed like a generous countryside village.
Except for the fact that someone would soon die.
I stifled a small sigh as I looked at the bowl of food.
Festival food is safe to eat. (Honestly, it tastes pretty good)
But personally, I wouldn't recommend eating anything with broth. You probably don't want to hear the reason.
Not that I had much of an appetite anyway.
"...Thank you for the food."
"Thank you for the food."
Agent Bronze and I just idly moved our spoons.
Heeyaaaaah!
Meanwhile, the sound of music kept flowing throughout the village.
It was like a traditional band, but the rhythm felt oddly unfamiliar, not quite like the traditional style I knew…
– Ah. It's because the purpose is different. For what purpose was that music composed!
"…!"
I reflexively glanced down at my pocket.
– Ah! So you can hear me now, Friend!
– Haha, I was a little flustered when we couldn't talk for a moment. But it's fine! If you're worried that this stuffed body might fall off somewhere, we can always stop talking for a while.
– As long as we can talk again like this, right?
A supernatural disaster.
Entering a ghost story means this plushie could speak to me again.
– Don't worry. Even when we can't talk, I'm always listening. As a good friend should.
...
– Oh, and you don't need to apologize for leaving me in your jacket yesterday. I was actually grateful. It was better to have something to block my view in that terrible room.
'…Really? That's good, then.'
I turned my gaze back to the food.
– …Friend? You look more tired than usual. Oh dear, are you still worn out from last night's adventure?
'Maybe.'
– If so, how about we go home and watch TV together? That cartoon or variety show you like would be good.
– And then get a good night's sleep. This Braun here will tell you a fun story so you can have sweet dreams!
...
– Friend?
'For now, is it okay if I focus on work a bit? I'm not too familiar with this ghost story.'
– Ah, of course!
And finally, the plushie went quiet.
Thank goodness.
I turned and, like Agent Bronze, started gathering information.
Who sent the rescue request.
And…
Who among the villagers fit the bill.
The Jisan Festival lasts for four days, and as long as the festival isn't over, you can rescue the person no matter when the rescue signal was sent.
Observe the villagers carefully, and try asking to spend the night at the house of the least friendly-looking person you can find!
– I didn't describe appearances in case it got confusing. Anyway, never! Trust someone who approaches outsiders first and acts all friendly, Grapes-ie
– You know those creeps who lure kids with candy? It's basically the same thing haha
I remembered that as I observed the villagers.
Let's see, someone who looks as unfriendly as possible…
"...??"
Wait a second.
I quickly turned my head.
I saw a familiar face.
A young man in his twenties, standing among the villagers with a sullen expression.
A notoriously nasty employee from Daydream Inc. who wears a medical eye patch.
'…Baek Saheon!'
That guy's here.
With a rooster feather pinned to his chest.
And…
Near Baek Saheon, I spotted a woman with a tired expression, sitting among the villagers and some outsiders whom the villagers were chatting up or taking care of.
Wearing gloves, scanning the area with an indifferent face.
A very familiar face.
"..."
It was Assistant Manager Eun Haje.
First of all, I immediately came up with a fairly reasonable guess as to why Baek Saheon was in this strange rural village.
'…Baek Saheon was on the Tamra Express!'
That same high-speed train passed by Mokpo as well, and that's the one I had taken today.
'Was this his destination back then too?'
It seemed like he was heading to his family's home, so maybe this village… was Baek Saheon's hometown?
It was a peculiar feeling.
The scene of a modest, warm country festival just didn't fit Baek Saheon somehow. All the more so if this rural festival was actually a cultish ghost story about a bizarre, insular society.
"Hey, take that over there!"
"Ah, okay."
Even now, Baek Saheon, though wearing a sullen face, was obediently agreeing to the directions of other villagers, helping out by serving food and such.
But…
Observe the villagers carefully, and try asking to spend the night at the house of the least friendly-looking person you can find!
If I go by Agent Choi's tip, could that guy be one of the suitable candidates?
It was unsettling and strange, but up to that point I could follow the context. But then…
Why is she here?
'…Assistant Manager Eun Haje.'
I quickly and naturally turned my head, making sure not to catch Agent Bronze's attention, and checked that silhouette again.
Assistant Manager Eun Haje was eating boiled pork with soju, having gotten an extra helping. Just as if she were in the office cafeteria.
"..."
Seeing that natural, nonchalant expression and movement gave me a strange feeling.
Almost unconsciously, I focused my gaze in that direction—
Our eyes met.
'…!'
At that moment, Assistant Manager Eun Haje smoothly lifted her plate of suyuk[1] and bottle of soju… and started coming over here.
'...?!'
W-Why is she coming this way?
And then she plopped down right at our table and naturally started talking to Agent Bronze!
"There's quite a lot of suyuk here. Would you like some?"
"...Who are you?"
"I'm a reporter. I heard there was a village festival, so I came to see if there was anything newsworthy… Thought I'd do some interviews, get some impressions."
'A-Assistant Manager!'
Eun Haje acted like she didn't know me at all, chatting up Agent Bronze just like a work-weary reporter.
Agent Bronze's eyes went dull. He looked as if he'd gotten stuck with an annoying busybody.
"I don't really have anything to say."
"Then just let me ramble a bit. From what I saw yesterday, the real lure of this festival for outsiders is…"
DENG DENG DENG DENG DENG!!
"…!!"
The noisy sound of a gong and drum being played together made me turn my head.
The music stopped, and through the people doing the traditional performance, a middle-aged man with a friendly face stepped up and grabbed a megaphone, shouting,
[Everyone! It's time for the raffle! May you all win prizes and receive the fortune of Jisan!]
"Yes, I think that's it. The holiday raffle drawing."
Apparently, they hold a raffle every day during the four-day festival.
Most of the prizes are agricultural products grown in the village, but sometimes there are handicrafts or jewelry as well.
In the case of jewelry, the branch suspects they might be belongings of missing persons.
Villagers spread out, carrying raffle boxes here and there. I heard people saying they won or didn't win. Someone who drew gold shouted in excitement and received a pair of gold earrings.
"Oh, that's nice. But those earrings look like secondhand goods to me."
"..."
"..."
"Well, I guess someone donated them for the festival."
None of us could answer.
And then, someone came toward us with a raffle box.
A sullen-looking person wearing a medical eyepatch.
'B-Baek Saheon.'
Was this some kind of Daydream Inc. employee reunion? Now we were about to have a three-way meeting out of nowhere.
But the bigger problem was this.
Agent Bronze recognized Baek Saheon's face.
"That…!"
The look on Agent Bronze's face turned cold as he recognized the face of my 'coworker' from the serial killer mountain lodge.
And as his gaze alternated between me and Baek Saheon, I shook my head.
"It's alright."
"…Yes."
Agent Bronze calmed down quickly as well.
Because he was sure my identity hadn't been exposed.
That's because…
He wouldn't be able to recognize us anyway.
During the festival, villagers can't recognize acquaintances who visit from outside.
They treat them purely as welcome guests for the duration of the festival, and there are a few testimonies from people who felt something was off and left, thus avoiding misfortune.
– I even interrogated them to see if they were just pretending, but they really didn't seem to know. It feels like there's some strange binding in effect. There's no info about it in the branch's records, so if I'm not around, just ignore.
Baek Saheon approached.
His face still didn't look happy, but even when our eyes met, there was no reaction at all.
He simply…
"Please pick one."
…held out the raffle box to our table.
"..."
"I heard the prizes are pretty good… Oh, thanks."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje reached out without hesitation and drew a stick from the box. At the end of the stick, it said 'Rice'.
"It's your turn."
I exchanged glances with Agent Bronze.
Do not refuse the raffle. If you refuse, no villager will let you stay over. If you don't want to end up hastily calling for backup because you failed the rescue, remember this!
Note/s:
[1] Suyuk – a traditional Korean dish made of boiled meat, with pork being the more popular variation. It's mainly eaten during ancestral rites, kimjang (kimchi-making season), weddings or funerals.
-x-X-x-
"Excuse me. Aren't you going to draw?"
"Ah. I'll do it."
I reached for the chicken-shaped wooden raffle box. The box felt strangely damp and humid.
What I drew was…
"A dud."
Huu.
Agent Bronze also carefully drew, and again got a stick that said 'Miss'.
"That's too bad. It would've been nice if you'd at least won something."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje pointed to the middle-aged man with the megaphone in the village square.
"Would be awesome to hit the jackpot."
[If you win the special prize, treasure is coming your way!]
On the corner of the banner the man was pointing to, there was a very lifelike print of a gold rooster statue.
It wasn't possible to guess the actual size, but from the details, it looked fairly large.
"Wow."
"That looks like at least 100 don!" (Approx. 4kg)
"Has anyone ever actually won that thing?"
If you ask me…
But there are no eyewitness accounts of anyone winning the special prize yet.
That's right.
Considering that guests draw more than half the sticks, the odds really are strange.
I suspect it's a kind of selection ritual within this supernatural disaster.
(According to the branch's investigation, there's a folk tale that someone who won 52 years ago ended the village's drought and was enshrined as a deity at the village shrine, but its credibility hasn't been verified.)
And just as Agent Choi said, the special prize didn't come out this time either.
A look of deep disappointment crossed the face of the villager with the megaphone.
[Thank you again, everyone! May the fortune of Jisan be with you!]
And just like that, that day's festival came to a close.
"Aww."
"Isn't this a scam?"
"Hey, still, the booze and meat are free."
The outsiders started to get up, but because so many had drunk the free alcohol, a lot of their group couldn't drive home.
"Jeez, what a situation this is…"
"It's fine. This person said we can stay over!"
Quite a few outsiders ended up accepting the kindness of the friendly country folk and agreed to stay the night as if at a guesthouse.
It looked like a pretty warm scene.
But if you look closely, you can see that the villagers are quietly gathering here and there, collecting the leftover raffle boxes and muttering something among themselves.
They take turns drawing sticks from the leftover raffle boxes, too.
Once the raffle for outsiders ends, the villagers gather and draw the remaining sticks one by one.
Until they find the 'special prize' stick.
At this time, they recite a strange phrase.
"OChosenOnedeliveruntoustheblessingofJisanofthecountlesspeaks."
"OChosenOnedeliveruntoustheblessingofJisanofthecountlesspeaks."
– It's probably a spell or prayer of some sort… It's not exactly a proper shamanic phrase, but don't pay too much attention to it. Spells in supernatural phenomena almost never have positive effects.
And finally, someone finds it.
The stick with gold attached at the end.
"Ah…!"
Tears fall from the person who drew it.
People surround the winner, shouting as if in celebration.
"OChosenOnedeliveruntoustheblessingofJisanofthecountlesspeaks!"
"OChosenOnedeliveruntoustheblessingofJisanofthecountlesspeaks!"
At the branch, there are rumors that the villager who draws the special prize is given a special role at the next festival.
"..."
I turned my head.
Baek Saheon was watching all of this with calm eyes.
"Excuse me."
Baek Saheon only shifted his gaze.
I asked politely,
"Is there anywhere in this village where we could stay for the night?"
"...You're not saying you'll eat and sleep in someone else's house for free, are you?" he asked back.
Assistant Manager Eun Haje, carrying a sack of rice, suddenly interjected.
"I'll pay. It must be fate that we've met like this."
"Pardon?"
"Here. Will this be enough?"
Then, Assistant Manager Eun Haje handed over a fairly thick wad of cash to Baek Saheon.
Baek Saheon looked a bit startled, but soon his gaze settled and he snatched it up.
"…Follow me."
"Okay."
"Wait! You said you're a reporter? You should head back now. This is our—"
"Trying to kick out the person who paid? Capitalism might be dirty, but some things still need to be respected. Geez, what a stick-in-the-mud geezer."
"..."
I heard Agent Bronze quietly mutter, 'Geezer?'
Good grief.
With a feeling like I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut, I started walking after Assistant Manager Eun Haje, who was following Baek Saheon as if nothing was wrong, and asked,
"…Should I carry the rice sack for you?"
"Oh, little brother, are you paying me back for the lodging? At least you're doing things right."
I took the sack of rice from Assistant Manager Eun Haje, who probably still had trouble with her hand. Agent Bronze, wearing a sour expression, helped as well.
"Too late, buddy."
"..."
Just as Agent Bronze was looking at Assistant Manager Eun Haje with an incredulous expression—
"Hey! Goddamn fucking country hicks! Cucumbers? Do you think I came all the way to this backwoods village for cucumbers?"
Whack!
There was a loud voice and a crash nearby.
A box thrown to the ground burst open, cucumbers rolling through the dirt.
A drunken outsider was now rolling on the ground, making a scene.
"Give me gold, gold!"
"Aigoo, dear guest."
"You still have two more chances left!"
The villagers, still smiling, coaxed and soothed him.
…It was hard to believe they'd just been cursed out, yet their kindness was unchanged.
Offering him dinner, suggesting he stay and try again tomorrow, telling him about the nice hot springs. Drawn in by these offers, the troublemaker disappeared with some of the friendly villagers into one of the houses.
It was one of the few tiled-roofed houses in the village.
The house in the center of the village looked unusually large.
"..."
I stiffly turned my gaze away.