The night Kim Soleum agreed to infiltrate the Disaster Management Bureau as a spy…
At that same moment, in his unit at the company housing, Baek Saheon was thoroughly enjoying the greatest luxury of his recent life.
Namely—the fact that his psycho roommate had disappeared! That bastard, always sticking his nose where it didn't belong… Baek Saheon figured that guy would end up dead one of these days. He grinned with deep satisfaction.
Sure, that lunatic's near-identical counterpart—D-Squad's crazy squad leader—had relentlessly hounded him for interviews about the Tamra Express.
And yes, as a result, he had suffered through some truly horrifying… deepened contamination. But things had settled down now. He could even think about such 'great' talk—fuck, whatever it was—without throwing up or going out of his mind.
Which meant he could finally access the Fox Counseling Room.
For free!
'Normally, you've got to be at least a supervisor to qualify for this perk… but the trade-off wasn't bad at all.'
Thanks to the intervention of D-squad's section chief, Baek Saheon had been able to secure a Fox Counseling Room nameplate just for himself. That alone was a huge win.
And the best part? That creepypasta therapist always handed out extra nameplates after a session.
Thanks to the 'treatment' he received at the company, he had permission to use the service 'until he had sufficiently recovered'.
Which meant…
'I could always hand one off to someone else if I play my cards right.'
At this rate, he could milk this for at least three more months—right up until he could get promoted.
But before that—tonight, he would use it himself.
Humming to himself, Baek Saheon strode over to the room of his dearly departed roommate and placed the nameplate on the door. But as he pushed it open…
"…Ah. They're closed today."
"…??!!"
A sharp-eyed office worker with dark hair stood just beyond the threshold, speaking to him casually.
And then, he stepped out of the room.
A face Baek Saheon would never, ever be able to forget.
It… It was…
"…K-Kim Soleum."
His former roommate—officially missing and presumed dead—looked at him…
And smirked.
What?
…Whaaaat??
"...??!"
Baek Saheon's mind whirled into overdrive.
'I-Is this a dream?'
Had he unknowingly stumbled into a hypnosis-based Darkness? Because if not, then why the hell was a presumed-dead, missing lunatic casually walking out of the Fox Counseling Room?!
Smack!
Baek Saheon slapped himself.
His cheek burned.
Okay. Not a dream.
'Fucking hell.'
He could feel the pitying stare of a certain someone, watching him like he was an idiot who had just punched himself in the face.
"…Hm. I get why you were trying to book a session."
"…?!"
"But I'm telling you, they're closed today. Take your nameplate off and try again later."
Thud.
Kim Soleum fully stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him. Then, with undeniable physical and not spiritual force, he ripped the nameplate off the door and tossed it back at Baek Saheon.
"…!"
On reflex, he caught it.
"But, huh… of all times, you just had to open the door now?"
"..."
"Didn't think I'd be running into you like this."
Baek Saheon swallowed hard.
His mind was spinning, scrambling to process the sheer absurdity of the situation.
But amidst the shock and confusion, one realization hit him with absolute certainty.
It was a persistent glow shone in his vision, right behind his eyepatch. Internal warning alarms blared.
—I just saw something I wasn't supposed to see.
If a company-declared deceased employee was standing in front of him, alive and well…
That meant there was some kind of cover-up at play—either at the corporate level, or something even bigger.
'And they used me as a witness for his disappearance…!'
Baek Saheon forced himself not to think about the horrifying, mindwarping pressure he had experienced when they interrogated him about Kim Soleum's last known whereabouts.
His head throbbed with a cocktail of anger, unease, and pure survival instinct.
But above all else—a warning blared inside his skull.
'...Wait. But if this psycho bastard is standing here, alive…'
Should I…
Should I even be seeing this?!
"..."
"..."
The most efficient way for a psychopath to eliminate a loose end would be…
—Eradication.
'N-No!'
Baek Saheon immediately corrected his own insane train of thought. It was the modern era—who the hell resorted to something so primitive?!
'And this bastard still has my mind-control fountain pen.'
The very item he had traded this eye for.
Right. This guy would surely brainwash Baek Saheon right here and now. They could just both live their lives while pretending that this never happened. Such a simple solution was available for them here, so there's no need for—
"You want me to erase your memory with the pen, don't you?"
"…!!"
Baek Saheon's thoughts ground to a screeching halt.
"M'not gonna do that though."
Baek Saheon's mind raced through possible courses of action—punching, using his special equipment, calling for help, begging for his life… And the moment he considered them, he dismissed them all.
'N-No way.'
If he made a wrong move, there was no telling what this lunatic might do. As much as he hated to admit it, Kim Soleum was as ruthless and efficient as a true psychopath should be.
If he wanted to avoid getting dragged into some deeper hell—or worse, getting outright killed—he had to stay calm.
What the hell does this psycho bastard want?
Was he actually here to kill me…
'…No!'
A flash of realization struck Baek Saheon as he rearranged the pieces in his mind.
—This guy wants something.
That bastard was standing in front of him because there was something he wanted.
Baek Saheon forced himself to steady his breathing.
He crossed his arms, barely managing to look like he was composed. "…So, I take it you're here because you want something, Supervisor?"
"Mm."
Knew it!
"…Ah. Do you need my eyewitness account or something? Like last time? You want me to report to the company that I think I might have seen you at the company housing?"
"No."
Damn it.
Baek Saheon swallowed the curses threatening to spill out and forced himself to keep a straight face.
Kim Soleum, on the other hand, was watching him in quiet amusement. Now that Baek Saheon looked closer, this guy was still wearing formal attire, but his hair was slightly shorter, and he had a splint on one arm. He wasn't in perfect condition, then.
Where the hell did he get injured?
And even his suit—it was slightly different.
It looked… oddly high-end. Not the kind of thing a regular office worker would wear. It was tailored, stylish—almost like something meant to be seen…
'Like something a person would wear on TV…'
…Huh.
Something about that thought almost connected—
And then Soleum spoke. "You seem pretty greedy when it comes to items."
"…!"
"You don't care for scraps—you want the good stuff. Hypnosis, suppression, healing… Wouldn't you like to have more useful items like that?"
Desire flared, shoving every other thought aside.
Baek Saheon's head shot up.
Kim Soleum was grinning.
"Then keep me updated on what's happening inside Daydream Inc. Give me regular reports."
"..."
He was proposing a deal.
An intel deal.
"…You mean things like high-grade Darkness exploration manuals?"
Kim Soleum gave him a completely unimpressed look.
Yeah. No way he'd be asking for something that boring.
"Why would I care about that?"
"..."
"Company rumors, staff reassignments, employee gossip. Just bring me anything that you think would be valuable to an insider."
"…Why?"
"Because I'm curious?"
"...!!"
"Well, I got fired and I can't hear the gossip anymore. It's boring."
This goddamn…!
Baek Saheon barely stopped himself from screaming his head off. If it were any other human being, this would be an obvious bluff. A way to avoid admitting the real reason.
But this was Kim Soleum.
'Shit, he might actually be telling the truth.'
It was entirely possible that this lunatic just enjoyed hearing company gossip and was trying to get his fix.
Which made it even harder to figure out what the hell was going on in his head.
'Haa…'
"…So? Are you going to bring me information in exchange for items?"
"Information—"
...
...
"—I can bring it, sure."
Baek Saheon made up his mind.
'Who cares.'
If the company found out?
He could just say he'd been threatened or brainwashed—simple. As long as he wasn't selling company masks or Dream Essence Collectors on the black market, the higher-ups wouldn't really care what the Field Exploration Team got up to.
Answering a few casual questions about 'company atmosphere'? That wasn't even a crime!
Sure, the company had 'misunderstood' and officially declared Kim Soleum dead, but how was that his problem?
There was no way this would get him fired.
'It's not like I'm selling classified research to the Disaster Management Bureau or something. Right?'
He wasn't even a section chief, and he had no access to the Research Team's secrets—nothing that would actually put him in trouble.
'Alright.'
Yeah, no matter how much he thought about it, this was a deal worth taking.
...And as much as he hated to admit it, Kim Soleum wasn't the type to scam people out of their payment… He never shortchanged people or humiliated them by withholding promised rewards.
'I'll go for it.'
Eat now, think later!
As soon as he saw an opportunity, Baek Saheon's usual cocky smirk slid back into place.
"But, you see, Supervisor—ah, goodness, goodness. You're not even a supervisor anymore, are you?"
"..."
"Anyway, how do I know you can trust me with this? What if I just lie to you?"
Translation: Hand over an item in advance if you want to buy my loyalty.
Kim Soleum smiled broadly.
"Oh, you want to lie? That sounds fun. You should try it."
"..."
'Son of a bitch.'
"Still, if you bring in more interesting information, naturally, the items I give you will be better. That's how transactions work, right?"
"…!"
So he wasn't planning on lowballing him.
Which meant, if Baek Saheon played this right, he could actually get some useful shit out of this.
So, he forced a grin and extended his hand.
"Alright, sir. I'll bring you some 'interesting information'."
"Good."
Kim Soleum shook his hand.
Just like that, he had successfully planted a highly opportunistic corporate informant within the company.
'Phew.'
He had survived.
Kim Soleum let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Unofficial informant… secured.
Director Ho had deliberately framed the conversation to make it seem like he and his 'fellow batchmates' would be on the same playing field, trying to obscure the reality of the situation, but Kim Soleum knew. He and his fellow employees were not in the same position at all.
'I'm the the only one who's officially pronounced dead.'
And on top of that, he was terminated from the company. Which meant that every natural channel through which he could have kept up with company affairs had been completely cut off.
'And Director Ho is the kind of boss who would happily exploit that isolation.'
Kim Soleum recalled Assistant Manager Eun Haje's words perfectly.
– I don't even know what the other team members are doing. Director Ho doesn't allow us to talk to each other if our roles don't overlap.
There was no way Director Ho would voluntarily provide him with any useful information.
Which meant, he needed another source.
'But not the D-squad.'
Director Ho had already caught onto that link. The way he had sent the doorplate through Assistant Manager Eun Haje was proof enough. It was too obvious.
That was why Kim Soleum had already been planning to target either Baek Saheon or Kang Yihak.
And the situation had just played out perfectly.
'Honestly, Kang Yihak… I could already imagine it. I could pay her to keep her mouth shut, but if the price is right, she'd sell me out in a heartbeat.'
Just thinking about it made him break into a cold sweat.
That's why Baek Saheon was the better choice.
This guy was moderately scared of Kim Soleum and was also wary of other people. On top of that, he had strong survival instincts.
Kim Soleum glanced at his former roommate one last time before giving a small nod.
"Alright, bye."
"What? Oh, uh… you seem busy."
Soleum nodded again at Baek Saheon's half-hearted response. "I have work to do."
He had less than a few weeks before his deployment to the Disaster Management Bureau.
'Not much time.'
He needed to prepare.
Not as a Daydream Inc. rookie, but as a bureau agent!
February 22nd.
"Agent Bronze, the aptitude test for new recruits is ready."
"Understood."
Ryu Jaekwan, an agent of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau with the codename 'Bronze', stood by the glass window, reviewing the documents in his hands.
The glass was one-way—to those on the other side, it would appear as nothing more than a mirror.
Beyond it, the candidates for the bureau's newest recruitment cycle were waiting.
Seated around the room, their faces carried an unmistakable tension—yet beneath it, there was a quiet determination.
All that remained was the personality test.
And yet, this was the most critical stage of the process.
Those who fail the aptitude test won't just be rejected.
'They'll forget they even applied in the first place.'
They wouldn't be given a second chance, because failing meant there was no point in trying again.
It meant they were either psychologically unfit to handle the work, or that they possessed a morally compromised sense of ethics.
Either way, such individuals could never be allowed to work here.
"..."
Still, Ryu Jaekwan was aware.
Most of the people sitting in that room had their own reasons for being here. Some were searching for missing family members.
Some had supernatural threats they needed to eliminate. For those applicants, more than anyone, he quietly hoped they would pass.
"Let's begin."
"Yes, sir!"
Of course, Bronze wasn't the type to go easy on anyone. No matter what he personally felt, his strict evaluation criteria would not be changing.
The assistant examiners sitting beside him swallowed nervously. They were acutely aware of Agent Bronze's reputation.
'I heard he's seriously strict about his passing criteria.'
'Too bad for the applicants in this room.'
The assistant examiners exchanged glances before proceeding with the aptitude test, following Agent Bronze's instructions.
– Group '다 (Da)' candidates 1 through 4, please step forward.
The announcement echoed through the room beyond the glass. Four final candidates stepped into the center of the room.
Candidate #1, age 25, visibly tense.
Candidate #2, age 38, appearing calm but unnaturally pale.
Candidate #3, age 31, eyes burning with intensity.
And…
"Pfff—!"
"S-Sir…?"
Ryu Jaekwan barely stifled a choking cough.
For a moment, he thought he must be hallucinating. But, no. The reflection in the glass remained unchanged.
A face he had unexpectedly seen far too many times from within supernatural phenomena—that peculiar yet virtuous person…
'…Agent Grapes?!'
Kim Soleum.
Standing directly across from the mirror, adjusting his glasses awkwardly while looking a little tense—the former Daydream Inc. employee!!
He was Candidate #4 for the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau's Group '다 (Da)' selection.