The single Q&A session granted as a reward for winning rock-paper-scissors against the elevator mirror ghost.
Naturally, the truth revealed by a ghost story wasn't always a good thing.
It could be something I didn't like.
Or it could be something completely useless.
It could be either of those things.
For example, if I wrote down a question asking when humanity would go extinct, it might answer with something like, "Long after you are dead."
'That would technically be the truth.'
So, if I asked, 'What is the way for me to return to where I originally lived?', it could potentially answer using extremely radical and fragmented words.
Rather than that, it was better to find out if the method I was currently aiming for could definitely return me to my original world.
'The Wish Potion of Daydream Inc.'
My heart pounded.
The answer, which promised to speak nothing but the truth, appeared on the window glass with agonizing slowness.
It was….
<It is possible to return. Without fail.>
A very clear, positive statement.
“……!”
I slid down to the floor with a deep sigh of relief.
‘Wow.’
It felt like all the tension was draining out of me.
…To be honest, I was worried that an extremely ambiguous or negative answer might come out.
I had tried hard not to think about it, but sometimes… doubts would creep in.
—What if I can't even return with the Wish Potion?
—What if the conditions I set are wrong and it happens in a strange way?
However, I tried to suppress those thoughts as much as possible.
Even if I doubted it, the fact that the Wish Ticket was the method with the highest probability didn't change.
‘Even if I’m anxious, the things I have to do don't change….’
And I had to believe that I could definitely return with the Wish Ticket to endure these terrible horrors and keep working…….
“…….”
But with this, I could work with even more conviction.
‘Let's do it.’
I can do it.
Let's gather the remaining Points as quickly and safely as possible with all my might!
I pulled myself together and stood up from my seat.
‘I’m overflowing with the will to work….’
An extremely rare occurrence.
However, I hadn't escaped the ghost story just yet.
‘The final stage of the ritual remains.’
Now that I had successfully received the answer, it was time to finish the ritual and go back.
The tasks required to return safely differed depending on which number you won the rock-paper-scissors and reached the top floor.
If you came from No. 1: Go to No. 10.
If you came from No. 6: Go to No. 11.
No. 1 was the case where you won the rock-paper-scissors immediately and reached the top floor smoothly.
In that case, you would go to No. 10, which ends with instructions like, 'Go down the stairs to return home, and do not ride an elevator with mirrors on both sides for three days.' But….
‘…I failed once.’
In this case, the tasks became much creepier and more painful.
“…Phew.”
Since it was getting confusing, I decided to read the Manual materials provided by the company.
No. 11.
11. If you reached the top floor by winning rock-paper-scissors led by 'Someone in the mirror,' the method of handling the situation varies depending on how many questions you answered.
First, you must board the elevator.
I swallowed hard, turned around, and stood in front of the elevator doors again.
Since the elevator was still stopped on the 12th floor, the doors opened as soon as I pressed the button.
Ding.
With a short sound, the interior of the dilapidated elevator, where the mirror on the right was shattered into pieces, was revealed….
During this stage, you must keep the door-open button pressed at all times while staying inside the elevator.
Never take your hand off the button.
And face the mirror opposite the one you played rock-paper-scissors with while coming up to the top floor.
I turned my gaze to the mirror on the left.
Because the opposite mirror was smashed, there was no infinitely repeating space inside it.
There, reflecting the interior of the dark elevator where only the diffuse reflections from the fragmented mirror glinted….
You will see something strange.
There was me.
With my head bowed at an unnaturally deep angle.
Clad in a completely tattered suit.
Eerily motionless.
The ghost that had played rock-paper-scissors with me.
…….
The figure in the mirror slowly raises its head.
The expressionless face gets closer and closer to me.
Closer.
As if pressing against the mirror.
You must endure until the elevator makes a sound. You must not move or run away. You must stare at it until the very end.
The more questions you answered, the longer this duration will be.
I endured it.
But there was a limit to everything. Even though there was clearly a glass pane blocking the way, it kept getting closer, bit by bit, endlessly, endlessly….
My hand pressing the door-open button trembled.
I—I have to think about something else….
‘Did that thing… write the answer on the window graffiti I wrote?’
Yes. It probably….
Thump!
I almost let go of the button.
The ghost was staring at me with its head pressed against the mirror.
And its mouth was moving.
iwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwantto getoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetoutiwanttogetout
I hurriedly lowered my gaze slightly to avoid direct eye contact. Cold sweat formed on my chin and dripped down.
But piercing through the fear, the effect of the silver ring shone through.
It wants to get out?
‘…Because it’s trapped in the mirror?’
My head spun rapidly.
‘Come to think of it, that ghost… couldn't make the "scissors" hand shape, right?’
Why?
The reason it couldn't hold up scissors.
I thought about the hand movement for scissors in rock-paper-scissors.
Whether you lift your thumb with it or your middle finger with it.
Usually, no matter what, the image of lifting the index finger as the main point comes to mind.
And when thinking of hand shapes with the index finger lifted in an elevator, there is one action that is immediately associated with it.
When pressing a button.
‘…That ghost, can it not press the buttons?’
Of course, it could physically press it by hitting it with its fist or ramming it with its head, but this was a matter of concept and imagery.
A ghost trapped in the world inside the infinitely consecutive mirrors of an elevator.
A completely closed space created by two mirrors facing each other.
And the warning message in the manual for when the ritual failed due to losing the rock-paper-scissors.
<Be careful every time you ride an elevator from now on. Because the thing in the mirror will try to find you and meet you.>
Could that be….
‘…Because it wants to get out?’
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump
Fuck, seriously…!
I tried my best not to look at the ghost still banging its head against the mirror and continued thinking.
…Maybe.
‘Is that ghost trapped in the elevator?’
It was then.
Beep— Beep— Beep—
A signal sounded.
The sound that occurs when you hold the elevator for too long.
When you hear the sound, immediately exit the elevator and move to the stairs.
Do not use that elevator again. It is recommended to put up an <Under Repair> sign to prevent others from riding it until the sun rises the next day.
And from now on, do not look into the mirror for more than 5 seconds when boarding an elevator with mirrors on both sides.
It will come to find you.
In that case.
I hesitated, then took my hand off the open button as I exited the elevator.
And at the same time, I touched one button.
[1F]
Naturally, because it was a mirror, the 1st-floor button lit up in the elevator inside it as well.
I didn't look at the expression of the ghost that had my face and quickly ran out of the open doors.
Sliding.
The doors, no longer forced by the open button, closed, and the elevator began to move.
[Going down….]
I went down to the first floor using the stairs from the 12th floor.
While running down the old stairs, I thought I heard the cheerful sound of the elevator opening and saying, 'This is the 1st floor'…….
“Phew.”
By the time I came out of the rental apartment that had practically become a condemned building, the sun had already set quite a while ago.
‘They said time flows strangely inside, and it really was true.’
It was already 7 o'clock.
I immediately called one person.
[Ah, Soleum…!]
It was Jang Heowoon, whom I was supposed to meet at 5 o'clock.
But for someone who had been left waiting for two hours, my apology flowed out smoothly.
Because….
“I'm sorry. I told you beforehand that there might be a problem, but I kept you waiting for too long, didn't I?”
[Ah, no. It’s okay. This is a nice cafe! Since an urgent matter came up, it couldn’t be helped. I’m fine!]
That’s right.
Because I had intentionally told Jang Heowoon to meet at 5 o'clock.
‘Just in case the research team, after receiving the report that I went in alone, tried to divert Jang Heowoon to another bizarre ghost story in the meantime.’
That crazy psychopathic Researcher was fully capable of doing such a thing. While saying something like, 'Ah, since it's turned out this way, it would be nice if you could go somewhere else.'
‘Work life is truly like trash….’
Anyway, after that, I apologized to Jang Heowoon, who was sitting in the cafe.
And I explained the situation.
In a way that wasn't overly shocking, making it feel like I had arbitrarily refused because the research team was trying to make us both do dangerous work without any
value.
But Jang Heowoon focused on a different point.
[Wait a minute. Then won’t you get into trouble, Mr./Ms./Mx. Soleum? You’ve unilaterally disobeyed company instructions…!]
“Ah, it’s fine.”
I said reassuringly.
As long as you keep it a secret, Mr./Ms. Heowoon, I have a use for all of this.”
[…??]
And a short while later.
As soon as I returned to hand in the Dream Collector, I was urgently summoned by Kwak Jekang.
And I explained the situation shamelessly.
“…So, you just left the Cleanup team person behind…. That’s what you’re saying?”
“Yes.”
Kwak Jekang stared at me for a moment as if he had lost his words, but eventually, he let out a sigh and burst into a boisterous laugh.
Of course, it wasn't in a good way.
It meant he found it absurd.
“No, Mr. Roe Deer! This is grounds for disciplinary action… The company isn’t a school, did you think you could just do whatever you wanted? Did Section Chief Lee Jaheon say you could do that?”
“No. Team Leader Lee Jaheon always advises us to comply with company regulations and the Field Exploration Manual.”
“Gosh, if you knew that, then why did you do it? My goodness, hmm….”
And he asked in a subtle tone.
“Do you have a strong aversion to a colleague being sacrificed during an exploration? Since you're acquaintances, after all.”
I knew you'd say that.
I answered immediately.
“…? It was frustrating.”
“……??”
“Why should I, when I can clear a place quickly on my own, take along, um, excuse me, yes, a useless piece of baggage.”
“…!”
Kwak Jekang looked at me with a stunned expression, then hurriedly opened his mouth.
“No, after clearing it, you could have just left him alone in the elevator and come out….”
“That’s why I’m asking why I should have to worry about such things while investigating the darkness.”
I frowned slightly and argued as if I couldn't stand it.
“Whether the employee waiting under the elevator will run away or whether I can send him at the right timing—those things don't help at all in shortening the exploration time or increasing the solution concentration.”
“…….”
“Isn't the reason for the existence of the Field Exploration Position to extract high-concentration solution as quickly as possible to supply the raw materials for the Daydream Potion? Why should I have to do work that is unrelated to my duties?”
“No, this is also work….”
“Isn't that your work, Manager?”
Kwak Jekang shut his mouth.
It seemed he was speechless at my crazy MZ energy.
Even though actual MZs are just new employees being ground down at work, this was all just a concept for me!
“So, I decided that it would be better to just receive disciplinary action.”
“…Because that’s more efficient?”
“Yes.”
I answered as if it were obvious.
“At the very least, you’ll give me the disciplinary action during a period when I’m not doing darkness investigation.”
“…….”
Kwak Jekang was looking at me with eyes as if he were seeing some kind of new substance.
It's absurd even to you, right?
That's right.
‘This is exactly the weakness of mine that you wanted so much…!’
An obsessive efficiency-nut who sticks to his own principles!
Thanks to that, I might seem moral, but in fact, if something goes against the principles I’ve set for myself, I do socially inept things as if having a seizure.
‘This kind of extreme personality is originally a weakness.’
As long as I could continuously prevent Kwak Jekang’s useless probing, disciplinary action was much more manageable…!
“Then I will wait until the disciplinary action is decided.”
I left the lab while maintaining the crazy bastard concept until the very end.
‘I should go find Braun.’
I felt very proud.
The office of Research Team 1, which had become quiet after Kim Soleum left.
In that spot where all the other employees had left for the day, Kwak Jekang, who had been silently sitting at his desk organizing the events of yesterday and today….
“Hahahaha!”
He burst into laughter.
“Left him behind because it was frustrating? Hahaha!”
How could this be so entertaining!
If it had been any other employee, they would have been completely fooled.
When swept away by such extreme remarks and in a state where one's heart is swayed by overwhelming results, everything tends to sound plausible.
But….
“I’ve observed people a very long time!”
A person’s actions are more important than their words.
And using those actions to predict another pattern of behavior was precisely one of the joys of this job…!
“Ah, how delightful.”
Kwak Jekang wore a beaming smile as he finished his notes, stood up from his desk, and set off on his way home with a light step.
Clang.
His humming echoed in the office for a moment before vanishing as the door closed.
On the desk he had left, only a few pages of documented materials remained.
[Assistant Manager Kim Soleum / Field Exploration team]
It was Kim Soleum's profile file.
Below it, a memo scribbled by Kwak Jekang could be seen….
Characteristics (Predicted with significant probability)
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