The day of the appointment.
“Congratulations on the official appointment of our Agent Grapes~!!”
“…….”
“Hahaha! Should we have a team dinner today? We’ve accumulated quite a bit of special overtime meal allowance this month, haven’t we? How much did I get? Anyway, it’s on me!”
Wow.
With eyes that had given up on everything, I received the welcoming greetings of the agents in the Hyunmoo Team 1 standby room.
Actually, calling it a welcoming greeting was a bit much. I had seen them just a few days ago.
It’s just that today, my position in Hyunmoo Team 1 was completely finalized!
“…I look forward to working with you.”
“……Yes.”
For the record, the Seonbae who said he would do his best to express his opinion so that I could be assigned to another unit was also present.
Agent Bronze was avoiding my gaze even as we shook hands.
“…….”
Yes, Agent. I dug my own grave….
‘King of Destruction… let’s work diligently so that at least that nickname disappears.’
Because as a spy, I wonder if this is okay.
‘Heh….’
I eventually gave a polite nod to Agent Choi as well.
I’m going to see him constantly now, so it would be foolish to say one more thing about how I didn't want to come to Hyunmoo Team 1.
“…Thank you for welcoming me.”
“It’s nothing~”
Agent Choi smiled broadly and patted me on the back.
At any rate, he’s a person with a decent personality….
“We’re going to be working together for the rest of our lives, so I wonder if the welcome should have been more grand. Haha!”
“…….”
The sense of duty of an early-generation Agent is a bit scary.
“Let’s work together for a long time, Grapes-ie….”
No, for a very long time….
Anyway, Agent Choi’s suggestion for a team dinner became a reality that evening.
Hyunmoo Team 1 moved to eat together as soon as work was over.
“It’s a place we come to often. The CEO here is a retired Agent. Ah, the large size of the gopchang-jeongol, please! And two bottles of soju.”
Thus, in a room-type table seat in the corner of a crowded, popular restaurant, we began to eat and talk while having a light drink with our meal.
During that process, I finally received a formal introduction to Hyunmoo Team 1.
“Actually, the team numbers don’t mean much anymore, but when it first launched, Team 1 took on the more difficult missions. So you can take pride in your affiliation, thinking of your seniors!”
It was something I already knew.
But hearing the explanation directly from the person involved felt new.
Same for hearing about the current situation.
“Originally, Hyunmoo Team 1 had five regular staff members under the Team leader… but two are on sick leave, and one is… well, on leave of absence.”
“…….”
Though he didn’t mention it, there were probably many cases of dying in the line of duty.
Recalling the messages in various handwriting that filled the whiteboard in the standby room, I looked at the two people remaining in this team.
Agent Choi gave a wide grin.
“Finally, we have three members. Isn’t that great? Hey, Jaekwan, don’t you think so too?”
This person… perhaps he was just happy to see a new face.
I suppressed a bitter smile. And as I raised my glass, I simply gave a polite nod to the two of them.
“Um, thank you… once again for welcoming me….”
“…!”
Even though they knew I had very stubbornly aimed for another team, it was a thank you for not giving me a single scolding once I actually arrived at Hyunmoo Team 1.
And it seemed the listener also read the meaning behind those words.
“No~ we’re the ones who are grateful.”
Agent Choi waved his hand and said dismissively.
“You didn’t want to come, did you? To our team.”
“…….”
I suppressed a sigh and downed the soju.
“It’s not that I dislike the Emergency Rescue Squad. It’s just… because I don't trust myself.”
“Soleum.”
Agent Choi looked at me.
“It’s okay. No one does.”
“…….”
“Who could be a hundred percent certain that their actions are correct in a supernatural disaster? If there were such a person, that person would be a supernatural phenomenon themselves.”
The Seonbae, who at some point started calling me by name and title instead of Hubae.
He smiled as he served me some stew.
“…But we have the advice of those who have done it before us.”
“…….”
“Believe in that.”
The exploration records.
“And if you do that… you’ll eventually feel like taking a risk and being the first to try something yourself? Then you’ll be the one giving advice to someone who comes after you.”
“…….”
Agent Bronze’s eyes clouded over, but he did not object.
As if the two of them had already fought over this part in the past and reached an agreement.
“But there's no need to think that far ahead yet!”
Agent Choi smiled and filled my glass.
“Soleum, you’ve really gone through a lot since coming here.”
I couldn't possibly deny that.
“But honestly, incidents like that only happen once every six months—no, if you’re lucky, not even once in several years. It’s not like you’ll be doing that every day just because you’re on our team, so don’t worry.”
Agent Choi grinned and unilaterally clinked his glass against mine.
Clink.
“You’ll do well.”
“…….”
“Got it?”
I nodded my head.
And like a lie, those words came true.
Three weeks after the official appointment to Hyunmoo Team 1.
“Grapes-ie, over there!”
I was performing rescue duties in ghost stories much more smoothly than I expected.
“Catch them!”
“Yes!”
I grabbed the rescue requester who was trying to run away frantically beside me and shoved them into the washing machine.
“Argh!”
I'm sorry, but that’s the exit, so please bear with it!
“Hey, it’s over! Run!”
And before the drying cycle finished, I also entered an empty washing machine, submerged in the spinning water….
“Whew!”
I succeeded in escaping safely.
“Two people besides the rescue requester, rescue completed safely from ‘Intersection Laundromat.’”
Today, I saved three civilians from a crazy laundromat that reconstructs personalities and reforms bodies.
And the past three weeks were similar.
‘A dispatch about once every three days….’
Honestly, it’s scary and tough.
But….
“Is that guy the one? The King of Destruction? He really handles work quite refreshingly!”
“Hahaha! Right, Team leader?!”
“…….”
Unexpectedly, the image of a King of Destruction rookie was useful!
-The King of Destruction rookie is adjusting smoothly ^^
-You’re in this chatroom too now, right?
Since I had established a character that was somewhat funny, friendly, and positive, adjusting was easy.
Moreover, the character was being reinforced day by day. At this rate, it wouldn’t be awkward even if it were written on the Wiki.
‘Me, a Management Bureau Named Character….’
Honestly, it doesn't feel bad.
And as if what I had gone through before was truly a run of bad luck out of the way, no unexpected situations occurred in ghost stories for three weeks.
All that remained was to follow the already established rescue manuals and bring people back.
It’s manageable as long as I endure the dog-like fear!
‘In the first place, if it’s a ghost story where you can find the Management Bureau’s rescue request number, it means it’s a ghost story the Management Bureau has already grasped well.’
Well enough to plant a number in the ghost story.
It was enough to understand why there were so many solo missions.
‘This is bearable…!’
Even better, I was still in a two-man cell because I was a rookie.
It’s less scary and safe!
So I once tentatively mentioned this to Agent Bronze, but his expression turned serious.
-No. It is not safe.
-…….
-Your standards are somewhat distorted.
Agent, if you stay in a Daydream for just half a year, you’ll become like me….
‘I feel like I’m going to cry.’
Since I finally became part of Hyunmoo Team 1, Agent Bronze has been trying to take excessive care of me while subtly avoiding private conversation. It seems he has an uncomfortable sense of debt. I understand….
Anyway, that’s why the past three weeks were bearable despite the tension.
I naturally blended into Hyunmoo Team 1, and now when I encountered people within the headquarters, I didn’t need to introduce myself as part of Hyunmoo Team 1.
It was because I had blended into this team enough that everyone already knew.
‘…It was okay.’
It was undeniable that there was a sense of stability given by a sense of belonging.
…The problem was that the time for me to get solo missions was slowly approaching.
Ha.
‘Alone… it’ll be scary.’
To have to experience a ghost story alone once every three days. That is truly the problem.
Still, before that, this proposal came.
“Grapes-ie. Do you want to go and rest for a bit?”
It was when I was preparing to leave work in the standby room after completing the transfer of duties to the Site Cleanup Team.
“You’ve been working almost without rest for three weeks, even doing support work. Someone who was hospitalized a month ago shouldn't overdo it. You need to rest now to clear your head and recover your strength.”
Agent Choi had made this suggestion.
And….
To be honest, this was a somewhat calculated situation.
‘It’s hard to use up annual leave all at once as a rookie….’
So I intentionally pushed myself to maximize my working hours as much as possible, hoping an upper-level person who couldn't bear to watch would suggest taking a few days off.
‘I succeeded.’
Agent Bronze also nodded quickly as soon as our eyes met.
Good.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah, don’t forget to pack two days off and attach them to that!”
In that way, I was able to use four days of annual leave at once.
Adding it to the two days off that occur in a week, it was a full six days.
Naturally, there was a definite reason why I needed this period of time.
[Mr. Kim Soleum, your psychological stability test results are out. Please make a counseling appointment and pick them up when you have time ^^]
A text message came from Director Ho last week.
…Now, soon, I can enter Cheerful Theme Park.
‘Let’s prepare.’
And let’s also handle the schedule I had postponed because of work.
[Are we not exchanging?]
[It’s information you’ll definitely want to hear]
It seemed Baek Saheon was ready.
And that evening.
I met the guy in a secluded room cafe in Seoul.
“Speak quickly.”
Upon meeting, tendons bulged on Baek Saheon’s temple at the urging.
“……Excuse me, this is a deal. It doesn't feel good when you speak that way.”
“You like efficiency. Isn't it better to speak quickly and take the item? Live your life with some calculation.”
“~!”
Baek Saheon momentarily made a face like he was incredibly pissed off, but he soon hid that sign and smiled.
“…Fine then!”
Oh. He seems quite confident.
I also focused to listen intently.
“First….”
Baek Saheon opened his mouth in a very meaningful tone and shared a special fact….
“Two of the peers in our cohort have vanished.”
“…….”
“Do you remember? Go Yeongeun and….”
“Jang Heowoon.”
“…!”
Oh boy.
“I know, so move on.”
“Wa-wait a minute. Even you don’t know where they went, right, Supervisor?”
Yeah. I know.
I stared at Baek Saheon with fish-like eyes, and the guy continued speaking while breaking into a cold sweat.
“They went to a branch office, those guys!”
Wrong.
“You know the branch office, right? The provincial ones. Lately, there are a lot of employees who have been transferred to the headquarters from there, and for some reason, it seems like a suspicious place. All contact with them has been cut off too….”
“Okay. Next.”
I told you that's not it.
I don’t know for sure, but Baek Saheon must have been cursing internally right now.
‘Go ahead….’
But the information will flow more smoothly if I give him a bit of hope. I changed my words.
“Tell me something else. It’s only tiring for you if you keep blabbering about information I already know.”
“…….”
“Are there no other rumors?”
Baek Saheon looked at me for a moment with eyes that seemed to shout, ‘How on earth do you know?’ but eventually confessed the next piece of information.
That was….
“I saw a researcher and a security guard fighting a while ago.”
Hmm.
‘Did the researcher’s head get cracked or something…?’
Perhaps because my face became lukewarm, Baek Saheon hurriedly continued speaking.
“No, listen. The researcher is someone you know too, Supervisor. It’s Section Chief Kwak Jekang of Research Team 1….”
“…!”
What?
I almost properly showed that I had lost my composure.
I managed to keep it to just widening my eyes, but it was already too late.
“It seems you want to hear this a lot.”
Baek Saheon was wearing a triumphant smile.
“I want to tell you quickly too… well, let me see that item first and then I’ll tell you. It would be troublesome if you said you don’t have the item after hearing it all.”
“…….”
“Ah, I don’t mean that you’re that kind of person… it’s for mutual trust! Speed is important, of course, but trust is also important in a deal.”
He’s pretty good.
“Shall we?”
“…!”
Fine.
As if performing a magic trick, I pulled the Necronomicon from my wrist.
Seeing the imposing book-shaped item contained in a sinister book case with an unusual atmosphere, Baek Saheon’s eyes flashed with greed.
And he reached out his hand….
Thwak!
“You said you’d only look.”
“…….”
Baek Saheon momentarily showed an aggressive look in his eyes, but soon opened his mouth and continued to pour out information.
“He said a security guard picked a fight with a researcher. I heard he tried to hit him because he didn't answer properly when asked something.”
And the ‘rumor’ that followed was this.
While a certain security guard was asking a researcher he encountered during duty about something related to the facility, the researcher’s superior appeared.
That would be Kwak Jekang.
And he allegedly said something.
“What did he say?”
“I don’t know. I guess it wasn't anything great. But suddenly the security guard attacked.”
“…….”
Suddenly, a scene comes to mind.
The Sergeant who was on the phone with Kwak Jekang.
-You know… I can’t enter the Darkness… but I can kill people.
Wait a minute.
‘Is that security guard… Mr. Jay?’
“It’s probably because of the contamination. Security teams are originally crazy bastards because of the contamination….”
“Don’t make things up.”
“What?”
“Your imagination is mixed in.”
I said, acting crazy.
“If I can tell you’ve padded it out… the dopamine disappears.”
“…….”
“Continue.”
Baek Saheon seemed a bit intimidated.
And his words became plain again.
Thank goodness.
“…That, anyway, that security guard is someone who doesn't usually come outside much, but they say he volunteered to work in the Annex and such. I heard he was originally a pretty famous person?”
“Who said such a thing?”
“It was what the Section Chiefs were gathered and chatting about. I don’t know specifically who they were, but anyway, they were people who had quite a bit of seniority.”
“…….”
‘The Sergeant… was originally the Elite Squad leader.’
It seems it really is Mr. Jay.
‘You’re really trying to look into the Cheerful Research Institute for me…!’
Still, I hoped he wouldn’t do anything dangerous, but fortunately, it seems he’s staying within the lines.
It makes me break into a bit of a cold sweat that he bumped into Kwak Jekang.
If Kwak Jekang gets hit, he gets hit; it’s not like there will be a problem for the Sergeant. Because the reason Kwak Jekang is scary is due to the crazy exploration setups he creates!
‘It is convenient to confirm it like this.’
There’s no need to worry needlessly.
“This is certain!”
“Okay.”
Afterward, I listened to a few more useless pieces of gossip, acting as if I were interested.
And by the time Baek Saheon’s patience had all vanished, I sensed that the price had become appropriate.
“Honestly, the stories after that weren't very interesting.”
“…….”
“The one about fighting with the researcher was interesting. Good job. That’s good information.”
“…!”
I smiled and took my hand off the Necronomicon I had been pressing down on.
“Take it.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Baek Saheon quickly snatched up that bizarre book.
And after scanning the book case with excited eyes, he suddenly looked at me and said.
“By any chance, this isn't something that only beings like you… anyway, that only beings like that can read, is it?”
“No.”
I looked him straight in the eye.
“But don’t expect to be able to use it with the same power as me.”
Because you’re not a ghost story maniac!
“…….”
Baek Saheon hesitated but eventually packed the book away.
Whew.
I barely relaxed my tense shoulders.
Disposal complete.
‘I got information and handled the disposal too.’
The Fake Necronomicon. I was uncomfortable keeping it anyway, so this worked out well.
Well, it’s not an item that causes problems just by having it….
‘…I feel like I’ll keep wanting to handle things with that.’
The power was too good.
If I kept it, every time things got complicated, I’d feel the impulse to just flip it open and solve things in ‘that’ direction.
Since everyone would end up listening to me.
But a long tail eventually gets caught.
‘It’s perfect for getting caught.’
And… no matter how much I think about it, if I overdo it even by an inch, I feel like I’ll go crazy or develop permanent mental problems.
So it’s perfect to sell it as information value to a guy who isn’t a ghost story maniac.
‘Good.’
Baek Saheon’s face gradually brightened as he packed the book, and eventually, he looked back at me with a subtle expression and said.
“Excuse me, Supervisor. I’d like to hear more about the criteria for ‘good information.’”
It seems he wants to extract more since the performance of the traded item is certain.
“If you tell me more specifically, I will also….”
“Something fun.”
“…….”
“I already told you. You want me to tell you more specifically?”
“…Yes. If you would, I’d be gratef….”
I rested my chin on my hand.
“The researcher story from earlier was fun too. As expected, it’s easier to imagine someone whose face I know… right. The security guard is fine too. It’s unique.”
“…Then I’ll try to listen to rumors centered on those two and look into other things as well.”
“Okay.”
I nodded my head.
In that way, the deal implicitly moved toward a closing atmosphere, and Baek Saheon stood up from the table while packing his bag containing today’s harvest.
Once he leaves, I'll...
"Excuse me."
Hmm?
Baek Saheon hesitated before continuing.
"Supervisor, you're currently at the Disaster Management Bureau, right?"
"……."
"You were rescued by the Agents back then while in the form of a child. So…."
I quietly looked back at Baek Saheon.
And then I advised him.
"It's better if you don't know."
It was the truth.
Unless you want to get 'transferred to a branch office' and disappear too.
‘If that guy gets caught digging into my background by Director Ho, it's over for him….’
"Anyway, it's not the kind of place where you can get something like a Wish Ticket."
"……."
"There's nothing for you to gain there."
Sensing something unusual, Baek Saheon's eyes darted around before he nodded.
‘This should be enough.’
However, he added some unexpected words.
"…Yes. Well… take care of yourself too, Supervisor."
"Yeah. You too."
And so, the deal was over.
I only let out a sigh after confirming Baek Saheon had opened the door of the room cafe and left.
"Haa."
Baek Saheon.
I already knew what kind of person he was from his character profile, and I had a grasp on him from sharing a company house together.
That's why he was a low-risk partner in a different sense.
‘He moves exactly as expected, one might say.’
Thanks to that, I still used him as a business partner… though, to be honest, I knew almost nothing about his personal details other than his personality.
And thinking about it, that applied not just to Baek Saheon… but to almost everyone I've met here.
‘…Because I'm going back home.’
At most, the seniors of Team D were the exceptions.
Hearing all those trivial gossips about others from Baek Saheon today made me newly conscious of it.
So, I suddenly grew curious.
‘Why is Baek Saheon trying to get a Wish Ticket?’
Even in the <Dark Exploration Record>, there was no mention of why a guy who bets everything on survival would do something where he puts his life on the line.
‘Well… it's none of my business, though.’
To be honest, I was more curious about the reasons of my other colleagues than Baek Saheon's.
I'll ask if the opportunity arises later; for now, let's focus on my own Wish Ticket.
And my survival.
"Whew."
After confirming that Baek Saheon had completely stepped out onto the street, I took out my Smartphone.
Then I sent the reply I had prepared.
To Director Ho.
[I would like to make an appointment, Sir]
Let's head in.
Cheerful Theme Park.
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