Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 104

“What’s this? You didn’t forget me, did you, Soleum? It’s been ages!”

The figure standing in the dim hallway greeted me cheerfully, extending a hand.

It was the familiar face of my old supervisor from Team D, now wearing a badger mask.

“...Assistant Manager?”

It was unmistakable.

Park Minseong, my former mentor, seemed just as vibrant and full of personality as I remembered from our time working together.

I quickly shook his hand and asked, “Are you feeling better?”

“Much better. I’m slowly getting back to regular activity. These days, I don’t have any major problems with daily life. Right, Team Leader?”

“Yes, well... more or less....”

Whew.

“I didn’t expect to run into him like this.”

Seeing him healthy and moving around was almost enough to make me emotional. My own voice brightened automatically.

“Then, Park Min—”

“Call me Badger!”

“......”

“I mean, uh... hearing my name still causes, uh, some issues. So, yeah.”

“...Understood.”

I held my tongue.

I had planned to ask if he was ready to return to work, but I didn’t need to.

Now that I looked closer, Park Minseong’s cheerful demeanor seemed tinged with an underlying unease. His pale complexion and gaunt features, partially obscured by the mask, were hard to miss.

“Oh dear, your partner for tonight doesn’t seem to be in great shape, Soleum!”

“Yeah... he’s still recovering.”

Could they really assign someone in his condition to disciplinary cleaning duty alongside me?

“Let’s get going, Soleum. Let’s finish up quickly so you can get some rest!”

“...Yes, sir.”

But I wasn’t in a position to suggest different arrangements for my partner.

After thanking the Security Team Leader, I followed behind Assistant Manager Park, who was already dressed in his bright orange cleaning uniform.

“Ah, wait a second.”

“Yes?”

The Security Team Leader called out to me. Setting down the box of donuts he’d been holding so protectively, he rummaged through his pocket and handed me something.

Two old walkie-talkies.

“If anything dangerous happens... call me. I’m on the night shift today.”

“...These connect to you directly?”

He nodded.

I felt two conflicting emotions at once: ‘This confirms there’s danger’ and ‘Thank you so much.’

“Thank you.”

“Sure....”

Then, in a low voice that Park couldn’t hear, the Security Team Leader added:

“Be careful.”

“......”

My hands turned cold.

I barely managed to nod, handing one of the walkie-talkies to Park before we began walking down the dim corridor.

Heading toward the Security Team’s rental storage area.

Step. Step.

Step. Step.

Step. Step...

“Soleum.”

“Yes!”

“Ah, sorry. Did I scare you?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Haha, good. That’s a relief....”

His voice faltered, trembling slightly.

“It’s been so long since I’ve talked to anyone outside the Security Team... Did I say something weird? Was I awkward?”

...Sigh.

“No, sir. You’re still very much yourself.”

“Oh? Wait, that’s not an insult, is it?”

“Who knows?”

“What?! Soleum’s making jokes now?! Is that the confidence of someone climbing the corporate ladder?”

The humor lightened the mood between us.

“...Can I ask how you’ve been?”

“Of course. Well... I’ve been here. Just here.”

He muttered quickly, almost like spitting the words out.

“I didn’t know there was a treatment room underground here. And a training center. And some weird, really weird places... No, wait, it’s restricted to the Security Team, so I shouldn’t say more....”

Damn it.

“You don’t have to tell me. We can talk about something else....”

“It’s so strange. Why is the basement so deep? I used to wonder why our company didn’t build an underground parking garage and instead went with separate parking towers. Now I get it. The basement is too deep and too weird. It’s so weird I need to get back to where I used to—”

“Assistant Manager Badger!”

“...!!”

He stopped, exhaled slowly, and apologized.

“Sorry... Let’s talk about something else, shall we?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

I began rambling about popular shows and random topics, helped by Braun feeding me ideas.

“Oh, I’ve seen that one too!”

“It’s entertaining, isn’t it?”

Fortunately, it seemed like he had access to the internet or streaming services, so we managed to keep the conversation going without any awkward pauses.

But my back was drenched in cold sweat.

“This won’t do.”

Spending too much time in this massive, windowless underground space was bound to drive anyone mad.

“And it seems like Assistant Manager Park might have an ailing family member too....”

“Do you have to stay down here indefinitely?”

“No. Once I’ve recovered enough, I can either get reassigned or resign and leave.”

Whew.

“Even the Security Team gets to go out or move around freely during the night, I think.”

That was reassuring.

“Oh, we’re here.”

At last, we reached our destination.

[Security Team Rental Storage Area]

“Wow.”

“This place is intimidating at night.”

Standing before the steel door, I suppressed a groan.

And then, a cold voice echoed from my pocket.

“Ah, this unpleasant place.”

“......”

Oh no!

“This is where I threw Braun into that storage area for disposal last time!”

“Well, Braun. If it’s so unpleasant, would you rather stay home next time?”

“No, it’s fine! Part of being a professional is not projecting personal grievances onto places. But friend...”

His voice grew somber.

“This place might make me depressed. Please keep me entertained....”

“......”

“I’ll do my best... but this is way too difficult, announcer...!”

“Oh, right. Here.”

Breaking my thoughts, Assistant Manager Park pulled something out of his orange uniform pocket and handed it to me.

A photocopy of a handwritten note.

“This is a cleaning tip sheet I got from the Security Team. I thought you might find it helpful, so I brought it along!”

“Thank you....”

-----------

Cleaning Tips for Night Shifts

Hello! If you’re reading this, you’ve been unlucky enough to get stuck with a nighttime cleaning shift.

That’s right. The Security Team area is full of insane people and contamination. And when it’s just the two of you at night, things get even weirder.

But don’t worry too much. If you follow these golden tips I’ve written down, you’ll get through it just fine.

-----------

‘Wait a second.’

This... this is exactly how those “work rule-based” horror stories start.

You know the kind. Stories where someone takes on a suspiciously high-paying night job, like a security guard or a babysitter, only to get handed a list of strange rules they have to follow to survive.

A bunch of indie horror games based on similar Darkness Exploration Records lore immediately came to mind.

‘This makes it even scarier.’

I swallowed hard and hurriedly read the next part of the note.

-----------

Cleaning Tips for Night Shifts

In some ways, this is a sweet gig. You get hazard pay. Whether you’re here for money, points, or some nostalgia gear, just keep that in mind and power through.

If you’re here as a disciplinary action... good luck.

Hopefully, you’re from the Field Exploration Team.

-----------

“......”

Yes. That would be me...

Grinding my teeth, I forced myself to read the rest of the “tips” quickly.

Cleaning was about to begin.

***

Squelch.

The mop swiped across the floor of the rental storage room, leaving a trail of clean, albeit damp, tiles behind.

While the area wasn’t overtly filthy, some strange, colorful stains had seeped into the surface here and there, stubbornly clinging to the floor.

-----------

1. Always rinse the mop immediately when it gets dirty. Trust me, it’s better that way. The cleaning solution is strong enough that a few rinses will do the trick. Easy, right?

-----------

“Well, at least that’s mildly comforting...”

The one saving grace was that half the overhead lights were left on in the rental storage area—not as bright as daytime, but enough to work comfortably.

“I can still read the signs, at least.”

I glanced briefly at a flyer taped to the wall that read, “Always buying Nostalgia Series items / Inquire at the desk for details,” before focusing back on the floor.

“Soleum, if you find anything strange, don’t touch it. Just clean around it and move on.”

“Yes, sir.”

Squelch.

“Have you done this before, sir?”

“This kind of cleaning? No. But... I’ve done other Security Team work.”

Park Minseong smiled faintly, his tone carrying a subtle sense of hope.

“I think if I make it through this, I’ll finally be cleared to transfer officially to the Security Team.”

“...!”

That was good news.

I hesitated before cautiously asking, “Have you considered recovering further and returning to the Field Exploration Team instead?”

“Haha... Would that be better? I’ll give it some thought.”

The conversation was surprisingly optimistic.

We continued cleaning diligently, falling into a rhythm.

“This is easier than I expected.”

Other than the exhaustion creeping in from working late at night, things were going smoothly.

The cleaning tips had been straightforward and reassuring, which helped immensely.

2. No matter what happens, just keep cleaning.

Strange things are bound to happen in the Security Team's area at night. But hey, the rental storage room isn’t the worst place you could end up!

-----------

“Understood.”

This tip was essentially the summary of everything:

“No matter what happens, ignore it and keep cleaning.”

Alright, I can do this.

We quickly finished cleaning the front area of the rental storage room. It wasn’t very large to begin with, so scrubbing off the stubborn grime only took about an hour.

“That’s half of our assigned area done for today! All that’s left is...”

Both Assistant Manager Park and I turned our heads in unison.

“...Over there.”

One of the three doors leading to the isolation spaces.

[Isolation B]

“Sigh.”

“Ah, this is the same hallway where Soleum was trapped during that unpleasant incident, isn’t it?”

Yes. Exactly.

And now, I had to go back into that very hallway where I’d once been confined.

-----------

3. Do not, under any circumstances, open an isolation room door while cleaning. You’d think this goes without saying for anyone working at our company, but just in case, I’m writing it down.

4. Seriously, I’ll say it again: Ignore any noises coming from the isolation rooms. Do not respond.

No matter how much someone begs, no matter if they claim to be your family or friends—it’s never true. Don’t open the door!!

-----------

Creak.

We stepped into the isolation corridor, closing the door firmly behind us.

The gray hallway stretched before us.

On either side, steel doors to isolation rooms lined the walls.

“This is hell.”

I wanted to leave the door open for even the faintest reassurance, but that wasn’t an option. The sheer psychological pressure was overwhelming.

I swallowed hard and kept mopping.

The sounds I’d heard the last time I was here started echoing faintly down the eerily quiet corridor.

Kick-kick-kik-kick.

"Help me, help me, please save me!"

"I don’t belong here, I don’t belong here, I’m not supposed to be here!"

"Kick-kick-kik-kick."

"If I leave, I’ll have to die."

“Oh my god.”

This was unbearable.

I started rinsing the mop loudly, hoping the noise would drown out the voices.

That’s when it happened.

Assistant Manager Park suddenly stopped mopping and jerked his head up, staring blankly.

He was looking at one of the tightly sealed isolation room doors.

[Isolation Room B14]

“Soleum.”

Damn it.

“Soleum. I can hear the Assistant Director’s voice from in there.”

“No, you can’t.”

“But... I can hear it.”

“No, you can’t. Let’s keep cleaning, Assistant Manager Badger.”

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“...Oh. Yeah, okay.”

-----------

"5. If your partner starts spouting nonsense, leave them and run. Got it? Trying to help them might get you killed too. Especially for newbies on the Security Team, keep this in mind!!"

-----------

Slosh, slosh.

As I scrubbed the floor, a strange feeling came over me.

‘...Anxiety?’

This was different from previous Darkness explorations.

No manuals, no wiki entries, no escape pattern analyses—just one vague piece of advice from some veteran whose identity I didn’t even know. And here I was, cleaning through the night.

It really felt like working a part-time job in a bizarre place with absolutely no information.

What am I even doing...

Step, step.

"Careful, Noru."

"...!"

I quickly stepped back.

Someone was walking toward us from the far end of the gray isolation corridor.

Step, step.

A person in a black facility uniform.

They noticed us and slightly nodded their head.

And then...

"Oh. So you’re the ones cleaning tonight," they said in an utterly ordinary tone. Whew.

When both I and Supervisor Park Minseong nodded back, the staff member, sounding slightly embarrassed, quickly added:

"I'm on night patrol duty today. ...Sometimes, people cleaning get startled."

Ah.

-----------

"7. Sometimes you’ll run into night patrol officers. They appreciate it if you give them a bottle of water.

If you have one, give it to them. It’s better not to ruin the mood when working together late at night."

-----------

"Hello. Would you like a bottle of water?"

"Oh, I’d really appreciate that."

At Supervisor Park Minseong’s nod, I handed over one of the bottled waters we’d received as supplies. The officer gulped it down right there on the spot.

"See you around, then."

With the bottle still at their lips, they walked down the isolation corridor toward the storage area.

-----------

But you know...

This company doesn’t have a “patrol officer” rank in the Security Team.

Keep that in mind. Don’t say anything unnecessary.

-----------

"My throat... it keeps feeling dry..."

On the back of the "patrol officer" retreating in the distance, a smudged logo read: ‘■■ Research Institute.’

Step, step... gulp.

The sound of footsteps and swallowing abruptly vanished as they rounded the hallway corner.

"......"

Ha.

‘This feels exactly like being in a horror movie.’

Slosh.

I went back to mopping, chatting with Braun and making small talk with Supervisor Park Minseong, trying my best to ignore the eerie noises coming from the isolation room.

Finally, we were almost done cleaning the corridor.

‘Whew.’

Park Minseong and I exchanged relieved smiles.

"Let’s wrap this up and head out?"

"Sounds good! I think we finished pretty fast... Oh, wait."

Supervisor Park suddenly gasped, fumbling in his pocket to pull out another note.

"This one’s a tip for after midnight. They told me to check it only after some time into the shift to avoid confusion."

"Ah, thanks."

What else could possibly happen...

‘Good thing we’re almost done...!’

Silently crying inside, I hurriedly read the tip.

But then...

-----------

"11. Sigh... It’s time to tell you this. By now, you’ve probably been cleaning for about three hours, right?

...Around this time, you’ll start hearing a crazy guy shouting from Isolation Room B14."

-----------

Wait.

"Supervisor, it’s... 3 a.m. now, right?"

"Yeah, it’s about that..."

Is someone there?

"......"

"......"

Is someone there? Is someone there? Is someone there? Is someone there? Is someone there?

We turned our heads.

[Isolation Room B14]

Should I tell you how to get out of here? Should I tell you how to survive? Should I tell you how to bring the dead back to life? Should I tell you this company’s secrets? Come closer, just a little closer, and I’ll reveal the truth of this world to you—

I wanted to run.

To throw open the door and sprint toward the storage area with everything I had.

To quit on the spot, tell the Security Chief “I’m done,” dump the rest of my Nostalgia Candies on Supervisor Park, and never come back here again.

But since I couldn’t do that, I focused on reading the tip instead...

-----------

"Hey, listen. It’s some lunatic screaming nonsense about ways to be happy or whatever. Just curse them out a bit, and they’ll quiet down.

If you don’t want to curse, just tell them to shut up. That works too."

-----------

I really didn’t want to.

But to tell them to shut up, I reluctantly opened my mouth...

"......"

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Wait.

"Noru?"

"Hold on."

I pulled out the earlier note from my pocket.

It clearly said...

-----------

"4. No, let me emphasize this again. Ignore any sounds from the isolation room. Don’t respond."

-----------

"......"

Tip #4 and Tip #11 were contradictory.

‘Which one am I supposed to follow?’

In these workplace horror stories, it’s not uncommon for contradictory instructions to pop up, but there’s usually no clear answer about which one is actually correct.

Did the rules change over time? Or was this second page wrong from the start? Or maybe...

“Noru.”

“...!”

Supervisor Park Minseong suddenly pushed me back.

“Something’s off.”