Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 85

The warm sunlight poured into the Fox Counseling Room.

Outside the window stood another version of me.

He grabbed my arm and stirred inside my tattoo.

...

Huh?

Is that not someone else?

Then I must reject this. Did I break the rules? No. Yes, this situation is not right! Not right! Not right! Not right! I must follow the rules because I am the new teacher who must follow the rules—

“All done, Teacher.”

The hand that had been stirring within my tattoo withdrew.

Thunk.

An object fell out of that hand along with it.

From within the tattoo, which should have been empty...

“This was inside.”

Under the garden lights, a brown folder with a title in vivid red letters appeared.

<■■ Kindergarten Educational Manual>

“Looks like you recognize this. What do you remember about it?”

Oh no.

A sudden clarity washed over me, as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped on my head.

That...!

And, like a dam breaking, memories of the past few weeks that had been hazy flooded back.

When I absorbed the contaminated Park Minseong into my wrist at the kindergarten!

The tattoo space had easily swallowed him whole... and the manual. I had intended to keep the manual separate but ended up stowing it all at once. I must’ve planned to hand it over to the security team immediately after the rescue.

But...

—“If you have any items or supplies from the 'Hungry Hangman' Darkness, please return them.”

—“Oh, I don’t have anything.”

I hadn’t returned the manual.

To be precise, every time I tried to recall if there was more in the tattoo, a subconscious aversion stopped me.

Suspicions violate the rules!

And I couldn’t even remember the aversion itself because teachers aren’t supposed to feel discomfort about the rules—no, stop overthinking it!

The truth was, I had tried.

I had attempted several times to inform others that something was wrong with me.

—“...Team Leader.”

—“Yes?”

—“If you think I’m becoming overly obsessed with the rules, could you look into it...?”

—“Certainly.”

—“...Ah. I just feel like I’ve been too focused on work lately, that’s all.”

—“I see.”

I’d brought it up to Lee Jaheon multiple times. Each time, though, the conversation had fizzled out because the manual had already started to overtake my reasoning.

I’d been close to disaster.

The manual in my tattoo had gradually taken over my subconscious until I could no longer notice anything strange and simply accepted it all.

At least I managed to stay sane at Sewang Industrial High School!

That was thanks to the Nostalgia Candy.

But once I woke up from that dream, it was all over.

And yesterday’s "final conversation" with Lee Jaheon had sealed the deal.

—“Kim Soleum.”

—“Yes?”

—“Have you recently felt a strange compulsion or pressure to follow rules?”

—“Following rules is simply what I believe a responsible employee should do, Team Leader!”

—“I see.”

“...”

Oh my god.

I feel like throwing up.

Was that really me talking??

I staggered and leaned against the window.

So that’s why Lee Jaheon...

He had been so insistent on sending me here.

“...Ha.”

Everything became crystal clear.

It was like removing an ill-fitting turtleneck or wiping clean a smudged pair of glasses.

A cool sense of liberation and relief washed over me.

And then... unease.

“...”

“What are you thinking right now?”

“I feel tired... and relieved.”

“Do you feel like you’ve escaped a burdensome obsession?”

“...Yes.”

The version of me standing outside the window looked at me with a comforting gaze.

“You’ve done well. The fact that you sat through this session is a testament to your strong willpower.”

“...”

The other me placed the manual quietly on the garden floor, then fetched a shovel from somewhere and began to dig.

“When you’re overwhelmed by impulses or thoughts you didn’t choose, it’s exhausting, isn’t it?”

The other "Kim Soleum" dug a small hole in a corner of the garden with calm, measured movements.

Thunk.

The manual was dropped into the hole.

“Change isn’t always bad, but when it drains your body and mind, you have every right to reject it.”

My counterpart filled in the hole and patted the dirt smooth before dusting off his hands with a sense of finality.

“Mr. Soleum, do you see the small plant in that flowerpot over there?”

A flowerpot?

I turned my head and spotted a tiny pot on the table near the sofa.

The plant bore small, unripe fruits, no bigger than a bean.

“Could you pick one of the fruits that appeals to you?”

“...”

I carefully plucked the ripest-looking fruit and handed it to the version of myself standing outside.

“You’ve done wonderfully.”

The counseling version of me took the fruit and my hand together.

Then—

...!

The fruit in my hand ripened instantly, turning a vivid red, plump and enticing, as if it had absorbed all the nutrients it needed.

“Chew it well before you leave.”

“...”

I placed the fruit in my mouth.

A flood of anxiety, frustration, irrational grief, and despair melted away along with the fruit.

For the first time in a while, I felt calm.

Just a regular, exhausted office worker.

Just myself.

I lifted my head and looked at the counseling version of me standing by the window.

“Thank you. I feel much better now.”

“I should be thanking you, Mr. Soleum!”

Their face brightened.

Strangely, they no longer seemed like a mimic of me.

“Shall we talk a little more?”

What followed was a normal counseling session.

Or rather, an exceptionally skilled one, where I felt at ease spilling everything.

One thing I can admit.

If this messed-up, profit-hungry urban legend company has done one good thing, it’s adding this to the employee benefits.

“Whenever you feel overwhelmed by dark thoughts, please come back to the Fox Counseling Room. I’ll give you a sign to use.”

On my way out, I received something.

A sign identical to the one on the door I had entered through.

“Attach this to a door, and it will connect you to our counseling room.”

“...Thank you.”

I wanted to keep it, but company policy dictated it must be used on a door immediately.

Consider it a loan.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

As I stood to go, the counselor’s slightly wistful voice stopped me.

“Well, regular sessions every one or two weeks are highly recommended...”

Ahhh!

“Sorry, but my schedule won’t allow that.”

“I see. Everyone is so busy these days...”

The counselor nodded with a sigh, but I couldn’t fall for that expression.

Regular sessions significantly increase the risk of adverse effects...!

Thankfully, they only smiled and let me leave.

“Still, it’s good to know you have kind colleagues, family, and friends around you.”

“...”

Wait a minute.

It’s true I have decent colleagues and some “good friends” even in this nightmare world, but...

“Family...?”

The counselor tapped their wrist lightly.

I glanced down at mine.

The location was...

: Socius :

"That person."

"...?!"

♬♩♪♬♪♪♩

"Oh, time’s up. Take care, Mr. Kim Soleum."

I raised my head.

No one was there.

The counselor who had been smiling by the window had disappeared as if it were all a lie, leaving only the sunlight spilling into the modest and elegant outdoor garden...

♬♩♪♬♪♪♩

The melody of a light waltz signaling the end of the session.

In the distance, just below the stone wall of the garden, I thought I caught a glimpse of a fox’s orange tail vanishing in a flash...

"..."

I stood up from the sofa and headed toward the changing room curtains.

On the way, a cool drink sat waiting on a floral lace-covered table.

"Have a great day! :)"

"..."

I drank the beverage in one go and set the cup down with gratitude.

It was rich, nutty barley tea.

"Was the session helpful, friend?"

"Yeah."

I picked up my trusty "good friend" plush toy.

...Now that my mind was clearer, I had a few thoughts about this little guy too.

"I’ll deal with that after work."

For now, there was someone I needed to face.

Screech.

I opened the door.

Standing opposite, leaning casually, was a white lizard-headed man in a black suit. He turned to look at me.

"Did you complete the counseling?"

"Yes."

I was probably looking quite sheepish saying that.

"Thank you, Team Leader. Thanks to you, I’ve been freed from contamination."

"Not at all."

The lizard Team Leader... showing modesty?!

"Mr. Kim Soleum, you are still in a state of contamination. Please attend counseling regularly."

"...Yes."

Ah.

That’s what he meant.

"Still, I feel much better than before. Do you agree, Team Leader?"

"Yes."

The lizard Team Leader eyed me as if measuring something, then declared:

"You’re ready to hear it now."

"Hear what...?"

"Park Minseong’s message."

"...!!"

...Team Leader Lee Jaheon pulled a small Post-it from his suit pocket and handed it to me.

"You’ve worked hard, Deer. Thanks for pulling me out."

"..."

I took a deep breath.

"Are you recovered now?"

"What qualifies as recovered...?"

"Can you communicate rationally?"

"It’s statistically possible."

Phew...

So I’m half there, half not.

Still, progress was progress.

And naturally, another team member came to mind.

"...By any chance, has Assistant Manager Eun Hajae contacted you recently?"

"No."

"..."

Since taking leave, Assistant Manager Eun Hajae had completely fallen off the radar.

If I texted or messaged him on KakaoTalk, he sometimes read it, but there was never a reply—just a read receipt.

"Maybe he just wants to keep his distance from this horror story of a company."

After everything I went through with mental contamination, it seemed like a wise approach...

Anyway, that concluded my morning schedule.

"Should I head back to the office now?"

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"Yes."

"Once again, thank you so much, Team Leader."

"Yes."

Team Leader Lee Jaheon went on his way, and I returned to the office to kill some time before lunch, browsing the company welfare mall.

Thanks to pulling an A-grade solution earlier, I could enjoy this moment of peace.

"Enjoying sanity makes it even better... or scarier."

I didn’t know. This company was terrifying in every way...

Knock, knock.

"Hello."

Hm?

I looked up from my monitor.

Someone had quietly entered the office and was cautiously knocking on my desk.

It was a young man in a gray suit.

"A new face."

Was he from another team or department?

He looked about my age but had an aura that screamed "do not compete with this guy at an interview."

"Why’d you join this company instead of a normal big corporation?"

For a moment, I almost looked at him with pity, but I straightened up and maintained my composure.

"Hello. What brings you here?"

"Oh, I had something to ask."

He smiled politely, mirroring my tone.

"Did the counseling go well, Mr. Soleum?"

"...!"

"You seem much better, which makes me happy. Nice to meet you. I’m Ho Yoowon."

He extended his hand for a handshake.

"I heard you recently received an interesting proposal from Director Cheong."

"..."

Director Cheong.

He didn’t use an honorific.

And his name...

Ho Yoowon.

...

Director Ho!

"By coincidence, I also have a proposal for you. It’s quite intriguing, isn’t it?"

Director Ho had come to visit Team D’s office.