Even if I fall into a ghost story, I still have to go to work
Chapter 61
Suddenly, Brown was critiquing a bath bomb I’d made by draining 500ml of my own blood.
‘…Unique?’
It was disconcerting.
‘I almost looked back at the bathtub.’
I held my head steady and asked, “What do you mean by unique?”
-Exactly what I said! Well, aren’t there different kinds of bath bombs? Salts, oils, bubbles…. Yours is quite different from that Wild Ginseng’s. Though they do have things in common as well.
Well…
He’s a Wild Ginseng Horror, and I’m a human….
‘Of course we’re different.’
-Naturally. But why would you have anything in common with that Wild Ginseng?
“…!”
-Hmm… Ah. I see why.
Brown smacked his lips as if tasting a fine wine, then spoke.
-Roe Deer. Your bath bomb is a blend.
A blend.
Literally, a mixture.
In the context of coffee or cocktails, it refers to mixing various raw materials to create a new flavor….
-That’s right. There’s a raw material mixed in that’s from a similar lineage as the Wild Ginseng….
“…….”
Was he talking about Horror Contamination?
I thought of the Security Captain.
The way a twisted, wolf-like creature had torn through his human form.
Was that phenomenon—of being contaminated and consumed by the supernatural—happening to me too?
-Contamination! Such an extreme and negative expression. Isn’t life originally a process of change? Influencing and being influenced by one another—that’s the joy of it!
Damn it.
I reflexively looked down at my body. If I had to pick the most prominent ‘supernatural’ influence….
“Do you think the cause of that ‘influence’ is the tattoo?”
-Hmm. It’s quite difficult to guess the origin of something once it’s already been mixed….
-Some connoisseurs claim they can identify the vineyard just by touching the tip of their tongue to the wine, but I’m not the type of host who enjoys that kind of pretension!
“…….”
-Anyway, it’s not like you’ll be meeting a ‘new you’ by next week, so there’s no need to be afraid!
Theoretically, he was right.
‘As long as I’m living and working here, a certain degree of Horror Contamination is unavoidable.’
There was no point in making a fuss.
Essentially, as the supernatural abilities one can use grow stronger and more varied, the encroaching power grows as well.
It’s a matter of maintaining a balance.
I didn’t think I had enough power to warrant worrying about that balance yet, though.
‘…I’ll have to manage this from now on.’
Among the facilities opened to me when I became an Assistant Manager, there was a place that specialized in managing exactly this.
I should pay it a visit once I get through this Horror safely.
-Hmm. It seems there’s something else very unique mixed in…… Ah, it’s all dissolved.
Brown, who had been sniffing the air as if trying to further analyze the bath bomb, let out a long, satisfied sigh.
-I enjoyed that thoroughly!
I’m glad at least you had a good time.
Neon lights flickered a few times inside the tub, like a TV changing channels.
Then, the shadow of the stuffed doll, lying comfortably against the wall of the tub, shifted energetically.
-Shall we head out?
I walked over and picked Brown up.
Once again, the stuffed doll looked strangely more high-end, though there was no change in size.
Still, Brown’s voice sounded somewhat clearer and more intelligent.
I covered the doll with a towel to hide it from view and asked, “Feeling energetic?”
-Beyond measure!
-Mmm, I feel like I’ve returned to the awakened state of my busiest days….
It seemed there wasn’t a change as dramatic as when he’d used the contaminated Wild Ginseng, but he had certainly ‘rejuvenated.’
And the moment I lifted the towel covering Brown, I spotted something I hadn’t seen before.
‘…A tag?’
On the back of the doll’s neck, I saw a scrap of fabric that looked like a tag had been cut off.
‘Was there a whole tag there originally?’
It looked as though he had recovered a portion of the cut tag during the rejuvenation process.
‘That’s a strange feeling.’
I made a mental note of it.
-Ah, how comfortable.
“I’m glad.”
After drying the doll, I placed it carefully on a towel on the table where I usually kept him.
Preparations were complete.
“I have a favor to ask.”
-Ah, I had a rough idea!
-How could I refuse when a friend has gone so far as to assist with my bath! I assume you’re asking to lend my mask to others?
“Exactly.”
A rejuvenated Brown would be able to use even more powerful abilities.
-Very well. How many?
“Two.”
Two days later.
Following the official notice I’d received, I reported for work at a location other than the company.
It was a closed-down private kindergarten building, and company employees were already stationed inside.
“You’re here.”
“Roe Deer, you’re early!”
As I stood near the entrance of the poorly cleaned kindergarten, my team members arrived shortly after.
“Please, let those bastards die instead of us.”
“Please… definitely….”
“…….”
Thank you for speaking in low voices.
But honestly, it probably wouldn’t have mattered even if they were heard, because everyone had the same expression on their faces.
“Roe Deer, Roe Deer! See that person over there with the rabbit feet tied together? That’s an item supposed to increase your luck.”
“Does it actually work?”
“As if. A guy who brought a similar item two expeditions ago got picked and went straight to the afterlife.”
“…….”
“The Deputy Manager is right. Items like that are useless here… they say the selection is ‘fair.’”
I looked back at the Assistant Manager, who was smiling awkwardly.
His face was pale; even though he’d prepared himself, he seemed incredibly nervous.
“Assistant Manager.”
“Yeah?”
“Would the company mind if I tried something like that too?”
“Ah, taking precautions so you don’t get picked as the scapegoat?”
“Something like that.”
The Assistant Manager smiled and patted my back.
“Oh, Roe Deer, of course! Everyone’s doing it!”
“I’d bet my salary that every human in here has spent the last three days doing all sorts of crazy shit to try and get out of it.”
You’re quite fiery, Deputy Manager….
Eun Haje smirked.
“How do you think we found out it doesn’t work in the first place? We know because the bastards who tried everything still got picked as scapegoats.”
“…….”
“Why? You want to try something too, Roe Deer?”
“Yes.”
After a moment’s thought, I pulled Brown out of my pocket.
“Ah, that keychain you carry around.”
“He’s my lucky friend. Would it be alright if I lent his power to the two of you as well? In secret.”
Both of them gave a slightly deflated smile and nodded.
“Well… thanks.”
“I really hope there’s some luck involved!”
Okay.
‘I’ve done the pre-processing so there won’t be any complaints later.’
“Whew.”
-Now, let’s get ready.
“We’re entering soon.”
Like everyone else, I watched the old wall clock hanging by the entrance.
Tick.
The clock hand passed 8:59:56 AM.
-Now, you are entering the studio.
-Don’t be nervous if you see cameras; just think of them as starlight. It will be very comfortable.
Tick.
57 seconds.
Strangely, my mind was calm.
A certainty of identity.
-I see you’re already wearing a mask! Oh, excellent.
-That mask is you from now on.
Tick.
58 seconds.
I raised my head.
My horns felt itchy. They had a woody texture, but only I knew that they weren’t actually wood, but ■■….
-There are other animal friends! Two of them.
Tick.
59 seconds.
I turned my head and saw a badger and a peregrine falcon. The two were observing the humans around them.
And….
-It seems no one here is more powerful than you.
I know.
I blinked. My heat-sensing vision identified the cold-blooded creatures nearby.
And the human body temperatures, flushed with tension.
And….
Tick.
9:00 AM.
The wall clock rang its alarm loudly.
Bong……!!
“…!”
I inhaled sharply.
The dilapidated kindergarten building had transformed into a clean space that smelled of a new building.
Like a brand-new facility just before it begins operation.
And I was standing in a room filled with organized toys together with the peregrine falcon… no, Deputy Manager Eun Haje.
…We had entered the Horror.
“…….”
I slowly looked down at my neck.
It was clean.
“Ha.”
I let the tension leave my body.
‘I dodged it.’
The strange sense of volume throughout my body, as if I were wearing a mascot suit, and the tactile sensation of the horns gradually faded.
Along with that strange certainty of identity.
-Well, your short role ends here.
Thanks.
‘So this is what the mask is like.’
It was such a bizarre feeling that I was glad it was over quickly.
Perhaps because I had used it to the limit by designating three people with such precision, Brown’s voice sounded drained of strength.
It was impressive that he’d held out for those few seconds.
‘Good job.’
I went to gently pat Brown inside my pocket….
-Now…… Wait a minute. Oh dear, what is this?
“…?”
Why was he flustered?
I immediately pulled Brown out of my pocket.
Then, I saw something hanging around the stuffed doll’s neck that hadn’t been there before.
…A hologram of a black rope.
The mark of the victim.
“…?!”
Had Brown been selected as the victim?
‘A Horror resident?’
Just as I was about to spiral into confusion over whether the probabilities had completely malfunctioned or if this was a situation I needed to worry about.
Brown started ranting.
-Excuse me? Participate in a teaching demonstration? What on earth are you talking about… My profession is interviewing teachers, not teaching children myself. My goodness!
-For the love of Show Business! You people are so boring. Stuck in a rut, inflexible, and lacking any charm the public would enjoy.
-I’m out.
Then, he snapped his cotton-stuffed fingers.
And then… amazingly, the rope disappeared from the doll’s neck!
“…!!”
-To try and drag me in by citing rules when I’m not even a suitable participant! What a kindergarten, absolutely no professional ethics.
“…….”
‘Being judged as something other than human… it really did work.’
Though it felt a bit different from what I’d expected.
Seeing as the Horror passed the rope to another target just because Brown was picked but refused to participate.
“…….”
Wait.
‘Passed it?’
I hurriedly looked down at my neck.
It was still clean.
‘Who did it go to?’
While it was a relief that it wasn’t me, was it right for another person to die at random just because a Horror resident refused to take the baton?
“Roe Deer.”
In my panic, I turned toward Deputy Manager Eun Haje.
“Deputy Manager, I just…….”
“…….”
“…….”
As I turned my head, I saw it.
“Don’t panic. Take a deep breath, slowly.”
The Deputy Manager gave a thin smile.
“I’m going to ask you a favor now… if you don’t think you can do it, refuse.”
“Deputy Manager.”
“I’d like to do it myself, but I don’t think I can.”
The Deputy Manager gave a smirk and tapped it.
“Because it’s confirmed.”
The black rope hanging around her own neck.
======================
Darkness Exploration Record / Horror
[Hungry Hangman]
: The identification code for the Horror appearing in , Daydream Co., is Qterw-B-191.
An abyss themed around a word-guessing game that
does not allow any exceptions to its rules for the explorers.
One can never escape the assigned role.
The psychological conflict and terror that arise within are exquisite.
The victim designated as the Hangman is placed on the gallows every time the other explorers guess something about them, eventually being hanged.
There are no exceptions.
======================
“I suppose I should be glad I have time to leave a will.”
No.
“Wait, please wait a moment….”
“It’s fine.”
The Deputy Manager’s smile turned into a bitter one.
“Hey… I’m going to die anyway.”
“…!”
“The only difference is whether you guys live and I die, or if we all die together.”
…It was the truth.
If the target word is not correctly guessed by the end of the game, the participants are disposed of.
The Hangman is disposed of as well.
There are no exceptions.
Damn it.
“Now, listen carefully. There are things I’ve set to be automatically purchased from the Point Mall if I die on the job.”
“…….”
“Just make sure the Team Leader checks them properly. That man can be surprisingly scatterbrained.”
In that moment, I realized.
This woman had completely accepted the situation.
Bzzzzzt—
“…!”
“Snap out of it. It’s starting.”
In a corner of the playroom.
An old TV flickered to life with static.
[Hello, teachers of ■■ English Kindergarten! Today, we’re going to learn a fun game to play with the students!]
[It’s… Hangman!]
The rope around the Deputy Manager’s neck moved violently.
“…!”
The rope took shape, winding around her arms and legs, lifting her into the air.
[Today’s teacher, New Recruit Eun Haje, will lead the game!]
Then, giant blanks appeared on the TV.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Hangman! Let’s guess the word together!]
The hanging had begun.
