Mistaken for a Catastrophe-Level Ghost Story Employee 10

Chapter 10- Please leave work

 

“…W-what?”

 

Go home?

 

So suddenly?

 

I can’t grasp how the current situation is unfolding at all.

 

That single word to go home keeps circling in my head, as if I’ve heard a devil’s whisper.

 

Squeak-

 

Startled.

 

The library’s front door suddenly opened very naturally.

 

The white gloves… were not visible.

 

Was it just a simple breeze?

 

Flash.

 

The orange light penetrated through the window.

 

…It was the evening sunset.

 

The subtle evening sunset beyond the front door made me feel like I had returned to my original world.

 

But, no.

 

It must definitely be another deception by that announcement broadcaster.

 

Still, for some reason, my gaze was fixed on the front door.

 

The teddy bears that had been hiding in my sleeve just moments ago are also no longer visible.

 

As if they never existed from the beginning.

 

Swish.

 

On the fingertips slowly rising towards my face, the ‘Top of the Class Glasses’ that should have been around my eyes were also gone.

 

…A dream?

 

Was all of that… a dream?

 

Really?

 

During the time trapped in the ghost story, I had hoped that all of this was a dream.

 

But now that the situation has arrived.

 

I’m terribly anxious.

 

Trapped by the paranoia that I might have entered another ghost story, I can’t make a proper judgment.

 

Really.

 

Can I really go through this door?

 

‘…Ah! I’m going crazy!’

 

Park Yeon-jeong was circling endlessly around the front door.

 

Unable to make a definitive decision as the sunset was fading.

 

“…Mr!”

 

“…Hmm?”

 

A voice heard from somewhere.

 

Park Yeon-jeong raised his head and looked at the front door, and beyond the front, a familiar woman with horn-rimmed glasses was running towards him.

 

“Park Yeon-jeong!”

 

“…Why are you here?”

 

I’ve been busy surviving and haven’t been paying attention to their whereabouts.

 

‘…They escaped safely.’

 

What a relief.

 

A moment of calm came to my anxious mind.

 

But only for a moment.

 

At that moment, doubt surged again.

 

Could this also be an illusion created by that guy?

 

Instead of showing immediate friendliness, I looked at the current situation more coolly.

 

First, maintain some distance from her…

 

Slam!

 

Disregarding my contemplation, the horn-rimmed woman immediately pushed open the library door and rushed towards me.

 

‘Oh, no, wait!’

 

Surprise attack is unfair!

 

Without a chance to escape, the horn-rimmed woman who rushed towards Park Yeon-jeong hugged him tightly.

 

“Wait a minute…?”

 

Oh?

 

But the pressure didn’t feel particularly aggressive for an attack.

 

Not an aggressive pressure, but a subtle trembling of someone’s body.

 

And the sound of someone’s sobbing in my ear.

 

“You… really came back.”

 

“…I’m glad you’re safe.”

 

…Oh.

 

I’ve returned.

 

After that, we moved to a park bench not far from the library.

 

The night had fallen, and two people sat quietly looking down at the ground.

 

This silence… feels uncomfortable.

 

Park Yeon-jeong was the first to speak.

 

“…I forgot to ask your name.”

 

“Oh, right. My name is ‘Han-Sol’.”

 

“Ah, Han-Sol…?”

 

Hmm?

 

The name didn’t feel strange for someone I was seeing for the first time. While briefly recalling memories about the name Han-Sol.

 

“Hey! Park Yeon-jeong!”

 

“Yes?”

 

A voice filled with strength.

 

A strong tone as if about to say something important.

 

I stopped my stray thoughts and focused on Han-Sol’s voice.

 

“Yeon-jeong, listen carefully, carefully.”

“…Yes. I understand.”

 

What are you going to talk about to set such a tone?

 

…Could it be.

 

A possibility that flashed momentarily.

 

Would she be delivering the sad news that the two female students who escaped with her did not return here?

 

I spread my imaginative wings.

 

But

 

The story that came out of Han-Sol’s mouth.

 

Was a development even more shocking than that.

 

“The world we’re in right now… I don’t think it’s our original world.”

 

“…What?”

 

“I think we still haven’t escaped.”

 

“…”

 

Rustle.

 

Something fell between the pants pockets.

 

It was an employee ID with Park Yeon-jeong’s ID photo.

 

…Oh. That damn guy.

 

For some reason, he let me go easily.

 

*****

 

Han-Sol began to calmly explain that this place was not the original Earth they knew.

 

The beginning of the incident.

 

Right after emerging from the ghost story.

 

As soon as she came out of the entrance, she was faced with a group wearing black suits.

 

They immediately approached Han-Sol and asked her this.

 

-What did you see inside?

 

“Suddenly grabbing someone and asking such a question. I thought it was quite an out-of-the-blue question.”

 

If it had been a normal time, she would have just ignored it as the words of a madman.

 

However, Han-Sol explained step by step the story that happened in front of the library to them, as if they already knew about the strange things they had experienced.

 

And their subsequent response was:

 

-Thank you for your cooperation.

 

They did not waver at all, nor did they show any particular action.

 

As if they had experienced such strange phenomena countless times, they reacted indifferently.

 

While observing the surroundings in such a strange atmosphere, Han-Sol, when she saw the moon reflected in the window of the vehicle, the black-suited people came in.

 

She doubted her own eyes.

 

Han-Sol conveyed the bizarre appearance of the moon she saw that day to Park Yeon-jeong.

 

“In the sky, two moons were overlapping while floating.”

 

“…….”

 

The men in black suits.

 

Their tone and behavior as if such a phenomenon was natural.

 

And

 

The two overlapping moons floating above the already darkened sky where the evening sunset had fallen.

 

Oh, that’s right.

 

Even though she wanted to deny it, the evidence was too clear, hanging blatantly in the sky.

 

It’s definite.

 

Just as Han-Sol said, this place is a different world that looks exactly the same as the Earth we know.

 

Simply put, it could be called a parallel world, or in a bad way.

 

The worldview inside the <Ghost Story Record Storage> that Park Yeon-jeong had been reading endlessly.

 

In other words. We are now.

 

We’re screwed.

 

We’ve fallen into the worst worldview imaginable.

 

Moreover, Han-Sol and the two female students have already met the core institution within the 

 

<Ghost Story Record Storage> worldview.

 

‘GRA’.

 

GRA is known as a facility researching ‘renewable energy’ in the current worldview, but in fact, it is a secret organization that records, explores, isolates, and eliminates strange phenomena worldwide if necessary.

 

Just, the kind of worldview setting that people like me who enjoy cosmic horror would die from.

 

Originally, it was the main institution in <Ghost Story Record Storage>. If we could receive their protection, it would have been the best of luck.

 

But the problem is…….

 

This woman named Han-Sol still remembers me.

 

Not only that. She explained her meeting with the institution’s people to me without any hesitation.

 

Even though the GRA manual states the principle of ‘memory erasure of civilians who have been in contact with ghost stories after hearing all testimonies.’

 

Did the institution bastards forget to erase Han-Sol’s memory, and even allow her to move around so freely?

 

…What the hell.

 

Even a passing dog would laugh.

 

The two female students who survived would likely be in a similar situation to Han-Sol.

 

The fact that memory erasure was not performed.

 

This means they have been selected as GRA’s management targets.

 

The reason is roughly guessable.

 

We.

 

Because we are ‘outsiders’ to them.

 

The GRA institution bastards would have already noticed that Han-Sol and the two female students are not humans from their world.

 

They might be watching from somewhere even at this very moment.

 

‘Damn. Of all things, to be a management target of the GRA guys….’

 

The institution I would have been enthusiastic about in the original world now sees me as an enemy.

 

They would definitely view us as targets to be eliminated if necessary.

 

“Are you okay, Yeon-jeong?”

 

“……Yes. I’m fine.”

 

Actually, I’m not fine.

 

How could I be fine?

 

I feel like I’m going crazy from anxiety.

 

I can’t even guess where the GRA institution’s surveillance is continuing right now.

 

“…Han-Sol.”

 

“Yes?”

 

The fortunate thing is that this woman named Han-Sol has not yet shown significant hostility towards GRA.

 

If the institution guys do not show hostility towards her, they will not move first.

 

“Please follow their requirements as much as possible. If you cooperate well, they will definitely not harm you.”

 

I hoped Han-Sol would not question my statement.

 

“……Yes, I’ll do that.”

 

Good.

 

Han-Sol accepted my request without much questioning.

 

Was it because her trust in me was not yet bad?

 

Sssshhh—

 

The day has become very dark.

 

Cold chills penetrate my skin.

 

It’s already late.

 

I stood up first, and Han-Sol also stood up accordingly.

 

“Take care of yourself… Please take care of the two students as well.”

 

As I was about to leave alone.

 

“……Yeon-jeong!”

 

Han-Sol caught me again.

 

I knew she would catch me.

 

“It’s dangerous to go alone! You should definitely receive protection from the institution!”

 

“…That’s not wrong.”

 

“Then! Come with me….”

 

Yes, it’s definitely not wrong. Han-Sol.

 

Leaving the GRA institution and being alone in this world is no different from going around this world saying, ‘I want to die!’

 

……However.

 

My situation is different.

 

Unlike Han-Sol, I have already become entangled with ghost stories.

 

Another rule emphasized by GRA is as follows.

 

——-

 

5. Civilians involved with ghost stories are isolation and observation targets. (Elimination possible if necessary.)

 

——-

 

Han-Sol.

 

‘If I go there, I’ll die.’

 

Of course, it might not be true. But if the probability is fifty-fifty.

 

Staying away is the best strategy.

 

Gambling with one’s life is something only for overpowered protagonists in creative works.

 

…That’s not me.

 

I needed a line that Han-Sol could accept right now.

 

“…I think it’s better to have more options right now.”

 

To survive, that is.

 

“I’ll travel around the city and look for a way to return to the original world. Han-Sol, please look for a method from the institution’s side.”

 

“…….”

 

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

 

Because if something goes wrong, it would be my fault.

 

“And if possible, I hope you don’t tell the institution about me.”

 

“…Can I know the reason?”

 

“……….”

 

I wanted to say, ‘Because I might die,’ but.

 

In my brief silence, Han-Sol did not ask further.

 

“…I understand. I won’t say anything to the agency staff.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Now it was truly time to exchange final greetings with Han-Sol and part ways.

 

“…Please don’t push yourself too hard, Yeon-jeong.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

With those words, we parted.

 

The night was getting deeper and deeper.

 

I slowly stepped forward and put my hand into my pocket.

 

Bam.

 

I checked the three items at my fingertips.

 

One employee ID card with my photo.

 

A smartphone with about 17% battery left.

 

A wallet with cash.

 

As the sun went down, the temperature dropped rapidly. If I were to sleep outside in this weather…

 

I would die right away.

 

I checked the cash in my wallet.

 

<Cash 120,100 won>

 

Hmm, I won’t be homeless today.

 

‘Tomorrow…’

 

Achoo!

 

I’ll think about tomorrow when I get there.