Chapter 97.
A day and some time had passed since the incident occurred.
Even now, unanswered questions about the relationship between Noise and Eve still lingered in the corner of my mind, unsettling me.
……Clatter.
Just as I was lost in these thoughts, a situation that only further complicated my emotions came crashing down on me.
Clatter—
Current time.
Saturday.
3:34 PM.
Arriving at Soi’s house, I expected to be scolded harshly the moment I stepped inside…
But I wasn’t.
Far from being scolded—
“Master, please eat.”
“…Ah, yeah.”
I was treated no differently than usual. There was no stern reprimand from Soi, nothing of the sort.
Not only was there no scolding, but Soi even seemed to be in a good mood.
That radiant smile, as if she owned the world.
…….
Was that why?
That brightly smiling face of hers—
Only made me more uneasy.
I almost wished she’d just scold me already.
If she grabbed me by the collar right now and gave me a proper scolding, it might’ve cleared the air.
But what greeted me instead—
Wasn’t Soi grabbing my collar.
But a warm meal was laid out before me.
Not that I wasn’t happy about the situation.
It was just the first time I’d ever felt like I might lose my appetite despite such a lavish spread.
“Master.”
“!!”
Soi’s voice suddenly cut through the air without warning, nearly making me choke on the rice I was swallowing.
As I struggled to keep my composure, Soi’s cheerful voice continued.
“I already heard about it from that person beforehand.”
“…Huh?”
If Soi was referring to that person, it could only be Noise.
Which meant.
“What exactly did Noise tell her?”
I hadn’t heard anything from Noise about Soi.
Aside from the serious conversation I’d just had with Noise, the topic of Soi hadn’t come up at all.
Yet here Soi was, talking about something I’d never heard before.
The only conclusion was that while I was unconscious, Noise must’ve said something to Soi.
“What else did you say this time?”
Worry was already creeping in.
And—
I needed to find out.
First, I had to figure out exactly what Noise had told Soi.
“Ah, right. That. But… it’s not that I forgot. Could you tell me what exactly he said to you?”
“……Master. You didn’t actually forget, did you?”
“Of course not!”
Sharp as ever.
Still, I did my best to play it off with a smooth smile.
Soi, seeing my forced grin, seemed to reluctantly let it slide.
“Honestly, Master…”
And then, the words shrouded in mystery were finally revealed:
“You said you’d give me a special body so I could freely roam outside, didn’t you?”
“…….”
“He told me it was made in a way that suppresses the unique power of ghost stories as much as possible. He even said you specially requested it as a gift for me.”
“……A gift, uh… yeah. That’s right. It was a gift.”
“Thank you, Master.”
The idea of a ghost story itself wandering the human world wasn’t unheard of in the <Ghost Story Record Storage >, though it wasn’t a common setting.
But the real problem was.
‘Noise, you… can even make something like that?’
Lately, he seemed to have no intention of hiding the fact that he himself was a dangerous ghost story.
Still, after hearing what had been hidden, it didn’t seem like such a bad thing.
Given Soi’s personality, she wasn’t the type to harm anyone. Even if she wandered outside, it probably wouldn’t be a big concern.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Until I heard the next words from Soi’s beaming face.
“There’s something I’ve always wanted to do first if I ever got a body.”
“What is it?”
“Get a job.”
“……Huh?”
Huh?
Did I hear that right?
Soi, saying that the first thing she wanted to do with her newfound freedom was to get a job.
I nearly spat out the water I was drinking.
<A World Where Ghost Stories Get Jobs.>
It sounded like the title of some absurd social satire.
“Originally, I told that person I wanted to work where you do, Master.”
“……You did?”
“But he said there was a place more suited for me. He even said he’d already filled out something called an ‘application form’ for me.”
“……”
An inexplicable sense of dread washed over me.
“Do you know the name of the place he applied to?”
The white skull on my right arm flashed a bright smile, and for a moment, I thought our eyes met.
Please, let it not be that place.
I prayed desperately.
But,
You know what they say.
If you’re told not to think of an elephant, an elephant instantly pops into your head?
That’s exactly what happened.
The only workplace that came to mind in this world was one.
The GRA Agency.
“He said it was called the GRA.”
“…….”
“Noise, you!!”
I should’ve lied back then. I should’ve said Eve hated Noise no, not just hated.
Despised him, Loathed him.
Of all the countless workplaces out there, why did it have to be the GRA Agency, the very organization that manages ghost stories?
A ghost story willingly walking into the lion’s den where ghost stories are controlled.
It sounded like a death wish.
I had to stop her now. If I let Soi walk into enemy territory unaware.
It’d be a permanent containment END.
Or an extermination END.
“Soi, about that GRA place… maybe you shouldn’t…..”
“……Yes?”
Crack—
…?
That sound, it’d been a while since I’d last heard it.
Memories of Soi shattering countless dishes flashed through my mind.
“He said… it was a gift from you, Master.”
“…….”
“Was that… a lie……?”
“…….”
Noise! I hate you!
“Just wait until Monday!”
Noise seemed determined to sell my name and send Soi straight into the enemy’s den, the GRA.
I had no idea what she was thinking.
Crack—
Another innocent dish was on the verge of splitting in half.
Soi’s face was on the verge of tears, looking like she might drench the entire area in sorrow.
I’d always been weak against her tears.
Staring into those glistening eyes, ready to burst at any moment—
I changed tactics.
“…It is a gift. But… you shouldn’t take getting a job at any company lightly.”
“……Huh?”
As I continued explaining, Soi’s teary eyes suddenly sparkled with life.
…Good.
I wanted her to listen carefully.
I’d make her give up by showing her the harsh reality of the job market.
“Don’t underestimate the job market.”
The GRA, where Soi was applying, was a major corporation with hundreds of applicants every month.
The competition to get into a big company was overflowing in this world.
But the positions were limited.
It’d be great if every applicant got in, but that wasn’t reality.
“So even if you don’t make it, don’t be too discouraged.”
“…Are there other things I should be careful about?”
Plenty.
Of course there were.
The job market was realism incarnate, a living ghost story rooted in reality.
Even if you had the ‘skills’ or the ‘credentials,’ it didn’t guarantee anything.
Credentials, experience, interview skills, luck, timing and countless factors came into play.
The job market was a place where skill was the foundation, but strategy was essential.
“So rather than rushing in, it’s better to take your time and prepare thoroughly.”
“…Anything else?”
…….
This Soi… why did she suddenly seem so academically enthusiastic? Was I imagining it?
Still, I went on, mixing in everything I knew about the job market’s realities and my personal opinions.
Soi listened intently, and for a while, we had a heated discussion about a topic completely unrelated to the world overrun by ghost stories.
“…The job market is way more complicated and ruthless than I thought.”
“Yeah. So there’s no need to rush. Take your time—”
“But don’t worry, Master.”
“Huh?”
All this time, I’d hoped Soi would take a step back after hearing about the harsh realities of the job market.
Honestly, I just wanted her to drop the whole GRA thing entirely.
But—
It seemed to have the opposite effect.
“I understand how worried you are about me.”
“…….”
Soi seemed to have misunderstood my intentions entirely.
“But you don’t need to worry. I’ve been preparing for this day the whole time you were gone.”
“…Preparing for what?”
“Job hunting! I’ve been waiting for this!”
****
Monday morning, once again.
Choi Kang-in stared at the girl standing quietly in front of him, waiting for her name to be called.
‘…A high schooler?’
She looked about that age.
“M-Mr. Choi!”
An employee rushed up behind him, panting as he handed over a list.
“Th-there was a missing… missing application!”
Glancing at the list, Choi Kang-in saw the name:
-Applicant: Soi
“…So she really did apply.”
Only after confirming the truth of the girl’s words did Choi Kang-in finally call out the name.
“Applicant, Soi.”
“Yes.”
The girl slowly stepped forward, accepting her checklist.
With a slight bow, she entered the building.
And as she passed by, a faint whisper brushed against his ear.
“I’ll definitely make it in. Master.”
“…….”
Even as a middle-aged man, the word ‘Master’ echoed endlessly in Choi Kang-in’s mind.
‘……This is insane.’
Once again, as the supervisor for this batch of new recruits, worry was already setting in.
*****
The first test was the simplest: a written exam.
Time limit: exactly 60 minutes.
The goal was to answer 120 questions as quickly and carefully as possible before submitting the answer sheet.
Naturally, consistency in answers was also checked.
The fastest anyone had ever finished this test was a record that still lingered in everyone’s memories, an utterly unprecedented case.
A first-year high school student who finished all 120 questions in five minutes and submitted her answers.
Of course, it was an absurd speed.
And of course.
Every single answer on her sheet was ‘C.’
The name on that answer sheet?
‘Lee Joo-i.’
At first, everyone thought it was just some high schooler messing around for fun.
That is until she aced the remaining two tests.
The incident remained an anomaly, something no one expected to happen again.
And yet.
“Should I leave this here?”
“……Yes.”
An applicant had just submitted her written exam.
Exactly five minutes in.
Choi Kang-in never imagined he’d witness this scene as the proctor.
Rustle—
He checked the name on the sheet.
-Applicant: Soi
‘That’s Applicant #22…’
His eyes scanned the answer sheet. Unlike Department head Lee Joo-i’s ‘C’ spam incident.
This one was dazzlingly filled out. At a glance, it looked like she’d put in serious effort…
…Huh?
Huh?!
Huh?!
This answer sheet—
‘It’s a perfect score!’
Applicant: Soi.
Written exam.
Overwhelming pass.
Please review this novel @ NovelUpdate.
