It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story Chapter 026

After I escaped from that insane theme park for the last time.

– Doe!

– Crazy, Doe is out!!

I received an enthusiastic welcome from my teammates whom I encountered in the elevator.

It turned out the team members were in a panic, trying to figure out what had happened, even contacting civilian survivors for information.

“They wanted to ask those people about their experiences. Anyway, I’m just glad everyone made it out safely.”

D Group’s Assistant Manager said with a brighter expression.

“What the heck happened? Why are you late?”

Well.

Before I answered, I deliberately lifted my wrist outward and rubbed the back of my neck.

So the burn marks from my membership bracelet would be clearly visible.

: Socius :

“……”

“……”

“Doe?”

“Oh, sorry. Just a moment… I’m really tired.”

“Ah, I see.”

Given the ordeal I went through, it was completely understandable, and the Assistant Manager and Chief just nodded.

That’s when I realized.

‘Not visible.’

There was no reaction.

This tattoo is invisible to those people.

That wasn’t a good sign.

After a short contemplation, I opened my mouth.

“The reason I’m late is… the exit gate lost power right in front of me. I waited but it didn’t get fixed, so I had to find another exit.”

“Huh?!”

I intentionally omitted the part about the bracelet turning into a membership card.

In this absurd horror story company, saying something abnormal stuck to my body isn’t a wise decision.

‘Let’s skip mentioning that I got a chatterbox stuffed doll too.’

Of course, I explained everything else clearly, so there shouldn’t be any problem registering the exploration records and creating the manual.

“…Wait a minute. So, you went to the yellow zone and the gate there was out as well, and you had to manually unlock it? By dismantling the control panel?”

“Yes.”

“What on earth…”

“Hey, I’m just an ordinary Doe, okay?”

“Hmm… that’s true.”

“…??”

Anyway, the atmosphere became quite warm.

“The points will be credited tomorrow. Don’t be surprised if it’s close to ten thousand points this time.”

“Wow?!”

To be honest, the points shared after my survival were probably going to decrease.

The two seniors, who were still looking unwashed from running around worrying about my life, smiled at me.

I was honestly kind of grateful.

It was even a bit touching. A warmth that felt excessive for the company.

But one person was missing.

“By the way, where is the Team Leader?”

The Assistant Manager averted his gaze.

“…He was called to the Team Leader.”

Oh.

“It’s fine. It’ll probably just be a talking-to. I mean, honestly, if A Group’s Praying Mantis goes, isn’t that guy practically done for?”

Still, it seemed like he really crossed paths with A Group’s Team Leader.

I recalled the Duck Mask staring daggers at the Lizard.

Even the Chief was mumbling.

“Assistant Manager, is that for real?”

“What?”

“Our Team Leader has the skills to go to an elite team, yet every time, he slips through the cracks because of his personality…”

“Oh, it’s probably true.”

The Assistant Manager crossed his arms.

“But he’s been like that for ages, so just let it be.”

“…”

“Seems like the gods are fair in a way. Given that Team Leader’s face and his personality…”

“Shhh. He’s a good boss, after all.”

A Lizard’s face matching a Lizard’s personality?

Well, I could somewhat understand and agree about him being a good boss now.

Having just witnessed the worst boss right in front of me.

“Oh, Research Team’s Chief.”

The one who impulsively pushed his own team members into a horror story without warning, causing one to die – Gwak Je-gang.

“That guy crossed the line.”

I heard he was claiming during questioning, “I was also confused and accidentally threw a limb to the researcher.”

‘It looked intentional and full of malice to anyone else…’

All the Field Exploration Team members present would surely remember it wasn’t just a harmless nuance.

The problem was that there were no strong witnesses to speak up for the dead gambling-addicted researcher.

Just look at the status of the higher-ups.

“A Group’s Team Leader is probably obsessed with our Team Leader, and our Team Leader probably doesn’t even know he has to focus on the Research Team’s Chief.”

It seemed the plan was to just casually brush it off and receive a moderate pay cut.

In a company where an employee’s life value is dictated by performance, they wouldn’t likely give a major punishment to a higher-up for the accidental death of a mere employee.

‘So this is how Gwak Je-gang ends up featured in [Dark Exploration Records]…’

It was evident that if you got caught by him once, it would be a disaster, and he skillfully dodged getting caught every time.

The higher-ups of D Group clicked their tongues, suggesting several eerie rumors about Gwak Je-gang were probably true.

“I don’t want to keep working with that guy, but since he had a fit this time, he might be well-behaved until the next quarter.”

“Right? If not, he would have been fired already.”

Indeed, working at a horror story company felt exceedingly negligent regarding safety.

‘I somewhat agree, but… to be honest, it seemed like Gwak Je-gang wasn’t aiming to kill his own researcher but all of us instead.’

The researcher was merely a chaotic variable for that purpose.

But since everyone escaped safely, that part faded into ambiguity.

‘I’ll need to keep an eye on him.’

I decided I should check the wiki page for [Dark Exploration Records] again, focusing on Gwak Je-gang.

“Phew, what a long day.”

“Seriously.”

The conversation entered a lull.

Team Leader Lee Ja-heon indicated that we’d have to go home for now since we didn’t know when our Team Leader would return.

The Assistant Manager grinned and said.

“There’s nothing else to worry about. You’re still not registered as missing. They thought you could be found. …Thank goodness for that.”

“That’s right! Doe, we all said you’d definitely make it out, didn’t we?”

“Go home and get some rest.”

“……Thank you.”

“Eh, don’t mention it.”

With some good natured remarks about ‘expecting the points to come in tomorrow,’ I separated from my superiors.

I returned to the Research Team’s office to grab my things and headed home.

And along the way, I came across a familiar face.

“Jang Heo-woon.”

“…! Sol-eum!”

The newbie from Y Group.

It seemed she was left in the background since her whole team had died, and she was just sitting in the Research Team’s office.

Her shoulder had healed, but she was still wearing stained clothes.

“I’m glad you’re safe! What a relief…”

“Yes, thank you.”

I sat down opposite her for a moment to chat.

Jang Heo-woon looked pale but less gloomy, likely due to the loss of blood.

Considering that all her teammates died, it was awkward to say she was lucky, but…

I recalled what my superiors had hinted at earlier.

– Oh that Y Group newbie, if she behaves well this time, she might get talked about from above. If she’s B rank, then that’s a high rank.

– If she lasts for about three months without any issues, her chances of being converted to a regular employee will be high!

All that was good.

The problem was whether she could survive for three months…

“Have you ever considered resigning? Your current situation seems very dangerous…”

“Yes.”

The response was firm.

Jang Heo-woon, the newbie from Y Group, still had her cow mask on, clutching her hands tightly.

“I really need a wish grant. I can’t resign.”

“……”

It seems she also had her own reasons.

“Well then, I wish you the best of luck.”

As I hesitated, I finally added.

“Three months.”

“Yes?”

“If you just last for three months, the chances of being reassigned will increase.”

Surviving with a set period feels vastly different from enduring indefinitely.

From a motivational standpoint, it also made a difference.

“…!”

I saw hope in Jang Heo-woon’s eyes.

“Yes, yes…! I’ll try to endure…!”

She took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, then soon bowed her head.

“I received a lot of help today. I… I will definitely repay it in three months.”

“It’s nothing. I owe you my safe exit, thank you.”

I shook her hand.

And without realizing, I spoke with empathy and concern.

“You really had a hard time. It must have been terrifying.”

“Yes?”

A puzzled expression passed across Jang Heo-woon’s face.

Uh…?

“Oh, it’s fine. I’ve nearly died a few times before…”

“……You’ve seen many unpleasant scenes, in various ways, haven’t you?”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Jang Heo-woon appeared awkward.

“I can’t handle blood or organs well… I keep fainting or my legs go weak.”

“…I see.”

Wait a second.

That just narrowed down the range of ‘unpleasant scenes’ significantly…

‘No way.’

“…Heo-woon, are you… alright with paranormal phenomena or ghosts?”

“Oh, yes! I’m fine with that!”

“……”

“You see, I just take it as it is, so unless someone gets seriously injured, I don’t feel much of an impact.”

“……”

Not a coward…?

“Thank you for your concern… Ah, right! Sol-eum! Did you have a chat with that person from the newbie chat group? Oh. They’re not in the group, are they?”

There was a newbie chat group…?

So, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know about that chat group.

…There was a chat room for newbies without me!

“Ugh.”

I returned home to the staff quarters, washed up, and came out.

The shocking two truths hit me from behind.

‘What a long day…’

I received the link to the newbie chat group from… Not a traitor… Jang Heo-woon. I planned to check it out later.

I had something else to prioritize.

“I guess I should check my wrist tattoo first.”

Several candidates popped into my head, but I definitely had someone to lightly ask about it.

‘Good Friend.’

I sat on my bed and took the stuffed doll keyring out of my suit pocket.

And called out.

“Brown?”

But there was no answer.

‘As expected.’

They said it would look like an ordinary doll once I returned from the horror story.

———————=

Good Friend will shyly accompany you in your daily life.

Treat it nicely.

It remembers everything.

———————=

In other words, it meant that it wasn’t just keeping quiet because it was aware of my conversations in the company; it truly couldn’t speak.

But even without the horror story, there was a way to communicate with ‘Good Friend.’

‘…Making reality feel like a horror story.’

I recalled a method written in [Dark Exploration Records].

———————=

‘How to converse with Good Friend’

#1 Use darkness, a lighter, and shadows.

———————=

To be honest, it felt a bit eerie, but I should give it a try.

I bent down under the bed.

And set ‘Good Friend’ right behind the back leg of the bed.

‘Next is…light.’

I haven’t smoked for a long time, so I used my smartphone flashlight instead.

I placed the narrow beam on the floor to shine under the bed leg, then turned off the lights in the room.

Click.

And I sat down on the bed in the dark.

‘…A bit scary.’

As I felt goosebumps, I covered myself with a blanket.

There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m alone.

‘…But soon, I don’t think I will be alone.’

Looking up, the flashlight beam emerged from under the bed, casting a huge shadow of a stuffed doll on the wall.

“……”

Before long, the shadow of the stuffed doll leaning against the bed leg began to sway with the light.

As if waking up while shaking its body.

Holding my breath, I watched as a voice soon emerged.

Somewhere, it sounded like a hallucination.

– Friend.

“…Brown.”

The host was awake.

– Ah, you made it out safely from that strange theme park! Congratulations.

“Thank you.”

It felt like Brown was trying to recall what happened after I came out of the horror story, as if rewinding a tape player.

‘So that’s what it meant by remembering everything.’

– Yes, Friend has clocked out now. Are you home to rest? Oh, this is quite a cozy place!

“Thank you.”

It’s not my house, just the staff quarters.

– Hmm, come to think of it, Doe seems to speak too formally to me! Friend doesn’t need to be so formal.

“…But Brown, you seem to be quite formal too.”

– Haha, I can’t help it. It’s just part of my job!

I swallowed the words ‘I, too, am going to struggle because of the job illness of being a newbie at this psycho horror story company.’

The friendlier it became, the safer and more powerful this stuffed doll seemed.

“…Okay. So from now on, I’ll speak comfortably. Since we’re friends.”

– Oh, sounds good!

The shadow of the doll seemed to nod amiably.

Great… now for the main point.

“I happen to have a question for you.”

– Oh! How about we take turns asking questions to each other? But you must answer!

– Sounds like a game. That would be fun…

Stop acting like a horror story!

“Sure. That sounds fun.”

But I forced myself to agree and respond.

It feels like I’m working overtime… Let’s stay strong.

“What I wanted to ask is this.”

I raised my left hand and lowered it under the bed.

So that the black letters resembling a tattoo on my wrist would be clearly visible right in front of the stuffed doll.

“The membership bracelet burned and left this mark.”

A moment of silence passed.

And…

– This is… Latin.

The tone expressed strange interest and engagement.

The voice lowered.

– Socius.

– It means companion, member, kin, or similar things!

“Well, I know that much.”

Since I had looked it up in the dictionary on the way back.

Though the burned ‘membership’ bracelet etched with that word seemed quite related, what mattered more was this.

“But it appears that others can’t see it. What do you think the reason is?”

– Oh dear, everyone must have bad eyesight! I can see it very clearly.

That meant it was visible to living creatures in horror stories.

“I’m glad it’s clearly visible.”

I shifted my questioning.

“Then, what role does this mark hold?”

– It is a mark that grants you qualification.

The reply flowed out jovially without hesitation.

– You know how sometimes a VIP guest visits the talk show as an audience? They usually have cool marks that set them apart from other guests. Like name tags or badges!

– That ‘superior mark’ permits special seats, backstage access, and other privileges!

I reflexively raised my arm to check the letters.

“…So this means it’s like a ‘special qualification’?”

– Well, at least that’s what it means for the theme park’s mascot.

Brown’s voice became flat.

– That overly emotional mascot seems to be getting too chummy with you, Doe. Well, when you visit next time, I’ll make sure to prepare a welcome drink or something!

I never want to visit again.

But to show some cooperation, I nodded in agreement.

– Good, good!

‘This social life is brutally tough…’

Anyway, saying that it grants ‘qualifications’ isn’t all that bad.

‘I suppose I should check if there’s a useful place for that next time I enter a horror story.’

As if Brown got excited, the shadowy head swayed a few times and then whispered softly.

– Did you know?

What is it?

– Doe, you just asked two questions.

– That’s a rule violation.

Chills ran down my spine.

– Haha, it’s fine. In friendly relationships, sometimes breaking the rules is part of the fun!

Phew.

“…Well, thanks.”

– Not at all!

– Anyway, it’s my turn to ask now.

I swallowed hard, looking at the giant shadow of the stuffed doll cast on the wall.

“Who lives next door to you?”

That was a question I never expected.

And of course, who was living next door in this staff quarter…

“…A work colleague.”

Baek Sa-heon.

– Are you close?

Not at all.

“Just a work colleague.”

– Oh, I see. Got it.

Brown’s voice brightened again.

– Friend, it might be better not to worry about that ‘work colleague’ living next door!

“Why?”

– Because they will die soon!