Chapter 66

“Excuse me...”

“...”

“Excuse me.”

My eyes snapped open. A familiar face came into view.

“... Security Chief?”

“Yes...”

A slender build in a security uniform, pale hair, and “J3” written on his name tag.

It was the very security employee who had gotten caught with me in the Darkness based on ghosts of people devoured by tigers...!

I hurried to sit up.

A tremendous headache hit—huh?

JINGLE.

I froze. Both hands, which I had reached toward the floor to support myself, were wound tightly in red yarn strung with bells.

'Yarn?'

Something about its appearance and purpose was familiar... Ah.

'It's equipment Security uses...'

* * *

Records of Dark Exploration / Daydream Inc.

/ Items

Nostalgia Kitty

An equippable item in the form of red yarn with silver bells.

When worn, it fixes the subject in the state they were in at their healthiest, both physically and mentally, within the past ten years.

The more severe the mutation, the sooner it breaks.

※ Refer to usage records for the definition of healthy.

* * *

It was an object that temporarily restored anyone to a “better state from the past.”

Knowing what it was put me somewhat at ease.

I began to relax...

“...”

“...”

No, wait.

Then why was I tied up??

I jerked my head up.

When our eyes met, a hint of pleasure at seeing me appeared on the security chief's face, which otherwise said that everything was a bother. He gave a small wave.

“We meet again...”

“Yes. But...”

I lifted my arms as far as I could.

“What exactly is this?”

“You said... you rescued a contaminated employee...”

“Yes, but why am I...”

The security chief pointed at me.

Oh.

“... Did Security think I was the contaminated one?”

“Well... yes... There wasn't anyone else.”

Then the security chief raised both hands, displaying a faint trace of something I couldn't quite identify as anticipation or embarrassment.

“Um, welcome to Security...?”

N-no.

He thought he was welcoming a new recruit...!

“It's not me.”

“... Huh?”

“It's not me.”

After emphasizing it twice, I finally collected myself enough to look around.

'... Some sort of containment room?'

The gray-walled room was empty. Even the lights were recessed into the ceiling behind sturdy finishing material, with nothing protruding.

'It looks like Security did respond properly.'

That meant I'd called the right place.

[Security Team Loan Warehouse]

This facility, which I'd been authorized to use upon my promotion to Supervisor, was exactly what its name suggested: a warehouse where employees could borrow Security's equipment by phone or in person.

However, if Security judged that a situation required “suppression,” they sometimes intervened on their own like this...

'Looks like I hit the jackpot.'

Considering I was currently detained in a Security facility.

I nodded slowly.

“We must be in the company building, seeing as you're here, Security Chief.”

“Yes... You're quick on the uptake...”

“...”

I swallowed.

Unless I was mistaken, the contaminated Supervisor Park Minseong was currently inside the tattoo on my wrist.

'I need to take him out here and hand him over so they can deal with the contamination.'

But wouldn't having Security officially register the fact that I had a tattoo like this be incredibly stupid in the long run?

In the end, I tentatively sounded him out.

“Are there any surveillance cameras installed here?”

“I don't think so...”

Right.

This was the first time anyone contaminated by the ghost story <Hungry Hangman> had emerged into reality, so I doubted they would have any recording devices here.

The camera footage itself could become contaminated.

'Especially since Hungry Hangman is a ghost story with such powerful mental contamination...'

At any rate, it seemed no one knew that a fully contaminated Supervisor Park Minseong was currently inside my forearm.

I swallowed.

“... Security Chief.”

“You can just call me J... I'm the only J left on the security team now...”

“Yes, Mr. J.”

With a solemn expression, I made my request.

“Could you keep what happens from this point on a secret?”

Naturally, he would say no.

Or he would pretend to wrestle with the decision, act as though I'd persuaded him, and give me a reassuring yes before promptly reporting it. That was highly likely.

Either way, I needed to prepare an incentive...

“Sure, whatever...”

“...”

“As long as it's not something like blowing up the company... No, maybe even that doesn't matter... In that case, keep it a secret that I heard about it too...”

“...”

Was this the boldness of someone with a job for life...?

'What is wrong with this company?'

I steadied my reeling mind and spoke firmly.

“It's nothing like blowing up the company.”

“Then...?”

“Actually, I rescued a contaminated employee and am currently keeping them restrained separately.”

“...”

“...”

“...??”

The security chief looked at me as if wondering what on earth I was talking about.

“Are you perhaps delirious...”

“I'm perfectly fine. For one thing, I'm wearing contamination-suppression equipment, aren't I?”

I raised my arms.

“This yarn with the bells... It appears to be equipment that suppresses contamination.”

“Mm... That's right.”

“Then you know I'm saying this in my right mind.”

The security chief stared at me.

I swallowed.

“When you're ready, I'll bring the contaminated employee out here.”

“Oh.”

He blinked, still gazing at me without much confidence, but slowly opened his mouth.

“Yes... Go ahead...”

“Don't you need to prepare anything? I'm using a single-use item myself, so I only have one chance.”

“Well...”

The security chief tapped himself.

“Me.”

It could have sounded arrogant, but his weary, everything-is-a-bother tone made it sound utterly matter-of-fact.

'Besides, he is a chief.'

I'd already seen the capabilities that had made him a chief on the security team, specialists in “Darkness suppression,” during that tiger-ghost incident...

... All right. In that case.

“Yes.”

I took a deep breath.

Then I plunged my hand into the tattoo in one swift motion.

“...!”

I caught hold of my target immediately, without having to feel around. Locking up a fellow teacher was against the rules—like hell it was!!

'Pull!'

My hand emerged from the tattoo, dragging what it held along with it.

CR-CR-CRACK.

With a bizarre sound, the “teacher” began to emerge from the tattoo.

And then.

SNAP.

The instant the impact broke the yarn, blood spurted from my forearm like a fountain.

The wound I'd made with the Blood-Drinking Knife had returned.

“Ngh!”

F*ck! I should refrain from swearing, but it hurt so much!! The contamination—the contamination was coming back too. But more importantly...

“Teacher Soleum! Such mischief is a punishable offense at our ■■ Affiliated Kindergarten...”

He froze.

Supervisor Park Minseong, the gently smiling “teacher,” stopped.

Then he looked blankly around.

“...”

“...”

“This isn't the kindergarten!!”

Damn it.

“This isn't the kindergarten! This isn't the kindergarten! I left without permission, without permission, I wasn't a perfect teacher, I... I broke the rules...!”

I couldn't respond in any way. I just... felt guilt wash over me.

I'm so sorry. Teacher, I made the wrong decision. I shouldn't have done this. I'll take your punishment too and read the teaching manual aloud. I picked up our ■■ Affiliated Kindergarten's teaching manual...

“Whoops.”

Someone clamped a hand around my face.

Then put something in my ear.

“Something like... sedation.”

...

...

A flash.

I blinked.

“Excuse me.”

“...”

“Excuse me...”

I opened my eyes again.

Everything was quiet.

“Are you all right...?”

“I'm fine.”

I understood instinctively.

“Did you make me lose consciousness?”

“Yes...”

I looked at the capsule casing that had fallen from my ear onto the floor.

'Did he put medicine in there?'

It seemed I'd been subjected to a brief knockout effect, probably from an item similar to, but inferior to, the Snow Mountain Apple I'd had.

'Stay calm.'

Thanks to it, I seemed to have escaped the effects of the contamination.

Steadying my breathing, I looked down at my arm. The wound was now wrapped in bandages.

And the yarn that had originally been wound around me...

“...”

When I looked up, it was now tightly wound around Supervisor Park Minseong's limbs in the corner.

Yes. Not someone who looked like a teacher.

Supervisor Park Minseong!

'... It worked.'

Wearing his black suit and mask, he looked perfectly normal, just as he had before entering the ghost story.

Even if it was only a temporary effect of the suppression equipment.

“... Ha.”

All the strength left my body, and I leaned against the wall.

'... Handover successful.'

Beside me, I heard the security chief mutter.

“He's lucky... Was it possible to get out that quickly...? I'm jealous...”

Wait.

“Since he got out so quickly, is it possible for him to recover completely from the contamination?”

“Mm...”

The security chief lowered his head, as if even thinking was a bother, but when he met my persistent gaze, he finally spat out an answer.

“That one's Dim-grade, isn't it...”

“Pardon? Yes. That's right. B-grade.”

“Then it should be fine...”

B-grade was fine?

“The company has the know-how... Mm. If he's reasonably okay... a department transfer?”

“...”

Right. Working for Security would be better than dying.

'But I'd rather he recovered well enough to return to work or quit...'

“...”

I looked back at Supervisor Park Minseong.

Perhaps it was because some of the tension had finally left me.

It felt strange.

The feeling that a colleague who, just yesterday, had worked in the same office, exchanged jokes, and asked how I was doing... would suddenly be gone from my daily life starting tomorrow.

“... Please take good care of him.”

“...”

The security chief gave a slight nod.

His expression was difficult to read.

... Once my thoughts reached that point, my brain finally recalled the last scene I'd witnessed.

... Deputy Eun Haje!!

“What happened to the body lying beside me? The one missing its left hand...”

“I don't know...”

Surely, surely they hadn't incinerated it or anything. No, that couldn't be.

'They must have thought it strange that only a hand was missing, not the head.'

But anxiety drove me to hurry through the procedures and leave the containment room.

“Go with them...”

“Oh, yes.”

Accompanied by some of the Security employees who had been summoned, I walked out of the containment room under something between protection and surveillance.

The moment I stepped out, I realized where I was.

This was the containment wing adjoining the Security Team Loan Warehouse.

[Containment B]

'There were separate entries about this place in Records of Dark Exploration...'

Every one of them had been chilling.

The two summoned employees walked calmly down the corridor, keeping me half a step behind them. Suppressing a shiver, I followed...

HEE-HEE-HEEHEEHEE.

AaaaaahOYouOfTheRadiantNameShineUponMe

PleaseSaveMePleaseSaveMePleaseSaveMe

Spine-chilling sounds rang from every containment room lining both sides.

'D-don't look.'

Without so much as glancing at them, I walked with my eyes fixed solely on the light spilling through the door ahead...

...

Who's in the corridor?

Aaaaaaagh!!

Who's in the corridor? Who's in the corridor? Who's in the

Please walk faster! Faster!!

But those damned Security employees insisted on maintaining their steady pace all the way out.

And so I ended up going through the warehouse's checkout procedures completely, utterly drained to a limp wreck...

“...”

The loan warehouse's front desk area looked like nothing more than a bleak facilities-department hallway.

When I approached the counter, a silent Security employee brought out my belongings, which had been held in isolation.

“Thank you.”

I accepted my briefcase. A sticker marked [Approved / Risk Level D] was affixed to its surface.

'It doesn't look as though they inspected the items individually.'

Nor was I subjected to further inspection over having pulled something out of my forearm.

Amazingly, Security Chief J seemed to have kept his promise completely.

'But he might tell someone someday.'

I could handle that much. I'd deliberately mentioned that it was a single-use item, too.

What mattered was how I handled it.

'Let's do this right.'

I took a deep breath.

'Then now, I'd better hurry and find out how Deputy Eun Haje—'

-Friend!

-Friend!

Huh??

-Friend!!

“...”

Braun!!!

“A-are these all my belongings?”

The employee pointed toward a bin in a corner of the reception area.

[Waste Box]

Inside lay my soaked, hopelessly crumpled suit jacket, along with the little stuffed doll that had been shoved in with it...

Huuuuugh!

-How dare they dump me in a place like this without permission, when this isn't even the studio!! This is an abuse of authority and an insult! I was never treated this way even as a newcomer!

Y-you lunatics!

I felt as if I could bathe in my own cold sweat.

I hurriedly retrieved the jacket, straightened the doll, and tucked him into my shirt pocket.

'Th-that must have been awful. I'm sorry.'

-Whew... You have nothing to apologize for, Mr. Roe Deer. Those people were the ones acting outrageously!

He seemed a little calmer. I quickly turned and started walking.

But an ominous voice followed...

-But a Good Friend does not forget...

“...”

Let's make sure Braun never gets close to Security...

It was just as I stepped through the door.

“Mr. Kim Soleum.”

“...!!”

Someone was waiting outside Security's front desk area.

“... Team Leader.”

Team Leader Lizard looked at me with his vertically slit pupils.

“Have you come to get me?”

“Yes.”

“Where are you taking me? No, I mean, I'd like you to tell me why you're taking me there as well.”

“The infirmary. Deputy Eun Haje is there.”

“...!!”

After hesitating several times, I finally managed to speak.

“... Is she alive?”

Team Leader Lizard turned to look at me.

And answered with certainty.

“Yes.”

“...”

Something suddenly surged up into my throat. I didn't know what it was.

“... Team Leader. Supervisor Park Minseong got out too.”

“I see.”

Team Leader Lee Jaheon seemed to think for a moment, then asked,

“Is he alive?”

“... Yes.”

“Then everyone survived.”

“... Yes.”

That alone had made it worthwhile.

Without a doubt.