Chapter 84

We decided to use the Blood Bathtub one more time.

"If I rejuvenate a little further, it will be much easier to accompany you, Mr. Roe Deer!"

I had accepted Braun's argument. The stuffed doll might grow a little bigger... but, well, one more time should be fine. He was still the size of an ordinary keychain doll.

However, when I suggested simply using my blood as a bath additive, Braun became deadly serious.

"Good heavens! I must respectfully decline. My goodness, the bodily fluids of intelligent beings are all around us. Why does my friend keep trying to spill his own blood?"

Apparently, deliberately frightening him last time was still having an effect.

'Well, I wasn't planning to spill that much this time...'

I felt a little sorry, wondering whether I had gone too far.

Anyway, since he felt that way, we agreed to find another way to obtain blood.

"Good, good... Let us find a suitable bath additive, my friend!"

Sure thing.

It did help to have something else to distract me in the midst of all this office politics...

'Already proving helpful.'

With a sigh, I headed to work.

Incidentally, Baek Saheon hadn't come back to our company apartment at all yesterday. Let's see how long he can keep that up.

Anyway, I had no idea how long Director Cheong would wait, so I needed to make a decision soon...

"Soleum...!"

Huh?

I turned while waiting for the elevator and saw a fellow recruit approaching, carrying a bison mask.

'Mr. Jang Heoun!'

He was the employee I'd met last night at Segwang Technical High School, with whom I'd shared a brief but eventful journey.

"You're safe!"

"Yes. It looks like you made it out safely too, Heoun."

"Yes, yes! Thank you. I cleared it safely..."

Yesterday had been such a relentless series of shocks that I hadn't had the mental space to worry about anyone else or any of that, but it was good to see him now.

Moreover, the agent had apparently left a surprisingly good impression on Jang Heoun. When the subject came up, he answered quite cheerfully.

"Um, he was nicer than I expected. He didn't use me as bait... and at the end, he explained the Bureau to me too."

Isn't that setting the bar a little too low...?

That man had seemed to bear quite a grudge against Daydream Inc., but perhaps spending time with a decent employee had given him a change of heart.

In any case, nothing too bad could have happened, judging by how well Jang Heoun looked.

'Maybe I can sell him ghost-story food again sometime.'

A little hope for some side income.

"And... I think that agent was worried about you right to the end. B-but I didn't tell him I'd given you a name tag!"

Oh, the name tag!

"The name tag you gave me came in very handy. Thank you."

I'd actually had another way to get one after borrowing the uniform, but his had indeed let me put one to good use right away.

"It must have been valuable to you too, Heoun. I won't forget that you gave it up out of concern for me."

"N-no... It was nothing. Compared to what you've done for me."

"...?"

What I've done?

Just then, Jang Heoun clenched his fists and spoke with a delighted expression.

"Soleum. I've been transferred to a regular team...!"

"...!"

"They really did transfer me after I lasted three months. Thank you, thank you so much... I think I managed to hold on because of you!"

Oh!

There had been so many incidents during the regular personnel reshuffle that I hadn't checked anyone else's team assignments, but this was wonderful news.

I asked happily, "Congratulations! Which team?"

"I've been assigned to Team F...!"

"..."

Oops.

"So you're on the same team as... Baek Saheon."

"Yes! He's very kind."

"..."

It seemed his time in the Cleanup Team really had lowered his standards for a good person to rock bottom...

'No wonder they were together in that last ghost story.'

They hadn't just run into each other; they were on the same team.

I smiled and said, "What a funny coincidence. I share a company apartment with him. ... We recruits should get together for dinner sometime."

"Oh, thank... Yes!"

At that point, another unexpected encounter took place in front of the elevator.

"Good morning, Section Chief Lee Jaheon!"

"Yes. Good morning."

We had run into Section Chief Lee Jaheon on his way to work.

After answering Jang Heoun, who bowed to him, he got straight to the point.

Meaning he addressed me.

"Soleum, you've been summoned."

Again??

"Should I... head straight there without stopping at the office?"

"Yes."

Feeling as though these summons were going to give me a neurosis, I pressed the button for the twenty-fifth floor as Lee Jaheon instructed, instead of the thirteenth.

'Outside the Field Exploration Team's floors again...'

Please let it be nothing serious.

"Have a good day, Soleum!"

"You too, Heoun."

After seeing Jang Heoun off, I got out on the twenty-fifth floor with Section Chief Lee Jaheon.

DING.

"Follow me."

"Yes, sir."

I trudged after him.

'This seems farther than I expected.'

After several turns around corners in the corridors, we came upon a door rather than a conference room.

Unexpectedly, a warm-colored wooden nameplate hung on it...

Fox Counseling Office

"..."

Wait.

"Team Leader, this is..."

THUD.

At that moment, Section Chief Lee Jaheon pinned me against the wall.

...?!

"Mr. Kim Soleum. Answer the following questions immediately, without thinking."

"Oh dear! Is this a situation that calls for my help, my friend?"

'No, wait...!'

Something was very wrong with the atmosphere.

I looked at the lizard. His red, slit-pupiled eyes stared holes through me.

"Do you remember our conversation yesterday?"

I swallowed.

"... Yes."

"What subject did our conversation end on?"

"The possibility of Team D becoming an Elite—"

"That was not the final subject. Answer again."

What?

"It was the final subject!"

"No. We discussed another subject afterward."

Come on!

Sure, we probably had. But that was just small talk, wasn't...

"Do not think."

"...!"

"Answer."

Damn it!

"I don't really remember!"

"..."

"It was just small talk... Wasn't it?"

The heavy silence and pressure persisted.

Then... his hold eased.

"I see."

Section Chief Lee Jaheon released me from the wall.

I didn't know what that had been about, but at least...

"Mr. Kim Soleum."

"Yes."

"You are contaminated."

"..."

Huh?

But that...

"... Surely, during explorations, a certain amount is..."

But I never finished.

THUMP.

Lee Jaheon flung open the counseling office door, grabbed me by the collar, and threw me inside.

"...!"

"You may not leave until you have completed your counseling. I will wait outside."

SLAM.

And the door shut.

"..."

No.

No!!

"How dare he treat my friend with such rudeness!!"

W-wait.

Don't you start too. Let's calm down...

'It's fine. I think there's been some sort of misunderstanding.'

Suppressing a sigh, I raised my head.

I wasn't particularly keen on this, but...

'I'll just have one counseling session. It's good for my mental health too.'

As for the side effects... let's try not to think about them. The odds were extremely low, weren't they?

"Hmm... If that is your opinion, Mr. Roe Deer!"

Phew.

That settled it.

Still distinctly reluctant, I dragged my feet forward...

The first thing I saw was what looked like a changing room. A floral sign was attached above the lockers.

Welcome! You've made the right choice by coming!

Please change into a gown before entering. ^^

Hospital gowns patterned with green grass were lined up in various sizes.

The health-checkup look...?

"If clothing were solely about comfort, we would all be walking around stark naked."

"In that sense, this scrap of cloth is worse than nothing. It serves no purpose beyond covering the body."

Point taken.

'Still have to wear it.'

A lizard who physically destroyed ghost stories was standing guard outside. I had to get a counseling session before I could leave.

I finished changing.

'That curtain looks like the way to the counseling area.'

Just as I was about to draw aside the curtain that appeared to be the changing room's exit, I noticed a sign.

Only clients are permitted beyond this point. ^^

Friends, family, and guardians must stay here!

'Oh.'

Hmm... Employee benefit or not, this was still a ghost story. Better not break the rules unnecessarily.

"Braun, can you wait a moment?"

"Oh, I would be lying if I said I weren't concerned, but of course I must respect your privacy in this instance, Mr. Roe Deer!"

Okay.

I carefully placed Braun beside the vase on the changing-room table and drew aside the curtain.

JINGLE...

Sunlight poured down over my head.

"...!"

A small, cozy space unfolded before my eyes.

A warm room at midday, soothing even to the soul.

* * *

Records of Dark Exploration / Ghost Stories

[Fox Counseling Office]

: A ghost story appearing in <Records of Dark Exploration>. Daydream Inc. identification code: Qterw-E-925.

A counseling space consisting of a window admitting warm sunlight, a soft pastel-colored sofa, and a doorbell shaped like a small silver bell with a clear chime.

One of Daydream Inc.'s E-level employee benefits, it has some efficacy in promoting mental stability and recovery from contamination.

For the full records of visits to the Fox Counseling Office, refer to the relevant document.

* * *

It certainly was... a pleasant room.

"I hope you have a useful counseling session, my friend!"

Please let that be the case.

After carefully drawing the curtain closed again, I walked into the room.

Another set of instructions greeted me.

Make yourself comfortable on the sofa

and enjoy the view outside!

I sat on the sofa as instructed and folded my arms.

Well, the atmosphere was nice, but...

'I already know exactly what's going to happen.'

It's truly amazing. It restores the motivation I'd lost and reminds me of things I'd forgotten...

- Lee Jeongeun (Supervisor), post-counseling interview

Someone would appear outside the window and counsel me.

What appeared was customized to each person.

Most likely, it would show me a person or object connected to my trauma, stage a scenario in which things worked out well, and have me watch.

The cliché in the records of visits to this "Fox Counseling Office" ghost story was that the person became deeply absorbed, eventually experienced a sort of emotional healing, and left either sobbing or looking peaceful.

'Can it really work when I already know everything?'

Now that I thought about it, I was skeptical of that too.

Arms folded, I gazed at the enormous window offering a full view of a beautiful, sun-drenched garden...

And at that moment, someone appeared beside the garden.

"...!!"

It was...

Me.

The tired, gloomy-looking "me" stood in the sunlit garden, then turned to look at me inside the room.

And waved.

"...!"

Without thinking, I raised my hand... then lowered it.

'What is this?'

What was this, some kind of doppelgänger?

Unease and revulsion welled up.

But the "Kim Soleum" standing in the garden didn't stop there. He looked around, found a suitable chair, carried it over, and sat right in front of the window.

Then he beamed at me.

"..."

'Should I just get up?'

The door wouldn't open until an hour had passed, but surely I could just camp out in front of it...

Just as I was growing increasingly uncomfortable in my seat...

"Mr. Kim Soleum."

"...!!"

"Thank you so much for coming to counseling today. I'm your counselor."

The thing outside the window wearing my appearance began to talk.

"You seem very physically tired today. Have you had any trouble falling asleep lately? How much sleep do you get?"

I gritted my teeth.

"... I sleep reasonably well."

"I see... Could you give me a specific number? Five hours or more?"

"... Sometimes."

"I see. Could... the fact that you sometimes get very little sleep be related to difficulties at work?"

Wow!

'This is driving me insane.'

I barely managed an answer.

"I don't want to answer. Hearing you say those things while looking like me only makes me uncomfortable."

"Why do you think you feel uncomfortable, Mr. Kim Soleum?"

"Wouldn't anyone feel that their existence was threatened by seeing someone exactly like them?"

"But... I am an intelligent being with a clear difference from you, Mr. Kim Soleum."

What?

"Would you like to try finding it? What might be different?"

Without thinking, I looked him over.

Eyes, nose, mouth, body, clothes.

"... You look exactly the same."

"Then shall we look in a mirror to make comparing easier?"

RUMBLE.

Suddenly, the bookcase beside my sofa moved, revealing a full-length mirror inside.

I looked into it without thinking.

A tired office worker.

"..."

"Would you like to compare?"

Compare all you wanted; we looked exactly the sa...

"..."

"What do you think?"

"... I do..."

I looked into the mirror.

"Look... a little more unwell... I suppose."

Wasn't that... just my imagination?

"I see."

But the me outside the window nodded.

"Why might there be that difference?"

"I don't know."

"Then let's observe a little more. You might notice something else."

Again, I looked back and forth between myself outside the window and myself in the mirror.

Eyes, nose, mouth, shoulders, arms...

Wrist.

"A tattoo."

I murmured as though entranced.

"You're missing one tattoo."

He had the tattoo left over from the theme park.

But...

: Benefactor :

That one was missing.

The tattoo that had served as my inventory.

"Which tattoo? Oh, that one!"

"Yes."

"You must have had a reason for getting a tattoo like that. What effect does it have?"

"I can store things inside it."

"I see. Are there various things in there now?"

"Yes."

"Could you show me? Oh, if you'd rather not show them to me, you can simply put them down somewhere I can't see."

"... All right."

I took the objects out of the tattoo.

Items, equipment, coins...

All things I knew.

"I've taken everything out."

I didn't know why he had made me do this.

How did this make me different from the me outside the window?

"Mr. Kim Soleum."

"Yes?"

"I think there might still be something left inside your tattoo."

Shut up!

"Could you hold your hand out to me?"

I don't want to kn—

"No. You do want to know, and you can do this."

"..."

I rose from the sofa.

Then I walked right up to the window...

And held out my hand.

"You've been through so much."

The me outside the window took my hand.

And then...

Thrust his hand straight into my tattoo.