Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 132

Agent Bronze, Ryu Jaegwan, stood in a corner of the room where the final successful candidates were gathering, carefully concealing any signs of impatience.

The room was nearly full now. The announcements of aptitude test passers had been repeated several times, and most of the designated chairs were occupied.

But…

Why isn’t he coming?

Even as more successful candidates arrived, the one he reluctantly passed was still nowhere to be seen.

Kim Soleum!

His number had already been called three times.

"Candidate 4 of Group ‘Da.’"

"You have passed. Please proceed to the designated location."

If the announcement was repeated more than four times, his status would automatically be changed to "withdrawn," as it would be assumed that he had abandoned the process.

Why…

After going through the grueling aptitude test, why give up now?

Even Ryu Jaegwan, who prided himself on staying composed, felt a sharp pang of unease gnawing at him.

Thud!

"S-Sorry I’m late!"

The door to the nearly full room burst open, and a man, his face flushed red, stumbled in.

Breathing heavily, as though he had sprinted there, water dripped from his suit sleeves and collar.

[Da-4]

The number that had been one call away from disqualification.

It was Kim Soleum.

He looked as though he’d splashed water on his face out of nervousness.

If he was truly a spy, would he bother drawing so much attention to himself with such conspicuous behavior?

Damn it!

Ryu Jaegwan scolded himself for even considering letting his guard down. Keeping his expression firmly disapproving, he said nothing.

"Please take your seat."

"Y-yes, sir…."

Adjusting his glasses, Kim Soleum quietly shuffled to the back corner and sat down.

From his vantage point, Ryu Jaegwan noticed one of the other successful candidates seated nearby leaning over to offer a bottle of water.

"Are you alright? Here, take this…."

"A-ah, I’m fine! Thank you…."

Kim Soleum jumped at the offer, his reaction excessively startled.

To Ryu Jaegwan, who knew his history, the scene took on a different dimension.

It was as if Kim Soleum had spent so much time in the unethical atmosphere of that pharmaceutical company, surrounded by colleagues stripped of basic decency, that even small acts of kindness left him bewildered.

"……."

Silently, Ryu Jaegwan continued to observe.

"The appointment ceremony will now begin."

The Disaster Management Bureau’s appointment process was simple and direct.

Recruits registered their preferred funeral arrangements in case of fatality, received temporary access passes, and were briefed on their short training program and the missions they’d be assigned to.

The administrative procedures were standardized and efficient, though the training itself was not as intense as that of a special forces unit.

After all, responding to supernatural disasters—those horrifying, otherworldly phenomena—required experience more than anything else.

Most of the recruits were individuals who had lost family members or loved ones to terrifying unknown events.

Even those who hadn’t often carried a unique sense of duty that stemmed from glimpsing the hidden, uncanny truths of the world.

The weight of that shared determination filled the room.

"Candidate 4 of Group ‘Da,’ Kim Soleum."

"Th-thank you."

Kim Soleum stepped forward to receive his access pass, his demeanor as timid and subdued as ever.

To the others, he seemed like someone whose very presence in the program was proof of extraordinary resolve. After all, what kind of person with such a reserved personality would willingly apply unless they had an unshakable determination?

Of course, there were still a few sidelong glances suggesting he was seen as unqualified or out of place.

"Over the next three weeks, you will undergo training and trial assignments. Afterward, your permanent team placement will be determined."

"Until then, follow your assigned senior agent’s instructions without exception."

The interviewers appeared then.

In the Disaster Management Bureau, it was customary for the interviewers to personally mentor the recruits they had selected, guiding them through their probationary period and taking full responsibility for their training.

If the pairing wasn’t ideal, other agents might be assigned as mentors instead. However, exceptional recruits often received direct supervision from the interviewers who had chosen them.

And in Kim Soleum’s case, thanks to the subtle encouragement and recommendations of the assistant interviewers…

"The agent standing before you will be your direct mentor for the next three months, providing one-on-one training."

Ryu Jaegwan stepped forward and stood in front of Kim Soleum.

"…!"

From behind his glasses, Kim Soleum’s face visibly blanched as recognition dawned.

***

"Follow me."

"……."

Ryu Jaegwan listened to the quiet shuffle of Kim Soleum, the newly assigned recruit, as he obediently trailed behind.

When they arrived at an unkempt, secluded room in the corner of the eerie aptitude test building, and the door closed behind them, the silence hung heavy.

Suddenly—

Rustle.

“…!”

The sound of something being pulled out.

A weapon?

Ryu Jaegwan’s hand moved instinctively to subdue him, ready to act immediately.

"Excuse me, Agent."

"……."

"This… I wanted to return it to you."

What he held out wasn’t a weapon.

It was a temporary agent badge and a pistol.

The items Ryu Jaegwan had given to Agent Grape during the emergency at Segwang Technical High School.

In the chaos of the incident, Ryu Jaegwan had completely forgotten about them.

"I should have returned these sooner, but I didn’t get the chance. I apologize."

"……."

Ryu Jaegwan studied Kim Soleum.

If he had kept silent, no one would have known about this. But here he was, confessing voluntarily, looking like someone who had already resigned themselves to their fate.

It was as if he expected the agent in front of him to report him as a spy for the pharmaceutical company on the spot.

…Ryu Jaegwan’s unease began to settle.

"Does that company know you’re here?"

Kim Soleum shook his head slowly.

"No."

How could anyone believe that?

"To them, I’m already dead."

"…!"

What?

"What do you mean—"

"I was trapped in a supernatural disaster for over a month. Once that much time passes, the company considers you deceased."

Kim Soleum’s face paled slightly as he continued.

"By now, they’ve processed me as a former employee, a casualty. They won’t be looking for me anymore."

"……."

No rescue, no inquiries—just written off as dead?

The sheer callousness of the system left Ryu Jaegwan momentarily speechless.

Then he grasped the underlying implication of Kim Soleum’s words.

"You mean you were trapped in a supernatural disaster for more than a month?!"

Kim Soleum nodded slightly, keeping his head lowered.

Ryu Jaegwan felt like he’d been hit with a hammer.

Could it be…?

He looked at Kim Soleum again.

The man who had once been neat and composed was now cautious, withdrawn, and hesitant, reacting to his surroundings with unease.

It all made sense.

The prolonged exposure to a terrifying supernatural disaster had left its mark.

"You didn’t… do that on purpose, did you?"

"No, of course not."

Right.

Who in their right mind would willingly choose to be trapped in a nightmare for over a month?

Especially someone with firsthand experience of how horrifying such things could be.

"But not reporting to the company afterward… that part was intentional."

"……!"

Ryu Jaegwan responded reflexively.

"Because you wanted to leave quietly and without issue?"

Kim Soleum took a deep breath before nodding.

"Yes."

That’s a lie.

Daydream Corporation was infamous for its laissez-faire approach to employees who left, waving them off with no strings attached.

But for someone in the Field Exploration Team, leaving without cashing in their hard-earned points was unthinkable.

"I don’t regret it."

Ryu Jaegwan’s imagination, however, painted a different picture.

In his mind, this was the textbook story of a cult-like escape: psychological trauma, PTSD, gaslighting, and finally, pretending to be dead just to break free.

Kim Soleum seemed like a victim who had endured all of that, barely escaping with his sanity intact.

"I… I know I can’t stop you from sharing that I used to work there, but… please, if you can, don’t make it public."

"……."

He was afraid Daydream Corporation might track him down.

Ryu Jaegwan sensed this but masked his thoughts, pressing further.

"What about the wish? You were working there for the wish they promised, weren’t you?"

Kim Soleum’s lips curled into a hollow, bitter smile.

"That… that became meaningless."

"……!"

"While I was working, something happened, and all the progress I’d made toward earning the wish was reset."

"……."

"That’s when I realized something was wrong."

Daydream Corporation could grant wishes—there was no denying that.

But the company also reserved the right to withhold those wishes from its employees under arbitrary, unfair conditions.

"I realized I’d made a terrible decision, working in a horrific place like that with no end in sight."

Ryu Jaegwan bit back the urge to say, Didn’t I warn you not to believe in that nonsense about wishes?

"Oh, don’t worry. Since I’ve been officially declared dead… I can’t accumulate points or leave the company anymore."

Kim Soleum’s bitter smile faded, replaced by an empty expression.

"And with that, I had nothing left to do."

"……."

"So… I remembered the card you gave me and decided to apply here."

Then he shrank back again.

"I’m sorry if that was inappropriate or upset you."

Suddenly, Ryu Jaegwan felt as though he were interrogating someone over something trivial.

A pang of guilt hit him.

It was the same feeling he’d had when once demanding a rescued civilian explain their ordeal in detail, as if they owed him an account of their trauma.

Here was someone who had endured an unethical company’s abuses and fought to live with some semblance of morality, only to be hounded with questions after escaping.

And in the interview process, he had already subjected Kim Soleum to excessive scrutiny.

Now, he was pulling him aside and making him relive his torment.

To top it all off, Kim Soleum had lost not only his job but also the once-precious wish that had kept him going.

Ryu Jaegwan thought to himself.

Even so, the fact that he applied here… it must mean he still has hope.

The work of the Disaster Management Bureau:

To protect citizens from supernatural disasters, ghosts, unidentified creatures, and the unknown.

It was the exact opposite of Daydream Corporation’s purpose.

After their past encounters, if Kim Soleum had entered this organization with even a sliver of hope or sense of purpose—

Then…

Ryu Jaegwan clenched his fists.

***

He’s not about to hit me, is he?

I stared nervously at Agent Bronze’s clenched fist, cold sweat running down my back.

I’d already spilled everything.

It seemed like he bought it.

So why was his hand balled into a fist?

For several tense seconds, I kept my head lowered, not daring to make a sound.

Then—

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

“…!”

The wristwatch on Agent Bronze’s arm emitted a loud, shrill alarm.

"…Please wait here for a moment."

"Yes, sir."

Phew.

So that’s why his hand was clenched?

Click.

The door opened, and as soon as Agent Bronze left, I let out a long sigh and sank to the floor.

Ha.

The only time I’ve ever pulled a scam on someone this nice was in a game of Mafia.

Now I’m lying to a government official to infiltrate an agency. I was practically drenched in cold sweat.

But the important thing was…

I think he believed me, right?

The way Agent Bronze’s demeanor shifted earlier—how he grew quiet and began looking at me with sympathy—had been unmistakable.

Unless that sympathy was for a soon-to-be criminal sentenced to a supernatural glass prison, Candidate Kim Soleum was no longer a suspect.

Perfect.

I wiped the sweat off my temples.

They say the best scams are 90% truth and 10% lies. By accident, I’d stuck to that formula remarkably well.

…For the record, none of the other Daydream spies infiltrating this agency had to go through this mess.

"Director Ho, what about the others?"

"Oh, they’re already in."

"…."

"There was a non-regular recruitment route until last month, so they got in directly."

In other words, I had to take the full formal aptitude test because I boarded the last train to Spy Town.

Ha. Fantastic.

Go Yeong-eun, Jang Heo-un—wherever you are in this agency, I hope you’re having an easy time. And if things go south for me, I’ll be counting on you to pull me out.

Please.

Is it selfish to hope for my colleagues’ peace of mind for entirely self-serving reasons? Probably. But good vibes are good vibes, right?

For now, though, the most pressing question was:

Which department will I be assigned to?

The deduction wasn’t hard. I folded my arms and began to think based on my knowledge of the .

The Disaster Management Bureau’s recruits who pass the official exam undergo a three-week provisional period, during which they are evaluated and assigned to one of three major divisions.

1. New Investigation Team

Investigates newly emerging urban legends and assesses their patterns and threat levels.

This team searches for urban legends, both online and offline, to gather intel and classify incidents.

Unlike Daydream Corporation, where the Field Exploration Team is practically disposable, the investigation team here focuses on safety and careful data collection.

Just thinking about my old job makes me realize how insane that company was.

Though, technically, I’m still working there. As a spy.

…Sad. Let’s not dwell on that.

2. Deployment Rescue Team

Responds to civilian distress calls and rescues those trapped in ongoing supernatural disasters.

The rescue team enters the chaos of live disasters to save civilians at the height of danger.

This is the most perilous division but also the one that commands the most respect within the bureau.

And it’s the one with the most exciting exploration logs.

But I wasn’t aiming for this team.

I’ve had enough excitement.

I could live vicariously through others’ logs just fine.

3. Field Cleanup Team

Handles post-incident cleanup, ensuring supernatural disasters remain hidden from the general public.

Also known as the "Aftermath Team," they clean up and restore sites after incidents are resolved or sealed.

This team compiles reports, drafts documentation, and archives the incidents—essentially managing all records.

And for someone who’s read , this is the dream job.

It’s like organizing a supernatural wiki.

Low stress, intellectually stimulating, and—most importantly—

You only enter the scene after all the scary stuff is over!

A job where I wouldn’t sweat bullets every day.

I could hear it already: the sound of my quality of life skyrocketing.

The method to secure this position was straightforward:

Act passive, think smart.

Demonstrate strong analytical and organizational skills while maintaining a research-oriented demeanor.

In fact, the character I’d crafted perfectly suited this role.

Given that my supervising agent knew about my background, it should be even easier to steer things in this direction.

If there were lingering doubts about my suspicious origins, wouldn’t they assign me to the safest, most contained division to keep an eye on me?

Agent Bronze struck me as highly competent. There’s no way he’d expect someone from a shady pharmaceutical company to excel in high-stakes rescues.

"Ha."

I allowed myself a small smile of relief and stood up.

At that moment, Agent Bronze returned.

Thud.

"Kim Soleum."

Ah, now he was going to dismiss me for the day—

"Take this."

Thunk.

He practically threw something at me. I caught it reflexively.

A badge?

It looked like a temporary ID for facility access. But wait, I’d already received one during the ceremony, so what was this?

"Normally, new recruits are assigned their division after three weeks of paired training."

I already knew that…

But his next words threw me for a loop.

"However, I’ve taken the liberty of assigning you to a division myself."

"……."

What?

"You are now in the same division as me."

"……."

Wait a second.

If Agent Bronze’s division is…

I flipped the badge over, dread pooling in my stomach.

Agent (β)

Name: Kim Soleum

Assigned Division: Deployment Rescue Team, Team Hyeonmu 1

"You are now officially part of Hyeonmu Team 1 of the Deployment Rescue Division."

"……."

No…

No!!

"I’ve just received a rescue call. We’ll be entering a supernatural disaster zone immediately to extract civilians. Follow me."

"……."

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Somehow, my carefully crafted narrative had hit the jackpot—in the worst possible way!