That night.
Though I had mostly recovered from the contamination and regained a clear mind, I returned home feeling incredibly unsettled.
‘This feels like déjà vu.’
“Phew.”
I collapsed onto the bed.
‘I’m definitely caught up in some internal power struggle between the executives in the Development Department, aren’t I?’
It’s true I might seem like an exceptionally useful outlier, but the situation has escalated this far because the two directors are clearly aware of each other.
Their proposals were ridiculously excessive.
……If that’s the case.
At least that way, I won’t end up as a discarded pawn.
‘The problem is I have no personal information about either director.’
The <Dark Exploration Records> focused primarily on the employees who conducted the exploration.
In other words, while it included staff names and profiles, it didn’t bother to detail the personal information of the executives making decisions from up top.
‘In any case, it’s clear neither of them is ordinary, which only makes this more maddening.’
Director Cheong was already suspicious because Chief Lizard referred to her as a ‘being’, while Director Ho seemed off from his appearance and overly friendly speech.
For an executive, he looked too young and spoke like some social service worker.
‘…I do have a rough idea about his identity from his surname and appearance……’
But at this point, it was all just speculation.
‘What a headache.’
Dealing with ghost stories is hard enough. Having to worry about this on top of it feels unreal…
After agonizing over it, I decided to temporarily set the issue aside.
…There was another more urgent matter at hand.
……
“Braun.”
– You’re calling me, Friend!
Huu.
“About bathing in the Bloodbathtub. Can’t we replace it with something else?”
There was a brief silence.
– …You’ve changed your mind in just one day, Mr. Roe Deer! Breaking promises isn’t a good habit, you know.
– But since I’m your good friend, it’s fine, Friend!
“Sorry.”
I immediately apologized.
“You’re right—I shouldn’t have gone back on my word. I think I made a mistake because I wasn’t in the right state of mind when I agreed.”
– How strange, Mr. Roe Deer. This host distinctly remembers that just last night, you had no signs of extreme fatigue, panic, dizziness, or anything else that might hinder an interview. R
The ‘good friend’ spoke in his usual cheerful tone, which only made him more terrifying.
– Oh, I’m now curious by what standard you’re claiming you weren’t in your right mind…
Today was full of cold sweat moments.
How had I never realized how scary this thing was?
I tried my best not to look directly at the plushie as I continued.
“…But you knew my mind was contaminated by that handbook, didn’t you? The one I brought back from that kindergarten, which was still in my tattoo.”
It was obvious Braun knew.
He had even pointed it out during the last Bloodbathtub session.
– Mr. Roe Deer, your bath additive is blended, isn’t it?
He had to have known I was being consumed by the ghost story.
“You just didn’t think of it as ‘contamination’… more like a transformation.”
-That is correct, Mr. Roe Deer!
Haah……
‘So that’s how it was…’
Even the word ‘correct’ gave me chills, but I managed to respond calmly.
“But I see it as contamination, and I don’t want to be contaminated.”
I raised my hand into the air.
The tattoo on my wrist was now empty and clear.
“I like myself better as I am now.”
– ……
“I also don’t like having my judgment flip like a coin.”
To end, I added something I figured even Braun could empathize with.
“At the very least, I never want to become a teacher at some outdated kindergarten running creepy Hangman games.”
– Hmm… yes. That is quite an irrefutable statement.
Braun seemed somewhat shocked.
– Right. Mr. Roe Deer, belonging to that old-fashioned kindergarten? Impossible! Such a waste would be unthinkable!
– I must admit, I haven’t been acting like a true good friend…
– All right. Let’s work on getting closer through a different kind of transformation!
So then.
“If I let myself get contaminated because it makes interacting with you easier, does that mean you’ll just leave me contaminated?”
– Haha, no need to ask in such an unfamiliar tone. That’s simply the theory you’ve proven yourself over the past few weeks, Mr. Roe Deer!
Images of my actions over the past few weeks flashed through my mind.
Consumed by contamination, I had talked freely and relied on the ghost story resident without hesitation or concern.
– It’s only natural, isn’t it? After all, similar people tend to become friends.
Good grief.
No, I had anticipated this much.
I took a deep breath.
It was time to say what needed to be said.
“That’s not true.”
– Not true?
“Yeah. It’s not really necessary for friends to share the same values as each other.”
I carefully chose my words.
“And being comfortable with each other doesn’t automatically make someone a friend, either.”
This part… was honestly true.
“Friends try to understand each other’s differences, and even when they can’t, they still care for one another… by talking things through.”
– ……
“And to reiterate, I don’t want to be contaminated.”
Without turning my head, I gently placed my hand on the desk where the plushie sat.
“If you can’t understand that, at the very least, let me know before doing something I don’t want. Give me a chance to talk to you about it.”
– Hmm.
A sound like plastic fingers tapping on the desk echoed as if Braun were thinking deeply.
And then,
– Very well, Mr. Roe Deer.
– Logical, reasonable, and it even moved my heart. I see no reason not to agree! After all, you are my friend.
Huuu.
“Thank you.”
It seemed to have ended well.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I finally turned to face my ‘good friend’—the slightly scary but strangely dependable plushie I had summoned.
I carefully picked it up.
“Let’s keep working together from now on.”
That, too, was sincere.
Afterward, I proceeded with one of the decisions I had made while contaminated: an aromatherapy massage.
“I’ll do it while looking at the shadow, so let me know if anything feels off.”
– Of course, Friend!
Honestly, I wasn’t a professional, and working just by observing the silhouette probably didn’t feel very refreshing, but Braun seemed quite satisfied.
– Not everyone needs to be a massage expert! This will do just fine.
Even as he gently gave it a three-star rating, he still added,
– But I do miss bathing… To always be by my friend’s side, I’ll need to rejuvenate a bit more!
“That’s something… we’ll discuss over time.”
…It’s tough.
Maintaining a relationship with a ghost story resident like the ‘good friend’ wasn’t easy.
It wasn’t purely terrifying or nerve-wracking, but it wasn’t entirely trustworthy or comforting either.
‘Finding balance between those extremes is the rational approach.’
I needed to be careful not to lose that balance.
As Braun, refreshed from the aromatherapy massage, chattered away, I listened quietly.
– Come to think of it, I’m curious again. Which of the two legendary proposals you received at work will you accept, Mr. Roe Deer?
– Still deliberating? While my advice as an industry expert is worth its weight in gold… I’m happy to offer it free of charge for a friend!
Hmm. Well…
“Actually, I’ve almost decided.”
– Oh!
“I just need to ask one last question tomorrow, then I’ll pay them a visit.”
– And if you could share a little about that decisive question with this legendary host?!
I rested my head on the pillow and laughed.
“You’ll find out tomorrow.”
– ……!!
– I’m somewhat moved, Mr. Roe Deer…
Thus ended the tumultuous day.
And the next day,
I truly did ask my ‘decisive question’ before heading to the office of one of the two directors.