Routine rescue mission.
Written out like that, it might sound vague, but in reality, it’s something that happens quite naturally even in the real world.
“If people keep tripping and getting hurt in an area I manage, of course I’d look into it more. It’s like that.”
It refers to patrolling and checking areas or facilities where accidents frequently occur, to regularly monitor for people in danger and carry out rescue operations.
It was the same at the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.
“We designate certain supernatural disasters and go in like this once every few months to check them out.”
To see if there’s anyone inside who needs rescuing.
But there’s one crucial additional condition.
—Ghost stories where it’s impossible to report a rescue request.
Exactly. A number of ghost stories, by their very nature, don’t allow for calls or any kind of contact for help.
Among those, if agents can enter and exit relatively safely, the Response & Rescue Unit is assigned to patrol them on a regular basis.
‘…There definitely were exploration records based on that setting.’
When the fun of the story came from tracking changes over time, or when the point of interest was how the scenario shifted as episodes accumulated, that was the case.
In that way, it’s similar to how Daydream Inc. assigned ‘designated Darknesses’ to specific employees or teams.
Though, of course, the objective here is incomparably more noble…
Just a moment ago, Agent Choi—who’d been teasing me to death—now looked surprisingly reliable as he scratched the back of his head with ease.
“And this ghost story… Hmm, as long as you strictly follow the rules, it’s not dangerous. But because of how the rules work, the job has to be done in pairs for it to function properly. It’s a two-person assignment.”
Huh?
“But earlier, you said it was a three-person mission…”
“That’s right! Our rookie here is the tag-along extra.” [1]
E-Extra…
My vision went a little dim at being treated in a way I’d never experienced before, but then I realized that this was actually a huge win and shut my mouth.
‘The more people there are, the less scary it’ll be.’
Besides, agents from the Disaster Management Bureau weren’t likely to be trolls or anything.
And when I heard who was on the lineup, they were all people I was familiar with.
“Me and Jaekwan!”
Agent Choi waved his hands vaguely in the air to indicate Agent Bronze, who had stepped away for a report, then pointed to himself.
And then that hand pointed to me.
“And our honorary member here.”
“R-Right…”
I gave a defeated, awkward nod.
Seeing my expression, Agent Choi chuckled and clapped me on the shoulder.
“You’re taking this well.”
“…?”
“Let’s go. Jaekwan’s probably been waiting forever. I’m sure your senior will find his way to the destination too~”
Agent Choi led me to the elevator.
The destination was basement 2.
“If someone’s heading out for fieldwork from headquarters, odds are they’re on standby on B2.”
Because fast response is often crucial, the lower levels are allocated for deployment, he explained.
As soon as we stepped off the elevator and turned the corner, I saw a nameplate.
[Black Tortoise Team 1]
Agent Choi cheerfully swung open the door.
“Ta-da! Welcome to Black Tortoise Team 1’s standby zone!”
The inside was… unexpectedly cozy.
Circular couches, a break area, blankets, bookshelves packed chaotically with board games, philosophy books, and manhwa books.
It didn’t have the sleek, modern aesthetic of a government office lounge, but it had the vibe of a college club room.
On the wall’s whiteboard, old graffiti was still clearly visible.
– The best rescue agent was here
– If you play EDM at my funeral, a dokkaebi will come get you
– We’ll never forget our Black Tortoise Team 1
…They were probably messages left by people who could no longer take on missions, never erased, just accumulating over time.
It was the complete opposite of the sleek, personalized solo workstations of Daydream Inc.’s elite teams.
“Haha, one of our retired guys was into home decor and once brought in a haunted painting… Isn’t it great? Just sitting here, the work practically finds you!”
“Yes. …It’s a very pleasant space.”
“……”
Agent Choi, momentarily at a loss for words, gave me a slow smile.
“Right? I told you it was a good team. I wasn’t lying.”
“……”
“In that sense, well hey, you could totally join our tea—”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
That was close. I almost gave him an opening.
“Yeah, yeah! Still got some time left anyway.”
Agent Choi guided me over to the sofa, and we sat across from each other, taking a short breather.
Between the two sofas was a table, lumpy and uneven under a tablecloth—probably meant to keep the dust off—but it somehow felt oddly homey.
“Phew! Let’s rest a bit until Jaekwan gets back.”
“Yes.”
“And… here.”
Agent Choi suddenly gave a somewhat gentle smile and took out a well-sealed piece of paper from his inner pocket.
…It was the scrap of paper I had given him, the one I’d bought at the manhole market.
Ack.
“Sorry, but there doesn’t seem to be any supernatural disaster in the Bureau’s database that matches this note.”
“……”
Well, of course not. That was just a clue pointing to the location of the lab hidden behind the manhole…
And as if this kind of situation was familiar to him, Agent Choi added a few words, like he was trying to comfort a rookie.
“Maybe… the Bureau just hasn’t picked it up yet. These things happen a lot. You’ve just got to be patient and wait it out.”
“……”
“Are you okay with that?”
He was probably asking because what he really meant was: ‘Looks like we’re not going to be able to save this person.’
But I nodded.
“…Yes, really.”
Then, taking a deep breath, I accepted the slip of paper Agent Choi held out.
‘To be honest, I’ve already confirmed the corpse of the researcher I made the transaction with…’
If this were a real situation, I’d probably say something like this.
“Still, I think there’s meaning in at least making the attempt.”
“……”
Agent Choi didn’t respond for a moment.
‘…Was that too obvious?’
Just as I started to regret it—
“Hoobae-nim, give that back for a sec.”
“…?!”
Agent Choi extended his hand again.
“I’ll check one more time. Just once.”
Note/s:
[1] The term used was actually 깍두기, which is a kind of kimchi that’s made of radish; used as slang to refer to someone who’s less popular but allowed to hang out with a group. ↩