Chapter 18: Achieve business performance

It’s over.

Really…everything is over.

Supported by Choi Kang-in, I barely managed to stand up.

The civilians were still looking at the agency people with bewildered eyes, wondering if the situation was really over.

Section Chief.”

“……Is it really, over?”

But the agency staff were also the ones who wanted to know if the current situation was really over.

The moist eyes that want to be told the answer they want are directed at one person.

Choi Kang-in also gave the answer they wanted.

Maybe, it was the answer Choi Kang-in himself wanted, with a short silence.

He opened his mouth.

“…The situation is over.”

“Does that mean……..”

“

“When we get back, I’ll treat everyone.”

Everyone shut their mouths at that last word. But at the faint smile that spread across Choi Kang-in’s lips.

Sniffle.

The employees swallowed their tears.

The joy of surviving.

In a desperate situation where they thought they would definitely die, they gained the opportunity to meet their tomorrow again.

The agency staff did not cheer loudly.

Maybe it was because they were suppressing their emotions in front of civilians, at least.

But some of them, who seemed to be new employees, were seen holding onto their colleagues next to them and sobbing.

…Sniffle.

Someone’s sniffle.

This time it was Park Yeon-jung.

But it wasn’t tears.

I sniffled and ate the blood that flowed from my nostrils due to the thousands of gazes just now.

Strangely, tears did not flow.

‘It’s probably because of these glasses.’

A calmness that is more than necessary, as if I’ve become a ‘T’ in MBTI for a moment.

But only the external emotional changes have dulled.

Just thinking about the situation just now still makes my heart feel like it will explode.

My legs are shaking.

Park Yeon-jung is not crying tears.

He took deep breaths in and out countless times.

“Thank you. Thank you….”

“I’m alive. I’m alive……………”

I hear the sounds of countless sighs of relief and sobs around me. For now, I felt that it was urgent to get the civilians gathered here out of the ghost story quickly.

Perhaps.

If the conductor regains his strength and rampages again, then it’s really over.

I approached Choi Kang-in, the only one here who would believe my words, and suggested an escape route.

“But it seems that the location of the route and emergency exit that we knew before has changed, so I don’t know how long it will take to escape.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Do you know the escape route?!”

Choi Kang-in looked at me as if it was really surprising.

“No. I don’t know the exact location either.”

Of course, I don’t know.

If I knew, I would have tried to escape from here in an instant without going through the trouble of using the Thousand Eyes.

“Because there’s a way to ask someone who knows.”

“…………Someone who knows the emergency exit?”

Choi Kang-in looked at me with curious eyes that were not like a middle-aged man, and I couldn’t help but smile faintly.

I immediately called someone into the air.

“You heard everything we said, right? Tell me the location of the emergency exit.”

No answer.

Well, I didn’t think he would show up obediently from the beginning.

“I’m saying I’ll leave here obediently. Anyway, that conductor guy is like that, so there’s nothing more you can do, is there?”

Okay.]

A woman’s voice heard from the speaker.

【I will guide you to the emergency exit.】

“Yeah.”

Flash!

At the same time as the words to guide ended, a bright beam of light appeared from the floor and stretched out somewhere.

Maybe if I follow this path, there will be an emergency exit where I can get out of here.

“Let’s go.”

“

Choi Kang-in no longer asked me anything. Maybe it was because he was in a position to receive help, so he didn’t commit any more rude actions.

They began a large-scale movement along the bright beam of light. Of course, the leader was Choi Kang-in, and with his really flawless leadership, he was able to reach the target point quickly.

When everyone reached the end point of the beam of light under their feet.

At the end of the beam of light.

A prop in the shape of a door, as if made of large cardboard, caught our attention.

If I say I didn’t doubt it, it would be a lie.

But as if showing what a responsible superior is.

Choi Kang-in, who strode towards the cardboard door.

Thud!

He grabbed the cardboard doorknob without any hesitation and opened it wide at once.

Civilians and some agency employees were wary.

What if there are Red Orchestra guys beyond the door? What if they appear again wielding instruments made in a strange form.

Only quiet silence flowed for this moment, and when Choi Kang-in first checked the scene beyond the door.

The first thing that came into his sight was.

Squeeze.

The sight of the cardboard doorknob being crushed in an instant.

Slightly trembling lips.

Eyes staring at one place.

Everyone was staring at such Choi Kang-in.

Even he was clumsy at hiding his emotions.

One word that came out of Choi Kang-in’s mouth was.

“

Team R.”

“I’m sure you remember the manuals.”

At this one word from Choi Kang-in, all of Team R clenched their fists.

What did the words their section chief just said mean.

Team R, who had worked with him for a long time, knew.

They all released their alert posture and answered in a loud voice.

“Yes! I understand!”

Team R quickly began to pass through the narrow cardboard door one by one, along with the civilians.

The employees systematically and safely evacuated many people through that narrow door in an orderly manner according to the practiced manual.

All the personnel have escaped, and the people left in the ghost story space are Park Yeon-jung himself, including Choi Kang-in and only two employee guys.

66

Section Chief. I just received a radio message that all personnel have safely returned to the real world.”

“Let’s get out of this damn place too.”

The two employees who remained here also showed a desire to get out of this damn concert hall as soon as possible, and Choi Kang-in would also agree with that.

But there are various reasons why Choi Kang-in stayed here until now and kept this place until the end.

The biggest reason is.

‘It’s probably because of me.’

After knowing that the cardboard door was safe, Choi Kang-in expressed his intense gaze towards me without hiding it.

A man’s hot gaze.

The gaze was so hot.

I was worried that Choi Kang-in might have other feelings.

“……We, well then. I’ll be going too.”

Park Yeon-jung thought that he would hear something if he stayed any longer, so he tried to move his steps first.

‘…What was your real purpose.”

“Section Chief!”

At Choi Kang-in’s sudden impulsive action, an employee urgently stopped him.

“Don’t you know best that there is nothing good about getting involved with a ghost story, Section Chief! And an intelligent being capable of communication is even more of a target to avoid than any other ghost story!”

Along with the words of one employee to be wary of Section Chief Choi Kang-in.

I swallowed my tears at my situation, which had become a target to avoid for a moment.

But Choi Kang-in’s eyes seemed quite serious.

It seemed like he wouldn’t let me go until he heard the answer to the question just now.

And since I didn’t think I needed to give him a bad image here.

“My purpose is not you, but ‘ghost stories’.”

66

“And now, please go back. I don’t think…your employees trust me very much.”

I hope this kind and gentle tone and appearance is enough.

If I get caught by Choi Kang-in and talk any longer here. Seeing the eyes of those two employees, I felt like one of them would take out an item.

So for now, whether I like it or not.

I thought it was the best choice to get Choi Kang-in out of this space quickly to protect my safety.

Step.

So I left first.

We’re not close enough to grab someone who says they’re leaving and talk.

Team R’s survival news must have already been delivered to the agency.

Now Choi Kang-in has no reason to follow me.

So I moved my steps, giving off a nuance that I hope he would go his way.

“

You should really go now. Section Chief.”

“……Yeah. Let’s go back.”

“

Yeah, please go back!

Choi Kang-in’s voice saying ‘Let’s go back’ echoed softly over the quiet hallway.

I waited a little longer and took a few more steps.

When I looked back again.

There was no one.

There was no one’s shadow beyond the cardboard door.

…Sigh. He’s gone.”

Finally, the intruders have disappeared.

Now, the only being that can be called human left here is myself.

Gently.

A man’s gaze looked wistfully beyond the cardboard door that was still open.

I want to go out too.

Honestly, I really wanted to go through that door and get out of this damn concert hall, but.

Rustle, rustle. I took out the ‘quill pen’ that Mr. Announcer had given me, which I had put in my inner pocket.

……Sigh.

I still have work to do here.

Following the bright beam of light under my feet, I went back the way I came.

After walking in the quiet hallway for a while.

When I returned to the stage where there had been so much commotion.

I found the conductor guy who was still lying on the floor with both arms and legs lost.

The cut surface of the conductor guy’s body, with his arms and legs torn off by the Thousand Eyes, was fortunately not made up of blood and flesh like ours.

Only deep, hollow darkness fills that cross-section.

I’m very glad that this conductor guy doesn’t have organs like.

If he did, I would have vomited dozens of times here.

Step.

In just a few steps, I arrived at the place where the conductor’s body was miserably scattered.

Tight.

I held the quill pen in my right hand.

But.

.?

How do I use this?

Contrary to the explanation of Mr. Announcer, who said that it would be written automatically when the ghost story was subdued.

Quiet silence.

I looked at my awkward right hand endlessly.

I was told to just say ‘automatic use’, but when the situation actually came, the quill pen that didn’t feel any change made me feel frustrated.

Gurgle.

A strange sound of liquid shaking from somewhere.

And soon, along with the black ink flowing from the tip of the quill pen.

A phrase appeared before my eyes.

『Ink is low.』

The phrase written in black ink said that the ink was low.

Even the phrase that was written once began to change shape soon.

Another phrase appeared before my eyes.

『The quill pen specifies the raw material to be used as ink.』

At the same time as I said that I would specify the raw material, my gaze was automatically directed to the conductor’s body lying on the floor.

『Valid raw material specification completed.』

『Replenishing ink.』

Along with the black phrase that the raw material was found. Soon, a drop of black ink falling from the tip of the quill pen fell to the floor.

Whoosh!

The black ink instantly swallowed the conductor’s body that was lying on the floor.

Gurgle.

The large body that had been there just a moment ago disappeared in an instant, and a drop of highly compressed black ink came towards Park Yeon-jung, piercing the air.

It fell on the feather attached to the nib.

『Ink has been replenished.』

A drop of ink that fell on the feather was soon absorbed.

It began to take the shape of a musical note.

The pupils of the man who witnessed the strange sight expanded, and he looked at the quill pen endlessly with a look of expectation of what would happen next.

…Is it, is it over?

Is this the end?

It happened so suddenly. I was expressing my disappointment wondering if it was really over.

【…………Conductor?】

Suddenly, the female announcement started looking for the conductor.

【Conductor? Conductor! Where are you, Conductor!…………Conductor!!!】

The voice of the announcement desperately searching for the conductor.

【If you’re not here, we……………】

Crash! Shatter!

A chandelier falling right next to it, ending the desperate voice looking for the conductor.

And the floor and the outer walls of the building began to shake in succession.

Park Yeon-jung knows about this phenomenon.

The space where the main ghost story that created this ghost story has disappeared.

It means that the power to maintain this phenomenon has disappeared.

Shatter!!

This place will soon collapse.

【No! I don’t want to die! Conductor! Conductor! Please don’t abandon us!】

You’re making a fuss until the very end!

At this rate, I might be buried under the numerous chandeliers on the ceiling.

I have to run away.

…But where to?

[Where else.]

But at that moment.

A familiar and unpleasant male voice that brushes past my ear so casually.

Thud!

And along with the familiar sound of lighting.

[Congratulations on achieving your first business performance! Employee Park Yeon-jung!!]

I was back in the library.