It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story Chapter 017

When the Field Exploration Team Group D entered the horror story.

“Manager, what do you think the grade will be for this one? Is D the safe bet?”

“Oh, this chief. Let’s keep that to ourselves, okay?”

“……”

“As fun as it is, let’s just keep it quiet inside the development department. No need to bring it up around other teams. Got it?”

“……Ah, yes.”

The team leader from the research team who had been smirking while talking about the bets finally shut his mouth.

It felt annoying that Manager Gwak Je-gang, who was quite laid-back and younger, was reprimanding him for such trivial matters.

And the irritation began to recall that more annoying confrontation.

The newbie from the Field Exploration Team!

‘Look at how they’re rolling their eyes at their superior.’

They were just about to let the newbie join the bet, but the newbie flat-out rejected it as if it was ridiculous.

That blank expression of theirs, seeming to mock him, stuck in his memory. Was their name Kim Sol-eum?

‘You guys are nothing but guinea pigs for human experiments. Who do you think you are acting so high and mighty?’

If you were a newbie in the Field Exploration Team, half your life was already forfeit. Yet here they were, acting all stiff just because they had one good performance—it was laughable.

He had heard that every year new recruits clueless like that show up, and now he was finally witnessing it himself.

‘Are they going to die? That’d be funny.’

His morally numb brain was anticipating dopamine and making his mouth water.

He quickly sent a message.

A group chat for the company’s anonymous betting.

– I’m putting 10 on D.

– oK

It was more of a hopeful thought. If it was D grade, the chances of dying would definitely be higher!

At that moment, a superior chimed in.

“Hey, chief, make sure the preliminary report is organized by the time we clock out today.”

“…Yes, yes.”

‘As if those experimental rats will manage to make it out of the dark before I clock out anyway.’

He was being tasked with something that he could just naturally pass off to a junior during the shift change.

‘Why is my superior acting this way?’

The research team leader grumbled internally as he continued drafting the experiment’s preliminary report.

– 3.2 Test Subjects

Adults aged 18 and above who’ve witnessed a 5-second advertisement titled ‘The Clown Hates You’ on a specific video site.

‘After seeing this, they got dragged in by the clown’s hand, right?’

Wasn’t it foolish to approach?

If something seems shady, you should run away; at this point, dying could be considered as natural causes.

‘But then again, there are lucky civilians who manage to survive.’

According to the previously reported testimonies of civilian survivors, they entered the empty portrait the clown exited and found their way back to reality.

‘But which portrait is the right one remains unfathomed.’

The type of hallway, the size of the portraits, the picture frames, and even the timings were all different.

Most just mindlessly jumped into the empty portraits the clown had left, and only a few lucky ones returned.

‘Finding the answer to this will take an unimaginable effort.’

Waking the clown, evading it, and sometimes even confronting it would require an enormous amount of stamina in that darkness.

At the same time, not knowing which portrait is the right one would surely stress them out!

At this rate, it seemed almost certain that one or two would meet their demise, as they would force each other to sacrifice themselves during testing.

‘To escape, it would probably take at least half a day, or maybe several days….’

“Waaaah!”

“Clear!”

“……”

“……”

Huh?

The researcher turned his head.

On one side of the lab, people suddenly spilled out from around the corner.

…All members of the Field Exploration Team Group D!

“……?!”

“The Dream Collection Device is all set, right?”

“Yes! Oh, it’s D-grade!”

He reflexively checked his watch.

2:41 PM.

‘They entered at 2:15 PM….’

26 minutes had passed since their entry.

Wait a moment.

‘…26 minutes?!’

Seeing the four members of Group D popping out of the horror story in what was practically the time it takes to run to the café, an oppressive silence blanketed the Research Team’s office.

‘Is this… a dream?’

No.

‘Have we also fallen into a horror story?’

No.

“…Oh my God! No way! How did you all get out so early?! Huh? Manager, did you break something again?”

In response to Gwak Je-gang’s astonishment, several replies poured in.

“It wasn’t us.”

“Right.”

“It was that one.”

The simultaneous words of D team’s superiors made Gwak Je-gang’s eyes widen.

“…We meet again.”

The quiet newbie standing at the back nodded.

It was Kim Sol-eum.

“…That friend did it?”

‘They’re just a newbie, right?’ was the unspoken thought answered with a bland reply.

“Why the sudden surprise?”

“The doe also did something like this on their first day.”

“…??”

The D team’s assistant manager and chief didn’t provide more answers and began organizing their masks.

Manager Lee Ja-heon nodded.

“Seems so.”

“……”

“This horror story is D-grade.”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

Manager Lee Ja-heon immediately began the report. Gwak Je-gang, accustomed to this stream-of-consciousness way of speaking focused on personal efficiency, quickly chimed in.

“Then how does the clear mechanism work?”

“? I don’t know.”

“……”

“Ah. Would it be okay if I share?”

The newbie raised their hand.

“Uh, sure… go ahead.”

“Firstly… to enter this darkness, you must have previously witnessed the clown advertisement titled ‘The Clown Hates You.’”

“Exactly.”

“But the clown is not a clown in the traditional sense.”

“……??”

“A clown is a performer who paints in colorful makeup and entertains with tricks and jokes. It’s a kind of traditional entertainer.”

So?

“But the clown here has a monochrome makeup and a sad expression.”

“…!”

“That’s a definite difference.”

A faint smile formed on Kim Sol-eum’s pale face before vanishing.

“And since it’s called ‘The Clown Hates You,’ I figured they wouldn’t come after us.”

Entertainers wouldn’t chase their disliked audience.

“To prove this, I looked for a monochrome portrait with just a red mouth and completely avoided all other portraits.”

“……”

“And just to be safe, we secured a 3-meter safe distance and approached the painting remotely to touch it.”

To have cleared such an unfamiliar dark space in 30 minutes while considering all that?

Moreover, judging by the results…

“The clown did not come out of the portrait.”

“…!”

“Instead, they quietly disappeared from the painting.”

This newbie had discovered the exact answer.

While the civilians had been chased by clowns falling from various portraits, D Group, keeping a distance, had perfectly grasped the situation.

Chills ran down their spine.

Furthermore, they had considered other variable factors.

“There are records showing that if you shine a light, clowns pop out from every portrait, so we didn’t use any light source.”

“Uh? Then how did you determine the portrait state, keeping 3 meters away in the dark?”

“Ah.”

Kim Sol-eum blinked.

“The team leader here recognized it even without seeing closely….”

“……”

Ah.

Gwak Je-gang fought against the urge to glance at the D Group leader, who seemed perfectly capable of ‘the strength of a human itself.’

“From the next entrants, having night vision goggles would probably ensure things go smoothly.”

“Ah, I see, I see.”

“That’s all.”

A heavy silence once again descended.

Gwak Je-gang quietly muttered to himself.

“So… they deduced everything just based on pre-existing information.”

“Yes.”

The newbie added, as if realizing something.

“Perhaps there hasn’t been anyone familiar with American everyday culture among those who have entered before.”

“……”

Could it really be explained that simply…?

“Uh, did Sol-eum go abroad for studies or something?”

“That’s not it.”

Kim Sol-eum quickly replied.

“I just have a lot of miscellaneous knowledge.”

“……”

The researchers witnessed a rare sight: Gwak Je-gang lost for words!

“Ah, according to this theory, I’ve also prepared a makeshift manual. Fortunately, Chief Park Min-seong lent me his notebook…”

“Uh, don’t take all the credit~ It’s all you, doe~”

Amid the backdrop of the researcher’s voice disguised in a badger mask, Gwak Je-gang observed him handing over the notebook.

Leaning to peek at it.

Inside, there was a clear summary of the hypothesis Kim Sol-eum had just explained.

‘…!’

Gwak Je-gang scanned it thoroughly and closed it with a smile.

“…Hmm, let’s give it a try.”

“Yes.”

Thus, the prototype manual was completed.

By just one person, no less, the newbie.

“……”

The researchers who had gambled on that bet wondered if they were dreaming in that moment.

Even if they happened to know about clowns… could they seriously construct a theory to escape so smoothly in an extreme situation and do it in 30 minutes?

No. Does this even make sense?

‘Maybe they’re a monster pretending to be human?’

But how could something like that even get hired in the Field Exploration Team?

The Dream Collection Device was supposed to respond only to humans, right?

“Team leader, if that thing came from the darkness in the hands of the research team, it would be a bit different.”

“Yes.”

In the midst of that, Manager Lee Ja-heon returned a piece of fabric he was holding.

“Then….”

“Oh, the team leader dashed forward when the clown tried to escape….”

It was a ripped piece of clothing from when he dashed the 3 meters to grab the clown’s collar to prevent its escape.

“……”

‘Are they two of a kind?’

Could they be cousins or something? Now that he looked at it, they seemed somewhat similar too. Both had that sly look about them.

The researcher almost found himself succumbing to an absurd fantasy.

And the newbie who gave him such shock and horror…

‘So, I survived.’

He was still trembling, heart racing from having acted without thinking!

‘Why does the clown have teeth?! Why is it skinning people?! Why is it swallowing people like balloons down the drain?!’

Witnessing all sorts of moving ghost portraits in real time, he developed an unexpected fear of clowns today!

‘Adding insomnia reasons to my list….’

Amidst all that, he found it surprising that he managed to bluff his way out of the situation.

‘No, did I really manage to get away with it?’

Weren’t things a little too suspicious?

I’m not going to get caught and dragged to the Daydream Corporation’s underground laboratory, am I?!

Just as Kim Sol-eum was on the verge of letting anxiety take control, Gwak Je-gang, who had been quietly passing the notebook, spoke up.

“…Newbie Kim Sol-eum, did you perhaps receive a business card or something?”

Roused back to reality, Kim Sol-eum responded surely.

“No. Newbies don’t get business cards yet….”

“Oh come on, you know that’s not what I mean.”

“……”

For a moment, anxiety ceased in Kim Sol-eum’s mind.

Something came to her.

The business card that was handed out at the welcome meeting.

───

For when needed

010-0153-24865

───

The team leader of Research Team 1 smiled.

“If you want to earn points faster, you should contact that number.”

“……”

“I think Sol-eum will contact them soon enough.”

It was quite a tempting proposal.

However.

“I’m fine,” Kim Sol-eum replied, unwavering.

“…Hmm. In that case.”

Gwak Je-gang shrugged it off casually.

“Is there really any reason not to contact them? Haha.”

“……”

It was simple.

‘A scarier event… yeah, I’d like to pass on that.’

Once again, the heart of the coward who had been severely beaten.

Kim Sol-eum resolved to settle down with this triple reward point event!