Chapter Text
A shiver flows up Kim Soleum’s spine the moment Baek Saheon leaves their dorm.
‘Did I play up the psychotic act too much?’
Perhaps sending all those serial killer warning messages had broken his roommate.
Blissfully hoping his roommate was not plotting revenge against him, he makes a move to leave the dorm himself when-
Vrrr
His phone vibrates.
There was an alert on his phone.
Scanning the contents of the notification, his gaze turned curious as he realizes what the notification is for.
The DER Wiki app was… updating.
– Oh dear, we’re back already?
‘Braun?’
– Hold on, there’s quite a lot for your dear friend to catch up on. Goodness, I’ll need popcorn for this!
“...?”
As he waits for Braun to… catch up, he watches as a loading bar fills beneath the app icon until-
[Update Completed]
Hastily, he opens up the app and searches for any discrepancies. But the interface was still the same and there was no indication that anything had changed.
He frowned.
Perhaps…
Thinking back to his roommate’s strange behavior, with nervous fingertips, he types the name ‘Viper’ into the Wiki’s search bar.
When a named character became popular enough, a character profile page would be created on the wiki. Due to the nature of the site, there usually wasn’t enough concrete information to gain a full background of the character. At most, there would be a couple of hyperlinks leading to various entries and ghost stories the character had appeared in.
Viper’s was no different.
A brief description of his appearance as a young male in his twenties with brown hair, green eyes, and a blood type of A.
A total of 106 explorations as Section Chief.
And links to various ghost stories related to Viper.
However, scrolling down further, there was a set of entries he had never seen before…
[Exploration Log #10]
Exploration ends after Viper is crushed in the abdominal region during a drunken altercation which led to an accidental overuse of strength by Supervisor ██.
Kim Soleum meets with the disguised Bureau agent who accepts his offering of churros from the theme park Darkness he had previously explored.
“This isn’t exactly what I was looking for.” The agent says, looking a bit distracted. He was fiddling with something in his hands. “There was a previous seller before you who gave me something better.”
‘A previous seller?’
“In this case, if it’s alright, I will purchase them for a third of the original price each.”
That was fine.
Hastily, he writes on his notepad,
—Thank you. I really needed the money. ^^
“...”
He decides to peer closer into the man’s hands and spots more details on the blocky object. It was a cassette tape? With a yellow sticky note on top.
“Ah, are you curious about this?” The agent spots his gaze.
He hesitantly nods.
“Just something I picked up from the previous seller. No need to concern yourself with it.”
The agent looks up into the distance.
“A good civilian that one.” He murmurs.
Kim Soleum wonders who the previous seller must be to earn such praise.
[Exploration Log #9]
After undergoing contamination by taking the role of designated serial killer in 1489PSYA.1991.RA84, Viper is executed by a Bureau agent.
The weekend passes with hardly any other accidents, becoming surprisingly restful. A full breakfast is cooked and laid out in the morning and the TV is already turned on in the living room where he can watch his cartoons. Baek Saheon, however, is nowhere to be found.
‘He must have left for work early.’
Chewing carefully on his ganjang-gejang[1], he looks down at Braun.
“Braun?”
– Hm? Yes, my good friend?
He hesitates.
“Do you know what is going on with my roommate?”
– I couldn’t possibly say! That would ruin the surprise!
Figures.
He sighed.
It seemed he would have to find out what was going on with his roommate himself. If Baek Saheon was doing this to tell him he wasn’t scared of him anymore then…
Should he up the intimidation act more?
“Roe Deer! Welcome in!” Park Minseong cried, holding a grocery bag filled to the brim with snacks.
Kim Soleum gazes at the bag in curiosity. It wasn’t unusual to have snacks in their breakroom but this many…
“Would you like some?” His senior holds up the bag.
“Err…” He was still quite full from the morning’s extravagant breakfast.
“Save it for later. I have some news to bring to your attention, Roe Deer.” Eun Haje struts in, her blazer slung over her shoulder. “We’re getting a new member.”
Ah.
This wasn’t an unusual decision. Most squads typically consisted of a three-squad quota and occasionally they’d assign one or two new members to train them up. Now that he was a supervisor, a decision must have been made to promote a member from a lower-ranked squad into D-Squad.
It would probably be a member from one of the clean-up squads.
“Squad Leader is bringing them over.”
Kim Soleum swallowed nervously.
If it was someone from the clean-up squad, perhaps they would have a skittish personality similar to Jang Heoun. A fellow coward would be nice…
He crossed his fingers discreetly.
Anything-!
Anything but a psychopath!
“Make sure to treat them nicely, Roe Deer.” Park Minseong murmured from beside him. “Not everyone can clear Darknesses as efficiently as you can so try not to overwhelm them.”
His senior shook his grocery bag.
“So the snacks-”
“You catch on quickly! Yes, they are for our new rookie!”
“Ah, he’s here.” Eun Haje crossed her arms, spotting a commotion at the entrance to the breakroom.
When Kim Soleum turned to look-
Standing beside the lizard Squad Leader, looking obscenely smug, was his roommate, his batch mate, and former F-squad member-
Baek Saheon.
“Soleum-ah,” Baek Saheon calls as soon as his eyes land on him.
A shiver runs up his spine.
“Now that I’m here, you can rely on me.”
The squad chatters around him as he freezes in place.
“Oh? It seems you two are more acquainted than I thought. You should have brought rings, Minseong.”
“I should have, shouldn’t I! Looks like there will be no issue with our newest members getting along!”
“Affirmative.”
Kim Soleum distinctly felt his soul flying away before wrestling it back in. He had to put this psychopathic coworker in his place or they would risk excessive trolling during their explorations!
He looked down on Baek Saheon and smiled thinly.
“Hey… let’s work closely together from now-”
He cut himself off.
Baek Saheon had blushed.
There was a flash of light, and he looked dumbly at Eun Haje who had her camera out.
“Really adorable you two…”
‘No, please save me…’
[Exploration Log #8]
Employee Viper is terminated after exposure to █████ while searching for a Supervisor with a silver serpent ring aboard a train headed to Mokpo.
After exploring several Darknesses, a strange pattern had started to emerge.
Baek Saheon was scarily efficient.
His teammate cleared Darknesses at a speed that matched him, and sometimes at an even faster pace than his brain could keep up with.
“Our rookies are so talented! How lucky~”
So this is the power of the Viper…
Seeing his roommate agilely use his items and effectively forced them out of Darknesses with little regard to anyone but the team, it should have sent Kim Soleum into a feared frenzy knowing those same skills could ruthlessly be turned on him.
But actually…
He really liked it.
There was something mesmerizing about the way Goat moved with confident composure, striding and barking out orders as if he had done it a thousand times before.
Plus, it was thanks to his roommate that the time it took to clear a Darkness had been cut down to an average of mere minutes.
With Goat, those ghost stories which had seemed so dangerous to a coward like Kim Soleum had effectively become… not so scary.
Inside the Darkness that housed Sekwang Technical High School, Kim Soleum was treated to a bizarre sight…
His coworker was talking to a Bureau agent.
Specifically, the same Bureau agent he had sold his churros off to.
“This is my work number.”
Baek Saheon looked vaguely disgusted.
Kim Soleum felt something unpleasant twist in his heart.
“...It’s a guaranteed job until the age of 65, with a grade-based salary system. Since it’s a specialized position, there are additional allowances.”
Oh.
It was a recruitment pitch.
What a relief.
Though, thinking about the Viper who seemed the complete opposite of everything the DMB stood for joining such an agency, it was really too funny. There was no way such a self-serving person would join.
Just as he thought, his roommate refused the offer.
However, his roommate had also taken the recruitment pitch as something entirely different.
“To think your heart would sway so easily just because I have a decent face.” Baek Saheon spouted angrily. “Can you really call yourself a civil servant when your eyes wander so easily?”
And for some reason, his roommate kept on glancing at him!
Leave me out of this please…
“You’re right. I should have approached more tactfully…” The agent said, looking much more morose. “Civilian, I’ll tell my colleague about you when we get out. The Bureau could use a mindset like yours.”
“Good. Your colleague is more handsome than you.
“I’ll tell him that too.”
Kim Soleum gripped the pen in his hand so tightly that it snapped.
The sound made the Bureau agent stiffen.
“Ah, it’s you…” The agent looked at his mask as if in betrayal. “So you were-”
“Deer!” Saheon shouted, grasping his arm with sudden force. “I already know so you can quit your job! You don’t need anyone else but me. They don’t pay you enough anyway.”
“Um…”
“I see. So that was the situation. It’s more dangerous than I thought.” The Bureau agent nodded, seeming to come to some conclusion in his head. “Don’t worry, civilian. I understand.”
Why did it feel like there were two different conversations happening?
[Exploration Log #7]
The Employee Viper is fatally hit by a DMB-issued bike from a highly stressed agent responding to a rescue call who had been driving after a full week of no sleep.
“The newest member of your squad, Saheon-ssi. I had him fast-tracked to your squad as soon as he requested it.”
Kim Soleum sat in the breakroom, feeling his nerves run haywire as the Director suddenly struck a conversation with him the one day Baek Saheon wasn’t there by his side to block such hazardous conversations.
“The Fox Counseling Office is always open for all of your needs.” The Director reminds him for the nth time since their conversation started.
“Relationship counseling is included.”
“...Yes.”
Director Ho lowers his voice, his eyes baring down on him.
“Relationship counseling is included, Soleum-ssi.”
Kim Soleum feels a cold sweat trickle down his back. Why did the Director keep emphasizing that part?
“I will keep that in mind.” He replied neutrally.
Director Ho picked up his cup of green tea, looking excessively pleased. If the Director had a tail, he imagined it would be swishing frantically back and forth.
He really had a hard time deciphering what this meeting was for if they were just going to talk about his roommate and counseling.
Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long.
“Thanks to the information your coworker provided, I have decided you would be a good fit for the Project team.”
The secret project he had only heard mere rumors about. Until he gathered more information about this project, it would be better to politely reject-
“I already made all the arrangements for you to join. You’ll put in the effort, right Soleum-ssi?”
The dreaded sudden forced workload by a higher-up!
“Of course,” Kim Soleum solemnly accepted. “About what exactly I will be tasked with…”
“I suppose I mustn’t delay the surprise any longer. It’s a co-opted assignment with the government to investigate a Darkness.”
That didn’t seem too bad…
If the government was involved, then at least the project wouldn’t suffer from the pitfalls of an unregulated research hell zone.
Which meant this project actually had been created in an official capacity.
The government and an insidious company like Daydream working together seemed unorthodox but perhaps there was a secret partnership going on in the background he hadn’t heard about.
Though, wasn’t this Director infamous for his hatred for the Disaster Management Bureau?
A nervous dread overcame him. What had his roommate been saying for him to be recruited like this?
“This Darkness we will be investigating…” He picked up his coffee to stifle his nerves and took a sip.
“That’s right!” Director Ho’s eyes gleamed. “Have you heard of Sekwang Special Metropolitan City?”
Coffee dribbled out of his mouth.
Oh shit.
[Exploration Log #6]
Employee Viper goes missing in the Fox Counseling Office after visit #1█. Several rescue attempts made to retrieve the employee end in failure.
“I need some relationship advice.” He tells Go Yeongeun one day between all of the work between exploring Sekwang and various Darknesses.
“If you’re asking, Soleum-ssi, it must be hard on you. Do go on…” His batch mate says. There’s a certain shine in her eyes, as if she was excited by the prospect of him asking her for advice. Well, she had always thought positively of him compared to his roommate.
“I think my roommate has a crush on me.”
“So you have noticed. I really thought you were going to remain oblivious to all of his advances.”
“Well…”
“You need advice on how to shut him down, right? Don’t worry, just tell him the truth and bash his head in with a hammer if he doesn’t listen. I’ll even do it for you if that’s too much for your kind heart, Soleum-ssi.”
“Actually…”
Go Yongeun’s eyes widened, reading his face. “Don’t tell me…”
She hangs her head in her hands.
“You’ve been corrupted…!” She wails.
It was productive talking to Goral. He should seek her out more for advice.
By the end of the conversation, Kim Soleum was finally able to form his thoughts into words.
[Exploration Log #5]
A transfer student pushes b█ugg█ed entran█t Viper off a rooftop.
“I know you’re in a timeloop.” He confesses to Baek Saheon.
The man looks at him as if he has hung the stars.
He shuffles, feeling a bit awkward. “I don’t know what I might have been like in those loops before but since I know you’re in a timeloop now, I won’t act that way anymore. It would be pointless on you.”
Acting psychotic had only proved to backfire on him so far.
“Soleum-ah, you’re always so smart. But- that’s not it anymore.”
It wasn’t?
“This is my last life. And I’ve decided to spend it all with you. My agent.”
Oh.
His hands trembled slightly.
If this really was the end to Baek Saheon’s timeloop, then he needed to say it now.
He needed to correct this misunderstanding.
Kim Soleum wasn’t sure where Baek Saheon got the impression that he was some DMB agent somewhere along the way within his timeloops. But if Baek Saheon really wanted to waste his life away with a guy like him, then it was best to break the illusion now.
Let this coworker of his live his life without any delusions.
His throat closed up and it took him several tries to get his voice out.
Once he said it, it would all be over.
The longing looks, the clinging attachment, that utter devotion.
But it needed to be said.
Because his roommate deserved better.
“I’m not an agent.”
There, he said it.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
If it came down to it, if this guy didn’t believe him, he’ll prove it to him. He had prepared. A hammer in his tattoo space, documented evidence of non-agent-like deeds, and a whole speech that would shut down any misconceptions.
“...”
Slowly, dreadfully, Kim Soleum opened his eyes.
Like he expected, Baek Saheon was looking at him, wide-eyed.
“I’m sorry-”
“That means-”
A pleased hiss.
“You’re unaffiliated.”
Huh?
Was this another misconception? Should he pull out the hammer now? Perhaps the blood-sucking knife would be a better substitute-
Baek Saheon clasped his hands, the love packed into that singular eye was still the same as ever.
“Soleum-ah, I love you no matter what form you take.”
His heart thrummed.
He smiled.
“Thank you, Saheon.”
The man blushed.
Huh.
“Really, thank you.”
If possible, his roommate’s face grew redder.
“W-What are you doing?” Baek Saheon coughed. “Throwing away your gratitude so freely. I better not hear you say that to anyone else. What? Did you think I wouldn’t understand? I know you.”
Kim Soleum was learning a lot about his roommate today. He really had underestimated the knowledge this man had gained through his timeloops.
He’s not as blind as I thought.
A heady sensation hummed throughout him.
‘I think I am in love.’
[Seriously? With that snake? My dear good friend, surely you have better tastes than that.]
Of course Braun had to comment.
‘I like him. He makes me feel safe.’
He prayed Braun would understand.
[Hmm you two have given me a good show. Alright then, as your good friend, I will support you two.]
Thank goodness.
[But if you ever feel that snake isn’t treating you right, I will be there as your good friend to support you through the heartache. The show could always use some kindling.]
'.....'
He could never let those two meet.
[Exploration Log #4]
An empty vial lying beside a cold husk of a body is discovered by a black-haired agent inside a home in Jisan village. It is presumed Agent Snake used a wish ticket from Daydream Inc. Recorded as deceased upon investigation.
“Lizard Chief, could I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“It’s… Space Shopping Mall related.”
“I see.”
Kim Soleum breached the topic warily.
“Has the Space Shopping Mall always applied such… excessive discounts?”
“...?”
The Space Shopping Mall, despite its eye-burning site design, was an amazing place to purchase reliable items. Like any shop, it also ran discounts across its various shop items.
It’s just…
Items (★SPECIAL DISCOUNT APPLIED!★)
Happy Maker – ₩27,999,999 ★
Nostalgia Candy – ₩12,999,999 ★
₩1
Wrapper 12B357나 – ₩9,999,999
₩1
Necronomicon – ₩49,999,999
₩1
Silver Serpent Ring – ₩99,999,999 ★
₩1
We Can Help! – ₩66,666,666
₩1
This discount seemed much too generous to be true. Anyone would think this was a scam if they saw this.
“I’m concerned the shop is not earning any revenue.”
“? Is this a complaint?”
“Not really…” He was benefitting from the discounts after all.
“Are you wondering about the source of the discount?”
“...Yes.”
“Saheon-ssi was subjected to collateral damage from ‘Us.’ Saheon-ssi has agreed to use his complementary discount in this timeline as compensation. The discount extends to connected couples.”
'…'
‘Braun, what is he talking about?’
[Ah, that headless lizard must be talking about that crude wish that snake made!]
‘Wish?’
[Yes, something like ‘I wish I could stay with the person I love most dearly forever in each timeline.’ Very cheesy. This dull, barbaric lizard must have taken such a promise as a romantic engagement.]
“We’re not engaged.”
“? …But you are connected to Saheon-ssi.”
He swallowed.
If his roommate was going around making wishes about him, he needed to go find out what other potential wishes he made if they were affecting him like this.
Is this what it felt like finding out a long-term crush had actually been engaged the whole time?
Except it had happened to him.
But more importantly…
“You knew Saheon was in a timeloop this whole time?”
“Yes.”
“.....”
He felt a sudden overwhelming pity for Baek Saheon.
“If you value your life... Never mention what you know to Saheon ever.”
“I see.”
He’s not sure if Lee Jaheon really understood.
‘Well, at least I got the ring at a good price.’
A silver ring with a serpent engraved into it. Perfect for warding away mental contamination.
[It pains me to see my good friend spend so frugally at such a substandard shop!]
Braun was really getting frustrated by this.
‘It’s not a bad item though?’
[You say that but I couldn’t bear to see my good friend married under some poor travesty of a shabby arch with that cheapskate snake!]
Did Braun think the ring was for-
No.
‘…Once again, we’re not engaged.’
A malicious laughter echoed in his head.
[Don’t worry about anything. Leave it all to me.]
“Would you like some advice?” Lee Jaheon suddenly said.
Advice?
Hesitantly, he nodded.
“Don’t listen to that doll.”
[That brute!] Braun fumed.
[Exploration Log #3]
The Coalition takes no responsibility for damages accrued during an emergency request.
A company dinner was organized inside a barbeque restaurant. All members taking part in Director Ho’s project had been invited including two government agents who unashamedly listened in on the company’s gossip while wearing masks.
The dinner was originally planned to be a celebration of the progress made on the project, however…
“Congratulations on your engagement!”
“When’s the wedding?”
“Mr. Cat? Mr. Cat is getting married?”
It had turned into a Chong-gak party[2].
“Jagiya, I’m glad you’re talking to me again.” His fiancé huddled next to him, affectionately feeding him with chopsticks. “You had me worried.”
Right, he had stopped talking to Baek Saheon after hearing all the crazy wishes he had made.
‘Wishing me a ‘terrible end’ seriously…’
At least the wish for him to be well-loved and safe seemed to have overwritten that wish.
‘Huuu.’
He really hadn’t known whether to laugh or cry at such abominable wishes. His fiancé really knew how to terrify him sometimes.
“You’re not angry at me, right?”
“No.”
“It kind of sounds like you still are…”
Across from them, Assistant Manager Butterfly looked at them as if they were giving her an ear-splitting headache.
“I’m not angry, Goat-ya.” He placated his fiancé.
And he really wasn’t angry at all.
He nervously ran his fingers together.
An anxious thrum rang through his body.
Because today… today would be the day!
His biggest confession!
He picked a time when the mood was right and everyone was a bit drunk by the alcohol and atmosphere.
“I have something I’ve always wanted to tell you.”
Baek Saheon looked at him curiously. “Something I don’t know?”
“Yes.”
He was confident he had never told Baek Saheon this in any of the other timeloops. A secret he kept close to his heart.
He took a big breath.
“Actually…” He shyly curled his head. “I’m a coward.”
Baek Saheon blinked at him. “I think I misheard.”
“I really am! I’m a coward!”
“Hah, quit messing around, jagiya. What’s the actual confession?”
“...”
Well, not everything could be won against this idiot.
“I love you.”
Baek Saheon grinned. “You didn’t have to be so shy to say that. I know.”
His roommate leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek.
“I love you too, my agent.” Baek Saheon whispered darkly, venomous fangs poking out.
He spotted Dolphin raising a drink to him out of the corner of his eye. ‘Good.’ She mouthed.
He tried really hard to ignore it.
Baek Saheon leans onto him. “Where should we get married?”
“Um,” Kim Soleum sweats slightly.
He actually had been trying to avoid bringing this up.
“Braun has an idea.”
His fiancé pulled away from him, face paling significantly.
[Exploration Log #2]
█130666███ █████ ███Hunter██ ██contam████ation████ Security Team ███ ends.
“You’re making us so proud, Roe Deer!”
“How did you end up getting married before the rest of us, you lucky bastard.”
Park Minseong and Eun Haje congratulated him as he waited for the moment when he would be called up to the altar.
While he was thankful for them showing up to his wedding, he could understand why they looked a bit shaken and pale.
That reason being-
G O O D C H I L D.
The Blue Dragon Mascot patted him on the head, slightly ruffling his bridal veil.
How was the Blue Dragon mascot here?
Well-
That was because the Darkness that was formerly St. Anticus Boarding School, or Qterw-C-5012, was absolutely torn apart by the wedding guests and transformed into the official wedding venue.
‘Braun, what have you done?’
Hyunmoo Team 1 had been hired as the cleanup crew, their specialty as exorcists of the traditional unknown made them a perfect choice.
“So you need some uninvited guests cleared out of this Disaster to make some room for your wedding. Sounds like my kind of party~” Agent Choi grinned, swinging forth his Jakdu.
They were more annoying than he thought. He really had no idea why his lover ever thought he was one of them in the past.
“I knew all you cultish corpos were crazy but this is on a whole other level haha! Luckily, the trainees here need some rescuing so we’ll help you out. Just expect us to ask the favor back, okay Grapes? Oh, you don’t mind if I call you Grapes, right? Did you know your groom called me handsome once?”
“...”
But they were effective.
And with the combined might of a couple of DMB agents, an overpowered alien lizard, a legendary TV show host, and a former timelooping time-traveler—
This poor C-grade Darkness was no match.
The original, hauntingly ghostly Bride which once ruled over the kidnapped trainees of this Darkness had effectively evaporated.
Her bridal veil now worn atop his head like some demented reward.
This once gore-filled ghost story, which had brought terror to readers like Kim Soleum, had been destructively subjugated into a whole other horror story altogether. The writer must be crying in their sleep from this.
“It’s time.”
He kept a straight face as he walked down the aisle with the Blue Dragon mascot.
He ignored how some of the guests were distinctly not human.
Crunch!
J3 was absolutely not eating the incorporeal entity next to him despite the massive stack of donuts which had been brought to keep the sergeant appeased.
Nope. He did not see it.
The legendary TV show host was also not taking up the most space at the front of the guest seating, woefully wiping his screen as he passed by like an uninvited widow.
Instead, what he focused on-
Was his beautiful, handsome groom wearing a three-piece white suit, hair stylistically slicked back, with an ornate eye patch over his left eye.
“You crazy fucker…” Baek Saheon muttered to him once they met at the altar.
Getting married inside a Darkness was crazy.
But it did save on expenses with the Darkness providing the venue.
Plus, this reaction… he really liked it.
Jang Heoun, Baek Saheon’s best man, brought forth their rings.
“You’re doing great, hyung.” He heard the man murmur before the skittish man shuffled away.
Finally, Lee Jaheon read out their vows with all of the solemnity that a man with a lizard face could provide.
“Do you take Soleum-ssi as your lawfully wedded wife?” Squad leader addressed his groom.
Hold on, wife?
“I do.”
Baek Saheon seemed to have no problem with it.
“And you, Soleum-ssi. Do you take Saheon-ssi as your lawfully wedded wife?”
“...”
…It seems the lizard had gotten confused about human wedding customs.
“...I do.”
The silver serpent ring looked good on Baek Saheon’s hand.
“Til death do us part…”
Lee Jaheon snapped the Necronomicon in his hand shut.
“...You may now kiss the bride.”
Finally.
Baek Saheon lifted his veil, his back arching as he was pulled into an eager viper’s kiss.
[Exploration Log #1]
Viper is judged by The Scale of Evil as guilty for the crime of obsessive love.
FIN.