Archive of Our Own ^beta

Ding-Ding-Ding!  

“Wha—?!”

[Winner! Winner!]  

“Ah! Congratulations, Miss! How lucky!” 

Colorful confetti burst from the stand, strips of little glittery paper flew in the air like a tiny wind storm. Someone blew on a party horn that pierced into her ears and clapping was sounded all around her from the staff. 

It was honestly way too extravagant.

“You’ve won the grand prize of it all! Two tickets to the Spring Flower Hot Spring Resort! Thank you so much for playing!” 

“…uh, thank you?” 

What started as a complete whim while out shopping for groceries, suddenly transformed into her winning the grand prize at a seemingly small lottery game. The chances of winning this sort of thing…

“…what am I supposed to…?” 

Two brightly colored tickets were now in her hand. Flowers printed in the corners with an elegant font spelling out the name of the resort. 

If she was the type of person, she’d say it was pretty, maybe even cute. 

But Eun Haje wasn’t that kind of person. Not anymore at least. The years of working as a corporate slave have long since killed off the kind of person needed to find this sort of ridiculousness cute. 

Still.

Looking at these tickets, they made her wonder. Who would be the best person to bring along as a plus one? For a hot spring resort no less. 

It’s not like she could ask her family, they’re all busy with their own thing and it’s been so long since any contact was exchanged between either side. 

Perhaps of her squad members?

Who though? 

Lee Jaheon? Yeah no.

Park Minseong? Maybe, but he usually uses whatever off time he has to visit his own family. Chances are he’s gonna be too busy. 

Kim Soleum? 

“Hmm……” 

Kim Soleum. The top recruit of the 17th batch. He’s also the newest member of D-squad and her junior. A pretty hard worker and always gets the job done in a quick and much more efficient way than even the most detailed of manuals. On top of that, he’s a sweet kid. A bit too naive to be honest but he’s got a good head on his shoulders despite the precarious and sometimes outright hostile work environment of the office. 

Hmm…indeed. 

Her latest hoobae would be perfect as a plus one for this trip to the hot springs. Knowing him, he’ll nervously accept without much questions and as far as she was concerned, Kim Soleum lived in the company dorms like most other employees working for Daydream so there wasn’t worry of not being able to catch him outside of work hours to ask. 

Yes, Kim Soleum will be her plus one and the both of them were gonna take a nice, sweet vacation to the Spring Flower Hot Spring Resort to get away from that stuffy office that was their corporate job. 

-///-

“Huh? Me?” 

“Yes, you. Wanna come or not?”

For someone a good bit taller than her, Kim Soleum looked so young and small while pointing at himself with that confused expression. Nevermind the fact that he was a good half a head taller than her. His sharp features were ever slightly softened out by the furrow between his brows and the tiny frown warping his lips.  His neat appearance only added to his innocent demeanor as his face twisted up in confusion. 

Lee Jaheon didn’t count as he looked very neat and clean, he seemed more unapproachable and apathetic than their youngest. His face was blank and looked as if he’d been carved from white marble itself. 

The handsome bastard. 

“But—But why me, Assistant Manager..?”

The kid looked so bewildered and lost by such an unexpected invite. Trying to work that wonderful brain of his like her question was one of the Darknesses they were assigned to. 

It was entirely too endearing. 

“You seem like the best option. My family won’t give me the time of day, Section Chief only cares about work, and Supervisor Park will be busy during the time slots for these tickets.” 

“......” 

“Plus, out of everyone here, I have a feeling only you would be able to appreciate these sorts of things with me. Just between you and me, Supervisor Park wouldn’t be able to understand why hot springs are so nice to sit in.” 

From the entrance to their office, a bright, cheerful voice rang out. 

“Hey now, are you slandering me, Assistant Manager?”

Park Minseong enters their office with a tray of coffees from the cafe downstairs. The company logo sticker plastered all over the cups and steam rising from one of the cups. 

That cup was probably hers. 

Black and piping hot. 

“Thanks. And it’s not slander if it’s true, y’know.”

“Oh how cruel you are to me. I even got you your favorite coffee with the money from my paycheck.” 

This guy…

Really now. 

“Oh please, as your senior, you’re supposed to be getting me drinks everyday as a good junior subordinate but no. I’m such a kind senior who doesn’t do that to my juniors no matter how disrespectful they may be.” 

Park Minseong just laughed brightly while handing over that sugary monstrosity covered in whip cream to Kim Soleum. The man retrieving such an abomination politely gave his thanks and sipped away at the straw with the same clueless innocent face of his. 

Such a kid, that one. 

If one wasn’t even slightly endeared by him then clearly there was something very wrong with them. Even the elites in the company seemed to think so, meaning that Eun Haje was in no way being biased about this. It was just a known fact. Kim Soleum was very sweet much like the snacks and drinks he liked so much and people just ended up drawn to him. 

And that’s the thing isn’t it?

Kim Soleum is a good kid.

Certainly better than she was as a rookie, both in the sense of work for the company and in terms of personality really.

His heart was much too soft for such a soul sucking corporation like Daydream and seeing him always jump to help other people who would sooner leave him to fend for themselves was annoying just as it was worrying. Someday, that sweet, sweet heart of his was going to get hurt. He has it so bare for the world to see—despite what he may say or what that blank poker face might tell you—someday, on a very dark day, someone unsavory, undeserving of his kindness, is going to damage in a way that might change him from the good kid that he is now to someone completely unrecognizable. Someone closed off from the world and someone so much colder than before. 

It sounds so dramatic to think of this kind of scenario but Eun Haje has seen it happen so many times to others. Both in her previous job and this one now. Bright young people coming in and then warping along with the poison that is society. 

Good people get killed or they stop being good. 

She couldn’t decide which would be worse for Kim Soleum. 

For now, while he was her little hoobae, Eun Haje would do what she could to protect that little candy heart he insisted no one could see and make sure it stayed as pure as it could be. And what a better way to protect its innocence than by spoiling it with a vacation to a hot springs resort. 

It’s a good thing she told Park Minseong about it beforehand. With his combined help, the kid stood no chance whatsoever. 

“Ah, very well then. I’ll be in your care, Assistant Manager.” 

See? 

Never stood a chance at all. 

Way too polite for his own good really, but if it helps her in the end then it’s not too bad. 

“Great! We’ll go next weekend first thing in the morning and stay for the duration as well. Be sure to pack comfortably.” 

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.” 

And there he goes with a little bow and earnest voice. 

“…never change, Roe. Never change.” 

“Assistant Manager?” 

And a tilt of his head. 

What a ridiculous hoobae she has. 

“Nothing…get back to work now! We have a Darkness we’re scheduled for today so take the time to prep now while we can.” 

The determined glint in his bright eyes. 

“Right. We have to prepare.”

What a sweet kid he is. 

A warm feeling pricked at her chest. A feeling that has since become more common now that D-squad has a new rookie on their hands. 

Yeah, it was the right choice to take Kim Soleum. 

“Hey, Minseong! How much do you wanna bet that Roe here will clear this Darkness in under thirty minutes too?”

“Haha, no way. I’d probably lose more money with that kind of bet.” 

“Supervisor, Assistant Manager…please.” 

-///-

“Wow. Fancy, much?” 

“Assist—Ah, Eun Haje-ssi. This is a rather impressive place.” 

That was an understatement of the century. 

The entire resort was huge. An old style bathhouse looking building located just outside of the main city. The front garden alone looked so elegant and rich, she felt like a commoner invading a noble royal’s palace just standing in front of the place. Like a mere ant compared to a skyscraper.

And to think that the both of them were spending the weekend here. Maybe trying out for that little game and winning really was lucky back then after all.

The starstruck eyes on her junior’s face certainly made this whole ordeal seem much more worth it. 

“Ready to go check in?” 

“Huh? Oh, yes. Let’s go check in.”

Checking in wasn’t too difficult thankfully. The reception staff weren’t too different from the employees manning the lottery game stand back in the grocery story. Smiley and all too eager in taking care of her and Roe. With how happy and bright they were, it was a wonder that she didn’t get burned or go blind from the intensity of the light being emitted from them. 

It was a relatively smooth affair for the most part. The check in was done and dealt with leaving the two coworkers to just drop off their luggage in their respective rooms and then be off to be pampered by the many spy attractions and services provided at this resort. 

The first stop: the massage parlor.

“Mmmmm…that hits the spot.” 

That’s putting it lightly. 

It’s only been a couple of minutes since they were laid out onto the massage beds and it already felt like her muscles were practically melting onto the floor. The masseur assigned to her was doing an excellent job and he really deserves a raise for the impressive work he’s doing. 

Kim Soleum didn’t respond verbally to her words but Eun Haje got the impression that he too was having a good time judging by how flatly he laid on the bed. Two steps away from becoming one with the massage bed. It somewhat reminded her of when cats would lay completely prone and exposed upon finding the perfect napping spot. One can’t help but be happy just from seeing the man be so comfortable. 

His ability to relax like that was honestly what made him the perfect vacation companion. 

He’s not anything at all like she was when she first became a rookie for Baekilmong. 

God. Her past self was just so embarrassing and angsty thinking back on it. 

The worst person to bring along on a vacation really. 

It’s probably why she had such a hard time adjusting when she was hired onto the company. 

“SAVE ME!!!” 

“Run away–!”

“What kind of crazy com–SHIT!!” 

Blood, visceral, and various limbs flew all around. Thrown carelessly against the walls and floors as the killer rounded the corner. Scared faces were scattering faster than rabbits and her ears kept ringing from all the terrified screaming. 

“Fuck…! Move!”

One of the scared recruits pushes another towards the crazed serial killer in an attempt to escape, resulting in the evisceration of that other person. The immediate decapitation of that other person was horrifying to witness firsthand, disgusting in how much blood spewed all over, and never before had she wanted to vomit or scream like all the other unfortunate people trapped in this mess. 

It was nothing but pure madness surrounding her. 

Eun Haje certainly hadn’t been expecting such a strange and terrifying thing to happen not even a month after her previous career had crashed and burned. This new horror presented before her was almost as bad as discovering deaths of all her witnesses and whistle blowers during the end of her time as a reporter. 

Almost. 

Grrrrrrr…

Time was up again, with it the walls of this seemingly endless maze shifting once more. 

‘Shit. It’s already been twenty minutes…? This has become such a mess.’

Despite cursing the mechanics of this ‘ghost story’, Eun Haje was grateful for the small window of reprieve it provided her. She’d been far enough away from the other hopeful recruits of her batch that when the maze shifted again, she was separated from the rest of them. In a typical horror film scenario, being left alone while a killer was on the loose was asking to get killed in the next scene but to be honest, being alone just made it easier to find the way out. There wasn’t a need to worry about accidentally getting someone else involved or getting them killed through whatever ridiculous event manifested. She would only have to worry for herself now that she was alone. 

It was for the best. 

Running through the newly formed labyrinth of vintage walls, Eun Haje got to work trying to figure out the exit for this insane event. 

“Supervisor.”

Sigh. This kid is much too serious sometimes.  

“Haah? What was that just now?” 

As the older of the two, not to mention the most experienced and well learned, it’s only right that she takes the time to impart some discipline and knowledge on this pitiful rookie of hers. 

His little frown and furrow between those endlessly dark eyes was worth the momentary pause 

“...Eun Haje-ssi.”

Better already. 

“Hmm? What is it, Kim Soleum-ssi?”

The face he made almost had her wanting to burst out into laughter. 

Ahhh…

Her hoobae is much too serious. She somewhat laments how similar he is to their squad leader but at least this seriousness is cute on Kim Soleum while Lee Jaheon is…

Hm. 

Let’s not think about Lee Jaheon as cute in any way for the foreseeable future. Eun Haje wanted to gag for even considering the thought. 

That guy might be good looking, but in no way is he cute. Not even in the slightest. 

Not like how Park Minseong or Kim Soleum are. 

“If it’s not too much…”

He seemed nervous. Avoiding eye contact and fidgeting with the towel in his hand. 

Oh to be a young naive rookie again. 

“Yeah?”

Must be something that's really bothering him if he’s having so much trouble maintaining his usual poker face. 

“Why did you pick me as your companion for this trip?”

Huh?

What’s with the serious face?

Sure, he usually looks serious but something about this one didn’t particularly suit her super rookie. The confused downturns of his lips felt out of place and the way he looked at her as if she was a puzzle he needed to figure out was all sorts of wrong. 

For some reason, Kim Soleum really looked like a rookie at that moment. 

Someone new who landed in a whole new world and hasn’t quite figured out hows and whys to the mechanics of this strange new land. 

It reminded her terribly of her own newbie days. 

“I already told you, didn’t I? You’re the best options out of all the others so why wouldn’t I have brought you?”

Despite her words, Kim Soleum didn’t look convinced. 

Though it was somewhat understandable. It’s barely been three weeks since he started working for Baekilmong and in retrospect, they don’t really know each other all that well. Having a supervisor you’ve only known for less than a month suddenly invite you out on a vacation would certainly make anyone’s alarm bells ring. 

“I know you said that it was because everyone was busy or declined but I still don’t understand how I was the best option for this.”

Now hold on. 

Kim Soleum is sounding awfully self depreciating there. Certainly not what she expected from the monster rookie of Baekilmong. 

“Surely there could’ve been other people you could’ve invited…”

“...have I inconvenienced you, Roe?”

“Huh?” 

Well shit.  

She really should’ve thought this through. Look at this mess now. This trip was already rather unexpected and out of the blue for herself. Eun Haje should’ve just discarded those tickets in the first place. But no. She foolishly just decided to go along with it and even dragged in her team’s rookie without really giving him the time to even process the invitation or even to consider the implications of the direct superior asking a new hire to come with them on a random vacation. 

A moment of weakness. 

Kim Soleum is busy with collecting points of his own. He’s a new hire after all. Rookie employees are always very focused on trying to get as many points as possible as quickly as possible before they eventually realize how slow the actual process is. She’d been much the same too. 

Really now…

“Sigh. I really should’ve realized sooner.”

“Oh no, not at all! I was just–!”

“I get what you mean. I really do.” 

And then, as if the man was some sort of cute animal, Eun Haje saw him visibly droop in his fluster. His fingers dug into the towel more tightly as they both continued walking to their destination. 

Come on now. Don’t make that face, Roe. 

It makes it really seem like she was bullying him. 

“Roe.”

“Yes..?”

“I’m just projecting my past self onto you. You don’t have to think too hard about it.”

Those words must’ve been confusing to him. So much so that he looked like he wanted to say something but reframed out of sheer politeness. In his defense, Eun Haje said those things exactly to get him to stop questioning his place on this trip. It seemed to be pretty effective. 

“Let’s just say this is my way of celebrating you becoming D-Squad’s latest rookie and all the success you’ve brought with you. We all need time to unwind from time to time, y’know.” 

With the rate at which her strange rookie was going at, it was only a matter of time before he burned himself out and crashed when something inevitably went wrong. 

The air around them became hotter. The further they walked into the new facility of the resort, the warmer it got. Wrapping around their shoulders like a blanket and bringing forth a sense of comfort and safety unusual due their line of work. The bath robes they were given by the staff did excellent jobs at insulating them with its soft fabrics clinging onto their skins. She no longer felt uncomfortable walking around in just a simple bathing suit. 

“But…”

“Ah ah ah! This is for us to celebrate and relax. Come on, let's go.”

Kim Soleum wanted to say something else in protest but she had already tuned it out and continued walking into the door leading to the mixed hot springs. After putting aside her resort provided robe, not waiting for Kim Soleum too much, she grabbed a hold of those tall handles and pulled. 

Fuwooosh…

A wave of steam hit her square in the face as soon as she opened the sliding doors. 

How refreshing. 

How truly disgusting. 

“Are you serious right now?”

One can’t help but wonder if this was the consequences of her past deeds finally catching up to her. 

Stumbling upon a sea of dead bodies was not something she ever wanted or wished for but then again Eun Haje didn’t ask to get dropped into a paranormal disaster such as this either. She was just trying to find a new job after her dumpster fire of a new reporter job fell through. 

At least as a reporter, she didn’t have to walk through a bunch of corpses to escape from a serial killer. 

"...Let's get this over with.”

Taking a step forward, Eun Haje stepped upon the liters and liters of blood that had been spilled onto the floor, soaking into the old-fashioned rug and darkening the fabric the more the bodies bled out. The smell of death permeated throughout the room, spinning, warping itself to infect her. Come tomorrow, or whenever she finally manages to get out without getting torn to pieces, her clothes were likely going to permanently smell of iron from now on. Which means she has to throw them out or find super dry cleanings to completely scrub out the scent without calling the cops on her. 

Squish.  

“Ugh. That better have not been an eye…”

Squelch.  

Fwoossshh. 

Various organs and gore were sliding with each step she took, with some of it even catching onto her shoes. 

Well, there goes those pairs of shoes. Eun Haje really shouldn’t have worn her flats today. The feeling of blood slipping into her footwear was uncomfortable and straight up nauseating. Her feet were slipping ever so slightly with the leather and every time her foot came down on the ground, more of the blood would fall inside. 

Never before has she wanted a bath. 

“This better be the end or I swear to god, I’m going to–!”

“Oh yeah…now this is nice. Don’t you think, Roe?” 

The warm, heated water of the hot spring felt like finally coming home. A dream come true really. The steam from the water floated up and kissed her face, dampening the towel wrapped around her hair. 

It was hot, but in a way that was more soothing rather than unbearable. 

“Yes…”

Since sitting down into spring, Kim Soleum seemed to just melt into the water, not too dissimilar to how he was during the massage session from earlier. Dazed and blissed-out as he leaned back against the rocks lining the pool. His pale cheeks flushed from the heat of the ever rising steam. 

“Roe.” 

“Yes, Assist–Eun Haje-ssi?”

“Thanks for everything. You’ve really done a lot for us.”

Startled by the unexpected gratitude, the previously far-away expression was wiped away and replaced by a bemused question mark plastered all over his face. Sitting up straighter than before and looking at her as if she suddenly grew a second head. 

“What do you–?”

“You’ve come a long way despite only being here less than a month. Earning points left and right like that.” 

“......”

“Soon, you’re going to be attracting all sorts of attention in the company and rising through the ranks like the super rookie that you are.”

A strange sort of atmosphere fell onto them. The warmth of the steam, the smooth exterior of the spring stones, and the sound of flowing water faded into mere white noise. It was as if time itself had slowed down just for the two of them. 

“When you inevitably rise up, I need you to remember something I’m only going to tell you. And I’m only saying it once so listen up.”

<Congratulations on Completing Your Probation Period> 

: Congratulations. You have been officially hired to the Field Exploration Team of Daydream Inc.

Gasp!

Opening her eyes to the blinding lights of the same orientation room that started this whole mess, Eun Haje couldn’t help look around. It felt like it'd been ages since she was last in this very room. The cold metal of the orientation chair was biting into her skin through her clothes and a nervous sweat was trickling down her neck the more nothing seemed to happen. 

[Welcome back, dear potential hires! I hope you enjoyed your test!]

The voice of a high pitched announcer was ringing into her mind like someone was stabbing in her brain with a thin knife, the celebratory music being played in the background sounded more like battle music before a massive slaughter, and all around her were the harried faces of other people who were tossed into whatever the fuck that paranormal ghost story bullshit was. The only problem was…

[Now, it’s time for the gift awarding ceremony!]

Many of the chairs were empty. 

People who she briefly glanced at when she first came into this event were now gone. With absolutely no trace of them left other than her own memory. 

[To the remaining 7 new employees, congratulations! You have successfully become full-time employees with excellent results!]

‘Fuck…this crazy company.’

The woman at front, dressed in a light beige suit was smiling widely and praising the remaining people as if this was some inane little competition and the losers were just sent home or in another room. Like the people who went missing weren’t missing or probably dead because they decided to play around with the lives of people who were just trying to find work. 

This place was a deathtrap. 

There was no way this insane corporation was actually a real place. 

Everything about them so far screamed at her to just run away while she could, to save herself. 

No matter what they said, there was no way she was going to be staying and working for the kind of people that just randomly kill off people without even telling them what kind of job this was. If they were okay with doing this to regular people, who knows what they might do to their actual employees. 

She should run away, not even sparing a glance behind her. Maybe even call the police or tell someone to investigate this place and hopefully get them shut down. 

She should just—!

“What…?” 

[That’s right folks! For those of you who decide to continue working for Daydream, you will have the chance to work towards our exclusive Wish Ticket! Isn’t that exciting?]

A wish ticket? 

No way. This can't be true. It sounds much too absurd to be what it claims to be. 

Right?

The other survivors, wary of anything to do with the company now, spoke out against the claims. One of her fellow batch members even questioned if it would really grant whatever the user wanted or if it would twist their words and make their lives more hell than it already was. Seeing the man demand the question in such a bitter tone, her curiosity couldn’t help but wonder how low his life must be to be so blatantly hostile to the still cheerful announcer. 

He made a valid point though. 

This wish ticket nonsense can’t be all that powerful or there must be some sort of drawback to using it. 

Such a notion was impossible. Absurd to the highest degree. The kind of thoughts or wishful thinking only those delusional enough are able to believe in. 

And, yet, right before her very eyes, the announcer’s wish manifested as if summoned with nothing but magic. No. Not ‘as if’, it was magic. Pure, unadulterated magic that can apparently grant whatever the user wanted, in whatever capacity they wanted. 

Looking at the newly darkened hair and smooth skin of the woman’s face, only one thing was echoing throughout Eun Haje’s mind. 

‘...I need it.’

‘I need it.’

I need it. I need it.

I need it. I need it. I need it. 

That wish ticket could change things, so many things, to make this better. All of this. 

If she got her hands on it, she could use it to bring them back, bring all of them. Maybe if that were to happen, then they could all finally resolve this and bring those bastards down once and for all. 

Maybe it could even turn back time.

[Welcome to your new jobs, everyone! Please work hard from now on, yeah?]

With a mask in her hand, feathers lining the edges of it and a dark yellow beak on the nose area, a slow burning flame now blazing within her chest, Eun Haje stood up from her seat once again and bowed along with the remaining employees. 

The thunderous horns and sirens reverberated along with the racing of her heartbeat. The smile on her face was strained, faker than any gossip news channels out there. The pit in her stomach continued to sink the more the announcers and speakers clapped and cheered. 

This was her new job. 

From now on, Eun Haje the reporter was no more. There was now only Eun Haje of Daydream Inc. A new recruit working on changing her fate. 

A sentiment that she would soon come to realize was not too uncommon within such a dreary place. 

Kim Soleum’s facial features didn’t change too much. 

He did seem perplexed at first, but those sharp features of his soon smoothed out in agreement. Saying nothing more than a simple thanks and choosing now to pry anymore than he needed to. 

“For what it’s worth. I don’t think you’re gonna have that problem. You’re the top of your batch and you’re well on your way to a promotion. So there’s really only one thing you need to remember.”

“What is it, Assist—?”

“Ahem.” 

“...Eun Haje-ssi?”

Jeez. If this kid wasn’t so good at his job, she’d worry more about whether he’d be able to survive his time at Daydream in the first place. 

“Take your time. Take a break from time to time. You’re shooting through every time like you’re about to die soon or something.”

As usual, the younger man did respond but he did stop making eye contact with her and just decided to stare at the spring water. The murkiness of the water and the constant steam made it difficult to see but chances were, the kid was fidgeting with his fingers again. 

Sigh.  

“You’re not dying right?”

“Ah, no.”

“Then listen to what I’m saying. You gotta slow down and think things through before crashing into them.”

“......” 

“Plus, you have the rest of D-squad if things go wrong or if you need anything else. Especially Section Chief. If there’s anyone you can rely on, it’s him.” 

“Hello, sir. I’m Eun Haje. Please take care of me.”

Standard. 

Typical. 

The same old mambo jumbo that one would always use whenever placed into a professional setting and they have to interact with anyone of a much higher rank than they were. Even Eun Haje, for as opinionated and head strong as she was, knew when to bow her head before a superior. Especially when the man before her was expected to be her direct superior from this point on. 

The section chief of D-squad. 

Lee Jaheon. 

A rather good looking man carved from the purest of marble, with white hair and red eyes that felt as if they were staring right into her very soul. He made no visible reaction to her greetings from where he was sitting and and just continued to observe her as his subordinate took over for him. 

“Oh! You’re one of our new rookies, right?”

“Yes, sir.” 

It felt odd to be so polite to someone after having worked so long as a senior journalist in her previous job but considering she was now starting from the bottom, it’s best to be polite to make the rise up towards the wish ticket much more smooth. 

“Then that means from this point on you’re gonna be our latest member. Are you ready for your first assignment?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Great! So you’re gonna be sent in on your own for this first one, sound good?”

“What.”

I beg your pardon?

“Wow, so impolite from the getgo.”

Nevermind her minor blunder. An assignment? By herself?? Already!??

Was this just a normal practice here in this psychotic company? To throw in rookie employees to be killed without giving them any time to prepare mentally let alone physically. If so, then it’s no wonder she got called in and hired despite having no medical or science background in the least. 

These crazy people were just accepting anyone at this point. 

“Good luck!” 

“Wait, what?!”

A wave of dizziness hit her in the head like a sledgehammer, the world all around began spinning like she was trapped on the fastest carousel in the universe. Before she knew it, she found herself sitting in the chair of a movie theater with a romance film playing. 

What the fuck.

.

.

. 

“Nice job! You go out in one piece! No wonder you managed to pass the probation period with the others.”

The bastard’s slimy smile made her want to rip out his tongue and shove it up his ass. The sadistic cheerfulness in his voice through her back to her orientation day when she barely managed to escape from that hellish maze with the skin of her teeth. The memory of the announcer lady and this new supervisor of hers kept overlapping in her sleep exhausted mind like paper cutouts being stacked on top of each other. At some point in his empty praises and compliments, she tuned him out in favor of looking beside him to the freakishly tall albino man just watching the whole scene unfold. Not once did this man step into the conversation or even really move his face muscles to express whatever was on his mind. 

It was unnerving. 

She felt like an insect under his cold piercing gaze, like a small bug being observed by a curious child or a scientist watching a specimen through a lens of some sort. This man didn’t feel real somehow. 

“Ah, Section Chief. What do you think of our newest member? She seems rather capable, huh?”

Something about the tone he used was odd. Like he was genuinely surprised by how she was able to get out of that ghost story all on her own without any preparation in the least. 

It only fueled her ire towards the sack of flesh. 

“You have passed both the probationary period and the squad test. Well done.” 

And then he just sat down at his desk and started typing away at his computer. 

“......”

……

What. 

That’s it?

That’s all he was going to say?

Isn’t he in charge of this whole team? Why isn’t he even trying to explain anything or even attempting to order me around to do work like the usual setting??

Is there something wrong with this guy too?

“Haha! That’s the Section Chief for you. Don’t mind him. He’s just a little off. You seem good enough for the team and that’s all that really matters.”

Shut it you son of a bitch. The audacity to use that sort of voice as if she was a small child. If anything, this bastard looked less capable than the other unfortunate souls who didn’t make the cut for the company. The kind of people that would attempt to sell her a false story or make a profit on other people’s suffering.

The kind of people who should be put down like the useless dogs that they were. 

“Well, seeing as you’ll probably stay alive a little longer than most, let’s get you up to speed on how things work in the company, yeah?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

This was going to be another hell, wasn’t it? The corporate kind that slowly kills you over time. Well, at least if things get really bad, Eun Haje could always just die for real at the hands of those ghost stories. 

“To start off, you’re our youngest so you’ll have to address me as Sunbae or Supervisor from now on. Got it?”

Yeah. At least Death is always close by at her new job.

Always close by. 

“Also, don’t forget! You can rely on my and Supervisor Park Minseong if you’re ever in need of some help. That’s what we’re here for after all.” 

She could feel her aching muscles slowly molding themselves to the rocks she was resting on. The more she rambled about whatever nonsense was coming to mind, the more the smooth rigids of the stones slid against her skin and the heat from them was further pressed into her person. 

“Yes, ma’am.”

What a good kid. Too good for this godforsaken, soulsucking company. 

“Good. Especially Supervisor Park Minseong. He’s always ready to help if you need something.” 

Kim Soleum seemed to have lost the strength to even articulate words anymore with how he seemed to sinker deeper into the water. Eyes closed as his face was flushed like a nectarine. But he at least made the effort to hum and ever so slightly nod his head. 

“Even when things are tough…Minseong always has your back…” 

Her words were starting to slur a bit and sentences were getting more broken as time went on but, these things must be said so that her rookie understood the kind heart of his direct supervisor. 

“Hello! I’m Park Minseong! It’s a pleasure to meet you seniors! Please take care of me.”

“Hmm…awfully cheery after surviving the probation period and the initiation phase.”

The man before her was tall. Not as freakishly tall as the Section Chief, but definitely towered over her with his stature. He had a happy, sheepish smile across his face, and light brown hair neatly swept back. A typical nice new coworker. 

Let’s see if you stay as nice as you are now. 

“Well, seeing as you managed to not kick the bucket during your time here already, sit over there. We leave in thirty minutes for the next Darkness.”

The smile on Park Minseong’s face froze. Becoming somewhat strained and stretching rather forcibly in order to feign politeness. Already a better reaction than how she reacted during her initiation. 

“Haha, I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.” 

Hoho. 

This guy’s in for a real treat. 

Huh. Who would’ve thought that bullying rookies was this fun. Sure, this Park Minseong has been here for a good while now. But something about seeing someone so caught off guard by the way their team operated never ceased to amuse her. 

Maybe that arrogant son of a bitch was onto something during her rookie days. Though that was the only thing he really contributed to her settling into the company. Hopefully, Eun Haje was a slightly better superior than that bag of useless meat. 

Though the face on this rookie was pretty funny. 

“Here’s the manuel. You have thirty minutes to read it, memorise it, and then it’s off to solving your first Darkness with us.”

He took the papers from her, scrambling to hold onto them when she immediately let go to go back to her desk next to Lee Jaheon who was still typing away at his computer. The rigorous bastard that he is. It’s a wonder that he’s actually a decent boss when he’s so weird. 

“But–! Already?”

Eun Haje just tuned him out and continued with her work, deciding to impersonate her chief by also focusing on finishing up her own report. There was a lot more to do now that their squad had been reduced to just two members. The idiot just had to go and get himself killed when all he had to do was just wait for the Section Chief to arrive. He might’ve been able to survive if he just listened to her. He wouldn’t have had to endure getting torn to bits and visceral if he'd just listened to her. He wouldn’t have been left behind in that dank school building if he’d just listened to her. And she wouldn’t have had to live with the memory of him getting dragged into those lockers that fucking idiot put aside his ego and just relied on her for even just a second. The weight of those icy hands, the screams and begging for help, the sweat falling from his palms, the saliva coming out of his mouth as he yelled for her to do something, and those final moments of silence that followed when she returned to check up on him will always occupy the back of her mind now. All of it, alongside the other long gone echoes of her witnesses and information gathered, disappearing one by one as she could do nothing but helplessly flounder like a drowning bird that was shot into the freezing sea water. 

It’s been two weeks since that fool was lost to that Darkness. Two weeks since the desk behind her has had any sort of activity. All of his belongings are gone now like he never existed to begin with. She shouldn’t but the sight of that blackened computer screen and empty chair reminded her of her previous job. 

Was her old desk also as empty as this one was? Did the firm remove all of her belongings they didn’t return and dump them too? Was she considered dead to them at this point?

That story…

The one that ended it all. The one that killed so many people and ruined her life. The one that killed her and sent her to this hell known as Baekilmong Inc. to rot away with the rest of the dregs of life, was it still on the minds of her old bosses? 

Ah, there goes those stupid thoughts again. The kind of thoughts that ultimately don’t matter anymore. Not at this point in time anyway. It’s the kind of thought pattern that would result in her spiraling into finding out what went wrong and then cursing herself afterwards for trying to apply logic to it. And that doesn’t work anymore considering her current line of work. Logic was just something she has since discarded from her early days since transitioning to a godforsaken pharmaceutical company employee. It really puts things into perspective, realizing all the little things and the many ways that culminated into the events that happened. 

Whatever. 

The point is, if you want to live a long healthy life, listen to others before jumping to whatever nonsense conclusion you cooked up in your mind. Something she repeatedly told her late squad member but did he heed her advice. But no, he chose to be a jealous spiteful moron instead. It’s not like she could help outranking him now when he’d been working at the company longer than she had.

There was no use in crying over spoiled, spilt milk. She’s lactose intolerant anyway so with that guy gone, it’s all the better for her. No longer around to be hers or anyone else’s problem. Hopefully this rising rookie she’s heard so much about, will be a better squadmate than what she had to deal with before. Hopefully, and she really hopes, he doesn’t get into too much trouble and he doesn’t go jumping to whatever grave he decided to make for himself if he chooses to disregard the rules. Though to be fair, it’s hard to be worse than that guy when it comes to rookies. 

She’d like to think that most people are more self aware than that pile of lard. 

Plus, it’s hard to be mean to such a seemingly sweet new squadmate. His demeanor alone would bring some much needed brightness into this cold, silent office room. Lord knows, Lee Jaheon won’t do it. Park Minseong may be a contractual worker, but he specialized in media based Darkness so having him as a part of D-squad would be useful with the types of Darknesses they often get assigned to. At the very least, it’d be nice to have some more hands to help around with all the paperwork, if only to get the Section Chief to stop shaking her down for all the minor errors on her report. 

.

.

.

“Shit!” 

Great. Just fucking fanstasic. 

GIve ME yOUr SkiNNNNNnnn!!

Of all the ways for this mission to go wrong, the ghost has to zone in on her of all people when she wasn’t even the one to trigger it. The ugly thing suddenly decides to wake up on its own and now wants to take her skin for itself.

God! This was supposed to be a regular D-Class Darkness. 

Things going wrong during assignments are the worst. At this point, she was inclined to believe in that stupid doctrine of those crazy cult members they keep in the company basement. Something about how people’s fates were a written story set by the gods and straying from those presets was nigh impossible. 

AaaaAAAuuuuUUuugggHHHHhhhh……!!

‘If this is how I die, I’m going to wring the throats of those who fated me to this sucky ending.’

“Miss Falcon! Over this way!”

“What!?”

Park Minseong!? The new contract worker?? Why is he yelling like that???

Is this guy an idiot? Why would he call out like that? Does he have a death wish, that fool? Calling out to the ghost entity like that is a sure fire way of making it come after you. And last she checked, Park Minseong didn’t have any offensive weapons that could even remotely stop that thing that was ripping his face off. 

Doesn’t he realize how stupid he’s being? What is he thinking?

skkKKKiIIiiiiiIIIIINnnnnNNNnnN……!

Just as she thought, the ghost’s attention was immediately drawn by the much louder and rowdier human waving his arms like a madman and even insulting it with the craziest smile on his face known to man. He looked like he was on the verge of tears but kept trying to get the thing to follow him down the studio hallways. 

“Follow me! If you catch me, I’ll give you my skin..!” 

As soon the thing turned towards him and moved away from her, Park Minseong bolted back the way he presumably came from, yelling the entire way to keep its gaze on him. 

‘Fuck! He really wants to die, doesn’t he? He just joined the squad!’

That overgrown moron was hollering for the world to hear while waving his arms as he ran back the way he came. 

Having no choice, Eun Haje proceeded to also run after them, making a rather comedic scene of a big burly man getting chased by a creepy monster followed by an angry looking woman who’s hot on their heels. If it wasn’t their own lives on the line currently, Eun Haje would laugh at the absurdity of the situation. 

But it’ll only be funny once it’s guaranteed that Park Minseong won’t die when he quite literally just joined their squad not even an hour ago. 

‘What the fuck are you doing, you idiot??’  

Rushing past the molding walls and flickering lights, everything was blurring all around her the more she tried to keep up with the crazy chase. Park Minseong was going strong and still looking as fresh faced as ever despite the rather grim and disgusting place they were currently trapped in. 

They all ran. Running. On and on until the man decided to turn a corner into one of the ever shifting rooms so fast that she wondered if he was actually even there in the first place. The creature continued screeching as it raced after the other human, black sludge falling all around it onto the ground as it hobbled its arm like appendages onto the door frame and entered the room. 

Those rooms are usually dead ends…

“Fuck!”

That idiot had better not gotten himself killed when he just became a part of D-Squad. They didn’t even get the chance to witness his media based Darkness skills on full display yet. It’s frankly unfair when that was the whole reason he joined the team in the first place!

“Mr. Bad–!!?”

BOOM!

EEEEEEEIIIIIIIiiiiiiiii…

Her desperate thoughts were abruptly put to an ear piercing halt when just as she was to approach the doorway, the monster was flung back out of the room like those cartoons in children’s shows. Flying back and crashing into the rickety, dirty wall across from the door. Its scream was loud at first, louder enough to render anyone deaf the more they were exposed to it, and then it fizzled out when it smacked the wall, creating a massive dent. 

“......” 

……

………what the fuck.

Cautiously, Eun Haje approached the room, warily keeping an eye on the seemingly passed out entity who appeared to now be melting away and breaking apart. Upon entering the room, she was greeted with a rather unexpected sight. A sight that was almost comical and she faintly wondered if she’d gone insane throughout this ordeal. There, in the center of the room, as clean and put together as he’d always been, stood Lee Jaheon. Her director superior and the Section Chief of D-Squad, looking towards while Park Minseong was standing just behind the handsome bastard with a relieved smile spread across his face. Both of them appeared to be alive and well. 

“Supervisor Falcon! Thank goodness you’re alright! Section Chief Lizard and I managed to find the exit room when we ran into each. It’s good that I ran into you when I did.” 

‘You think? I almost got my skin taken if you had bet screeched at it.’

“Section Chief Lizard informed me that he could temporarily subdue the entity so I figured that I’d just bring it towards him which also would’ve gotten it away from you.”

“......”

While Eun Haje was grateful for both of their help in taking away the attention of the entity, the urge to reach up and yank at someone’s hair was very compelling. 

So she did. To the one most liable for her near heart attack. 

“Ahh!? Supervisor Falcon??”

Park Minseong, having not expected such an action, his previously neatly gelled hair was now messed up and ruffled, yelped like a small child caught off guard by a windup toy. At first attempting to sway her from letting go before deciding to give in and just accept his fate. 

“That’s what you get for acting like an idiot on your first day of D-Squad.” 

The guy had the nerve to look confused as he tried to fix his hair, staring at her like a confused, bullied puppy. 

“Does that mean you’re ready to get out now?”

Ugh. 

Much too bright for her eyes. The sun that was her newest coworker was trying to blind her with the brilliance of his sheepish grin and the bastard that was her boss was not much better either despite keeping his usual blank expression. A silent yet commanding constant that’s been there since her very first day. 

“…fine whatever. Let’s get out of here. But you’re buying me a coffee tomorrow.” 

“Ah…okay then.”

His smile was immediately wiped off of his face as he dejectedly followed after her towards the backdoor. Section Chief quietly trailing after them to ensure they all made it out. The responsible leader that he was. Even if she wishes he was a little less weird. 

“Of course…Section Chief will always be there too…even if he’s a statue about it…”

A soft hum was heard from her side. The world seemed to fade ever so slightly more as the seconds flew over her and Kim Soleum’s heads. 

“Congraduations Assistant Manager-nim! Congratulations on your promotion!”

Eun Haje was immediately bombarded by her squadmates' cheers and celebration as soon as she stepped into that familiar office room. Ah, well, squadmate. Considering Lee Jaheon was just being the typical silent stature from where he was standing next to Park Minseong who was smiling as happy as a clam. She was honestly surprised to see her boss standing in front of the doorway instead of working at his desk like he usually would be. The workaholic and perfectionist that he is. 

“Thanks. Up for some drinks after work today? My treat of course.”

Both of the towering men agreed with the suggestion, Park Minseong being entirely much more enthusiastic about it than their stoic squad leader. As she was sitting at her desk to finish up her work for the day, Eun Haje couldn’t help but notice something. Something that she’d never thought she’d feel in a long while. A sort of warm, almost fuzzy feeling was welling up in her chest. One that was growing the more the celebratory atmosphere was before started to settle upon them like a blanket. Wrapping around as if to keep the occupants of the room safe and protected from all harm outside of this small room. 

She could faintly feel the barest hints of a smile threatening to show itself onto her face. The mood was infecting her and she was fighting a losing battle the more she attempted to force herself against smiling. 

Giving in felt like a refreshing breeze was finally hitting her face during a hot summer day. To simply bask in the reprieve and comfort of this new feeling. It’s been getting more frequent since Park Minseong joined the squad and she finds that this little bit of helplessness was something she didn’t quite mind so much. A good kind of helplessness that reminded her of simpler times when she’d just allow herself to immerse in the journalling process and interview people about their stories. 

The barbeque dinner afterwards only solidified that notion. 

The three of them were at a nearby restaurant with some of the best meat and drinks she’d ever had. Perhaps that’s just bias but the beer was somehow more delicious than even the most expensive bars she’d ever been to for her past career. The room was honestly too noisy with the many other tables who were doing their own celebration or outing and there was just a distinct smell of alcohol and smoke filled the air. Park Minseong was laughing with a red flushing coloring his entire person as they clinked their glasses with each other. Their squad leader was making a sizable dent into the numerous plates of beef they ordered and even ate a whole cabbage by himself, completely immersed in grilling the rest of the food.

Eun Haje herself was no different from her coworkers. A mess of happy drunken laughter and good spirits as she downed her 12th shot of soju. The most unprofessional she’s ever been since becoming an employee at Daydream. 

The happiest she’d ever been since becoming an employee at Daydream. 

“Hahaha! Manager Eun! Thank you so much for the drinks!”

The man was gone. Completely wasted after a single bottle but still chugging away like they didn’t have work the next day. She almost pitied him for the hangover he’d no doubt have tomorrow. 

“Hah! Of course! As a new assistant manager, it’s only right I take everyone out to celebrate this milestone.”

“Right, right! Let’s keep celebrating! Section Chief! Have a drink too! Just one!” 

With that final cheer, more alcohol was drunk with even the rigid, health freak Lee Jaheon partaking in a singular shot. His elegant facial features twisting ever so slightly in disgust after downing his glass. 

It was so hilarious she almost wanted to cry. 

She could feel the faintest of tears welling up in her eyes and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why she wanted to spill these little droplets. Things have never been so peaceful in such a long time, what could she even be upset about? 

Was it not a good thing that things finally settled down and all she needed to do was focus on gathering more points to get her wish?

The only thing she had now was that wish ticket. 

It was needed. 

Eun Haje needed to get her hands on that wish ticket to right her mistakes. To turn back time and do better. Had it not been for her own reckless need to rush in, to get that story out as soon as possible, none of those people would’ve needed to suffer. They would still be here, alive and well. 

Things could’ve been…

“What?”

“Your bill has already been paid for by that gentleman over there, Miss!”

The receptionist at front politely refused her card while pointing at Lee Jaheon who had slung Park Minseong’s drunken body over his shoulder. He was standing by the door like a guard and waiting for her to finish talking so as to leave alongside. As if he didn’t just pay for the entire meal without so much as a word or any sort of indication. 

To think that bastard did something like this. 

Bidding the receptionist farewell, Eun Haje marched over to her foolish, foolish boss and they left the restaurant. The moon shining high over them like a spotlight. 

Stepping outside and into the warm summer night, the both of them departed back to the company dorms. Park Minseong groaned when their leader jostled him into a more manageable hold. 

“......’”

“......”

“......”

“......”

…well.

He could at least say something. 

That freakishly strong bastard didn’t even look towards her. Sometimes it seems like he doesn’t even feel human. A creature entirely incapable of feeling human emotions or adapting to human society. He barely speaks to them outside of work related matters and doesn’t even tell them if something was going to go wrong during missions. 

He’s not the worst boss. Far from it if one were to really think about it. 

Attentive, hardworking, always on top of things, and if you really need it, he’s always there to save you from impending death during Darkness explorations. But he never tries to reach out, and seems to shut down most friendly interactions by being the strange entity to humanity that he apparently is. It’s the only explanation for his weird behavior towards other people. 

“What’s with the face?”

Kim Soleum’s face looked like he swallowed a lemon or ate a particularly foul tasting piece of food for some reason. Which couldn’t be possible. The food the staff provided was on another level of good. So it likely wasn’t the food he’s making the face at. 

Was it because she was talking about their squad leader in such a negative way?

“Ah, it’s nothing Eun Haje-ssi…”

“You know I don’t mean anything by saying he’s inhuman right?”

“...!”

The flinch was very telling of how the kid really thought despite the vigorous headshaking that followed her statement. Honestly… 

“I promise this has a point. I know Squad Leader is as human as the rest of us, so no need to worry too much. I doubt he minds anyway.”

Even with her reassurance, Kim Soleum didn’t appear to believe her and just quietly shoveled more food into his mouth. The little shit. 

“Congradulations on your promotion.”

Huh?

What?

Did he just speak of his own volition?

Is the alcohol now getting into her head and making her hallucinate?

“You have worked hard to get to this position.”

“Thank you..?”

“Mn.” 

“……?” 

Was that it? Just a simple verbal congratulations and then nothing else??

This man seriously wasn’t human. 

“Squad Leader.”

“Yes.”

“Why did you pay for the bill just now? This dinner was supposed to be my treat.”

As far as she was concerned, they weren’t close. Not in the least. Not in any way at all. They’d barely spoken to each other outside of work and anytime they did, Lee Jaheon shut down any attempts at her doing any sort of small talk. 

The man beside her just seemed so far away on the best of days and completely alien on a fundamental level during the worst ones. 

If she allowed herself to be even a little bit honest, Lee Jaheon intimidated her. 

He was so unlike the types of people she was used to. Whether from her current job or the previous, she’s met a number of different characters, her squad leader was somehow a character all on his own. A once in a lifetime chance of coming across. A freak of nature with an abnormal amount of strength, strict and principled with how he carried himself in the office, and without a milligram of fun or leisure in sight. 

He was a completely blank slate. No prior knowledge or information could prepare her for meeting the man known as Lee Jaheon. 

“You were promoted to the position of Assistant Manager.”

“......”

“......”

“......and?”

“? Was there something else you wished to know?”

“......”

Was this man perhaps stupid?

Is this guy honestly serious? What kind of explanation was that?? Nothing he said answered her question in the least. All he said was that she got promoted and then nothing else! 

“Sir, could you elaborate more on what you mean?”

It doesn’t matter. She’s dealt with way worse clients and interviewees. Just need to be a bit more specific with her questions and keep probing for what she wants to get her hands on. 

“I’m afraid I don’t understand how my being promoted would have anything to do with you deciding to foot the bill, sir.”

“You are my subordinate.”

“......”

And?

Don’t just stop! Keep talking!

“Yes, I’m aware of that, but there was no need to pay for the bill on my behalf, sir. I could’ve covered it myself.”

Was this some sort of powerplay or some other bs? Did he plan on holding it over her head like some kind of loan shark debt collector?? 

“You are my subordinate. I am your superior.” 

“Do as you’re told. Keep your head down and stop questioning me. You’re using up your favors this way.”

“I already have to put my neck out for you. You owe me now. Stop doing things recklessly like that.”

“Can’t you just be obedient and go along with it for once! I did so much for you… None of this would’ve happened if not for how stubborn you are!”

! 

So he’s no different from the others…

“I greatly appreciate what you did, but I can cover the bill in the future.”

“No need. I am your superior.”

‘I get that! So stop saying just that over and over–!?’

Wait.

“...sir, there’s no need to cover for me just because you’re my boss.”

“? You are my subordinate.” 

Once again, he repeated those same words. 

But… 

They felt different this time. Or rather, Eun Haje herself was letting herself hear them differently. Hopefully she wasn’t wrong this time. 

“Section Chief…”

“You have worked hard.”

What. 

Did he just say that? 

Was this his way of giving out a compliment?

“I...!”

“You…”

A sleepy groan from above her side. 

“You did great…super-supervisor..”

Park Minseong. 

The drunken idiot. 

“I’m not a supervisor anymore, dumbass.”

The fool didn’t reply coherently but he did whine pathetically. A big’ole baby that one was. 

Nothing else was said after that. Eun Haje herself wasn’t sure how to respond to the sudden atmosphere change and she’s pretty sure Lee Jaheon wouldn’t even speak up again if he wasn’t asked to in the first place. 

So they just…didn’t. And it was okay. 

The three salary workers just carried on into the night back to the dorms. Silent. With nothing but the faint sounds of cicadas hiding away in the bushes and the warm summer air embracing them like a long relative. 

The quiet lulled in a lonely thought in Eun Haje’s mind. 

‘This isn’t too bad…it’d be nice to come back and try the rest of the menu..’

Such a simple musing and yet it brought forth a wave of tightness in her chest like a tree was threatening to burst through her ribs right then and there. 

‘Hey now.’

Step.  

‘Why are you thinking like that? What’s the point of going back?’

Step.  

‘You have to get more points!’

Step. Step.  

‘You fucked up! You have to fix it. It’s the least that you can do for screwing up so badly…’

Step. Step. Step.

“Miss Falcon.”

!

A deep timbre sounded from behind her. Completely stopping her in her tracks. 

It seems she went a bit further ahead than she intended. 

How bothersome. 

“Have you recently gone to the fox counseling room?”

“...no.”

“Be sure to book an appointment some time soon in the coming week.”

Did he–did he think she was contaminated? Whipping around with a sudden burst of irritation, she glared at the clueless squad leader. 

“Sir. I am not contaminated.”

The man didn’t say anything in reply.

“There’s no need for me to schedule a counseling appointment at all. I just have some things I need to work out.”

“? Can you not do that in the fox counseling?”

This guy…

“It’s not anything that would require the attention of company property. It’s not like it’s affecting my performance as an employee.”

It’s true enough. She’s the same as she was when she was first hired by Daydream. Bitchy and much too stubborn while also slaving away like the rest of these vagrants she called coworkers. Things have been tough but when is it not? Life sucks and throws you off cliffs all the time. Just need to get back up or die at the bottom of the ravine. 

You just have to–you just have to keep going towards something. 

It’s the only way to survive in this shitty world. 

Because…

If she stopped, if she slowed down, or if she just decided to give up, all of it–every last bit of it–would be for nothing and then what? What’s there left for her in this shitty, no good, godawful world??

……

…………

If all she does is mess up, then wouldn’t it be right to fix it?

“Miss Falcon.” 

“...yes?”

“You have worked hard. Be sure to continue to do so in the future for D-squad.” 

“Sir…?” 

…

……

‘Y'know what. I’m too drunk for this crisis nonsense. I’ll just be like the chief and focus on my work.’

Shaking her head of all other depressive spiraling thoughts, she just trailed after her boss without too much more protest. A rather hilarious image to any outsider but one she herself looks back upon with fond exasperation. 

“Roe.”

It was night time. 

The sky outside the large open window was vast in its clarity. Thousands of tiny stars were dotting the black blanket hovering over them. Nothing but a cool spring breeze was felt upon her skin as she quietly sipped on her can of beer. 

“Yes, Eun Haje-ssi?” 

The young man was also nursing a beer can of his own, clutching onto it with both of his hands like it was the most precious thing in the world. His pale skin was already flushing a bright red from the rather excessive alcohol intake and he was starting to sway every so slightly. 

He honestly looked like a kid up way past his bedtime. 

This guy…

“I want you to know…”

He slowly turned his head towards her. Attentive even when drunk out of his mind. 

“...there’s no need to focus just on one thing, y’know.”

“Huh?”

Sitting up straighter than before, Kim Soleum looked at her as she had just discovered his secret puppy and had proceeded to kick it. The expression he wore shouldn’t have been as cute as it was. 

“What…what do you mean?”

Uncertainty lined his voice. For as clear and steady the words coming out of his mouth were, he seemed nervous somehow. 

“Sometimes, there are other ways to get the things we want in life.”

“...?”

“And sometimes…you end up in a place that seems worse than before but find a few good things about it along the way. Even if it took a lot of shitty things happening to get there in the first place.” 

“......”

Memories. 

Flashes. 

Life changing events. 

Little moments in time. 

So many of them began to appear before her eyes the more she looked at the beer can in her hand. 

There's so much pain she’d rather forget. So many mistakes she wishes she could undo. Her job as a reporter was the best and the worst she’s ever had to experience. It was fulfilling in a way that made her heart burn with a fire she once thought impossible to put out. The stories, the people, and the scene itself was something they made her thankful she was able to be alive to record and tell it all to the world. 

That same thrill and passion led to her downfall it seemed. 

But it’s been such a long time since she’d lost it all and then attempted to achieve an impossible goal. She made a mistake. It was big and irreversible. There was no way to undo it without selling more of herself than she already had. 

Doing so would only cause more trouble than its worth. 

If Eun Haje was going to be philosophical about it, it was like how trying to obtain the wish ticket was nigh impossible to do within a short amount of time, her past wasn’t something she could change with just one simple solution. Something else would be given in order to fulfill such a demand. Who’s to say something like what happened wouldn’t happen again? Her job as a reporter required that she gather as much information about a certain scoop so as to add to her credibility. Her sources and information gatherers were the key to her success in the field. 

Without them…

There wasn’t much of an Eun Haje the reporter. 

“Every new batch of recruits, we get employees who are new to this place who are trying to reach the Wish Ticket.” 

Night time during the spring really is the nicest, isn’t it?

“The Wish Ticket is the one thing sure, but it’s not the only way to get what you want.”

It’s been almost a month since he’s worked at the company now?

“Like I said before, you’re the top recruit of your batch and you’re making waves within the company as it is. You’re doing great.”

In the back of her head, she couldn’t help but wonder if Kim Soleum will last as long as the previous rookies they took in. He’s leaps more competent than those of the past and already has more points than most other employees working for the company. 

But.

“You can’t afford to trust the wrong people once you do get high up.”

Look at her. Rambling away like some wise old sage bestowing upon the greatest of wisdoms. 

How laughable. 

The feather weight of the can rested between her fingers. Her hair which had once been pushed back to be tucked behind her ears fell upon her face as she leaned forward in amusement. 

She must’ve looked like a lunatic to her hoobae. 

“Assistant Manager?!”

“Haha! Don’t mind me, Roe. Just being a drunkard.”

“......”

“What’s wrong, huh, Roe?”

His silence didn’t seem to be due to her ramblings but perhaps it was related to it.

At worst, she ended up making him uncomfortable with her behavior and he isn’t sure how to make that clear without offending a superior. As much as she’d like to rectify whatever weird impression of her, Kim Soleum had no doubt conjured up in his mind, all she could do was wait for him to answer. 

Following her question, a long pause echoed in the silence between them. 

Then, in a soft voice–barely above a whisper, he spoke. 

“I…I don’t think there’s any other way for my wish to come true without the Wish Ticket.”

“......” 

.

.

.

.

.

“Huh.”

“Mm.” 

“And you’re certain?”

He didn’t say anything, but the downcast gaze at his beer told her what she needed to know. 

Kim Soleum was mysterious. That much is clear from the little time they’d spent together. He’s a prodigy in every way a prodigy is expected to be. But he’s also a good person. He wears his heart on his sleeve and yet there is little known about who the man, Kim Soleum, really is. 

In a way, he’s the perfect match for D-squad that way. A group of misfits who don’t really know each other but understand one another one way or another. 

So because of that…

Crish!!

“...!?”

The cold metal dug into the rough skin of her palms as she crushed the can. A resolute feeling was blooming within her chest as she looked over to her confused hoobae. 

“That’s okay.”

Lost for a second, Kim Soleum’s face was soon twisted by skepticism. She didn’t allow him to get another word in after that.

“Take your time. Or don’t. It doesn’t matter because you’re gonna get your wish sooner or later.”

“Wha–?”

“Up for another drink, Roe?”

“Assistant Manager…”

“One more and we can go to bed. We need to get up early to go on that hiking trail tomorrow.” 

Grabbing another unopened can of beer, the liquid fizzed and the tab snapped open with a loud crack. For some reason, looking over to Kim Soleum’s bewildered face was making her feel giddy? A shot of adrenaline? She wasn’t sure. But something about Kim Soleum made her feel the need to help him accomplish his goals. 

It reminded her of that instinct to help a lost child find a way to go home. 

An absurd notion seeing as Kim Soleum was a full grown man. 

Still, the sentiment remains and if her hoobae says he needs that Wish Ticket, then she’ll help him. The others will probably do the same as well. It works out really. It’s not like she plans on staying long on the team for much longer. This way, when she’s gone, Kim Soleum will still have people looking after him. 

It’s only right that good people can continue living after all. 

-///-

“Wha…what is this?”

“A souvenir.”

“Ah. Thank you..?”

Park Minseong just sat at his desk with a confused smile plastered across his face, holding a tiny little rubber ducky in his oversized fingers. It was joy-inducing seeing such a big man holding such a small toy in his hands while dressed in a work suit and tie. 

Lee Jaheon wasn’t much different. 

With a necklace made of plastic flowers wrapped around his neck, one would think he just came back from a tropical vacation and wanted to show off. His serious face just about had her rolling on the floor, wheezing for air. Even Kim Soleum seemed rather affected by the sight of their squad leader wearing such a frilly piece of clothing on his person. Shoulders trembling ever so faintly as he tried to maintain a calm exterior. 

The resort trip was a wonderful way to unwind and both Kim Soleum and Eun Haje had the time of their lives while at the place. Leaving was almost bittersweet as they were waved goodbye by the resort staff. 

At least they managed to get some great souvenirs for their squadmates. A worthwhile trip all around.

“Ah, looks like we have another Darkness we gotta go through today. Ready for it, Roe?”

“Yes, Assistant Manager. I’ll try to do my best.”

“Great! Let’s get more points.”