Chapter Text
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Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[pathway to more choices]
: A ghost story featured in <Dark Exploration Records>
: Disaster Management Bureau registration number - 2736PSYA.2011.B54
While trying to reach the location to the Disaster site (see registration number 8921PSYA.2014.S11), agents have a 59.03% chance of getting trapped in this Disaster.
It’s less of a danger and more of a hindrance as getting caught in this Disaster delays the rescue of civilians trapped in [8921PSYA.2014.S11].
Agent Silk, alongside Agent Thistle, discovered a foolproof entry method - genuinely become lost while attempting to enter [2736PSYA.2011.B54].
Groups of at least two agents are sent out every month to monitor disaster [2736PSYA.2011.B54] and aid civilians trapped, unable to escape and prevent them from entering [8921PSYA.2014.S11].
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Ryu Jaekwan let out a deep, world weary sigh as he leaned back in his chair. He had spent too long looking through these documents and had given up on trying to get Choi to stop dozing off.
Soleum was working diligently opposite him, and the sight filled Jaekwan with optimism. Hyunmoo 1 wasn’t doomed after all.
So he thought, until two hours later.
“...are you sure?”
“Mhm, yeah. Haegeum says that you three would be the best option to sweep the disaster. Her words exactly.”
The lazy voice of a junior who obviously had pulled an all-nighter in the compound filled Jaekwan’s ears over the telephone.
Before he could protest, the line was cut. He looked at his squad mates. One slouched on his desk with papers on his head in an attempt to look productive while the other looked half dead and slowly digging his own grave as he flicked through documents.
Maybe that junior was right.
“Huh?! She really said that...?”
Jaekwan resisted the urge to pray. He wasn’t religious. Kim Soleum looked just as tired, but stayed upright.
“So the only way to enter is to get lost?” Kim Soleum asked, his brows furrowing in slight confusion.
Ryu Jaekwan nodded. “It’s exactly as you think.”
“It means they think we're so incompetent as to get lost!” Choi grumbled, finishing Jaekwan’s thoughts for him.
Kim Soleum gave no noticeable reaction for a moment, and then nodded slowly.
Jaekwan felt a stab of pity. Of course agent Grapes would feel a little down. After being assigned to a department he didn’t believe he was for, he was now assigned a mission where it was basically a slap to the face with the reality that you’re more unfit than you originally thought.
“Don’t worry,” Jaekwan said, his face softening. “It’s not a dangerous one, and there are no major risks. It’ll be fine, this is just a routine check up to prevent civilians from entering a more dangerous disaster if they get caught in this one.”
Choi sighed deeply, shuffling through the various maps handed to him. With no help from the internet, they would have to first figure out which map was the best and use it, alongside a glitchy compass.
It was unhelpful, but the point was the agents would have to try in vain to find the disaster via traditional means, which made it more easy for them to get lost.
“Alright, come on Jaekwan-ah, Soleum-ah. Let’s get going!”
And that’s how the agents of hyunmoo team one, decked in their usual uniform alongside a backpack of energy bars, bottled water and other essentials, had trespassed into private property for the fourth time.
“Um, agent Choi, maybe it isn’t the best idea to climb fences,” Soleum panted as he landed with a soft thump on the ground, fixing his glasses.
“Agent Grapes is right. They’re there for a reason.” Agent Bronze glanced at his senior, who held his usual carefree grin.
“Ah, I suppose you’re right. But let me tell you, that fence wasn’t there as many years ago as this map was made.” Choi shrugged, his smile widening as if he was preparing to make a cheeky remark. “Bronze, I thought you were one to stick to the facts.”
Agent Bronze’s eyes widened for a moment, before he squeezed them shut in a way that held back frustration. “I’m also one to not break the rules.” He gestured to the picket fence they had just climbed over. “It wasn’t there before, but it is now.”
Meanwhile, agent Grapes watched with a tired expression.
‘Youngeun-ssi... I hope things aren’t like this for you.’
“Let’s just say it doesn’t matter now. May I see the map, agent Choi?”
Agent Choi uncharacteristically handed him the map without a word, to which Soleum inferred the other was just really tired now, which was fair.
Soleum stared at the map for a moment while agent Choi and agent Bronze bickered behind him.
He had to admit, he wasn’t the greatest at this, but in his teenage years he developed a small interest in these things so he liked to imagine he was decent enough.
His skill didn’t matter much, however, when the map was as worn out as it was. With a tired sigh he cleared his mind and spoke up again.
“Um, how do we know if we’ve entered the disaster?”
Choi and Bronze stopped their bickering almost immediately to look at Soleum, which unnerved him a little.
“Hm, it’s a little hard to explain. You’ll know when it happens!” Choi said, but his voice lacked its usual enthusiasm.
Soleum had his own way of telling, however.
-…
Silence. Or rather, the lack of a second voice inside Soleum’s head. Since Braun wasn’t commentating in his mind, that meant they hadn’t entered the darkness yet.
He recalled when he was back home having first heard of this ghost story. It was probably the least scariest thing on the entire wiki to date, and Kim Soleum was grateful it made it up there in the first place but he also felt bad for the agents who had to suffer through these.
Kim Soleum sighed, before looking to the sky and letting out a self-deprecating laugh. Under no circumstances did he think that he was going to be one of these agents that he pitied so.
‘How much longer...’
Agent Choi and Agent Bronze exchanged a worried glance at their junior’s concerning laughter. Agent Grapes had a way about him that made the people around him uneasy, and this was one such occasion.
A clear understanding passed between the two agents and they set aside their arguments for the sake of their junior who clearly wasn’t taking this well. Agent Choi went over and draped an arm smoothly over Agent Grape’s shoulder, a lazy smile on his face.
“Come, let’s work through this together now.”
Agent Bronze followed suit, his expression more subdued than before as the three of them peered down at the map in Agent Grape’s hold.
“I think it’s that way.”
“Um, I was thinking further north, because… see here?”
“Oh, that building-looking thing?”
“Yes, agent.”
“Oh, yes, you’re right. My apologies.”
“Wow, does our Grapes-ie have a hidden talent he didn’t tell us about?”
It took them around four hours in total, not even counting the hours spent sitting around a tree stump, exchanging different snacks and drinks amongst themselves and sharing stories; memories from the past and ideas for future experiences together.
As he stepped into the space, Kim Soleum felt the signs before he heard them. A sudden pressure, like the expectations of the world were upon him at once. He looked at his fellow teammates, who also had the equally foreboding expression on their faces.
And a moment later-
-Ah, it seems Mr Roe Deer can hear me now!
-It seems you had an entertaining experience in the great outdoors! A shame this Braun couldn’t commentate with my good friend, truly regrettable, but forgivable!
‘It’s not my fault I can’t hear you outside of Darknesses...’
-Don’t worry, friend! I will always be watching you, even if we’re unable to talk.
‘...’
“Here we are! How long was that, Bronze-ah?”
Agent Bronze paused the stopwatch on his wrist. “Five hours and thirty-four minutes,” he said.
“Huh, that’s not bad!”
With a frown, Jaekwan spoke again, his voice strangely solemn. “That’s the quickest any agent has entered the disaster.”
“Wow~ so our hoobae is speedrunning getting lost too? As expected-!” Choi chuckled, managing to stop himself before he mentioned the nickname Kim Soleum had developed for himself in his weeks of working at the bureau. Jaekwan told him before it probably wasn’t a good idea to mention it in front of Soleum - he looked self conscious enough. It looked like if they mentioned he was already making a name for himself, their poor Agent Grape would combust.
Jaekwan didn’t know it wasn’t Soleum’s first time making a name for himself a week after joining a company, however.
Agent Bronze stared at Choi with an odd look for a while, as if waiting for his senior to realise the implication of his words before giving up and letting out a sigh. “This probably means we’ll be sent out to check this on a regular basis.”
“Ah...”
That was true.
Sorrow passed through Kim Soleum at the thought of having to do this all over again.
‘There’s no escape, is there...’
-Of course there is, friend! Specially kept, just for you!
Kim Soleum ignored the voice.
The purpose of this disaster was to pressure people into paranoia until they either lost their mind or wandered into a much more dangerous disaster.
Thankfully there were no civilians trapped, meaning the three agents could leave without any trouble.
Well, one trouble, if they were to count finding their way back using faulty damaged equipment. It didn’t help that the worn out compass decided to combust right then and there.
“...”
“...”
“Now... what?”
“Ah, haha... let’s just pick a direction and keep walking that way, right? If we’re lucky, we won’t end up on a cliff or something!”