Chapter Text
A spy…
It is the role that Director Ho requires him to play for the project.
Kim Soleum does not like it. In fact, there is nothing he wants to do more than to go right back there and tell the executive that no, he changes his mind, please do not make him do this.
Infiltrating a government agency is not for the faint of heart, after all. And he is the biggest coward of all.
Moreover, the organization he will have to betray is of the Disaster Management Bureau. A dutiful and righteous group, who only wish to protect the innocent civilians unfortunate enough to be caught up in a ghost stories.
The thought of lying to such people leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.
But Kim Soleum does not have a choice.
Daydream has already declared him dead. Should he go back now, he will definitely face some form of discipline.
The points he risked his life so many times to collect… His only way home… They might take it away.
Therefore, he must accept Director Ho's offer. He must somehow pass the Disaster Management Bureau's aptitude test, hide his real identity, and steal the information the executive wants.
Let's think more about it tomorrow.
He has just escaped after being stuck inside a Darkness an entire month, had an emotional reunion with his old teammates, and scrambled to manage the fallout of his disappearance. Kim Soleum believes he deserves some rest.
Even his insomnia cannot prevent him from falling into the sweet, sweet embrace of unconsciousness right now.
So, lying on a motel's scratchy bed, Kim Soleum closes his eyes, allowing exhaustion to drag him into dreamland.
Only-
When Kim Soleum wakes up again, he finds himself somewhere completely unfamiliar.
A small room, not as large as his old apartment, but still large enough to contain a reasonable group of people without feeling crowded.
The walls are painted in a soft coffee latte brown, decorated with simple murals of scattered books.
Colorful origami are hung from the ceiling, cranes and flowers and boats and many more, each one as large as his head.
Blankets, cushions, and pillows are scattered all over the wooden floor, creating a rather cozy atmosphere.
And, right there, in the center of the room, a circular table. An antique gramophone sits proudly upon its surface. On its left is a basket filled with snacks and drinks. On its right…
"…!"
A familiar fear starts to crawl up his throat, chilling and suffocating, but he quickly swallows it down with something else instead.
Namely, the fact that he is not alone.
Two men wearing Disaster Management Bureau uniforms, talking quietly to each other. One of them is the same agent Kim Soleum met in And Then There Was One and Sekwang Technical High School. The other, he does not know, and he would certainly remember someone with such a gruesome scar on his neck.
J3, barely tearing his eyes from the donuts in the snack basket, yet seemingly shrugging off a huge burden when he his usually listless eyes lay on him.
Baek Saheon, looking startled, subtly trying to move toward the other corner of the room, as far away from Kim Soleum as possible.
Go Yeongeun, equally as surprised, but hers has a hint of relief in it. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but her eyes flicker to the agents and click it shut.
Right.
Director Ho did mention that Go Yeongeun was one of my fellow spies.
She probably does not want to expose herself.
And finally…
The old D-Squad, who immediately approaches Kim Soleum the moment he appears.
"Roe Deer, you really have the worst luck."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje chuckles dryly.
He cannot deny her words.
As much as Kim Soleum wants to believe this is merely a dream, it feels too vivid to be one.
Having just escaped a Darkness, I instantly got dragged into another one!
This ghost story world is truly terrifying.
Resisting the urge to sigh, he decides to seek for more information.
"How long have you been here?"
"About 30 minutes or so."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje looks around the room.
"I was about to go to bed when I arrived in this place, followed by Park Minseong. Squad Leader was here first, though. Those agents came after the both of us. And then the other two. They were only a few minutes before you."
Supervisor Park Minseong also adds.
"The Squad Leader has already tried to destroy the walls, but they refused to budge."
"I see."
He is slowly figuring out what is going on…
However, to be sure, he turns to Chief Lizard.
"Squad Leader, do you know what this Darkness is?"
"Yes."
As reliable as ever!
But before he can ask-
"That was fast! You're quite clever for someone coming from that cult company~"
The unfamiliar agent has interrupted, dragging a frowning colleague with him.
Chief Lizard simply blinks at him, one eye after another. Assistant Manager Eun Haje steps forward, facing the agent head-on.
"And who might you be?"
"Let me introduce myself! Hmm, I don't really like using my agent code name, but…"
Wait.
That line…
"Just call me Agent Chou."
Holy.
It's him.
One of the earliest named character in Dark Exploration Record. The agent who is supposed to die on the fourth floor of Looky Mart.
Kim Soleum's eyes widen in surprise. However, he quickly covers up his reaction.
Luckily, Agent Choi does not seem to notice. Instead, he continues.
"And this is my beloved hoobae, Bronzie-ah."
Agent Bronze immediately corrects.
"Your turn!"
And Agent Choi completely ignores him…
"I'm Falcon."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje wisely does not comment on it.
"And they're Chief Lizard, Badger, and Roe Deer."
"Ah…! I'm Agent Mint!"
My fellow spy joins in, looking a little nervous. Thankfully, despite having known her, none of the Daydream employees chose to show it.
Kim Soleum would not expose her like that. Assistant Manager Eun Haje and Supervisor Park Minseong are too clever. Chief Lizard is Chief Lizard.
As for Baek Saheon, he quickly deduces that this is a mission from the higher-ups and values his life to much to risk it.
"Call me Goat."
Finally, all of them turn to J3, who is busy stuffing himself with donuts.
Feeling the weight of their eyes, he lifts his head, blinking placidly at them.
Agent Choi coughs.
"Your name, please~"
The Security Team member blinks again, slowly, very, very slowly, before he answers.
"Oh… Call me J3…"
Unbothered, Agent Choi claps his hands, smilingly brightly.
"Now that we've all introduced ourselves, I can't help but overhear that you recognize this Disaster?"
"Yes."
"…"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
As the agent's smile starts to twitch, Kim Soleum decides to chime up.
"Can you please elaborate, Squad Leader?"
"We all woke up here after falling asleep. To escape, we have to finish the material the Darkness provided."
"Material?"
"Yes."
He has a feeling what material the lizard is talking about…
He looks at the object he has been avoiding this entire time, sitting innocently on the right side of the gramophone. A large, hardcover book, depicting a familiar figure.
Kim Soleum.
The book depicts Kim Soleum.
And he remembers this Darkness.
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[Rewrite Your Story]
: A ghost story featured in <Dark Exploration Records>
: Daydream Inc. identification code – Qterw-D-4159
Revise the past. Witness the future. It is time you learn to overwrite fate with your own hand.
Exploration Records indicate a total of up to 13 entries.
Exactly as described, the ghost story selects one of its victims as the "main character" and reveals the past, present, and future through them in a storytelling format.
The unlucky "main character" will get all of their thoughts and feelings broadcast to everyone like some kind of entertainment. Meanwhile, the others have no choice but to breach their privacy, learning about things one would never say out loud.
More importantly, all of them will learn about their future, no matter how tragic or gruesome, knowing that this, soon, will be their fate.
Judging by the cover of the book…
"This material will be about Roe Deer, won't it?"
Supervisor Park Minseong asks ruefully.
Assistant Manager Eun Haje sighs.
"Seriously, Roe Deer, your luck really is the worst."
Tell him about it.
"How can we be sure that this is safe?"
Go Yeongeun hesitantly asks, eyes flickering at Kim Soleum in concern.
Baek Saheon scoffs in disdain.
"Can we see any other option?"
He is not exactly wrong. However, Kim Soleum is not fond of his tone.
It seems that he has grown bolder when I was gone.
Kim Soleum smiles at him. It is a very nice smile, in his humble opinion.
Baek Saheon pales and immediately looks away.
"She's right. Are you sure you want to do this, Roe Deer? We don't know what would happen if we view this… material."
Supervisor Park Minseong puts a hand on Kim Soleum's shoulder and asks.
He appreciates the worry, but…
"We don't have another choice."
Not unless they want to risk incurring the wrath of the Darkness.
And, as much as Kim Soleum hates this, he would not endanger other people for his own comfort. He is too much of a coward to put that on his conscience.
I can find a way to get out safely during the viewing.
With that in mind, Kim Soleum strides forward and opens the book, only to find out it is not a book at all. Instead, it seems to be a vinyl record album, made to look like a book.
The record is brown. Strangely enough, its center is a smiley emoji.
There are writings on the inside of the album.
1, You are a guest. Be respectful to your host. They've prepared such a comfortable place for you to stay during the viewing. Refrain from damaging it.
2, Spoilers are not allowed. You would not want to make such an entertaining story boring by revealing everything beforehand, would you?
3, React. Interact. Your flavorful emotions will be the payment for this wonderful opportunity the host has offered you.
After reading the instructions out loud, Kim Soleum carefully takes the vinyl record from its container and lays it on the gramophone.
The tonearm taps against the record with a gentle click as it steadily spins away. From the gold-gilded speaker, an unmistakably familiar voice rings out.
[CreepyPasta #3: Tuesday Talk Show]