Chapter 57: Ch 57: Moonlight Tattoo Shop
Office workers always carry their resignation letter with them—whether
physically or mentally—over their hearts.
However, it’s usually hidden...
’Telling a new hire, though?’
And from a direct superior, no less.
"I’ve almost collected enough points. Don’t go spreading it around."
"..."
Given Assistant Manager Eun Haje’s personality, I’d have expected her to
keep her poker face until the very day of her resignation, revealing it only at
the last moment.
"Are you sure it’s okay to tell me this?"
"Why not? It’s not exactly bad news. Besides, there are plenty of people in
this company who brag about how many points they’ve accumulated."
Eun Haje gave my shoulder a firm pat.
"I just thought I’d let our squad know in advance."
"Sniffle. It’s so moving, seeing this from up close, sunbae-nim!"
"Cut it out."
I glanced over at Supervisor Park Minseong, who had sidled up and was
being overly dramatic. He seemed to have known about it beforehand.
’Must be a company culture thing.’
After all, this is a job where people risk everything, spinning the chamber of
a Russian roulette revolver against their temples in hopes of fulfilling a
seemingly impossible, desperate wish.
It made sense that there wasn’t much point in hiding the desire to escape.
Still, it was a shame to see such a considerate direct superior leave. But for
her, this was great news, so congratulations were in order.
There was just one thing I didn’t understand.
"Assistant Manager."
"Yeah?"
"Does that mean you’ve gathered all 500,000 points?"
"What?! Five hundred thousand...!"
Eun Haje looked startled before her expression relaxed, and she chuckled
knowingly.
"Oh, did you think I was aiming for a wish ticket?"
"...?"
Isn’t that the norm? Finding someone who isn’t would probably be harder
around here.
"Well, when I first joined, that was my goal too. But after looking around, I
realized there are other ways."
"...!"
Ah.
’I see.’
Now that I thought about it, not everyone might need to go all the way to a
wish ticket.
’If something you can buy from the employee points mall fulfills your wish,
that might be good enough.’
"I just need one of the high-tier magical potions this company offers."
As expected.
"...May I ask how many points it costs?"
"170,000. I’m less than 5,000 away now. Still... I’ll probably have to stick
around a few more months to earn the bonus points here and there thanks to
you."
Eun Haje gave a rare playful wink.
"I’ll talk to the squad leader and see if we can keep you here until the next
regular personnel announcement."
That meant I could likely remain on the D-squad until then.
Afterward, once she left, the squad would naturally be down to its proper
capacity.
’How thoughtful.’
Her confidence that I’d even want to stay with this squad made it all the
more impressive.
"Sunbae-nim, when you leave, we should definitely have a proper squad
dinner. And let’s stay in touch after you’re gone. We could go watch
baseball or something..."
"Of course. You just need to stick it out a few more years too."
"Me? Nah, I’m stuck collecting all 500,000 points."
Despite scratching his head, Supervisor Park’s face seemed brighter than
usual.
"Anyway... this means Roe can stay on our squad, right?"
"If the squad leader pulls the right strings."
And when the ’squad leader’ returned from the section head meeting, they
confirmed the matter calmly.
"Yes. The odds are in your favor."
"Ohhh!"
"It’s a matter of probability. Do not base your plans on the assumption of
staying."
"...Well, Roe, there you have it."
"Yes..."
Classic lizard.
"Anyway, congratulations on your decision, Assistant Manager."
"Thanks."
Eun Haje smiled as he stepped out to smoke. Her back already looked
lighter, as if a burden had been lifted.
’...What happens to employees who quit?’
There were no accounts of resigning staff being secretly detained in labs for
confidentiality or disappearing without a trace.
’There were even descriptions of retired employees having relatively good
endings.’
Like those universally liked colleagues that people on the wiki grew
attached to, ensuring the writers gave them satisfying retirements.
’...I hope it goes that way for her too.’
After a brief moment of reflection, I returned to my work.
That meant taking on the tasks assigned by the squad leader who had just
returned from the meeting.
"This time, the Darkness we’ll be exploring is a C-class spider from a
known source with a completed manual."
"Oh... so the points will be around 600 to 700 per person, right?"
"Yes."
"Roe, it’s good we banked on those points when we had the chance."
The influx of ’new Darkness manual completion explorations’ that had been
almost exclusively assigned to D-squad was finally slowing down.
"There’s usually a seasonal burst of new Darknesses. The research squad
tends to register them all at once as the deadline approaches."
"Ah."
This really feels so... company-like.
Of course, as a new hire, pointing that out wouldn’t do me any good.
I smiled faintly and said,
"Then we can all work safely for a while, right?"
"That’s what I like about you, Roe—you’re always so positive!"
Supervisor Park laughed heartily and handed me the tablet displaying the
manual in PDF form.
"Even with a manual, it’s still C-class, so if you let your guard down, it
could be serious. Let me know when you’ve fully gone through it."
"Yes."
"Looks like this one just involves surviving in a certain location for a day."
Hmm.
I took the tablet and started reading.
The official manual was written in the usual calm tone, following the same
format as always.
It resembled the entries in the <Dark Exploration Records> wiki, meaning
the data had been implemented with detailed, practical information based
on prior records.
’Let’s see.’
This is a ghost story about getting lost in a space within a mostly empty
commercial building, a phenomenon referred to online as a type of
’backroom’.
"..."
As I read the next paragraph, a strong feeling struck me like a hammer.
’This is...’
For months now, I’d been using the <Dark Exploration Records> to infer
the true nature of ghost stories and match them to their corresponding
manuals.
So I wasn’t exactly surprised by the general nature of these phenomena
anymore.
But this situation? It’s surprising in a different way.
Normally, it’s the kind of thing where I’d end up in a scenario like the
<Tuesday Quiz Show>, involving insane mass slaughter or a situation
where my death is practically guaranteed.
But this time, it’s different.
’This is... good news!’
Oh my god, a wholesome ghost story!
If fear were measured on a scale, this one would probably be a zero. Even
the most faint-hearted could breeze through it after knowing the spoilers.
Then why was it rated C-class?
’Because Daydream Inc. misclassified the grade due to a
misunderstanding!’
This story was meant to bring joy.
It was one of those ’misunderstood ghost stories’—seemingly dangerous
but actually warm and gentle. It was safe and friendly, but people’s biases
made it seem scary, leading to amusing misinterpretations.
’It’s more like a magical experience than a ghost story...’
Naturally, there weren’t many cases like this in the <Dark Exploration
Records>.
My heart raced slightly.
Was I really going to experience this?
’Wait a minute.’
If this goes well...
’This might not just feel warm and fuzzy—it could actually make my life
better.’
My mind started spinning quickly.
To pull this off, there was something I definitely needed to have.
And that was...
"You’re being sent in tomorrow afternoon, so there’s plenty of time. Take
your time reading through it. Though honestly... You probably don’t even
need me to explain things, Roe!"
"In that case... would it be okay if I stepped out for a bit during lunch
tomorrow?"
"Huh? Well, I don’t think either Squad Leader Lee or the Assistant Manager
Eun would mind, but why? If it’s for a doctor’s visit, we can give you extra
time."
"Oh, no, it’s not that. I just..."
I thought about my bank account and started counting.
"There’s something I need to buy."
"...?"
To make the most of this wholesome ghost story, I needed to bring along...
Something very expensive!
The next day, after lunch—
We traveled to the site in Assistant Manager Eun’s car, heading to the
location where the Darkness was contained.
"Got everything you wanted to bring?"
"Yes."
The ’expensive thing’ I had purchased during lunch was safely packed in
my briefcase.
From the driver’s seat, the assistant manager checked,
"Roe, this is your first time entering an urban legend that takes place in a
real location, rather than being kidnapped by touching some cursed item,
isn’t it?"
Uh, no. In fact, I just pretended to be a serial killer at a lodge full of
dismembered corpses, nearly throwing up in the process.
...But let’s not bring that up.
"Yes. It feels like my first real field assignment."
"Haha. You’re still in your twenties, right, Roe? This must be your first job,
then."
The atmosphere was warm as we traveled, exchanging some light-hearted
conversation.
"Did you know? Our squad leader once broke the steering wheel three
times while on duty. Now there’s a rumor he won’t sit in the driver’s seat
again unless it’s a full-blown zombie apocalypse..."
"..."
Maybe I shouldn’t ask about that directly.
Anyway, after about forty minutes, the car smoothly arrived at its
destination.
"Here we are."
It was a tightly packed alley of commercial buildings in the suburbs of
Seoul.
Once bustling during a real estate boom, it had become eerily quiet and
desolate due to new urban development drawing people away—an ’old’
new town, so to speak.
Numerous vacant windows displayed real estate signs advertising properties
for sale or rent.
"One of these buildings is the urban legend. If you enter during the golden
hour on a sunny day, something strange happens."
"I see."
Accompanied by my superiors, who helpfully summarized the manual’s
details, I approached the designated commercial building.
"Civilians are blocked from entering this place. It seems like some kind
of... Security Team equipment is being used. But it recognizes our badges
and lets us through."
Hmm.
"Be careful once we’re inside."
Supervisor Park lowered his voice and whispered seriously.
"There are quite a few disturbing records, so stay vigilant."
"..."
Are you referring to something like this?
Exploration Record #12
One of the staff members deployed (Employee Jung Sejong) discovered
an operational shop at Room 404, next to the emergency exit on the
fourth floor. The sign displayed the name ■■■ Café.
However, as the staff member approached the location, strange sounds
not originating from the café began to be heard.
Barking, shouting, and the howling of beasts overlapped into a
cacophony that grew louder and louder, as if rushing toward him.
Just as the staff member stopped in front of the door, the sound
suddenly surged closer, as though something was about to charge out.
Panicking, the staff member fled to the emergency stairs just before the
door opened but fell unconscious after a loud crash.
Later, the staff member was found unconscious near the building,
suffering from open fractures in both legs and severe back injuries,
rendering him unfit for duty. He subsequently reported persistent
PTSD.
At first glance, it sounds eerie and horrific.
But did you notice?
’That’s just... a dog-friendly café.’
The barking scared the employee, causing him to flee and tumble down the
stairs, leading to multiple injuries.
The ’ghost story’ actually kindly ejected the staff member from the
premises.
This Darkness is just a space where the old shops continue to operate
normally. That’s as weird as it gets.
It’s the kind of story where overzealous explorers, misinterpreting
everything as sinister, end up creating problems for themselves, eliciting a
wry chuckle from observers.
And here I am, standing next to people who are eagerly giving me advice as
if it’s all serious.
"Let’s be cautious. There are records of this space harming entrants."
No, there aren’t.
"Especially, don’t lose consciousness. That usually results in severe
injuries."
Even if someone passes out or gets hurt badly, the space politely ejects
them after a while...
This is literally a shopping complex that ensures people leave once business
hours are over.
Still, I refrained from explaining. I didn’t want someone to think, ’Oh, this
ghost story induces psychological contamination!’ and spiral into more
exaggerated misunderstandings.
Instead, I simply nodded when they suggested splitting up to cover more
ground efficiently while staying in contact.
"Are you sure you’ll be okay, Roe?"
"Yes."
Normally, I’d cling to someone’s coattails out of nervousness, but today is
the perfect day for a ’coward’s adventure’!
"Call immediately if anything happens."
"Understood."
Equipped with a walkie-talkie provided by the Security Team (which oddly
reminded me of a toy I’d seen in the Alien Shop), I moved out.
– Hm, is there a specific shop you want to visit? It seems a few are still
operational.
That’s the thing.
’Yes, but they’re a bit tricky to reach...’
The space here was warped, with floors and directions all jumbled, but
some semblance of order and rules could occasionally be discerned.
One such rule involved the elevator.
When taking it from the seventh floor, a button for the basement might
randomly appear.
After several attempts, I finally saw the button labeled ’B1’.
– Ah, a hidden location? Reminds me of that elegant exhibition we went to
recently.
Did you really have to bring that up?
I still have nightmares about wandering endlessly in the basement of that
exhibition, bumping into mechanical spiders, and losing vital organs...
’This is a kind and gentle place... a kind and gentle place...’
Shaking off the memories, I pressed the button.
Ding.
The doors opened to reveal a parking garage.
’Someone once fainted here after hearing a car horn, I think.’
That’s not the point.
I carefully followed the instructions I remembered.
’Three turns to the left.’
After circling the parking garage three times, a new section number,
previously invisible, appeared.
’A19.’
This meant I had arrived.
With growing excitement, I walked toward it.
Next to this parking section was a door leading into the shopping complex.
Instead of heading to the elevators, I turned to the side, where a small shop
awaited.
And there it was.
Moonlight Tattoo Shop
A magical place.
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