Author note: Update
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– A spy. Ah, yes. A classic and popular role, one that gets the audience's heart racing in any era.
– The catharsis of a twist, revealing the mysterious and powerful identity of someone who was anything but ordinary!
– Isn't it the perfect profession for you, my talented friend?
Hoho.
On my way to work, I listened to Braun's lively commentary as I entered the Disaster Management Bureau.
'Thank goodness the Disaster Management Bureau bomber jacket has a front pocket.'
The plush doll's ears were covered by the upper flap of the pocket, so at a glance, no one would notice.
I greeted the agents naturally as I crossed the bureau's main lobby.
– A special method for entering through a concealed entrance. It's the classic trope of a special agent. They seem to be a group that appreciates a bit of romanticism.
– Let's see where Mr. Roe Deer's workplace is, shall we? I'm looking forward to it!
It was a good start. Braun gave a pretty decent score to the Disaster Management Bureau's hidden entrance, and also a passable score to the sights inside.
'I'm glad you like it.'
Replying appropriately, I took the elevator, walked down the hallway, and opened the door.
That's how the Black-Tortoise Team 1 waiting room appeared.
And then…
– ...
'Braun?'
– Oh, I suppose they've nicely decorated the spare, temporary space to look like a lounge.
– Haha. Mr. Roe Deer, it's amusing to see you've learned to take it easy since I last saw you! Are you planning to enjoy a secret break here before heading to your real workplace?
'This is it.'
– Hmm?
'This is my workplace.'
There was no response from my Good Friend.
– Do you lure visitors here and extract information from them? What an impressive trick to use an unofficial lounge… No.
'This really is my official workplace.'
– Friend, what exactly do you do here?
'I sit on the sofa.'
Still no response from my Good Friend. As if he'd just died…
– Oh. To think you'd play a prank on me.
Aaaagh!
'Then, when we're called, we go out on missions. To rescue people in all kinds of unusual disaster situations.'
– Aha.
'This is just the waiting room.'
– Hahaha. So the real work hasn't even begun yet.
– Oh, you got me! That was extremely amusing, Friend!
'Right? Hahahaha…'
Cold sweat trickled down my back. Yeah, this is what it's always like, hanging out with Braun... huuu.
At that moment, my right hand, which I'd kept in my pocket, moved discreetly.
It gave a thumbs up… then pointed sharply down.
"..."
Yeah. I get it.
– Very well. In that case, it seems this place isn't the absolute worst for resting alone!
'But it's a waiting room for the whole team.'
– ...
'It's fine. Everyone here is fun. They're good people.'
Braun seemed a bit shocked, but there was nothing I could do about that. He was probably comparing it to the private office I used to have at that major pharmaceutical company…
– …Very well. How many people work with you, Mr. Roe Deer?
'Ah, at the moment, there are three of us… but usually only two come into the waiting room.'
I looked at the waiting room's whiteboard.
It still held notes left by people who'd passed through Black-Tortoise Team 1.
'…Originally, about seven people worked here.'
That's just my own knowledge.
In the
But after some incidents, about half were killed or went missing, and it was reduced to three teams.
'It really was a chilling creepypasta.'
Anyway, there was a time when they were actively recruiting more people… and now seemed to be that time.
– That's a relief. Phew, to think of having seven people in such a shabby room. What are we, failed comedians who can't get a gig?
"...Ahem."
I just laughed bitterly.
After some thought, I picked up a marker from the whiteboard and left a line myself.
Admirable people.
I was thinking of the Disaster Management Bureau's Black-Tortoise Team 1 in the early days of the wiki.
– You left a message? My! The mark of a spy… how intriguing. Could you bring me closer so I can get a better look?
It wasn't anything special, really.
"Sure."
That wasn't hard. I took the plush doll out of my front pocket and supported its body with both hands, bringing it close to the whiteboard…
Ka-chak.
"Grapes, you're here early again today? Did you sleep well last ni—"
Agent Choi, meeting my gaze, saw the doll in my hand.
And then saw my hands politely pressing the doll up against the whiteboard.
A-Ahhh…
"G-Good morning, Agent Choi."
"Yeah, good morning. Uh… are you donating that doll to our waiting room? That's great."
"N-No, it's not that…"
– Hoho?
Shrinking my shoulders, I hurriedly put Braun back in my front pocket.
But Agent Choi stopped me.
His eyes were scanning the phrase I'd written on the whiteboard.
"Hm? No, it's fine. Kids these days take pictures with stuff like this and post them as proof."
Then Agent Choi started asking about whether I posted stuff on SNS, and told me I couldn't upload internal photos because it's classified and to think of this place like the National Intelligence Service… and so on, and I scrambled to play along.
"No, uh, this is just, someone I always carry with me, um, a friend."
– Nice to meet you! Oh, that scar on your neck is quite stylish. I hope you'll tell us the story behind it someday.
"…Friend?"
"Yes…"
At that moment, Agent Bronze also opened the waiting room door and walked in.
"Hello—"
"Jaekwan-ah, come over here. Our rookie brought a doll!"
"A doll?"
Agent Choi hurriedly grabbed Agent Bronze and brought him over.
This was overwhelming.
– My goodness, isn't this the man who took up the serial killer role at that mountain lodge? …Aha! Could it be you infiltrated under the pretense of falling for his persistent recruitment?
No. He'd gotten suspicious of me and started watching…
– Well, not bad. Two sidekicks to support you!
No. They're my superiors…
Meanwhile, my two supervisors were looking at Braun with curiosity.
"If you always carry it, how come we've never seen it before? Jaekwan-ah, have you?"
Agent Bronze's expression turned strange.
He must have been remembering the times he'd glimpsed Braun hanging from my clothes or sticking out of my pocket…!
'But if he says so, it'll sound like we've known each other for a while!'
I cut in to ease his dilemma.
"Ah, the friend I had before got torn by mistake… so I just made a new one recently."
"..."
Agent Bronze's expression turned even stranger.
He muttered 'friend' to himself a few more times, then soon asked,
"Did you… make that 'friend' during your break?"
Amazingly, that was true.
"Yes, that's right! Ah, not that I made it myself, I just bought it at a store…"
"..."
"Grapes-ie, if you call a doll your friend, a ghost will possess it and—"
"Go fetch the documents."
"Eek!"
Agent Bronze kicked Agent Choi out by the seat of his pants and they left the waiting room together.
Then he turned back and said kindly to me,
"The Preliminary Investigation Unit has summoned you, Agent Grapes. We'll handle the rescue signals, so don't worry and just head out."
"Yes? Yes."
And the two disappeared in an instant.
Thud.
'Huu.'
I thought they'd pry further, but thankfully they didn't.
If I'd looked any more suspicious, Agent Choi might've whipped out his ghost story detection device… That could have gotten dicey.
Even though Braun always boasted, 'No matter what device they use, no one can figure out what I am,' there's no harm in being cautious.
'I figured it would be better to show him naturally from the beginning rather than risk getting caught hiding him later.'
I never expected it would play out like this, though.
Is this… good?
– Friend? So what kind of place is the Preliminary Investigation Unit?
'Ah, let's go there now.'
Anyway, since the Preliminary Investigation Unit had called for me, I decided to head out for a bit.
With Braun, I made my way past the real working spaces of the Disaster Management Bureau, the office corridors. And then…
– My goodness, I'd rather this was a comedy skit segment… To think my friend has fallen victim to an employment scam.
"..."
To the eyes of a host from a dazzling capitalist era mass media ghost story, the 21st-century public sector facilities must have seemed utterly dilapidated and substandard…
Fortunately, something else soon caught Braun's interest.
Right in front of the Preliminary Investigation Unit office was my fellow spy.
Go Yeongeun-ssi.
"Agent Grapes!"
Go Yeongeun, who greeted me with a bright smile and wave, gave me a curious look as she spotted the plush doll on my chest when I got closer.
"You're carrying that around again?"
"...Yes."
Now that I think about it, Yeongeun-ssi has seen Braun in the form of a Good Friend fairly often.
Even in that exhibition ghost story, 'Manor of the Blind', I used Braun to solidify Baek Saheon's impression of me… I think she saw that a few times in passing, too.
Anyway, it seems Braun has a greater presence than I thought.
'I-I figured he wouldn't stand out that much since it's so small, but…'
In this ghost story world's crazy pharmaceutical company, people carry around everything from bunny's feet to mummy bandages.
With everyone already wearing bizarre animal masks, I thought a little plush pendant would be fine.
Um. Apparently not…
Still, Go Yeongeun remains as kind as ever.
"Um, it's still cute! I think you picked a good one."
– Ah, someone with an eye for quality. An appreciative audience is always a delight for an entertainer.
Anyway, it was a relief that everyone seemed satisfied. I smiled and spoke.
"Thank you. Then, Agent Mint, perhaps you also—"
"Ah, no thank you."
"..."
No, I was just going to ask if you had one too. A plush pendant… I was starting to sweat.
Ah, looks like the bunny plush stands out even more than I expected.
'This won't do.'
After asking Braun's permission, I pulled the front pocket flap down further to hide as much of the plush as possible.
"Agent Grapes! Please give your statement—huh? That's cute. Did your younger sibling give it to you?"
"Oh my, what's that? A doll?"
But even so, whenever I moved and it showed itself, it became a small talk topic several times…
And the finale came after I'd finished a quick statement with the Preliminary Investigation Unit and returned to the Black-Tortoise Team 1 waiting room.
Ka-chak.
"Grapes-ie!"
As I came in, the two agents who'd arrived earlier shot to their feet.
And Agent Choi had a suspicious grin plastered on his face.
...?
"Sorry. I was a bit harsh to your friend earlier! Calling it a ghost and all. Right?"
– Hm. Now he tries to make amends. I'll let it slide.
"N-No, it's fine."
What is going on?
Anyway, now that I know the plushie's more conspicuous than I thought, I should take steps to handle it.
I sat quietly on the sofa and muttered to myself.
"Um, I'll make sure to keep it out of sight as much as possible, so even if it's a bit uncomfortable, I hope you'll understand…"
"Hahaha, what are you talking about? Of course Grapes's friend can stay in the waiting room with us."
Suddenly, Agent Choi put his arm around my shoulder and showed me something.
"Here, this is your friend's spot."
On the plush armrest of the sofa by the window, a neatly folded navy blue handkerchief—standard issue for an agent—was laid out…
'...'
No.
What is this, seriously?
– Haha, I appreciate the kindness, but I'll decline! I have my own handkerchief… Wait, where did it go? That's strange, it seems to have disappeared!
I'll get you a new one later, just wait!
"T-Thank you…"
In the end, unable to resist the flow of the conversation, I set Braun down on the handkerchief.
Agent Choi, still smiling, asked kindly,
"What's our friend's name?"
"B-Braun." (Brown)
"…But it's pink?"
"Eh?"
"Hahaha, no, it's fine! That's possible. After all, the heart is free~"
"Yes… thank you."
What even is this situation?
I looked to Agent Bronze for help, but when he met my eyes, he just forced a strained smile.
He's really trying to look warm…
'...??'
I was even more lost.
"Here, take this too. It's a diary string, but if you tie it to its ear, it'll look cute."
And so, Braun received a cushion near the window and successfully blended into the Black-Tortoise Team 1 waiting room without suspicion…
'…??'
The cause of all this would soon be revealed in the group chat.
[Let's not make a fuss if the new Destroyer King Rookie brings a plush keyring, everyone. It's a precious friend.]
[?]
[so its not a supernatural phenomenon or whatever?]
[That doesn't seem to be the case. According to another team member, he's been carrying it around for a while, seems to use it to calm himself. Let's not pry into personal matters.]
[ah…]
[confirmed]
[we all get it, yeah]
[I was the one who asked if his younger sibling gave him the doll. if you're reading this, i'm sorry, agent.]
"..."
Agent Bronze…!!
– In that sense, I'll give this place… hmm. 39 points.
On my way home from work, I hurried back to the motel, listening to Braun's surprisingly generous Disaster Management Bureau rating.
Other than a brief dispatch for a minor supernatural incident in the afternoon, it had been a normal day, so my condition should have been fine, but…
'I'm exhausted…'
So much happened mentally, and on top of it all, an unexpected new facet to my 'character' was added as the grand finale…
'Ugh.'
I just want to rest.
'…Maybe I should sleep somewhere nicer, just for tonight.'
As I walked down the street at dusk, I searched for other lodgings on my smartphone…
Bzzzz.
A popup appeared along with a vibration.
A message.
[ J : got so m e in fo ]
[ J : abit ]
"…!"
It's the sergeant.
This was the first time since I handed over my phone.
But he says he got some information?
[ J : proble ]
[What do you mean?]
I quickly replied.
But there was no response for several minutes.
"..."
And then, much later.
[ J : i'll come out ]
A chill ran down my spine.
I called immediately. But he didn't answer.
'What the…'
There was definitely a signal, so why wasn't he picking up?
[Where are you, sergeant?]
[Are you alright?]
The '1' disappeared from the message, meaning it was read.
'Wait a second. He said… he'd come out, didn't he?'
I hurriedly narrowed my lodging search to the area around Daydream Inc. and grabbed a random unmanned motel.
Then I sent the address, room number, and door code via message.
[ If you've made it out, come here (link) ]
Then I immediately dashed back into the subway, heading to the unmanned motel near the company.
A short while later.
"…?!"
When I opened the motel door, I saw a scene I never could have imagined.
"Mm!"
Kwak Jaekang was tied up and lying face-down on the floor.
And sitting on top of him, restraining him, was the sergeant.
And…
"R-Roe."
Supervisor Park Minseong, sweating coldly as he looked at me, was there too, in a security team uniform.
"..."
W-What kind of mess is this?