"Excuse me..."

"..."

"Excuse me."

I opened my eyes wide.

In my field of view, I saw a familiar face.

"...Security Captain?"

"Yes..."

A slim figure wearing a security uniform, light-colored hair, and a badge that read "J3."

It was the very security captain who had been caught up in the vengeful spirit darkness alongside me...!

I hurriedly tried to sit up.

An overwhelming headache engulfed me... Wait?

Jingle.

I froze.

My hands, which had reached out to support myself on the floor, were tightly bound with red yarn adorned with little silver bells.

‘Yarn?’

The usage and appearance seemed oddly familiar... Ah.

‘It's the equipment used by the security team…’

-------------------------------

Chronicles of Darkness Exploration / Daydream Corporation

/ Item

Nostalgia Kitty

A red yarn with silver bells attached, an equipment item.

When worn, it temporarily reverts the target to the healthiest mental and physical state in the past ten years.

The more severe the mutation, the quicker the yarn breaks.

※ The standard for health is based on usage records.

-------------------------------

An item that temporarily allowed anyone to return to a "better version of their past self."

Knowing its purpose put me somewhat at ease.

I relaxed my body...

"..."

"..."

Wait, hold on.

Why am I tied up?

I snapped my head up.

The Security Captain’s face, which looked as if he couldn’t care less about anything, showed a faint trace of relief.

He gave a small wave with his hand.

"Nice to see you again..."

"Yes. But..."

I raised my arms as high as I could.

"What is this all about?"

"They said you rescued a contaminated employee..."

"Yes, but why am I...?"

The Security Captain pointed at me.

Oh.

"...Did the security team think I was the one contaminated?"

"Probably... yes. There wasn’t anyone else around."

The Security Captain raised his hands, showing a faint mix of embarrassment and expectation.

"Um, welcome to the security team...?"

No, no way.

Is he mistaking this for some kind of rookie initiation…?

"It's not me."

"...Huh?"

"It's not me."

I emphasized it twice, then finally gathered my wits and scanned the surroundings.

‘...Looks like a containment room.’

The interior space, surrounded by gray walls, was completely empty. Even the lighting was recessed into the ceiling with no protrusions visible.

‘Seems like the security team properly responded, at least.’

That meant I had made the right call.

[Security Team Equipment Rental Warehouse]

After I was promoted to a Supervisor, I had been granted access to this facility—a warehouse where security equipment could be borrowed through calls or visits.

However, when the security team judged that "containment" was necessary, they would intervene directly like this...

‘Looks like I was lucky.’

Judging by the fact that I was now detained in one of their facilities.

I slowly nodded.

"So, this is the company building, isn’t it? Since the Security Captain is here."

"Yes... You catch on quick..."

"..."

I swallowed hard.

If I wasn’t mistaken, the contaminated Supervisor Park Minseong was currently sealed inside the tattoo on my wrist.

‘I need to bring him out and pass him over to deal with the contamination.’

Having this kind of tattoo officially registered with the security team would be monumentally stupid in the long term, wouldn’t it?

Eventually, I spoke cautiously, as if testing the waters.

"Is there CCTV installed in here?"

"Probably not..."

Good.

Considering this was the first time someone contaminated by the <Hungry Hangman> ghost story had emerged in the real world, they likely wouldn’t have installed recording devices.

Since even CCTV footage could get contaminated.

‘Especially since the <Hungry Hangman> is a ghost story with particularly strong mental contamination…’

In any case, no one seemed to know that Supervisor Park Minseong, completely contaminated, was sealed in my forearm.

I swallowed hard.

"...Security Captain."

"Just call me Jay... I’m the only ‘J’ left in the security team, anyway..."

"Alright, Jay."

I made a serious request.

"Could you keep everything that happens from now on a secret?"

Of course, I expected him to refuse.

Or he might pretend to hesitate, then agree reluctantly only to report everything later.

Either way, I should be ready to negotiate...

"Sure, whatever..."

"..."

"As long as it’s not something like blowing up the company... Actually, even if it is, I don’t really care... Just keep it a secret that I have heard anything."

"..."

Is this what job security looks like?

‘What kind of company is this?’

I steadied my dizzying thoughts and firmly reassured him.

"It’s not anything like blowing up the company."

"Then what is it...?"

"The truth is, I rescued a contaminated employee and am currently containing them separately."

"..."

"..."

"...??"

The Security Captain looked at me with an expression that screamed, ‘What on earth are you talking about?’

"Are you mentally unstable...?"

"I’m perfectly fine. Besides, don’t I have containment equipment on me already?"

I raised my arm.

"This yarn with bells... It seems to be equipment for containing contamination."

"Mm... True."

"Then you’ll understand that I’m speaking rationally."

The Security Captain stared at me.

I swallowed hard.

"When you’re ready, I’ll bring the contaminated employee out here."

"Ah."

Though his expression still showed some doubt, he eventually nodded slowly.

"Alright... Go ahead..."

"Do you need any preparation? I only have one chance to do this, as I’m using a disposable item."

"Well..."

The Security Captain gave himself a light tap on the chest.

"I’ll handle it."

It might have sounded arrogant, but his tired and indifferent tone made it come off as sincere.

‘And he’s the captain.’

From what I’d seen during the Vengeful Spirit incident, his skills as a leader of the security team specializing in "darkness containment" were certainly reliable...

‘Alright. In that case.’

"Understood."

I took a deep breath.

And, in one swift motion, plunged my hand into the tattoo.

"...!"

I didn’t need to search around for the target—it was instantly within reach.

Locking up a fellow teacher? That’s a blatant violation of the rules!!

‘Pull!’

As my hand emerged from the tattoo, so did what I was gripping.

Crack-crack-crack.

A grotesque sound echoed as the "teacher" began to emerge from the tattoo.

And then—

Thud.

The moment the yarn snapped from the impact, blood gushed from my forearm like a fountain.

The wound from the bloodsucking knife reappeared.

"—!"

Shit! 

I tried to refrain from cursing, but it hurt too much! The contamination, contamination was creeping back in. But what’s more important…

"Teacher Sol-eum! Such pranks are grounds for punishment at our ■■kindergarten..."

I froze.

Supervisor Park Minseong—the teacher—who had been smiling softly, suddenly stopped.

Then, as he blankly surveyed his surroundings—

"..."

"..."

"It's not a kindergarten!!"

Damn it.

"It's not a kindergarten! It's not a kindergarten! I left without permission, unauthorized! I'm not the perfect teacher... I broke the rules...!"

I couldn’t respond in any way, just… guilt overwhelmed me.

I’m really sorry, Teacher. I made the wrong judgment. I shouldn’t have done this. I’ll take your punishment instead and read the educational manual out loud. I’ll pick up the educational manual of our ■■ Kindergarten and…

“Whoops.”

Grab.

Someone seized my face.

And put something into my ear.

“Some kind of… Sleep anesthesia.”

…

…

Flash.

I blinked my eyes.

“Excuse me.”

“…”

“Excuse me…”

I opened my eyes again.

Everything was quiet.

“Are you okay…?”

“I’m fine.”

I knew it instinctively.

“Did you make me unconscious?”

“Yes…”

I looked at the capsule shell that had fallen to the floor from my ear.

‘Did he administer some kind of drug?’

It seemed I’d been briefly knocked out.

Probably something like an inferior version of the Snow White’s Apple I had.

‘Stay calm.’

Thanks to it, I seemed to have shaken off the effects of contamination.

I caught my breath and looked down at my arm. The wound that had been there was now wrapped in a bandage.

And the yarn that had originally been wrapped around me…

“…”

When I lifted my head, I saw it was now tightly wrapped around the limbs of Supervisor Park Minseong, who was in the corner.

Right. He no longer looked like a “Teacher.”

It was Supervisor Park Minseong!

‘...It worked.’

Supervisor Park Minseong, now wearing a black suit and a mask, looked as composed as someone about to step into a ghost story.

Even if it was only due to temporary suppression equipment.

“…Haa.”

Feeling the strength leave my entire body, I leaned against the wall.

‘…Mission accomplished.’

I heard the Security Captain mumbling nearby.

“Lucky guy, that one... He came out that quickly? I’m jealous….”

Wait.

“If he came out quickly, does that mean he can completely recover from the contamination?”

“Hmm…”

The Security Captain seemed reluctant to think but, faced with my persistent gaze, eventually muttered reluctantly.

“That’s ‘shadow’ level contamination, isn’t it…?”

“Huh? Yes, that’s right. B-Grade.”

“Then he’ll be fine, I guess…”

B-Grade?

“The company’s got the protocols… and umm, If things go decently well… a department transfer?”

“…”

Right. Better to work in the security team than to die.

‘I hope he recovers well enough to either return or retire…’

“…”

I looked back at Supervisor Park Minseong.

Perhaps it was the slight easing of tension.

I felt a little strange.

The feeling that a colleague I’d been joking and exchanging greetings with in the same office until just yesterday would suddenly disappear from my daily life starting tomorrow.

“…Please take care of him.”

“…”

The Security Captain gave a slight nod.

An ambiguous expression.

…As I thought about that, the last scene I’d witnessed before losing consciousness surfaced in my mind.

…Deputy Manager Eun Hajae!!

“What happened to the corpse lying next to me? The one missing the left hand…”

“I wouldn’t know…”

Surely not, surely they didn’t incinerate her or anything. No, that can’t be.

‘They’d definitely think it was strange since she wasn’t missing the head but the hand.’

Still, my anxiety made me hurry through the procedure and leave the isolation room.

“Please accompany me out…”

“Oh, yes.”

Accompanied by some of the summoned security staff, I was led somewhere, walking in a mix of escort and surveillance mode.

And as I stepped outside, I realized something.

This was the containment area next to the Security Team equipment warehouse.

[Containment B]

‘There’s even a document about this place in the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>…’

Every single part of it was chilling.

The two staff members called to escort me walked calmly a half-step ahead, while I tried to suppress my creeping unease and followed them through the corridor…

Squeak, squeak, squeeeaaak.

AhGloriousLuminousOneShineYourLightUponMe.

Savemesavemesaveme…!

From every isolation cell lined along the sides came bone-chilling noises.

‘Don’t look. Don’t even glance.’

I fixed my eyes solely on the light spilling out from the door ahead and kept walking…

…

Who’s in the hallway?

AAAAAAHHH!!

Who’s in the hallway? Who’s in the hallway? Who’s in the hallway—

Please, for heaven’s sake, walk faster! Faster!!

But these blasted Security Team staff stubbornly maintained their measured pace until we finally exited through the door.

By the time I completed the checkout process at the storage facility, I was utterly drained, reduced to a limp rag.

“…”

The front area of the storage facility resembled nothing more than the desolate hallway managed by the facilities team.

At the window, the silent Security Team staff retrieved my belongings that had been isolated.

“Thank you.”

I accepted the briefcase handed to me. On its surface was a sticker marked [Eligible/Danger Level D].

‘It doesn’t seem like they inspected every item individually.’

There was no additional search or questioning about what I’d extracted from my arm earlier.

Surprisingly, Security Captain J had kept his promise completely.

‘Though he might mention it someday.’

I could handle that. I’d deliberately labeled it a disposable item, after all.

What mattered was handling it right.

‘Let’s do this properly.’

I took a deep breath.

‘Now to quickly check Deputy Manager Eun Hajae’s situation…’

“– Friend!”

“– Friend!”

Huh??

“– Friend!!”

“…”

Braun!!!

“Excuse me, is this all of my belongings?”

The staff member pointed to a bin in the corner of the front area.

[Garbage Box]

In there, crumpled and soaked, were my formal jacket and a small plushie tossed inside it…

Gaaaasp!

“– It’s outrageous for them to treat me like this in a place that isn’t even a studio! This is overstepping boundaries and an insult! Not even when I was a rookie did they—”

These insane people!

I could feel the cold sweat pouring out of me.

I quickly pulled out the jacket and dusted off the plushie before tucking it into my shirt pocket.

‘Y-You’ve been through a lot. I’m sorry.’

“– Hmph… It’s not your fault, Roe Deer. It’s those brutes who acted carelessly!”

He seemed to have calmed down a bit. I turned and hastily walked away.

But an ominous voice trailed after me…

“– A good friend does not forget…”

“…”

Let’s never let Braun near the Security Team again…

As I stepped out of the door—

“Kim Sol-eum.”

“…!!”

Someone was waiting in front of the Security Team’s main area.

“…Team Leader.”

The Lizard Team Leader gazed at me with slit pupils.

“Did you come to get me?”

“Yes.”

“Where are you taking me? And… could you explain why?”

“The infirmary. Deputy Manager Eun Hajae is there.”

“…!!”

I,

After hesitating a few times, managed to open my mouth.

“…Is she alive?”

The Lizard Team Leader looked back at me.

And answered clearly.

“Yes.”

“…”

A lump of something inexplicable surged up in my throat.

“…Team Leader. Supervisor Park Minseong… has also returned.”

“I see.”

Team Leader Lee Jaheon seemed to think briefly before asking.

“Is he alive?”

“…Yes.”

“Then it’s a complete survival.”

“…Yes.”

That alone made it all worthwhile.

Certainly.