The Elite Team.
dream
In DayDream Corporation, which values the lives of the field exploration team less than B-grade dream essence, it’s the rank where they start recognizing you as a ‘long-term valuable employee.’
You’re given a private office and a separate pay scale. Additionally, new benefits are added to the welfare portal.
Most importantly….
If necessary, you’re assigned a Residual Team member, almost like having an extra life.
It’s a policy that can leave a bitter taste, but there’s no denying that it increases survival rates….
And now.
The Development Department Director in front of me was making me an offer.
“There’s been a consistent agenda to increase the number of Elite Teams… wouldn’t it look good if Team D became one?”
They’re offering to make Team D an Elite Team itself.
They’re offering to keep my current environment while drastically improving my benefits.
“It even fits perfectly alphabetically, making the administrative process much easier.”
“…….”
“Choose one colleague you’d like to work with. It’s fine to prepare a list of two or three candidates.”
Hold on.
I absolutely can’t follow the flow right now….
“Thank you, but… why are you making such a big offer to me?”
Frankly, if you wanted to send Team Leader Lee Jaheon to an Elite Team, that would make sense.
As far as I remember, he was someone who briefly led an Elite Team and was scheduled to be promoted through another route.
But why… is this conversation centered around me?
‘Leaving the team leader aside and calling in a rookie to say this is strange.’
I understand that I’ve achieved extraordinary results by creating manuals and extracting A-grade essence twice, but there are others who cleared ghost stories in even more unbelievable ways.
Such exploration records accumulate to become manuals, after all.
But no one has ever heard anything like, ‘I’ll turn your entire team into an Elite Team just for you~.’
‘This is strange.’
No matter how you look at it, this was an unnatural situation.
“I’m just a rookie. I’m already receiving enough points and bonuses for my work, and my promotions have been exceptionally fast….”
“Deputy Manager Sol-eum, have you ever heard of the name Yoon Johun?”
I almost froze to the core.
I barely managed to keep it hidden, only succeeding in answering with a tense tone.
“…Are they an employee?”
“That’s right.”
Director Cheong answered calmly and smiled faintly at me.
“In fact, they were newly assigned to Team D in this regular personnel reshuffle.”
“…….”
“But now, even if you search the company database, they won’t show up. They wouldn’t exist in your memory either.”
I didn’t react.
“In higher grades, there’s sometimes such darkness. Those who ‘fail’ are erased from existence. But….”
Director Cheong set down the file and picked something up from under the desk.
The Dream Essence Collector.
“The Dream Essence Collector of a deceased employee is returned to the company.”
“…!!”
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s a self-powered device that runs on the dream essence collected up until the moment of death. And….”
Director Cheong flicked the end of the recorder.
“It also includes a simple recording function.”
“…….”
“So, the exploration records of employees erased from reality can still be reviewed and referenced by the company.”
Oh my goodness.
“I’m sure you’ve wondered before, ‘How are the records of deceased employees referenced in the manuals?’”
Wait a minute.
Right. Of course, the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> included the results of deceased employees’ explorations.
It was only natural. To create the atmosphere of a ghost story, you had to include records of explorers being wiped out. It was an effective way to evoke fear!
Even the records of employees or items erased from existence are perfectly intact.
But….
‘After all, a wiki is always recorded from an omniscient perspective.’
And why that’s possible is vaguely justified conceptually.
Field exploration employees’ records are transmitted to the company upon their death.
Like this.
The specific items or methods used weren’t described, to avoid setting conflicts….
So even when I ended up here, I naturally glossed over that gap.
Because this is originally a wiki-based fictional world!
‘But to think there were such specific and concrete settings like this….’
At that moment, all the doubts I had dismissed as ‘just part of that kind of world’ came rushing back to me.
Could it be that there’s a plausible background setting for all of that too?
In this way?
Just as my mind was starting to get tangled.
“ – Roe Deer! It seems they’re still watching you. They probably want to continue the interview.”
‘…!’
“ – They seem to prefer humility in a rising star, so let’s stay focused….”
Alright.
Now was the time to focus on the conversation.
Fortunately, my agitation ended at a level befitting an employee who had uncovered the company’s secret know-how, and the director continued speaking.
“Based on this recording, Deputy Manager Kim Sol-eum seems to have explored and conquered the darkness in a rather unique way.”
“…….”
It seems Deputy Manager Yoon Johun noticed that I became a student.
“Becoming part of a ghost story yourself—‘assimilation,’ they call it. It’s not a method for the faint-hearted or the unwise….”
What on earth are you talking about…?
“Anyway, even such exploration records are being collected without gaps… I wanted to share that with you.”
Director Cheong looked at me.
“So, what do you think? More systematic than you expected?”
“…….”
“I’ve heard some employees say this company runs on guesswork.”
Th-this… A cold sweat broke out, like that of a working professional.
“I’ve met and talked to them too. Most of them are pretty sharp.”
A voice that carried a hint of kindness.
“But as you stick around, you’ll come to realize there’s no company in the world as clear and fair in its rewards and punishments as this one.”
“…….”
“As long as you’re highly capable, you can move up smoothly even if you make a mistake or two.”
I didn’t agree at all.
But Director Cheong, as if I had replied, ‘I’ll think positively about it, Director!’ smiled and dismissed me.
“Go on. And send my regards to Team Leader Lee Jaheon.”
***
“ – Friend, do you know this saying? ‘Cream always rises to the top.’”
“ – It means that excellence will always stand out no matter where it is. It’s the perfect saying to describe you right now!”
Wouldn’t it be closer to, ‘A protruding stone gets hit’…?
I returned to Team D’s office feeling utterly drained.
It felt like reading a pseudo-scientific book only to realize it was reality….
In the end, I couldn’t hold back and spoke to Team Leader Lee Jaheon.
“Team Leader.”
“Yes.”
“What I just had wasn’t an interview.”
“I see.”
“…….”
“…….”
“Do you need help?”
“Yes.”
“Explain.”
I poured out everything that had happened as if I were rapping.
Director Cheong’s statements, the Dream Essence Collector, the missing Team D employee.
And even the offer I received!
‘The information about the Dream Essence Collector is probably something a team leader-level person would already know anyway.’
Besides, I knew that Team Leader Lee Jaheon wasn’t the type to get angry over a rookie receiving a groundbreaking offer over him or to gaslight me into giving up the position to him.
Well… because he’s a lizard.
“I see.”
As expected, the lizard simply nodded.
“Do you need my advice?”
“Yes.”
“Decline it.”
“…!!”
Does the conclusion come this quickly?
“Could you please explain the reason?”
“Yes. Director Cheong Dal-rae is an entity with a strong sense of ownership over the company.”
“…….”
Does that mean they think of this company as their own?
No, wait a second.
“Did you just say ‘entity’?”
“Yes.”
That’s a very suspicious designation.
“…Could it be that Director Cheong isn’t human?”
“I cannot answer that.”
“…….”
Isn’t that basically just admitting it…?!
At the very least, it’s clear that Director Cheong has something to hide.
Well, that’s just how directors at a ghost story company are!
“Ah, anyway, please continue.”
“Yes. That’s why Director Cheong Dal-rae wouldn’t hesitate if given the chance to subordinate a capable entity to the company she believes she owns.”
“…!”
“In this process, there’s a high chance that actions will occur which go strongly against Deputy Manager Kim Sol-eum’s ethical standards.”
Oh my god.
“Don’t take the risk. There’s also a high chance you’ll be assigned to an Elite Team within six months.”
“…But that means I’ll leave Team D and join another team?”
“Yes.”
“…….”
“Do you want to stay in Team D?”
“I’d prefer to, if possible.”
“I see.”
Whether I’m a rookie or not, you really don’t seem to care at all, Team Leader….
Truly a consistent person… or rather, a lizard.
‘Well, I didn’t expect much anyway.’
Anyway, he’s not the type of lizard to deceive me on purpose, so I’ll just take his words at face value.
“Thank you for kindly explaining, Team Leader.”
“Yes.”
Hmm.
I hesitated before asking.
“Um, Team Leader, don’t you want to become the leader of an Elite Team?”
“I have no preferences.”
It means he doesn’t care either way.
It also meant it was no help at all for my decision.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
After that, I had a few more conversations with Team Leader Lee Jaheon, but there were no clear gains.
It only deepened my worries.
‘An Elite Team, huh….’
Team Leader Lee Jaheon advised me to decline in the name of logic and reason, but corporate life often operates on irrationality and emotions.
Why does Team Leader Lee Jaheon have so many enemies in the company and look like he’s ready to kill the Team A leader every time they meet?
‘The advice is appreciated, but it’s hard to approach it that way….’
From the start, the executives at the ghost story company seemed like people who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Doing what I did to escape from the Team A leader wouldn’t work here. The fact that Director Cheong openly mentioned it means doing so would get me in big trouble.
“Sigh…”
Why do I have to deal with these worries even though I’ve been promised a promotion and exceptional treatment…?!
‘I really want to quit this ghost story company…!!’
In the end, that evening.
I ended up leaving work utterly drained, like a wilted scallion….
“…….”
It’s been a while since I’ve felt this drained, and I didn’t even go on a dark exploration—just holed up in the office writing reports.
“ – Oh dear, it seems my friend’s body and mind are very exhausted.’
“ – Let’s head inside quickly. After all, rest is essential for a great performance, isn’t it?”
‘…Yeah.’
Meeting the higher-ups, hearing about the lore, receiving a groundbreaking offer….
‘I’m exhausted…….’
First, I took a quick shower and collapsed onto the living room sofa.
“ – Friend, how about we have a cup of hot chocolate and chat this evening? It’ll help ease the day’s fatigue!”
There’s no hot chocolate in this house, but having a cup of honey water doesn’t sound like a bad idea….
I placed Braun on the dining table, boiled water in the kettle, and made some honey water.
As I mechanically gulped it down, I planned to continue a light conversation while slightly turning my back to Braun….
“ – Friend, I, Braun, will share a secret with you.”
A secret?
“ – That’s right. With my professional charm and cheerfulness, I hid it well, so it’s probably been hard for you to notice, but actually….”
Braun took a deep breath and spoke dramatically.
“ – I was quite shocked by what happened last night!”
“…….”
A secret… really?
Anyway, it seemed clear he was trying to comfort me, so I responded earnestly.
“What… was so shocking?”
“ – A good friend goes anywhere their friend wants…. But I, Braun, couldn’t do that.”
The shadow of the rabbit doll seemed somewhat droopy.
“ – It’s truly a shameful and embarrassing thing.”
After all, it was just a dream.
I guess it’s because Braun isn’t just one of my belongings but an equal entity, so maybe he needed a separate acknowledgment.
‘Anyway, you don’t need to worry. Things like that probably won’t happen again.’
“ – Oh, my friend is so considerate. Then let’s think about it this way….”
“ – If I, your kindest friend, had accompanied you to last night’s intense dream graduation ceremony, wouldn’t today’s troubles have been a bit easier to handle?”
……..
Well… maybe.
Maybe I wouldn’t have been caught by Deputy Manager Yoon Johun in the first place.
If Braun had turned off the lights.
“ – Exactly! That’s my role!”
“ – …It’s been a while since I’ve felt this nervous. For the sake of our friendship and for me, Braun, to fulfill my role, hmm….”
From behind me, I heard a sound like someone pacing nervously in shoes on the floor….
And then, it stopped abruptly.
“ – Exactly! It would’ve been great if I could do it myself, but with this cotton-filled body, I need your help, Roe Deer.”
“ – With just one simple action, we’ll be in a much better place, my friend. May I ask for your help?”
Braun spoke in a polite and friendly tone.
“ – If you could help me bathe in the Bath of Youth just one more time, I’d be overjoyed!”
Ah.
‘That.’
……..
“Shall we do that?”
“ – Ah! Thank you so much, my friend…!”
I gladly agreed!
Seeing my good friend happy made me feel a bit better.
“ – You won’t regret this choice.”
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