I’ve already heard about Director Ho indirectly several times.

Mostly through office politics.

He’s part of the Elite Team A and also linked to Lee Byungjin, who oversees the manual reviews.

“ – That manager has always been close to Team A. You know, what they call... 'the same line'.”

“ – Director Ho has been keeping an eye on Supervisor Kim.”

“ – He’s one of the best superiors in this company. Don’t miss this opportunity.”

I had received several suggestions from those in Director Ho’s line to join the same line as them..

But I never expected the man himself to appear in Team D’s office unannounced, like just another employee from the neighboring office!

“…!”

I instinctively stood up from my seat and bowed my head.

"Hello, Director Ho."

"Ah, you recognized me right away..."

He was just calling Director Cheong without honorifics, and now he’s pretending to be humble...!

'He barged in, acting like he already knew everything about the interesting proposal from Director Cheong...'

...Wait.

'Didn’t Director Ho just say he also had a proposal to make?'

A proposal?

I looked at the young man who still had a friendly expression on his face.

He spoke in a friendly tone.

"I’m sorry. I must’ve made you tense by suddenly bringing up a scary person, right?"

"No, it’s me who should apologize for not greeting you properly..."

"Ah, I’m awkward with those formalities and not really interested. Please, speak comfortably."

As if that would work.

'Is he the type who lacks a conscience?'

Or... maybe he’s deliberately trying to create tension.

Anyway, I nodded and took a deep breath, as if to ease the tension.

'This must be the kind of reaction he wanted.'

As expected, Director Ho continued speaking with a gentle expression.

Though the content didn’t sound so gentle.

"Shall I take a guess? Director Cheong probably made you a proposal related to the elite team. Like, maybe forming a new elite team or something along those lines."

“…….”

Wow, seriously.

Should I really spill everything as it is?

But I feel like not telling everything could cause problems, and it’s driving me crazy.

I quickly started thinking.

"That’s true, but… Ah! I’m sorry, I’m a bit flustered… Let me guide you to a more comfortable place first."

Then, as if I had just thought of it, I guided Director Ho to the guest sofa in Team D’s office and interrupted the flow for a moment.

“ – Ah, you’re buying time to handle a tricky guest. Excellent, Roe Deer! This is quite natural!”

Was that an approval from the creepy quiz show host who burns things if they’re not natural? Chilling, but thankfully it worked.

I quickly ran to the pantry, prepared snacks, green tea, and coffee, and hurried back out.

"Which would you prefer, tea or coffee?"

"Ah, just take what you like, Sol-eum, and you can give me the leftover one…"

Doesn’t he realize that being this nonchalant as an executive is even more sinister!?

I observed his reaction carefully, handed him the green tea, and bowed slightly as if I preferred coffee while bringing it to myself.

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

"Not at all."

Director Ho took a sip of the green tea and made the predictable remark that it was warm and nice.

"Look, I didn’t come here to pressure you, Sol-eum. I’d really like you to feel comfortable. I came by to get to know you a bit and have a conversation."

But I believe there’s no employee in society who doesn’t know that treating an executive too casually will end badly.

But I didn’t expect his next words.

"We often don’t get to see members of the field exploration team for long… So when I see someone who seems like they’ll stick around, I like to drop by and greet them often."

“…….”

"In fact, the field exploration team contributes significantly to our company, but even within the development department, there are people who just sit at their desks, talking about efficiency, and treat the field team as short-term labor."

Director Ho’s eyes twitched slightly.

"You might think I’m an idealist, but this isn’t a situation I’m happy with. Don’t you agree?"

“…….”

Isn’t that such a warm statement?

It was rather chilling.

'...A director of this company shouldn’t be saying that.'

If you’re an executive, it’s something you can fix yourself, so why ask a newbie for agreement by saying, ‘Doesn’t this seem like a problem?’

'It’s not like they’re testing for subversive thoughts or something.'

But since it might be sincere, I did my best to adjust my tone.

In a way that wouldn’t cause problems either way and would make him think I wasn’t opposing him.

"...Still, nobody is forced to work here. At least resigning is free, and I’ve heard that the wish tokens are reliably provided."

"Yes, as you said, Sol-eum, that’s at least something to be thankful for."

Director Ho smiled with a friendly face.

"Compared to groups that arbitrarily label ordinary citizens as criminals without trial and sacrifice them to the darkness, this place at least has autonomy."

“…….”

This guy really hates the Disaster Management Bureau…

'Let’s not let it slip that I had any involvement with them.'

The agent’s identification metal badge was still in my possession. Cold sweat trickled down my back.

I pretended to drink coffee to hide the expression on my lips.

"Those who want to live like humans, even for a day, would likely refuse."

"Right? I feel like we really connect in conversation, Sol-eum."

It’s a misunderstanding.

But please, keep misunderstanding for a long time....

I struggled to change the topic before something even more explosive came up.

"Thank you. So, Director, about the proposal you mentioned…."

"Ah, right! We need to talk about that."

Director Ho smiled brightly.

“…!”

"I’d like to invite you, Sol-eum, to join this project team."

What?

A remark from Manager Lee Byungjin suddenly came to mind.

“ – There’s also a rumor that the Director is running a confidential project team under his department… You might get transferred there.”

'So it turned out to be true.'

But the even more unbelievable words came next.

"To be precise, as a candidate for team leader."

“…….”

Has this director gone mad?

"We’re considering about three people, but honestly, if you had two more years of experience, you’d be the top candidate… For now, just consider yourself one of the candidates."

I feel like I’m losing my mind.

“ – Oh, this seems to promise more authority than last time. Let’s hear more about the conditions, my friend!”

No, listening to the conditions is something you do when you’re at least on equal footing with the other party, but right now…!

'…I think I’m screwed.'

Isn’t this the same situation as Paris receiving the golden apple?

In the sense that if you choose one, there’s a very high chance the other superiors will crush you.

This is worse than just aligning with a faction.

'It’s burning away any chance of switching sides.'

What should I do?

I almost wanted to praise myself just for pretending to stay composed on the outside.

'Maybe rejecting both would be the best option….'

"Ah, I was hasty. I should’ve started with the compensation first."

"By compensation, you mean…"

"Performance bonuses for the project."

Director Ho smiled faintly.

"If this project succeeds, Wish Token will be given to all team members."

“…!!”

"One for each member. No exceptions."

Oh my god.

"And there’s an additional privilege given to the team leader… I think it’d be better to discuss it in more detail once you’ve joined the team, Sol-eum."

“…….”

"Ah, I enjoyed the green tea."

Director Ho got up from the sofa, placed his mug in the sink, and headed to the office door.

"Take a few days to think it over comfortably and let me know. Oh, but it’s better if it doesn’t take more than a week."

Director Ho leaned in as if giving me a kind piece of advice.

"Director Cheong tends to lack patience."

“…….”

"If you ever need someone to talk to while working, feel free to drop by my office anytime. See you then!"

***

That night.

Even though I had largely recovered from the contamination and regained a clear mind, I returned home feeling deeply troubled….

'This feels like déjà vu.'

"Hoo."

I collapsed onto my bed.

'This… it feels like I’ve been caught up in the internal power struggle of the development department executives, doesn’t it?'

It’s true that I seem to be unusually competent, but the situation has escalated this much because the two directors are conscious of each other.

Because the proposals were at an absurd level.

……If that’s the case.

'It’s right to go with the side that treats me better.'

That way, at least I won’t end up as a kite with its string cut.

'The problem is, I don’t have any personal information about the directors.'

<Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> is mainly written about the employees who create the exploration records.

In other words, it contains the names and profiles of the employees, but it doesn’t bother to include the personal details of the executives who make decisions from above.

'In any case, it’s clear that neither of them is an ordinary person, which makes it even more maddening.'

In Director Cheong’s case, the lizard team leader already referred to him as a "presence," which was suspicious, and Director Ho was strange from his appearance to his speech.

He’s too young for an executive rank, and his tone is as kind as that of a social worker.

'...Based on his surname and appearance, I can roughly guess his identity….'

At this point, it was all just speculation.

'This is tough.'

It’s already exhausting enough dealing with the horror stories, and now I have to worry about things like this. It feels unreal….

Anyway, after much deliberation, I decided to put a pause on this issue for now.

…...Because there was another, more urgent issue

…….

"Braun."

“ – You’re calling me, my friend!”

Hoo.

"About bathing in the Bath of Youth, could we possibly substitute it with something else?"

A brief silence passed.

“ – …You’ve changed your mind in just one day, Roe Deer! Breaking promises isn’t a good habit”

“…….”

“ – But I’m your good friend, so it’s okay, my friend!”

"I’m sorry."

I said immediately.

"It’s true that I shouldn’t change my words. I think I made a mistake because I wasn’t in a normal state when I made that promise."

“ – That’s strange, Roe Deer. It was just last night! This host clearly remembers that you showed no signs of extreme fatigue, panic, dizziness, or anything that would make an interview difficult.”

The ‘good friend’ spoke in a cheerfully normal tone that was eerily unsettling.

“ – Oh, I’m curious to know by what standard you’re claiming you weren’t ‘normal’….”

“…….”

There have been so many moments today that made me break out in cold sweat.

How did I not realize how terrifying this was until now… seriously….

I tried to stay calm and avoid looking at the plush doll as I continued to speak.

"…But you knew that my mind was being contaminated by the training manual back then, right? The documents I brought out from that kindergarten were still in my tattoo."

No matter how much I thought about it, there was no way he didn’t know.

Braun even directly pointed it out in the blood bath last time.

“ – Roe Deer, your bath blend is mixed, isn’t it?”

That I was being consumed by the horror story.

"You just thought of it as a 'change' rather than calling it 'contamination'."

“ – Correct, Roe Deer!”

Hah….

'So it was like that, huh….'

I suppressed the chills that arose just from hearing the word "correct" and barely managed to reply.

"But I consider it contamination, and I don’t want to be contaminated."

I raised my hand into the air.

The tattoo on my wrist, now clean and empty, came into view.

"I’m more comfortable and happy with who I am now."

“ – …….”

"I also don’t like it when my judgment criteria suddenly flip like a piece of paper."

But at the end, I added something that even he might sympathize with.

"At the very least, I absolutely don’t want to become one of those outdated hangman-playing kindergarten teachers."

“ – That… hmm. That’s quite an irrefutable statement.”

 Braun seemed slightly taken aback.

“ – Exactly. My goodness, Roe Deer being affiliated with that outdated kindergarten? That must never happen—what a loss that would be!”

“ – I admit it. I haven’t been much of a good friend this time….”

“ – Alright. Let’s try getting closer through other changes!”

“…….”

So.

"You’re saying you’d let me be contaminated because I treat you more comfortably when I’m contaminated?"

“ – Haha, there’s no need to ask so awkwardly. It’s a theory you’ve proven yourself over the past few weeks!”

Reflexively, my actions over the past few weeks came to mind.

Being consumed by contamination, talking openly and relying on the horror story residents without any hesitation or concern.

“ – In fact, it’s a natural statement. After all, isn’t it similar people who become friends?”

Oh my god.

No, I expected it up to this point.

I took a deep breath.

Let me say what I need to say.

"No."

“ – No?”

"Yes. A friend isn’t someone who has the exact same values as me."

I carefully chose my words.

"And just feeling comfortable with each other isn’t what makes someone a friend either."

This was… somewhat sincere.

"A friend is someone who tries to understand each other’s differences, and even if that doesn’t work, they care for each other… through conversation."

“ – ….”

"And to reiterate, I don’t want to be contaminated."

Without turning my head, I lightly placed my hand on the desk where the plush doll was sitting.

"If you can’t understand this, at least notify me before you do something I don’t want. You should give me a chance to talk to you."

“ – Hmm.”

The sound of fingers tapping on plastic, as if in thought, echoed from the desk where the plush doll was.

And then,

“ – Understood, Roe Deer.”

“ – Logical, rational, and it even touches my heart. I have no reason not to agree! After all, you’re my friend.”

Whew.

"Thank you."

...It seems to have wrapped up well.

I let out a sigh of relief and finally turned my head to look at him.

The good friend I summoned.

A somewhat scary yet dependable plush doll.

I carefully picked it up.

"Let’s do well together from now on."

This, too, was sincere.

Afterward, I proceeded with one thing I had decided on during my contamination.

Specifically, the aromatherapy massage.

"I’ll do it while watching the shadow, so let me know if something feels off."

“ – Of course, my friend!”

Honestly, I wasn’t an expert and was only working based on the silhouette, so it probably wasn’t very effective, but Braun seemed quite satisfied.

“ – Not everyone needs to be a massage expert! This is enough.”

Even so, it was like giving a very polite and kind three-star rating.

He also made this remark.

“ – But I do miss the bath after all… To always stay with my friend no matter the situation, I need to rejuvenate a bit more!”

"That’s something we should take our time discussing further."

...It’s difficult.

It was truly a challenging matter.

Especially the relationship with the horror story resident, the 'good friend.'

It wasn’t just scary and tense, nor was it something blindly trustworthy and good.

'Finding a balance in between would be the rational way of thinking.'

Be careful not to lose it.

I quietly listened to Braun, who seemed in a good mood after the aromatherapy massage, as he chatted.

“ – Now that I think about it, I’m curious again. Which of the two monumental proposals you received at work will you accept, Roe Deer?”

“ – Still contemplating? Advice from a skilled professional like me is as precious as gold, but… I’ll offer it at a discount for my friend!”

Hmm. About that.

"Actually, I’ve almost decided."

“ – Oh!”

"I’ll ask just one question tomorrow, and then I’ll go see them right away."

“ – And about that decisive question, could you give a little hint to this legendary host?!”

I rested my head on the pillow and laughed.

"It will be revealed tomorrow."

“ – …!!”

“ – I’m slightly moved, Roe Deer…….”

And so, the tumultuous day came to an end.

And the next day.

I truly asked the ‘decisive question’ and then went to the office of one of the two directors.