WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ Surviving as an Office Worker at the Anomaly Management Bureau ◈

Chapter 19

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Getting the bag of money was nice and all.

I looked around while holding the bag.

Yoo Da-on stood there with a bag the same size as mine, looking dazed. Song A-rin stood beside the familiar man, looking around with an irritated expression, her purple hair standing out. And then.

"..."

"...Could you take these off?"

Jang Chae-yeon hung her head, handcuffed.

No matter what, she was someone I had spent several months getting close to.

Seeing her in handcuffs beside me while I was happy about getting money made me feel uncomfortable. It even made me ashamed of how pleased I had been.

"...I don't know when you became so close to her."

Because the amount of time we had spent together was different.

The man stared at me, and I stared back at him.

"Didn't we resolve it? I think you could grant me at least that much."

"...You may not know this, but fleeing while carrying a containment object is among the gravest crimes."

Song A-rin, who had been listening, spoke in a whisper.

That wasn't wrong.

I was part of the Management Bureau, after all. Having personally experienced two incidents involving containment objects, I understood that even more clearly.

"..."

In the end, I could only sigh inwardly and lean back in my chair.

The man slowly nodded as he looked at me.

"How much do you know about the Cube?"

The Cube.

"...Is this another deal?"

"I have an idea of what you want to ask for. If you answer well, that should be enough."

The Cube.

"...It was supposed to be reality alteration, but there were a lot of strange things about it."

"For example?"

"It was too violent to call it alteration."

We didn't call something being sucked in alteration. We called it cleaning.

Both the way it spat things out and the way it sucked things in were far too rough to describe as alteration.

"That isn't all. It had a sense of self. That's strange too."

Even if I conceded a hundred times that the Cube had the ability to alter reality, being able to talk and express murderous intent was a separate matter.

It was like a robot vacuum suddenly swearing at us and saying, "Die, humans."

"...You know quite a lot."

The man's eyes widened slightly, as though surprised by my explanation.

"You always manage to surprise me."

"Not at all."

The man chuckled at my reply and placed the Cube on the desk.

"Your thoughts are roughly correct. This isn't a reality-altering device. It would be more accurate to call it an extremely large vacuum cleaner. One that even possesses a sense of self."

"Huh."

"There's another reason we named it a reality-altering device, though."

"What is it?"

"It can absorb abstract things as well. Memories, concepts, culture."

The man tapped the Cube.

"It even has a sense of self, so it lures people in. Its interior is so complex that we still cannot explain it."

"...How did Ms. Chae-yeon run away carrying something like this?"

"I'd like to ask that myself."

The man stared at Jang Chae-yeon. Only then did she raise her head to meet his gaze.

"How did you take it?"

"...I don't remember."

Jang Chae-yeon shook her head, and the man smiled gently.

"Interesting. If the Cube had absorbed her memories, they should have returned during the process of spitting things out. Yet they haven't."

"...Does that mean someone else was involved?"

Someone had deceived Jang Chae-yeon into taking an item like this? Who? Why?

The man shrugged at my question.

A sudden question came to mind.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"...While we were there, we heard talk about a contract. We were even attacked for no reason."

Even a crazy AI wouldn't attack humans out of nowhere.

"...Do you know why?"

The man's expression turned strange.

"...That isn't a trait of the Cube that I know of. This is the first I've heard of such a thing."

"...What?"

"We must keep every possibility open."

"...Could there be an organization hostile to the Management Bureau..."

"There is. Of course there is. But don't worry about that."

The man smiled gently.

"From the moment it decided that humanity would continue to exist, the Management Bureau has never lost even once. Nor has it ever changed."

"..."

"Thank you for telling me. And thank you for listening."

"Um..."

"I'll speak to the higher-ups and deal with Jang Chae-yeon. You may have a little trouble because of it, though."

"..."

"...What do you think that was about?"

"Who knows."

That was all he said before leaving with an odd expression. Once again, only Yoo Da-on, Jang Chae-yeon, and I remained.

* * *

Apparently, the man's promise to do something hadn't been empty words. Jang Chae-yeon was soon free.

"All right. This is Jang Chae-yeon, newly assigned to our Human Resources Team. Say hello. I hear she was at the Gangdong Branch."

"...I'm Jang Chae-yeon."

After being introduced by the Team Leader, Jang Chae-yeon gave a small bow.

Honestly, it wasn't entirely unexpected.

The only irritating part was that the man seemed to be turning this place more and more into a quasi-Containment Team. It made me uneasy and annoyed.

But only for a moment.

"Let's go shopping."

"All of a sudden? What about work?"

"The salary payments all went out yesterday, so it's quiet."

Right after lunch, I declared that I was slacking off, and Yoo Da-on looked at me in confusion.

What was I supposed to do? Why else had I been given money? I'd go shopping even if only to make up for how unfair it was.

"Ms. Da-on, you should go shopping too. We both got a lot of money."

"Oh, I already spent some."

"What?"

When had she spent it without me knowing?

As I looked at Yoo Da-on with a betrayed expression, she waved her hands.

"I paid the Management Bureau and asked them for something!"

"What?"

"Well, my clothes get torn too often, so... I asked for suits that won't tear."

"Why would you pay money to ask for that?"

"They told me to pay if I wanted to ask for it."

I was expected to buy my own equipment with my own money?

Was this even a workplace?

Anger welled up inside me.

Your day of punishment will come someday, Management Bureau. When it does, I'll stand at the very front and spit on your grave.

"Still, shopping sounds nice. They say there's a department store near Gangdong. Should we take the Management Bureau train and get there quickly?"

"Sounds good."

I wasn't going to forgive you just because you let us take this train, Management Bureau.

When I told the Team Leader, he just said, "Sure, go ahead," before returning to his mobile game.

Ever since the Dream of a Butterfly incident, the Team Leader seemed to have really let himself go.

Thanks to that, we were able to go shopping.

"Here."

The moment we arrived at the department store, I handed bundles of cash to Jang Chae-yeon and Yoo Da-on.

"What is this?"

"Money for clothes."

"...Aren't you coming with us?"

"Me?"

Yoo Da-on looked at me with wide eyes, and I looked back at her with equally wide eyes.

Why would I?

The thing I hated most in the world was following my younger sister around while she shopped. I didn't think it would be any different with other people.

"I'll go look at some things for myself. Shall we meet at the rendezvous point after some time?"

"I don't have anything to buy. Can I come with you?"

"No. Let's enjoy our own time."

Jang Chae-yeon looked up at me while holding the bundle of cash, but I paid no attention and pointed at the department store's main entrance.

"Meet here in an hour. Dismissed!"

"..."

"..."

After exchanging awkward looks, Yoo Da-on and Jang Chae-yeon walked through the entrance.

At last, I could have some freedom of my own.

What should I buy? First, the most expensive earphones. Then maybe a game console too.

As I bought things here and there, I finally felt peace settle over me.

Yes, people should live by spending money. Wasn't this what happiness was?

Working for the Management Bureau really had been a good choice.

An hour passed faster than expected. With both hands full of all sorts of purchases, I waited in the lobby.

"...Where are they? Why aren't they coming..."

Soon, the two of them came into view.

They both carried paper shopping bags, so they seemed to have bought something.

"Over here!"

I waved to call them, and they slowly walked toward me after spotting me.

"My goodness, what's all this?"

Yoo Da-on's eyes widened when she saw what I was carrying, then she took several bags from my hands.

"Those are mine."

"I know. They're heavy, so I'm helping you carry them."

"...Sorry. I'm not strong. Can I use Telekinesis to carry them?"

"Do you want to write an incident report?"

Chatting warmly among ourselves, we returned to the Gangdong Branch. At the ticket gate, we tapped our Manuals and prepared to board the train.

The ticket gate stuttered as it spoke. They should really maintain these things better.

Carrying our heavy bags, we groaned as we descended the stairs.

Soon, an iron-like stench stabbed into my nose.

Wait, what?

I looked around.

What stood before us was not the grand train station I had ridden through a couple of times.

Red lights filled the area. An iron-like stench hung thick in the air, and a completely neglected basement that looked at least fifty years old greeted me.

"...Huh?"

"..."

Yoo Da-on and Jang Chae-yeon came down after me and had the same reaction.

"...Did we come down the wrong way?"

"...I don't think so."

No way.

I quickly put down my bags and opened the Manual.

[Manual for Office Workers]

Q. Means of Travel Between Branches

1. The Management Bureau has prepared various means of transportation for employees who are always pressed for travel time.

2. At Seoul Station and Gangdong Station, head to the subway entrance.

At the ticket gate for Line 1, hold up your Manual rather than a transit card. Then descend the stairs, where a subway for employees will be waiting.

3. At an extremely low probability, you may arrive at a Basement rather than the subway. If this occurs, remain calm and find the Manual.

A sheet of paper fluttered out of the Manual.

I slowly picked it up and began reading.

[Manual for Office Workers]

1. Finding this Manual means that you entered the wrong path and descended into the Basement.

2. Please act according to the Manual. Failure to follow the Manual may have a significant adverse effect on your body or mind, and the Management Bureau accepts no responsibility for this.

3. Open the door in front of you and enter, but do not answer no matter what speaks to you.

4. If something speaks to you and you answer it, close your eyes, crouch down where you are, and wait until it passes.

5. After passing through the room, consult the wall notice for the rest of the Manual.

6. Never go back up the stairs.

"If we just go back..."

"Wait!"

Before I could stop her, Yoo Da-on started climbing the stairs.

Slash!

With the sound of something being cut apart, Yoo Da-on's head fell off.

Blood spurted out, and then.

"...Th-That startled me."

Yoo Da-on calmly caught her falling head. Soon afterward, her neck returned to normal and reattached itself.

"What is this?"

"..."

I made a sincere vow to myself.

If I got out of here alive, I was quitting.

Footnotes:

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