WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as an Office Worker at the Anomaly Management Bureau ◈
Chapter 71: Run, Chollima
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“I figured you'd come looking for us... but I didn't think you'd find us this quickly.”
Their reactions could only be described as dramatic.
Song A-rin, a balloon string tied around her wrist, was showing for the first time how happy she was to see someone.
“...It was hard.”
“It was hard for me, you insane white-haired woman!”
Jang Chae-yeon then let out a low sigh and approached me.
She also had a balloon tied around her wrist.
Had they not actually been happy to see me, but simply hated this situation?
“How can you two keep fighting even after ending up somewhere unfamiliar?”
“Because she's acting like an idiot!”
“Are you just trying too hard to act like a genius when you're actually lacking?”
I had no idea what I was supposed to say in this atmosphere.
“...What about Da-on? And the team leader?”
“...”
Their argument stopped for a moment.
“They'll be out soon.”
“Soon?”
“You know, they need to get a ticket.”
Song A-rin pulled a golden, glowing escape ticket from her pocket.
“You got one of those from the shootout too, right?”
“Yes. Though I sent someone else through with it.”
“Someone else...?”
Song A-rin muttered with a puzzled expression, then her gaze fixed on Aileen beside me.
“...Is that the Response Team lea-”
“She's Aileen.”
“...You brought the Response Team along too?”
“Was I supposed to come alone?”
“...”
Song A-rin silently looked at her, then shrugged.
“So you don't have any tickets?”
“No.”
“But there's no need to worry. We've collected three tickets already.”
Song A-rin gave a confident little laugh and pulled another ticket from her pocket.
“There are only two.”
“The black-haired one will be bringing one out soon.”
“Good. Then if we go into an attraction and complete it, another ticket should come out.”
I pointed at Aileen with my thumb as I spoke, and a brief silence followed.
Soon, Jang Chae-yeon frowned slightly and spoke to me.
“I can go with you.”
“What the hell is this now?”
Song A-rin let out a deep sigh and glared at Jang Chae-yeon.
“If you hadn't just blindly used your ability and had actually watched properly, we could've escaped more easily!”
“I wasn't the one trembling in fear in the dark without doing anything.”
“And can you even explain things properly when you're so bad with words?”
“...”
“...What?”
This atmosphere was seriously getting dangerous.
“Is this team always like this?”
“No.”
It looked like they might actually start fighting, so I hurriedly stepped between them.
“Please explain first. We can think about it once Da-on and the team leader come out.”
“...Fine.”
After letting out a small breath, Song A-rin began explaining.
According to her, two people had to board Cheollima, a two-person train-shaped attraction.
Then all they had to do was look around...
“Of course, it doesn't end with just looking around.”
Song A-rin raised her index finger and continued.
“Something chases you from behind, and you become obsessed with the need to look at it.”
“What happens if you look?”
“Who knows. The white-haired one and I managed not to look. Then she suddenly pushed it away with Telekinesis, so... we couldn't check properly.”
Song A-rin tapped her temple with a finger as she glared at Jang Chae-yeon.
So they got through with Hypnosis.
“Then aren't the team leader and Da-on in danger?”
I looked at her as if to ask whether they really needed to put those two on a team together. She avoided my gaze as though making excuses and continued.
“No, but we didn't have a choice. She's the only one among us who'd survive no matter what happened. ...And the team leader is pretty lucky too.”
“Well, that is true.”
Honestly, I doubted Song A-rin had teamed up with Jang Chae-yeon because she wanted to.
“Then it would be better if Song A-rin and I go in together.”
If it was a mental effect, she would probably handle it better.
“Right?”
Song A-rin nodded with a smug expression.
Jang Chae-yeon said nothing, but her expression clearly showed her displeasure.
“But... why haven't they come out yet?”
It felt like quite a while had passed.
The two fell silent and glanced at each other.
“...Let's go in first. Song A-rin, please come with me.”
I did not think it would end with simply getting a ticket.
The team leader and Yoo Da-on were still nowhere to be seen.
“Would it be all right if I stayed behind?”
“Aileen...”
“She's an ordinary person.”
Song A-rin answered in a cold voice, shaking her head.
“I'm grateful that you came this far, and I think it's impressive. But this is a mental effect. I'd rather you be more helpful some other time, not now.”
“Very well.”
She slowly nodded.
“The entrance is here.”
Song A-rin pointed at a metal door.
“Good, then let's go. Ah!”
She confidently opened the door and stepped inside, only to slam her nose into an invisible wall with a shriek.
“Ahhh...”
Her face reddened as she rubbed her nose. I reached out after her and opened the door.
-Creak...
The door opened naturally.
“It's opening just fine.”
“...Huh?”
Still rubbing her nose, Song A-rin touched the door with a dazed expression.
Thud!
Her hand stopped as though something blocked it.
“...Don't tell me we can't try again?”
“That could be it.”
Did it refuse people who had already gone through?
“Then... there's only one person who can go?”
My gaze turned to Aileen. She shrugged in response.
“All right. I'll try.”
“I think that's what we need to do.”
Perhaps our deduction was right. When she reached out, her hand passed through the door as though nothing were there.
“...Then it looks like the two of us have to go.”
“...No choice, then.”
Song A-rin sighed.
“I want to tell you more, but that white-haired one, I keep saying-”
“I understand.”
Seeing Jang Chae-yeon's expression turn fierce, I quickly cut Song A-rin off.
“It's all right. I can handle mental attacks well too.”
“...All right. See you later.”
“Come back safe.”
Song A-rin nodded, and Jang Chae-yeon waved. I entered through the door.
“Did you just laugh?”
“No.”
“Don't lie. You laughed.”
“I didn't.”
“I'm seriously going to kill you-”
Their voices cut off as the door closed.
“...They get along well.”
“Not usually to this extent.”
That was all I could say to Aileen, who spoke as though she found it strange.
* * *
The inside of the attraction was cleaner than I expected.
There were only repeated pictures of trains against wasteland backdrops that suggested the Wild West.
Before them was a small train-shaped ride with a safety bar.
It had been designed for exactly two people.
There was an exit on the opposite side, where a headless person stood mechanically.
Would it hand us tickets once we were done?
There was still no sign that anything had arrived.
Had something happened to Yoo Da-on and the team leader? Otherwise, they should have been here by now.
“...Let's get on quickly.”
Impatient, I hurried onto the attraction.
Other than Song A-rin and me, there was practically no one with resistance to mental attacks.
There was still nothing in sight.
<Departing!>
The same mechanical female voice from earlier rang in my ears as the attraction began moving slowly.
“As you heard, they say you'll feel like something is behind you.”
“Usually, that feeling means something will happen if we look back. I'll be careful too.”
“If anything happens, just tell me. I can... cover your ears, or...”
“Sounds like you're planning to break my fingers.”
She gave a small laugh as she looked at my fingers.
“Not exactly...”
“I've done it plenty of times. It's fine.”
She shrugged.
The attraction began to move slowly.
After passing through a dark tunnel, what appeared before us was...
“...Mascot Costumes?”
There were five Mascot Costumes.
The eyeless rabbit Mascot Costume we had seen before, a dog Mascot Costume without ears, and a duck Mascot Costume with a grotesquely spread mouth were among them.
“...Their gazes are moving.”
Aileen, who had carefully examined the Mascot Costumes, spoke calmly.
“Don't stare too closely. But don't take your eyes off them either.”
It sounded contradictory, but I followed Aileen's lead and glanced at the Mascot Costumes.
After passing the Mascot Costumes, the attraction continued moving at a slow pace.
Then my temples began to hurt, and Aileen grabbed my wrist.
“...I can feel it.”
“Looks like it.”
My head hurting meant she was feeling something too.
“Something is chasing us from behind. Be careful. I can hear it.”
I listened closely.
I could not hear anything.
“Nothing is chasing us.”
I rubbed my throbbing temple as I answered her.
“That's right. Nothing is chasing us. But even so... something is chasing us.”
She began rambling.
“I feel like something terrible will happen if I don't check right now.”
“Get a hold of yourself.”
“I can hear it.”
“Aileen.”
“I can hear it!”
I reached out and firmly grabbed the back of her neck, keeping her from moving.
“If you turn your head, you'll die.”
She bit her lip hard.
With a rattling sound, the attraction slowly moved forward.
Soon, something familiar yet strange appeared before us.
“...”
It was an attraction with only one person riding it.
A large man covered both ears with his hands and repeatedly muttered the same words.
“I can't hear it. I can't hear it, I can't hear it...”
It was a familiar voice.
“...Team leader?”
At my words, the team leader flinched and looked back.
“You... How did you get here...”
“I came looking for you. ...Where is Da-on?”
“.....Over there!”
The team leader pointed ahead.
On a wooden stage, Yoo Da-on was dancing with a bright smile.
She danced with graceful steps, like young ladies in an old film.
The only difference was that blood was constantly flowing from her ankles.
Her mouth was stretched grotesquely wide as she smiled.
Soon, a translucent window appeared over her head.
[Name: Yoo Da-on]
[Age: 23]
[Trait: Immortality]
[Talent: Regeneration (Pending)]
[Background: She is having so much fun dancing!]
[Weakness: When machines broke down, adults used to solve the problem by hitting them with their palms.]
Hit the machine?
I rubbed my throbbing temple and sank into thought.
“Ahaha, ahahaha! Ahahahaha!”
Yoo Da-on's delighted laughter rang against my eardrums.
I let out a small sigh and rolled up my sleeves.
I needed to fix it.
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