Chapter 258: Ch 258: Supervisor Baek Saheon..
"Grapes-ie?"
...
"Why aren’t you answering. I’m really curious about the talk show your
friend Braun hosts."
It felt like I was showering in cold sweat despite not even having a body
that could sweat.
[Oh. Looks like they watched the live broadcast. It wouldn’t be a bad idea
to take this chance to meet the viewers, wouldn’t you say!]
[But having someone grab this cotton-stuffed body of mine so tightly seems
like excessive contact. Passionate fans are my fate to endure, but would you
be so kind and tell them to put me down, Friend?]
Yes, I really might start sweating.
"Oh, is it supposed to work like this? Hello, children! I’m Braun!"
[Good grief.]
"Agent."
Agent Bronze stopped Agent Choi, who was mimicking Braun’s voice, and
took the rabbit doll from him as if snatching away a dangerous object.
But the movements were cautious, like he was handling a bomb. Then he
carefully set it on the wooden porch.
[Hmm. This isn’t bad!]
No, now he even laid out a silk handkerchief on the floor.
Then he arranged blue pebbles into a circular warding pattern and placed
Braun exactly in the center.
Anyone could see it was the kind of measure used to temporarily appease or
restrain something unholy...
And then he looked at me.
"..."
...
Eyes that looked like they could pierce straight through a person... No, but.
’How did they figure it out?’
Black-Tortoise Team 1 shouldn’t even know that Braun’s Late-Night Talk
Show exists.
Even if they did, connecting it to my rabbit doll named Braun is way too
much of a logical leap, isn’t it...?
Besides, the live broadcast this time was publicly hosted by Section Chief
Lee Jaheon!
’Are they just probing me?’
I’ll have to dodge this as best I can...
"Grapes, I can hear your gears turning from over here."
Shit.
"...Let’s move first."
Black-Tortoise Team 1 silently stood, stepped on some sort of activation
pad, and transported me and Braun outside.
I could faintly sense the intent to get Braun away from Disaster
Management Headquarters in case something happened.
No one said a word during the process.
Well, except for one thing when I tried to pick up Braun.
"Hands off, please."
Yes...
What comforted me, at least, was that the agents didn’t try to attack or
dispose of Braun.
They simply carried the doll very carefully, almost respectfully. Thanks to
that, no Braun-induced incident occurred.
Although honestly, it looked less like they were escorting a VIP and more
like they were relocating a cursed doll sealed at some mountain temple...
’But that means they understand how serious this situation might be.’
As we moved, it felt as if I wanted to gulp dryly, even though I physically
didn’t have any saliva right now.
Our destination was at the outskirts of Seoul, in an old, run-down, empty
alley rumored to be marked for redevelopment.
One of the Disaster Management Bureau’s inconspicuous deployment rest
sites was this small, old, inconspicuous container room.
And it was there I finally understood the source of this catastrophe.
"Roe."
Inside the container, sitting at the old desk across from me while waiting
was none other than Assistant Manager Eun Haje!
It hit me like lightning.
’Information traveled both ways!’
Assistant Manager Eun Haje, who knew Tuesday Quiz Show and the Late-
Night Talk Show, and the agents, who knew that my Good Friend rabbit
plush is named Braun. Two sides both met, and of course a disaster like this
happened.
And that means...
’There’s nowhere left to run.’
I’m screwed.
"Sit."
...
I quietly sat at the prepared desk.
Assistant Manager Eun Haje looked at the rabbit doll on the handkerchief
with a troubled expression.
"That Braun... is this Braun, right?"
...
Yes...
Affirmative
The assistant manager’s eyes were practically cursing me.
Having seen me working in completely contaminated conditions on the
Late-Night Talk Show, and then seeing me carrying around a rabbit doll
named after the talk show host... I can’t imagine what she must have
thought...
And if, after going off to rescue Section Chief Lee Jaheon, she then
witnessed a marriage reality show airing that looked exactly like that late-
night talk show.
’...Huu.’
[My. Mr. Roe Deer, you seem troubled.]
[Why not take this chance to explain how useful and charming your good
friend is?]
That is...
Wait.
Hold on...!
Request : Paper and pen
Reason : To explain the situation
Right. Didn’t I learn while communicating through notes with Baek Saheon
and the paper boat?
If it’s written conversation, I can talk just like a human!
And the perfect explanation for getting out of this mess suddenly came to
mind.
"...Uh, do you have any paper?"
"Huu."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje took out a piece of paper, then Agent Bronze
passed it over to me. As soon as I got it, I urgently began writing.
So the thing is, Braun’s...!
Braun is like the great Tiger General.
"...???"
"What are you talking about now."
I mean to say that he’s a supernatural being who’s helping me.
Right.
This doll actually wasn’t something Braun gave me, but something I
personally obtained as a sacred medium that acts as a vessel for him.
"What?"
Please hear me out!
Do you remember? I told you I was missing for a month and that I was
processed as having retired from Daydream Inc. due to death.
And do you remember that I testified in the Glass Prison that it was true...!
I stared hard at Agent Bronze. He flinched.
"...I do remember, but."
In truth, during that month, I wasn’t simply missing. I was working inside a
supernatural phenomenon called the Late-Night Talk Show.
And I persuaded Braun, the host of that talk show.
As a result, Braun accepted my resignation request, and afterward, he
resided in the doll and has been helping me during my supernatural
disaster investigations...
Just like...
Just like an agent receiving help from the dokkaebi.
"...!"
Yes. This is exactly how to talk to Disaster Management Bureau agents.
’After all, agents also borrow power from supernatural beings when they
can appease them properly...!’
Among them were beings both powerful and dangerous. Even the Tiger
General that Agent Choi summoned was a manifestation of Baekho Daesal,
or the great killing spirit of a white tiger, something that could very well
devour a person.
’Braun is no different!’
[Hooh.]
He clearly didn’t sound pleased, but if they could accept the comparison to
the Tiger General, then maybe this would work...
"Is that how it is?"
"All of that sounds like bull. This kid almost died on the talk show."
No!
There were many times Braun saved me from dying.
Assistant Manager, do you remember that insane exhibition ghost story?
Braun helped with the loudspeaker. It’s thanks to him that we all made it
out...!
And I managed to leave the theme park with my life because of Braun too!
"But you messed up using him and almost died anyway."
That was...
I didn’t die, just got contaminated.
"Are you being serious?"
Uuurk.
’Yeah. Even I admit this sounds ridiculous...’
Assistant Manager Eun Haje saw me in my contaminated state. No wonder
she doesn’t buy it.
But listen.
Yes, he’s a supernatural being, so his sense of emotion is different from a
human’s, and that does cause trouble sometimes.
But if that’s the standard, then my current state is the same.
"...!!"
I felt the smoke drifting through the gas mask.
The horns crowded above my head, the amorphous mass of flesh beneath
my clothes.
Just having someone who could stay with me in isolation was a source of
strength.
...It felt a bit strange.
I was crafting a persuasive excuse, yet as I wrote it, I realized that,
somewhere inside, I genuinely meant it.
I’m not claiming he isn’t dangerous, nor that I trust Braun completely.
But I’m certain I’m in a better state now than before.
And that was only possible because Assistant Manager, Supervisor, and the
Section Chief came all the way into that high-grade Darkness to find me.
Thank you.
"..."
I think of the Braun inside this doll as my friend.
At least for now, I think it’s okay to call him that.
I set the pen down.
A complex, heavy mood lingered inside the container box.
And then...
[Mr. Roe Deer.]
[Could you grant me one request? As a friend, I mean.]
...
I agreed.
And after asking the others for their understanding, I drew out black smoke
and let it coil over the desk.
A space created by the smoke of a supernatural being.
Inside that ghost story, the rabbit doll slowly got up.
"...!!"
The Good Friend dwelling inside the rabbit doll looked at the Disaster
Management Bureau agents and Assistant Manager Eun one by one, then
politely bowed.
A slightly exaggerated gentleman’s bow.
As if introducing himself.
As if thanking his audience, lowering an imaginary hat to his waist in a
courteous gesture performed by a tiny plush toy.
Then he waved his hand, and settled back down neatly on the handkerchief.
"..."
Silence fell.
And then.
"Grapes-ie."
Agent Choi finally spoke.
"So you mean you’ve ’invited’ this talk show host as a friend, and you’re
borrowing his power, right?"
...!
Affirmative
"How strong is he, exactly?"
"At a level where a single snap of his fingers could reduce a person to
ashes."
...!
"...Okay."
At Assistant Manager Eun’s added explanation, a smile rose on Agent
Choi’s lips.
Not a pleasant one.
’That’s...’
The same strained smile he wore when facing a powerful supernatural
disaster.
"Does he have any conditions for being ’invited’? Earlier he did a gesture
like tipping a hat. How about getting him a nice fedora?"
[Hooh.]
[Mr. Roe Deer, this one has decent manners. Although considering his
financial situation, it’d be wise not to expect much in the quality of the
gift!]
Braun is pleased
"Is that so? Okay."
I looked at Agent Choi.
He kept his everyday, unreadable expression as he asked me.
"So how was he while staying with us for that half-year? We kept him in
Black-Tortoise Team 1’s waiting room."
...
I conveyed Braun’s descriptions.
Not bad :
► Being placed on a cushion and occasionally helped with grooming
► Being told updates on Agent Grapes’s whereabouts
"Oh."
Not so pleasant :
► The act of pretending to feed him
► Being referred to as ’pink’
"Ah."
And...
Improvement tip :
The cushion’s material is far too cheap
"..."
"..."
"So... he wants it swapped for cashmere?"
Acceptable
"His preferences are very clear..."
Well, that’s just how he is...
At least the complaint about the doll cushion caused the tension, which had
been about to spike, to loosen slightly.
’Maybe because Braun didn’t cause any incidents for half a year while in
his ’good friend’ form?’
That was definitely a reassuring factor.
But.
"And one more thing."
The smile faded slightly from Agent Choi’s face.
"...There are casualties on the talk show, right?"
...
Yes.
"The host over there isn’t a classy fellow who knows how to live a vegan
lifestyle like the Tiger General."
I answered with difficulty.
That’s correct.
Whenever it comes to his broadcast, he won’t easily compromise.
"...You tried persuading him, at least. Okay."
The agents exchanged silent glances.
’...Do they communicate through equipment?’
After a moment, Agent Choi spoke again.
"Grapes-ie. It’s not like we trust your ’cool friend Braun’. You know that,
right?"
Of course they wouldn’t.
"So we’d like to see reliable behavior from now on. The way a friend
should."
...!!
"We’ll be watching closely. You understand, Mr. Braun?"
Then I understood.
This wasn’t, ’Sure, Braun’s your friend, go ahead and keep him with you.’
’They think if they just leave him unattended, things could go to hell...’
They weren’t keeping him because they trusted him, but because removing
him might cause a worse disaster.
A ’better to leave the unstable bomb where it is’ decision.
Agent Bronze’s expression looked like he wanted to stab me.
[My, this feels like dealing with an outdated guest who firmly believes he
holds the upper hand.]
[Still, a trustworthy friend like me is hard to find anywhere, so I understand
their difficulty in trusting so readily!]
"What did Mr. Braun say?"
...Huu.
Positive response
"Okay~ ...Of course, I trust our Grapes-ie isn’t just making up the doll’s
answers on the spot, right?"
O-Of course not.
"Good. And he didn’t say anything else?"
...
Maybe honesty is better?
I gave up on everything and relayed his words exactly as they were.
Braun’s correction request :
He wishes to clarify that the talk show he hosts aims for high-class
entertainment, and that his viewer base is intended to be wider and more
general than simply children.
"...Hmm. I see."
Correction request #2 :
There is no connection whatsoever between living a vegan lifestyle and
being a stylish gentleman, and Braun is—he would like it noted—a lenient
and cheerful personality.
"Oh, there’s a second one?"
He also wishes it known that although he overheard Agent Bronze’s worries
while in the team’s waiting room, he has not shared them with anyone, and
promises that he will never use them as program material without the
person’s explicit permission.
"...! O-One moment, please."
Correction request #3 :
Do not be misled by Mr. Roe Deer’s remark placing a brutish, elderly zoo
tiger and a legendary host with refinement, eloquence, and charm on the
same level.
(This description reflects Braun’s personal opinion and does not match
130666’s sentiment.)
"No, our Tiger General isn’t that—"
Correction request #4...
"Just tell him we understand."
Excellent decision...
And so I spent quite some time in that container box passing along Braun’s
messages.
Fortunately, when that time was over, Brown’s custody was returned to me
without any bloodshed.
"...Right. For now, take him back."
The atmosphere felt a little better than before.
Though of course this wasn’t the end.
"Oh, it isn’t a fedora, but we’d like to give Mr. Braun a small
commemorative gift."
Agent Bronze carefully handed something to Braun.
It was... a small ornament that looked like it could be tied into a bow using
a thin silk string.
It was shaped in a way that seemed like it originally could be tied around a
person’s ring finger.
"These days kids decorate their plush pendants, right? Since he’s a talk
show host, I figured he’d be sensitive to trends~"
I swear. That must be a tracking item...
[Oh, then I shall accept it as a keepsake!]
Thankfully, Braun accepted it readily, and the agents only began to move
after fully confirming that I had attached the ornament to the spot where the
keyring accessory goes near Braun’s head.
"Let’s go then."
And so the pink rabbit doll was registered by the Disaster Management
Bureau as ’Ghost Story Friend of 130666’, a being residing inside a plush
doll made at the Cheerful Theme Park.
The ’Braun identity reveal’ incident was, for the moment, settled.
’Huu...’
...Incidentally, throughout the entire process, Assistant Manager Eun Haje
only reacted with a single ’Alright’, and silently stared at Braun’s doll the
whole time.
Still, by the time we left the container, she had returned to her usual
demeanor.
Adding just one thing.
...
After some hesitation, I nodded.
And thus, the entire Sekwang Special Metropolitan City expedition team
came to know of the existence of Good Friend Braun.
What effects this will have later, only time will tell...
* * *
Some time later.
"Soleum-ssi."
’Section Chief!’
At last, Section Chief Lee Jaheon arrived, and it finally seemed like
preparations to enter Sekwang City were complete.
– Don’t trust him
...Or so I thought.
"I see. I have a recommended candidate for this expedition."
"Oh~ who is it?"
"Supervisor Baek Saheon."
My gas mask nearly flew off.