Chapter 219: Ch 219: Hot Talk Talk
In one of the many offices in Daydream Inc.’s main building—
A small-framed employee with long curly hair was seated at a conference
chair in that tidy space.
"Mm-mm-mm."
An elite employee of the Field Exploration Team, already wearing her
dolphin mask atop her head.
The several documents laid out on the table before her, which she was
reading, were today’s special assignment. It had been assigned only
yesterday.
And it was specifically designated to her.
And then...
"Hello, Assistant Manager!"
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae lifted her head.
As the office door opened, an employee entered, cheerfully greeting her
with a bow.
"I’m Kang Yihak. Ah, please just call me Pony!"
"Yes. Hello."
It was an employee Lee Seonghae was acquainted with.
If you managed to survive about a year after joining, employees gradually
began to remember each other.
There was even proof of that.
Promotion to supervisor.
"Ah, you just got promoted to supervisor this time, right?"
"Yesyesyes. We all got promoted together. Fuhaha, isn’t it nice not having
to buy drinks for promotion?"
Kang Yihak laughed, tapping her chest with a thump.
Right.
Roughly half the Field Exploration Team recruits, those who had survived
without dying or retiring, were almost all given the title of ’supervisor’ en
masse this year, just before the next recruitment batch of new employees.
Of course, the few with outstanding performance had been promoted two or
three months earlier... but that was something Kang Yihak would rather
pass on.
Because she had realized recently.
’There’s no need to go out of my way to make myself spend money!’
Isn’t it human nature to expect someone to share a little if they seem to be
doing well?
And here, being promoted early didn’t mean you suddenly earned much
more or had some really good Darkness falling into your lap.
Of course, if there were a substantial reward than, say... something
glittering and golden, or perhaps green. That would be a different story!
But in the grand scheme of things, just an itty bitty raise in salary was a
loss.
Thanks to that, she was able to suppress the reward center in her brain that
craved the dopamine rush of short-term gains...
’There are people who just like being the boss first, I guess.’
Kang Yihak recalled a colleague who had been promoted before her.
Baek Saheon, the goat-masked employee who always wore an eyepatch.
That employee had obsessed over information and items from the start,
constantly buttering up the superiors, and in the end had gotten promoted
first.
’So he really did invest aggressively from the beginning in squeezing
information from the sunbaes!’
But lately, that guy had grown strangely quiet. Clearly, he must have
realized the truth that investment was best made in Darknesses.
And once her thoughts reached that point, other colleagues came to mind.
Those who were no longer in the Field Exploration Team’s headquarters
office.
"Ah~ There was that guy who got promoted to Supervisor really fast, and
there’s that person who’s truly exemplary too... Ah, do you happen to
remember?"
Kim Soleum. Go Yeongeun.
Both recalled the same employees, and both nodded.
"Yes. They were good people, it’s such a shame..."
Lee Seonghae furrowed her brow, as if truly lamenting the loss.
Sensing it, Kang Yihak gave a light smile and changed the subject. There
was no need to sour a superior’s mood over something that wouldn’t even
pay her!
"Congratulations on your promotion as well, Assistant Manager~ I also
heard the news that you’ve been newly assigned to the B-squad with your
promotion."
"Ah, that’s right."
Lee Seonghae nodded.
"Hahaha, so how’s B-squad?"
"Mm. Work is the same no matter where in the company, really!"
But information about the elite squad was money.
So Kang Yihak softened her tone even more, as though coaxing.
"Ah, but still, since the people you’re working with have changed, if there’s
anything you’d like to say, you can tell just me..."
"Eh? Me?"
"You don’t have to, of course. Yes!"
Don’t hit a superior’s nerve! Once again, there’s no need to foul a superior’s
mood!
Especially if that superior was rumored to have been transferred to the B-
squad for drowning two of her own higher-ups in a Darkness while in the
C-squad!
’Long-term perspective, long-term perspective.’
With a quick change in stance, Kang Yihak sat down again politely.
"Then I’ll also study the documents diligently!"
"Sure, sure."
And so, after the appropriate pre-work small talk ended, they were nearly
finished reading and reviewing the documents laid out on the table...
"Greetings!"
A Research Team employee appeared.
The one who would be briefing them on today’s task.
Section Chief Kwak Jekang of Research Team 1.
At the appearance of a superior from another department, they all rose with
suitable courtesy.
"Have you all gone through the materials?"
"Yessir, we have!"
"Eeyah~ Well, of course our elite Assistant Manager Lee has done it, but
Supervisor Kang, you’re also quite fast. Is it because you’re a supervisor
now?"
"Hahaha, thank you!"
Nope. It was because she had already found a corner from which to extract
a little side income from this assignment.
And Kwak Jekang knew it too, but regardless, he smiled as he looked at the
two, before moving on to the most important matter.
The introduction of the Darkness that held their very lives in its grasp.
"Then... this is the superior you’ll be serving today!"
The office door opened.
The one who appeared was wreathed in black smoke.
Strange bone-like horns, towering like a crown. Yellow lantern-like eyes
and sources of light gleamed from within the black Security Team uniform.
At the familiar sight, Lee Seonghae’s eyes went wide.
The owner of Flower Golden Resort!
"Mr. Masco... No, Security Team employee!"
To think she would see him again!
With a broad, beaming smile across her face, Lee Seonghae rose and
stepped closer.
"It’s really good to see you! Have you been well?"
The Special Division employee of the Security Team did not move, only
looked down at her.
And though one of the eyes seemed for a moment to glance at the
researcher, he soon lowered his head toward Lee Seonghae and raised a
hand...
Question : Current health condition
"I’m always healthy!"
Yes. Truly still the same kind and gentle employee!
"As expected of our elite Assistant Manager Dolphin. To think you’re even
acquainted with such a powerful Security Team employee!"
At that, Kang Yihak quickly looked for a place to step in and approached.
"It’s truly a pleasure to meet you. Please just call me Pony, Mr. Employee!"
She even went so far as to request a handshake.
"..."
"..."
Ah.
That was a mistake.
In the instant that chilling sensation passed through her head, from the black
smoke extended a gloved hand that clasped her outstretched one.
"...!"
The other had, shockingly, accepted the handshake.
But an uncanny sense of crisis climbed Kang Yihak’s throat.
Cold.
A chill went down her spine.
Warning bells bleared in her head, the primal alarm alerting her of power
and greatness.
...And yet, it somehow felt familiar?
As though she had once encountered it before, somewhere in a Darkness
maybe...
"Well, in any case. Since it would be difficult for this person to simply walk
into a broadcast station, that is why both of you from the Field Exploration
Team were called."
But before Kang Yihak could recall who it could have been, the handshake
ended, and the task briefing began.
With a slight smile, Kwak Jekang explained why the two of them had been
summoned.
Simply put, it was because they needed two people familiar with
Darknesses, but not yet heavily contaminated.
"The employees who usually assist are from the Security Team, but they
can’t exactly stroll into a broadcasting station in broad daylight. Haha!"
Exactly that.
This particular ghost story had arisen in a place crowded with the eyes of
the public. A broadcasting station. To properly confirm it, cooperation from
related parties was necessary.
Excessively conspicuous supernatural beings or Security Team members
could not possibly make normal outings during the day, and they couldn’t
naturally step to the forefront here.
As the researcher explained, saying ’We’ve already secured a PD
(producer),’ Lee Seonghae smiled brightly.
"So we’ll be bringing back the dangerous Darkness from the broadcasting
station!"
"That’s right!"
"Mm, that sounds good!"
If Daydream were to isolate and secure that Darkness, then no ordinary
people would be caught up in the dangerous ghost story any longer.
Rarely ever did Lee Seonghae feel glad to take on a task that started from
such a premise.
Soon, the method of transport of the ’employee’ was introduced.
"Now then, the employee will remain inside here. The two of you can carry
and move it."
Seeing the Security Team employee be ’stored’ as though by some lie inside
the black transport case, the two Field Exploration Team members felt an
uncanny sensation akin to what they felt within Darknesses.
And they were also handed a communication device, in case of an
emergency.
A small walkie-talkie.
"It’s a radio connected to the Security Team handlers... well, if an
’emergency situation’ occurs, just use it."
The researcher laughed, saying that if they were rookies, this alone would
have made them nervous.
And a quick preliminary call was also conducted.
Click.
[Um... can you hear me...]
"Yes. Loud and clear!"
"Yup. Supervisor Pony from the I-squad is right here, and I’m Dolphin from
the B-squad! Pleased to work with you."
Silence.
[...B-squad?]
"Yes."
[...I see.]
[Um... carry him... carefully. Don’t drop him...]
The languid male voice slowly explained.
How to call the responsible Security Team handlers in case of a problem.
And even how to communicate briefly with the ’employee’ while he was
inside the case.
[If ’yes’... one knock. If ’no’, two knocks... That’s how.]
"Oh, understood."
Kang Yihak realized.
That while the Security Team voice beyond the radio spoke with Assistant
Manager Lee, Section Chief Kwak Jekang was barely suppressing his smirk
as he watched.
But that had nothing to do with her!
Realizing there was no money to be made there, Kang Yihak immediately
turned her head away.
Toward something that did smell like money.
The transport case holding the employee.
Dark, black, and cold, it emanated an eerie presence even just sitting on the
floor...
"Haha... then, shall I carry him? This kind of task should be left to a
subordinate, shouldn’t it!"
How much would it be worth?
If she could slip away with this transport case as it was?
Somewhere in the annex was said to be a Darkness that would give back in
gold the weight of whatever amusing thing you offered it. What if she
offered this case?
Kang Yihak drew closer to the case...
"..."
Watching from the side, however, Dolphin spoke.
"Excuse me."
"...Yes?"
"I’ll carry it. The case."
"...Yes!"
And so, Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae picked up the transport case.
It was cold and light.
Though a dense Darkness was within, Lee Seonghae stroked the iron bars
without hesitation and asked,
"Are you comfortable?"
Tap.
"What a relief!"
Humming to herself, she held the transport case dearly in her arms.
Then, together with Pony, she set out for the site.
To the broadcasting station.
* * *
"Uh, th-that, um, you’re the people the agency introduced us to, right?
Dreamwalking?"
"Yesyes."
They were guided into the Entertainment Department’s editing room
through a prearranged entrance for associates.
There, a producer with dark eye circles, wearing a haggard expression,
received them alone inside a sealed room.
He seemed to trust the meticulous identity papers Daydream Inc. used
whenever employees were forced to handle supernatural matters in the
civilian world. At that, the PD drew a breath and continued.
"To think I’d actually meet people who specialize in this kind of thing... S-
So, this is really something like an exorcism, right?"
"Of course."
Perhaps because the two strange people in suits and masks gave a peculiar
sense of reliability, the PD calmed slightly.
Even so, his face remained pale. Flesh sunken, his features were steeped in
worry and fear.
Not just the PD. On their way in, the head writer, two assistant writers, and
the lighting director they passed all looked unwell.
Something known to everyone here, to this extent.
"Y-You’ve heard the story, haven’t you? About the current situation..."
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae recalled.
An internet post attached to the documents on the table.
A chilling urban legend circulating among civilians.
[Has anyone seen this man on a PBS broadcast program? (photos
attached)]
========================
Anyone remember PBS?
Even kids in school now have probably at least heard of it.
It was an old broadcasting channel from about 20 years ago, now long shut
down.
Back in the ’80s and ’90s, a lot of the popular variety shows of the time
aired on PBS. Things like ’Parlor Sports Day’, ’The Family is Coming’,
’Hot Talk Talk’, ’Joyful Saturday Night’.
========================
Attached were a number of images.
Large colorful subtitles, low-quality resolution, exaggerated audience
reactions and sound effects.
Scenes from various 00s variety shows that now looked tacky, yet stirred a
faint sense of nostalgia.
They all had one thing in common.
Every single one had lots of people.
========================
You know those variety shows with tons of people?
Packed with panelists, or special episodes with dozens of participants, or
else hundreds of audience members reacting on cue, captured in sound and
shot on screen.
Before observational variety shows or YouTube content blew up, these
kinds of shows were the trend. There are still plenty who miss them. On the
flip side, many found them messy and tacky.
But anyway, back then, this style of variety basically dominated.
And during that time, a rumor quietly spread among PDs and editors
working in the studios.
Take a look at this.
(photo)
========================
It was a still image, seemingly captured from video, showing people
competing in a sports meet on a traditional floor-mat style set.
’Parlor Sports Day’, exactly as described, one of PBS’s variety shows.
And the photos didn’t stop there.
They kept going, these scattered captures from completely different variety
programs.
’The Family is Coming’. ’Hot Talk Talk’. ’Joyful Saturday Night’...
And finally.
========================
Did you notice?
========================
The images were shown again, this time with red circles drawn around the
corners.
A single man.
========================
It’s the same person.
========================
A man with black eyes staring at the camera.
Wearing a cap, lips curved in a closed smile without showing teeth.
========================
They say this man was spotted in most of the variety shows broadcast on
PBS, whether among the cast, the audience, or just in the crowd.
An editor noticed something strange while working, and upon checking,
realized he really was there.
And as people began discussing it, they realized something else...
This man only appears in episode 6.
========================
A caption followed beneath the photos.
========================
To be precise, the rumor is that he only appears in episodes ending with the
number 6.
Creepy, right?
But, you know, the broadcasting world is full of ghost stories. Ghost
sightings are common too...
So it was just something whispered among insiders, maybe appearing in the
odd ghost story magazine at the time, getting faintly rumored among
viewers.
And of course, in probability, it wasn’t impossible that the same person
could repeatedly get on panel shows or into audiences.
But then, one anomaly occurred.
========================
A newspaper article was attached.
An incident where broadcast data was lost due to a power outage at the
station.
========================
Because of the blackout, there were problems saving edited footage.
Documentaries and news were affected too. But the important part is this:
Among the lost data was the final edit of ’Hot Talk Talk’ episode 166.
In the end, episode 166 aired only as a highlight compilation of previous
episodes...
And.
That’s when things started getting stranger.
...
That man started appearing in every single highlight reel.