Chapter 21
“Mr. Park Seong-bin.”
“A new man!”
Thankfully, employee Park Seong-bin seemed to understand me.
“Please have a seat.”
“Oppa’s a girl!”
Employee Park Seong-bin sat down while doing the horse dance.
“If you understand what I’m saying, please nod.”
“Oop!”
He bobbed his head up and down so vigorously it was more than necessary.
“Good. I’ll focus on questions that can be answered with yes or no.”
After that, Cheon Jin-seong ruled out entity-induced mental contamination and asked him a few questions.
Whether he had hallucinations or auditory hallucinations, whether he felt like someone was watching him, whether he felt the world wasn’t completely safe, and so on.
Questions about PTSD-related symptoms.
He thoroughly ruled out anything related to entity-induced manipulation or mental contamination.
If there had been such signs, the front desk would have sent Park Seong-bin to the left first, not to my consultation room.
Every time he asked a question, Park Seong-bin shook his head violently up and down.
While shouting sounds that seemed to be lyrics.
‘Not good.’
After running a few more tests, Cheon Jin-seong reached a conclusion.
Park Seong-bin was acting with everything he had.
His eyes trembled every time he sang.
His dance lines were stiff, as if they didn’t fit his body.
Even his unexpectedly consistent answers.
He looked fairly prepared, but that wasn’t enough to fool a counselor who dealt with dozens of staff members every day at the Bureau.
The problem was how perfectly fine his mind was despite everything he’d been through.
We were short on information.
Not only had I not done a detailed examination, I also hadn’t been granted permission to view the mission details.
Even taking that into account, Park Seong-bin was unnervingly normal.
‘These days, I even get a little more energy from greeting the rookie I looked after at the cafeteria.’
If I hadn’t remembered just in time that it was the name Section Chief Kwak Chun-bong mentioned every day, I would have sent him to the left consultation room.
“The examination is over, Mr. Park Seong-bin.”
Cheon Jin-seong typed on the keyboard a few times, entering what would go into the diagnosis sheet.
A moment later, he handed Park Seong-bin the printed diagnosis sheet along with a packet of pills.
“Submit this to your department and they’ll make things easier for you. The medicine is a tranquilizer, so take it when you’re not feeling well.”
“Gack! Gack! Gack!”
Park Seong-bin was now pantomiming putting something huge in and out of his mouth.
Cheon Jin-seong thought he had to stop this soon, because it was too cruel to both of them.
“Please come back when you run out of medicine or if your symptoms get worse.”
I took the medicine and diagnosis sheet from him.
“You don’t need to put on an act like that on purpose. You might end up getting consulted for something else instead.”
“…You noticed?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“From the start. The seniors have already used it plenty.”
Though they’re gone now.
“Hah, pardon me.”
Park Seong-bin bowed at a ninety-degree angle and left the consultation room at a brisk pace.
Even after Park Seong-bin left the room and the door closed behind him, Cheon Jin-seong couldn’t take his eyes off the doorway.
“Maybe I should have sent him to ‘Rest Easy.’”
That day, a short additional line was added to the consultation notes the HR team received for Park Seong-bin.
[Positive effect on multiple veterans, including Choi Yuna and Kwak Chun-bong. Recommend exempting him from draining assignments.]
***
‘How nice it would have been if he’d just told me from the start.’
My face stayed hot the entire time as I fled the consultation room and headed to the office.
DadIsAMartialArtist : If you act weird and dance and stuff, it usually works
ㄴGayFreakGayYeah : Dead serious. I just stripped naked, spun my hips, and yelled, “Sausage Helicopter!” and they even gave me a week off
ㄴSettingsTweaker : Sir.
ㄴWanderingSpiritNo.1 : Sir
That kind of thing shouldn’t have worked on someone getting psychological counseling at the Bureau.
The only options that actually did work, since I’d tried them, were things like pulling my pants down and taking a dump, or punching the counselor.
I picked the least bad-looking option, but I should have thought it over a bit more.
“Haa….”
In the end, it was a happy ending—I even earned some sympathy and didn’t have to move on to an entity consultation.
‘The important part isn’t getting to the end!’
You’re right, that’s a famous line from a game.
I think I finally understand why they gave partial credit for the solution steps on subjective math questions.
Before I knew it, I was in front of the office, squeezing the innocent pill bottle in and out in frustration.
The office was on the way to the dorms, so I figured I’d stop by and submit the report too.
They say people on break shouldn’t go to the office.
Maybe I should have stopped by the café and bought some snacks before coming.
“So~ I told you I was going to the hospital, didn’t I~.”
“If the senior had gone, the hospital would’ve been destroyed.”
“Hospitals are supposed to renovate their old facilities once in a while, you know.”
The team leader and the senior were arguing about something in languid voices.
Today it’s just the two of them again. No—should I be glad it isn’t just one of them?
But they aren’t talking about Eternal Life General Hospital, are they?
“Hello.”
“Park Seong-bin?”
“Yes, the youngest has arrived.”
As soon as I made a sound, the two of them turned their eyes toward me.
“Isn’t today the day you’re supposed to be getting counseling?”
“I got it done and came back.”
I handed the diagnosis sheet to Im Mina.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t checked what it said.
“Oho~?”
“Hmm….”
The team leader started reading the diagnosis sheet, and the senior moved behind her to peek over her shoulder.
What an exciting height difference.
I grabbed a glass of water from the dispenser and wet my throat.
“Come to think of it, I didn’t look at it. What does it say?”
“Seong-bin.”
“Yes?”
The team leader suddenly looked at me with her eyebrows arched into crescents.
“Can you show me the dance you did in the counseling room?”
“Pffft!”
“Aah, that’s cold!”
“…….”
I spat out the water I’d been drinking like a hooligan at the completely unexpected request.
Like an old wrestler’s entrance scene, I sprayed the water like a mist, leaving both of them with a wet sheen.
For some reason it got hard to keep looking at them, so I turned my head away.
“I’m sorry. The contents were so shocking I couldn’t help it.”
I should have read it first before coming.
“If you’re sorry, can you show me the dance?”
“No.”
“I’m curious too, show me.”
“Making fun of a patient’s symptoms is a bad thing.”
While the team leader wiped her face with a handkerchief, I brought the diagnosis sheet over.
++++
[Administration Bureau Psychological Counseling Room Diagnosis Sheet]
Client: Park Seong-bin (25)
Affiliation: Administration Response Team
At the early stage of employment, this employee came into contact with entities of a higher grade than his experience and education level.
In particular, it was confirmed that he was repeatedly deployed to the field without enough rest between missions.
The subject is observed to frequently display cries and dance movements of unknown meaning.
However, it is judged that this behavior does not stem from hostility or a decline in his ability to perceive reality.
During the interview, the subject repeatedly mentioned safety concerns and continuously expressed anxiety related to field deployment.
As a result of the psychological evaluation, the subject is currently judged to be in a state of excessive vigilance and stress response.
At present, he is not at a level where he cannot perform his duties at all, but if field experience of the same intensity continues to repeat, the symptoms are highly likely to worsen.
Accordingly, it is recommended that he be excluded from assignments involving Level 2 or higher entities until his condition stabilizes.
Counselor Cheon Jin-seong
++++
The diagnosis sheet was more solid than I’d expected.
In short, it was: make this kid’s life a little easier.
Still, calling them “unintelligible screeches” was a bit much.
It was a song, and I’d even worked hard to match the melody.
“The counseling results are surprising~.”
“Really?”
“Of course. He isn’t usually this lenient when he writes these.”
“Are you close with the counselor?”
Im Mina shook her head at my question.
“We aren’t on friendly terms, but since this department is what it is, I’ve seen more than one or two diagnosis sheets~.”
“Usually, it’s like this.”
Choi Yuna came over and showed me the diagnosis sheet she had received yesterday.
++++
[Administration Bureau Psychological Counseling Room Diagnosis Sheet]
Client: Choi Yuna (26)
No special findings were noted in the regular psychological evaluation.
No abnormal behavior, decline in reality perception, or post-traumatic stress reactions were observed during the interview.
Diagnosis result for ‘Rest Easy’: ■■■■■■■■■.
No obstacle to mission deployment.
Counselor Cheon Jin-seong
++++
The diagnosis sheet was simple. This one is fine.
I didn’t know about the entity that seemed to be Rest Easy because its diagnosis result wasn’t visible.
“Is this section supposed to be hidden like this?”
“They say only HR can see it.”
“That’s right~. I can’t see it either.”
“Meaning that if the diagnosis result for ‘Rest Easy’ is written there....”
Psychological counseling is split into two stages: the counselor and then the entity.
The best outcome is for it to end at the human stage as much as possible.
Once it moves on to the entity, life at the Bureau gets a lot more exhausting.
[Comments]
ㄴForum Browsing Is Easy : What happens when it moves on to the entity?
ㄴ(글쓴이) AmsulSulsulsul : The test results are sent straight to someone high-ranking.
ㄴForum Browsing Is Easy : ? That’s it?
ㄴ(글쓴이) AmsulSulsulsul : This bastard has never had a social life. It’s common knowledge that there are no normal people among Bureau executives.
ㄴ(글쓴이) AmsulSulsulsul : A new entity? Send him there first, right? If you want to be treated like that, go ahead and move on.
A tip written in AmsulSulsulsul’s post.
Make sure the conclusion comes out at stage 1.
The answer was unusual enough that I’d gone and done something that crazy.
“How is entity diagnosis carried out?”
“I don’t kno…mph.”
The team leader used a handkerchief to wipe the water off the senior’s face.
“Entity diagnosis basically includes memory erasure, so no one knows the process.”
That’s terrifying.
You can’t remember either the questions or the answers?
“And this is just a hunch, but after you get entity diagnosis, it feels like you get sent on business trips more often?”
“Yeah. Something like that has increased.”
Sorry for doubting you, AmsulSulsulsul. You were right.
“But what do we do? If we don’t have Level 2 or higher, we don’t have any entities to manage right away~.”
“Too bad. I’d be sorry if I were just loafing around the office drawing a salary.”
Honestly, I’m very happy.
But the world still didn’t flow the way I thought it would.
“What? How could I stay in the office? I can’t be on standby.”
“Of course not?”
“If it’s not the main one, you go out as support.”
Bzzz.
The vibration of the terminal, signaling that a message had arrived.
[Team Leader Im Mina: Time-Stopped Village.txt]
“So it means a Level 1 place will do?”
Maybe the team leader really does hate me.
***
Right after Park Seong-bin left the office looking drained after dodging the request to show his dance.
Choi Yuna, looking at Im Mina.
“Senior.”
“Yep~.”
“Is it okay to send him there?”
Time-Stopped Village.
A variable-rank entity corresponding to Level 1, but one that can rise as high as Level 4 if something goes wrong.
It may be called simple support, but it’s a place where variables can appear.
But Choi Yuna hadn’t meant it that way.
“That’s not the assignment your junior got, is it?”
Im Mina hummed as she tore the documents apart.
Every one of the shredded documents pointed to entities of Level 3 or higher.
“Isn’t it a bit much to dump the local troublemakers from every branch onto the newbie just because he’s gotten a little famous?”
The travel request forms from various branches across Korea that had singled out Park Seong-bin.
Every single one of them had an emergency request seal on it, but that didn’t matter.
“The diagnosis sheet turned out well at just the right time, so we might as well use it.”
The Backrooms had already been enough for her to shove Park Seong-bin into dangers he couldn’t handle.
“Besides, Chaeyoung is over there too.”
“Really?”
“Yes. There probably won’t be any problems.”
Park Seong-bin doesn’t know. He’ll never know.
Thanks to the team leader, who thought he might be jokingly acting like he hated her.
The fact that he had avoided entities with over a 90 percent chance of death.