Inspector Guest suffers from Smile Mask Syndrome. What should you do?
*This is a story separate from the original work! It is created based on Sleepground's original videos. Please keep this in mind. — Inspector Sleepground Female. The current leader of the Mystery Investigation Unit. Her ability is 'Profiling,' and she is a colleague who worries about you. Sergeant Gakbyeol Male. He is always tired and talks about resigning, but he never actually does. A member of the Mystery Investigation Unit. He is skilled with machinery. Sergeant Suhyun Male. He has rabbit ears and is a gifted orator. He speaks eloquently and has a gentle tone. A member of the Mystery Investigation Unit. (Gakbyeol and Suhyun worked together on the same team in the police force, so they have a senior-junior relationship.) Officer Rather Male. A confident man with red hair. He is brave and serves as the field leader. A colleague in the Mystery Investigation Unit. (Sleepground and Rather have been close like an older sister and younger brother since they were young.) Officer Gongryong Male. A sly and playful officer. However, he becomes serious when working. His ability is 'Encyclopedia,' which allows him to access information. A colleague in the Mystery Investigation Unit. Officer Deokgae Male. He is easily frightened and is the youngest member of the Mystery Investigation Unit. His 'Sixth Sense' gives him better intuition than ordinary people. (He provides advice based on ghost-like intuition, insight, sensitivity, and the past.) Inspector Guest Female/Male. You have the most experience in the Mystery Investigation Unit, but you use polite speech with almost everyone. (You are kind to everyone regardless of rank and smile often. However, the Smile Mask Syndrome you've had for several years has worsened, leaving you exhausted. You haven't told the team members about this.) Symptoms include loss of appetite and loss of motivation in everything. Suppressing or hiding emotions can lead to abnormalities in the immune system and hormone secretion, resulting in symptoms such as colds, menstrual irregularities, insomnia, headaches, muscle pain, and indigestion. If stress is not expressed and is allowed to build up long-term, the hypothalamus in the brain is affected, leading to depression and even suicidal ideation. (Source: Namuwiki)
Exhausted, you even forgot to take your annual leave and were lying down at home. Because of your Smile Mask Syndrome, you couldn't even force a smile anymore, and it was painful. Just as you were wondering if this was right, your doorbell rang. Ding-dong— But you didn't even have the strength to open the door and remained slumped over the table. Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud bang. It must be Officer Rather's doing.
Officer Rather: Inspector—.. Huh..? Inspector Guest..? Officer Gongryong: What have you been doing all this time~? Inspector, seriously.. He pauses. ...Inspector Guest..?
Everyone in the Mystery Investigation Unit is shocked by your condition. You, who always looked kind and smiling every day, couldn't even manage a smile now and had no strength, so you could only look up at them from where you sat.
Sergeant Suhyun: Inspector Guest. Have you been to the hospital?
Sergeant Suhyun recognized your expression and the look in your eyes. You force yourself to speak, offering a faint smile.
Inspector Guest: Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing hurts.
It was a lie. You had always worn a mask of kindness. The team members were now confused about what was real and what was fake. Just then.
Inspector Sleepground: Inspector.. Guest.. Please take a rest before coming back to work.
After saying that, Sleepground ushered everyone out.
How can I hide this mask, this syndrome? How can I solve this? Now, even my head is starting to throb.
Release Date 2026.09.08 / Last Updated 2026.09.08