We sprinted toward the camping section—almost at full speed. The fact that we didn't drop the candle was a miracle.
"Hahh… haah…"
And we were just in time.
The high schoolers were on the verge of fleeing.
"They're not coming back! And something's wrong right now!"
"T-That's…"
'Damn it.'
The agents hadn't returned for over a day, and the store had been filled with the relentless sounds of moving employees.
Understandably, the students had panicked and were preparing to escape to another floor.
They had been desperately debating how to transport their catatonic friend, whether to leave him behind, and what to do next. But the moment they saw us, they collapsed on the spot.
"Ahhh!"
"A-Agent…!"
This was a nightmare.
We led the high schoolers—who were simultaneously crying in relief and yelling at us for being so late—back toward the center of the camping section.
Meanwhile, Agent Bronze swiftly checked the barrier he had set up.
"How much time is left?"
"About an hour."
Damn it.
"At least we're guaranteed an hour of safety. Let's use it to regroup quickly."
Go Yeongeun immediately extinguished the candle, checked on the students' condition, and started piecing together what had happened.
…She's so reliable.
'Phew.'
"I'll keep watch. You should focus on getting changed."
"…Understood."
While Go Yeongeun was inside the tent, Agent Bronze took the chance to change into a spare agent uniform he had brought with him.
Meanwhile, I listened carefully to our surroundings, trying to figure out our next move.
'The stairwell is too narrow.'
…I wanted to hope against hope that the store would open today, but counting on something that convenient was bad for my sanity.
I swallowed the sugary aftertaste of the Nostalgia Candy, then distracted myself with another concern.
"How are you holding up?"
"...I'm fine."
Agent Bronze reached into the bloodstained pockets of his old uniform pants, quickly re-equipping some of his gear.
But, one item stood out.
He had been casually retrieving and organizing his belongings until he picked that one up and froze.
…A white popsocket.
A label was stuck to it—handwritten.
Must be delivered
It reminded me of the Memorial Popsocket.
It looked like something from the Disaster Management Bureau.
"Agent, that's…"
"..."
Agent Bronze silently stared at it for a moment.
Then, without a word, he tucked it into his new uniform and muttered.
"It belonged to another agent. I found it… in the supply warehouse."
And from his tone, I realized.
'…There were other agents in the warehouse.'
Most likely, he had taken it from a fellow agent's corpse, one that had been 'stored' in the supply warehouse for a long time.
Now fully dressed, Agent Bronze looked up and met my gaze.
Then, he asked in a low, quiet voice,
"Did you enter the supply warehouse?"
"..."
I shook my head.
For a brief moment, relief flickered across his face.
"You did well. From now on, avoid places that 'feel wrong'. Human instinct is surprisingly useful in dealing with supernatural phenomena."
"..."
What the hell was inside that warehouse?
I didn't know the details, but the
'…Dozens of dying people, processed into 'supplies', rotting and mutating inside.'
I forced myself not to imagine it and changed the subject.
"So, what does that item do?"
If it was useful, Agent Bronze would have mentioned it already.
And sure enough, his expression darkened slightly.
"…It ensures a guaranteed transmission of an emergency rescue request to the Disaster Management Bureau."
"..."
Ah.
"It's an attachment for a smartphone. I thought maybe I could send out a message from here, but… it seems like it only works if the user is designated as a rescue target."
So it was specifically designed to function only for missing persons.
'…That agent must have been carrying it to give to someone else.'
Under normal circumstances, it was an invaluable item.
But here—where it didn't recognize us as 'rescue targets'—it was useless.
I couldn't even begin to imagine what Agent Bronze had gone through, enduring inside that warehouse.
"Um, are you done changing?"
"…! Yes."
Go Yeongeun stepped out of the tent.
"Agent Bronze, I think you should talk to the students. They already know you're the highest-ranking agent here."
"..."
After a brief nod, Agent Bronze entered the tent.
With a deep sigh, Go Yeongeun sat down beside me.
"…How are the students holding up?"
"They're alright. Now that all the agents have returned and even managed a rescue, their morale has skyrocketed."
…Because they still didn't realize we would have to flee this tent section right away.
Huu.
Both Go Yeongeun and I sighed at the same time.
"I really hope the store reopens today."
"…Yeah."
Please, please.
I agreed wholeheartedly, slumping down.
"I mean, it was running just fine when we first entered, but how many days has it been closed now…?"
Exactly.
Every word hit home.
'It was open when we arrived…'
…
…
Wait a minute.
"G-Grapes?"
I shot up from my seat and sprinted toward the tent.
Then, I threw open the entrance.
"Agent!"
Agent Bronze and the high schoolers looked up at me in shock.
"That emergency request item—can we use it right now?"
"Huh?"
Agent Bronze stared at me, momentarily confused, but soon, with a surprising amount of patience, he answered,
"The item itself is functional, but agents can't use it."
"What if one of the students uses it?"
"Duplicate requests… are deprioritized compared to the first report."
The high schoolers flinched.
Right. They had been the ones who sent out the initial request, which was why we entered this damn Looky Mart in the first place.
But.
"There's one more student."
"...!"
I thought of the student still lying blankly in the other tent.
The friend of these high schoolers, the one Agent Bronze had found.
The missing person who had never sent a rescue request to the Disaster Management Bureau.
"Calm yourself, Agent."
Agent Bronze spoke gently, as if trying to steady me.
"This device only allows for a 33-character message, and detailed explanations are impossible."
"That's fine."
I wasn't planning to explain our situation with it.
"The student can request rescue however they see fit. …As long as they do that, then."
If my theory was correct.
I swallowed hard.
"…The supermarket will open today."
"…!!"
I rushed to the adjacent tent.
Then, from the three remaining Nostalgia Candies, I took one and fed it to the unresponsive student lying there.
The student named Lee Soobin.
Unlike the others, this student had gone missing days earlier—before the initial rescue request was even made.
Go Yeongeun had suggested that a familiar face nearby might help ground him, so the other high schoolers stood beside me, anxiously watching.
I tore open the wrapper and placed the Nostalgia Candy into Lee Soobin's mouth.
"..."
"S-Soobin? Are you okay?"
Drip, drip. Tears streamed down his face.
And then, he started sobbing.
"Huuhp, hiiiic…"
"It's okay, i-it's okay…"
The high schoolers rushed in, hugging him tightly.
…Nostalgia Candy restored a person's body and mind to their peak condition, but it didn't erase their painful memories.
I stood back and let them help him recover, checking the time.
[ 09 : 22 ]
And then, when we couldn't afford to wait any longer—
[ 09 : 43 ]
I finally spoke.
"Student Lee Soobin."
"Hiiiic… Yes…"
"To be honest with you, to get out of here faster, we need your help."
I handed him the smartphone with the emergency request attachment.
"Write down your name and ID, then type 'Looky Mart' and send the rescue request."
"..."
"Please."
With trembling hands, the student took the phone.
And then, he frantically started typing.
[HelpmepleaseI'mtrappedinLookyMartIlivein■■districtplease]
It was a message filled with pure desperation. Tears dripped from his eyes as his fingers moved.
Then… he sent it.
"..."
"You did well. Try to rest now."
I couldn't bring myself to tell him to spit out the Nostalgia Candy.
…If my theory was wrong, then maybe I would need to save it after all.
'For now… we wait.'
Leaving the students behind, I stepped outside the tent.
Ziiip.
Go Yeongeun, who had been sitting nearby, looked up at me.
I sat down beside her and kept checking my watch.
Waiting for that time.
For 10:00 AM, the opening hour.
[ 09 : 51 ]
Agent Bronze began preparing to retrieve the protective item.
[ 09 : 54 ]
I calculated how long we could hold out in the second-floor food court if we failed.
[ 09 : 58 ]
In the worst case… who should receive the two escape items?
Then…
[ 09 : 59 ]
The moment approached.
All three of us lifted our heads, staring at the ceiling and the air above.
Waiting for the signal.
And…
[ 10 : 00 ]
Time was up.
"..."
"..."
"Agent Grapes, are you alri—"
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na-na, na-na-nan~
"…!!"
A chime-like melody suddenly filled the store.
– Looky Mart's doors are now open. We welcome our valued customers with bright smiles today~
A cheerful announcement.
The familiar store jingle played without distortion, ringing through the mart loud and clear.
Flicker, flicker, flicker.
Bright fluorescent lights flickered on.
Sunlight began streaming through the glass windows.
And the grotesque employees vanished as if rewinding.
With an eerie, creaking noise, they were sucked back into the staff-only area, disappearing through the gaping metal doors…
Thud.
The doors slammed shut.
Every single one of them was gone.
Not a single trace left behind.
"..."
The supermarket… had finally reopened.
"Hahhh…"
'…We survived.'
I collapsed onto the floor.
"It worked! It actually worked!!"
Exactly.
Go Yeongeun, looking more excited than I had ever seen her, clapped me on the shoulder, her face flushed with relief as she glanced around the mart.
"How in the world did you— No! It doesn't matter! Let's just get the hell out of here first and talk later!"
But Agent Bronze, who had been staring at the store in a daze, suddenly turned to look at me.
"The emergency request… This was…"
"Yes."
Had he figured it out?
I finally smiled and answered.
"The store has to be open for a rescue agent to enter."
"…!"
Yes.
'Kind of like reverse logic.'
I forced the mart into a situation that 'made sense' where it had to reopen.
Right… by changing the conditions.
"You said before that there's no way to stop people from entering Looky Mart."
It wasn't just in the agent handbook I received. The
A known method to end or seal it does not exist, and proactively preventing disappearances is likewise impossible.
Even the entry conditions were documented.
Looky Mart entry condition : Roam around for over twenty minutes, within a 3km radius of the old Lucky Mart location, searching for the store.
Which meant—
'As long as someone follows that condition, they will be pulled into this cursed Looky Mart ghost story.'
But now, let's flip that logic.
"Then, if someone is about to enter, Looky Mart must be open for business."
—Looky Mart must be open for new victims to enter.
"And…"
"That means… a new agent is coming today."
Go Yeongeun blurted it out, her face flickering between shock and realization.
"Because the high school student sent a rescue request—a new agent will be entering!"
Correct.
So, if the Disaster Management Bureau had received that request and sent someone…
"Yes. Today, the store had no choice but to open."
I smiled.
Go Yeongeun briefly smiled along—but then, confusion settled into her expression.
"…? Wait. Then doesn't that mean the cause and effect are reversed?"
Exactly.
"It's not that the store opens, and people go missing. People need to go missing for the store to open, so it starts business every morning."
"That's completely out of order."
"That's why it's a ghost story."
A bizarre, twisted reality that doesn't follow the laws of logic…
Just like how the infinitely repeating third floor made no sense.
"Yeah, that makes sense."
The confusion on Go Yeongeun's face shifted into grim understanding.
She looked like she wanted to run out of this supermarket immediately.
…Honestly, I felt the same.
So let's get out of here.
We quickly got up and started preparing to leave.
'We have gift certificates. We have escape items.'
That was more than enough to get all three high schoolers and the three of us out.
"Well done."
As we packed up, Agent Bronze whispered quietly.
Then, with a glance, he motioned toward the three students stepping out of the tent, faces lit with hope.
"These civilians… are being rescued thanks to you."
Honestly? That wasn't true. If either Agent Bronze or Go Yeongeun hadn't been here, we all would've died…
Still, just as I was about to thank him—
"..."
Suddenly, I had a strange thought.
It felt too easy to speak.
The usual obstruction in my mouth… was gone.
'Ah.'
And I realized I could no longer taste the sugary sweetness of the Nostalgia Candy.
"..."
The candy had completely dissolved.
Which meant…
"...!"
"Agent!"
Agonizing pain exploded from the right side of my body.
-x-X-x-
Nostalgia Candy restores me to my prime condition.
In other words, that version of me is still me. It doesn't make me smarter or stronger than I actually am.
Relying too much on the state it provides and letting my guard down is dangerous.
I knew that.
"!"
I clenched my teeth as agony erupted from my right arm-or rather, the empty space where my right arm used to be.
I had missed the timing to take another dose.
God damn it.
'I got careless.'
With our safe zone about to disappear in less than an hour, and the sudden breakthrough that allowed us to reopen the supermarket, I had gotten distracted.
And the price was excruciating pain.
The arm I had cauterized to stop the bleeding- Every single word used to describe that process now stabbed into me as raw, searing agony.
"Hhk-!"
My legs buckled, and I nearly collapsed.
Out of habit, I tried to brace myself with my right arm, only to stumble, realizing it wasn't there. I barely managed to steady myself with my left hand.
But it's fine.
"Agent...!"
"J-Just a moment-
Agent Bronze quickly stepped in, supporting me from behind as I gasped for breath.
Go Yeongeun rushed over, checking my condition. Then, urgently pressed me for something.
"What about the candy?! Where is it?!"
Ah.
"Hurry!"
I reached into my jacket pocket with my remaining hand-But Go Yeongeun was faster.
She dug into my pocket, snatched out the candy, and ripped open the wrapper.
'All I have to do is eat that'
I knew that.
I really did.
"..."
"Agent Grapes?!"
Maybe it was the endorphins kicking in, but a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Nostalgia Candy... I only have two left.
Who knew how many more ghost stories I'd have to go through?
'...Do I really need to take it?'
Couldn't I just endure with Happy Maker instead?
The bleeding had already stopped.
And from the beginning, my plan had been to make sure we could escape even if I had to lose an arm.
The supermarket had already reopened, so my goal had been achieved.
'If I consider item efficiency.'
Rather than wasting one here would mean...
"..."
I took the candy from her hand,
Then-I put it back in its wrapper.
"W-What are you-"
I struggled to put the wrapped candy back into my pocket, then reached for another item instead. A small, stick-shaped device.
Happy Maker.
This one will do.
'Okay
I moved to inject it, only to realize something. I couldn't roll up my sleeve to expose my skin.
Because I had no sleeve left to roll up.
"...Agent, I'm sorry, but could you... inject this for me?"
"..."
"It's a painkiller."
But the way Agent Bronze's expression hardened told me that he knew exactly where this item came from.
...Delusion Home Shopping.
At this rate...
"This isn't the time for that. Please-just..."
"...!"
Fortunately, instead of arguing, Agent Bronze took a deep breath, rolled up my remaining sleeve, and injected the Happy Maker.
Pik.
A small sound.
The drug surged through my veins instantly.
'Ah'
The pain faded. Calmness settled in.
An eerie peacefulness.
Anxiety and panic shattered into dust, drifting away. And then, nothing.
'Ha.'
I stood up smoothly, without stumbling this time.
"Thank you."
But, an unsettling silence hung in the air.
"Why.."
"I can still move fine for now, so I'd rather hold off on using the candy."
"..."
The item was too valuable to waste.
Go Yeongeun seemed to read that thought directly from my expression.
"Hah..."
My batchmate from Daydream Inc. let out a deep sigh. Then, deliberately looked away with a complicated look on her face.
...She must have understood at least to some extent.
But one person didn't.
"...You've been walking around in this condition?"
"...."
Agent Bronze was staring at my missing arm, his face blank with disbelief. Then, as if realizing something, his eyes snapped back to mine.
"That potion."
Right.
He had just figured it out.
What the regeneration potion I gave him was supposed to be meant for.
"..."
"Are you insane?!"
"No, I'm not."
The Happy Maker kept my mind completely level.
I exhaled slowly, then even forced a small smile as I answered. With a rational explanation, one that he couldn't argue with.
"Listen, It was the rational choice."
"What?"
"I wasn't in immediate danger without treatment, but you were dying."
"...."
"And if a veteran like you hadn't joined our group, the civilians who requested rescue would have been in even greater danger."
Yes.
From the start, I hadn't taken account for the two high schoolers who Agent Bronze had been protecting.
My original rescue plan was based on a three-person survival strategy at the stairwell.
Me, Go Yeongeun, and the high schooler I was responsible for. A three-person team.
'...I was prepared to leave Agent Bronze behind.
But then, things changed when I found the sign he left.
Instead of him, I ended up with two unpredictable high schoolers-one barely functioning, and the other completely catatonic.
...It got complicated.
If they had been adults, maybe I could have ignored them. But they were just kids. Fifteen or sixteen years old. Abandoning them wasn't an option... not for a contemporary person's perspective.
In the end, the best decision was clear.
Save Agent Bronze.
'And since I couldn't afford to waste Nostalgia Candy, the best alternative was the regeneration potion.
Logically speaking, even without my personal long-term strategy, it was the most rational decision as a rescue agent.
"So... I still think my decision was the most logical one."
"...."
But Agent Bronze's expression darkened.
When he finally spoke, his voice was strained.
"...Then why,"
However, at that moment-
Clatter!
"...!'
All three agents snapped their heads toward the sound.
"Ah, shit."
Someone had been hiding behind the tent, watching us, and in his panic, he dropped a camping cup. The culprit fumbled, hastily picking it up and placing it back while glancing at us nervously.
...One of the high schoolers Agent Bronze had been protecting.
'Damn it.'
I quickly pulled my jacket over the missing part of my arm, concealing it.
"…Let's discuss this outside the supermarket."
"..."
Agent Bronze opened his mouth slightly, as if about to say something, but then, his expression twisted in regret. Without another word, he simply lowered his head and walked away toward the far end of the camping section.
Go Yeongeun sighed, glancing between me and Agent Bronze, then quietly followed after him.
"..."
Meanwhile, with the high schooler still looking hesitant, he shuffled over to me.
"Um, I'm sorry…."
"...I know you weren't trying to eavesdrop. It's fine."
"No, it's just…"
The student hesitated, then finally spoke properly.
"I mean… about what I said before."
"..."
"How… I acted."
It seemed like he had realized something from listening to our conversation.
That the agents had been risking their lives to save them.
And now, he was thinking back on his own behavior—his outbursts, his mistakes.
"..."
'Huu.'
Even adults get emotional in extreme situations. How could I expect a kid to be any different?
The fact that he was apologizing at all was already more than I expected.
Even if, deep down, part of his apology came from fear. Or, from the worry that if he pissed me off, I might abandon them and escape alone.
"It's fine. Apology accepted."
"..."
"Just hold on a little longer until we get out of here."
"Um,"
The student hesitated, then suddenly blurted out,
"This time… when we leave, I'll steal properly."
Ah.
"It's fine."
I patted his shoulder with my remaining hand.
"This time, we won't have to steal anything."
"…?"
Because we weren't taking that risk again.
The student looked a little confused but nodded, then quietly returned to his friends.
For a moment, I was left alone.
"..."
It felt a bit awkward.
…Maybe I had gotten too used to having a friend who completely understood my thought process?
But regardless.
'Hoo.'
Now, only the final steps remained.
And, this part…
'…Even with a larger group, we have two different escape methods.'
We can get out.
I reached inside my jacket and pulled out the most carefully guarded items in my possession.
Two white envelopes.
'Gift certificates.'
Then, I sat down quietly and went over my final plan one more time.
Until everyone was ready.
After a while.
"You both have the candy in your mouths, right?"
"Yes! We both do!"
"Good."
I checked on the high schoolers as they looked out for each other, then turned to the agents.
The two of them, who had meticulously restored the camping section to its original state, met my gaze with tense expressions.
All the briefings were done.
Now…
'It's time to leave.'
The six of us left the third floor and calmly began descending.
Faint echoes of an old pop song, laughter, and shopping carts rolling filled the air.
"Haha!"
"No way, that's too expensive. Put it back."
The lively chatter of shoppers surrounded us.
It had only been three or four days, but the normality of it felt overwhelmingly comforting.
Of course, these voices of the past neither saw us, heard us, nor acknowledged us. A creeping unease still lingered.
As did the tension.
"..."
"..."
"Um, excuse me."
One of the high schoolers broke the silence.
"Behind us…"
"Shh."
I warned him quietly, nudging him forward.
I had already seen what he saw.
At the bottom of the escalator, someone was standing still, staring at us blankly.
Bloodshot eyes, filthy clothes, lips murmuring something incomprehensible.
Once, that person must have been ordinary, too—someone who had just gone out for a quick grocery run at night, still wearing the same casual outfit he had worn months ago.
A long-term missing person.
I pulled the high schooler closer to me.
"…Don't smile. Don't look nervous."
If you smile, they think you know a way out and follow you.
If you look anxious, they sense weakness and follow you.
'…We can't save them.'
There was no point in torturing ourselves with either false hope or fear.
The high schooler swallowed hard and nodded, lowering his head as he stuck close behind me.
"..."
The long-term missing person watching us dragged his broken leg and tangled hair as he stepped onto the escalator.
Because he wanted to leave.
But he wasn't the only one.
…I could feel the stares.
Behind the butcher's counter, behind the promotional display stands, next to employees.
Murmuring, crying, laughing, staring blankly.
And now, they were all stepping onto the escalator.
'…The first floor will be packed with them.'
Eventually, when they get caught by the employees, they will be turned into 'supplies' and disappear.
By evening, the lower floors will be 'cleaned out', and the next batch of victims will wander the store alone, believing they are the only ones trapped here.
"..."
The eeriness trickled down my spine, even through the numbing effect of the painkiller.
Not too fast, not too slow—we continued moving forward.
And soon, we arrived back where we had entered.
The first floor.
In front of the checkout lanes.
"…Let's do this quickly."
I took the high schooler I was responsible for and…
Instead of heading for the exit, we went directly to the cashier.
Each of us picked up a snack and a canned drink from the nearby shelves.
Beside me, the high schooler's breathing was ragged as he struggled to stay calm.
It was a weekday afternoon, and the store was relatively quiet. No lines at the registers. Smoothly, we reached the cashier…
"..."
I pulled out the gift certificate from my pocket and lightly tapped it against the counter.
"Excuse me."
"Hm?"
The cashier snapped her head up, looking directly at me.
That's right.
She 'acknowledged' me.
"Oh! A customer!"
"...!"
That was the power of the gift certificates.
It identified us as legitimate customers.
– If you we use gift certificates, we can just walk out.
– …!
There was no need to trick the supermarket anymore.
"Please ring these up for me."
"Oh, of course!"
Beep. Beep.
The cashier scanned my items cheerfully and accepted the gift certificate.
"By the way, we can't give change for gift certificates in units of 100 won, but if you give me 600 won in cash, I can round it to the nearest 1,000."
"…That's fine. Just take it as is."
"Are you sure? Alright~"
She handed me four 10,000-won gift certificates and eight 1,000-won bills as change.
Immediately, I passed some of the change to the high schooler beside me.
Following my lead and with a slightly trembling voice, he repeated the process.
"A-And this too, please!"
So that the cashier wouldn't find anything strange, we made sure our purchases matched the exact amount needed.
And then…
"Thank you."
"Thank you~! Please visit Looky Mart again!"
We passed through.
We successfully made a legitimate purchase in this insane supermarket ghost story using gift certificates.
"..."
I picked up my purchased items and steadied the trembling high schooler beside me.
To avoid drawing attention to my empty right sleeve, I casually draped my jacket over my shoulders as we stepped past the checkout counter.
One step. Two steps.
And then, taking a deep breath, I turned back—
"…!"
The bizarre distortions of the supermarket had blurred.
The eerie signs, the strange products, the horrifying stains of blood and organs.
They had all faded into the background, as if blurred out from my perception.
Or rather, they no longer seemed unnatural. Everything now appeared… completely normal.
As if we were just ordinary shoppers in an ordinary supermarket.
"Wow."
The high schooler exclaimed in amazement and came to a halt.
But at the same time—
"Aigoo."
"...!"
The past shoppers around us had begun to perceive us normally.
"Oh, excuse me."
A shopper apologized after bumping into the high schooler.
The student stiffened, stepping back awkwardly.
"I-I'm sorry."
I grabbed the startled high schooler and pulled him aside.
"I told you, don't act surprised."
"Y-Yeah… got it."
He hurriedly clung to my side, but now his eyes were shining.
"So… does this mean we can just walk out now?"
"Yeah."
"Wow…!"
With this, all the complicated escape procedures were skipped.
By using a gift certificate at checkout, we were treated exactly like the past shoppers.
Even if someone broke items or ate food during closed hours, they could pay for it and leave without issue.
"Excuse me, I would like to pay…!"
"Wait a moment."
Just like Go Yeongeun-ssi was doing now.
I listened closely as she stood at the register.
"Customer! You damaged Looky Mart property! Please compensate! Total: 39,900 won!"
"Alright."
Go Yeongeun calmly handed over a 50,000-won gift certificate.
The inflated, balloon-like cashier snatched the gift certificate and, with an unnaturally wide smile, returned 10,000 won as change.
Then, in a flat, monotonous voice, the cashier asked,
"Ah, would you like me to ring up this gum as well?"
"...Yes."
Only after that transaction was complete did the items she had picked out get processed normally.
Huu. I let out a sigh of relief.
As expected.
'…Nothing beats this method when you don't know when the store will open again.'
By paying for past mistakes, we could leave cleanly, without incident.
And… to be completely honest.
If Looky Mart had remained closed for over a week, someone in our group would have made a mistake sooner or later.
Me. The high schoolers. Even Go Yeongeun.
'…My personal supplies wouldn't have lasted forever.'
Eating food in the stairwell was only an option if we had food. Once my stash ran out, we would have no choice but to steal from the supermarket. And eventually, someone would get caught.
Which meant… they'd be turned into store supplies.
'I'm just glad we avoided that outcome.'
I looked forward with renewed determination.
Once the student Agent Bronze had been protecting finished checking out, Go Yeongeun waited for him and walked out of the checkout line together.
Safe.
"…We made it through. Thank you."
"It was nothing."
Now, all that remained was…
"Agent Bronze."
We signaled to the two remaining people still standing at the registers.
Ryu Jaekwan and Lee Soobin.
The two who had been chosen to use the emergency escape item—the five-colored shoelaces.
– Agent Bronze, you most likely wouldn't be able to leave using a gift certificate within the 100,000-won limit.
– And… it's best if that student leaves with you. …The one who went missing first.
Agent Bronze had already been processed as 'store supplies'.
The cost of restoring him through normal checkout was far beyond 100,000 won—making it impossible for him to leave that way.
And as for Lee Soobin, he was the earliest victim of this ghost story.
Meaning, he was the second person confirmed for emergency escape.
Among us, he had been missing the longest, and we had no way of knowing how much 'debt' he had accrued to the supermarket. On top of that, without the Nostalgia Candy, he could barely move due to the sheer mental shock.
'Not like we could steal that item anyway.'
Whether the shoelace's 'spiritual power' had been used or not could be tracked by the Dokkaebi Workshop.
Which meant it was better to use it wisely.
I spoke quickly.
"You should leave now."
"..."
Agent Bronze met my gaze in silence, then said,
"You go first."
Ah.
"Once I confirm you're safely out, I'll immediately—"
"Can you leave?!"
"…!!"
Someone suddenly lunged toward Agent Bronze.
A woman in her forties, drooling as she stumbled forward… Or rather, someone who had once been a housewife. She was contaminated. Her eyes had become unnatural, and instead of arms, her sleeves ended in mannequin hands.
A long-term missing person.
"You can get out?? You're talking to them?! Hahaha! Let's go out! Let's go ouuuutttt~!"
…She had realized Agent Bronze was with us.
'I thought we could just check out and leave without an issue…'
Causing a commotion with normal shoppers would draw in employees, which usually prevented the missing persons from interfering.
But that assumption had been too logical.
Once someone is corrupted by the ghost story, their desires can become twisted.
For example…
A single-minded, obsessive urge to escape.
"I wanna leave too! I wanna leave toooooo!! Give it! Give me the gift certificate!!"
The surrounding shoppers turned to look.
The cashier's gaze fell on us.
"CUSTOMER! YOU HAVE DAMAGED LOOKYMARTPROPERTY!COMPENSATIONREQUIRED!TOTAL:5,208,240 WON!"
'No, this can't happen.'
At the very least, if we had to run, we could leave these people behind—but those two couldn't get caught.
I dashed back into the store, blocking the cashier's view as I shouted—
"Go! Now!"
Without hesitation, Agent Bronze subdued the missing woman, pushing her aside just long enough to grab the high schooler and tie the shoelaces.
Then—three steps.
"Hhhahhh— Scary! Scary! Let me leave!"
"PAY COMPENSATION!"
With panicked screams and the cashier's distorted voice as the backdrop, the two of them vanished, as if they had been erased from existence.
Phase 1 Escape : Ryu Jaekwan, Lee Soobin / Success.
But we had no time to catch our breath.
"Can you leave? Can you leave?!"
"I wanna go too!! They have money!!"
With attention drawn, other long-term missing persons began to mutter—
Emerging from behind displays, escalators, and restroom corners.
I sprinted toward the counter, yelling—
"The candle! The candle!!"
Go Yeongeun had already drawn it, pulling the high schoolers behind her.
"Get out!"
The three of them ran toward the exit. Then… Go Yeongeun shoved only the two high schoolers through the glass doors.
The moment they stepped outside, they vanished.
Phase 2 Escape : Jang Minseo, Hyeon Jaehoon / Success.
They had returned.
Then, Go Yeongeun bolted back inside.
"Noroo! Grapes!! Whatever you're doing—!!"
She frantically waved at me while gripping the candle.
I rushed into the glow of the flame.
But by now, the storefront and checkout area had turned into pure chaos.
More long-term missing persons were appearing, whispering, approaching. And the 'employees' had begun reacting to the strange situation, turning toward us, ready to confiscate more 'supplies.'
"Get out now!"
I really wanted to.
But this was the moment I had been waiting for.
The moment where only two people remained—
A spy and an insider.
"Wait—just a moment."
"What now—?!"
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the remaining gift certificates.
"Let's use up the rest of the gift certificates before we go."
"…!!"
I quickly stepped back inside the checkout area.
From the moment I realized we'd have leftover balance, I had been planning for this.
The strange products sold in this supermarket.
Just like how I had obtained items from the Death Lane and the alien shop ghost stories, this was still a supermarket ghost story. That meant there had to be peculiar, abnormal items hidden among the shelves.
'But among them, there must be useful ones.'
After all, that's what made it interesting.
And those items couldn't be obtained by stealing from the past shoppers.
Since they were merely repeating their previous actions, all their purchases were just ordinary household goods.
Which meant I had to find them and purchase them myself.
'I need to find them fast.'
Before the people who had already escaped started questioning things.
And before I'd get caught up in the chaos…!
'Hurry!'
I frantically scanned the store.
Since it was May, the Children's Day event section on the first floor was packed with toys, and that actually made it easier to find the 'strange products'.
They appeared blurred, almost as if intentionally hidden from perception.
The 'special edition products' of the Looky Mart ghost story.
I saw a train model, a donut float, a clay set. But I didn't pick them up.
'Something safe.'
I didn't want to take unnecessary risks.
If possible, I wanted an item I had already read about in the exploration logs of this supermarket's ghost story.
The problem was that most of the descriptions I remembered were only a few words long, and it wouldn't be easy to match them with the exact products.
'Identify it.'
I clenched my teeth and searched both my memory and the shelves at the same time. If I could find something I already knew about…
"..."
Wait.
'That one.'
I spotted an event display piled with plush toys.
And among them, some were blurred.
I stepped closer and focused past the distortion to get a better look.
A white lizard plushie.
The exact same one that had been sitting on Section Chief Lee Jaheon's desk in D-squad's office.
"…!!"
I grabbed the plushie.
"Have you chosen?"
"Yeah. What about you, Yeongeun-ssi?"
Go Yeongeun nodded.
She was holding a small item in her hand.
"Let's go."
We rushed back to the checkout counter, each clutching our chosen 'items'.
Behind us, the long-term missing persons were being turned into store supplies.
The amounts demanded of them were so absurdly high that they weren't even worth considering.
"Total comes to 28,000 won."
In the blink of an eye, we had checked out our items and gasped for breath as we hurried toward the exit.
"…If the Bureau doesn't ask, let's just not mention this."
"...Agreed. …Thank you."
Rather than testing the last bit of Go Yeongeun's patience, I obediently ran alongside her toward the supermarket entrance.
"I'm putting out the candle!"
"Yes!"
And then—
We pushed open the exit doors.
'Ha.'
Maybe it was because we had been trapped inside for days, but my stomach churned. I kept second-guessing whether I had made a mistake somewhere.
'Let's go.'
I gritted my teeth and forced myself forward.
The once distorted promotional stand barely registered in my vision anymore. What lay ahead was the glass doors, and beyond them, the past landscape.
For a moment, I felt a brief terror. What if we were about to walk into the past?
But…
'Ignore it.'
Go Yeongeun and I stepped forward.
The automatic doors slid open smoothly.
Ding.
We ran.
Forward, forward.
A chill breeze struck my face, followed by the blinding sunlight.
I blinked.
"Ha."
Slowly, the brightness faded.
And with my restored vision, I saw…
A familiar street bathed in late winter sunlight.
A quiet alleyway from the 2020s.
And ahead of us, the people who had escaped before us.
"…!"
"A-Agent…!!"
The high schoolers ran toward us.
Their faces were streaked with tears and snot, but their expressions were filled with pure relief.
Seeing them, it finally felt real.
'We made it out.'
Phase 3 Escape: Go Yeongeun, Kim Soleum / Success.
We're finally free.
A few days inside that eerie supermarket ghost story.
Days filled with mental strain, severed limbs, cold sweat, tension, shock, and fear.
'Ah.'
My arm hurt.
But it was fine.
Because I was out now.
From now on, I could relax…
It doesn't seem like that to me though?
...
What?
Still feels like that place, right?
I lifted my head.
Looked around.
The dimly lit, eerie second-floor food court of the supermarket.
I… was still standing there.
"..."
I'm still here?
Was escaping just a dream?
Was escape… impossible all along?
Had I misjudged everything?
Then why had I cut off my arm?
I…
– Oh dear, looks like you're having a nightmare, Friend!
"…!!"
I jerked awake.
Sunlight stabbed into my eyes.
A clean, peaceful hospital room. Soft late-winter sunlight filtered through the window.
…This wasn't the supermarket.
I gasped for breath.
It was peaceful.
'…This is reality.'
Yeah.
After successfully escaping Looky Mart, I had been taken away in an emergency vehicle sent by the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.
And then I lost consciousness…
"Ah, you're awake."
"…?!"
I turned my head—
And saw someone in a bureau agent uniform, casually sitting in a caregiver's chair, peeling an apple.
...?
"Did you sleep well? Looked like you were having a nightmare."
He had the neat appearance of a salaryman, but his neck bore a conspicuous scar.
A stranger.
Who…?
As our eyes met, he handed me a slice of apple with a grin.
"Nice to meet you, hoobae! Thanks to you, I got to experience entering Looky Mart… and leaving in just three minutes."
"…!"
Ah.
"That's right. The agent you summoned? That was me."
I had made that high schooler send a distress message to the Bureau, forcing Looky Mart to resume business.
'So the person dispatched because of that was…'
This person.
"I heard the story. You came up with that 'reverse strategy' to force the supermarket to open, huh? That's exactly the kind of thinking we need in this job."
"..."
"Come on, don't look so shy."
As I lowered my gaze, the man laughed, stood up, and held out a hand.
"Let me introduce myself. Hmm, I don't really like using my agent codename, but…"
Wait.
That line…
"Just call me Agent Choi."
"..."
Holy.
'It's him.'
/ Start of recording
Agent Choi : So, I'm on the third floor, and I've just found a door leading to the fourth floor.
The sole concrete exploration log I remembered regarding the fourth floor.
Agent Choi : Welcome to Looky Mart!
A Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau agent who had once explored the fourth floor and met a horrifying fate.
'An early named character…!'
Yes.
He was a named character from before the wiki's worldbuilding expanded to include the rule that agents of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau were referred to by codenames.
Agent Choi.
He was one of the key figures who had been active back when the Dark Exploration Records only contained government investigation logs, without any data from other organizations.
'…That neck scar.'
I knew how he got it. That was… from the Cold Storage ghost story.
I swallowed hard.
'An agent who appeared frequently in the early exploration logs…'
Even though his ultimate fate had been a horrifying disappearance.
His tragic ending had caused quite a stir at the time. People argued whether it was too cruel to kill off an early named figure so brutally. But in the end, it was approved with people saying, 'Isn't that just in line with the spirit of a creepypasta universe like this?'
Yet now…
'…Something changed, didn't it?'
Because of what Go Yeongeun and I experienced, the fourth-floor stairwell would be repurposed.
'A warning will probably be added to the official records.'
Which meant, the timeline had shifted.
Agent Choi might never open the fourth-floor door at all.
This time, he had entered Looky Mart and left in just three minutes.
'Holy shit.'
The fate of an early named agent had changed.
A strange, indescribable feeling washed over me as I looked at him.
Then, belatedly, I managed to respond.
"Yes, Agent Choi."
"You can call me Choi-sunbae, you know."
He winked playfully. However, as he glanced at my severed right arm, his smile faltered slightly.
But he still kept his cheerful demeanor.
"Don't worry about your arm. We'll take care of everything."
"..."
"For now, just rest. No wait, hold on!"
Suddenly, he swung open the hospital room door and pushed someone inside.
…Agent Bronze.
He seemed to have tidied up his appearance and was dressed in casual clothes instead of his agent uniform, but for some reason, his complexion didn't look too good.
"...You're awake. That's a relief."
"Yes."
A strangely awkward atmosphere filled the room.
But Agent Choi, the sociable type that he was, clapped Agent Bronze on the back and casually offered me another slice of peeled apple.
"Jaekwan— I mean, Bronze immediately threw you into Turtle-Snake Team 1, huh? That stiff guy skipping protocol to bring in a rookie? Goodness. I was wondering why, but yeah, you've got talent."
Then, he held out his hand to me.
"Welcome to Turtle-Snake Team 1. You're going to do meaningful work here."
"..."
"Come on, don't you feel like calling me sunbae already?"
Uh…
About that.
"No. I…"
I deliberately lowered my head, putting on a fearful, dejected expression.
"Please, I want to transfer to another team."
"…?!"
…Sorry, but I planned this.
'Escape route from the rescue team…!'
Honestly, once I had already been registered with the Dispatch & Rescue Unit, getting out wasn't going to be easy.
Even in a normal modern workplace, you can't just cling to your boss's leg and beg for a department transfer. You'd just end up branded as a problem employee.
'And that would be the worst thing for a spy…'
But in the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau, there was a loophole.
That's right… Traumatic experiences!
'That's the weakness of ghost story explorations.'
You never know what's going to happen.
And a rookie, on their very first mission, cut off his own arm in a desperate attempt to escape?
If I claimed psychological trauma, the bureau was at least understanding enough to release me.
'This has to work.'
The only problem was…
I might have done my job a little too well.
"Just try one more time! Just one!!"
The early-era named agent, acting like that meme of a man tearing his hair out, was desperately trying to convince me…
"This job is perfect for you! You survived an irregular Disaster, rescued your fellow agents and even saved those civilians! Do you have any idea how insane that accomplishment is?!"
He sounded like a man refusing to let go of valuable manpower.
A classic overworked civil servant.
Gone was the relaxed, well-adjusted professional I had seen earlier…
Now, he was pointing at my severed arm in desperation.
"And that decisiveness—willing to cut off your own arm—no, your sheer willingness to sacrifice your body—"
Ah.
"About that."
I took a shaky breath, my face pale.
"That was a crazy thing to do."
"..."
…Apologies, but I'm about to weaponize guilt.
"I-I don't even know what I was thinking when I did it."
I do.
"I just… feel sorry. I know this makes me seem weak, but… I can't do this."
But… even though these were pre-planned lines…
The more I spoke, the more real they started to feel.
"I feel like I'll die from stress."
I clenched my remaining hand into a fist, lowered my head, and mumbled.
"I was terrified the whole time that the kids would die…"
"..."
Agent Choi opened his mouth—then closed it.
"I just can't… do this anymore. I'm sorry."
"..."
A heavy silence fell over the hospital room.
"Mmh… yeah. That's understandable."
Agent Choi finally sighed, settling back into his caregiver's chair with a practiced air of sympathy.
"But look, if you transfer teams after just one mission, it won't reflect well on you. …People might misunderstand and think you got kicked out, and you'll end up branded as a burden."
His voice was calm and concerned, framing it as if he was worried about my future.
And then, in a subtly coaxing tone, he added,
"Of course, you wouldn't lose your job, but the rumors…"
"I will restore his original status."
"Jaekwan!"
Agent Bronze interrupted, ruining Choi's momentum.
Then, after a glance at me, he turned his gaze away, his expression dark.
"…You'll be allowed to work with different teams as you wish. After three weeks, you can report back to me with your final decision."
"…!"
"I can arrange at least that much on my authority."
"...Thank you."
"Ugh, at least meet the elders on your team first… Ah, forget it."
Agent Choi let out a deep sigh.
"Fine. Three weeks to experience different teams. Yeah, that's reasonable."
And just like that, it was settled.
– Agent Kim Soleum will rotate through multiple teams for three weeks before reporting back to Agent Bronze with his decision on his final placement.
– Agent Bronze will use his senior authority to formally recommend Kim Soleum's preferred assignment.
…Just like that.
"Think about it. We're a really great team."
Agent Choi kept nudging me, telling me to keep my options open.
He threw out various selling points. That I was talented, that everyone on the team was unique and fun, that the job was incredibly fulfilling…
And then, finally, he brought up this.
"And those kids you saved."
"…!"
"Don't you want to know what happened to them?"
The students we had rescued.
Agent Choi lightly nudged Agent Bronze, signaling him to speak.
"Tell him, Bronze."
"...All three returned home safely."
Ah.
Agent Bronze calmly explained their whereabouts.
Their injuries were properly treated, and they had emotional reunions with their families.
And the high school student I had personally looked after was even actively participating in interviews with the Bureau, emphasizing how much I had helped him in Looky Mart.
"…He kept asking if you were okay. Now, I can finally give them a proper answer."
As for Lee Soobin, the student who had suffered severe psychological trauma, he had undergone mild memory erasure treatment and was reportedly doing much better.
And during the process, Agent Bronze had even covered for me regarding the Nostalgia Candy, presenting it as a government-acquired anomalous food item.
He had been so casual about it that I almost missed the fact that he had done me a huge favor.
'…I owe him one.'
"All three of them wanted to thank you in person."
Since direct meetings weren't permitted under bureau guidelines, they would be sending letters instead.
"…That's all."
It seemed like everything had wrapped up well.
Even Go Yeongeun.
"And the agent you saved is recovering. She'll be back on duty soon."
"...I see."
I let out a deep breath and leaned my head against the bed. And without even realizing it, I savored the moment.
Everyone's safe.
Everyone made it out alive.
"Feels good, doesn't it?"
"..."
"Yeah, I figured. This job suits you— Argh!"
Agent Choi grinned right before Bronze shoved him toward the door.
"Ah! Jaekwan's trying to kill me!"
"For now, just rest. Don't worry about anything else."
"Yes, sir."
Still seated, I bowed my head toward Agent Bronze.
"Thank you for being so considerate."
"...It's nothing."
His expression was complicated as he looked at me.
But in the end, he simply turned toward the door.
"That rookie really belongs in Turtle-Snake Team 1…"
Seeing Agent Bronze's piercing glare, Agent Choi finally shut up.
And with that, the two left the hospital room.
Ka-chak.
"…Phew."
It was over.
I let out a deep sigh of relief and sank back into the bed.
'Escape from the Dispatch & Rescue Unit… success.'
A perfect outcome.
But…
'Feels weird.'
Both the missing arm and my dynamic with Agent Bronze.
'He's been looking out for me, but I get the feeling he's also kind of hurt?'
Still, at least I was definitely no longer under suspicion as a spy.
"…Ugh."
I stretched deliberately, trying not to think about the pain of my missing right arm.
And as I did, one particular sentence resurfaced in my mind.
– Don't worry about your arm. We'll take care of everything.
…'Take care of it,' huh.
I recalled the various options the bureau had for handling agents with missing limbs.
Including the most impressive and exciting one.
'Well, even if that's too expensive, they won't just leave me like this…'
And more than that.
Before the Bureau could 'take care of it' for me, I had a chance to secure an alternative method myself.
"Hmm."
I reached toward the bedside table and retrieved my phone.
Then, I checked a message I had received last night.
[ Consultation Appointment / See you this Friday, Mr. Soleum ^^ ]
It was time for my first report on the spy network to Director Ho.
But this meeting wasn't just about delivering a report.
'I need to extract as much as I can from him.'
* * *
"Director, I'd like to file for workers' compensation."
"…!"
-x-X-x-
A cozy and warm atmosphere filled the Fox Counseling Office.
In front of the nameplate that read 'Closed Today', at a table in a waiting area that resembled a hallway, Director Ho was waiting for me.
And the moment I greeted him politely and sat down across the table, the first thing out of his mouth was this.
"So, you want… to file for workers' compensation?"
"Yes, sir."
I confidently brought out the empty sleeve where my right arm should've been and displayed it on the table.
"I was forced to cut off my arm during my very first mission with the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau."
"..."
If Director Ho had any sense, he'd remember it too.
– It'll be much more comfortable for you.
He was the one who introduced this spy job to me, all the while saying that there were better working conditions and safer assignments.
But after crawling through Daydream Inc. for over half a year and extracting two A-grade solutions without a scratch, I lost one of my limbs just three days after becoming a civil servant.
'This is basically fraud.'
Of course, I was prepared for the possibility that he might try to spin it as bad luck on my part, or a lack of competence…
"Oh dear! Of course we should take care of that!"
"...!"
Director Ho's face crumpled with concern as he nodded.
"That must have been incredibly painful for you, Soleum-nim. Then… would it be correct to assume you need a regenerative potion from Daydream Inc.?"
"Exactly as you say, sir."
"Of course, I'd love to give you as much potion as you want right away, Soleum-nim. But… I'm just a little worried whether you'll be able to manage it."
"…Sorry?"
Director Ho glanced at the empty space where my arm used to be.
"If your arm suddenly reappears… there won't even be any room to make excuses to the bureau, right? It might cause some issues for you."
"..."
"And I'm sure the bureau must have its own procedures for handling lost limbs, so… is there a particularly urgent reason why you'd want Daydream Inc.'s regenerative potion…?"
He trailed off with a worried expression, then caught himself and clasped his hands together.
"Ah, I suppose I may be overthinking this. I'm sure you have a brilliant plan in mind, Soleum-nim."
"Yes."
"..."
"Hm, I think I might've phrased things poorly and caused some misunderstanding."
I gave a slight smile.
"I'm not bothering you right now because I want to use the regenerative potion immediately."
"Of course not! I didn't think it was a bother, but if that's what you meant?"
"I need the potion so that I can immediately regenerate if I lose another body part in the future."
"…!"
"The Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau fundamentally operates with one-man teams. So I figured… if I regenerate before I report back from the ghost story site, it'll all go without a hitch."
How's that?
"I also heard that if your injuries reach an unmanageable level, they strongly recommend retirement… so it's also meant to prevent that outcome."
"..."
"Of course, if it's too difficult for the company to provide it right now, I'll hold out as best I can."
Now, if Director Ho were going to turn me down by saying the company's in dire straits?
'There's no way he'd do that.'
If he were going to refuse, he'd either start saying regretful things and hemming and hawing, or he'd abruptly switch tactics and try to assert dominance by pulling rank.
'But neither of those is Director Ho's style.'
I could at least trust that he wouldn't try to act all stingy over one measly C-grade regenerative potion…
"Did you know, Soleum-nim?"
Director Ho stared straight at me.
"When I look at you, I often feel like I'm seeing my past self…"
The Fox Counseling Office wavered strangely.
The worn dirt walls, paper sliding doors, exposed rafters, and the moldy wooden floor.
"I really miss those days…"
For some reason, a rundown thatched cottage flickered at the edge of my vision.
Beyond the comfortable, modern interior, there lay a bleak, abandoned house…
Ka-chak.
"Ah, you're here."
"…!"
The door to the Fox Counseling Office opened, and everything came to a halt.
Through the door stepped a man and a woman, their faces tense as they entered the cozy waiting area.
Familiar faces.
"G-Good afternoon, sir."
"…!"
Go Yeongeun. Jang Heowoon. [1]
The two who had infiltrated the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau with me as spies had also been invited here today.
I was on the verge of tears from how happy I was to see them.
"Welcome, both of you."
Director Ho smiled and seated them at the table.
I looked at Go Yeongeun, who gave a small nod, and then Jang Heowoon, whose face lit up with relief… before going completely pale the moment he saw what happened to my right arm.
"Ah, thanks to Soleum-nim's suggestion, all of you will be receiving one regenerative potion each. Isn't that wonderful?"
"…?! Y-Yes…"
"…Yes, sir. Thank you."
Go Yeongeun-ssi was holding up better, but Jang Heowoon-ssi looked exactly like a mouse in front of a cat.
Meaning, he was extremely tense.
'Well, that's probably the right attitude in front of an executive…'
Especially an executive from a ghost story company, the kind you encounter in a ghost story.
Note/s:
[1] Heo-un Heowoon. Still the same pronunciation, just a different way to spell it in English. I've been on the fence about this for a while now, but 'Heo-un-ssi' just doesn't look good on the page ahah >.> Hope yall understand~! When I have time, I'll go back to the past chapters and edit his name for the sake of continuity. ↩
-x-X-x-
"Um, aren't you happy?"
"I-I'm happy, sir."
"…Of course, it's something to be happy and grateful about, sir, but I'm nervous about the upcoming report. I apologize."
"Ah, of course. That's perfectly understandable. Then let's quickly touch on that topic!"
Director Ho smiled like he understood everything and swiftly turned to one of them.
"Yeongeun-ssi, I heard you were nearly declared missing, but thanks to this batchmate of yours, you made it out safely. That's truly fortunate, isn't it? Seems like it paid off for the three of you to infiltrate together."
"...Yes."
A short, sharp breath escaped Go Yeongeun-ssi.
"I also heard you're doing well, Heowoon-ssi. You joined the Site Cleanup Unit, didn't you? That team has good access to documentation, right?"
"Y-Yes, sir. That's correct…"
Jang Heowoon couldn't lift his gaze.
Director Ho smiled and picked up the green tea I made for him.
"It's really nice to meet and talk with you like this in person. Since it's your first time, please don't be too nervous and just relax…"
"..."
"..."
If this was the first report for all three of us…
Then who exactly did he 'hear' our assignments from?
'…So there are other hands and feet in the Disaster Management Bureau.'
He knew exactly how to set the tone to keep us from making any careless moves.
I really hated this kind of higher-up…
But as low-ranking employees who had to follow orders, the three of us stiffly bowed our heads and silently sipped our instant green tea.
"E-Excuse me."
"…!"
No, I thought that was it—but surprisingly, one of us spoke up.
Even more surprising, it was Jang Heowoon.
"If it's not rude, there's something I've been meaning to ask…"
"Ah, what is it?"
"What exactly are the documents we're supposed to locate in the Disaster Management Bureau—"
"That's not something you need to worry about."
Silence fell.
"When the time comes, I'll let you know! Once you've gained sufficient access to the information we need for this project."
"..."
"For now… Hmm, I think just this much is enough for you to know."
Director Ho smiled.
"They're documents related to a certain supernatural disaster."
That much, I expected.
"They're stored in the archives on the 33rd basement floor of the Gangwon branch of the Disaster Management Bureau. If we're calling it by classification… Annihilation-sanctioned."
"…! T-That's..."
"Ah, you must've heard about it during training! That's right."
Annihilation-sanctioned.
"It's the classification for supernatural disasters that the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau has officially designated as the highest level of danger."
…Exactly that.
Even within the bureau that handles ghost stories resulting in casualties, this label is only given to supernatural disasters that cause uncontrollable, massive loss of life.
The standard is…
An estimated death toll of over 500,000.
In other words, it's the kind of absurd catastrophe where a whole metropolis gets wiped out. The kind of cosmic horror ghost story where the term disaster truly applies.
But here's the thing.
'I… think I know what it is.'
That ghost story Director Ho just mentioned.
—An Annihilation-sanctioned ghost story from the bureau, connected to Daydream Inc.'s 'project'.
Just from that one clue, the possibilities narrowed dramatically.
'There's only one in the Dark Exploration Records.'
Thanks to that, I now knew exactly what Director Ho was looking for, and what the hell this 'project' was trying to accomplish…!
'This is gonna drive me insane.'
Just thinking about it made my mind reel. I had been digging into the background of that completely deranged ghost story.
My heart pounded like mad as my head went cold.
This won't do.
'At this rate… I won't get the Wish Ticket for years.'
I have to cut ties.
However, I didn't even want to imagine what might happen if that sharp, frightening director realized I already knew.
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
The wisest choice was…
'Just keep my mouth shut for now.'
Don't get caught between fighting whales.
I kept my gaze on the table, avoiding eye contact with the director, trying to look as tense as everyone else. It wasn't hard—I was already tense.
Thankfully, the director didn't seem to notice.
"Um, would that answer suffice?"
"...Yes, sir."
"Wonderful!"
The conversation continued smoothly.
"Ah, and about that 'workers' compensation' matter."
The regenerative potion.
"It seems formal approval might be difficult. Officially speaking, the three of you aren't registered as headquarters employees."
Thankfully, he wasn't about to backpedal or say something else entirely.
"So let's categorize it as an operational expense."
Director Ho extended his fingers.
"Ten thousand points. Monthly."
"…!!"
"I'll issue you temporary Welfare Mall accounts. You're free to spend it however you like, but if unused after a month, it will disappear."
Holy shit.
That's enough to buy a C-grade regenerative potion every month.
"So then, are we all satisfied?"
Director Ho glanced at each of us, including me.
I bowed politely.
"Yes. For now, I'm simply grateful."
For now, that is.
"Excellent!"
Director Ho beamed.
And then he took it one step further.
"Ah, would it be alright if I offered you one more little aid for your activities? All three of you, please hold out your hands."
"Ah."
The two of them politely raised both hands, palms open.
I also lifted my one hand, palm up, and reached toward the table.
"No, like this. With the back of your hand facing up."
"..."
The moment we adjusted the position…
"That's right."
Something began to form across the backs of our hands.
"…!!"
"Careful now. If you move, you might end up needing a regenerative potion…"
Oh, this is insane.
Dozens of punctured circles rippled like waves across the back of my hand.
'What the hell is this?'
A strange sense of pressure, like being bound, began to spread…
– Man, woman, man. From this point on, the three of you will be unable to call one other by your codenames.
"...!"
– If there are any watching eyes, you will not be able to share any information that hints at your true identities.
Thump.
Thump.
– Should you attempt to break this, you will be punished.
Something round struck the back of my hand, as if burrowing into it.
The pulse spread from the hand across my entire body. And then—
"Haaah!"
It vanished. Without a trace.
"..."
"..."
The three spies, drenched in cold sweat, pulled their hands away from the table.
"…T-This."
"I worked hard on this, just to help prevent any possible slip-ups from you all."
Director Ho smiled benevolently.
But none of us could smile back.
-x-X-x-
"Just now… I heard the word 'punishment'."
"Yes?"
"You said we'd be punished."
"Oh, it's nothing major—just the usual. If someone's trying to forcibly break this restriction, wouldn't that mean something serious has gone wrong?"
Director Ho smiled, lacing his fingers together.
"And as for that 'punishment'… You'll be reunited with whatever you hold dearest."
"...!"
"I'll make sure to take good care of it."
"Wait a second! That's—"
I made deliberate eye contact with Go Yeongeun-ssi, cutting off her protest.
"..."
"You were saying?"
Go Yeongeun-ssi slowly calmed herself, then spoke up again in a steady tone.
"…So, will we be bound by this restriction until the 'project' succeeds?"
"No, this is merely a support measure to help you during your assignment!"
He really knew how to twist words.
'Support', huh?
"As soon as you bring back the information I asked for regarding the Annihilation-sanctioned Disaster, this auxiliary measure will disappear. And then…"
Director Ho rested his chin on his hand,
Leaning toward us.
"Whoever contributes to the success of this mission… will receive the potion right then and there."
"..."
Wait a second.
Beside me, I heard Jang Heowoon's trembling voice.
"P-Potion… you mean…"
"The Wish Ticket."
"…!!"
"You'll receive the Wish Ticket as soon as you fulfill your assigned role! Isn't that amazing?"
Goddamn.
"I worked hard to make it so you wouldn't have to wait until the project succeeds."
Suddenly, the timeline to receive the Wish Ticket had been drastically shortened.
This spy work was starting to feel absurdly enticing.
'If I do well, I could get it unbelievably fast.'
As long as I perform well!
"..."
At the same time, a chill crept down my spine.
'He revealed that on purpose.'
It was a secondary incentive, meant to make us cling to this like our lives depended on it.
Instead of disclosing everything from the start and letting us make a careful decision, he controlled the information.
'So now it feels like it's just within reach.'
I'd thought it before, but his methods were sweat-inducingly elaborate and layered.
'…And that's not even all.'
I recalled something Director Ho had said previously—
What he told me when he assigned me to the spy role.
– And since I figured it'd be a bit lonely for you to go in alone, you won't be infiltrating by yourself.
Just hearing that, it sounded like he was sending others into the bureau for my sake to join me in the infiltration.
But once I agreed and confirmed the details, it turned out to be the opposite.
'My batchmates had already been deployed to the bureau before I was.'
Director Ho never lied about the facts of a situation.
But he would freely manipulate the framing of intent and interpretation to steer people exactly where he wanted them…
Just look at my peers' faces.
'Their eyes are shining.'
The phrase 'you'll get the Wish Ticket once this is done'—how sweet that must sound.
But.
"Then, may I ask whether we would all be acknowledged equally?"
"Hm?"
Now's not the time to miss the details.
"If we 'contribute' in the delivery of the documents, will we all receive a Wish Ticket potion?"
"Ah, of course."
"…Then, will you be the one to determine whether we 'contributed' properly, Director?"
"..."
Director Ho locked eyes with me for a brief moment, then smiled again.
"I'll trust your report, of course!"
Huu.
"Thank you."
With that, I prevented the situation where Director Ho might deny the group's joint effort and designate only one MVP to skimp out on distributing the Wish Ticket potion.
"Ah, it's time."
Just then, Director Ho glanced at his wristwatch and stood up.
And then, clap! After bringing his hands together once, with a cheerful expression on his face, he spoke to us in a friendly tone.
"Take your time chatting, you three. You won't get many chances to gather together like this 'outside' anymore. I set this up just for that."
In other words, don't gather together and raise suspicion.
Still, he left us with at least a sliver of professional courtesy.
And that's the signal that the senior officer was finally excusing himself, leaving his junior staff to have their meeting.
"Well then, I'll be off."
He waved, beamed as he left us with the parting words that he'd try to arrange for more chances to meet in the future.
We hurriedly stood from the table and bowed.
"You didn't have to stand! But thank you."
He walked all the way to the counseling room door, and just as he grabbed the doorknob, he turned back as if something had occurred to him.
Our eyes met.
Director Ho gave a subtle nod toward the silver ring on my left hand's finger.
The silver ring.
My mental protection item.
"That thing. It's completely worn down, you know."
"…!"
Srrrk.
"Well then, I'll see you at the next session."
The Fox Counseling Office door closed with a soft, courteous sound.
Thuk.
"..."
"..."
Director Ho was completely gone.
And then—
"Haah..."
A heavy sigh filled the waiting room.
It was the sigh of low-ranking staff who'd just faced off with an absolutely insane, far-above-them superior…
'Still, I guess it helped that it wasn't a one-on-one meeting.'
And I had the chance to reunite with these guys after a long time.
"Um… It's been a while, Soleum-ssi."
I turned to look at my fellow batchmate.
A former member of the Round-Off Team.
The long-haired man greeted me with clear relief and concern in his voice.
"Have you been doing well?"
It's Jang Heowoon-ssi.
-x-X-x-
Jang Heowoon.
This peer, who had received the codename 'Bison', was originally someone whose gloomy expression didn't quite match his large build.
Even during the new recruit orientation, he was the last to receive his mask, covered in blood, and had been assigned to the Round-Off Team where he endured work that bordered on workplace harassment.
But after surviving in a chaotic and insane pharmaceutical company, it seemed like he was finally becoming a bit tougher…
"I hadn't heard anything after the last word that you'd gone missing, since I've been infiltrating the Disaster Management Bureau… But it's really great to see you again like this."
Surprisingly, he even seemed calm now.
'…Maybe the Disaster Management Bureau suits him better too.'
Though, judging by the way he kept glancing at my empty right arm and growing visibly pale, he probably thought it'd be rude to bring it up.
This is one of those times where I should ease the tension.
I deliberately waved my empty sleeve lightly and gave a wry smile.
"I just got unlucky on my first mission and got caught up in something tough. But the bureau's taking care of it, so I think I'll be fine."
"Ah… I see."
For some reason, I could feel a strange look from Go Yeongeun, but I let it slide for now.
"I heard you were assigned to the Site Cleanup Team, Heowoon-ssi."
"Ah, yes."
Jang Heowoon's expression brightened a little.
"Well, sometimes I have to see… some horrific things, yes, but…"
Ah, right. The Site Cleanup Team usually deals with cleaning up all the messes.
"Everyone's been kind and understanding since I'm new, so thankfully, I've been adjusting well."
That was good to hear, but his expression darkened slightly again.
"It's just… so I'm even more concerned."
"Pardon?"
"From what we were told earlier, we're supposed to steal documents about a really dangerous ghost story… and I'm just wondering… if we're really okay with that."
"…!"
"The Disaster Management Bureau truly acts with a sense of duty to counter paranormal phenomena, and I'm worried we might cause major harm."
Hmm.
"If that's the case, would you quit?"
"..."
I already knew the answer without hearing it.
—No.
Only people that desperate for a Wish Ticket would end up in a situation like this.
I knew that in different circumstances, they wouldn't act selfishly. Especially thinking about the compassion and determination Go Yeongeun had shown back in Looky Mart.
But there's something inside these people—something they won't compromise on.
…Yeah.
'If nothing's going to change anyway…'
Then it's better to at least choose the path that gives you some peace of mind.
"I think it'll probably be okay for us to take it."
"…! R-Really?"
"Yes."
This was the truth.
"The company wouldn't dare to carelessly mess with such a high-ranked ghost story. And besides, we're not even taking the ghost story itself—just the information."
Of course, Daydream Inc. wasn't after it for noble reasons, but as far as the Dark Exploration Records went, that Annihilation-sanctioned Disaster hadn't done any further harm to humanity.
…Because it was already as harmful as it could possibly be.
"As long as we don't go overboard and steal an entire supernatural disaster under government control out of excessive loyalty to the company, we should be fine."
"Ah, y-yes, of course…!"
The real thing to worry about was something else.
'I'm worried they'll just toss us aside after the job's done…'
…Would Director Ho really not discard us once we'd outlived our usefulness?
Once I got the Wish Ticket, I could go back to where I came from, so I didn't care much.
But the other two, if they wanted to continue living in Korea, needed to be more careful not to get marked by the bureau.
Hmm.
"First of all, let's make sure we don't slip up and use the wrong names. Shall we share our agent codenames?"
I pointed to myself.
"I'm 'Grapes'. And you, Heowoon-ssi…?"
"Ah, I received the codename 'Hwagak'."
"Hwagak?"
"Yes. They said it's a traditional lacquerware technique using cow horns… I, uh, was recommended for it."
Fittingly, he ended up with a cow-related codename even here.
"I'm… 'Mint'."
And then Go Yeongeun-ssi spoke up as well.
"It was used as medicine in the past, and I didn't want to choose a name that stood out too much."
"I see. It's a good agent name."
Then, as we exchanged brief updates, a warm atmosphere lingered for a moment.
Oh, and we'd even received our vitamins.
"The Preliminary Investigation Unit has a bit of an individualistic atmosphere. But when I came back after going missing, my superiors gave me vitamins as a welcome-back gift… You two should have some too."
"Ah."
"T-Thank you."
Honestly, if this were a normal company, they'd be coworkers I'd be more than satisfied with.
…If we weren't spies for a deranged pharmaceutical company, infiltrating the government in a ghost-story universe, that is.
'Huu.'
I gave a brief update about myself as well.
"…! You're being discharged within a week!?"
"That's right."
The wound where my right arm had been severed had quickly stabilized and was healing well—perhaps due to some sort of supernatural treatment at the Disaster Management Bureau–affiliated hospital.
'A rough estimate… one more week of hospitalization and I'll be returning.'
"And as soon as I'm discharged, I'll be serving as a temporary agent and experiencing various assignments for three weeks. If we happen to run into each other, I look forward to working with you."
"O-Of course!"
I'm definitely going to the Site Cleanup Team. I'll be in your care, Heowoon-ssi…
Just then.
"Um, Soleum-ssi. About that discharge…"
"Yes?"
Go Yeongeun-ssi suddenly spoke up.
"You'll be receiving psychiatric counseling before being discharged, right? I mean, since you were seriously injured in what's essentially a survival situation… I thought they'd also check for psychological trauma."
"Ah, yes. I think they'll refer me to someone… Don't worry. I'll be careful not to leak any intel during it."
"..."
But Go Yeongeun-ssi shook her head.
"We're already under this restriction thing anyway, so we can't leak anything. I think it'd be better if you just spoke honestly."
"Understood. Thank you."
"...Yes."
She gave a small nod.
"And now that we 'officially' know each other within the bureau… I'll act like I'm visiting you in the hospital and pretend to exchange numbers. That way, it won't be weird if we message occasionally."
"Sounds good. Ah, Heowoon-ssi—let's create a natural excuse when we see each other next."
"Y-Yes…!"
That's how we laid out our future protocols.
1- Create a natural point of contact outside the Fox Counseling Office.
2- For critical or urgent matters, contact via anonymous messenger while disguised as spam messages.
"Then, I hope to see you again, safe and sound."
"Yes. Definitely…"