It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story 093

The inside of the store smelled faintly of dust, but it was warm.

There was a cozy feeling unique to old spaces.

In the Sweet Stationery Shop, the air had a slightly sweet scent that felt almost comfortable.

The tension and stress in my shoulders eased… No, wait! That’s not right!

‘Don’t let your guard down.’

I bit my lip and pressed forward again.

Every wall in the narrow space was crammed with metal shelves, each stacked with various snacks.

At the very front of a fairly large display, the names of popular products were written.

Forgetful Cotton Candy

Soft Cookies

Sunshine Flavor Chips

Carrot Tickle

Upside Down Bubble Gum

Nostalgia Candy – Sold Out!

I quietly walked by, quickly scanning the snacks with my eyes.

I didn’t see the Good Kid Chocolate Bar, but there were a few familiar names and appearances.

Among them were some relatively safe and useful items.

‘Alright. Since I’m here already, let’s spend the change here.’

It was fine as an item and could be turned into extra income.

The mood when parting with the Bronze Agent last time wasn’t bad, so maybe I could restore the ‘Horror Story Origin Food’ sales route…

With my gold bars all spent, I needed a place to make money.

– You’re picking quite a bit, friend! Be careful not to get cavities!

I quickly chose a few snacks.

And I turned to look at the lizard that had been following me at a minimum distance with a blank stare.

“…Manager, is there a snack you need or want to buy? I’d like to offer it as a token of appreciation.”

“Yes.”

Surprisingly, Manager Lee Ja-heon didn’t refuse. He glanced around and picked a snack.

Upside Down Bubble Gum

If you blow it like a balloon in your mouth, I grow as big as a building!

Joyful Research Institute Certified

(Beware of fake imitations sold by street vendors!)

“…Is this alright?”

“Yes.”

Does he want to be a giant lizard or something?

I suppressed those unnecessary thoughts.

‘Let’s just get this paid for.’

With the snacks I picked in both hands, I headed toward the register inside the shop.

As I walked, I scanned every nook and cranny of the store, but the Good Kid Chocolate Bar still didn’t show up…

‘Hmm.’

I finally arrived at the counter first.

“Hello.”

The owner sitting at the metal counter nodded slowly.

He looked like the store’s owner, dressed in shabby casual clothes and wearing a hat.

At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary stationery shop owner, but he was tapping the counter with six arms…

‘Huh.’

I didn’t want to confirm his face at all, and I politely placed the snacks I wanted to buy on the counter.

Then I quickly handed over some coins.

“Here you go.”

I really didn’t want to be mistaken for a ‘barter exchange.’

For the first time, I recalled the Dark Exploration Records I had successfully purchased here.

Right.

This stationery shop was a place that traded memories as currency.

From happy memories that made me smile just thinking about them to traumatic experiences I would rather forget.

The types of memories you lose would vary based on what snack you purchased.

‘So quietly, the range of records went from heartwarming to chilling.’

I didn’t want to risk what kind it would be. Especially since the information in my head was crucial in this horror story world.

‘Let’s find that Good Kid Chocolate Bar.’

I wanted to outright ask the owner where it was located. But, since there was something that looked like me drawn on the packaging, I didn’t want to inadvertently remind him…

“Please tell me where the chocolate bar is displayed.”

Team Leader!

I almost grabbed my superior by the collar.

But the store owner casually pointed to a shelf and continued to lean back in his chair…

‘Huh.’

It seemed that the drawing on the packaging didn’t closely resemble me enough to be instantly recognizable.

‘I wish I could look at least half as similar as a lizard’s liver…’

I should have bought liver at the Fresh Meat Shop. I muttered that nonsense to myself as I leaned down to retrieve the snacks I had paid for and the remaining coins…

And then I saw it.

‘Huh?’

Something was behind the counter.

Some life-size cardboard figure and decorative papers that looked hastily shoved aside.

A sign and… a blue box containing chocolate bars.

Theme Park Collaboration New Product Launch!

Good Kid Chocolate Bar (Cinnamon Churros Flavor)

Oh my gosh.

‘Found it!’

I quickly examined the chocolate bar packaging.

The hairstyle, mask, and suit were all quite well depicted compared to what I had imagined.

Maybe they cleared them out after the promotional event ended? It seemed oddly hurried to clean up like this…

“…”

Wait a minute.

I looked back at the chocolate bar packaging again.

And then I realized.

That product wasn’t advertising me as a model, nor was it decorated with a similar-looking character.

It was…

Please find this Good Kid.

Awaiting witness accounts.

It was a missing person ad.

“…”

I broke out in a cold sweat and took a step back.

If that’s the case…

Ding ding ding!

…

I turned my head to look over the counter.

The store owner was on the phone.

The ringing was connecting to somewhere…

Click.

The moment it connected.

I’m here!

I turned and grabbed Manager Lee Ja-heon, bolting out.

I’m here! I’m here! I’m here!

I didn’t even have time to swear. I couldn’t even breathe properly while I dashed across the store, trying to get as far away from the counter as possible.

And I grabbed the door I had entered and pulled…

Huh?

Why am I over there?

Click.

The door was locked.

“…”

I turned to look at the store owner standing at the counter.

“I’m about to leave now. Please let me out.”

After a brief silence.

It’s okay.

The store owner’s voice rang in my ears…

From the phone he was holding, a stream of black liquid was seeping out and dripping onto the floor.

Thicker and thicker.

Sloshing and sloshing.

The thin stream of liquid began to clump together, twisting in the air as if molding clay.

I’ve come to take you away.

In the shape of an animal in a mascot costume that I felt I had seen somewhere before…

“…!!”

I desperately turned to pull the store door. But there was no movement, what the hell…

“Let go of me.”

Ah.

The moment I let go of the door, Lee Ja-heon slammed the doorknob with his left fist.

Thud, bang!

As if it were a lie, the doorknob fell to the ground.

The door swung wide open, revealing the outer alley.

Without hesitation, both Lee Ja-heon and I sprinted outside.

My door!!

The sound of raging water was heard behind us. Splash, splash, splash!

Mixed with the angry voice of the store owner, the sound of water followed us down the alley, sending chills to the tips of my fingers.

‘Brown!’

– It seems you need my help, friend!

Yeah!

‘Let’s turn off the lights! Team Leader Lee Ja-heon too!’

– To the author? Sure! I’ll make this my gift!

Snap!

The sound of fingers snapping from the plush doll rang out, and once again a heavy shadow loomed over me.

That feeling of fading.

“!”

Lee Ja-heon’s vertically shaped pupils quickly turned toward me.

“Doe.”

“I’ll explain after we’re out. Just run!”

Splash, splash, splash…

The sound of water crashing against the walls of the alley grew closer.

‘Damn, damn!’

…What happens if I get caught?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t grasp it. The uncertainty of the outcome was driving me mad.

I clenched my teeth.

‘Avoiding it was the right answer.’

Coming here just to find out something was the problem!

This was a horror story. In this world, truth-checking can lead to the path of death rather than a right answer.

‘I should have said I didn’t know and passed…!’

No, that self-reproach can wait for later!

Don’t give up your body!

Remaining steps: 3441

I had to endure 400 more steps.

‘No matter what the next alley is, I need to escape that way…!’

Now I could hear the sounds of the residents in the alley being swept away by the rushing water from right behind me.

“Wow, this is fun~ What’s going on?”

“The mascot has come down the water! So interesting! So fun!”

“They say you can ride the flume ride at Waterland! Let’s eat chocolate and get a ticket to Waterland! Let’s find the Good Kid!”

“Wow, the Good Kid…”

“…”

“…”

“Is that them?”

Damn.

“Who?”

“Where are they?”

“I can’t see them…”

I broke out in a cold sweat as I pushed through the crowd of ghosts and progressed through the alley.

– Oh, right. Even if all the lights shining down disappear, stars remain stars. And a fan’s pursuit is a situation to be endured by destiny!

– If they know the star’s physical features particularly well, wouldn’t they search for that even more eagerly?

Physical features.

I recalled the drawing on the packaging.

‘…The mask!’

I quickly yanked off the mask I was wearing and stuffed it inside my tattoo.

Then I took out the mask and hat and pressed them onto my face.

Naturally, my pace slowed, and the rush of water got closer. In my line of sight down to the ground, I could see the waves coming up right behind me…

No way. The speed difference was too great.

‘In that case….’

I checked my surroundings.

Above my head!

“…Team Leader, the utility pole!”

“Yeah.”

I swiftly climbed onto the utility pole beside me. I’d never climbed anything this desperately in my life. My palms were bleeding, but somehow, somehow…

‘…I did it!’

Water surged in where I had just been.

But I successfully climbed up to right below the utility lines.

“Ha…”

I nearly let go out of the relief washing over me.

‘For now, I’m good.’

Just as I twisted my body to lean against the alley wall and stabilize my posture.

Thud.

From my suit pocket,

My smartphone with the screen turned on slipped out and fell.

Splash.

It plopped into the water below.

The smartphone screen cracked upon hitting the stone floor and water entered, causing the app to glitch.

Don’t give up your body!

Remaining steps: 3210

And then…

The screen turned off.

“…”

“Doe.”

The cracked smartphone only displayed a black surface.

The bizarrely moving mass of black liquid shaped like a mascot filled the dark, narrow alley, peering into the store windows.

My smartphone was swept away by that current.

Before long, it moved to the corner of the alley and disappeared into the crowd following the mascot-shaped mass.

The current brushed past the utility pole I was clinging to…

Along with the means of escape that had not yet been revealed to me.

“…”

I’m screwed…

“Doe.”

I turned in a frozen state.

Right below me, from the section of the utility pole, the lizard had extended its hand toward me.

It was showing something.

Its perfectly intact smartphone screen.

Exit to Dead End Street →

Move along the arrow!

Manager Lee Ja-heon had completed his momentary goal safely.

I blankly stared at the app page on Manager Lee Ja-heon’s smartphone, where the navigation was already active…

But then.

“Take it.”

“…Huh?”

The lizard extended its smartphone toward me.

“Escape by following the app’s navigation.”

“…!”

A lifeline was thrown down.

“The smartphone does not recognize changes in its owner. As long as you stay on the navigation route, you can escape.”

“…”

I reached out toward Lee Ja-heon’s smartphone. And…

I clenched my teeth and rejected it.

“I can’t do that.”

“?”

“Manager, that strange black liquid from earlier… It was definitely trying to find me. It’s searching this alley right now.”

I’d barely avoided it by taking off the mask and hiding my presence.

But.

“If I follow the app’s navigation, I won’t be able to avoid it if I run into that black liquid. …I can’t deviate from the route.”

This rule applied equally to the return path.

“So… the chances of me leaving safely without going missing are extremely low.”

To be safe, I needed to activate the navigation only after fleeing to a different alley.

‘Ha…’

“…I’d rather look for another way. It seems to have a higher chance of escape.”

Lee Ja-heon stared at me with his vertically shaped pupils.

“I see.”

“Yes. So Team Leader, you should use that to escape…”

And he turned off his smartphone.

“…!!”

Has this lizard gone mad?

“What are you doing?”

“I’m following the recommended manual for pair-based exploration.”

That doesn’t make any sense.

“Then why were you trying to transfer the escape route to me earlier? You’d be left alone, not in pairs!”

“I prioritized the manual. If you want more detailed explanations, request them after we escape.”

Lee Ja-heon said plainly.

“From now on, the priority of all conversations and questions will be survival and return from the darkness.”

“…”

“Doe, currently not mentioned in the manual, devise a new method of escape that you can deduce.”

Oh my gosh.

“…Okay.”

I replied haltingly.

A moment later.

We climbed down from the utility pole.

And began to walk again on the flooded floor of the alley that had been swept away by the current.

With no navigation and no escape route.