It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story 095

Water surged into the laundromat.

Splish-splash.

I stepped back to avoid the water seeping through the gap in the glass door.

But there’s nowhere to escape in this unmanned laundromat. Only a few washing machines are spinning around.

“Damn it.”

“This way!”

I immediately climbed atop the washing machine. At the same time, Manager Lee Ja-heon stood on the adjacent machine.

But that was where it ended.

“Where do I go now?”

I scanned the high, small glass window on the left wall with my eyes. It had bars, but if it were Manager Lee Ja-heon, he could tear it off…

♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪

“…….”

Sounds echoed from the crashing water.

A distant, beautiful melody drifted through my ears.

It was a melody I had heard before.

The theme song of Cheerful Theme Park.

♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪

The waves filling the laundromat coalesced into a large glob of water.

A dragon dressed in the theme park mascot costume.

Found it.

Suddenly, a voice flowed from the glob of water that seemed devoid of intelligence.

It sounded as if it were coming through a telephone.

Through the water, it vibrated….

Found it.

I broke out in a cold sweat as I gazed at the black stream and mass occupying the laundromat….

‘How did it recognize me?’

I had taken off my mask, and I was even wearing a hat and a mask….

Kidnapper.

‘…It recognized Manager Lee Ja-heon!’

The black mass raised a foreleg, pointing at the lizard standing on the washing machine beside me.

“That’s not true.”

Kidnapper.

“That’s not true.”

It looks like it will keep insisting on that…!

Well, in a way, that was a relief. Honestly, it wouldn’t be strange if that glob of water unleashed its horror story-like abilities at any moment!

I still couldn’t forget the torrents that erupted from the telephone, swallowing the alley madly.

‘…I’m not even sure physical exorcism will work since it’s water.’

“…….”

Phew.

Well, at least if it was a situation where words could be exchanged.

I’m a good child!

“I’m not a kidnapper.”

I took off my mask and put on my disguise.

Then, rolling up my sleeve, I revealed my tattoo.

: Socius :

With that, I faced the face of the water dragon as calmly as I could.

“Dear mascot. Are you perhaps looking for me?”

The shape of the glob began to waver.

And…

Good child!

The voice became clearer.

“Yes, nice to meet you as well….”

I gestured for Manager Lee Ja-heon to stay back, then slowly climbed down from the washing machine.

‘Ugh.’

Water splashed at my feet, but aside from the theme park’s theme song becoming slightly clearer, there were no other strange symptoms.

‘Good.’

I can do this.

I approached the glob of water…

Let’s play!

I felt vibrations from my tattoo.

It felt like it was resonating with the figure before me.

The dragon’s foreleg neared…

Let’s have fun!

I inhaled sharply.

“I’m sorry.”

And I quietly pushed the foreleg away.

“I can’t just stay as a kid anymore. I have to work.”

Silence.

‘This is incredibly scary.’

But I endured and calmly spoke while looking at the dragon’s face.

“However, when I want to have fun, and if I want to spend time at a fun water park, I will definitely come back.”

I raised my wrist to show my tattoo.

“You gave me this so I could come whenever I want, right?”

The glob of water slowly nodded its head.

“Thank you. …Um, but I seem to lack knowledge on how to get to Cheerful Theme Park.”

The way into Cheerful Theme Park from the company is through a board game, and in there, each game has a different structure of the theme park.

‘If I can prevent this part, it might be safer.’

It would be better to visit a place I’ve been to before.

“I worry about accidentally going to a different theme park without the mascot. Is there a way to prevent that?”

It’s alright!

“…So even if I go to a different theme park, it’s okay?”

It’s alright!

“…….”

How peculiar.

‘…What would change if I played that board game again?’

Either way, if that’s the case…

Promise!

Phew.

I hid my trembling and extended my hand to the glob of water.

“Yes. I promise.”

And I hooked my pinky.

The slimy feel of the water sent chills up my spine, but there was no problem at all…

…….

The freed pinky of the glob pressed on my tattoo with its claws.

It seemed to be checking if it was sticking well, but soon it walked away, satisfied.

Then it happened.

Whoosh.

The door of the laundromat opened with the pressure of the water, and something flew in, landing on the foreleg of the glob.

A rectangular black object.

My broken smartphone.

It’s yours.

“…….”

I picked up my smartphone with trembling hands.

“…Thank you. I was in quite the predicament, thinking I had lost it.”

Good child!

The form of the glob collapsed.

Promise!

The waves calmed down.

And just like a video playing in reverse, it was sucked outside through the gap of the laundromat….

Swish.

The waves of the alley brushed past in reverse.

Before long, the alley became eerily quiet, without a trace of water.

And inside the laundromat, which had been filled with black water, a few chocolate bars printed with my face remained like flecks of gold.

“…….”

I’m alive.

“Phew….”

I slumped down in my spot.

-Oh my gosh, friend! Did you really promise to visit that underwhelming theme park again?

‘Yeah.’

No matter how I think about it, if I had said something like “I don’t want to make a promise” there, who knows what kind of disaster would have occurred?

‘I might have ended up working at the theme park as the blue dragon mascot version 2 after having my insides completely stripped.’

I was glad I avoided that….

As long as I had a membership, I could be treated as a guest there. Better than being dragged around randomly or accepting variables.

My mind was racing.

‘….Should I discuss with the company to schedule a board game session?’

With the way things were going… I would probably have to go within half a year.

‘In the meantime, I should prepare items and equipment.’

Alright.

For now, it was essential to get through this moment. I stood up with shaky legs and stifled a sigh.

‘If I’d known it would come to this, I should have just run earlier…!’

But honestly, was there any sane person who would think of staying put to calmly resolve this situation rather than running away?

‘I’d bet all my gold bars there isn’t….’

Phew.

Just then, Manager Lee Ja-heon nonchalantly jumped down from the washing machine behind me.

I casually asked.

“Team Leader, if I hadn’t stepped up back then, would you have tried to smash that glob… No, well, try to get rid of it anyway?”

“Yes.”

“…….”

As expected.

Right now, the timing was just perfect; if I had stood there dumbfounded in that stationery store, things would have been chaotic in every way.

‘Looks like fleeing back then was the right choice.’

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry about this…

But I need to pull myself together.

‘We are still trapped in this alley.’

Fortunately, there is one way I came up with to try getting out.

“Team Leader.”

I dusted off the hem of my suit and stood in front of the glass door of the laundromat.

“I thought of a way to escape. …If a few conditions are met, I think we can try from this Dead End Street alley as well.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. And the first condition is….”

I looked around at the shops in the alley.

Earlier, from the stationery store that had put us in that predicament, the shop owner had used an item for contact.

“It’s a telephone.”

A little while later.

Ding-dong—

We entered a shop in the darkened alley that had a rather cozy light visibly shining through the window.

Coincidentally, it was the very shop where my colleagues had enjoyed shopping earlier.

As the advertisement read “Handmade Knitting,” cozy-looking sweaters, socks, and scarves were displayed, yet oddly enough, some of the fabrics looked ragged and damp….

‘Ugh.’

I turned my gaze away from them as much as possible and focused on the layout of the shop.

After hours of dodging the furious shopkeeper’s voice in this alley, I finally found what I had been searching for.

‘…There it is!’

Another door.

There was a large door facing opposite to the one I had just come in.

It was bigger than the door I just walked through. That means…

‘The one over there is the main entrance.’

And beyond that lies an unknown street…

Often dubbed “Missing in Action” in the Dark Exploration Records.

A shop in Dead End Street sometimes finds a door on the opposite side. It is advised not to go out if possible.

※ No return records available to date.

When asked, “Where does a wayward explorer go?” only the response “Unknown” returns, evoking a feeling akin to the fear of disappearance.

The fear of vanishing.

‘Phew.’

I quickly turned my eyes away from the neon sign shining through the opaque glass door.

Then, I picked up one of the socks that Lizard Manager had been examining, which was verified to be safe, and headed for the counter.

“Hello.”

The shopkeeper, who was knitting with six arms, stared at me through primitive glasses.

I also glanced downward, subtly focusing on the shopkeeper’s sweater.

I presented the sock and said casually.

“Could you ring this up, please? Oh, and may I use the phone here for a second?”

Rather than just saying it, I nonchalantly placed a few coins on the counter as well.

…….

The elderly owner of Dead End Street….

Clink.

Picked up the telephone and handed it to me.

“……Thank you.”

Phew.

‘With this, I’ve secured all the conditions.’

1. Telephone.

2. A large door leading in the opposite direction of the alley.

And…

3. A means of transport.

I looked at the circular dial of the classic telephone.

Naturally, dialing a number from Dead End Street’s telephone wouldn’t necessarily connect to a number in reality.

Occasionally, there have been records suggesting it might connect, but they all had strangely twisted, horror-themed outcomes.

Someone pretending to be a relative gets busted, bursting into laughter before hanging up, or sometimes they get connected to family members who are attending their own funeral due to time distortion.

‘How horrifying.’

So, what I was about to do wasn’t a rescue call.

‘Perhaps… it was nearly the opposite.’

I raised a finger and awkwardly turned the dial as I pressed the numbers.

666666 4444 8282

Originally, it was a form that had no reason to be a workable number, and there shouldn’t even be a dial tone…

Ringing… click.

Miraculously, it connected.

[…….]

I tried my best to remain calm while ignoring the breathing of the other party.

“Hello. Is this a taxi company? I’m trying to call for a taxi.”

[…Your location has been confirmed.]

A husky voice replied.

Politely yet oddly sounding like it was mocking me with its low, arrogant tone.

[Please tell me the desired time of use.]

“I’d like it to come right away.”

[Please state the destination.]

“…Seoul Station, Exit 1.”

[Confirmed. Dispatching the driver….]

I deliberately took my ear away from the phone for a moment.

Then, a few seconds later.

[Dispatched. Wishing you a pleasant journey.]

Click, beep beep….

The phone was automatically disconnected.

“…Thank you.”

I respectfully handed the phone back to the shopkeeper and received a package of socks, which I passed to Manager Lee Ja-heon.

To hide the trembling in my hands.

‘Phew.’

Okay.

If you hadn’t figured it out just now, that was no ordinary taxi.

It was a suspicious taxi number that travels freely through time and space.

‘What a horror story…!’

No longer can a way out to reality be found from Dead End Street.

Then.

‘I’ll leave through a horror story instead.’

And a few seconds later.

A small horn honked from beyond the shop’s main door.

Honk honk.

“…….”

The taxi had arrived.