Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work

Chapter 2.1

[This stop is Resentment, Resentment Station.]

[The doors are on your right…]

A suffocating silence flows through the ghost-story subway.

I’m contributing to this silence as well.

Even though I already know this ghost story, I’m the type of person who gets startled just by the thumbnail when a related YouTube video pops up and immediately clicks ‘Not Interested’.

And now I have to survive in this ghost story?

‘Just kill me already…’

That would be a mercy.

I don’t even have the energy to figure out what’s going on.

I pressed my face into my hands, wanting to deny everything.

Then, it happened.

Blink.

[1st Place : Dark Exploration Records Real Merch Box]

“……?!”

I lifted my head.

Something like a notepad was flying around in my field of vision.

I could see it whether my eyes were open or closed.

It looked like a piece of paper, torn from a notepad and folded, fluttering around.

“This…”

Wait. No one else seems to be seeing it.

I quickly shut my mouth.

Drawing attention to myself in this situation would be foolish.

Instead, I discreetly pressed the notepad in front of me with my hand,

trying not to look too awkward.

Flap.

Amazingly, the notepad moved as if it were unfolding, spitting out something small.

“……!”

I quickly covered it with my hand, as if to hide it.

It was… a popsocket.

A very simple black popsocket with nothing remarkable about it except for a golden ‘X’ symbol in the center.

But with that design alone, I realized what this popsocket was.

‘It’s merch.’

One of the merch sold at the <Dark Exploration Records> popup store, which I had visited right before waking up in this bizarre situation!

It was one of the items I had purchased today.

With trembling hands, I picked up the popsocket.

In the story, what function did this item have again…

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[Memorial Popsocket]

: C-Class item featured in <Dark Exploration Records>.

When attached to a smartphone, it displays the text you remember in a clear, organized page format.

A standard issue item for ninth-level employees at the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau under the Ministry of Environment.

--------------------

‘Displays memories as text…’

Then, perhaps?

With trembling hands,

I peeled off the adhesive backing of the popsocket and immediately attached it to my smartphone.

The moment I did, the scattered text I vaguely remembered from <Dark Exploration Records> materialized clearly on my phone screen in the form of pages.

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Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story

[Welcome to Abyss Transpo]

: A ghost story featured in <Dark Exploration Records>

: Daydream Inc. identification code – Qterw-D-16

An early-stage D-Class Darkness with overwhelmingly difficult escape requirements. A notoriously insane ghost story. Depicts the endlessly suffering Field Exploration Team.

Exploration Records indicate a total of up to 56 entries.

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“……!”

So this means…

‘Did the merch I bought actually work?’

Come to think of it, the black merch box that had been resting on my lap had disappeared without a trace.

‘So that merch box… turned into this notepad and spat out the merch I bought?’

What kind of crazy situation is this?

Still, it’s certainly advantageous for me.

The ghost-story universe I’ve entered, <Dark Exploration Records>…

Do you know how many internet veterans have unleashed their creativity based on this?

There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of ghost stories.

Of course, it’s hard to recall all of them like flipping through a book in my mind.

Plus, these ghost stories don’t directly tell you how to survive.

You have to infer the correct answers from the stories, which makes it even harder to figure things out in new situations.

‘But if I can check the text of what I’ve read all at once…’

If that’s possible, the first thing I need to look at is…

‘Previous escape cases!’

I immediately scrolled down the wiki page.

I quickly read through section ‘3.2 Exploration Records’, and then…

“……”

I came to a conclusion.

‘I got it.’

I found my answer for which station I need to get off at.

But there’s a problem.

“……”

I turned to look at the others in the subway car with me.

There were eight young new hires in total, including myself.

The people who had panicked after witnessing two live dismemberments were starting to regain their composure and talk.

“That station name, Resentment… it sounds like the kind of resentment people feel when they’re angry, right?”

“Yes…”

“Ha, no cell service, no data… seriously, what is going on…?”

“……”

Yeah.

How am I supposed to convince these unfamiliar, untrustworthy people to get off at the right station with me?

‘Somehow, I need to make as many people as possible get off with me.’

I clenched my fist.

Did I suddenly develop a noble sense of duty, feeling that these extras who are destined to die in this ghost-story world are real people whose lives I need to save?

Well, sure, I might feel that way as a human being, but that’s not my top priority.

The real reason I’m so desperate is…

‘I can’t get off alone…!’

That’s right.

A lot of these stations are just insane.

Walk alone through

(a) a station filled with eyeballs,

(b) a station shrouded in Darkness, or

(c) a station that’s upside-down?

Just imagining it makes me break out in a cold sweat—and I’d probably end up crawling on all fours in terror.

‘Chances of me passing out before making it to safety? Over 90%…!’

No way. Please, save me.

‘I have to convince them, somehow!’

I opened my mouth to speak, but then quickly shut it.

‘Still, blurting out things like ‘supernatural phenomena’ or ‘darkness’ would be idiotic.’

Who would want to believe they’re trapped in a situation straight out of a ghost story?

They’d either refuse to believe it and mock me, or believe it and panic even more.

‘Slowly… I need to build trust first.’

At least one person.

If I can just convince one or two people, the herd mentality will make it easier for others to follow.

‘Let’s see… someone who seems like they need help, or a clue to build a connection with…’

“Ha… this is like some YouTube ghost story.”

Found one!

“You mentioned a ghost story?”

“Ah.”

A woman with short hair and a calm demeanor nodded slightly, looking a bit flustered.

“Yes. I, um, watch ghost stories on YouTube sometimes, and this reminds me of one.”

“Could you tell me more? This doesn’t seem like a normal situation, so it’s probably best to share any information we have.”

“It’s not really information… it just feels like everything is straight out of a ghost story. The lecture hall suddenly turned into a subway, and people… died like that.”

Her face turned slightly pale, likely remembering the insane dismemberment that happened just moments before.

I understand. I want to throw up too.

Let’s both try to erase it from our minds as quickly as possible.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to suddenly—”

“No, it’s the same for me. It’s hard to think straight with everything that’s happening.”

The woman gave a weak laugh.

“You seem to be handling it more rationally than anyone else here.”

That’s only because you haven’t seen me fainting in panic yet.

“Huh?”

And surprisingly, around this time, someone else approached me.

For a very good reason.

“Um, you were sitting next to me earlier, right?”

It was a man with curly hair who looked fairly innocent.

‘Now that I think about it, he was sitting next to me in the lecture hall earlier.’

It seemed like this new hire wasn’t part of any of the other conversations happening around us. He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced between the woman I was talking to and me before extending his hand like he wanted to shake mine.

“My name is Baek Saheon.”

“……!”