Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 95

Water gushed into the laundromat.

Gurgle, gurgle.

I retreated backward, avoiding the water seeping through the gaps in the glass door.

But there’s nowhere to escape in a self-service laundromat. Only a few washing machines are spinning around.

‘Damn it.’

“This way!”

I immediately stepped onto a washing machine. At the same time,Team Leader Lee Jaheon also stood on the washing machine next to me.

But that’s it.

‘Where should I go?’

I scanned the tall, narrow window on the left wall. It has bars, but Team Leader Lee Jaheon could probably tear them apart….

♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪

“…….”

I hear the sound of water colliding.

A faint, beautiful melody echoed in my ears.

A familiar melody.

The theme song of Cheerful Theme Park.

♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪

The water filling the laundromat gathered into a mass of water.

A dragon in the theme park mascot costume.

Found it.

Suddenly, a voice came from the seemingly inanimate mass of water in front of me.

It sounds like it’s coming from a telephone.

Vibrating through the water…

Found it.

I broke out in a cold sweat, looking at the black streams and clumps of water that had taken over the laundromat….

‘How did it recognize me?’

I took off my mask, and I’m wearing a hat and a mask….

The kidnapper.

‘…It recognized Team Leader Lee Jaheon !’

The black mass of water raised its front paw and pointed to the lizard standing on the washing machine next to me.

“No.”

The kidnapper.

“No.”

It’s going to keep doing that endlessly…!

No, that would be fortunate. In fact, it wouldn’t be strange if this mass of water immediately exercised a chilling ability worthy of an urban legend!

I still remember it. The raging current that surged out of the phone and swallowed the alley frantically.

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

“…….”

Whew.

Well, at least we can communicate.

B-bad…

“I’m not the kidnapper.”

I took off my mask and put on my face mask.

And I rolled up my sleeves to show my tattoo.

: Socius :

In that state, I faced the face of the water dragon with the most relaxed expression possible.

“Mr. Mascot. Are you perhaps looking for me by any chance?”

The shape of the water mass wavers.

And….

Good child!

The voice became clear.

“Yes, I’m glad to meet you too…”

I gestured to Team Leader Lee Jaheon not to come down, then slowly climbed down from the washing machine.

‘Ugh.’

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

‘Good.’

I can do this.

I approached the mass of water….

Let’s go.

I feel a vibration from the tattoo.

It seems to resonate with the figure before me.

The dragon’s front paw approaches….

Play more.

I took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry.”

And quietly pushed its front paw away.

“I’m no longer a child, and I can’t stay at the theme park. I have to work.”

Silence.

‘This is terrifying.’

But I endure, calmly looking at the dragon’s face and say,

“But when I want to play, when I want to spend time at a fun water park, I’ll definitely come visit.”

I raised my wrist to show my tattoo.

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

The mass of water slowly nodded its head.

“Thank you. …Um, but, I think I don’t know how to get to the Cheerful Theme Park.”

At the company, the way to enter Cheerful Theme Park is a board game, and in there, each game enters a differently structured theme park.

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

A place I’ve been to before would be better.

“What if I accidentally go to a different theme park where Mr. Mascot isn’t? Is there any way to prevent that?”

It’s okay.

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

It’s okay.

“…….”

It was strange.

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

If that’s the case, then.

Promise.

Whew.

I hid my trembling and reached out my hand to the water mass.

“Yes. I promise.”

And I hooked my pinky finger.

The soggy feeling of the water sent shivers down my spine, but there was no problem….

…….

The water mass that unhooked its pinky finger pressed its front paw’s claws against my tattoo.

It seemed like it was checking if it was well attached, and soon it lifted its front paw with satisfaction.

That’s when it happened.

Whizz.

The laundromat door bursts open under water pressure, and something flies out, landing on the water creature’s front paws.

A square, black object.

My broken smartphone.

It’s yours .

“…….”

I picked up my smartphone with trembling hands.

“…Thank you. I was worried I had lost it.”

Good child.

The water creature’s form collapses.

Promise.

The ripples subside.

And like a video played in reverse, it’s sucked out through the cracks in the laundromat….

Swoosh.

The alleyway is swept clean by the receding current.

Soon, the alley is still, without a trace of water.

Inside the laundromat, once filled with black water, a few chocolate bars with my description printed on them remain like gold nuggets.

“…….”

I lived.

“Whew….”

I sat down.

– My God, friend! Did you promise to go back to that crappy theme park again?

‘Yes.’

No matter how I think about it, if I had said something like, ‘I don’t want to make a promise,’ I don’t know what would have happened.

‘I might have had my insides ripped out and ended up working at the theme park as a Blue Dragon Mascot ver.2 employee.’

It was fortunate to have avoided that….

Since I have a membership, I can receive guest treatment there. That’s better than being dragged away or accepting variables right now.

My head spun.

‘…Should I talk to the company and schedule a board game session?’

Judging by the timing… I should go within half a year.

 

‘Let’s prepare items and equipment in the meantime.’

Good.

The important thing was that I had survived this moment. I stood up on shaky legs and held back a sigh.

‘If I knew this would happen, I shouldn’t have run away…!’

But, honestly, in that situation, was there anyone crazy enough to not run away and calmly try to solve it through dialogue?

‘I bet a gold bar on “no”….’

Whew.

Lee Jaheon casually jumped down from the washing machine behind me.

I unconsciously asked.

“Team Leader. If I hadn’t stepped in earlier, would you have tried to destroy… or, whatever, get rid of that water creature?”

“Yes.”

“…….”

As expected.

The timing was perfect, and if I had just stood there blankly at the stationery store, things would have turned out very badly.

‘I did well to run away then.’

I don’t know whether to cry or laugh….

But snap out of it.

‘We’re still trapped in this alley.’

The fortunate thing is that I thought of a way to try and get out of here.

“Team Leader.”

I brushed off the bottom of my suit and stood in front of the laundromat’s glass door.

“I have an escape plan. …If a few conditions are met, we might be able to try it even in this deadly alley.”

“I see.”

“Yes. And the first condition is….”

I looked around the shops in the alley.

The item the stationery store owner used to contact us, the one that put us in this predicament.

“A phone.”

A moment later.

Ting-

We entered a shop whose window showed a rather comfortable light in the darkening alley.

Coincidentally, it was the same shop where my colleagues were enjoying shopping earlier.

True to its “Handmade Knitting” advertisement, cozy-looking sweaters, socks, and mufflers were on display, but strangely, there were also some ragged and damp fibers….

‘Ugh.’

I avoided looking at them and focused on the store’s layout.

After spending the last few hours dodging the angry stationery store owner’s voice and going in and out of countless shops in this alley, I finally found what I was looking for.

‘…There it is!’

Another door.

There was a large door on the wall opposite the door I entered. Larger than the one I came through. That means….

‘That’s the main entrance.’

And beyond that is not the deadly alleyway, but an unknown street….

Often described in dark exploration records as “subsequently reported missing.”

A door is sometimes found on the opposite side of shops in the deadly alley. It is recommended not to exit.

※ No return record to date.

The fear one feels when the question, “Where do explorers who deviate from the path go?” is answered with “Unknown.”

The fear of disappearance.

‘Whew.’

I quickly averted my gaze to avoid seeing the neon sign reflecting from the opaque glass door. Then, I picked one of the socks that the Chief Lizard was carefully examining – a verified safe one – and headed for the counter.

“Hello.”

The owner, who was knitting with six arms, looked at me over their primitive glasses. This time, too, I subtly lowered my gaze, focusing only on the owner’s sweater. Then, extending the sock, I naturally said,

“I’d like to pay. Oh, and could I use the phone for one call?”

I didn’t just say it; I casually placed a few coins on the counter.

……

The owner of Death Alley, with their elderly face,……

Click.

Picked up the phone and handed it to me.

“……Thank you.”

Whew.

‘I’ve secured all the conditions.’

1. A telephone.
2. A gate leading in a direction other than the alley.

And…

3. Transportation.

I looked at the dial of the old-fashioned telephone. Naturally, dialing a real number on a Death Alley phone doesn’t guarantee a connection. There were occasional records that seemed to have connected, but all of them were strangely distorted, befitting a ghost story. Someone would imitate a relative, get caught, then laugh and hang up; or time would warp, connecting them with family attending their own funeral.

‘It was terrible.’

So, I’m not making a rescue request.

‘Perhaps… it’s the opposite.’

I lifted my finger and awkwardly dialed.

666666 4444 8282

Originally, this was a nonsensical number, a call that shouldn’t even go through…but…

Rrrrrrr… Click.

It connected, unbelievably.

[…….]

I struggled to ignore the other person’s breathing, and opened my mouth as calmly as possible.

“Hello. Is this a taxi company? I’d like to order a taxi.”

[…Location confirmed.]

A husky voice answered. Polite, yet subtly mocking; a low, arrogant tone.

[Please state your desired time.]

“I’d like it to arrive right now.”

[Please state your destination.]

“…Seoul Station Exit 1.”

[Confirmed. Dispatching a driver….]

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

And after a few seconds.

[Dispatched. Please have a pleasant journey.]

Click, Tututu….

The phone hung up automatically.

“…Thank you.”

I politely returned the phone to the store owner and received the packaged sock, handing it to Section Chief Lee Jaheon. It was to hide my trembling hands.

‘Whew.’

It’s done.

As you might have guessed, that wasn’t a normal taxi. A suspicious taxi number that traverses spacetime at will.

‘A ghost story…!’

———————=

Darkness Exploration Record / Ghost Story

[Hellfare Taxi]

: A ghost story appearing in <Darkness Exploration Record>, Daydream Co.’s identification code is Qterw-C-8282.

A taxi ghost story where calling a specific number at night summons a taxi.

Anyone who takes this taxi is inevitably cursed.

———————=

There’s no way to normally return to reality from Death Alley.

Then.

‘I’ll leave using a ghost story.’

And a few seconds later.

Beyond the store’s gate, a small car horn sounded.

Beep beep.

“…….”

The taxi had arrived.