Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 134

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work Episode 134

The eerie mart just before closing time.

The store darkening as the lights went out.

Na na na na na na nan na na na na na nan~

Amidst the cheerful logo song playing, I could feel through vibrations the High School Student with her mouth covered by my hand breathing heavily.

My body tensed with nervousness.

And beyond the noise-like music and vibrations, a very faint scraping sound echoed from far away, gnawing at my nerves…

Creeeeak.

The sound of an Iron Door opening.

And if there was a place in the mart with an Iron Door instead of glass doors…

‘…The door to the Staff Area.’

That was the sound of Employees coming out.

‘Ha.’

I swallowed the rising groan and turned my head, slightly poking my head out from the Display Shelf to look outside…

Waddle waddle.

Things wearing mart uniforms were revealing themselves one by one inside the dark store…

Employees with bizarre appearances, like balloon figures mimicking human shapes, waddled out.

[LOOKY MART]

The logo of Lucky Mart imitating Lucky Mart.

The clumsy imitation on their chests and caps was revealed under the lamplight before disappearing back into the Darkness.

At that moment.

“Let’s get out quickly, they’re closing.”

“Got it.”

Someone passed right next to the Display Shelf where we were hiding, going through the Liquor Section toward the Checkout Counter.

“…!”

It was two or three Shoppers from the past who were still in the store.

Then… they lightly bumped into one of the ‘Employees’ who had entered the liquor Corner.

Bump.

“Ah, sorry about that.”

The Employee’s head turned.

“Welcome to Lucky Mart!”

“Let’s hurry up.”

“Thank you always, customer!”

The Shoppers felt no sense of unease.

They passed by the Employee and headed to the Checkout Counter among themselves.

I could feel the High School Student’s mouth, covered by my hand, breathing heavily.

“Have a safe trip home, customer!”

The Employee-like thing with the turned head creaked out of the liquor Corner.

And walked down the Corridor again with strange steps…

In front of the Snack Corner.

Right next to the Display Shelf where we were hiding with our heads down.

Squeak squeak.

“…”

“…”

A bizarre noise like balloons rubbing against each other rang out.

The four of us pressed almost flat against the Floor, holding our breath.

Squeak squeak.

The sound grew distant…

“…”

‘Ha.’

Tap tap!

The High School Student tapped my hand that was covering her mouth.

She was tearful but calm.

“You won’t scream, right?”

She nodded her head slightly.

When I released my hand, the High School Student muttered urgently as if she might choke.

“We, we can’t be spotted by those strange Employees, right? Right? The notice said…”

That’s right.

To survive in Lucky Mart after business hours, we had to move around like playing a Survival Horror Game from now on.

But… could we stay safe while dragging along two Teenagers who knew nothing?

‘No matter how I look at it, the Equipment I received doesn’t seem to have considered that far.’

It seemed like they prepared the Equipment thinking we’d get out during business hours today.

Of course, since it’s the Disaster Management Bureau, they probably prepared to some extent, but no matter how I thought about it, there were too many variables.

‘Damn.’

Cold sweat dripped down my chin.

Should we just hold out for now? What was the Bronze Agent planning to do? It seemed like hiding was the priority for now.

Wait!

‘That person seems to be trying to suppress the Employee…’

The Bronze Agent was quietly aiming at the back of the Employee who had moved away, gripping his pistol.

It seemed like he was planning an escape route, and that Employee was probably in the way.

…Should I help with the Suppression?

If Brown were here, I would have asked him to turn off the lights, but I bit my tongue as a method I couldn’t use now came to mind first.

‘Think, think…’

I desperately racked my brain. Somehow quickly searching through the in my Memory.

So, after Lucky Mart closes…

…

No, that’s not it.

[ 20 : 25 ]

“Agent…!”

I crawled closer to the Bronze Agent and whispered urgently.

“There are still 5 minutes left until closing. Business hasn’t completely ended yet!”

“…!”

“The door should still be open right now.”

We can get out immediately!

The Bronze Agent quickly turned to check beyond the basement level 1 checkout counter. After confirming that the escalator outside the checkout counter was still running, he quickly made his decision.

“Let’s move immediately.”

And he swiftly grabbed the high school student attached to him and began moving quickly.

“…!”

Right. We each need to take responsibility for one person.

I also turned to look at the high school student who had been covering their mouth.

They shook their head frantically.

“I can run on my own, I’m faster at running than that guy…!”

“….”

Should I have looked a bit more reliable? No, this isn’t the time to be thinking about such things!

I started running alongside them, pushing from behind to make sure the high school student didn’t fall behind.

We passed the empty checkout counter and frantically crossed up the escalator filled with shoppers.

“Ah!”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I think I missed a step.”

Since they couldn’t perceive us, we pushed through between the shoppers and headed toward the exit that was about to close for business.

And at the first floor entrance….

“….”

Something was standing in front of the door.

It seemed to have originally been a standing sign.

The founder of Lucky Mart, a famous entrepreneur – a typical blonde, middle-aged white man with a trustworthy smile, giving a thumbs up, that kind of thing.

But….

It was alive.

-Mmph!! Uuuummph! Mmph mmph! Uumph!

The person forcibly pressed and fixed to become flat like a standing sign looked like a corpse flattened by a press that had come back to life and was moving.

It was smiling, but its eyeballs were still rolling around, dripping tears and saliva.

It was looking at us.

…It perceived us.

As if begging to be saved, or filled with malice wanting to pass this suffering onto someone else, it rolled its eyes and desperately stared this way while the standing sign vibrated… Fuck!

“Hic.”

“Quiet.”

I could see the Bronze Agent ahead, calming down the high school student he was in charge of.

What a convenient term “ghost” is. To be able to describe such a sight with just one word.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Still, I had to ‘block’ that thing’s line of sight.

‘To do that, first….’

I needed to create a misunderstanding.

Suppressing a groan, I grabbed the shoulder of the high school student I was in charge of.

“You read it in the instructions, right? We’re going to steal something. Everyone has to do it themselves.”

Before blocking the entrance ghost’s line of sight, you must first induce it to mistake you for one of the shoppers.

Steal one item that a shopper has finished paying for and carry it with you.

No commotion must occur during this time.

“But if we get caught….”

“It’s fine if you steal something that won’t be noticed.”

I looked at the entrance.

There weren’t many people, but upon hearing about closing time, everyone was either finishing their checkout or heading out the door.

‘We might be able to slip out in that gap without having to block the line of sight.’

Of course, I had no intention of taking such a risk.

“Fishing line.”

“Yes.”

I immediately pulled out the item I had.

A coiled fishing line and… a small red goldfish-shaped lure attached to the end.

The moment we steal something, I’ll use this to draw the standing sign’s attention and get out.

The Bronze Agent and I could work in shifts to secure enough time for both high school students to get out.

The Bronze Agent unrolled the fishing line, equipped it, and gave me a look.

“Please go ahead and steal.”

I nodded and turned to look at the two high school students.

“W-we can’t steal….”

“Kids. Since they can’t see us anyway, it’s fine as long as it’s not something that would be immediately noticeable if it disappeared.”

People generally don’t think much about things disappearing once they’re put in bags or boxes.

‘The kind of thing they’d be least likely to look for, something like that….’

Small daily necessities.

Things they bought because they needed them but don’t pay much attention to.

Things they wouldn’t immediately take out to use or eat.

“….”

I approached next to a shopper sitting on a chair near the entrance.

‘It’s easier if they’re not moving.’

They seemed to be waiting for their companion, with a mart shopping bag on their lap and their eyes closed for a moment.

I quickly observed that mart eco bag.

‘Good.’

And I reached my hand inside… and pulled out something that was stuck to the inner side.

Dental floss.

“There are a few more inside.”

“…!”

“I pulled out most of the other dental floss while taking this out, so you just need to grab it lightly. Lightly.”

“….”

My assigned high school student swallowed and then reached out with a pale face to put their hand in the eco bag.

And they successfully grabbed and pulled out the dental floss I had placed on top.

“…I-I did it!”

“Well done!”

The high school student holding the dental floss stepped back with a flushed face.

And both of us turned to look at the remaining person.

The high school student who had been sticking with the Bronze Agent.

“….”

Eventually, that high school student also approached with an anxious expression.

“Um, calmly….”

“Ah, seriously, I know that too! Please be quiet!”

“….”

They seem to be in an almost panic state.

The High School Student who yelled at me squeezed their eyes shut and reached out their hand, wanting to finish quickly.

Then they swiftly shoved it into the eco bag and grabbed the dental floss.

“Done….”

The High School Student pulled their hand out swiftly with a bright face.

Wait, if you pull it out so suddenly like that….

Thud.

The High School Student’s hand brushed past the Shopper’s cheek.

“Oh my!!”

“…!!”

The Shopper who had the eco bag on her knees screamed in shock and fell backward over the chair.

“Huh, huhhuh?”

The High School Student was startled and reflexively grabbed onto the eco bag.

“Uh, mom why are you, are you okay… Ahhh!”

Someone who appeared to be her Companion rushed over to help the Shopper while holding the eco bag, but was horrified to see the eco bag floating in the High School Student’s grip.

‘Damn!’

I immediately grabbed the High School Student and pulled back. The eco bag fell to the floor and items spilled out everywhere.

The bag’s owner screamed.

“There was a person here but they disappeared!”

The surroundings began to buzz with murmurs.

Eyes focused on us.

“What are you talking about. You must have seen wrong….”

“No, dad! The bag was weird!”

“Some boy was holding my bag! Huhhhhhhh?!”

Damn.

Shoppers usually cannot perceive you.

However, when physical contact occurs, they sometimes notice you.

At this time, if communication is possible, there are several methods you can attempt to get help with escaping.

If you only think up to this point, it’s hopeful.

However….

“Excuse me! Someone please help!”

“Huh? What day is today? What was special about today? Why am I here? Huhhh?”

However, if the Shopper feels uncomfortable or panics upon seeing you, quickly get away from the area.

“Run.”

Employees are coming.

The Bronze Agent and I simultaneously pushed the High School Student and started running toward the opposite side of the entrance.

…Because something was starting to waddle out from the escalator, from the far end of the checkout counter, from the bathroom.

Squeak squeak.

A sound could be heard.

Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak.

A strange creaking sound, like balloons rubbing against each other, chased madly behind us.

It kept getting louder.

We reflexively ran madly toward the wide, complex areas.

…Inside the checkout area, among the store’s display shelves.

‘Damn.’

I looked at my watch.

[ 20 : 29 ]

It was over.

The store would close soon.

‘We need to hide.’

We had to give up on the entrance for now.

Before the store completely closed and all the Shoppers disappeared and there were more Employees, we had to shake them off within 60 seconds. To do that, we needed to hide….

‘4 people is too many!’

I made eye contact with the Bronze Agent.

The Agent glanced upward once with their eyes, then nodded and quickly moved to the side.

Taking one High School Student with them.

“Ah…!”

“This way.”

I moved with the High School Student I was responsible for.

We ran until we were out of breath. And while the crazy squeaking sound still echoed behind us, it had definitely decreased.

‘More of them went toward the Bronze Agent…!’

It seemed like they had deliberately lured them away. Putting aside worry and everything else, I gratefully accepted this and ran like crazy.

Vacuum cleaners, cosmetics, dishes, kitchen utensils, bleach….

All kinds of display shelves repeated throughout the huge mart….

Then we encountered an Employee.

‘Fuck.’

Squeak squeak.

They were chasing us. Each time, I immediately changed direction with the High School Student and ran again.

“Huff.”

The High School Student started panting heavily.

I could taste sweetness in my mouth too.

But the huge mart seemed to endlessly spit out Employees and corners like a maze….

‘Damn!’

Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak.

We turned around display shelf corners several times.

‘This won’t work.’

A place to hide.

A place where two people could hide immediately without prior preparation, quickly seizing a moment when Employees couldn’t see us!

And the moment we turned another corner.

‘…!’

I saw it.

[Electric Mixer 50% Off]

Mobile Display Stand.

‘Found it.’

I pushed the High School Student under the massive Mobile Display Stand that was piled high with mixers. I also crawled under it and pressed close.

And I held my breath.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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