A bizarre mart just moments before the end of business hours.
The store had grown dark as the lights were turned off.
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na-na, na-na-nan~
Amidst the cheerful logo song echoing through the air, I could feel the vibration of the high school student, whose mouth I was covering, breathing heavily.
My body tightened with tension.
And beyond the noise-like music and the vibrations, from far away, a very small friction sound grated on my nerves….
Creeeeak.
The sound of an iron door opening.
And in a mart, the only place with an iron door instead of a glass one would be….
‘…The door to the staff area.’
That was the sound of employees coming out.
‘Ha.’
Swallowing a rising groan, I turned my head, peeking slightly over the display rack to look outside….
Waddle, waddle.
Things wearing mart uniforms were appearing one by one inside the dark store….
Bizarre-looking employees, appearing as if they were balloon imitations of human shapes, came waddling out.
[LOOKY MART]
The logo of Lookie Mart, mimicking Lucky Mart.
The clumsy imitations on their chests and hats were revealed by the light bulbs before disappearing back into the darkness.
At that moment.
“Let’s get out quickly, they said they’re closing.”
“I know.”
Someone passed right by the liquor section where we were hiding, heading toward the checkout counters.
“…!”
It was two or three shoppers from the past who were still in the store.
Then… one of them lightly bumped into one of the ‘employees’ who had entered the liquor corner.
Thump.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
The employee’s head spun around.
“Welcome to Lookie Mart!”
“Let’s go quickly.”
“Thank you as always, customer!”
The shoppers felt nothing out of the ordinary.
They passed the employee and headed toward the checkout counters amongst themselves.
I could feel the high school student’s mouth, which I was blocking with my hand, gasping for air.
“Goodbye, customer!”
The thing shaped like an employee with its head turned around creaked as it stepped out of the liquor corner.
Then it walked down the hallway again with that strange gait….
In front of the snack corner.
Right next to the display rack where we were crouching and hiding.
Squeak, squeak.
“…….”
“……."
A bizarre noise, like balloons rubbing against each other, rang out.
the four of us pressed ourselves nearly to the floor and held our breath.
Squeak, squeak.
The sound grew distant….
“…….”
‘Ha.’
Tap, tap!
The high school student tapped my hand that was covering his mouth.
He was covered in tears but remained silent.
“You won’t scream, right?”
He nodded slightly.
As I released my hand, the high school student hurriedly whispered as if he were about to hyperventilate.
“W-we shouldn't be seen by those weird employees, right? Right? In the notice….”
That was correct.
After business hours, the employees of Lookie Mart behave strangely while pretending to conduct business.
If caught by even one employee, every employee on that floor will give chase.
To survive in Lookie Mart after hours, one had to move as if playing a survival horror game.
But… could I stay safe while dragging along two teenagers who knew nothing?
‘No matter how I look at it, I don’t think the equipment I received took this into account.’
It felt like they gave me equipment assuming I would be out within business hours.
Of course, since it was the Disaster Management Bureau, they must have prepared to some extent, but no matter how I thought about it, there were too many variables.
‘Damn it.’
Cold sweat dripped down my chin.
Should we hold out for now? What was Agent Bronze planning? Is he planning to hide for now?
Wait!
‘That person looks like he’s trying to neutralize an employee….’
Agent Bronze, holding his pistol, was silently staring at the back of the employee as it moved away.
He seemed to be plotting an escape route, and that employee must be in the way.
…Should I help with the neutralization?
If Braun 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 rose to the top of my priorities.
‘Think, think….’
I racked my brain desperately. I quickly searched through the <Dark Exploration Record> in my memory.
So, after Lookie Mart closes….
…….
No, that’s not it.
[ 20 : 25 ]
“Agent…!”
I approached Agent Bronze in a crawl and whispered urgently.
“There are still 5 minutes left until closing. Business hasn't completely ended yet!”
“…!”
“The doors should still be open right now.”
We just had to leave immediately!
Agent Bronze whipped his head around to check beyond the B1 checkout counters. Checking that the escalators outside the checkout area were still running, he quickly reached a conclusion.
“Let’s move immediately.”
He then quickly grabbed the high school student attached to him and began to move swiftly.
“…!”
Right. We had to take responsibility for one each.
I turned back to the high school student whose mouth I had been covering.
He shook his head frantically.
“I’ll run on my own, I’m faster at running than him…!”
“…….”
Should I have tried to look a bit more reliable? No, now isn't the time for such thoughts!
I began to run with the high school student, driving him from behind so he wouldn't fall behind.
Passing the empty checkout counters, we ran like mad across the escalators carrying shoppers.
“Ah!”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I think I just tripped.”
Since they didn't perceive us, we pushed through the shoppers toward the exit just before closing.
And at the 1st-floor entrance….
“…….”
Something was standing in front of the door.
It seemed to have originally been a standing sign.
It was the typical middle-aged white man with blonde hair—the founder of Lucky Mart, a famous entrepreneur—giving a thumbs-up with a reliable smile.
However….
It was alive.
—Mmph!! Mmm-mmm! Mmph! Mmph!
The person, forcibly pressed and fixed to become a flat surface like a standing sign, looked like a corpse crushed to death in a flat press that had come back to life.
Though he was smiling, his eyeballs were still rolling around, dripping tears and saliva.
He was looking at us.
…He perceived us.
As if asking to be saved, or filled with malevolence wishing to pass on this pain, he rolled his eyes and stared desperately this way while the standing sign vibrated…… Sh*t!
“Hic.”
“Quiet.”
I could see Agent Bronze ahead, calming the high school student he was in charge of.
What a convenient name ‘ghost’ was. To think such a state could be described with a single word.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Even so, we had to ‘block’ its field of vision.
‘To do that, first….’
I had to induce an illusion.
Suppressing a groan, I grabbed the shoulder of the high school student I was in charge of.
“You read it in the notice, right? You have to steal an item. You have to do it all yourself.”
Before blocking the entrance ghost’s vision, we first had to induce it to mistake you for one of the shoppers.
Steal one item that a shopper has finished paying for and possess it.
There must not be a commotion at this time.
“But if we get caught….”
“It’s fine if you steal something that won't be noticed.”
I looked at the exit.
There weren't many people, but at the mention of closing, everyone was either finishing their checkout or heading out the door in a swarm.
‘I might be able to get out by squeezing into that gap even without blocking the vision.’
Of course, I had no intention of taking such a risk.
“Fishing line.”
“Yes.”
I immediately took out the Item I possessed.
A coiled fishing line and… a small, red, goldfish-shaped lure attached to the end.
==========
Dark Exploration Record / Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau / Item
Bait Play
An item with a red lure attached to the end of a transparent fishing line.
When used, it can draw the attention of supernatural entities of Waveform-class or lower.
The more powerful and closer to the source an entity is, the more meager and insignificant the effect becomes.
Item Usage Condition: Grade 7 or higher civil servant belonging to the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau or a specially authorized person.
==========
The moment we steal the items, we use this to draw the standing sign's gaze and leave.
If Agent Bronze and I worked in turns, we could secure enough time for the two high school students to get out.
Agent Bronze uncoiled the fishing line, equipped it, and signaled with his eyes.
“Please proceed with the theft.”
I nodded and turned back to the two high school students.
“W-we can’t steal….”
“Kids. They can’t see us anyway, so as long as it's not something that would be immediately noticeable if it went missing, it’s fine.”
People don't usually think things will disappear once they’ve been put into bags or boxes.
‘Something they’d be least likely to look for, something like….’
Small daily necessities.
Things they bought because they needed them but don't have much interest in.
Something they won't take out to use or eat immediately.
“…….”
I approached the side of a shopper sitting on a chair near the exit.
‘It’s easier if they aren't moving.’
They seemed to be waiting for someone, sitting with a mart shopping bag on their lap and their eyes closed for a moment.
I quickly observed that eco-friendly mart bag.
‘Good.’
And I reached inside… and pulled out something that was stuck to the interior.
Dental floss.
“There are a few more inside.”
“…!”
“While I was pulling this out, I moved the other floss to the top, so just grab it lightly. Lightly.”
“…….”
The high school student in my charge gulped, then reached out with a pale face and put his hand in the eco-bag.
And he succeeded in immediately pulling out the dental floss I had placed on top.
“I-it worked!”
“Good job!”
With the dental floss in hand, the high school student backed away with a flushed face.
And we both turned back to the remaining person.
The high school student who had been sticking with Agent Bronze.
“…….”
Eventually, that student also approached with an anxious expression.
“Hey, stay calm….”
“I said I know! Just be quiet!”
“…….”
He seemed to be in a near-panic state.
The student who had snapped at me closed his eyes tight and reached out, wanting to get it over with quickly.
He thrust his hand into the eco-bag and snatched the dental floss.
“Done….”
The student pulled his hand back with a bright face.
Wait, if you pull it back that aggressively….
Thump.
The student’s hand brushed against the shopper’s cheek.
“Mom!!”
“…!!”
The shopper, who had the eco-bag on her lap, was terrified and fell backward off the chair.
“W-w-what?”
The student, startled, reflexively grabbed the eco-bag.
“M-Mom, what’s wrong, are you okay… Aah!”
Someone who appeared to be a companion ran over, tried to pick up the eco-bag and help the shopper, but was terrified to see the eco-bag floating, held by the student.
‘Damn it!’
I immediately grabbed the student and pulled back. The eco-bag fell to the floor, and items spilled out everywhere.
The owner of the bag screamed.
“T-there was a person here, but they vanished!”
The surroundings began to buzz with noise.
Gazes converged.
“What are you talking about? You must have seen wrong….”
“No, Dad! The bag was weird!”
“Some boy is holding my bag! W-w-w-what?!”
Damn it.
Shoppers usually do not perceive you.
However, they may notice you if physical contact occurs.
At this time, if communication is possible, there are several methods you can attempt to receive help with your escape.
If it only went that far, there was hope.
But….
“Hey! Someone help!”
“Huh? What’s the date today? What day was today? Why am I here? Huh?”
However, if a shopper notices you and feels a sense of anomaly or falls into a panic, leave the area immediately.
“Run.”
The staff are coming.
Agent Bronze and I pushed the students simultaneously and began to run toward the opposite side of the exit.
…Because something was waddling out from the escalators, from the far end of the checkout counters, and from the restrooms.
Squeak, squeak.
The sound was audible.
Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak.
A bizarre sound, like balloons rubbing together, creaking and squeaking, chased after us frantically from behind.
Their numbers were growing.
Reflexively, we ran like mad toward a wide and complex area.
…Into the checkout area, into the display racks of the store.
‘Damn it.’
I checked my watch.
[ 20 : 29 ]
It was over.
Closing time was almost here.
‘We have to hide.’
We had to give up on the exit for now.
Before business completely ended, the shoppers vanished, and the employees became more numerous, we had to lose them within 60 seconds. To do that, we had to hide, but….
‘Four people is too many!’
I locked eyes with Agent Bronze.
The Agent glanced upward once, then nodded and quickly broke off to the side.
Taking one of the high school students with him.
“Ah…!”
“This way.”
I moved with the high school student I was in charge of.
I ran until my breath was short. And although that crazy squeaking sound still echoed behind us, it had definitely decreased.
‘More of them went toward Agent Bronze…!’
He seemed to have lured them away on purpose. Whether I was worried or not, I took the opportunity and ran like mad.
Vacuum cleaners, cosmetics, dishes, kitchenware, bleach….
All sorts of display racks repeated within the massive mart before….
I encountered an employee.
‘Sh*t.’
Squeak, squeak.
It chased us. Each time, I immediately changed directions with the high school student and ran again.
“Hah, hah.”
The high school student began to pant heavily.
A sweet, metallic taste rose in my mouth as well.
But the massive mart felt like an endless maze, spitting out employees and corners….
‘Damn it!’
Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak.
We turned several corners of the display racks.
‘We can’t go on like this.’
A place to hide.
A spot where both of us could hide immediately without prior preparation, catching a moment when the employees couldn't see us!
And the moment we turned another corner.
‘…!’
I saw it.
[Electric Mixer 50% Off]
A mobile display stand.
‘Found it.’
I shoved the high school student under the massive mobile stand piled high with mixers. I followed him under and pressed myself close.
And then, I stifled my breath.
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