[This stop is Resentment, Resentment Station]

[The doors are on your right...]

A suffocating silence pervades the ghostly underground.

I'm contributing to this silence.

Even though I've heard this ghost story before, I'm the kind of person who, when a related YouTube video pops up, is startled by the thumbnail and immediately clicks 'not interested'.

And now I have to survive in this ghost story?

Just kill me...

That would be a mercy.

I don't even have the energy to find out what's going on.

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

Then it happened.

I blinked.

 

[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 seemed to see it.

I quickly shut my mouth.

Drawing attention to myself in this situation would be foolish.

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

trying not to look too awkward.

Flap.

Amazingly, the notepad moved as if unfolding and spat 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 gold 'X' symbol in the centre.

But that design alone made me realise what this popsocket was.

It was merch.

One of the merch items sold at the <Dark Exploration Records> pop-up store I had visited just before waking up in this bizarre situation!

It was one of the items I had bought today.

With trembling hands, I picked up the Popsocket.

What was the function of this item in the story?

 

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

[Memorial Popsocket]

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

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

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

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

 

Displays memories as text...

Then perhaps?

With shaking 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> materialised clearly on my phone screen in the form of pages.

 

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

Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story

[Welcome to Abyss Transpo]

: A ghost story from <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 show up to 56 entries in total.

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

 

"......!"

So this means...

Did the merch I bought actually work?

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

So that merch box... turned into that notepad and spit out the merch I bought?

What kind of crazy situation is that?

Still, it's certainly to my advantage.

The ghost story universe I've entered, <Dark Exploration Records>...

Do you know how many Internet veterans have unleashed their creativity based on it?

There are literally hundreds and hundreds of ghost stories.

Of course, it's hard to remember them all, like leafing through a book in my head.

Also, these ghost stories don't tell you directly how to survive.

You have to infer the right 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 it's possible, the first thing I have to do 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 to which station 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 recruits in all, including me.

The people who had panicked after witnessing two live dismemberments were beginning to calm down and talk.

"The name of the station, Resentment... it sounds like the kind of resentment people feel when they're angry, doesn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"Ha, no mobile service, no data... seriously, what is going on...?"

"......"

Yes.

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

Somehow I have to get as many people as possible to get off with me.

I clenched my fist.

Had I suddenly developed a noble sense of duty, feeling that these extras destined to die in this ghost story world were real people whose lives I had to save?

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

The real reason I'm so desperate is...

I can't do it alone!

That's right.

A lot of these stations are just crazy.

Walk alone through
(a) a station full of eyeballs,
(b) a station shrouded in darkness, or
(c) a station that's upside down?

Just thinking about it makes me break out in a cold sweat - and I'd probably end up crawling on all fours in terror.

Chances of me fainting before I make 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 closed it.

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

Who'd want to believe they were 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 have to build up 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 to need help or a hint to make a connection with...

"Ha... that's like a YouTube ghost story."

Found one!

"You mentioned a ghost story?"

"Ah."

A woman with short hair and a quiet demeanour nodded slightly, looking a little 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 it's all straight out of a ghost story. The lecture hall suddenly turned into a subway, and people... died like that."

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

I understand. I want to vomit too.

Let's both try to put it out of 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 going on."

The woman laughed weakly.

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

That's only because you haven't seen me pass out from panic yet.

"Huh?"

And surprisingly, someone else approached me at that moment.

For a very good reason.

"Um, you were sitting next to me earlier, weren't you?"

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

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

It didn't seem that this newcomer was part of any of the other conversations going on around us. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked between the woman I was talking to and me before extending his hand as if to shake mine.

"My name is Baek Saheon."

"......!"