“I’ll find the safest and fastest way out of here for us.”
“I-Is there still a way to escape…?”
“Of course.”
…The problem was, more than half of those methods had an absurdly high chance of death.
Kim Soleum swallowed that thought and added something actually helpful.
“Do you remember the back of the leaflet? The guidelines for what to do after closing hours?”
“……Yes.”
Jang Minseo recalled the text, as if entranced by the memory.
After closing hours, it is recommended that you abandon all escape attempts.
Prioritize survival and endure until business hours resume.
As of the latest reports, the safest floor is the second floor.
The second floor.
They were currently on the first floor.
“Then… if we just go up one more floor… we’ll be safe?”
“That’s right. The other agent and your friend definitely went up, too. So don’t worry.”
“……Okay.”
The certainty in the man’s voice made Jang Minseo feel a little reassured. He sniffled and steadied himself.
The agent checked outside, then pulled himself out from under the display stand.
“Alright. We’re safe now. Let’s move.”
“Hiic… okay.”
Though he whimpered, the high schooler didn’t refuse Kim Soleum’s support as they carefully crawled out from under the display stand—
“Ah!”
—And hurriedly clamped a hand over his mouth.
Thankfully, the noise wasn’t too loud.
But the problem remained.
‘My ankle…’
It was throbbing.
Jang Minseo must have twisted it when he dived under the display stand earlier.
“…Your ankle hurts?”
“Yeah…”
“……”
Kim Soleum’s mind worked fast.
Then he came to a cold conclusion.
‘I can’t give him an item right now.’
Not in this ghost story.
A strong painkiller like Happy Maker could make the high schooler overuse his leg and end up not being able to use it anymore.
And Nostalgia Candy… nope.
‘Out of the question.’
Unless you are in the food court, please do not consume any products inside the supermarket. Even food you brought in yourself is not an exception.
The employees do not differentiate. If they witness you eating, they will charge you accordingly.
You do not have the ability to pay.
And this rule didn’t just apply to food items sold in the store.
Looky Mart employees couldn’t tell the difference.
Even shoving the kid into his tattoo for safekeeping was too risky. There was no way to predict what kind of contamination or horrific transformation might occur.
Not to mention, explaining that to the Bureau later would be a nightmare.
“……”
The high school student had no way of knowing what the silent agent was thinking, but just seeing him hesitate sent a cold wave of unease down his back.
‘No way…’
Is he going to leave me behind?
Had he decided the rescue was too difficult? Or was he picturing both of them getting caught if he tried to carry him? The terrifying thought spiraled through his mind—
“Don’t worry. We’ll move in a way that won’t require running.”
A firm voice snapped him out of it.
The high schooler lifted his head.
“For now, let’s head to the escalator.”
“……”
“But not up. We’re going to the downward escalator instead. Got it? The one that comes down from the second floor.”
Since the store had already closed, the escalators had likely stopped running, so maybe it didn’t matter which one they took.
But why specifically the downward escalator?
“…Okay.”
Instead of asking, the high schooler simply nodded.
The agent helped him up and carefully began moving.
“If you hear an employee, let me know immediately.”
“Okay…!”
The high schooler tried his best not to look at the display stand where he had been hiding. Instead, he focused entirely on listening for employee noises as he carefully followed the agent.
A few times, pain made him wince, but he endured it.
The agent led him past the checkout counters and toward the inactive escalators with steady, unhurried movements. The high schooler followed as quickly as he could.
But when they finally arrived—
Whirrrrrr.
Tutu-tutu-tutuk…
One of the escalators was still running.
The one leading down from the second floor.
“…!”
A darkened store after closing hours.
A slowly moving rail.
And at the top of the escalator…
A figure stood motionless.
No.
Not a person.
An employee.
After closing hours, escalators remain deactivated and blocked.
However, they may run at certain times when employees are conducting maintenance.
Do not approach.
It seemed to be imitating an escalator ‘inspection’.
However, the employee standing on the escalator, with its head tilted to the side, blankly staring down at the floor, looked grotesque and unnatural.
And that figure… was coming closer, moving downward along the operating escalator.
Backward.
“W-We have to r—”
“No need.”
Beside him, Kim Soleum pulled something from his pocket.
A fishing line with a red goldfish lure at the end.
Toy Bait.
‘…In the records, they always checked the second-to-first floor escalator right after closing.’
That was why he had specifically come to this escalator.
Originally, he had planned to use this item to get past the entrance, but there was no other option now.
Even if it was a waste—there was no choice but to use it now.
Kim Soleum cast the fishing line.
Fwick.
Defying normal physics, the transparent wire flew through the air as if launched by an actual fishing rod, landing perfectly on the escalator’s advertisement board.
“…!”
The fishing line wrapped around the board, dangling below it.
And at the very end, the red lure swayed in the air.