Midnight Department Store - 'Black Friday' (7)
The elevator doors slid shut, and the machinery began humming upward.
"Huff... huff... c-crazy... Did you see that? That guy just... got shredded..."
Kim Hyun-su collapsed to the floor, trembling uncontrollably. He couldn't shake the image of Ma Dong-pal's gruesome death.
"...I've never seen anything like this. The method is far too cruel."
Baek Si-woo, his face pale as a ghost, roughly unbuttoned his shirt. Broadcast or no broadcast, everyone's mental limits were being pushed to the brink.
Ding!
The arrival chime rang out. We all flinched and turned toward the doors.
Shhh.
As the elevator doors parted, a dazzling golden light poured in, so bright it stung the eyes. A world apart from the blood-red emergency lights flashing below.
Marble floors, plush leather sofas, and the faint strains of classical music echoing softly.
"Th-this is... the VIP lounge..."
Kim Hyun-su staggered, his legs giving out beneath him.
Six survivors had made it up in the elevator: me, Kang Chae-young, Kim Hyun-su, Baek Si-woo, Han Jun-hyun, and Father Johan.
Drawn in like moths to a flame, we stepped into the lounge. Spotting those cushy leather sofas, we all collapsed onto them without a word.
"Haa..."
Kang Chae-young sank deep into the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.
"This place... seems okay. Safe, at least for now."
"Thank you, God..."
Father Johan crossed himself, hand over his heart.
"To grant us even a brief respite... That fifth floor was truly hell."
"But we can't let our guard down. We don't know when those things might come chasing after us."
Baek Si-woo gulped down some water, staying vigilant.
A heavy silence fell.
Then Kim Hyun-su spoke up, his voice quivering.
"Um... do we really have to solve this?"
"Pardon?"
"Can't we just... hide here until rescue comes? Ghost story or whatever... I can't do it anymore. We saw what happened to Ma Dong-pal. That's gonna be us too..."
Kim Hyun-su buried his face in his knees. The extreme terror had eroded his idol facade and even his survival instincts.
At that moment, Agent Han Jun-hyun gripped Kim Hyun-su's shoulder firmly.
"Hyun-su. I get it. It's terrifying, and you want to run. That's natural."
"Sniff... sob..."
"But if we stop here, those who died will have died in vain. And there's no guarantee this place is safe until rescue arrives. We have to keep moving to survive. Just a little more—let's push on."
Under Han Jun-hyun's calm, reassuring words, Kim Hyun-su wiped his tears and nodded faintly.
Once he'd settled a bit, Kim Hyun-su ventured cautiously, "By the way... those people we got separated from. The ones who ended up on other floors... what happened to them? Did they make it?"
The question hung in the air. Everyone fell silent.
Baek Si-woo fiddled darkly with his tablet PC.
"...No word yet."
He trailed off. But no one missed the implication of that silence.
They're all dead.
Baek Si-woo sighed and asked carefully, "Want to see the viewer reactions?"
He turned the tablet screen toward us. The chat was exploding in real time.
"...They're all watching, alright."
Baek Si-woo muttered bitterly.
Kim Hyun-su bit his nails anxiously. "When's rescue coming...? Feels like over an hour already."
"Normally, a response team assembles immediately for something like this. But forcing entry from outside is a whole other issue..."
Han Jun-hyun trailed off, shaking his head.
In the end, it was an endless wait with no promises. Exhausted, everyone stared blankly into space.
Meanwhile, I rested my chin on my hand, deep in thought.
This ghost story... is weaker than I expected.
I was on high alert for a C-grade, but once you know the rules, it's almost disappointingly easy to clear.
As I started feeling bored, the Boss's voice echoed in my head.
It's easy because you know the hints. Without them, they'd probably complain and end up shredded on the fifth floor. Figuring it out from scratch is nearly impossible.
And there's another reason the ghost story's been so tame.
What is it?
Because you're here. It likes you, so it's dialing down the difficulty on its own. Like currying favor.
That made sense. No wonder it opened paths so readily. A little performance for my benefit, huh.
Then, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind.
This... could be pretty useful.
Too good to waste as just a ghost story. What if I hire the monsters as staff and put them to work here?
Imagine orcs or goblins in crisp suits greeting, "Welcome, valued customer." That alone would sow massive chaos among hunters.
'The space is huge too. Perfect for themed traps on each floor.'
And the rules are tricky. Subtle pitfalls that aren't obvious at first. If you don't catch them, you're done for—no counterplay.
All that's left is the ghost story's raw combat power...
'These participants are so weak, hard to gauge it properly.'
No real benchmark, but still—a C-grade ghost story. Its power can't be anything to sneeze at.
That's when it happened.
"Hey, oppa."
Kang Chae-young called out cautiously, pointing to the center of the lounge.
"If we press that... won't the ghost story show up?"
I followed her gaze. There sat an antique chair of vintage design. And atop its cushion, oddly out of place, was a silver call bell—like the kind in hotel lobbies or restaurants that chimes a clear ding when pressed.
I nodded. "Probably."
"..."
"This is the top floor, so it should be the finale. Stick to the rules like we have been, and we might make it out safely."
The moment I finished, Kim Hyun-su grabbed my arm desperately.
"H-hyung, you decide! You've been deciding everything!"
"..."
"We survived by following you, so you press it this time too. Right?"
Kim Hyun-su's eyes bordered on madness. The other survivors stared at me silently. They weren't saying it outright like him, but their gazes were clear.
'You do it.'
'We don't want the blame.'
'Handle it for us.'
A stifling silence laced with selfishness and fear.
Then Kang Chae-young stepped forward, unable to hold back. "This is too much, everyone! How much has Suho oppa carried already...!"
"I'll do it."
I cut her off and stepped up. She whipped around, face flushed with frustration.
"Oppa! Why do you keep sacrificing yourself? It's not fair!"
"It's fine, Chae-young."
I gently gripped her shoulder and spoke as calmly and firmly as I could.
"Trust me, right?"
"...Huh? B-but..."
"My instincts haven't been wrong yet. Same this time. I have a solid feeling."
"..."
"Nothing bad will happen. So just trust me and wait."
My confident tone made her eyes tremble. She bit her lip and nodded.
"...Okay. But if it's really dangerous, you run right away."
"Promise."
I flashed a reassuring smile. Then turned toward the central chair.
No word from the ghost story yet.
If pressing the bell was a trap, it would've warned me by now. But dead silent.
Means ringing it is fine.
I glanced sidelong at Baek Si-woo's tablet. The chat was probably flooded with me.
Not bad.
All eyes on me means money—sponsorships, fame.
Ride this wave, and the profits roll in.
Above all.
'No better smokescreen for hiding my identity.'
Darkest under the lamp, as they say. A heroic figure saving everyone at the forefront—who'd suspect a ghost story merchant?
'Plus, this fame will be a powerful weapon.'
Get famous, and people will applaud you even for taking a shit.
Some adage I'd heard somewhere—spot on.
'Plant this trust now, and inside ghost stories, my word becomes law. Those caught in them will follow blindly, no questions asked.'
The surest investment for the future.
Calculations done, I moved toward the call bell.
That's when.
Step.
Someone blocked my path. Han Jun-hyun.
"...I'll go."
"Han Jun-hyun?"
He shook his head with resolute expression.
"Can't keep burdening you forever, Suho."
"..."
"I'm an Anomaly Management Team agent. It's my job to protect civilians, but I've been hiding behind them, clinging to life. Can't... live with the shame anymore."
Han Jun-hyun clenched his fist.
"This time, it's on me."
I eyed him for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"...You sure?"
"Whew. Legs are shaking, honestly."
He gave a wry smile, straightening his tie.
"But gotta do it. I'm a public servant sworn to protect citizens."
I didn't stop him.
Shame. Handing over the final spotlight.
A bit regrettable, but whatever. The cameras would've caught my heroic resolve to step up first.
'Image secured—no need to take the risk.'
I stepped back, feigning concern as I watched.
"Whew."
Han Jun-hyun took a deep breath, then strode to the antique chair. Hand hovering over the bell, he hesitated seconds.
Then he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed it.
Ding!
A clear, resonant chime filled the lounge.
At the same instant.
Szzzzz!
Black smoke billowed from the chair cushion.
"...!"
Han Jun-hyun leaped back, drawing a telescoping baton from his pocket. As he braced for combat, the rising black smoke began to take form.
"Welcome, esteemed customers."