The more popular a ghost story becomes, the more likely anomalies appear in its exploration records.
'Because there are multiple creators.'
When a ghost story first emerges, it's recorded exactly as per the rules. But what happens when it gains popularity and everyone starts documenting their own encounters?
As the number of records grows, exceptional cases gradually emerge to avoid repetition and boredom—cases born from a certain "sense" of creativity.
One example came desperately to mind:
however….
※Special note: Exploration ends after 16 hours and 11 minutes.
The exploration ended vaguely after 16 hours and 11 minutes.
This is exactly the "temporal anomaly" I was looking for. But…
'Rather, it took longer to escape…'
Some problem occurred during the exploration, and the subject was trapped in the ghost story far beyond the expected 12 hours.
'Therefore… obviously, I made a mistake.'
I remembered!
'I didn't get the time alert!'
======================
(03:12) Employee Jaejin Lee accidentally disconnected the counter phone line.
======================
Because of this, the phone call that was meant to reach the hospital room desk couldn't be made.
An immediate shift call was triggered.
A crazy situation arose: the doctor, who was supposed to finish the night shift after 12 hours, continued working.
======================
(12:12) It's past 7:12 AM, yet the sun hasn't risen.
======================
No matter how much time passes, the night never seems to end.
They say that an employee, who set his watch to 7 PM upon entering the ghost story, panicked as soon as he realized the truth.
'I think one person got caught up in a debate over whether to restart or not…'
Fortunately, a few hours later, another team member reconnected the phone line, things normalized, and we managed to escape.
======================
(16:09) Phone line restoration successful. The phone rang immediately. (Stand at least 3 meters away from the desk.)
(16:11) The doctor answers the phone and disappears. Successful escape attempt.
======================
A ghost story that doesn't end even after the appointed time is undeniably eerie.
'There's a hint, though.'
Even in this extended case, there was a mechanism—a trigger that signaled the end of time.
'In that case, it was a shift call…'
And if that trigger fails, the ghost story doesn't end.
Conversely, if you think about it…
'If the trigger that marks the passage of time is activated, could it end sooner?'
"...."
What can mark the passage of time in a convenience store?
Tuk.
"...!"
For a moment.
'…the sound.'
It's coming from above my head.
I glanced upward, my view partially blocked by the counter.
This was beneath the convenience store counter.
So, what's up here….
force.
Beep.
Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep.
A ghost was pressing the force button on the checkout counter.
The recorded voice echoed through the store in a strange rhythm:
"Calling staff… Call an employee, call an employee, call an employee, call an employee, call an employee, call an employee."
"…!!"
I get it.
This is the ghost's way of acknowledging that I'm down here.
I didn't cling to it on purpose—I'm just kidding…
Even though I knew it, cold sweat ran down my back instead of anger.
Wow, this is truly maddening—it drives people insane.
'Let's go out.'
I have to get out and run.
However, my feet refuse to move as lightly as my mind desires. It's no different from an extra in a horror movie who collapses and dies after encountering a ghost.
'No.'
Even if you get caught anyway, helplessness cannot be learned.
In the end, I somehow forced my way out of the checkout counter.
At that moment, I heard a command:
"Call a staff member."
Suddenly, a bluish, bumpy face appeared right before me.
I laughed until my mouth broke.
— Got it
Re-start.
'....'
I took a deep, slow breath.
My heart pounded so hard that I briefly got a headache, but I held it in.
'It passed.'
My whole body felt numb.
'Let's be patient.'
Instead of heading back to the checkout counter, I turned away from the illuminated beverage refrigerator and ran directly toward the convenience store entrance.
"...."
Outside the glass door, it was pitch black. Still, as I strained my eyes to see, I noticed something hanging next to the outer glass door.
"…!"
It was an electronic clock.
[12:00⼁04⼁04]
412 o'clock on the 4th of the month.
Is that the current date of this ghost story?
Eyes adapted to the dark could even distinguish the chime on the glass door. Perhaps the moment I opened that door, the ghost that heard the bell would come running with those strange steps.
'And it won't even open in the first place…'
Because the place where I had to endure was decided to be a convenience store, there were certain restrictions.
I looked away from the glass door and half-hidden myself in a nearby display case.
Then I leaned my back against the wall and scanned the convenience store.
Cold sweat trickled down my temples.
'The days I have to endure are three days.'
So, what is the trigger that will signal the approach of my completion point?
What will happen in three days at this convenience store?
'Distribution?'
I glanced at the boxes piled up near the glass door.
It was time for new items to arrive.
'Somehow, check the items scheduled for delivery in three days. You might be able to hint at the time by disguising that object in advance…'
'No. That's so counterintuitive…'
There was no way that such complicated, minor adjustments would work.
'And internet ghost stories are intuitive.'
The more trivial conditions and arrangements there are, the less impact the story has—it simply won't become popular.
'It should feel simpler and more fitting…'
Then….
The item that would most easily let you sense the passage of time in a convenience store is…?
"…!"
Okay.
I looked at the display stand closest to the entrance—a stand that, unlike the beverage refrigerator, still emitted cold air.
Strangely, there were only a few items on display: a dairy drink or some coffee, and… a lunch box and triangle kimbap.
Food that spoils quickly.
'…Expiration date!'
I immediately went to the display stand, picked up the lunch box and triangle kimbap, and began checking them.
'Most triangle kimbap has a shelf life of 36 to 48 hours…'
Likewise, lunch boxes probably have a similar lifespan.
Yet, oddly enough, many of the lunch boxes and triangle kimbap had expiration dates extending beyond three days—or their labels were completely erased.
I carefully examined both sides of the packaging, making as little noise as possible.
And in the end….
'I found it.'
In this ghost story, the current time is 12:00 on April 4th.
Four products have an expiration date ending at 12:00 on the 7th of every month.
[Soup Hamburger Lunch Box]
I picked up the lunch box. Then, I walked across the convenience store and approached the POS machine.
'Ugh.'
An afterimage of a ghost—standing at the checkout counter, frantically pressing the call button—flashed before my eyes.
But that was just my mood; the ghost hadn't appeared here yet.
'Calmly.'
I pressed the device settings on the POS machine and selected "Change date and time." There it was! I held back a sigh of relief and looked at the screen.
'The setting time is…'
It displayed exactly two days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes after midnight on April 4th—the starting point:
[4Monday 7th afternoon 11:59]
'Please!' I prayed anxiously.
I clicked the change button and confirmed…
[Change completed]
"…!!"
Done!
'There are many cases where you can't change the settings, but this worked—it's really good…'
My hands shook with a mix of joy and nervousness, yet I managed to steady them.
We're almost there now.
All I had to do was pick up the food I'd brought and register it as imminent disposal…
Beep beep!
"...."
[disposal alarm]
[There is a product whose expiration date is approaching!]
Posgi shouted in a cheerful tone. In the dark convenience store, a recorded guidance voice echoed:
Beep! Beep beep!
"...."
I stiffened and turned my head.
Far away, our eyes met. It was running.
"this…!" I thought.
"Don't look—focus only on the screen! Please, please! Hurry!"
Beep.
After fumbling with my hand three times, I stamped the barcode.
[Would you like to register??]
Yeah, hit it hard….
The footsteps drew closer too quickly. The strange ticking sound kept approaching, so I hesitated but continued moving my hand…
[Registered for disposal.]
At the moment I felt the vibration of the ghost's frantic footsteps right in front of the counter…
[complete]
…and then it disappeared.
"...."
Pick.
The light suddenly turned on. Inside the convenience store—now so bright that it hurt my eyes—the once inconspicuous POS machine screen displayed simple, clear instructions:
[Registration complete]
Jijijijik—a deadline receipt printed out amid the white noise.
'It's okay.'
That I succeeded.
"After."
I leaned against the counter and lowered my head; my legs shook.
'I can't breathe…'
People really depend on light!
Yet, the increased brightness gave me some peace of mind.
'Now you just have to go out the door…'
d'alcan!
The cash locker underneath the POS machine opened automatically.
'Uh?'
Inside was a thick, brown envelope.
"This is…."
I grabbed the envelope and opened it. Inside, I found four bundles of thick, stiff golden banknotes.
"…!?"
They were bundles of 50,000 won notes!
'Are there four bundles of one hundred each?'
That would total 20 million won.
It was my first time handling such a large amount of cash. But why was it in the convenience store's cash locker?
Ah.
'Prize money!'
======================
Dark Exploration Record / Ghost Story
/ Please choose
Aside
They really give you money when you clear it... So, doesn't that make him just a good friend who likes to surprise people?
======================
Oh.
"How long will it take?"
"I think I'll be able to come out after three days."
"Success at once? Wow, what a generous evaluation. So generous."
The two employees briefly went up to the rooftop via the stairs next to the warehouse to smoke. I had just sent a new employee off into the dark.
Even if I tried to adapt, pushing newbies into strange phenomena is something I never truly got used to. Generally, the shorter the set time, the more hardcore the challenge; conversely, the longer it is, the looser the darkness becomes. So a newcomer who earns a three-day clearance won't face the strictest conditions.
'Twenty-three days is probably a test of courage.'
Of course, it's harsh—but that doesn't mean it isn't challenging.
The two employees shared a common belief:
If you can't endure this, you'll die quickly.
Then it would be better to resign.
In fact, many new recruits left because of this hazing, and Group D was often frowned upon by the personnel department. Still, they persisted, rubbing it in whenever they could.
Watching a co-worker—or even a new team member—die right beside you is truly detrimental to one's mental health.
However, this time it felt a little different… a strange sense of anticipation.
"I'm talking about this new recruit."
"Yes."
"It was unusual."
"It was unusual..."
Kim Sol-eum, a senior new employee newly assigned to Group D.
"It's my first time seeing someone like that on their first day at work."
Usually, new employees become scared or distraught the moment they realize that their 'work' involves constantly facing strange phenomena that nearly killed them. That reaction is natural.
But with Kim Sol-eum... he remained strangely calm.
"You didn't seem very nervous."
"Yes. He wasn't surprised. Plus, he drinks good coffee too."
I never lost my composure, cried in the bathroom, or tried to run away.
Of course, Kim Sol-eum had already been prepped for everything—he sacrificed and prepared mentally for three days straight.
To those who don't know him, he just appears to be a newbie with a crazy mentality!
"I guess the assistant manager liked him."
"Uh, it's very okay."
A strong heart is always welcome. This is a department that deals with all kinds of terrible, bizarre, or eerie urban legends—cowards are in big trouble.
'Well, there's no way a coward would pass that death survival game in the first place…'
There it was!
Of course, the bosses—who had no way of knowing—just nodded repeatedly, saying, 'This new recruit is fine.'
Yet, there were a few disappointing things...
"But I don't think he's the type to use tricks, so why doesn't he take notes?"
"Since it's your first job, you may not know much. Just let me know."
The two nodded, emphasizing that information and manuals are essential in a job where life can vanish in an instant.
"If you tell me, I should write it down. That way, you can read it again and understand it properly."
"That's right. It's not like I knew it in advance."
I already knew it in advance!
The two of them, with no idea what to expect, continued talking like a new team and decided to return soon.
"I need to write a situation report."
"Ha, that guy's unread reports are always…"
Anyway, the new recruit would emerge in three days at the earliest.
Still, it's a ghost story with food and a place to sleep—so it wouldn't be a problem if it dragged on for a while.
The two nodded and picked up the pad containing the Internet article that had attracted new recruits.
"Now let's look at the documents…?!"
Tick.
At that moment, the pad spat out a person.
A new employee who was scheduled to leave in three days.
"…!?"
The new employee, Kim Sol-eum, stood up from the floor, shaking off his clean suit—no different from how he looked an hour and a half ago—and lifted something in one hand.
It was a dream collector filled with scales.
"I filled it up."
"…?!?!"
Time required to clear: 1 hour 24 minutes.
The newbie, having achieved an absurd feat, simply looked at his superiors with an indifferent expression.
'I thought I died of a heart attack.'
Of course, a fearful person desperate enough to escape through the wall of a haunted house would be utterly exhausted.