Chapter 98.1

I don’t know how I managed to get through that night after noticing the crack in the popsocket.

The next day, I ignored my illness, headed out immediately, and bought a new phone.

After transferring my sim card, I nervously attached the cracked popsocket and powered it on.

‘…It works!’

Thankfully, the wiki was still up and running, but…

Something felt off.

Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story

[Hellfare Taxi]

It’s glitching.

It felt like an old computer on its last legs, showing the characteristic sluggishness of a dying machine.

Although it eventually restored itself, the chill down my spine remained.

‘Right. Even merch can break…’

The strange reality of using merch purchased from a pop-up store in a creepypasta universe had made me overlook how reliant I’d become on my phone.

Why not copy or back up the wiki contents somewhere else, you ask?

‘That would take over a month.’

Pages accessed via the Memorial Popsocket couldn’t be copied or captured. Every entry had to be painstakingly transcribed by hand.

‘And there’s no guarantee that the popsocket as it is would last that long.’

Still, no need to panic.

These merch were, after all, from a creepypasta universe.

I’ve built a foundation here over the past six months, and now other options have opened up.

Get a new popsocket.

Or find a way to repair it.

Interestingly, both required the same type of connection.

‘The Disaster Management Bureau.’

The popsocket’s origin, of course.

And I knew where items like this and the Silver Heart badge were manufactured…

Naturally, I also knew how to gain access there, the passcode, and the necessary preparations.

Conveniently, I even had a temporary Disaster Management Bureau agent badge.

“……”

I pressed my temples and thought.

‘My sick leave’s three days.’

Which meant I couldn’t handle any follow-up tasks related to Death Lane or company work in this condition.

But as long as I didn’t report to work, I could exert myself in other areas if I could bear it. After all, my recovery was guaranteed in three days.

‘However, I can’t avoid the pain from the taxi fare-induced curse artificially.’

Since it’s a curse, even the strongest painkillers wouldn’t help. Moreover, using supernatural methods to escape the pain would only extend the curse’s duration.

Only actual suffering would count as payment.

So, unless absolutely necessary, I’d keep my ultra-potent painkiller, Happy Maker, unused.

Honestly…

“……”

Thinking back to how I used it in that nightmare gave me chills.

‘I truly felt no pain, only peace…’

Had it not been a dream, or if the Fox Counseling Room hadn’t treated my contamination, I might have become addicted to it, reliving those moments whenever things got tough.

I’ve got to be careful.

‘…Alright.’

Don’t procrastinate what I can do now—prepare while I can.

I carefully removed the cracked popsocket from the phone, packed it up, and stored it in my tattoo inventory.

“Braun. We’re heading out again.”

– Aha, the indomitable spirit despite injuries! What an interview-worthy story. A testament to one’s passion for the industry, wouldn’t you say?

– But if it becomes too much, just let me know. This Braun, your perfect colleague and friend, is always ready to help…

That was both comforting and chilling.

“Thanks.”

After another quick shower to wash off my sweat, I slipped on a light hoodie and tucked the gleaming bowtie-wearing rabbit plush into the hoodie’s front pocket.

– Looking sharp, Mr. Roe Deer! So, where to now?

Hmm.

“To the place in Seoul where young people gather the most.”

I got off at Hongdae Station.

It was fascinating how crowded the area was, even on a weekday afternoon.

‘Even far from the station, there are still so many people.’

From Mangwon to Yeonnam, every street would be bustling with visitors.

It was a stark contrast to yesterday’s dead-end alley connected to Death Lane—this crowd felt almost surreal.

– Such a lively place, full of bright and reactive people! Oh, I’d love to invite them all to a show, delivering once-in-a-lifetime thrills and shocks!

Ahhh!

Thankfully, Braun quickly got distracted, sparing me from having to calm his excited voice.

– Ah, the aroma of coffee is delightful! Care for a cup, Friend? …Oh dear! You’re staggering. Do you need support?

‘…I’m fine.’

Cursed with illness and now out in the bustling city of Seoul alongside this ghost story resident, it was inevitable that strange events would follow… Ha, well.

Still, the feeling of being in a lively, sunlit area was comforting.

A street lined with cafes, drenched in sunlight, with not a hint of gloom to be found.

It was almost impossible to imagine anything mystical or eerie happening here in broad daylight.

‘Which is precisely why it’s safe.’

I recalled the instructions on how to access the place that could repair my popsocket.

The Disaster Management Bureau’s document, registered in the wiki complete with an image of a note.

! Destroy after thorough reading
Where to go : A café with a blue roof and no sign. It’s a converted house with a buckwheat flower wreath on the door.

There it was.

With Braun’s assistance, I suppressed my presence entirely and slipped into the blue-roofed building.

It was a large café bustling with customers.

Even in broad daylight, the place sparkled with all kinds of lights and decorations, and the staff busily took orders and prepared drinks.

Instead of joining the line to order, I subtly moved aside, ducked, and slipped into the kitchen area.

Venturing deeper, I soon came upon two doors at the turn of a corner.

[Staff Only]

Though both yellow doors looked identical, one led outside while the other…

‘Is the door I need to open.’

Enter through the right-hand door only. Do not touch the left door. Once touched, the ‘location’ becomes inaccessible through the right door.

Carefully, I approached the right-hand door and rapped on the surface rhythmically.

Knock-knock, knockknock—, knock-knock, knockknock—

The Jajinmori Jangdan, a beat familiar to anyone who’d gone through Korea’s public education.

I opened the door just slightly and slipped inside.

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