Nostalgia Candy brings me back to my prime.

In other words, that’s still me. It doesn’t mean I become smarter or more perfect.

It means I can’t let my guard down just because of the condition Nostalgia Candy provides.

I knew that.

“…!”

I clenched my teeth as I felt the searing pain from the empty space where my right arm used to be.

I missed the timing to take it.

Damn it.

‘I was impatient.’

With the safe zone disappearing in an hour and suddenly discovering a way to open the supermarket door, I got distracted.

The price came in the form of unbearable pain.

A severed arm that had been cauterized to stop the bleeding.

Each letter of that description slashes through me with raw, chilling pain.

"Huff..."

For a moment, my legs lost strength, and I almost collapsed to the floor.

Instinctively, I tried to support myself with my right arm—only to realize it was gone. Stumbling, I barely managed to prop myself up with my left hand.

But it’s fine.

"Agent…!"

"Just… a moment,"

Agent Bronze lifted me up from behind and supported me. I gasped from the excruciating pain.

Go Yeongeun rushed over in a panic, checking my consciousness and urging me. What?

"That! Where’s the candy?!"

Ah.

"Hurry!"

I tried to search my jacket pocket with my remaining arm. But Go Yeongeun was faster, swiftly pulling out the candy and unwrapping it.

‘I just need to eat that.’

That’s definitely… the right choice.

“…….”

"Agent Grape?!"

Maybe it was the endorphins, but a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

There are only two Nostalgia Candies left.

I don’t know what other horror stories I’ll have to enter from now on.

‘…Do I really have to eat it?’

Wouldn’t I be able to endure with the Happy Maker?

My arm has already been cauterized.

Besides, my plan from the start was to ensure I could escape without any issues, even if I lost an arm, as long as the business reopened.

And didn’t I already make sure the business reopened?

Considering the versatility of items…

Then rather than wasting it here…

“…….”

"W-What are you doing…?"

Then, struggling, I put the wrapped candy back into my pocket and took out a rod-shaped item.

Happy Maker.

I’ll use this one instead.

‘Yeah.’

I was about to inject it right away, but then I realized I couldn’t roll up my sleeve to expose my bare skin.

Because I didn’t have an arm to roll up.

"…Agent, I’m sorry, but… could you inject this for me?"

“…….”

"It’s a painkiller."

But judging by his hardened gaze, he seems to know where this item came from… Delusion Home Shopping.

At times like this…

"Please… just…"

“…!”

Fortunately, instead of arguing, Agent Bronze took a deep breath, rolled up my remaining sleeve, and injected the Happy Maker.

Click.

With a small sound, the drug quickly coursed through my veins.

‘Ah.’

The pain subsided, and a sense of calm settled in my mind.

Tranquility.

Anxiety and panic shattered into dust and drifted away, leaving my chest feeling empty.

‘Ha.’

Without staggering, I stood up with a normal gait.

"Thank you."

But around me, a deathly silence filled the air.

"Why……."

"I won’t be completely immobilized, so I plan to endure for now."

“…….”

I don’t want to waste the item.

Go Yeongeun seemed to read that thought in my eyes.

"Hoo."

The colleague who had struggled alongside me at Daydream Corporation averted his gaze with a complex expression.

…She must have sympathized to some extent.

But one person was different.

"…You’ve been walking around in that state?"

“…….”

Agent Bronze stared blankly at my injury before suddenly looking at me as if realizing something.

"That drug."

As expected.

He realized the true purpose of the regeneration potion I had given him.

“…….”

"Are you insane?!"

"I’m not."

Thanks to the Happy Maker, my mind was calm.

I steadied my breathing and even managed a faint smile at him.

Accompanied by an explanation he could accept.

"Listen. It was a rational decision."

"What?"

"I wouldn’t have died without immediate treatment, but you were in a life-threatening situation."

“…….”

"And if a veteran like you hadn’t joined our group, the civilians who requested rescue would have been in danger as well."

That’s right.

From the beginning, I hadn’t counted the two high school students Agent Bronze was protecting as part of the rescue team.

My original plan was based on the assumption that three people could hold out on the stair landing.

Me, Go Yeongeun, and the high school student assigned to me.

That made three.

‘…By giving up on Agent Bronze, that is.’

But the situation changed when I found the signs left by Agent Bronze.

Instead of Agent Bronze, two high school students joined—one unpredictable, the other completely out of it.

‘…It was difficult.’

If they had been adults, maybe I could have just ignored them.

But they were only 15 or 16, and in today’s world, cutting them off was unthinkable… given modern sensibilities.

In the end, the best answer was right in front of me.

Rescue Agent Bronze.

‘And since I couldn’t use Nostalgia Candy endlessly, the regeneration potion was the better choice.’

Overall, even if I put aside my personal plans, it was a rational decision as a rescue agent of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.

"So… I believe my decision was reasonable."

“…….”

But Agent Bronze’s expression darkened.

He opened his mouth with difficulty.

"…Why, exactly…?"

At that moment.

Clang.

“…!”

The three agents snapped their heads around instantly.

"Ah, damn."

Someone had been hiding behind the tent and was now nervously watching us. They hastily picked up a fallen camping cup and put it back in place.

…It was one of the high school students Agent Bronze had been protecting.

‘Oh dear.’

First, I made sure to properly cover the area where my arm was missing with my jacket.

"...Let’s talk once we’re out of the supermarket."

“…….”

Agent Bronze hesitated, then, with a regretful look, lowered his head and quietly walked toward the far end of the camping section.

Go Yeongeun glanced between me and Agent Bronze before sighing and following him.

“…….”

Then, the high school student who had been hesitating and observing the situation cautiously approached me.

"Um… I’m sorry…."

"…I know you didn’t mean to eavesdrop. It’s fine."

"No, actually…"

The high school student hesitated before finally speaking properly.

"What I did earlier…."

“…….”

‘Sigh.’

"Alright. Apology accepted."

“…….”

"Hang in there a little longer until we get out."

"Um,"

The high school student suddenly spoke up again.

"This time, when we leave, I’ll steal properly. That… item."

Ah.

"It’s fine."

I patted the student’s shoulder with my remaining arm.

"This time, there’s no need to steal."

“…?”

Because we won’t be taking that risk.

The student looked puzzled for a moment but soon nodded and quietly returned to his friend.

And just like that, silence settled around me for a moment.

“…….”

It felt a little awkward.

…Maybe I’d gotten too used to having friends who completely understood and empathized with me in times like this.

Anyway.

"Haa."

Now, only the final step remains.

And this will work.

‘…Even with a slightly larger group, we have two types of escape items.’

We can do this.

I reached inside my jacket and took out the items I had safely and thoroughly stored.

Two white envelopes.

‘Gift certificates.’

Then, I quietly sat down and reviewed the reinforced version of my original plan once more.

Until everyone was ready.

A moment later.

"Everyone has their candy in their mouth, right?"

"Yes! Both of us have it."

"Good."

I checked the high school students looking out for each other, then turned to the agents.

The two who had tidied up the camping section met my gaze with grim expressions.

The briefing was over.

Now…

‘It’s time to leave.’

The six of us left the third floor and began descending calmly.

Outdated pop songs, laughter, the sound of people pushing carts.

"Haha!"

"No way, that’s too expensive. Put it back."

The lively chatter of shoppers echoed around us. It had only been a few days, but it felt so nostalgic.

Of course, since these were ghosts of the past who couldn’t see, hear, or recognize us, the eerie feeling never quite went away.

The tension, too.

“…….”

“…….”

"Excuse me."

One of the high school students spoke up.

"Back there…"

"Shh."

I warned him and quietly sent him ahead.

Because I had already seen what he saw.

At the end of the escalator, someone stood there, staring blankly at us.

Bloodshot eyes, filthy clothes, lips muttering something incoherent.

Someone who was once normal, still wearing the same clothes they had on months ago when they had come to the store for a quick errand at night.

A long-term missing person.

I pulled the student’s shoulder closer to me.

"...Don’t smile, and don’t look anxious."

If you smile, they think they can leave too and will follow. If you look nervous, they see you as an easy target and will follow.

‘…They can’t be saved anyway.’

There was no point in tormenting myself with hope or fear over something impossible.

The student swallowed hard and nodded, then lowered his head and stayed close behind me.

“…….”

One of the missing people, with disheveled hair and a broken leg dragging behind, stepped onto the escalator as well.

Because they want to leave.

But that wasn’t all.

…I could feel their eyes on us.

Behind the meat counter, behind the promotional displays, next to employees—muttering, crying, laughing, staring blankly.

They were about to step onto the escalator.

‘…The first floor will be crawling with them.’

And eventually, when they get caught by the staff, they’ll become ‘stock’ and disappear.

By evening, the lower floors will be ‘cleaned up,’ and new victims will wander around, thinking they are the only ones trapped in this past version of the store….

“…….”

Even through the painkillers, the eerie chill crawled down my spine.

We continued forward at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow. And soon, we returned to the place where we had entered.

The first floor.

In front of the checkout counters.

"…Let’s start quickly."

I took the high school student I had been looking after…

Instead of heading for the exit, I walked straight to the checkout counter.

Each of us picked up a snack and a canned drink from the display in front of us.

"Excuse me."

"Huh?"

The cashier snapped their head up and looked right at me.

That’s right.

They ‘recognize’ me.

"Ah, you're a customer!"

“……!”

This was the power of the gift certificate.

Being recognized as a legitimate customer of the supermarket.

“ – If you use a gift certificate, you can simply walk out.”

“ -…!”

There was no need to deceive the supermarket anymore.

"Please check me out."

"Ah, yes!"

Beep, beep.

The cashier cheerfully scanned my items and took the gift certificate…

"Um, we can’t give change for amounts smaller than 100 won, but if you pay 600 won in cash, we can round it to 1,000 won."

"…It’s fine. Just give it as is."

"Really? Alright then~"

The cashier handed me four 10,000-won gift certificates and eight 1,000-won bills as change.

I immediately handed a few 1,000-won gift certificates to the student, who then repeated the same process I had just done.

With a trembling voice.

"Ah, wait, this too!"

To avoid raising suspicion from the cashier, we ensured that even though we purchased items separately, the total change wouldn't seem excessive.

And then…

"Thank you."

"Thank you~ Please visit Lucky Mart again!"

We made it through.