Ding—Fifth basement floor.
“It’s been a while since I was last here.”
While this task typically fell to the team leader, their injury yesterday meant I had to come down in their stead.
After knocking and cautiously opening the door, I found a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows sipping coffee inside.
“Greetings, Director.”
“Hmm… You must be Kim Do-hyun from the New Urban Legend Investigation Team, correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“You’ve done a truly remarkable job this time. Given the scale of the urban legend, the casualties weren’t as numerous as they could have been. We very nearly incurred astronomical losses.”
Indeed, aside from several nearby buildings being partially destroyed, a few civilians, and dozens of agency employees dying, there was no significant damage.
Considering the sheer magnitude and power of the urban legend, this outcome was nothing short of miraculous.
“Thank you.”
“Of course, had we confiscated that candy before any of this transpired, there wouldn’t have been any issues at all.”
“…I apologize.”
“Well, I suppose it couldn’t be helped. We ourselves had scant information on the phenomenon of urban legends materializing, so how could you possibly have known?”
“…”
“The organization suspected of being behind this incident is currently under investigation and will be apprehended soon enough. In any case, that’s not the only reason I summoned you.”
The Director cleared his throat, then fixed his gaze upon me.
“I apologize, but please turn off your phone. The information I’m about to share is quite sensitive. Consequently, and this goes without saying, nothing I discuss from this point forward must ever be leaked.”
I nodded, switching off my phone.
“What I wish to speak with you about is the Urban Legend Shop—the very entity that was both the root cause and the ultimate solution to this recent incident.”
“The Urban Legend Shop…?”
“Indeed. Based on your recent reports, the items we recovered and subsequently researched proved to be far more valuable than we could have imagined. As you’re aware, urban legend artifacts are not easily acquired, and even if they are, one can never predict what side effects they might unleash.”
“Yes.”
“Yet, the shop’s items possessed no abilities beyond what the Merchant explicitly stated. Do you understand what this signifies?”
I listened silently to the Director’s words.
“Precisely. It means these are reliable items, entirely devoid of any side effects. Pills that can cure a cold and even dispel hallucinations, a piece of flesh capable of satisfying a day’s hunger—you can surely grasp the immense value these possess. What’s more, the variety of goods available has reportedly expanded, hasn’t it?”
Gradually, I began to understand the Director’s true intentions.
“…We have an infinite supply of fingers to expend.”
“The Merchant might, at some point, demand vital organs like hearts or brains.”
“Do you genuinely believe that the life of a single hardened criminal outweighs the value of those items?”
The Director’s expression was utterly serious.
From the moment I first met him, the Director had always been someone who judged individuals solely by their utility.
‘In truth, to attain the position of Director here, perhaps everyone is destined to become this way.’
“Haha, of course, if they were to cross a line, we’d have to deal with the shop. However, according to the reports, the Merchant seems to be a rather benevolent entity.”
“…No, there was no sense that they intended to harm humans.”
“Which brings me to this: the higher-ups have already conducted meetings regarding the shop. And the outcome? Well, judging by your expression, I’d say you’ve already figured it out.”
The Director took a slow sip of his coffee.
“Indeed. We wish for the New Urban Legend Investigation Team—that is, you and Team Leader Park Se-jin—to handle negotiations with the shop in secret.”
****
“Team Leader, are you truly well enough to be moving around already?”
“What’s the big deal about a mere strained back? And look at you, your finger’s grown back, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, I just finished treatment.”
Outside the hospital, the sky stretched an impossibly clear blue, making yesterday’s harrowing events feel like nothing more than a distant dream.
Yet, this fleeting peace was shattered by the distant sounds of construction, echoing from the utterly ruined neighborhood and reminding me of the agony of the past few days.
“Tsk.”
The Team Leader clicked his tongue, still seemingly indignant that he had been bested by an urban legend.
“Choi Seong-min is currently in custody and undergoing investigation, while the rest of his family is being kept safe.”
“Right.”
“Team Leader, I have something to tell you.”
“Hm?”
I concisely relayed the conversation I had with the Director.
With each word I spoke, I watched his expression progressively twist into a frown.
“…So why us?”
“They said it’s to minimize the number of people aware of the shop’s existence.”
“True, if it ever came to light that we were dealing with urban legends, the entire world would erupt in chaos.”
“Yes.”
“Ha… We’re the New Urban Legend Investigation Team, an *investigation* team! No, our job is simply to investigate urban legends and pass the information on to the response team, isn’t it? So why do we have to take on a task like this?”
“…”
“This whole mess started because of that damn shop in the first place. I understand the higher-ups had their reasons for making this decision, but…”
Feeling that further lamentation would be futile, the Team Leader pulled a cigarette from his pocket.
“Team Leader, you’re not supposed to be smoking yet.”
“Shut up. I promised myself I’d smoke today.”
“…Understood.”
As he brought the lighter to the cigarette, a bitter scent wafted through the air.
“We have to go right away, don’t we?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s talk on the way.”
“Team Leader, smoking while walking (TL Note: ‘Gilbbang’ is a Korean slang term referring to smoking while walking in public, often considered impolite or inappropriate.) is—”
“Alright, alright!”
The Team Leader’s palm lightly tapped the back of my head.
It didn’t particularly hurt.
While the Team Leader grumbled and smoked, I rummaged through my pocket.
Pushing aside the weapon I carried for any unforeseen threats, I retrieved a business card.
Urban Legend Shop
Operating Hours: 1:21 PM ~
It was a business card that, for me, had become quite familiar.
The Team Leader stubbed out his cigarette in a portable ashtray and approached me.
“Let’s go.”
****
“Ugh… I slept well.”
After a few nights, I realized that sleeping on a blanket on the floor wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined.
“It’s not time yet, is it?”
About twenty minutes remained.
Finally, the day had arrived.
‘What had all my efforts been for until now?’
‘Why, for a friendly relationship with the Urban Legend Management Bureau, of course!’
“I truly worked hard!”
‘What a load of nonsense.’
“Hey. I’m in a good mood right now.”
Of course, the shop had never once spoken to me politely, but with each passing moment, it seemed to grow increasingly rude.
I casually shoved the Dream Dissolving Liquid I’d concocted yesterday into a drawer and then checked on the available goods.
‘Considering future transactions, I should probably start acquiring other goods soon.’
‘From what I could tell, the neighborhood seemed completely half-destroyed, so ‘Paradoxical Time’ might be a good next item.’
‘Once my discussion with the Urban Legend Management Bureau concludes, I should go acquire it immediately.’
As I pondered new merchandise, the appointed time arrived.
The door opened, and into the shop stepped Kim Do-hyun, accompanied by a woman who felt strangely familiar.
‘Given her appearance and the fact that she’s with Kim Do-hyun, it must be Park Se-jin.’
“We meet again, customer. What brings you here today?”
“Merchant, are you familiar with the concept of a transaction?”
‘What kind of question is that?’
“I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that, but asking a Merchant if they understand transactions is akin to asking a mathematician if they know multiplication, wouldn’t you agree?”
In other words, I was asking why they were stating the obvious.
“Then… never mind.”
An expression of relief settled on Do-hyun’s face.
‘What, did they think I wouldn’t know something so simple just because I’m an urban legend?’
“By the way, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the lady with you. What brings her along?”
At my words, Park Se-jin stepped forward toward me.
“Urban Legend Merchant.”
“Yes?”
“We are from the Urban Legend Management Bureau.”
I briefly considered whether I should pretend to be surprised, but decided to remain silent.
“And we… wish to regularly trade for your shop’s goods.”
‘Finally!’
“In exchange for this, our Urban Legend Management Bureau will not designate this shop as a target for elimination, and we will also regularly purchase your more expensive items.”
‘Yes!’
“However, to facilitate this, Merchant, we also request that you refrain from conducting transactions with civilians.”
‘Huh?’
‘I can’t do that.’
‘While I don’t necessarily wish to sell items to civilians and cause trouble, I have an existing arrangement with Label’s Library.’
‘That is, to share the stories of the customers who visit my shop.’
‘If I proceed with this deal, I wouldn’t be able to hear any stories from the Management Bureau.’
‘Then I wouldn’t be able to provide the Librarian with customers’ stories.’
‘I’ve been striving for this future all along, only to be blocked now?’
‘No.’
‘If that were the case, Label’s Library wouldn’t have given me a prophecy of success.’
“I view all of this positively, but the final request seems rather difficult to accommodate.”
“In that case, the remaining option for our Urban Legend Management Bureau is—”
“But! If we each compromise slightly, this transaction could still be possible.”
“Slightly… meaning?”
I don’t need many civilian customers.
“I will accept exactly five civilian customers per month.”
“…Please wait a moment.”
Park Se-jin approached Kim Do-hyun and quietly conferred with her.
Of course, I couldn’t hear a thing with my ordinary ears, but I possessed another set of ears.
“Shop, tell me what the customer is saying.”
“‘What do you think?'”
“‘The Director seemed to view this transaction as highly important, so we should proceed with it, even in this manner.'”
“‘Tsk, the Management Bureau will handle the victims on their own.'”
‘That’s what they said.’
‘The Director, huh? Now I understand whose idea this transaction was.’
‘Someone like him would certainly choose to deal with an urban legend.’
“Very well. However, three civilians are the maximum we can allow. Furthermore, these civilians must be able to leave the shop through simple bodily severances, such as a finger.”
Three people… it’s a bit tight, but it should be fine.
“Understood. Let’s proceed with that.”
“Then I will inform the Management Bureau. Tomorrow will likely be our first transaction.”
Though it was merely a verbal agreement, the moment the Director was mentioned, I felt an unwavering certainty that this deal would never be broken.
“…”
“By the way, when will the exit door appear?”
“Excuse me? You’ve come to the shop, so you must purchase something.”
“?”
What.
