Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual Chapter 25

“…Ugh…”

 

Cough, cough…! Cough!

 

Lee Seonhae sat up, coughing up water violently.

 

“Argh, ah… my nose feels so blocked… water got in my ears….” 

 

She rubbed her ears roughly at the unpleasant sensation of foreign liquid. Not satisfied with that, she thumped the side of her head. Yet, the water drained at a thoroughly frustrating pace. 

 

“Ugh, seriously….”

 

Perhaps the rewards of having been so physically active in her youth paid off, as she quickly regained her composure.

 

‘I’m going to seriously tear that crazy bastard apart.’

 

Her mind grew sharper as she poured curses toward the guest from Room 703, but only for a brief moment. Lee Seonhae realized that the ground she was stepping on was excessively damp and heavy. 

 

…Huh?

 

“…?”

 

Lee Seonhae realized that the place she was in was remarkably humid. Whether it was from being continuously exposed to water or because the temperature of the water was low, her body felt freezing. 

 

“….”

 

Wait a minute, this is strange. ‘Water temperature’?

 

“…Where am I?”

 

When she lifted her head, instead of the hotel walls, a vast darkness with no end in sight stretched out before her eyes.

 

“What in the….”

 

At the same time, there was light. 

 

Beneath a height so distant she couldn’t even tell if it was a ceiling or the night sky, a massive surface of water spread out. It was too vast to be called a swimming pool. It was too still to be called a sea. Every time a ripple moved, a blue light spread from beneath the surface.

 

An ethereal sight that one might only expect to see on some distant foreign beach. It was certainly beautiful, but it was chilly, alien, and struck a jarring note. Just by looking at it, she could not shake off a sickening impression, as if the very bottom of her mind was being gnawed away…. 

 

Just how long had she been staring at ‘that thing’? 

 

“….”

 

Lee Seonhae suddenly snapped back to her senses.

 

‘…N-No, this is no time for this. Did that lunatic actually drag me all the way here?’ 

 

It was just as she was wringing the water out of her soaked clothes.

 

“….” 

 

“….” 

 

“….”

 

There wasn’t just one.

 

In every gap of the dark ceiling, behind every invisible pillar, and in every shadow beneath the deep water where not a single speck of light reached.

 

Something—many things.

 

“…Ha?”

 

…Were watching me.

 

* * *

 

Lee Yeonwoo always thought.

 

That it was better for him to die.

 

His death. His injury. His pain.

 

These were all areas he could control himself. They belonged entirely to him and were nothing more than constants that didn’t even need to be excluded from his calculations.

 

“….”

 

…Which was why he was angry at the variable before his eyes. 

 

“…Aha.”

 

He was a bit, very angry.

 

“So, what you are saying, Writer-nim, is.” 

 

“Yes, yes.” 

 

“Is that Director Lee Seonhae has gone missing.” 

 

“Just yesterday—no, even until dawn, we were talking together… She isn’t the type of person to just go out somewhere, and there’s no reason for her to do that… Her phone is just lying there… even her shoes are still there….” 

 

“I see. Thank you for cooperating with the explanation of the situation.”

 

He had thought there was a possibility. Once ‘The Wet Man’ begins tracking, he abducts the human guest and takes them to the Aqua Park within three days. And once 12 hours have passed, he kills them.

 

The phrase ‘within three days’ used here. Three days is the maximum; the minimum is not set. The fastest time Lee Yeonwoo had confirmed was one minute later. He was that kind of groundless guest.

 

“I, I just didn’t know what to do, how to handle it. We were using separate rooms. It feels like something happened at dawn, but I couldn’t check. Because I, because I was just sleeping….” 

 

At Hong Gyeongyeon’s self-reproach, Lee Yeonwoo lowered his eyes for a moment before letting a smile spread across his face.

 

“Taking a rest within the guest room is a guest’s natural right. It is not your fault, Writer-nim. According to the circumstances you’ve shared, Director Lee Seonhae’s absence likely wasn’t of her own will either.” 

 

“Yes, right, it must be. It has to be. I need to calm down.” 

 

“Yes, you are doing well.”

 

He managed Hong Gyeongyeon’s agitation. He still needed information.

 

“What was the time you last spoke with the Director?” 

 

 “The last time I saw her was, uh… around… two in the morning. To be precise, I think it was around one-fifty-something.” 

 

“I see. Then, what was the exact time you realized the Director was missing?” 

 

“It was seven o’clock. We had packed all our luggage before going to sleep and just… we decided to carry it out as soon as we woke up in the morning. It was seven o’clock. Yes, seven o’clock.”

 

In that case, the gap was about five hours. That meant it had been at most five hours since she was abducted.

 

‘If only this weren’t a tutorial, a single system upgrade would have given me an immediate estimate of what time she was dragged away. Since I don’t have the interface, I feel like my hands and feet are tied as a user. How very bothersome.’

 

Now then.

 

‘What should I do now?’

 

There was no point in just being angry. The golden time was set.

 

‘Since the timing is so coincidental, I can’t rule out the possibility that the hotel side played a trick. Coco’s reaction yesterday was particularly bothering me, too. If they were the ones who egged on The Wet Man… it would be rational to assume she was snatched away as soon as she fell asleep at 2 AM.’

 

Then, how much time is left?

 

‘At least seven hours.’

 

The problem lay in the fact that he was still in the middle of the tutorial.

 

‘…The current me cannot move to the 23rd floor.’

 

Think. Think. He thought again.

 

This was the reason why, during the long, long dawn, even with his room’s bed nearby, he had spared even a single sigh to review countless cases. Such a worst-case scenario was also within his assumed range.

 

He had wondered if the board would really be set up so irrationally, but even though he had set that probability low and sincerely hoped they could check out safely.

 

“…”

 

…Despite that, the situation had already unfolded.

 

“…Writer Hong Gyeongyeon.” 

 

“Yes? Ah, yes. Yes.” 

 

“If it’s not an intrusion, would you please help me?” 

 

“Ah, if there’s anything I can do, anything…!” 

 

“This place is called ‘Hotel One.’”

 

Lee Yeonwoo filled out the register. The sound of the pen tip rolling over the paper was rhythmic and neat.

 

“The standard for completing a normal tutorial is as follows. In the case of a ‘human guest’,”

 

Having finished signing the last box, he lifted his head.

 

“It is only considered a complete ‘finish’ after securing Nightmares from the guest, following normal checkout procedures, and passing through the main gate.” 

 

“…Yes? What does that mean….” 

 

“However, in a ‘tutorial bug’ situation like the current one, exception rules are sometimes applied. When the scheduled stay period has ended, there is about a 60% probability that a completion judgment is rendered even if only some of the party members check out.” 

 

“…I’m sorry, what are you saying?” 

 

“Additionally, there have been reported cases where the process is treated as complete just by securing Nightmares with a similar probability. By combining these two variables, the calculation shows that a ‘conditional completion’ judgment can be pulled off with a probability between approximately 82.4% and 85.6%.” 

 

“That….” 

 

“Excuse me.”

 

He handed over the register—the contract.

 

“Please sign here.” 

 

“…Do you have no intention of explaining a bit further?” 

 

“I know that you will eventually forget, just as all the guests who have visited this hotel did.” 

 

“….”

 

Hong Gyeongyeon, who had taken the fountain pen, looked at Lee Yeonwoo. A blank face. The expression of a person who had lost their way. Did he consider it an unrealistic situation? 

 

Staring at the pen tip, he asked. 

 

“Then, what will change?” 

 

“The probability of Director Lee Seonhae’s survival will rise exponentially.” 

 

“And?” 

 

“Writer Hong Gyeongyeon will be paying the accommodation fee.” 

 

“You said you wouldn’t accept them.” 

 

“That was my plan, but unfortunately, this particular case is a task that incurs separate labor costs. I ask for your broad understanding.” 

 

“….” 

 

“…Upon completion of the tutorial through a bug….”

 

Lee Yeonwoo paused for a moment before speaking. Adding words that would be forgotten anyway was the last consideration he bestowed as a hotelier.

 

“If a specific event has occurred to a companion, the moment the completion judgment is made, that event can be immediately taken over and continued. It means I can move straight to the 23rd floor as long as there are no variables.” 

 

“…What happens if the luck is very bad?” 

 

“In that case, I must take a somewhat dangerous approach. It is a foolish and inefficient means, but there will be no surer way to save a person. Of course, if luck is on our side, such a situation will not occur.” 

 

“…What do I need to do….” 

 

“Please sign, Guest.”

 

Ah, this was a game line. That was how ‘Nightmare harvesting’ became possible.

 

“Did you have a bad time at our hotel?”

 

“….”

 

After a long while.

 

“…Yes.”

 

Hong Gyeongyeon signed with a trembling hand.

 

“…Here.” 

 

“Thank you.”

 

Lee Yeonwoo smiled and bowed his head.

 

“Please, have a good day.”

 

* * *

 

“Please, have a good day.” 

 

“….”

 

Hong Gyeongyeon blinked his eyes.

 

He felt a somewhat dazed sensation, but it quickly vanished. 

 

“…Hmm? Ah, yes. Have a good day.” 

 

“How shall we transport the luggage you left in your room?” 

 

“Luggage… oh right, I’m sorry. I didn’t bring it down. I must have forgotten.” 

 

“It is something that often occurs when the fatigue of travel has not been relieved. Please do not pay it any mind. If it is acceptable to you, our staff will collect the luggage directly from the room and escort it to the lobby.” 

 

“If you would do that, I’d be grateful.” 

 

“It is only natural for us to do our best for those who have sought out our hotel.”

 

Lee Yeonwoo called the staff. It was still a command using that small gold bell. Their ‘method’ still left an unpleasant feeling, but she forced herself to look away.

 

It was enough to have let a kid get hurt once through selfish interference.

 

“….” 

 

“Come to think of it, as for Director Lee Seonhae….” 

 

“…Ah, she had an urgent matter and left for Seoul first.” 

 

“Oh dear, to Seoul?” 

 

“I don’t know well what the matter is, though.” 

 

She had an idea. She suspected that perhaps the maternal side of the family had called. She had heard the story that Seonhae had sought advice from ‘the uncle elder’ recently. There was a high possibility it was the aftermath of that.

 

‘She might be getting a piece of someone’s mind for poking around such a dangerous place.’

 

He felt sorry in many ways. If only he hadn’t gone to the 7th floor, things wouldn’t have escalated this far. Having well passed the age of thirty, what kind of nuisance was this. 

 

“Well, I guess we’ll have to handle the work we were doing in Gapyeong ourselves for now. It doesn’t seem like she’ll be coming right back after going to Seoul… if she drops by the hotel alone, please kick her out.” 

 

“Haha, you’re making quite a difficult request of a hotel employee.” 

 

“Ah, no, I didn’t mean it like that….” 

 

“It was a small joke. I know well what you are concerned about, Writer-nim. If the Director truly seeks this place out again alone, I will take measures to ensure she returns home safely, even if I have to exercise my private discretion.” 

 

“Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease.” 

 

“So please, do not worry.”

 

The General Manager smiled with his eyes curved.

 

“Shouldn’t you return home comfortably?” 

 

“….”

 

…It was something he kept thinking, but he truly smiled like a fox. 

 

He seemed sly yet polite, and while he was kind, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking inside at all. Director Lee Seonhae had evaluated him as ‘a person who uses his body well,’ and indeed, he was.

 

He was a person who perfectly knew how to draw the other party’s attention to himself.

 

“I will take measures to the best of my ability so that there is nothing for you to worry about.” 

 

“…Yes, I’ll leave it to you.” 

 

“Have a safe trip.”

 

What could it be?

 

‘…Is there some luggage I forgot?’

 

He didn’t know the reason, but he felt a bit uneasy.

 

That question remained with him even up until the moment he got into the car.