Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 251

245. Give me a hug

 

Before finding Choi Eulseong, the rigging of the marble game match ended quite effortlessly.

 

Congratulations! By winning the pop-up game ‘Marble Game,’ you can now activate the skill ‘Location Tracking (S).’

 

The skill activation condition was completed in just a few minutes. I immediately activated the skill.

 

Skill: Location Tracking (S) has been activated. Please follow the red dot on the map.

 

Finding Choi Eulseong’s location was easy. The only remaining problem was one thing.

 

‘I need to turn this family’s Christmas at our hotel into a warm memory.’

 

That was both the most important part of the quest Merlin Grey had given me and my duty as the hotel owner.

 

Demon King

 

How can you lose someone with so many hotel staff around?

 

There’s something I need to show that grumpy Demon Lord as well.

 

‘What better way than forcibly dragging out Choi Eul-seong, who is lost and confused, or making him face his family?’

 

According to Geumdong, Choi Eulseong’s son was restless the entire time at the banquet, constantly checking on his father. 

 

I heard that he was even spotted arguing with his son a few times. 

 

‘Mr. Choi Eulseong kept playing with the soldier doll that the association president gave him. His son took it away, probably to prevent it from causing trouble for others, and Mr. Choi got upset. It seems like he really wanted the soldier doll. Apparently, it was a toy he used to play with a lot when he was a child.’

 

In that case, if the father and son meet right away, all that would be left is for them to fight. 

 

‘And then, they might get angry and just go straight home.’

 

It was the worst case scenario, but it was possible.

 

It seemed like the guests in room 201, whom I had read through mind communication earlier, were thinking of this Christmas Eve as a nightmare. 

 

There must be some way—

 

“You’re saying my father is in the hallway on another floor? How did he get there? What were the hotel staff doing…?”

 

Choi Eulseong’s son flinched when he saw my gaze piercing through him. 

 

“O, of course, I’m not trying to blame anyone, but…” 

 

“Guest.” 

 

“Yes? Sure. Please, go ahead. Feel free to speak…”

 

‘Guest Room 201’ was intimidated by the gaze of the number one ranked person.

 

What are you scared of?

 

I said to him with the most affectionate eyes I could muster.

 

“I have a question.”

 

I looked up and down at the small-framed son of Choi Eulseong and spoke. 

 

Since the doll’s clothes were made loosely anyway, I think he’ll fit in. 

 

“Yes? Why are you asking something like that in this situation…? First, we need to find my father…” 

 

“Did your father ever dress up as Santa and do any events or something like that?” 

 

“Well, of course. My father is very affectionate…”

 

Choi Eulseong’s son’s expression became mysterious for a moment as he answered the absurd question.

 

Something came to mind. 

 

“Moreover, my grandfather has been in the toy import business for generations, so we always had plenty of toys at home. But he always dressed up as Santa and gave me and my younger sibling better toys on Christmas.” 

 

‘Guest Room 201’ misses it. 

 

‘Guest Room 201’ regrets it. 

 

I watched as the windows popped up one after another, and his face hardened. 

 

From longing to regret, from regret to deep longing, and from that deep longing to deep regret.

 

The emotions grew bigger and bigger, adding layers to them. 

 

“Ha… When I was a child, whenever I wanted a toy, my father would always get it for me. But today, I feel like I haven’t done anything for him, no, for Dad, at all.” 

 

Choi Eulseong’s son roughly ruffled his hair. 

 

I said before his emotions got any stronger.

 

“You can still do something for your father, Guest.” 

 

“Yes?” 

 

“You mentioned that your father used to dress up as Santa and give you presents, right? Today, you can be the present for your father.” 

 

“….!”

 

Demon King

 

What are you going to do again?

 

I didn’t reply to the Demon King’s chat.

 

Let’s see.

 

How I resolved my first complaint.

 

* * * 

 

And so, like this… 

 

In front of Choi Eulseong, his son appeared as the large toy soldier itself. 

 

In fact, I was a little surprised at his appearance as a boy the moment I saw Choi Eulseong. 

 

However, as soon as Choi Eulseong’s elderly eyes found the gaze of his younger self in his son’s eyes, the situation strangely felt perfectly natural. 

 

And I could immediately tell who he was calling ‘dad’ right now.

 

“Dad.”

 

Choi Eulseong’s eyes noticeably brightened as soon as he looked at his son. 

 

“You’ve become a huge soldier doll, my dad!”

 

“…”

 

And perhaps Choi Eulseong’s son had found the ‘boy’s gaze’ in his father as well. 

 

He froze.

 

“Did you… really come to find me…?” 

 

The corners of his son’s eyes turned red for a moment as he watched Choi Eulseong, who lowered his head as if he was shy. 

 

“Why… why are you crying? Did I upset you?Because I’m always asking for sweets and begging to play with dolls?” 

 

Choi Eulseong’s wrinkled eyes crumpled as soon as he saw his son’s eyes turn red.

 

It was as if his fatherly love was still alive even in the moment he became a boy.

 

“Dad…?”

 

The son, who silently shed a tear, grabbed his father’s hand.

 

The hand must have been much older and wrinkled than the one he had seen when he was young.

 

Then he looked at me quietly over his father’s shoulder.

 

He must have been thinking about what I had said earlier.

 

‘Please be Mr. Choi Eulseong’s gift today.’

 

He then seemed to make up his mind, gripping his father’s shoulder and smiling gently. 

 

“Eulseong has been so good, so today, it’s Dad’s turn to give a gift. My gift is—”

 

The son quietly looked down at his father’s eyes looking up at him.

 

It was a moment that made the hearts of those watching strangely thump.

 

It was because, despite losing his recent memories to dementia, and not even remembering that he had a son, there was still love for his child evident in the eyes of Mr. Choi Eulseong. 

 

Maybe ‘memory’ is not eternal, but ‘love’ is eternal.

 

That’s why Choi Eulseong calls his son ‘Dad’. 

 

Because children’s love for their fathers is absolute.

 

Maybe he unconsciously calls him that because he wants to give that love to his son.

 

In Choi Eulseong’s lost memories, the look in his young son’s eyes looking up at him was so good. He was so happy.

 

Maybe he wanted to give that back.

 

“My gift is a hug, Eulseong-ah.”

  

“….!” 

 

Choi Eulseong’s eyes lit up. When his son reached out his hand, Choi Eul-seong hugged his son like a little child.

 

Choi Eulseong’s face, smiling brightly, glowed with joy.

 

Like a little child receiving a gift he really wanted.

 

“This is all I can do… Hic… I’m sorry… Next Christmas, the Christmas after that, I’ll give you something better.” 

 

“Hehe, Daddy’s arms are warm.”

 

“Eulseong, thank you so much…I’m sorry. I love you.”

 

I stood still, listening to the sound of his sobbing voice.

 

I could hear Geumdong sniffing quietly from behind.

 

Congratulations! You’ve completed the quest ‘I Am the Complaint Resolver!’

 

At the same time, this window popped up.

 

When I looked back, Choi Eulseong’s grandson and daughter-in-law were standing together in front of the elevator door.  

 

“Grandpa… Dad…”

 

Wonyoung ran to Choi Eulseong’s son and Choi Eulseong, who were crying while hugging each other. Then, he hugged them tightly.

 

Choi Eulseong’s daughter-in-law, who had been hesitating after seeing that, ran over and hugged the three of them gently, patting them on the back. 

 

‘The quest is complete.’

 

In other words, the hotel guests’ worries and anxieties were resolved.

 

‘It’s solved right away.’

 

I had originally prepared one more thing.

 

The quest was resolved, but—

 

I started working on the system Alex had created as planned.

 

* * *

 

Congratulations! You have completed the quest ‘Find the Old Friend, the Soldier Doll’ by hugging the Soldier Doll tightly. Please collect your reward.  

 

A window appeared in front of young Choi Eulseong. 

 

At the same time, the three people who were holding him opened their eyes wide.

 

“The quest…”

 

It was because a window like Choi Eulseong’s had appeared. 

 

Soon, a bellboy dressed in a soldier’s outfit approached Choi Eulseong and his family and handed them something. 

 

“Congratulations! You’ve completed the quest so quickly! As expected, you’re truly a friend of the toys. Hehe. This is your quest completion reward. Sweet and delicious Dal~go~na~” 

 

When Choi Eulseong saw the sweet Dalgona that the bellboy handed out, he quickly opened it and started eating it. 

 

His son, who would have stopped Choi Eulseong just a moment ago, just watched him quietly.

 

He wanted to do that today.

 

And he snatched the Dalgona from Choi Eulseong’s hand, who had failed to open the package with his hasty hands, and even opened it for him. 

 

“Take your time, eat it deliciously.”

 

“…Mhm!”

 

Choi Eulseong smiled brightly and replied, then brought his tongue to the dalgona. 

 

The intense sweetness stimulated his taste buds.

 

And then, crunch, the moment Choi Eulseong took a bite of the dalgona. 

 

A large toy house appeared before his eyes.

 

A toy house that sparkled with bright lights and had trees and gift boxes placed everywhere.

 

When he opened the door, there was something that jumped out at him. It was a soldier doll that looked much newer than the soldier doll that had popped out of the picture earlier. 

 

The soldier doll smiled brightly as it reached Choi Eulseong. 

 

-You finally found me…!

 

Choi Eulseong couldn’t take his eyes off the doll.

 

-I’ve missed you. I’ve been waiting for a long time!

 

The doll welcomed him like an old friend they hadn’t seen in a long time. 

 

-Let’s have fun together like we used to…! 

 

The moment he took the hand the doll extended, the door of the toy house swung open wider, and other dolls—Rudolph, marionettes, ballerina dolls, and more—waved happily at Choi Eulseong.

 

-You’re back!

 

-It’s nice to see you! 

 

-Let’s have fun again!

 

The warm lights brightened and Choi Eulseong’s eyes turned hazy.

 

When Choi Eulseong closed his eyes in the dazzling lights and opened them again, his son stood where the fantasy soldier doll had been. 

 

“Taeyoung… …?” 

 

When Choi Eulseong spoke with a blank face, his son’s expression hardened slightly.

 

Did he make a mistake again?

 

Choi Eulseong, who had been tense all the time since being diagnosed with dementia, habitually stiffened his body at that moment. 

 

His son grabbed Choi Eul-seong’s hand.

 

“Let’s go back, Dad. You should finish eating.”

 

“….?”

 

When his blank mind came back, his son, daughter-in-law, and even his grandson, who had always had angry faces, surrounded Choi Eulseong with bright and gentle faces for some reason. 

 

“Let’s all have fun together today, Dad.”

 

Just like the toy dolls that had surrounded Choi Eulseong and smiled in the fantasy. 

 

* * *

 

“I miss you, Uncle Santa.”

 

When I returned to the banquet hall with the guests of room 201, the sweet voice of Millennium Idol was resonating throughout the room. 

 

Fortunately, it seemed that the performance had not ended yet. 

 

“Please pat me.”

 

I looked at the ‘screen that shows what I want to see’ slowly coming down along with Min Kangjin’s voice.

 

It was exactly the moment I wanted.

 

“Please hug me. Give me a present like you did to the little boy that day.”

 

The moment the word ‘present’ appeared.

 

The screen came down and everyone saw what they wanted to see the most behind Min Kangjin’s back.

 

“I hope that gift is the White Christmas we shared together.” 

 

“…Wow…!” 

 

“Crazy…!”

 

“Wow….”

 

Everyone couldn’t hold back their exclamations.

 

Some smiled and looked at each other, some held the hand of the person sitting next to them, and others sniffled quietly. 

 

I could say with certainty that, at this moment, everyone’s minds would remember Christmas Eve at Yeongchun Hotel as a happy memory.

 

And my prediction was right.

 

Because the satisfaction window started to rise like crazy over the guests’ heads.

 

Satisfaction 100%

 

Satisfaction 100%

 

Satisfaction 100%

 

Satisfaction 100%

 

The satisfaction floating in red letters seemed like a gift from Merlin Grey to me. 

 

The gift was a compliment that I had done well as a hotel owner, giving happy memories to the guests.

 

A smile spread across my face.

 

The more satisfied the guests are, the stronger I become. Until now, I thought that was the main reason I worked in the hotel business—

 

‘The more satisfied the guests are, the happier I become.’

 

Now, I am simply starting to enjoy this job. 

 

This hotel, this space, everything seemed like a gift to me. 

 

When I thought that, a window appeared before my eyes.

 

System: If you do not accept the quest…

 

!Error!

 

!Error!

 

!Error!

 

But as the letters in the window shattered, the window itself began to ripple wildly. 

 

Then, a new window popped up.

 

System

 

‘Corrupted Human King’ would like to contact you through chat.

 

The chat window is now active.

 

Corrupted Human King

 

You are the insolent one who took my slave. Give my slave back.

 

And that was clearly a message from the Human King who I thought was purified.