Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 252

246. Highest Job Satisfaction

 

As the window shook, my vision also shook wildly.

 

‘My head hurts.’

 

The feeling of the world shaking no longer surprises me. 

 

When the Demon King first descended, when the Demon King tried to tamper with the system. 

 

It was a feeling I had felt countless times.

 

‘All I need to do is keep my mind together, and I’ll survive.’

 

I gritted my teeth and endured with that thought.

 

When I barely managed to gather my senses amidst the almost splitting headache— 

 

System

 

Is there a problem with that? 

 

Is it just a connection failure?ㅠㅠ

 

Waaaa, I’m dyinggg…! 

 

Alex’s message had arrived. 

 

To be exact, it was a message from Alex, who had become a dying system. 

 

Anyway, after regaining my senses, I could clearly identify the feeling of a headache that came along with the flickering of the window. 

 

‘It’s the Demon King’s doing.’

 

I sent a message to the Demon King. 

 

Hotel Owner

 

What are you doing?

 

 

But the Demon King didn’t answer.

 

Merlin Grey didn’t answer either. 

 

‘It’s strange…’

 

Yeongchun Hotel

 

It’s been a while.

 

As a fallback, I tried messaging the reservation window of the ‘Corrupted Human King.’ 

 

The last time I saw the Human King, she was in a ‘purified’ state. 

 

But why has she reverted back to a corrupted state now? 

 

Did the Demon King do something?

 

“Junghyo-ya…?”

 

While waiting for the human king’s reply, Dad spoke to me. 

 

With a very worried expression.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Mhm? What…” 

 

“Your face is pale.” 

 

It was only then that I looked at my face in the mirror on the ceiling. Just as Dad said, my face had turned pale white. 

 

The headache that pierced through my head earlier wasn’t due to a health issue, but it seemed to have left a mark on my face. 

 

Fortunately, only Dad noticed my current condition.

 

Other Uncles and Aunts were watching Min Kangjin singing on stage. 

 

“Did you have a problem with the guest? Is something wrong…” 

But soon, all eyes will be on me.

 

I quietly stared at Aunt Misoon, Uncle Junsoo, Uncle Minhyuk, and Aunt Hyeyoung, all of whom had the red letters of satisfaction at 100 hovering above their heads. 

 

Their backs were probably looking at something they wanted to see the most.

 

It was a precious moment.

 

A moment I don’t want to be taken away by the Demon King. 

 

“No, it’s nothing.” 

 

I answered and took Dad’s hand that had come up onto the table. 

 

Now that I think about it, I felt sorry because I hadn’t had a proper conversation since returning from the Goblin Tavern due to being so busy. 

 

“Just…um….”

 

“Just? Why? Something is bothering you?”

 

“No. It’s not like that…”

 

I felt a bit embarrassed and avoided Dad’s gaze.  

 

“…Hmm… Thank you for coming back.” 

 

“….” 

 

“Thank you for always being by my side.”

 

“….” 

 

I wanted to say the same words to Dad that Choi Eulseong’s son had said to Choi Eulseong earlier, when he expressed it with a hug. 

 

“Thank you for protecting me until now. From now on, I’ll protect you, Dad.” 

 

“….!”

 

As soon as I finished speaking, a satisfaction bar shot up above Dad’s head. 

 

‘Door Deskman’s’ satisfaction level reached 200%.

 

‘Door Deskman’s’ satisfaction level reached 300%.

 

‘Door Deskman’s’ satisfaction level reached 400%.

 

……

 

‘Door Deskman’s’ satisfaction level reached 1000%.

 

 

Congratulations! You have achieved the achievement ‘Highest Job Satisfaction’. Your reward has arrived. Would you like to receive it? 

 

Y / N

 

—Boom!

 

The stage lights turned on with a flower pollen effect, and half of Dad’s face lit up.

 

At that moment, with the effect of flower petals and the stage lights turning on, half of Dad’s face was illuminated. 

 

I chuckled as I saw tears welling up in Dad’s eyes. 

 

Like a fool.

 

Dad quietly took the napkin I offered and wiped away his tears. 

 

“Hng…” 

 

“Dad… as you get older, you’re starting to resemble Uncle Junsoo.” 

 

“…Saying something like that….” 

 

Dad glared at Junsoo’s back.

 

“So why are you crying?”

 

“When you were little, I had to protect you no matter what, but now it feels like you’ve really grown up.” 

 

Dad said that and stared at the screen behind the stage.

 

“That little kid.”

 

When I heard Dad say that, I realized.

 

That the screen he was looking at right now would be me as a child.

 

“Ah…” 

 

Unlike the screen I was looking at.

 

The screen I was looking at right now—

 

“I’m so proud of how much you’ve grown. But no matter what happens from now on, you can always lean on me. You know that, right?” 

 

Dad smiled at me and said.

 

I nodded.

 

And I held Dad’s hand and stared at the stage together. 

 

“Dangerous games… a precarious beginning. Now, hold on.” 

 

“Waaaaaaah!”

 

The M5 members below the stage, who were watching Min Kangjin sing an acoustic version of a song from the M5 era, couldn’t hold back and jumped up on stage one by one. 

 

Even when checking in, they were all wearing masks and ball caps tightly pressed down on their faces, and they asked for tight security so that their identities wouldn’t be revealed, so they really couldn’t contain their excitement. 

 

“It’s M5’s reunion~”

 

The guests went wild, and the M5 members started dancing on stage, giggling, as if they had really reunited.

 

That dance—it seemed to be the choreography that had gained some fame as the sexiest dance among M5’s songs. 

 

Even someone like me, who doesn’t know much about dancing or singing, remembers that part. 

 

-You touch me, and I touch you, at this very moment.

 

The moment I saw the dance move, where they swept from top to bottom, I flinched and let go of Dad’s hand. 

 

It wasn’t because the choreography was a little embarrassing.

 

Rather—

 

It was because of the scene unfolding behind them as they sang and danced.

 

The scene unfolding before my eyes right now.

 

The thing I wanted to see the most.

 

That was Han Woohyun.

 

I turned my head away from Han Woohyun, who was dressed in a coat and had his face partially buried in a scarf behind the stage. 

 

It was to cool down the heat I felt in my body, but funny enough, my eyes naturally drifted to the table where Han Woohyun was sitting. 

 

He seemed to be enjoying the stage, with only his back visible, but I saw a white hand approaching over his shoulder. 

 

‘Woohyun-ah.’

 

I saw someone’s lips calling his name.

 

It’s the girl I saw in the lobby earlier.

 

I thought I was quite slow-witted, but— 

 

‘Shall we go out together for a bit?’

 

I wonder why I can see things like this so clearly in situations like this. It’s fascinating. 

 

“?”

 

As I suddenly stood up from my seat, Dad looked at me. 

 

I accidentally made eye contact with Han Woohyun, who had turned around.

 

“I need to go to the bathroom.”

 

I avoided Han Woohyun’s eyes and went outside.

 

* * *

 

It’s possible that the girl’s words weren’t showing interest in Han Woohyun, but even if they were, I didn’t think Han Woohyun would have come out with her. 

 

But what you know in your head is different from what you know in your heart, and the moment I saw that girl’s eyes sparkle as she looked at Han Woohyun, I realized something.

 

If it wasn’t me on that screen that Han Woohyun was looking at right now— 

 

If the day comes when it won’t be—

 

My heart would ache.

 

Having something means you might lose something.

 

‘People who have never truly held something in their hands tend to fear it more the more beautiful and brilliant it becomes.’

 

What Yoojun said was about Han Woohyun, but why is that saying coming back to me now? 

 

I looked at my reflection in the mirror in the lodging.

 

“….”

 

Instead of the black dress, I had changed back into the soldier doll costume.

 

I thought I should go back in my uniform so I could come to my senses and work.

 

‘First, I’ll contact Dungeon International, which has more rooms, and ask if they need staff…’

 

I pondered over the tasks I had to do as I left the room and took the elevator to the banquet hall. 

 

I planned to come out after the performance time and lead the people who would continue the pop-up game.

 

‘First, I have to finish the Christmas event properly.’

 

The Demon King, Merlin, and the Corrupted Human King all suddenly fell silent, as if they had made a promise.  

 

It seemed like the Demon King, Merlin, and the Corrupted Human King all planned to stay silent until this busy Christmas was over.  

 

It could be some kind of consideration, or there could have been an agreement between Merlin and the Demon King. 

 

Whatever it was, the Demon King was scheming something, and seeing that he had once again corrupted the purified Human King gave me an unsettling feeling. 

 

‘It’s complicated.’

 

While I was lost in thought.

 

Ding.

 

The door opened with a cheerful sound and someone’s voice was heard.

 

“Woohyun, you don’t have a girlfriend, right?”

 

I held onto the door and stood there for a moment.

 

Han Woohyun.

 

I was a little flustered by the woman’s voice calling his name.

 

There were many obstructed views on the way from the elevator to the banquet hall.

 

So there were times when I felt like I was being eavesdropped on—

 

“It’s true that I was dumped.” 

 

That’s exactly what happened right now.

 

I frowned as I heard Han Woohyun’s voice.

 

Han Woohyun and…that kid from earlier? 

 

What was her name? 

 

I don’t remember well.

 

Anyway, since they’re together now, does that mean Han Woohyun answered positively to the question of whether to go out together?

 

I was wondering if I should go back up, but a woman’s voice continued. Her voice was shaking a little, so it seemed like she wasn’t feeling too good.

 

“Then, eating together—”

 

“That’s not it…”

 

Ha…, Han Woohyun let out a sigh as if he was frustrated.

 

“I don’t have time. Every day….”

 

No time? Is it because he’s busy?

 

I heard that since we parted ways, Han Woohyun has been going to work every day, and the team members are suffering because of it. 

 

“Because I only think about her.”

 

“….”

 

“That’s why I can’t eat, Kim Sujeong.”

 

Kim Sujeong? I tilted my head at the name. Was there someone like that among my classmates? 

 

And the girl called Sujeong opened her mouth.

 

“My name is Chae Minyoung.” 

 

“Ah…” 

 

“How could not even one letter be correct?”

 

I closed the elevator door at the girl’s voice shaking with anger.