Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 292

286. What overflows is money.

 

“You come here.”

 

I finally leapt toward the air purifier that had started flying through the sky, smashing it halfway and pulling it down from the tree.

 

I hadn’t intended to cause a bloodbath, but the situation changed when that damn air purifier perched itself on top of the pine tree and stared down at me.

 

If that b*stard flies off to someone else’s house, things are going to get a whole lot more complicated.

 

‘Why did they even attach wings to the air purifier like it was meant for a glider in the first place?’

 

I glared at the thing spreading and folding its wings like a crow’s and sighed at Aunt Misoon’s wild imagination.

 

“Couldn’t you be the only one flying around?”

 

I said to Aunt Misoon, who was hiding in a corner of the garden.

 

“You can’t fly over Seoul these days. Don’t you know there’s a new Hunter law? If you get caught flying around for no reason, the Association makes you do 100 hours of community service.”

 

At the word “these days,” the image of Hwang Misoon in her youth sprang to mind almost automatically.

 

Her strange way of speaking and an imagination even more outlandish than it is now.

 

I recalled how her eccentricity once made her talent shine brighter than anything else.

 

So I had no choice but to set aside the nagging and say this instead.

 

“Next time you visit Yeongchun Hotel, let’s go paragliding together. There should be a place out there where even mechanical gliders can get flight clearance.”

 

“Oh. Really?”

 

Aunt Misoon’s eyes sparkled brightly.

 

“Yes.”

 

Even the jet-black pupils behind those dizzying lenses looked adorable to me… probably because I now carry new memories.

 

‘Even if no one else remembers, I’m really glad that I still do.’

 

Because I got to learn so much about my aunts and uncles.

 

Because I came to understand where all the things my aunts and uncles taught me and gave me came from.

 

…I feel like I’ve come to understand even those kinds of sides too.

 

“Hing… my A1B1C3…”

 

Ignoring Aunt Misoon, who was quietly murmuring while hugging the half-broken air purifier, I settled down in a corner of the garden.

 

After getting checked, spending time with my uncle and aunt for the holiday, and suddenly doing high jumps trying to catch the air purifier, I felt a bit tired.

 

Was I dozing off while sitting in the chair and looking up at the sky?

 

I opened my eyes with difficulty to the smell of grass tickling my nose.

 

When I opened my eyes, the twins were in front of me.

 

“Noona!”

 

“Junghyo Noona!”

 

“Ugh… My throat hurts!”

 

Looks like school finished early.

 

I pretended to cough to fool them—

 

“Wow! Noona, you’re so strong!”

 

“Me too, me too!”

 

I grabbed one of them and lifted it up, giving it a tour of Seoul.

 

“Okay. Come here.”

 

I smiled brightly and gave each one an equal tour of Seoul.

 

“Hey, you guys. Noona’s shoulders hurt.”

 

But I couldn’t play with them for long because Aunt Mikyung came in soon after.

 

“We came just in time. The kids’ academy finished early and my meeting with the gallery director finished early.”

 

“Happy New Year, Aunt.”

 

At the word “Aunt,” Aunt Mikyung blinked her eyes quickly for a moment, then responded with her usual indifferent expression.

 

“…You too.”

 

But I knew. Just by the fact that, as always, I didn’t get a reply like, “New Year, what? That’s just a human-made way to divide time,” meant that Aunt was actually answering quite warmly.

 

“You always have a hard time because of Kim Junsoo.”

 

“Uh…um….” 

 

I should say it’s not true, but I just can’t deny it.

 

“I heard the hotel expanded recently, so I brought a few more paintings as gifts.”

 

“I was just about to contact you.”

 

I looked at the neatly wrapped paintings and smiled brightly.

 

That was because I had my own secret plan.

 

‘Because our Yeongchun Hotel has finally become a five-star hotel!’

 

Usually, five-star or higher hotels have designated spots in the lobby where guests can take photos.

 

Such places usually feature expensive artworks representing the hotel; most of them are installation art, but our hotel wanted to display paintings throughout the space.

 

It was also something I had been planning ever since I received a painting from Aunt Mikyung last time.

 

The embrace of old toys.

 

That painting stayed with me for a long time, and she also said that many guests would likely remember it well.

 

When I briefly shared this plan, Aunt Mikyung responded simply.

 

“Okay. I’ll draw them for you.”

 

“Then the price is…”

 

“What do you mean by the price? Come by next month before the exhibition and pick out a few pieces. Once the exhibition ends, I’ll have them delivered right away.”

 

To go to the gallery, pick out works by Cheon Mikyung—the painter with the most unique style in the country—and then get them delivered for free…

 

It must be a really tempting condition, but—

 

“No, Aunt. I’ll pay for it.”

 

“…Junghyo-ya.” 

 

I had my reasons.

 

The first reason was because of this growing satisfaction—

 

100G was deposited.

 

100G was deposited.

 

300G was deposited.

 

Money was overflowing.

 

Another one—

 

“I think it’ll be a hot topic if I buy it for a lot of money.”

 

“?”

 

“I’m going to… um… become world-famous soon.”

 

Secretary Lee Myunghan 

 

It looks like the world number one ranking is about to change.

 

So please check the press release for tomorrow afternoon.

 

I just got this text message.

 

I… think I’ve reached the very top of the world.

 

‘On the contrary, I like it.’

 

Let’s grow this 5-star hotel just like this—so the spirits can keep squandering our fortune.

 

I clenched my fists.

 

Of course, at first, I thought ‘world ranker’ was a bit burdensome.

 

But now, things have changed a little.

 

‘Satisfaction is money…’

 

We even have plenty of rooms now, so even if lots of guests come, there’ll be no problem—and we’re planning to open at least two restaurants.

 

Being a world-ranking hunter is nothing more than an accessory to the title of “5-star hotel owner.”

 

‘A 5-star hotel…!’

 

The sorrow of being looked down on as just a humble inn all this time felt like it was finally starting to wash away. The sorrow of having no vacant rooms, forcing group guests to sleep in the banquet hall.

 

The years of frustration caused by Merlin Grey’s strange quests.

 

As everything flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern, I made up my mind.

 

I decided to channel every possible benefit I could gain as a world-ranking Hunter into the hotel.

 

This is the beginning.

 

“So I’d like to do some marketing accordingly, Aunt. I think it would work way better if the story goes that I bought your painting for 5 billion won, rather than get it for free.”

 

“5 billion…?”

 

I nodded while watching Aunt’s eyes widen.

 

“It would be even better if your work gets widely known through this opportunity, Aunt.”

 

If Aunt’s artwork becomes more globally recognized along with Yeongchun Hotel, then for me, it would be like a successful art investment, right?

 

I didn’t say that out loud—I just thought it to myself.

 

A 5-billion-won painting will be on display at the Yeongchun Hotel lounge at the end of next month.

 

If I roughly craft the article headline like this, wouldn’t it be the first step to gradually channel attention about me into the hotel?

 

“…You’ve got, like, some expression on your face…”

 

“Yes?” 

 

“It’s a little scary?”

 

“Ah, I was just thinking about something else. Can I open this one? I’m really curious.”

 

To change the subject, I asked Aunt for permission and then opened one of the small paintings lying on the table.

 

These paintings were a series titled <Memory>.

 

“What do you think?”

 

“…It’s a wonderful painting.”

 

They were oil paintings, grotesque yet soft and tender, just like the one you painted last time.

 

I held the oil painting up to the light to see it more closely and asked,

 

“Is it something like memories from childhood?”

 

“Mhm. I had a dream not long ago, and in that dream… a bunch of things I went through a long time ago overlapped and appeared all at once. I liked that image. You know, memories aren’t exact, so that’s what makes them beautiful.”

 

So it’s that feeling that only I can see and keep to myself. I wanted to capture that. I also thought it would fit well in the hotel.

 

I nodded.

 

Art criticism… was somewhat a difficult field, but there was one thing I could be certain of.

 

The scene in the painting.

 

The motorcycle that appeared in the world reduced to ruins— and the letters written on the metal box attached to the back of that motorcycle.

 

“I should hang it next to the Chinese restaurant.”

 

Sun and Moon Fortress.

 

Yeah.

 

Now I know.

 

The fact that these humans all fooled me.

 

Administrator

 

Alex. Open a chat room with Merlin.

 

Right now.

 

* * *

 

Han Woohyun, carrying a plate piled high with fruit, entered the annex wearing a simple hoodie.

 

He had originally been wearing a hanbok, but since the twins spilled food on it, he took clothes from the car and put them on.

 

‘Is this… a relief?’

 

Anyway, moving around became a bit more comfortable.

 

He thought that as he was about to deliver peeled pears and apples to the members of the fan club who were gathered in the annex—

 

He stopped walking.

 

It was because of the photo on the first floor of the annex.

 

A photo of Junghyo and the BJF members taken at the graduation ceremony.

 

He quietly stared at it for a while, then suddenly looked up at the sound of someone approaching.

 

The sound of footsteps came from Junghyo, who was coming down from the second floor.

 

Junghyo froze in place the moment their eyes met.

 

After hesitating slightly, as if a bit flustered, Junghyo spoke.

 

“Are you… giving it to me?”

 

She pointed to the fruit, so Han Woohyun nodded. 

 

Seeing that, Junghyo looked a bit flustered again. This time, after hesitating for quite a while, she pointed toward the second floor.

 

“…Come in.”

 

There’s not much to see.

 

The moment Junghyo said that, Han Woohyun knew.

 

That there was no one else in this annex.

 

‘We’re going to be playing in our annex, so go peel some fruit, dear nephew-in-law~’

 

The Association President’s words had just been another way of ‘teasing’ him.