Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 119

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 119.

“Are you Director Lee Sun-hae?”

A man whose face was expressionless beyond mere stoicism displayed his identification and badge as he continued.

“I’m Captain Hyun Si-gyeong from the Gangwon Police Agency Violent Crime Investigation Unit.”
“I’m Choi, a detective.”

The one introduced as Choi appeared to be older than Captain Hyun Si-gyeong.

‘Probably in his forties or fifties…’

The captain, by contrast, appeared to be in his twenties, or at most in his very early thirties. Considering his rank as captain, he must have possessed remarkably youthful features. Director Lee Sun-hae, who had been observing this detail with interest, soon smiled and extended her hand.

“Given the circumstances, I can’t say I’m delighted to meet you, but it’s a pleasure nonetheless. I’m Director Lee Sun-hae, bearing overall responsibility for this filming location. You must be exhausted—shall we sit and talk?”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Not at all. We were on a break anyway. Someone suggested the scene we want to film would look much better if it were darker, and since the rainfall is supposed to peak this evening…”
“I see.”

At his terse response, Director Lee Sun-hae reflected inwardly.

‘He’s not particularly personable, is he.’

Perhaps that’s why the two of them stayed so close together. The middle-aged man who had introduced himself as Choi appeared to possess excellent interpersonal skills.

Sure enough, it was the detective, not the captain, who spoke next.

“Ah, our captain here doesn’t talk much, so people often misunderstand. We didn’t come here because there’s some problem with this filming location or anything like that, so please don’t be nervous~… We’d appreciate it if you could speak comfortably with us.”
“I appreciate you saying that.”

She shrugged her shoulders and asked.

“I’m just a bit curious about something. Ah, not that I’m suspicious or anything.”
“Yes, yes, please go ahead.”
“Isn’t Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province…? You mentioned the Gangwon Police Agency, so there must be a reason?”
“Well, this is quite complicated for us too, you see.”

The Captain’s expression grew somber, as though many things had weighed upon her. It was a look of exhaustion mingled with embarrassment.

“It started in Gangwon Province, certainly, but as we traced things back, it led us here—near Yoyo Mountain Valley. By sheer coincidence, it happens to be right at the boundary between Gangwon and Gapyeong….”
“Ah, that is ambiguous, isn’t it.”
“Exactly, right?”

The Captain brightened, pleased that I understood.

“Still, we’re proceeding through all proper legal channels, so don’t worry, Director. If you look here~ ah, here it is. We’re conducting the investigation with full cooperation from the Gyeonggi Police Agency.”
“Oh, how interesting.”
“Look here—we’re already matched up in the system with Gyeonggi Police. What kind of world is this where we’d cross provincial boundaries without permission? Here’s the business card of the detective I met and greeted at the Gyeonggi Police Agency~”

He handed over a business card and continued.

“If you find it hard to believe, you can even call Detective Kim from the Gapyeong Police Station Violent Crime Division directly. If you doubt the card itself, we can connect you through the official website contact information.”
“Oh, there’s no need to go that far.”

Lee Sun-hae smiled warmly and pocketed the business card.

“I’m not someone who doesn’t understand these things.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“….”
“…right,”

The Captain—Nak-do Master—tilted his head.

“I completely forgot about Baeksan.”

He laughed good-naturedly then. It was an embarrassed laugh.

“So who are you asking about? This gentleman here? Or me?”
“If you say both, then I’m laying all my cards on the table from the very first hand, aren’t I?”
“Ugh, major corporations scare me~ This is exactly why I didn’t want to get tangled up with Baeksan.”
“Oh my, what are you worried about? I’m not even a Baeksan person. My surname is Lee.”
“Your logic is a bit weak, don’t you think?”

He exhaled deeply and removed his jumper.

“Goodness, I’m dying here~ I thought I’d melt to death. Look at those police officers in their nice uniforms.”
“Of course they should wear nice things—they’re doing good work.”
“Right, right… Lately I’ve been meeting too many upright people and it’s starting to wear me down… Sir, I’m struggling. Before I collapse, should we just get to the point?”

Nak-do Master pressed his thumb against his chin as he asked.

“Where is this Hotel located?”

Lee Sun-hae laughed sharply.

“Why should I tell you?”
“What?”

Nak-do Master stammered.

“No, let’s not fight. I came here with genuine good intentions. I only brought one gun, and if you treat me like this, a softhearted person like me will start crying.”
“We’re aging together—why do you keep calling yourself ‘sir’?”
“Let’s see, let’s see~ I passed 60 a long time ago~ and now I’m racing toward 70, you know?”

Lee Sun-hae asked.

“Then aren’t you a grandfather?”
“If I call myself grandfather with this face, people react even worse, so I just leave my conscience at my father’s grave and live on. I prefer when people react well to me.”
“Honestly, this thing called the Gap—no matter how much you learn about it, something new keeps appearing. It’s not like an onion or anything. Is there some anti-aging ingredient mixed in the air there? That part I’m actually envious of.”
“No, it’s a bit different from that~….”

He scratched behind his ear with his hand.

“The rate of aging varies greatly depending on individual capacity. I’m just an average person, so I can’t be quite as dramatic as our Captain friend over there.”

At those words, Lee Sun-hae turned to look at Captain Hyun Si-gyeong.

“How old are you, if I may ask…?”
“Fifty.”
“The world certainly turns well.”
“It doesn’t turn so well, actually.”
“You know a thing or two.”

Lee Sun-hae, who had been watching the two of them with a smile, asked a question.

“So then… are you talking about the Hotel owner you both suspected?”
“Have you heard his name?”
“He has a perfectly legitimate name: Lee Yeon-woo.”
“Please, continue your questions.”
“Could his appearance and age be different? Is that even possible?”

The Hanging Man nodded.

“It’s possible.”
“Ah, what a relief—”
“In practical terms, he’s estimated to be less than ten years old.”
“….”

Then Nak-do Master nodded and said, “Ah, that’s right.”

“At most five, wouldn’t you say?”
“About that.”
“Right, ten doesn’t make sense. Even if we don’t know his exact age, counting up to this year, the maximum would be five years….”

Lee Sun-hae covered her face with both hands.

“Huh…? Are you… crying, Director? No, don’t do that. If you’re going to cry, at least get rid of those intimidating bodyguards first…. Good grief, what a fate. I’d rather die than face Baeksan’s wrath, but what am I supposed to do about this?”
“You’re not crying.”
“I am too? I felt it welling up—whether it was because of what the Captain said or something else that struck a nerve, I don’t know, but I really did feel it. Look, my hands are tensing up… what? I couldn’t even kill a hamster.”
“Silence is recommended.”

With those words, the Captain put a whistle in her mouth. A shrill, piercing whistle sound reached Lee Sun-hae’s ears as she squeezed her eyes shut. Neither of them was in their right mind.

But more than that—

‘But you said he was an adult.’

You said you were an adult, Lee Yeon-woo…!!

I never imagined you’d lie so brazenly. Lee Sun-hae felt tears prickling at her eyes as she was overwhelmed by an indescribable, bewildering tangle of emotions.

An adult? Nonsense. He was a preschooler….

* * *

[Sixth Sense]
‘Director Lee Sun-hae is worried about you.’

“…? I appreciate that.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”

She was thinking of me in the middle of filming a horror movie, then.

‘That makes sense.’

I finished preparing dinner. It was the staff’s evening meal time.

* * *

They moved to Director Lee Sun-hae’s personal trailer.

“I was concerned that people might pass by that tent area… I’ve told everyone to rest, but the actors might not know, though the managers and staff helping them are still working.”
“Well, we can just erase their memories. Don’t worry, Director~ If it seems like it’ll be a problem, we’ll handle everything before we leave. We’re not amateurs doing this for the first or second time, so it’s fine.”
“That’s precisely what I dislike—I think you’ve misunderstood me.”

Why would I entrust memory erasure to an assassination consultant? She had already memorized the roster of key figures in the Gap that my Uncle Baek Mu-jin had provided—quite an extensive list, admittedly—but regardless, she knew their names by heart.

“No matter how much of an assassin you are, I’d prefer it if you’d refrain from mentioning things like guns and such… but it seems faster to move locations than to wait for you all to exercise restraint.”
“You have a keen eye for people, Director~ That’s impressive.”

She didn’t seem particularly pleased by that—perhaps because her conversation partner made a living from murder.

“And well, as I keep saying, the Labyrinth and Dokkaebi are fundamentally complete from birth, so even if they’re 5 or 10 years old, it’s not really a major issue….”
“Then that’s not difficult?”
“A dog or cat at 5 would be in their thirties by human standards.”
“So their average lifespan is as short as a dog or cat’s, the Labyrinth and Dokkaebi?”
“Well, of course not.”

After all, Lee Yeon-woo was human.

“….”
“The Labyrinth is a theatrical performance.”
“…That’s what I heard.”
“Therefore, cast members are absolutely necessary. The ‘Hotel General Manager’ that Director Lee Sun-hae mentioned must have had data from before being reborn into the Labyrinth.”
“But the appearance was quite young… I’d say around 20 years old.”
“Then defining it as late teens to early twenties is not impossible.”
“How is that not difficult? What’s the difference from 5 years old right now?”
“If the foundational person was a talented artist, we could even estimate up to 30 years old.”

That’s when Nak-do Master interjected.

“But didn’t you say this one and that one combined into a chimera? From that perspective, regardless of the age of the materials, it should be considered a separate organism, shouldn’t it?”
“Nak-do Master.”
“If the appearance was around 20 years old, then isn’t this one that test subject? Then there’s a possibility it was a civilian. Plus, if it was created during the Labyrinth transformation process, then being newly born is the better explanation….”
“I recommend silence.”

He spoke as if it were too much.

“Wow, look at you crushing the old man’s words like that.”
“The teacher’s remarks do not function as consolation.”
“But still, isn’t it fascinating~?”

He grinned with his eyes and mouth stretched very wide.

“A Labyrinth that can communicate with people—how could I not be thrilled?”

As Lee Sun-hae stared at him with a smile, Hyun Si-gyeong spoke.

“Please cooperate.”
“Sure, then.”
“I will continue my explanation.”

He continued speaking toward Lee Sun-hae.

“According to the Resonance Bureau, at least two individuals are estimated to have been involved when the entity ‘Lee Yeon-woo’ was born. It’s highly likely that one of them determined Lee Yeon-woo’s appearance and behavioral tendencies.”

Entity… Lee Sun-hae pressed her brow and asked.

“If there are at least two, what about the other one?”
“Their identity is unknown. We cannot determine their gender or age, but most of the negative elements you experienced within the Labyrinth are likely connected to them.”
“So the good one is the one who handled the appearance?”

Something clicked into place.

“Our Uncle said he’s currently being torn in two.”
“….”

At those words, Hyun Si-gyeong rolled his eyes without responding, while Nak-do Master brightened.

“Ah yes, exactly right—I always said our Captain friend reads fortunes remarkably well?”
“I’m not a shaman.”
“If you can see a thousand leagues from where you sit, that’s close enough. A new entity was born through the Labyrinth transformation, and since the two sources have polar opposite natures, they’re splitting apart now.”

Nak-do Master smiled warmly.

“It was quiet for nearly five years, so I wondered why it’s been stirring more recently—but it all happened after meeting our Director. The balance was disrupted, yes? I understand now, I understand.”
“You have a natural talent for picking at things.”
“Well, I make my living as a consultant with a gift for running my mouth.”
“You must not have many friends.”
“That’s why I took our precious Nephew as a disciple in my twilight years, and he went and fell right into the Labyrinth. I taught him both praise and curses, but then he got caught by a demon….”

A demon? For some reason, a tingling sensation scratched at her ears like a◇■ ringing, and a brief question flickered through her mind, but after a moment of silence, what Lee Sun-hae asked was something entirely different.

“Is your Nephew possibly at that Hotel right now?”
“Yes, so my heart is quite uneasy. I don’t know if I’ll even be able to gather his belongings….”
“….”

Lee Sun-hae did not hastily say that if it were Lee Yeon-woo, he would never let his Nephew be hurt or killed. She too was someone who had witnessed his transformation with her own eyes.

“…That outsider fellow seems to know quite a bit about how the Gap-world operates.”

Nak-do Master, narrowing his eyes with a thin smile, praised that point.

“Until you entered the Labyrinth, you were just an ordinary civilian who knew nothing, weren’t you, sir?”
“If I’d known anything, I wouldn’t have crawled in there in the first place.”
“Sometimes people crawl in even when they do know~ Our Director has the makings of a true explorer.”
“Someone I’d really rather not befriend….”

Lee Sun-hae’s discomfort persisted.

“How old is your nephew, if I may ask?”
“Nineteen.”
“Quite young.”
“Are you still thinking about the master of that place?”

Nak-do Master was someone who read such things well.

“Young, yes, but at minimum five years old, and at maximum… the primary personality seems to be around twenty. Considering the nature of the procedure he underwent, the younger the age, the better, so there’s a possibility he was under twenty.”
“This procedure you mention—the experimental subject business from earlier….”
“There’s a connection. There is, but hearing about it won’t change much, so I’d recommend the Director not listen and think about the remaining filming instead~ People with tender hearts like yourself get troubled easily.”

He added further.

“But tell me, are you bewitched?”

He rested his chin on his hand and laughed.

“Without being bewitched, I’ve never seen someone give their heart to the Labyrinth like this~ When the Labyrinth was born, how old the Dokkaebi are. Those things would be meaningless to those beings.”
“Time flows differently inside and outside the Labyrinth in many cases, and that’s not uncommon.”

Captain Hyun Si-gyeong continued Nak-do Master’s words.

“The Labyrinth, especially in the case of Sentient Species, makes it difficult to measure actual age. By reality’s standards, they may be five years old, but by the Labyrinth’s internal time, astronomical figures emerge.”
“Astronomical figures?”
“That’s why people caught in the Labyrinth often go mad.”
“Could you give us an example, Captain?”
“Someone enters a peaceful place without a scratch, without pain, and emerges—only to find half a century has passed outside. Or they remain trapped inside for thousands of years without aging or feeling hunger.”
“It’s just like the theory of relativity in the universe… something like that.”
“If that makes it easier to understand, you can think of it as another universe or dimension without much difference.”

The Captain added further.

“However, the Master’s words also hold merit. Even if the Labyrinth itself possesses a benevolent structure, that does not necessarily mean it is safe for humans. In fact….”

As he rolled his eyes mid-sentence, the Nak-do Master resumed speaking.

“Ah, let me take it from here. My friend the Captain has talked quite enough today.”
“Is there some sort of penalty involved, perhaps…?”
“This fellow sees too much all at once, so he struggles to focus on any one thing.”

The Nak-do Master pressed his thumb repeatedly against his own chin as he spoke.

“You see, the Labyrinth is closer to a concept than anything else, so if there exists a smaller concept within it, the Labyrinth can devour it whole. Or concepts of similar structure might form alliances. Since a Hotel requires guests, it’s entirely possible the Labyrinth could employ tricks to lure them in.”

The likelihood that he had truly been enchanted was quite high.

“I’ve never seen a human so favorable to the Labyrinth before.”
“….”
“Well, he could have been a fox or a serpent, I suppose? Those creatures have quite the talent for bewitching people. And conveniently, there’s a Fox Den near the Gapyeong Gap-world, so… he might have been influenced somewhat?”
“….”
“Don’t sympathize with the Labyrinth, Master.”

The tone was lighthearted, or perhaps resigned.

“It’s not a matter of right or wrong. There are truly pitiful members of the Labyrinth Organization, and goblins like that too. But whether you care about them or not is a separate question from whether you can actually save them…”

To put it in conclusion,

“Not at all?”
“On this side, we call it ‘offering.’ A person could regurgitate the rice they ate in exactly the same form. But the Labyrinth cannot do that—it’s already been digested, already mixed in.”
“If it’s been digested….”
“Then it’s already become part of that Labyrinth, just as a person gains nutrients from eating rice.”
“You’re already part of that Labyrinth, just like how people get nutrients from eating food.”

When the Labyrinth swallows an offering it favors, not even scraps remain. It devours everything whole, and in the end, that thing can no longer be called what it once was.

“It’s because I’ve become completely one with the Labyrinth.”

Existing neither dead nor alive, simply as a part of the “play.”

“So stop blaming yourself like that. If you’re going to live facing The Gap, it’s better to be shameless about it, yeah?”
“It may not have fully digested yet.”
“Ugh, I can’t get through to you at all.”
“There might be a bone stuck in my throat from eating.”
“Then what does that make me, Captain?”
“Humans are social creatures.”

Captain Hyun Si-gyeong’s eyes, which had blinked slowly, turned back toward Lee Sun-hae.

“It’s natural for people to feel goodwill toward one another. It’s the same with how adults more readily feel compassion for children. If Director Lee Sun-hae regarded ‘Lee Yeon-woo’ as human.”
“….”
“If you saw him that way because he was truly no different from human, then I’d recommend holding onto that feeling, even if it’s uncomfortable. Whether it’s guilt over not saving him or a sense of debt for receiving help—either works.”

Somehow, it felt like she was looking past Lee Sun-hae.

“The representative of Baeksan feels responsibility in preserving precious things.”
“…That’s right.”
“Then he might still be ‘alive.'”

Another slow blink.

“If he became a Dokkaebi.”

It was then that Nak-do Master suddenly realized—this was the first moment Hyun Si-gyeong had spoken the word “Dokkaebi” aloud.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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