Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 21

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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 21.

Lee Sun-hae occasionally teased Hong Kyung-yeon for being a coward.

The reason was simple enough. He trembled and fidgeted, and when he couldn’t contain himself, he’d burst out wailing—a behavior that bore an uncanny resemblance to a small dog. Lee Sun-hae found it rather unfortunate.

‘At least small dogs are cute.’

But Hong Kyung-yeon was not cute. The likelihood of others cutting him slack was low. He probably knew that himself, yet he made no effort to change. If that wasn’t cowardice, what was?

“….”
“….”
“….”

And then came the long-awaited three-way confrontation.

Director Lee Sun-hae called out to Hong Kyung-yeon.

“Hong.”
“When did you arrive… I’m sorry, should I step back?”
“Give me a moment to think this through.”

The problem was that Hong Kyung-yeon usually held himself together. He was, in truth, a bomb that rarely detonated.

‘In his own way, he tries to maintain his composure. As long as neither his life nor anyone else’s is under immediate threat. Objectively speaking, it’s hardly the most rational state of mind, but still….’

Director Lee Sun-hae observed the figure he was facing off against. A massive frame. A menacing blade. Clothes dripping with water. And the open door to Room 703 beyond.

Hmm.

“….”
“Should I step back?”
“…Yes, please.”
“….”
“Good boy.”

Hong Kyung-yeon’s anger would have been justified.

But the world doesn’t turn on justification alone. There’s a reason people say the fist is closer than the law. From the Director’s perspective, even if they’d fought the Guest on 7th Floor two-on-one, they would have lost.

‘Is there no staff call button or anything like that here?’

Since she hadn’t seen one during her exploration of the 21st Floor, it seemed likely there wasn’t one here either. A hollow laugh escaped her.

‘Wow, this is pretty nerve-wracking.’

Lee Sun-hae suddenly realized how much consideration Lee Yeon-woo had shown her. He’d assigned her to the location farthest from the 7th Floor. But here, there was no one to call for help.

“….”

Click—!
Lee Sun-hae extended her three-section staff and approached.

“…Hong Kyung-yeon, come this way.”
“Yes.”
“When your life looks like it’s hanging by a thread, you should exercise some restraint instead of constantly charging in recklessly. Because of you, my heart’s been jumping out of my chest too.”
“I have no words to offer in response.”

Director Lee Sun-hae stepped forward in front of Hong Kyung-yeon. Regardless of how it appeared to their opponent, she needed to block this enraged chihuahua from lunging forward.

“Good morning, sir? My, what a lovely dawn this is.”
“….”
“Please ignore what I’m holding in my hand. I got so frightened by how menacing our teacher’s weapon looks that I couldn’t help myself. Oh, how terrifying.”
“….”
“No response? You must be quite shy.”
“….”
“…You’re not even looking this way?”

The creature’s gaze remained fixed on Hong Kyung-yeon.

‘Ah.’

So he must have put on quite a show in front of it. This was awkward.

‘I was planning to tell it to look at me so I could slip away and ask the staff for help. But in a situation like this, would the staff even be willing to help?’

On the way here, I confirmed that the signal was dead. But if this was the Hotel’s doing, it might work once we got far enough away from the building.

‘To do that, one of us would need to escape first.’

I couldn’t trust leaving Hong Kyung-yeon alone—his behavior was far too suspicious. And if I sent him away, the Guest on 7th Floor’s gaze wouldn’t leave Hong Kyung-yeon for a second.

“…Kyung-yeon, take one step back.”
“…Yes.”

The moment he did—

“Ugh.”

The creature advanced one step forward.

“No, no, no—don’t move. Don’t move.”
“I’m not planning to. Even if you told me to run, I’m staying here.”
“There’s no need to invite death.”

But what could I actually do?

‘Calling staff is out. Cell signal won’t work… Judging by its physical capabilities, escape seems difficult. No, wait—we’re closer to the Elevator. If I time it right, it might be possible.’

I calculated the closing speed of the Elevator doors, the distance between us and the Guest on 7th Floor, and the creature’s physical abilities. But it seemed like a dangerous gamble.

‘Or maybe maintaining this standoff while waiting for the staff to notice something wrong isn’t a bad option either. Considering my family’s position, they wouldn’t let me die or suffer serious injury here….’

I was contemplating these grim possibilities when it happened.

“….”

Suddenly, silence fell.

Ding—

“…?”

A soft bell chimed.

“…This….”

Ding.
Ding.
Ding….

“…?”
“Ah,”

The moment the clear ringing ceased, Staff Members poured forth from the Elevator and Emergency Stairwell.

“…! Just a moment….”
“What, what is this.”

Smiling faces with hands clasped respectfully before them. Postures as immaculate as refined dolls, as though the boundary between humanity and eeriness had crumbled away. They blocked the path of Lee Sun-hae and Hong Kyung-yeon with mechanical smiles.

Two more Staff Members waited behind the Guest on 7th Floor. The remaining Staff Members moved further back.

“What is the meaning of—”

The Large Man’s gaze turned toward the open guest room door.

“….”
“….”

…A pallid, sickly hand emerged from beyond the doorway.

“…Ah.”

The Staff Members moved into action.

One fitted clean cotton gloves onto the wet hand,
while another respectfully received the small bell he had been holding.
Yet another dressed him in a fresh suit over his wrinkled shirt.

And the final Staff Member placed a white cloth against his neck….

“….”

Crimson blood spreads across the pristine white cloth in an instant.

“Well, this is…”

I swept back my wet hair and put on a fresh pair of dry glasses.

“Quite the eventful dawn.”

The Hotel General Manager flashed a smile so unnaturally radiant it bordered on surreal.

The white cloth pressed against my neck continued to soak red without pause, and water still dripped steadily from beneath my fresh suit, yet my voice remained perfectly steady.

“First, I must apologize to everyone gathered here. To allow such a disturbance in a hotel where guests should rest comfortably—I’ve caused a truly grave offense.”
“….”
“The discomfort inflicted upon these distinguished guests is entirely my responsibility as Hotel General Manager. If you would grant me the opportunity to make amends for this mistake, I could ask for nothing more….”

Silent, measured footsteps.

I slipped naturally between the confronting parties. Immediately, Lee Yeon-woo found himself facing The Large Man, equally drenched in water.

“Will you understand?”
“….”

The man’s cold gaze fixed upon my face.

Heavy silence answered instead of words. Lee Yeon-woo interpreted it as acceptance, widening his eyes languidly just as he had when first emerging from Room 703.

“Yes, thank you.”

―The target,

‘…has shifted.’

It wasn’t just my imagination.

‘The attention that was focused on Hong Kyung-yeon is now turning toward Lee Yeon-woo.’

Lee Sun-hae observed Lee Yeon-woo carefully, sensing the danger. She understood why Hong Kyung-yeon had lost his composure.

“You don’t look to be in very good condition, Lee Yeon-woo.”
“A competent manager inevitably finds himself entangled in all manner of incidents and accidents, does he not?”
“This hardly seems like a time for jokes.”

Blood seeped from the dark bruises that mottled his neck. Hidden behind the staff members, he was still desperately applying pressure to stanch the bleeding between his neck and collarbone.

The trembling in his hand—so faint it might have gone unnoticed—was perfectly visible to her eyes.

‘No, that’s not even the only problem.’

Droplets fell at Lee Yeon-woo’s feet, each one tinged with the vivid crimson of blood.

“…Are you injured somewhere?”
“I’m not certain you would believe me if I said otherwise.”
“Oh, we’d certainly believe you—our kind Hotel General Manager wouldn’t lie.”
“Then I have no choice but to say I am not injured.”

He continued to regard the Guest on 7th Floor as he spoke.

“Guest.”

His voice dropped to a whisper.

“This is not your guest room.”

It was a refined composure that only someone who had repeated those words dozens, hundreds of times could achieve.

“If you wish, I can personally guide you back. Is there any room service you desire? Or perhaps other amenities you require? Our Hotel is prepared to provide everything you request.”
“…”
“However, Guest.”

His voice was steady enough to seem effortless.

“This is not your guest room.”

Yet it was resolute.

It was brainwashing masquerading as courtesy, an irrefutable suggestion, an absolute command issued by this Hotel to a mere guest.

At least, that’s how it sounded to Lee Sun-hae….

“….”
“….”

What expression was she wearing?

Lee Sun-hae found herself questioning without realizing it. She couldn’t define what emotion she was actually feeling. She was simply observing this situation from within a detached, floating sensation—as though divorced from reality itself.

And then,

‘…Ah.’

After a brief silence, Lee Yeon-woo turned his head to regard the group.

A fleeting expression of relief washed over his face as he confirmed their safety. Immediately after, he restored his flawless smile and continued his response.

“Our staff members will be happy to assist you both….”

But wait—hold on a moment.

“Behind.”
“Ah.”

Crack—!!

“…!!”

A blade had been driven in.

“…You, you insane bird…!”
“Hong Kyung-yeon, stop!!”

Lee Sun-hae immediately seized Hong Kyung-yeon as he threatened to spiral out of control. She shoved him back and retreated a step. The staff members once again moved with mechanical precision to block the two of them.

But Lee Sun-hae had seen it clearly. In that brief moment when the Guest on 7th Floor’s attention had turned away, he had driven his blade straight into Lee Yeon-woo’s back.

‘What kind of beast does such a thing just because his gaze shifted for an instant…!’

A small cough escaped him, and dark crimson blood poured from Lee Yeon-woo’s lips in a sudden rush.

“Ugh—”

The moment my body threatened to collapse, the Staff Members on either side caught me. It was less support than forcibly holding me upright—as though I could never afford to falter.

The entire sequence was grotesque. It stirred a visceral revulsion, distinct from the terror that comes from threat.

“…Insane.”

Simply repugnant.

“….”
“Ha….”

The sound of blood churning in my throat leaked out.

“My apologies—”

A faint wet sound of blood backing up pierced the silence of the corridor. It felt like an auditory hallucination.

“My apologies. Perhaps you should return to your guest rooms now.”
“….”
“Our… ahem, our Staff Members will guide you.”
“….”
“Tomorrow….”
“Is that alright?”
“Yes.”
“Tomorrow, then.”
“….”
“…Understood.”

A question. Or perhaps a confirmation.

“I understand.”

There was no longer any place for them to remain, nor any situation in which they should intervene.

Director Lee Sun-hae moved forward with heavy steps, her words marking the end of the matter. She seized the panicked Hong Kyung-yeon and pulled him along. True to her word, the Staff Members graciously assisted their departure.

Hong Kyung-yeon suddenly looked at Lee Sun-hae. Her hands, gripping his clothes, were trembling.

“Director.”
“It’s alright.”

The two of them boarded the Elevator with the Staff Member, and the doors closed shortly after.

“Let’s hope so.”

A Hotel of this scale surely had a medical team. She reassured herself that they would certainly have the equipment and personnel to handle surgery without issue.

“And you… you are… you really are….”
“Should I kneel?”
“You really, truly….”
“Should I bow?”
“Let’s see how the situation develops before deciding.”
“Yes, Director.”
“This is maddening. What on earth at this hour….”

The high-performance Elevator arrived at the 21st Floor in no time.

The Staff Members guided them to the Guest Rooms with impeccable composure. Yet somehow, their quiet, measured movements felt less like guidance and more like surveillance.

‘No, it was definitely surveillance.’

A silent pressure not to dig any deeper. A warning that it would be better for both their safety. The image of Lee Yeon-woo’s face—always evasive whenever the Hotel’s true nature came up—flickered through her mind.

Standing before the Guest Room door, Lee Sun-hae finally could not hold back and called out to the Staff Member.

“Excuse me.”
“….”
“Um, is Lee Yeon-woo… is the Hotel General Manager going to be alright?”
“….”

The Staff Member stared at her.

“That,”

But something felt off.

‘What is this.’

A gaze devoid of even a single drop of emotion. Eyes that didn’t so much as flicker. Lee Sun-hae discerned something peculiarly hollow in that stare.

Soon after, the Staff Member artificially contorted his eyelids to ‘fabricate’ a smile.

“….”
“….”

Instead of answering, the Staff Member gave a shallow bow. Whether it was affirmation or denial—or whether he simply failed to comprehend the question itself—remained utterly inscrutable.

“…Even in this situation, you won’t speak.”

Finding this one-sided exchange unbearably distressing, Lee Sun-hae entered the Guest Rooms while still gripping Hong Kyung-yeon.

The Hotel was wrong. The Staff Member was wrong. The guests were wrong. Everything was wrong—yet what twisted Lee Sun-hae’s insides most profoundly was something else entirely. In this grotesque space, only Lee Yeon-woo appeared to be a genuine ‘person’.

Her stomach churned. It was repulsive. Why did such a place have to exist?

“…The end times, truly.”

* * *

“….”

In the 7th Floor Corridor. Where only the Staff Members remained, Lee Yeon-woo—

vomited blood.

“Ugh, gaaahhh…!”

The violence of it was such that one might dare compare it to Niagara Falls. Fresh blood drenched the floor, and only after a prolonged fit of retching and hacking did Lee Yeon-woo finally manage to steady himself.

No, it didn’t hurt—but blood was pooling.

“Cough, hack…gag….”
“….”
“Ha….”

Ah.
I almost got caught.

‘If I’d shown myself in this state, NASA would have definitely taken me away.’

I’d have been captured and subjected to human experimentation, living out my days as a lab sample. It was obvious—sustaining injuries of this magnitude and still standing was far beyond the realm of human capability.

‘With injuries like this, it’s strange that a person could endure it.’

The injuries I’d sustained were remarkably varied. My neck had been punctured by the Water Ghost’s claws, the front of my body had been torn to shreds, and a blade the size of a barn door was lodged in my back.

‘Having come this far, it would almost be proper etiquette as a human to simply die now.’

It seemed this body had long since abandoned any pretense of being human. And that was equally absurd. This spineless wretch—I hadn’t given up, so why had you?

“…It’s truly unbelievable that I can still be alive like this….”

Lee Yeon-woo took ragged breaths and forced himself to calm down.

This wasn’t the time to marvel at the mysteries of my body’s resilience. The immediate problem was how to face those two perceptive guests tomorrow morning. Especially Hong Kyung-yeon—he had extensive medical knowledge.

I could probably conceal the neck wounds and torn flesh well enough that they wouldn’t be visible, but the real issue was the penalty imposed by the Wet Person.

‘I anticipated it, but if I’d known the penalty would trigger so immediately, I would have sent the guests upstairs right away. Thanks to that, it was quite harrowing.’

It was the same situation as before in the Lobby.

When the human guests’ movements overlapped with mine, the Wet Person would begin pursuit. The two guests worried I’d be charged at with a blade, but ‘pursuit’ itself was a significant threat.

I had simply redirected attention, just as I had then.

‘The situation became far more direct than in the Lobby, but the penalty remained the same.’

Increased frequency of nightmares. Hypothermia. Attacks from redirected attention. Injuries. And excessive bleeding.

“….”

Of all places, this time it had to be my back that was pierced.

“…Last time it was my hand.”

This was somewhat frustrating.

‘Hong Kyung-yeon won’t think anything is strange, will he?’

I could claim the neck was scratched. I could say the bruising made him see things wrong. Between the neck and collarbone, I could frame the torn flesh as puncture wounds instead.

‘But a direct piercing through the back is hard to explain away.’

Humans aren’t as durable as characters in fictional media. Normally, a stab to the back is life-threatening. There are too many vital organs there.

‘…The medial scapula on the left side. A penetration along the intercostal direction. Looks like around the sixth intercostal space… I can feel the intercostal muscles have been severed. This is quite something.’

Pleural damage is a given, so I have to account for at least mild pneumothorax. If the blade had reached the lung tissue itself, there would have been hemoptysis, followed by severe respiratory distress.

‘The fact that I can speak now suggests it hasn’t reached that point? But then again, maybe it has.’

A normal human would struggle to utter a single sentence without catching their breath, let alone hold a conversation.

That’s how it should be.

“And now I have to act out injuries and pain on top of everything else.”
“Yes.”
“It’s exhausting. The workload as Hotel General Manager is excessive.”

It’s true my body is tattered. But this is ultimately a game character’s body. Similar to a human’s, but different. What I mean is,

most of the ‘physiological symptoms’ from injuries aren’t reflected at all.

‘At this point, I’m less a human body than a blood-filled sack mimicking one… The more time passes, the more I feel my existence drifting away from human rights itself, much less violating them.’

The blood I just coughed up is proof of that. Nearly half my muscles and organs have been replaced with blood now. I had to compensate for being half-devoured in the Wet Person’s bathtub event.

‘Still, a piercing at this depth isn’t immediately fatal.’

There was hope.

‘Even if it’s Hong Kyung-yeon, he won’t think it’s that strange. He seemed to be in a panic state… If worse comes to worst, I can claim the writer simply missaw things.’

No amount of medical knowledge could let me keep up the pretense forever when I wasn’t even a doctor.

“My karma must be fierce indeed. In my past life, I must have accumulated quite a debt. Just when a human guest arrives, nothing ever goes smoothly.”
“Yes.”
“Which part are you agreeing with?”
“Yes.”
“Well, even you can see I look like a wreck.”

I lifted Coco into my arms.

“Injuries like this usually need several days to recover, right?”
“Several days.”
“I understand that much. Instant recovery would be nonsense. I could manage short words in a day, but to speak properly and walk would take at least five days.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll have to downplay the injuries. If I say the depth is about 2 centimeters and the blood was just from my mouth tearing… then from this afternoon onward, no one would find it strange if I’m active. Right?”
“That’s right.”
“Good.”

I turned my gaze toward the staff members I’d summoned at dawn.

They were diligently wiping away the water and bloodstains from the corridor. They’d been through so much. As a fellow laborer, I felt a deep sense of camaraderie and pity for them.

Poor office workers who couldn’t even benefit from the four major insurance schemes…

“This is like some insane black company. Once the tutorial ends, I’ll have to improve the Hotel’s welfare system first.”
“No.”
“I suppose management would have a different perspective.”
“No!”
“The Hotel’s structure itself is fundamentally broken. With working conditions like this, what employee would stay sane? At this rate, overwork will kill people before the monster guests do.”
“No!”
“Not people? That’s discrimination, Coco.”
“No…!”

I ignored her. She was truly a wicked cat.

* * *

“Oh, Lee Yeon-woo?”
“…Yes?”

And so the next day arrived.

And so the next day arrived. It wasn’t until late afternoon, when the sun hung low and golden on the horizon, that Lee Sun-hae and Hong Kyung-yeon finally encountered Lee Yeon-woo.

“…What in the…?!”

Hong Kyung-yeon was aghast. Wait, shouldn’t he be avoiding being seen?!

“Why, why, why are you already out in the Lobby…?! Shouldn’t you be nowhere near here right now?!”
“Well, why wouldn’t I be? This is my job, after all.”
“With injuries like that, you should be lying in bed…!”
“It seems the Writer was quite startled by yesterday’s commotion. It was merely a light abrasion, so please don’t concern yourself.”
“But that’s not…!”
“I’m the one who should apologize for the confusion caused to our guest due to the Hotel’s negligence.”

His response was disarmingly smooth—almost unnaturally so.

Lee Yeon-woo glanced at his watch, then turned to them with measured courtesy.

“It’s late, but I sense you both have much to discuss. I’d like to arrange a place for us to talk.”
“….”
“What do you say?”
“…Yes, that sounds good.”

The Director nodded.

“I came to say goodbye anyway.”

It seemed time to leave this Hotel.

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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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