Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 97

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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 97.

Water existed everywhere in the Facility.

Most of it was sea, but there were also places where water pooled like ponds or lakes. What was certain was that one could not escape the reach of water’s influence.

Because of this, Seme had no choice but to witness it repeatedly.

“Over there.”
“….”
“…Lee Yeon-woo.”

Those moments when he stood before the vast ocean as if bound by an invisible leash, his breath catching for a fleeting instant before his entire body went rigid.

Was it a curse? A trauma? But Seme never pointed it out directly. Because whenever he called out Lee Yeon-woo’s name with such care….

“Yes.”
“….”

Lee Yeon-woo would respond immediately.

“Did you call for me?”
“No, I was just wondering if there was any danger nearby.”
“There are no monsters immediately visible, so you can relax.”

Lee Yeon-woo added dryly, his eyes rolling slightly.

“If my complexion looks particularly poor and that’s made you uneasy, I apologize.”
“That wasn’t it.”

Not when he possessed such overwhelming ‘power’.

‘Not when he has some bizarre quality that allows every monster to instinctively avoid him.’

Yet in moments like these, Lee Yeon-woo appeared only as a man whose insides were festering, worn down by exhaustion.

“….”

I couldn’t understand why I was doing this. I had never spoken it aloud or written it down. Pretending to know would only lead to the same outcome as always—drawing a line and walking away.

‘…But….’

Every time Lee Yeon-woo clenched his fist and suppressed a cough, the thick scent of blood permeated the humid air. Seme, whose nature was particularly sensitive to moisture, could not have missed it.

Nor could I miss those fingertips—so distinctly pallid as he fastened his collar with apparent indifference.

‘Something is clearly wrong with him.’

Whether it was his body, his mind, or both.

‘Transcendent abilities aside, he’s not a healthy person.’

It would have been easier to dismiss him as merely another form of monster.

Was it because I was swayed by personal memories? Or was I inevitably grateful for that figure bleeding yet pressing forward in silence? Or was even this one of his meticulous schemes?

It was not easy to simply reject Lee Yeon-woo.

‘Because he seems too human, too wounded.’

Yet he appeared entirely accustomed to this situation.

“….”

And sometimes, he looked like someone bound by something.

At first, I thought he wasn’t human. At the very least, I believed he was a transcendent monster whose mental fortitude and abilities defied imagination—too extraordinary to be called human.

But when I recall that quiet figure alone in the darkness, wiping away blood….

“….”

He looked as though he despised the very ground upon which he stood.

‘…Yet he must surely belong to this place.’

He behaved as though he were forcibly detained, unable to escape or take his own life by his own hand—yet even in such a wretched world, he appeared willing to extend kindness to everyone.

―It’s alright.
“….”

Just as ‘we’ once did.

* * *

As Seme had suspected, Lee Yeon-woo harbored a profound revulsion toward the Facility.

‘This insane Hotel.’

Though the direction of his contempt differed somewhat from what Seme imagined.

Yet one fact remained undeniable: he was growing disillusioned with the entirety of this situation. Days upon days of relentlessly traversing the Hunting Ground.

Lee Yeon-woo finally began to accept it.

‘There is no way out.’

No path to escape.

‘How regrettable.’
[No?]
‘This wretched cat.’

Coco insisted on throwing me directly into the Hotel and wringing nightmares from it.

‘I cannot provide proper hospitality to guests, nor do I possess the depravity to torment innocent people who ought to be protected. I will not allow such things to occur within my Hotel.’
[No?]
‘If you speak that way, I cannot trust my future self.’
[Yes!]
“….”

Lee Yeon-woo rubbed his face. Given the Hotel’s structure—where ‘nightmares’ must manifest before they can be harvested and guests can be discharged—he recognized that Coco’s words might hold merit.

“….”
“….”

Then Coco changed the subject.

[Hello?]
‘No… This place is wider than I thought.’

This was the first time I’d explored it so thoroughly, and I was quite surprised. The terrain extended beyond what I’d known of the map. With that discovery, my faint hope of finding an exit at the map’s edge evaporated.

‘This is troublesome.’

I turned to look at Rawi, whose face showed clear exhaustion.

“How is your breathing?”
“It’s still manageable for now.”

Which meant it soon wouldn’t be.

‘We’ve been wandering for days since we first met, so a week’s worth of oxygen equipment wouldn’t survive intact. Since we’ve been using it continuously from then on, breathing itself must be uncomfortable too….’

I moved forward.

“Let’s keep moving. You seem to need rest.”
“Yes….”

As I led the two students onward, I couldn’t help but think.

‘I might actually have to send them to the Hotel after all.’

The longer I spent by the Two Students’ side, the more frequently The Wet Person’s temperament surfaced—a personality I’d had to indulge several times. There were limits to how much I could hide such an embarrassing companion.

Moreover, with only two days remaining, Rawi’s oxygen equipment would soon become unusable. In other words, whether I liked it or not, I’d have to go to the Hotel in two days.

“….”

If I spent any more time together with them,

could I really pull off a hot iced americano?

[A hot iced Americano.]
‘Why must you repeat that nonsensical phrase? It only amplifies my exhaustion.’
[Wistful.]
‘I don’t have the luxury of nostalgia right now.’

It was a troublesome matter.

‘If I’m forced to send them to the Hotel as a last resort, I’ll have no choice but to expose the Hotel General Manager’s unstable emotional control.’
[No?]
‘I’m not exaggerating. I still vividly remember the expressions on their faces when I carelessly burst that jellyfish. Despite my rejuvenation, I seem to grow more foolish with each passing day.’

The most efficient way to control people isn’t through fear or oppression, but through favor and measured trust. Only when they were convinced and willing could I keep them safe.

‘Humans are truly difficult creatures.’

Appropriate distance and appropriate trust.

I was uncertain whether I could maintain this contradictory balance until the end.

“…Well then….”

I turned to look at them as we arrived at the Rock Cave, where the moisture had begun to recede.

“I’ll wait outside the cave.”

There was no way they could rest comfortably with someone reeking of blood standing beside them. Though the penalty left me disoriented, I still retained enough common sense to show that consideration.

“Then I hope you find sufficient rest.”
“Ah, wait.”
“Is there some problem?”
“Well….”

Seme hesitated before answering, a beat too late.

“No, I’m sorry.”
“….”

I gazed quietly at that youthful face, sharp with tension despite the circumstances, burdened now with an unwarranted sense of debt. Then I spoke, my voice dry and measured.

“Seme has nothing to apologize for.”

It was only natural.

“….”
“Stop dwelling on useless thoughts. Focus on your rest.”

With that, Lee Yeon-woo stepped outside the cave.

‘I should use this waiting time to handle my own affairs.’

I needed to see The Wet Person’s face once more.

‘If I leave that time bomb unattended, there’s no telling where the sparks will fly. More importantly, I need to drain away some of that murderous intent to prevent any sudden outbursts….’

By absorbing that vicious nature one more time with my own body and sapping its strength, I could break the arrows aimed at the lost ones deeper within.

Then the text flickered.

[Hello!]
‘A few more wounds are a hundred times less exhausting than watching those friends get hurt.’
[No!]
‘True enough—it’s not exactly good for my mental health.’

I’ll admit that.

‘But the value for effort is too good to pass up….’

Every time I experience it, I wonder if it’s because humans and these structures are fundamentally different. These Dokkaebi entities switched attitudes with an intensity that was almost violent.

The moment a condition was met, they transformed as instantly as a light switching on.

‘I accepted it when it was just a Game, but now that it’s reality, there’s something peculiar about it.’
[No?]
‘It’s unfamiliar to me. Especially since prediction is difficult until I understand the clear conditions.’
[Yes.]
‘With The Wet Person, I’m beginning to understand a little now… though even that isn’t certain.’

For now, the priority was ensuring that dangerous Su-gwi and the friends deeper inside never crossed paths. I could only feel sympathy for the two lost ones who had wandered into such a place.

“….”
“….”

The Two Students stared fixedly at Lee Yeon-woo’s back.

* * *

A brief silence lingered within the Cave.

Rawi spoke in a hushed tone.

“You look incredibly exhausted. Are you really sure you’re alright?”
“We’re hardly in a position to worry about him.”
“We’ve spent time together. Don’t be so cold about it.”
“He said he could manage, so he’ll be fine.”
“Those dark circles are quite something.”

Though the words were wrapped in a deliberately light tone, Rawi’s voice carried an undercurrent of genuine concern.

“They seem to be getting darker as time goes on.”

The remark was casual, yet it carried weight.

“He looks like he could collapse at any moment.”
“I didn’t think it was quite that bad….”
“That’s how it appeared to me.”
“If that’s what you saw, then so be it.”

Seme didn’t bother to deny it either.

The shadows beneath his eyes and his pallid complexion made him appear fragile, yet at times they lent him the appearance of an ordinary young man. And yet, even that seemed clean and refined within an impression so meticulously composed it bordered on the uncanny.

Exhausted yet immaculate. Disheveled by nothing. That very contradiction left Seme all the more bewildered.

‘…I’ve observed him for days now, and I still can’t figure him out….’

Is he even human?

“….”

Or perhaps something else entirely wearing a human face.

After a moment’s consideration, Seme retrieved his notebook from his pocket once more. Taking the pen Seme offered him, Rawi tapped it thoughtfully against his lips before writing on the open page.

[Does this have any meaning?]
[It seemed better than doing nothing at all]
[He seemed indifferent to whatever we did]
[I didn’t want to let my guard down and get caught off guard]
[Truly wise of you]

Ignoring the playfulness evident even in Rawi’s writing, Seme moved to the main point.

[You noticed it too, didn’t you?]
[The smell of blood?]
[And]
[That it was probably an injury sustained from that Dokkaebi called the Wet Person?]
[You really do notice everything]

And he’s still a newcomer at that.

‘So even young and inexperienced, an artist remains an artist.’

It was barely perceptible in his demeanor or appearance, yet he had caught it. Excellent judgment indeed.

Observing Seme’s reaction, Rawi continued writing.

[It’s obvious, isn’t it? The monsters in the Facility don’t use blades]
[That’s right]
[Among them, only the Wet Person wielded a blade]

On the first day I met Lee Yeon-woo, and that moment when Seme had visibly startled—there had been a faint mark on an inconspicuous section of Lee Yeon-woo’s black coat, as if slashed by a blade.

[Of course, such marks haven’t appeared since then]
[The traces that were there have vanished entirely, his clothing maintained in perfect condition]
[To be honest, I find that somewhat unsettling]
[In what way?]
[That miracles activate so casually in such trivial places?]

That he exists in perpetually flawless condition despite circumstances that should make it impossible.

But.

[I don’t understand why such a being helps us so much]

This had been a persistent question ever since meeting him.

[Every time he gives us rest periods, it seems like he repeats that action]
[Considering the tenderness from back then and the smell of blood clinging to his body, it’s a plausible guess]
[I honestly don’t even know exactly what he’s doing]

Why? Or rather, how in the first place?

[Wouldn’t someone with that much ability be able to avoid it, even against a Dokkaebi as formidable as they come?]

From what I’ve observed so far, Lee Yeon-woo’s body wasn’t particularly strong—separate from whatever abilities he possessed, perhaps even naturally so. He actually appeared frail.

He must be aware of that himself.

[Even though he could avoid it, why is he deliberately taking all those attacks?]
[That’s probably]

Seme offered a weighty conjecture.

[Because he’s acting as a kind of offering]
[An offering?]
[Dokkaebi like that sort of thing]
[Which Dokkaebi are you referring to?]
[Most Dokkaebi are like that, but in this situation, it’s that one]
[The Wet Person?]
[Right, I meant the Wet Person]
[I see]

Seme continued writing.

[Especially Dokkaebi that favor the blood and suffering of artists are numerous]
[So this offering you mention—it’s blood and suffering?]
[While some are satisfied with animals, most prefer humans]
[And if they’re an artist, all the better?]
[I understand now]

Having read that far, Rawi looked at Seme.

“….”
“…What kind of look is that.”
“I believe you, Senior.”
“What do you take me for.”
“I really do believe you.”
“You’re truly annoying.”

Seme picked up the pen again.

[After all, the other side is taking it in your stead, so what would you be sacrificing?]
[If you pushed me from behind, wouldn’t it be possible?]
[So what exactly do you take me for?]

Truly an exhausting junior.

[If Lee Yeon-woo were truly an artist, would a Dokkaebi already accustomed to that one’s blood even glance at the blood of a young artist like you?]
[Oh]
[That’s how it is]
[But you see, Senior]

And that exhausting junior continued writing.

[If he were truly human]

An artist who merely possessed transcendent abilities.

“…I think my feelings might become strange.”
“….”
“No, perhaps. Even that ‘transcendent something’ might not belong to ‘Lee Yeon-woo’. What I saw and Lee Yeon-woo had different textures. They were fundamentally different, as if they had never been the same enemy to begin with.”
“….”
“They can’t be separated into two, yet they weren’t one either. It’s just, how do I put it… like something was draped over something else.”

He tapped the pen.

“It seems he doesn’t care much for this Labyrinth.”
“…I think so too.”
“Then why is he here?”

He had openly brought his subordinates with him, too.

Seme watched quietly as Rawi adjusted his oxygen mask while muttering to himself, then turned his gaze away.

He spoke in a hushed tone.

“It doesn’t seem like anything good happened.”
“….”

Rawi added.

“He was holding his breath in front of the Sea.”
“I saw it too.”
“He was coughing.”
“I know.”
“The blood smell wasn’t just from being stabbed.”
“It could be.”
“It was thick, like he’d vomited from deep within his belly,”
“Pretend you don’t know.”

That was right.

“Whether it’s a curse, a chronic illness, or trauma.”
“….”
“Unless he tells us first, prying into it is disrespectful.”

That was true between people in general, but especially with Dokkaebi. They would kill a person or worse over the flimsiest claims of disrespect.

Seme moved his pen slowly.

[And above all]
[Just shut up and accept help, then leave—it’ll raise our survival rate too]
[Why? Do you want to help?]
[Surely not]

Rawi laughed hollowly.

[I’m what matters most to me]
[Same here]

I wanted to survive.

[I didn’t want to die]

Because my life was far too precious.

* * *

And.

“….”

The Wet Person was not one to overlook such things.

“…Selfishness born from the desire to live….”
“A desperate struggle to turn away from truth.”
“Guilt from bearing another’s suffering.”
“Shameful silence.”
“A heavy burden.”

They were one with the water, and the “warmth” within the Aquarium knew—could know—all of this better than anyone. And so the Wet Person could laugh with genuine delight for the first time in ages.

You vile, wretched creatures of life.

“How you suffer!”

Mistaking a playful quarrel with a friend for some blood-soaked ritual.

“Living, breathing beings!”

So foolish and dim-witted.

“And yet… it is sweet.”
“Most satisfying.”

To witness the anguish of the living, and to have discovered a way that would not even anger my friend.

“The anger has already passed.”
“It was simply a time to confirm our friendship.”
“He is still our friend!”
“But now that it has come to this….”

Su-gwi gazed upon the water surface as he spoke.

“Let us confirm our friendship just a little longer.”
“Yes.”
“Let us do so.”

For the suffering of life.

“Just.”
“One more.”
“Time.”

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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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