Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 648
Only Krnovel
EP.648 Episode 648 – The First Wish (4)
Episode 648 – The First Wish (4)
– Kim Ari
Let’s just say that what happened after that was hard to watch with my own eyes open.
If you think about it from a distance, it’s not really anything special.
A hot-blooded middle school student confessed his pure feelings to a girl his age and got rejected?
Isn’t that something that everyone experiences at least once in their life?
“…”
Seungyeop approaches while trembling all over his body.
The way he stutters as if he doesn’t even know what he’s saying.
After finally confessing his true feelings, he looked at the floor like a criminal waiting for the judge’s sentence.
All these scenes flashed before everyone’s eyes.
Soon, the judge’s cold-blooded sentence was handed down.
“Sorry. I have a boyfriend.”
Unfortunately, it was a death sentence.
“Ma, Ma, if we break up, next time -”
Oh really! Seungyeop!
What are you saying?
Are you saying that after I broke up with my boyfriend, he asked me to date him?
The moment I wrapped my head, I heard a sharp voice from next to me.
“Oh, seriously! If you refuse, I’ll give up!”
“Miro, don’t be so loud.”
As I looked around with a dizzying feeling, I saw Ga-in observing the surroundings with a calm expression.
“… That’s really amazing.”
It’s a reasonable attitude, as there may be information hidden in the welcome.
That’s because it’s not easy to do that in the meantime.
After a little more time, the entire vision slowly began to blur.
It looks like this is the part the hotel allows.
Miro asked me, looking bewildered.
“Ariya. So what was this absurd memory?”
“… Seungyeop’s gloomy day?”
“Is that all? Did you really pray to the heavens after going through all this shit all day?”
— Clank!
The welcome ended with the sound of water drops falling.
*
The first thing that happened when Seungyeop came to his senses was the assault of the maze.
“Idiot! You’re a fucking idiot!”
“Huh? Huh? Why all of a sudden -”
“shut up!”
Miro repeatedly hit Seungyeop on the back of the head as if he couldn’t stand it anymore.
Seungyeop was greatly embarrassed, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of avoiding it.
“Hey, what’s the situation now?”
The atmosphere is completely unaware of what happened just a moment ago.
I guess this is a good thing.
“… Seungyeop.”
“Sister, what the hell are you doing now -”
“You’d better get out. Jump over there.”
“yes?”
“get out!”
“that’s right!”
“You too, get out of the maze.”
“uh?”
“Just get out.”
After sending the two children away, I approached Gain, feeling extremely tired.
“Let’s go to the next person. Now Eunsol, Songi, and Elena are left, right?”
“…”
“Seungyeop too… I had no idea, but it’s really this absurd -”
“Didn’t you notice anything strange?”
“Did you feel something?”
My eyes grew wide without me knowing.
Could it be that the shy boy I saw a moment ago had a sinister secret hidden somewhere in his memories?
“Something about the surroundings….”
“What are the surrounding circumstances?”
“I felt like things were going very conveniently.”
“what?”
“I need to think about it a bit more. Let’s talk about the details outside, and for now, let’s look at the next person’s dream.”
“Yeah. Next is… Eunsol’s dream is right next to me.”
*
Eunsol’s dream was taking place in the office.
Sparkling marble floors and antique mahogany tables.
Here, the combination of paintings and sculptures that appear to be of a fairly reasonable price range creates a plausible atmosphere.
Indeed, it is the office of the daughter of a wealthy family.
Eunsol was sitting in her office chair, looking out the window, wearing a suit, when she heard a voice.
“You two came in together?”
I looked around to see if anyone else had been told, but it was just me and Ga-in.
Eunsol, like several of her previous colleagues, had already regained consciousness.
“Sister, you’re already awake.”
“Well… that’s right.”
Soon, Gain briefly explained the current situation to Eunsol.
“It’s my first wish.”
“Do you feel anything?”
“Sometimes I wanted to get away from my nagging family. It may sound like a cliché, but my family relationships weren’t always smooth.”
I didn’t feel any connection with ‘blessing – wealth’ to the extent of wanting to escape from my family.
Perhaps that’s why Ga-in asked again with an expression that said this wasn’t enough.
“Is that all?”
“Well, I did think about starting my own business.”
“Hmm….”
This time I asked the question.
“Now, what kind of memory is this?”
Eunsol’s expression suddenly darkened.
It certainly wasn’t an ordinary day.
“… to father.”
“Father?”
“A day of great confusion.”
This was a bit unexpected.
Based on my experience so far, Eunsol was a fairly capable person.
I don’t really get the idea that Eunsol would get in trouble for disappointing someone.
“If that’s the case, then it’s certainly unusual.”
“Sister, do you remember why you got in trouble?”
Eunsol was silent for a moment, then told a strange story.
“I knew it before. No, I thought I knew it.”
Gain immediately asked back.
“What do you mean?”
“…when I was young, I thought my father expected a lot from us.”
If you are the chairman of a conglomerate, it is understandable that you would expect a lot from your children.
Because he passed on great genes and must have provided ample support.
They might have required everything from admission to one of the world’s most prestigious universities, excellent work skills, a diligent and sincere attitude, and good interpersonal relationships.
However, Eunsol’s nuance was a little different.
“My father was always disappointed in us. He tried not to show it, but if you watch him for a long time, you can tell. We tried to catch his eye, and in the process, we… .”
“The competition must have gotten fiercer.”
“okay.”
“Are you thinking differently now?”
“…”
Eunsol, who had been silent for a moment, answered in a serious manner.
“I said this was welcome anyway, right?”
“that’s right.”
“I need to see Father – no, I need to see Father’s welcome. You two should come with me. If possible, both of you should observe Father closely.”
*
As I went out of the office, I was surrounded by Daeyang Group executives and employees.
Everyone was moving busily, but in the midst of all that, whenever they saw Eunsol, they would slightly bow their heads.
“Good morning, sir.”
“good morning!”
“Sir, about the Shanghai project a while ago -”
“Next time, next time.”
Since Eunsol was the only one who recognized Gain and me, we didn’t experience any inconvenience in our movements.
“At first glance, it looks like an ordinary company.”
“It looks the same to me.”
Eunsol stopped in front of the company’s elevator and gestured to the employees waiting.
“I’m sorry everyone, but I’d like to take the next elevator.”
“Oh, I understand.”
“Thank you for your hard work as always.”
“thank you.”
At that moment, Gain tilted her head.
“Did you see something?”
“Is Eunsol being a bully?”
“What kind of bullying is this?”
“Is that so? I’ve never worked in a company before….”
“You had your Aleph days too.”
“Come to think of it, I did use my chin to order people around back then.”
— Ding!
Soon, Eunsol got on the elevator alone.
Of course, to other people it means that you are alone.
Actually, Gain and I rode together.
As soon as the eyes that were watching disappeared, Eunsol spoke to us again.
“The 16th floor is the chairman’s office. Both of you, keep a close eye on your father.”
I asked you to keep a close eye on my father… .
What does it mean?
— Ding!
“Sir, it’s been a while.”
“Secretary Park, I received a call from your father. Are you inside?”
“I think you just have to wait a moment.”
At that very moment!
— Clank!
Now, Eunsol’s vision began to blur along with the familiar sound.
“already?”
“Is this the end?”
“I thought you’d show me something more -”
The moment Gain and I frowned, Eunsol moved like lightning.
“Urgent business!”
“Uh, uh -”
The old man, Secretary Park, was flustered, but he did not stop Eun-sol from running into the chairman’s office.
It’s only natural, since she’s not just an ordinary executive, but the chairman’s daughter!
— Bam!
The door to the chairman’s office opened wide.
Inside was a serious-looking middle-aged man, his eyebrows slightly furrowed as if he was displeased by the commotion outside.
“What kind of reckless behavior is this? Mr. Lee, this is not home, this is the company -”
“Look! Look!”
Eunsol turned around, ignoring her father’s welcome, and unexpected words came out of her mouth.
“Does my father look like a human being? Or -”
— Clank!
Immediately afterwards, everything became dark as if someone had flipped a switch.
Eunsol’s dream was ‘forcibly ended’.
*
“…”
“…”
Inside the dream kingdom filled with gray fog.
As soon as Eunsol came out of her dream, she asked us again.
“What did the two of you look like? Does your father look like a human? Or, oh, maybe a regressor!”
Regressor?
“Wait, wait, sis. It seems like you still don’t know.”
“what?”
“You are the only one who can communicate with the spirits. That is your dream.”
“… What does that mean?”
The following words were given to me:
“Just as the people in the illusion cannot recognize us, we cannot clearly recognize the people in the illusion.”
“…”
“If I had to compare it to something, it would be like a realistic movie?”
“Then you didn’t feel anything?”
“Yeah. I just felt like he was an Asian man in his 60s with a dignified air. The mysterious thing you’re talking about can’t be known just by looking at the vision.”
“Gain too?”
“yes.”
Eunsol tried to start explaining with a slightly disappointed expression.
“The reason I asked you to observe your father is -”
“Let’s talk about that outside.”
“uh?”
“There are still people left. I think we’ll have a long conversation outside anyway.”
“Eunsol, you go out and organize your memories little by little. That way, it’ll be easier to talk.”
There are only two people left, Songi and Elena.
“Let’s start with Songi. It’s closer.”
*
Songi’s dream was unfolding in an ordinary home.
“At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything special.”
“Just looking at the situation, it seems like the most ordinary dream. The spatial setting is an ordinary house, and the temporal setting is night?”
“Seungyeop’s background was also a family home.”
“Did you forget that I heard the game sound as soon as I started? That was the craziest dream ever!”
Gain smiled awkwardly and looked around, soon finding Songi.
“Wow…! Is this a dream from my childhood?”
“Yeah. You don’t look even 8 years old.”
To my eyes, he looked about 7 years old.
At that moment, the little Songi began to tilt her head towards us.
“Huh? Huh? Huh… .”
“I guess you’re waking up.”
“I know.”
“Ouch! Ouch!”
Some of my colleagues don’t wake up, while others wake up as if in a lucid dream.
Is there any special reason for this?
Anyway, Songi soon came to her senses.
“What the…? What the hell is going on here?”
“Let me explain.”
Soon, Songi nodded.
“The first wish? That’s a fascinating story.”
“Does anything come to mind? Was today a special day?”
“Uh… I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Look at me, Oppa. Aren’t you six or seven years old at most?”
“That’s right. That’s why it’s so cute.”
Songi shrugged as if she found those words amusing.
“Song-i, a high school student, isn’t cute? She’s only cute when she’s young?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“I’m joking. Anyway, I was so young when it happened. There’s no way I’d remember it.”
“That’s right.”
After all, it’s hard for an ordinary person to vividly remember what happened when they were 7 years old.
Even so, I asked the question because I felt I had to find out something.
“Where are your parents now?”
“My father was a veterinarian at a fairly large hospital. He was busy until late at night.”
“What about Mom?”
“Similar. That’s why, as a child, I used to stay home alone like I do now… .”
“…”
“Come to think of it, my parents were really too much. If this were America, wouldn’t this be considered child abuse?”
It felt really awkward to see Songi grumbling.
The body had grown, but only the attitude and speech had changed to that of an adult, so the sense of discomfort from that was considerable.
Gain, who was looking around, said.
“You have a lot of animals at home? Birdcages?”
“My dad loved animals. And so do I!”
“Well, I’m a veterinarian.”
“My mom liked it too. It was one of the few common interests of my parents who fought all the time.”
A story about parents’ discord that comes up naturally.
Songi, who was in episode 107, used to talk about this memory quite painfully.
now?
At least on the outside he looks calm.
In times like this, it’s better to pretend not to hear than to comfort them unnecessarily.
“Happy! Happy! Come here! Wow! Long time no see.”
Soon, a small, white Maltese dog, like a doll, started to play next to Songi.
The sight of the doll-like puppy playing with the little Songi was quite cute, but at one point it was a shame that there was no camera.
A truly picture-perfect cuteness.
So it was weird.
If it were just an ordinary day for seven-year-old Song-i, with nothing really happening, there would be no reason for the hotel to show it.
“Songiya, is there really nothing more?”
“I really don’t know….”
“If you don’t have any memories of today, your overall memories of this period will be fine.”
“Overall memory?”
The girl who was hugging the Maltese then seemed to realize something and made a strange expression.
“Oh, um… This is a little embarrassing.”
“I guarantee you, whatever you say will be nothing special.”
“yes?”
“I’ve already seen it all. So don’t worry about it and just talk.”
“… Oppa, have you ever heard of the word ‘secret friend’?”
“Secret Santa?”
“Aside from the funny events that happen at school. You know, kids sometimes say they have friends who don’t exist.”
It is not uncommon for young children to treat their stuffed animals or toys as friends.
There are various child psychology and educational analyses of this, but I usually hear that it is a symptom that often occurs in lonely children.
“You did that too?”
“Hehe! When I was little, I used to call my pet my friend.”
“Wouldn’t a dog or a cat, not a doll, be enough to be a friend?”
“Uh, um… .”
“say it.”
“They didn’t just say they were friends, they went around saying that dogs and cats could speak human language.”
“ah?”
“When I was alone, I would cry and say that I was talking to people. My dad and other adults would just laugh it off, but at school, other kids would tease me… I guess it was just an auditory hallucination.”
As a child, Songi seemed to have treated animals as real people.
Gain nodded and began to look around carefully.
“Is there really nothing more?”
“well….”
A house where the only noise you can hear is the noise of animals.
Time passed like the wind without any particular gain.
Gain and I were a bit anxious, but Songi was playing with a Maltese puppy with an expressionless expression.
— Squeak!
At the sound of the door opening, everyone quickly turned their gaze.
“dog?”
“Oh my! Somi! It’s been so long I forgot Somi was here!”
“Somi?”
“A golden retriever. I had one when I was little, but it died when I was in elementary school.”
An old dog with difficulty moving approaches the young Songi, staggering around.
Songi’s eyes were slightly filled with tears, as if she felt both joy and sadness upon seeing the dog she had been separated from for a long time.
“Somiya! It’s been a while. It’s nice to see you again, even though it’s a welcome -”
At that very moment.
– Songiya
“uh?”
– Songiya
“…”
Human words came out of the dog’s mouth.
– scared
– it hurts
– I’m in pain
“…”
– me
– In this place
– Take it out.