Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 657
Only Krnovel
EP.657 Episode 657 – Room 301, The Cursed Room – ‘The Origin of Species’ (4)
Episode 657 – Room 301, The Cursed Room – ‘The Origin of the Species’ (4)
– Yoo Song-i
After arriving in downtown Gangneung in the morning, I walked around the city for a while.
A pretty girl with a parrot on her shoulder (of course!) and a middle-aged man holding a cat cage in one hand.
With the two of them wandering around downtown Gangneung without a care, it couldn’t help but be a very bizarre situation.
Director Kim seemed like a very tight-lipped person, just like Eun-sol said.
Because after wasting two hours of time in a way that I couldn’t understand at all, I finally opened my mouth for the first time.
“Miss Songi, what are you looking for?”
“It’s the house where the cat lived.”
“Is there any other evidence other than the address being Gangneung, Gyeongpo-dong? As you know, there are several apartments nearby.”
“Would the cat recognize me?”
“…”
Director Kim remained silent for a moment, seemingly speechless, before cautiously asking a question.
“Even if a cat passes by a house, do you think it has the intelligence to distinguish a house?”
This cat has it.
…
Is it there?
Why haven’t you responded since earlier?
“Hmm… If there’s another reason, the cat’s owner’s name is Park… .”
“Gourd?”
“I think it will be one of Park Jin-ho, Park Ji-ho, and Park Ji-hoo.”
“I think it would be faster to just ask around for that name.”
I thought about this too.
But, there’s something wrong with the behavior of asking for someone’s name out loud… .
It seemed dangerous.
Why is it dangerous?
If someone asks, I can’t really say anything.
Just a feeling? A keen sense?
I don’t know.
At times like this, I regret the absence of Ga-in oppa or Ari, who could turn my intuition into concrete logic.
If we make up our minds, will the other person know that we are looking for someone?
“…”
In the first place, why did only Eunsol and I come in?
Is this really a fateful choice?
Didn’t Seungyeop just make a mistake when picking?
“Whew… Okay, let’s do that.”
After changing my search strategy, it took less than 20 minutes to get the exact name and address of my opponent.
“Park Jin-ho? Park Ji-hoo? I don’t know that name, but if it’s Park Ji-ho, it’s on the main street behind the Peace Restaurant over there -”
“thank you.”
*
As I was walking down the street, I instinctively stopped.
“…!”
As I looked around with an inexplicable sense of discomfort, Director Kim responded with a puzzled look.
“Why are you doing that?”
“…Didn’t you feel a strange gaze just now?”
“I don’t know.”
Am I mistaken?
After walking a few steps, I stopped again.
A feeling of discomfort or eerieness that cannot be expressed in words.
The sensation of a raccoon with dozens of legs crawling on your skin.
Is this the extrasensory perception that Ga-in oppa sometimes talks about?
This time, Director Kim reacted first.
“Did you feel anything again?”
“…”
“Miss Song, I originally came from the presidential security team. My position was quite high.”
It wouldn’t be strange if someone close to a conglomerate family were from the presidential security team.
“What do you mean?”
“Even though I’ve protected the president, I don’t feel anything.”
“…”
“But, you are an agent.”
I firmly believe Eun-sol’s lie that I am an agent.
Huh? Now that I think about it, it’s not a complete lie.
After we solved the moon problem in reality, the Bureau granted us all agent status!
Yes, I am an agent of the Management Bureau. I am just not an agent of Room 301!
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know, but if you felt something, there must be something. It could be supernatural surveillance.”
“…”
“What do you want to do? If you think it’s dangerous, retreat here and seek support from headquarters.”
At this point, it is suggested that we step back and seek support from the headquarters of the Administration Bureau.
Director Kim thought it was a reasonable decision, but there was one serious problem.
All my colleagues are outside and there is no support from the Administration Headquarters!
“… If you want to catch a tiger, you have to go into the tiger’s den.”
“If that’s what you think, let’s go.”
*
When we arrived at the old single-family home, Gray was the first to react.
— Meow! Meow!
Director Kim nodded slowly, walked to the main door, and rang the bell.
— Dingdong!
“Are you there?”
Soon, a woman with a somewhat nervous appearance who appeared to be in her early 50s appeared.
“Who are you?”
“Is this Mr. Park Ji-ho’s house?”
“Who are you and are looking for Jiho?”
I had a hunch when I heard the reactions of the local residents earlier, but this woman’s reaction now makes it certain.
Park Ji-ho is still alive and even active in society.
So then, what on earth is the spirit of Park Ji-ho trapped in Gray’s body?
I approached Director Kim, gesturing to him.
“Hello! My name is Song, and I’m a classmate from Jiho’s college.”
Considering their age, I’d say they’re probably in their first or second year of college, right?
Anyway, the woman who had seemed very nervous in front of Director Kim became quite lenient towards me, a teenage girl.
“Oh my! Oh my! A college friend?”
“Yes. We were supposed to meet up nearby today, but Jiho isn’t answering his phone. Oh, this guy is-”
“Oh my! Oh my~! I’m sorry! I made such a cute student wait!”
I tried to vaguely explain Director Kim’s identity, but before I could, the woman ran over, making a fuss.
“Hey! Park Ji-ho! Why aren’t you coming out right now?!”
Director Kim said it as if it was funny.
“I think that woman thought Song-i was Park Ji-ho’s girlfriend.”
“…”
“Of course, I guess you wanted me to be mistaken.”
“…”
“What are you going to do when Mr. Park Ji-ho comes out? You should tell me so that I can respond appropriately.”
“… I don’t know either.”
“yes?”
I just realized this, but I think I came here without much thought about what to do or how to do it.
It felt like I didn’t come with a plan, but rather ‘came to make a plan’.
So I can’t give a proper answer to the question of what to do.
If Ga-in oppa were to see the current situation, he might feel quite frustrated… .
At that time, Director Kim spoke calmly.
“You lack confidence in yourself.”
The next words were somewhat impulsive.
“Usually I don’t make plans. Other people often make them.”
“Is it difficult to take on a role you’ve never done before?”
“… yes.”
“Focus on what you are good at.”
“yes?”
“How about focusing and focusing on improvising?”
— Squeak!
At that moment, a young man with a rather neat appearance approached from a distance.
Tall and decent looking face.
At this point, I don’t think you’ll have much trouble finding a girlfriend in your life.
But not to the extent of Gain oppa – Oh, you had a hard time getting a girlfriend, right?
The moment I was about to open my mouth, the other person smiled and spoke first.
“Songi! Hello?”
At this point, not only I but also Director Kim’s expression hardened.
“…you know my name.”
“What do you mean? Didn’t we agree to meet today?”
“…”
“Haha! Sorry, sorry! I overslept. As an apology, I’ll pay for everything today. Didn’t your mom hit your butt and scold you? She said it was unreasonable to make such a pretty girlfriend wait?”
— Beep… !
The moment when Pero makes a sound full of caution.
“her!”
Director Kim looked around, his voice cracking.
“…”
Only then did I realize what the sense of discomfort I had felt on the road really was.
Crows in the sky, cats in the alley, dogs on the street – at least a few dozen animals send eerie glances from all directions.
That’s why even someone who has protected the president said, ‘I have no idea!’
I’ve never really cared about what an animal thinks in my life!
He said this, trying to look as relaxed as possible.
“Are you the king of beasts?”
At this point, the opponent’s attitude changed.
The leisurely eyes and playful voice disappeared as if washed away, and an inorganic gaze that could not read any emotion was staring at me.
The real Park Ji-ho’s soul was trapped in a cat, and an unidentified entity took over his empty body.
“It’s not an animal, as you know.”
Suddenly, I felt that it was quite dark around me even though it wasn’t even lunchtime yet.
This is because something resembling an unidentifiable dark cloud appeared in the sky.
“Be honest. What are you? An agent?”
“…”
“I know you’re lying. You’re not an agent. There’s no way they’re intervening right now….”
Director Kim, who was standing next to him, flinched at the words that he was not an agent.
By the way, what is the nature of the confidence that the management will not intervene?
“What the hell are you? Why did you come to me like this without any plan? Haha! Do you know who I am -”
In an instant, his tone of speech changed again, to that of a playful young man.
Director Kim shivered, perhaps feeling an eerie sense of discomfort at this sight.
Was that why?
I remembered the advice I heard a little while ago.
‘Then, focus on what you are good at.’
‘I’m telling you to focus and devote yourself to improvising.’
“I didn’t know about you until now, but now I do.”
“…What does that mean?”
The following words came out of my mouth without me knowing.
Perhaps, it is an instinctive improvisation that manifests itself in a sense of crisis!
I hoped so.
He took a step closer and whispered.
“How do I look?”
You will love me from now on.
“‘The Beloved’ is activated.”
*
The situation is very confusing. Mr. Gain, do you see something?
It’s such an impulsive action that it’s hard to predict the intention or even the outcome.
What the heck is going on? Songi! What are you thinking right now!
Haha! Ariya, don’t you get it yet? I was mistaken in thinking that she has a mind. She just does whatever comes to her!
what?
Since I thought I had some information, I went anyway, regardless of whether it was dangerous or not.
What’s next?
Looking at the opponent, he is a chaos being and at the same time has taken on the body of a human male, so he must have used his powers!
Phew! Without a head, things are going to be a mess.
Well, if you change your perspective, it might be profitable since it is a process without a foundation. A foundation without a foundation?
What are you talking about?
I don’t know – huh!
what?
There’s also a problem with Eunsol’s sister.
*
– Lee Eun-sol
Around lunchtime, I called Songi and Director Kim to see how things were going.
“…Why aren’t you both answering the phone?”
We both lost contact.
Could it be that both of them suffered in the meantime?
“…”
It feels like I’m heading towards destruction in an instant, and it takes my breath away!
At this point, the feeling of needing help from the management office grew stronger than the feeling of being wary of the management office.
Anyway, if it’s the administration, wouldn’t they at least try to prevent a chaos disaster?
You wouldn’t suddenly kill the youngest daughter of the chairman of the Daeyang Group!
Finally, I took out my cell phone and dialed the direct number to the management office, which is not accessible to the general public.
“…”
Just press the call button here and you will be immediately connected to an internal staff member.
That moment when you think about it for the last 3 seconds.
— CLANG!
Suddenly, a book in the office fell to the floor.
“what -”
— Rattling! Rattling!
Before I could even get up, a trophy for the ‘Young Manager Award’ that I don’t even know when I received it and a plaque from an unknown association fell one after another.
“…”
what?
What is it? What is it?
Why does this poltergeist-like phenomenon occur when I try to report it to the authorities?
“after….”
Ha! I got that feeling.
I don’t know what it is, but it’s threatening me so that I won’t be afraid and report it to the authorities, right?
Would you fall for such a trick?
— Beep!
I immediately pressed the call button.