There was sothing strange about the hotel.
A single front desk stood at the front. Beside it, staff with chanical smiles were lined up in silent formation.
‘This is not a structure built for money and efficiency.’
Then what had it been built for?
The antique yet lavish interior felt detached from reality, and the man standing in the middle of it in a black suit felt even more alien.
It was difficult to read the gaze behind those clear lenses.
“…….”
“…….”
At length, the man in the black suit asked,
“What brings you here today?”
“Ah, well....”
Only then did the director co back to herself.
‘This really is occupational disease.’
A hollow laugh rose in her chest.
If she were to explain how they had really co to be here, an hour would not suffice. Thinking that, Director Lee Seon-hae smiled awkwardly.
“Is this a hotel?”
“Yes. Thank you for visiting our hotel.”
“Ah, I see. To be honest, I never expected to find a hotel in a place like this... I just wanted to confirm whether this really was a hotel. I’m sorry if that was rude.”
“Welcoming those who visit is both my duty and my pleasure. If there is anything you wish to know, please feel free to ask.”
Ding—!!
A mont later, three more people entered the hotel.
“Director, at least talk to...!!”
“…….”
“...Hello.”
“Yes. Thank you for visiting our hotel.”
“Yes.”
The writer only gave a slight bow of his head. To an outsider, it might have looked as though he was in a bad mood, but the director knew better. He was only being awkward because he was embarrassed.
‘For soone who looks like that, he’s surprisingly shy with strangers.’
Trying to smooth over the atmosphere, Lee Seon-hae gave an awkward laugh.
“The truth is, we were on our way to the place we’d booked, and we got lost.”
“I see.”
“Yes. There are so many mountains around here, and with all this rain, I think the signal may have been disrupted. Our navigation, our phones, everything has stopped working. Is it any better here at the hotel?”
“The reception environnt is not especially stable, so I am afraid I cannot give you a definite answer. I would ask for your understanding.”
“Ah, the signal...?”
“…….”
The man’s smile deepened. It was elegant and composed, but impossible to read.
“Many of our guests prefer to refrain from communicating with the outside world.”
“...Ah. I see?”
Lee Seon-hae could feel the writer poking her in the back. It seed to an, This place is suspicious enough already, so let’s stop and leave.
She slowly looked around the spacious lobby. There were only a few guests seated on the sofas.
“...There aren’t many people here.”
“That tends to be the case.”
“I’m sorry, it’s rude of
to ask things like this, but I’m very curious by nature.”
“That is quite all right. Answering such curiosity is also one of the roles I bear in taking responsibility for this hotel.”
“You manage this place?”
“I do. However....”
The man’s gaze lingered on the drenched group.
His look was detached and courteous, but they could not hide their embarrassnt. They had umbrellas, and yet here they were, looking like drowned rats. They had only run a short distance, and still they were soaked through.
The man politely pretended not to notice.
“If you do not mind, I can have towels and warm tea prepared for you.”
“Oh, that’s too much....”
“The rain outside is rather heavy. You would do well to warm yourselves a little.”
“Well... that is true.”
At that suggestion, the staff were won over first and whispered urgently to the director and the writer.
“Couldn’t we just rest for a little while before we go? Honestly, none of us have had a break since we started out, so everyone must be tired... and Director, you’ve been driving the whole ti.”
“The writer got carsick halfway here too. Honestly, I’m saying this because I’m scared more than anything. We’re up in the mountains, the rain is coming down in sheets, the sun went down ages ago... what if we have an accident?”
Writer Hong wore an expression that said, And this place isn’t scary? But Director Lee Seon-hae agreed. Her creator’s urge to pry deeper into the hotel, born from that indescribable dissonance, had gotten the better of her.
“Oh, should we? Shall we rest for just a bit, then?”
“Yes, yes, please. If we could at least borrow so towels....”
“And if they’re offering tea too, let’s warm up a little before we go.”
Writer Hong jabbed hard at the director’s side with an anxious look on his face, but she remained firm.
“Could we trouble you?”
“Of course. This way, please.”
The man guided them to a table in the lobby.
“…….”
And when the director saw it, her expression turned faintly strange.
“...Director?”
“Hm? No, it’s nothing. The table’s beautiful.”
“Ah, yes. It looks expensive. The sofa too.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“It really does look expensive.”
“Yes....”
Before sitting down, the director looked at the man.
“The sofa will get wet. I feel terribly sorry about that.”
“This place was prepared for the sake of receiving guests. If you would put aside your hesitation and rest comfortably, it would only give us reason to be grateful.”
“Mmm....”
“Excuse .”
Ding—
The man lightly rang a small bell.
‘A bell?’
Lee Seon-hae blinked.
The handbell he held was smooth, with no noticeable patterns upon it. If there was anything unusual about it, it was that unlike ordinary bells, it had no gleaming luster, but a matte finish, and....
“…….”
...Was that real gold?
“If you would be more comfortable, would it be acceptable if we laid towels down first?”
“...Ah, yes. We’d appreciate that.”
“I’ll have it prepared at once.”
‘Very antique.’
Perhaps the bell had been a signal. The staff approached at once and laid towels across the sofa, and then another employee appeared carrying a neat tea service.
Everything was swift, but there was no sense of haste. On the contrary, it was quiet. Even the sound of porcelain touching tray was absent, as though not a single scrape of friction were permitted.
It was ideally excellent service.
“Wow....”
“Please sit, and I’ll prepare the tea.”
“Ah, y-yes.”
Once they sat, pale golden tea flowed into the cups. Writer Hong, who enjoyed tea, recognized it at once as high-quality chamomile.
The sweet scent of apple, the softness of honey, and the fresh green fragrance spread through the dry air of the lobby.
“...Ah....”
The stiffness left Hong Gyeong-yeon’s face a little.
“...It slls wonderful.”
“You flatter .”
“And your tea-brewing is excellent as well. Did you happen to learn it sowhere in particular...?”
“I taught myself.”
“Ah. I see.”
Watching the writer’s expression, Director Lee Seon-hae cut in with a teasing smile.
“Is it really all right for you to treat just us this well?”
“As you can see, there are not very many people for us to attend to in this hotel. Which also ans we have the leisure to focus on each person more closely.”
“You don’t seem to be rely another staff mber.”
“…….”
The man’s eyes curved faintly as he smiled.
“That is correct.”
“Oh? So kind of secret?”
“My, would it do to keep that sort of secret from a guest? I am only cautious lest it co across as an unpleasant boast.”
“Now that you’ve said it like that, I’m even more curious.”
“Ha ha....”
The man let out a slow laugh, then answered.
“I am the Operator here.”
“Oh my.”
The director asked back,
“The general manager... is that what you’d call it? Or the owner?”
“I hold both positions.”
“My goodness.”
“So it seems I do not look like it.”
“No, I’m sorry. It’s just....”
She looked at his face once more.
“You look so young that I didn’t realize.”
“I hear that rather often.”
“…….”
“For the record, I have long since co of age.”
“...I haven’t said anything yet.”
“My apologies. You appeared to be concerned about the hotel’s managent structure.”
“So it really was that obvious. How embarrassing.”
The writer and the two staff mbers, who had been listening, still could not erase the suspicion from their eyes.
‘He’s been an adult for quite a while?’
‘No matter how generously you look at him, doesn’t he just seem like a college student...?’
‘So how old is he, exactly?’
The man seed to take leisurely enjoynt in their looks. He summoned the staff again, had the wet towels taken away, and new dry, warm towels were brought in with exquisite precision.
As the dry, mild air touched their skin, the tension in the group slowly began to lt away.
‘The hotel is still suspicious, but....’
The director looked at the man who had called himself the Operator.
“...Actually, this friend here is a writer....”
“I thought as much. I had the impression I had seen him sowhere before.”
“Oh? You know him?”
“If my mory serves
correctly, you are Writer Hong Gyeong-yeon, are you not?”
“Oh my.”
Pffht—
The writer spat out his tea.
“Cough, hack....”
“My apologies. I do worry that perhaps I spoke as though I knew you too familiarly.”
“N-No, not at all. It’s just... I was surprised....”
“If I was rude, I apologize.”
“...No....”
Hong Gyeong-yeon was famous as a horror film writer. But unlike Director Lee Seon-hae, his face was not especially well known. That was because he disliked his personal life becoming public.
Of course, there were those who knew his face....
“I’m sorry. Unless soone’s in the industry, not many people recognize
by face.”
“I tend to rember nas and faces together. You appeared briefly at a preview screening once, did you not?”
“Ah, yes, that’s right. Though I hardly ever appear at those....”
“The fact that you seldom show yourself in public settings left a distinct impression on .”
“...I-Is that so.”
The man answered the writer with a smile, then looked to the director.
“I am already well aware of the writer, but it seed you were about to ask
sothing, Director.”
“Ah, that....”
The director smiled awkwardly.
“We’re imaginative people, so I was wondering whether you’d satisfy a little of our curiosity. About the hotel’s location, among other things. We’ve got quite a few questions....”
“I understand completely. Please ask whatever you wish.”
“Since the writer and I are always attached at the hip, I assu you’d know
too, then?”
“Of course, Director Lee Seon-hae. The works you and the writer have produced together are renowned for their high degree of completion. Your sensuous direction and exceptional mise-en-scène were especially impressive.”
“Well, now I feel embarrassed.”
“Personally, I watched The Sea with deep admiration. It is rare to find a work that carries the strengths of both comrcial and art film at once. It was a truly superb film, one that did not neglect even the most delicate details.”
“Oh dear.”
She let out a laugh of genuine embarrassnt.
“Ah, I’m sorry. It wasn’t that I was trying to hide it, but I was worried that bringing it up would sound like I was fishing for special treatnt. You know what I an, right?”
“You need not worry. On the contrary, such words only give us reason to be grateful.”
The man continued,
“Your interest is an honor to
as well, Director. If you would prefer a question-and-answer format, I would be glad to make the ti.”
“So, in other words, an interview?”
“Provided I may ask one thing of you first... that it be on the understanding that none of it will be disclosed to the outside world.”
“...Why must it not beco known?”
“Because the less known this hotel remains, the more valuable a place it is.”
“You do realize that the more you say things like that, the more suspicious it sounds?”
“It seems my words were clumsy enough to leave that impression. My apologies.”
With another light smile of apology, the man rang the bell again.
A staff mber appeared from sowhere and set down a chair, and the man took his seat. That clear gesture—showing he intended to answer the director’s questions in earnest—made Lee Seon-hae laugh awkwardly.
“I hope I’m not taking too much of your ti.”
“Think nothing of it. Speaking with a guest is sothing I welco very much as well.”
“Is that so?”
“Our guests here tend to be taciturn by nature, so opportunities to speak directly like this are rare.”
“Ah... I can see that....”
Seon-hae glanced around the lobby without thinking.
There were perhaps three guests visible, but not one of them opened their mouth. One sat blankly in white clothing, another read a newspaper in a suit, and another kept writing sothing without pause.
“…….”
...They were not lively, and they did not look especially cheerful either.
‘Nor did they look especially ordinary.’
The director asked her first question.
“This is a hotel, right?”
“Of course.”
“There don’t seem to be many people here.”
“We are still in the soft-opening stage. Full admission is allowed only on a very limited basis.”
“Ah, I see.”
Lee Seon-hae nodded in understanding.
“To be honest, I was quite surprised. I never expected a hotel this enormous to be hidden in the mountains. I couldn’t see it properly because of the weather, but it looked well over twenty stories.”
“Our hotel is twenty-five floors above ground.”
“Does that an there are that many guest rooms?”
“No. The upper floors and so of the lower floors have been set aside as dedicated service spaces for our guests.”
The twenty-fifth floor was a rooftop with a walking garden. The twenty-third, an aqua park. The twenty-second, a sky lounge. The third, fifth, and sixth floors were lifestyle zones. The second floor housed a grand banquet hall and a buffet. Guest rooms occupied the seventh through the twenty-first floors.
After hearing the explanation, the writer asked, feeling an odd dissonance,
“...There’s no fourth floor.”
“That is correct. There are no spaces in this hotel that include the number four.”
“Is there a particular reason for that?”
“Yes. So guests are extrely sensitive to certain numbers. For that reason, every floor containing the number four was intentionally omitted. I did not design it myself, but that is what the records say.”
“There are hotels like that from ti to ti... but you said you were the owner, so I suppose you weren’t involved in the hotel’s design.”
“I was only entrusted with the operation of this hotel.”
The director asked again,
“There don’t seem to be many guests, and the facilities and location are both rather unusual.”
“This was never a place built to house a great number of guests.”
“Ah, then about how many...?”
“There are 135 guest rooms in total.”
“...One hundred thirty-five....”
The director turned to the staff mber beside her.
“How many rooms does a hotel this size usually have again?”
“I-I don’t know either. I’ve never even been to a hotel this size in the first place....”
The one who answered instead was the writer.
“On average, around five hundred. Even if it’s on the smaller side, around two hundred, and large hotels often go well beyond seven hundred.”
“That’s our Writer Hong for you. My own personal wiki. Poke him and answers co out.”
“I only rember because I saw it during research.”
“Exactly.”
The director looked at the man.
“So the number of guest rooms is on the low side? For a hotel this large?”
“In exchange, each room has been given ample space.”
“That’s delightful from a guest’s point of view, but from an operational standpoint...?”
“It was designed to focus not on profit, but on the perfection afforded to a small number of specific guests.”
“...Ah, I see.”
She felt as though she understood.
“You can’t book this place online either, can you?”
“As far as the systems known to
are concerned, it is not possible.”
“Mmm....”
The director’s expression grew even stranger.
“Are we really allowed to be here?”
“Officially, you are guests whom I have received here myself, so I do not believe it will pose a problem.”
“That’s true enough.”
After a brief pause, the director seed to make up her mind and asked,
“Would it be possible for us to stay here tonight?”
“Director?”
“No, wait a second. Hear
out, Writer Hong.”
“I am listening.”
“When in your life are you going to co to a hotel like this again?”
“No, but....”
“And that assus there’s even a room available.”
The director looked at the man.
“Would that be difficult, sir?”
“...Not especially.”
The man lightly touched the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. It seed to be a habitual gesture.
“However, as I ntioned earlier, we are still in the soft-opening stage, so you may find certain inconveniences. The guest rooms themselves should pose no serious problem, but because of intermittent inspections, the lights may go out without warning, and unpleasant noises may arise from equipnt issues.”
“That’s exactly the kind of thing I’d like to experience, actually, so that’s fine.”
“To be perfectly frank, I would not recomnd it.”
“Is there a reason?”
“Setting aside my position as the Operator and speaking only from a purely personal perspective, the guests here...”
The corners of his mouth curved slightly. His eyes narrowed gently, but the gaze beyond them was still too deep to read.
Then, in a calm voice, the man said,
“...have a rather eccentric streak.”
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