Chapter 173
Chapter 173
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: First Day of Resort Operations
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Resort business day one was going smoothly.
'Hoo.'
I was drenched in cold sweat inside the mascot's nonchalant exterior, but still.
'Th-there are just too many psychos.'
More precisely, every third guest was a psycho—read as something straight out of a horror movie—utterly terrifying and ominously meaningful.
-Room 404, please. It has to be 404. And never come looking for me.
-Let's die together.
-There sure are a lot of elevators here... Hehehehehehehe.
And I was starting to realize it was actually easier when they showed their true colors like this.
...Because the room service requests were getting outrageously bizarre...
Calls that hung up abruptly, fake desperate pleas for rescue that devolved into maniacal laughter when questioned, incomprehensible cultish doomsday rants no human could follow.
'This is fucking terrifying.'
It was just the Napolitan Ghost Story Hotel, plain and simple.
Save me. I'm losing my mind.
At least it was comforting that the day was finally winding down.
Check-in was almost over.
Let's review day one's performance after closing.
'Looks like the theme park's closing time too.'
The resort wrapped up with the theme park, except for night duty.
-Ahahahaha!!
Far off outside the window, fireworks were exploding.
...In the red zone, Magic Bunny Zone, something horrific and hilarious—a parade?—had apparently started. I could hear guests murmuring in regret for missing it...
'That insane red zone is still operating fine, huh...'
For once, I was glad mascots couldn't leave their zones...
And one more realization: a good chunk of the psycho guests at the resort were folks who'd made Magic Bunny Zone their main attraction.
For instance, right now.
"Excuse me. I don't have eyes. No eyes means I can't close them, so I can't sleep, so there's no point in renting a room. Give me eyes. Eyes."
"O-one moment, let me check stock..."
"You have stock! You have them! You've got 'em!!"
"Gasp."
Scram!
I barely saved Jang Heo-un from having his eyeballs gouged out and chased the horrific thing out the main door.
"Eyes!!! Eyes!!"
The thing, with empty sockets blinking all over its body, wailed until the stock mascot's threat forced it away.
The mouse-masked cleaning staff, who'd been working there, was huddled in a corner, pretending to sweep while clearly desperate to vanish.
Understandable. If I weren't in this mascot suit, I might've fainted too...
'...Can we screen them out beforehand and refuse entry?'
Even faster—chase 'em off before they even get in.
Three new clauses had already been added to the staff handbook...
'Hoo.'
I was pondering methods during a lull in check-ins when...
A guest burst through the glass door.
"Save me!"
Or maybe not a guest.
A weasel-masked Field Exploration Team employee spotted the ladybug-masked staff at the room service call desk, rushed over, and clung desperately.
"M-manager! Manager! Save me! I can't get out through the gate..."
"G-guest? What do you mean...?"
"No matter what, I can't leave! Can't go back to the blue zone either! Says my ticket's already used! Save me! Save—"
"...I'm sorry, sir!"
The ladybug staff politely pried them off and pointed to the front desk.
"I'm not an info desk attendant. For exit inquiries, please go to the front counter."
"......"
The weasel mask froze stiff, then creaked around.
Our eyes met.
Welcome.
Lee Jaheon.
Relax. We're friendlies.
But the weasel mask turned to flee out the glass door. Where do you even plan to sleep then...?
Wait, how'd you even get here? Skip the gate stamp?
That was when.
"...!"
A guest entering the lobby grabbed the fleeing weasel mask from behind.
...Lizard manager!
Why haven't you left, Squad Leader?!
Lee Jaheon, coughing and sniveling employee by the scruff, strode to the front desk, stared right at me, and greeted.
"Good evening."
Hello.
"Can I stay with this?"
He held out a small rectangular paper badge.
A lodging coupon.
'...???'
Where'd you get that.
"The Blue Dream Waterpark mascot is handing them out as event prizes."
'......'
Wow.
'Why would you do that?'
No, more importantly, is that even allowed?
I instinctively reached for my inauguration docs hidden under the front desk.
The pen moved on its own again.
I didn't do that.
It'll help promote the resort opening too.
Do we have to...?
And the mascot swore to cover lodging costs equal to coupons issued.
Ha.
I stifled a sigh, grabbed the rogue pen, and forced it to write.
Decided to charge only the discounted staff rate, down to the last coin.
'Anyway, maintain friendly relations.'
It was clearly a friendly gesture.
But how do I collect? Can't cross over there.
Head to the gate near Blue Dream Waterpark during theme park hours to meet the mascot.
Thanks for the tip.
I pocketed the docs with a sigh.
Then took the coupon, facing the blinking lizard eyes again.
Aren't you leaving?
Why'd you come.
"Blue Dream Waterpark has all other gates under maintenance. Only the gate to this resort is operational."
This is insane.
'No wonder guest numbers spiked on opening day!'
Why are you forcing customers our way!
"And event coupon holders can't exit."
"...!"
"Estimated judgment: tickets not fully consumed."
Ah.
'Not enough "theme park" enjoyment.'
That's why Lee Jaheon and his grabbed employee couldn't leave.
'Hmm.'
Welcome aboard.
Can't let them vanish in the closed theme park.
I took the coupon from the sobbing employee's hand and assigned a deluxe room to Lee Jaheon and the nameless weasel mask.
Even escorted them with a stock mascot.
'Gotta put 'em on a floor with docile guests...'
Including our staff.
Please, no one turn up as corpses tomorrow...
"M-mascot, sir."
Jang Heo-un whispered during a guest lull.
"Thank you. For the help..."
No biggie.
Just amazed at his character—grateful to his employer after a forced contract and minimal aid.
'How'd you survive Daydream...'
As I pitied Jang Heo-un...
-♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪
The theme park BGM shifted.
'...!'
Lively... ending theme.
-See you next time~
The dazzling lights of the flashy, ecstatic theme park outside winked out one by one.
Spreading wider.
'...Business hours over!'
Theme park shutdown.
Stock mascots closed and locked the lobby glass doors.
That instant.
"Let me iiiiiiin!!"
Over a dozen shadows madly pounded the glass.
...Theme park stragglers who didn't make it out.
But the doors stayed shut.
Stock mascots just waved friendly theme park doll goodbyes.
Blood smeared the glass, hands crushed—wailing figures headbutted it.
Doors still shut.
Resort streetlights began extinguishing too.
Tick.
Tickticktickticktickticktickticktick.
Terror-stricken guests outside watched lights die from afar, then fled into the dark, pushed by the gloom.
Where to? No idea...
'......'
My heart pounded.
The lobby's grand chandelier dimmed too.
Only soft gas lamps remained, warmly enveloping the resort lobby.
Today's business ended.
'Hoo.'
A chill sigh of terror and relief escaped.
'Day 1 over.'
We survived.
Good job.
Break time.
Everyone but night duty, dismissed.
I'm night duty, FYI... Mascots don't need sleep, apparently. Sob.
'Best for handling emergencies.'
Fucking scary, but gotta endure. Leaving folks behind could wreck the place.
I assigned rooms to the exhausted staff one by one.
'Rest well, please...'
For god's sake, no pointless snooping—just sleep.
After sending everyone off, I lingered alone in the lobby, then returned to the manager's office.
'Hoo.'
Briefly considered removing the mascot head... but held off, fearing it'd revoke my mascot status.
Plus, the suit felt increasingly comfy—weirdly so.
'Like wearing a fluffy blanket.'
A bit heavy and stuffy, but bearable. I plopped at the office desk as-is and picked up the pen.
Time to tally today's business.
Jolly Coins?
'The plastic coins we took as payment?'
I had a stock mascot haul them to the office.
Exactly 51.
'Checks out.'
Board game basis, so... these coins probably buy stuff.
Obviously.
Or upgrade facilities for luxury.
I decided on whatever aided operations most.
Hmm.
I crossed my arms. A bit wobbly, but doable.
'...To make this resort safe, pre-blocking psychos seems key.'
So, most effective method?
Simple if we can alter the resort.
'Just make 'em not come.'
I added to the resort rules below the existing ones.
2. For our guests' peaceful rest, all noisy behavior is prohibited inside the resort.
All amenities, welcome gifts, and services are provided immediately at check-in, allowing undisturbed, dignified repose thereafter.
Strict distancing!
'Like a store selling "no soliciting" as its hook.'
Naturally append:
Disrupting other guests' rest may result in room cancellation.
But it's a theme park annex.
Makes sense after park fun: crash hard. Plausible, but risks complaints on poor service, boredom—dropping satisfaction.
Need high satisfaction to add facilities, stamp out, escape...
Good.
I bought top-tier amenities and welcome gifts with Jolly Coins.
Also replacing all bedding with luxury.
Free meta upgrades.
Facility investment? For long-term ops folks. Short-term mascot like me, milking satisfaction then bailing? Irrelevant.
Game money covers it!
Hahahaha!
Ha......
Hoo.
'...But where do we get more staff?'
Today's coupon folks won't stick without going mad tomorrow.
No answers. Argh.
'Just browse items for now...'
Night duty ticked by.
Some dozens of minutes before Kim Sol-eum's mad shopping spree.
Lee Jaheon rode the resort's antique wooden elevator to his assigned third-floor room.
The escorting stock mascot opened the door, waved amiably several times in farewell, then politely left.
He was alone in the room.
"......"
A bit cramped like typical hotel stays, but Baroque-style fitting for a theme park annex—atmospheric.
Brass fittings and glassware faintly gleamed in the dim light.
He passed the crystal lamp to the bed.
Bedside table held a beautiful note etched with golden flowers.
Clause 1 summarized: maintain courtesy and dignity. And...
Lee Jaheon's gaze drifted down.
...Real-time, clause 2 was adding itself to the guide.
"......"
And that moment.
Knock knock knock.
Someone knocked.
Lee Jaheon set the paper down without pause and approached the door.
Knocks continued, intervals shortening...
Knock knock knock....
Click!
He flung the door open.
Kim Sol-eum would've ripped his hair out—"Should've added the 'ignore door knocks' cliche clause"—but Lee Jaheon was unfazed.
And standing before Lee Jaheon's door was...
"G-good evening, sir."
A buffalo-masked employee.
Jang Heo-un.
Off-duty, back in his suit, golden bowtie faintly visible in his pocket.
He glanced nervously down the hall, then spoke quickly.
"Sorry for the sudden visit, Manager. Actually..."
He steeled himself, looked up.
"Would you consider working here? ...We need more staff."
Lee Jaheon fixed his vertical pupils on him.
Next morning.
"I want to work at this resort."
"...?!"
The yellow mascot dropped the welcome gifts in a crash!