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“Problem… what do you mean?”

“Well, um…”

Despite the manager’s question, the hotel staff hesitated to respond. Instead, they pondered what to say to avoid upsetting the guests before them and finally settled on this.

“Our hotel made a mistake with the reservations. Rest assured, we will take all necessary measures, so we ask for your understanding.”

The nuance was subtly different from the earlier mention of a problem.

They avoided specifically mentioning what the issue was, diverting the conversation instead.

It wasn’t exactly pleasant, even if it was polite chatter…

Having already dealt with a significant incident earlier, the manager and Chaine didn’t want to waste energy squabbling about it. Moreover, the hotel staff wasn’t skirting responsibility; they admitted there was a mistake and began speaking of compensation. So, what could they really get out of protesting at this point?

It was likely that the hotel preferred not to divulge something they didn’t want to discuss or perhaps had a difficult situation to disclose to foreigners, leaving them a bit displeased as they moved along.

That was the best course of action.

Thus, the manager and Chaine, their weary bodies dragging, drove toward another hotel.

The one where the hotel staff had asked for cooperation.

“Haah…”

Everything felt so heavy.

The car seats, which normally felt tiresome, transformed into the plushest of beds in this moment.

Perhaps it was due to the combination of having been tense and now releasing all that stress?

Her body felt oddly limp, and sleepiness began to creep in.

Indeed, her eyelids were growing heavy, and the vibrations of the vehicle and the noisy outside world began to feel serenely pleasant.

‘Can’t fall asleep now.’

But Chaine struggled to fend off sleep.

It wasn’t due to a fear of dozing off in the car.

If she fell asleep, the manager would be left awake alone… It didn’t sit well with her conscience to leave the manager, who seemed much more startled than her, all by himself. Especially since this manager had come after dealing with a bevy of incompetent ones to finally find a decent one, right?

Her manager definitely deserved all the consideration she could muster.

After all, how many reliable comrades there were to muster courage in such a situation…

How many…

‘Hah.’

In a moment, she dozed off.

The sleepiness overwhelmed her.

To exaggerate a bit, it felt like she could sleep soundly using a brick as a pillow on the dirty pavement out there.

Haah.

Chaine covered her mouth and yawned, trying hard to squeeze out tears.

Then she gazed out the window.

The exotic yet somewhat familiar scenery of China.

Signs composed entirely of characters that were hard to come by back in Korea, crowds overflowing, and a chubby uncle who pulled up his shirt to expose just his belly—

‘Oh, he’s caught by the Public Security.’

That uncle who was strolling around with his belly hanging out was now being scolded by the Public Security.

His round belly disappeared into his t-shirt, and his crumpled face was showing an identification card.

Indeed, they said they were regulating such appearances these days…

‘It is slightly unsightly.’

Chaine continued gazing out the window.

People walking around with luxury bags.

People wearing masks.

Were there holding a marathon somewhere? People stretching earnestly in proper running attire.

Off in the distance, countless elderly performing Tai Chi in the park.

A man wearing a funky design gas mask that looked straight out of a cyberpunk novel…

‘That mask… is unusual…’

Even with her eyelids getting heavier, she distinctly noticed that mask.

Its colors weren’t loud, but the design was uniquely shaped.

It looked like they had cut the lower part of a gas mask and merely stuck it on, adding glowing blue LED wires here and there to resemble veins or some strange patterns…

Especially since he was wearing a suit, it felt even more out of place.

‘Ah… now I really am sleepy…’

Her thoughts began to blur.

It felt like a fog had settled in her brain, and she was sinking into slumber.

She had hardly felt this sleepy, even after going through grueling practices during her trainee days…

It was unavoidable.

This time, she couldn’t win…

Chaine found herself on the verge of surrendering to sleep.

But at that moment, the dependable voice of her comrade reached her ears.

“Seon-mi. We’ve arrived at the hotel.”

That sounded like the sweetest thing to hear upon arriving at the hotel.

Chaine’s eyes snapped wide open at the manager’s words.

With great effort, she lifted her heavy eyelids and, with twinkling—though in the eyes of others, likely heavy and sleepy—eyes, energetically got out of the car.

“The name on the reservation… Ah, I’ve heard the details. Please follow me.”

Thankfully, there were no issues this time.

Chaine was able to rest in a room that was much better than the one initially reserved, while the manager, still shaken from the eerie experience, headed to the hotel bar in the basement for a few cocktails, hoping to borrow some courage and just pass out in another room.

Honestly, given the upgraded size of Chaine’s room, it seemed reasonable for the manager to stay in there too… but could they really do that with differing genders? Instead, the manager was content with the upgrade to his own room and fell asleep straight away.

Without even washing up, casually.

And left alone in the spacious room, Chaine decided against heading to the bar like the manager and instead resolved to wash up and go to bed.

To be completely honest, the thought of wanting to borrow some liquid courage wasn’t nonexistent… but given her current state, she worried she might just drink herself into unconsciousness.

Thus, she stripped and began showering…

“Yikes!”

Oh my.

What on earth was this…

Without a second thought, while shampooing and rinsing, she found a bug mixed in the suds.

Not a tiny bug like a mayfly, but a long, slender centipede that made her question how she had not noticed it earlier.

She felt chills.

She didn’t know when it crawled into her hair, but hadn’t she been pressed against that centipede?

‘Was it during that conversation with that man earlier…?’

Logically, even someone as dull as her wouldn’t fail to notice that.

It was for that reason that she could only think of the man who had taken her smartwatch earlier.

Due to the overwhelming yet fearful aura he gave off, she might not have even realized the centipede was crawling on her head.

Chaine washed herself thoroughly, even more than usual.

And then, out of an abundance of caution, she picked up the clothes she had tossed aside…

“Oh, it’s here too…”

Upon shaking out the clothes, she was horrified to see several dead spiders hopping out.

She hadn’t been rolling around in the woods, so why were there so many bugs—

Haah.

Chaine sighed heavily and pulled pajamas from her carrier, then sprayed a bug repellent around.

Even though it wasn’t necessary to spray inside a hotel.

But anyway—whether or not it was effective, at least it made her feel better, so she figured the bug spray had done its job.

With that, Chaine double-checked to ensure no bugs could approach her and meticulously scanned the area where she would sleep before finally snuggling into bed.

And that was a sleep as sweet as honey.

Indeed.

…

…

Mazumuazelle—

There was change left over—

…

…

Do you like my gift…?

…

…

In her slumber, or perhaps in her dream, she felt a voice echoing in her mind, giving her the strong illusion of someone speaking…

 

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