Chapter 297: Room 204, Mission Room – ‘Hotel Cinema’ (19)

– Han Kain

After Grandpa’s sudden death, the remaining people held a meeting about how to proceed. After a long discussion, we were able to somewhat grasp a direction regarding Park Sumi’s “Newlywed Memories”.

Eunsol-noona, who was writing various things on the whiteboard, gave her opinion first, “Let’s start with the most important part. In the last movie, it starts with three people, excluding us, meeting the drama writer Do Inho, right? At first glance, it might seem like a meaningless introduction, but actually, there’s a very important hint hidden there.”

Ahri nodded, “They’re all alive and well.”

“That’s it. Not only are they alive, but none of them have any disabilities. Given the circumstances, all three are ordinary people. In other words, there are scenarios in the movie’s bizarre stories that ordinary humans can escape from unscathed.”

I also spoke up, “So we shouldn’t overuse our Inheritances or Blessings, right?”

“That’s right. Think of Inheritances and Blessings as a last resort. Grandpa only used his arm when he was caught by the murderous couple and faced the crisis of being killed, right? It should be just like that feeling.”

My thoughts were a bit different, but since it was Eunsol-noona’s turn to go in now, I held my tongue. In the end, the person who entered would do as they believed, anyway.

“I roughly understand ‘Newlywed Memories’. I’m getting a sense of what Grandpa missed and how we should proceed. The problem is what comes next…”

The next one, “The Girl with Demonic Charm”, was honestly completely unclear. To begin with, Grandpa died in 1 minute, so all we knew was that the setting was a high school.

“We have no choice. I’ll find out more, then Seungyub will find out more, and we’ll solve it that way. But there is something I’m worried about.”

“What is it?”

“My tools. They’ll all go in properly, right?”

We weren’t worried about that part. Grandpa was able to use his Abras arm even when he had changed into a woman in her 20s. I thought Noona’s tools would also enter in some way.

After all, the Hotel’s rewards were items made to be used. The talk about choosing only one between Inheritance and Blessing was irrelevant to tools that were neither, and if there was no specific mention, it should be normal to be able to use them.

Noona, with a somewhat tense expression, drank three cups of cold water and then walked towards the screen. The choice was, of course, the Inheritance, Flute of Peace.

– Lee Eunsol

Phew… Now it begins.

The initial progression was exactly the same as what we saw in the movie. I woke up in a bustling area, moved to the coffee shop, and met the writer Do Inho, who presided over the meeting, the noble lady Park Sumi, the female student Han Yuri, and Cha Eunpyo, who I wasn’t too familiar with yet.

Not long after, Do Inho requested “Park Sumi” to tell her story, just like before. At that moment, I recalled the words Do Inho had said when Grandpa passed.

— Let’s try again later.

Was it meant for the “next person” to try again since Grandpa couldn’t solve it normally? If I solve it normally does the next person skip the story that ended normally and start from the next one?

At that time, the space shook, and the first story began.

– First Story, Newlywed Memories

As soon as the story started, I checked the status of “my tools”. The badge and brooch were attached near my chest and head like ordinary decorations. The chef’s hat was inside the handbag.

As expected, all the tools came in. When I slightly reached out my hand, the flute appeared and disappeared without any problem.

“…Just in case, maybe I should take a kitchen knife.”

The initial progression was the same as Grandpa’s time. Park Sangho expressed his desire to go to his hometown, and thinking it was meaningless to interfere with the scenario itself, I agreed. Three days later, I arrived at the countryside house where the mad elderly couple lived.

“Hello, Mother.”

“Oh, child! I’ve often heard about you from Sangho.”

“Oh my! Sangho, you rascal! How did you get such a beautiful and virtuous young lady? This old father’s eyes are blessed!”

“Father…”

Knowing that the elderly couple were serial killers, I almost laughed bitterly during this short conversation when I saw it again.

What followed was similar. The young man said to be the husband’s younger brother stared at Park Sumi in a daze before running away, and the gloomy sister-in-law showed a strange reaction. Up to here, it was the same.

From now on, I needed to proceed differently from what Grandpa did.

In the evening, Grandpa moved to the countryside “kitchen” and found it strange that the mother-in-law and sister-in-law prevented him from even touching the tools around.

What could the reason for this be?

Ahri, surprisingly, found a simple answer.

Why is the husband’s hometown in such a remote countryside? Obviously, it’s to hide the serial killings from the outside world.

However, due to that very geographical problem of being in a remote location, this house didn’t have many tools and wasn’t very big. There was no way there would be separate grand facilities for torturing, killing, and disposing of people.

Simply put, that “kitchen” was a place where tools for killing people were stored and at the same time where bodies were disposed of. So, to hide their crimes, they had no choice but to prevent my access as an outsider. There was probably also a reason to prevent the prey from obtaining weapons.

So instead of going to the kitchen and provoking the killers, I moved to a different location while they were preparing for their “work” at dawn.

“…”

As I walked, I pondered.

What’s the secret for a powerless woman in her 20s to escape from this hell where a serial killer elderly couple lived?

It’s a “collaborator”.

– Creak!

I approached the cattle shed where the young man had appeared and gently opened the door. As expected, the place that looked like a cattle shed was actually a place where a person treated like livestock lived.

“Grrrk!”

The young man was sitting on a pile of terribly dirty and worn-out cloth, doing odd jobs. As soon as I entered, he made a gurgling sound in surprise and gestured for me to quickly go outside.

Hmm… As expected, he doesn’t respond positively as soon as I enter. Has he been brainwashed in this hell for a long time?

If so, I might need to stimulate a bit of “male instinct”. It probably wasn’t a coincidence that “Park Sumi” was a great beauty.

“Oh, my! Brother? What is this place… Are you being punished?”

As I approached the young man suddenly, he fell back in surprise. I deliberately brought my face close and took out a wet wipe from my handbag to clean the young man’s face.

“How can such a handsome person be so dirty!? Stay still.”

“Urgh…”

As I thought, he couldn’t speak.

Did they cut out his tongue?

I didn’t bother to open his mouth to check.

Park Sumi was truly a great beauty and had an elegant atmosphere to boot. In other words, she was exactly the “city girl” that countryside bachelors would imagine as their ideal type.

Of course, the young man’s face turned red in an instant and he didn’t know what to do. While showing kindness for a long time, or to be honest, while “seducing”, I waited for the right moment.

Hey, isn’t it normal to have some thoughts when you see such a pretty girl?

…Honestly, I’m glad this isn’t my real body right now.

Finally, the moment came when male instinct overcame the brainwashing of the killers. The trembling young man handed over a small piece of paper from his pocket.

“This is… the ‘letter’ that Sangho sent home.”

It became certain that some of the various scenarios we had imagined outside had hit the mark. I looked at the letter once with meaningful eyes and then at the young man.

The young man, perhaps feeling fear for his actions, trembled and picked up some black soil from the ground to write letters on my hand.

Hey, I know this place is dangerous too.

“Brother, I don’t understand what you’re suddenly saying. Your joke is a little much, don’t you think? Besides, how can I run away alone in such a countryside?”

At those words, the young man’s eyes widened, and he didn’t know what to do.

“I’ll be going now.”

As I was leaving the cattle shed, the young man seemed to have something more to say and tried to grab my clothes, but stopped. He probably needed a little more time to think.

The content of the letter was simple.

‘I found another wife. This time I really like her.’

Late at night, while looking at Park Sangho sleeping beside me, I gently opened my handbag. The “kitchen knife” I had brought from Seoul was in an envelope.

It was about time to settle this. There was no need to wait until they targeted me. I hoped “brother” had finished his mental preparation too.

– Swish!

Now with one blow—

– Thud! Crash!

Suddenly, Park Sangho, who was lying next to me, kicked me and stood up!

This bastard! Was he pretending to sleep?

“Ha! I had my suspicions. When you suddenly visited the cattle shed during the day, I had my doubts. Did that filthy bastard flap his mouth? No, we ripped out his tongue long ago, so there’s no way that bastard could open his mouth…”

“Urgh…!”

“Sumi, do you think you can do it with just one knife? Ah… Women should have a docile charm, it’s a pity. Come in!”

The wall flipped and the elderly couple entered.

“Hehe… City Girl, I’m disappointed. I don’t know why kids these days have no charm.”

“Dear, you know that if we tie her up and pull out a few teeth, she’ll soon become cute, right?”

“Is that so?”

As I got up leaning against the floor, I thought.

Their attitude right now is the very picture of confidence. Well, it would be stranger if two elderly people hardened by countryside life and one healthy adult man were afraid in front of one woman in her 20s.

Is it a failure? Did I ruin even the first story like this?

“Child? Don’t you have anything to say? Are you already scared—what’s with the hat?”

“Shut your trap!”

“What—“

“Your trash lives should just be ground up and used as animal feed.”

As I threw out curses randomly as they came to mind, all three people froze like stones as if they had lost their minds!

Now’s the time for action!

“Hya!”

I swung the kitchen knife that had fallen to the floor towards the mother-in-law who had come right in front. Thanks to the effect of the Chef’s Charisma, the old woman who had frozen like a stone ended up with a large hole in her neck without even being able to resist properly.

“Urgh! You! When you suddenly started spouting nonsense, I wondered what—“

Recovered already? I was hoping to kill at least two!

I kicked the door and ran out, avoiding the hands of the “husband” and “father-in-law” who had started moving slowly. As I ran out onto the dark countryside dirt road without even moonlight shining, I thought.

Surely they won’t say I ruined the plot just for wearing a hat once? It’s not like I used the Badge or Butterfly Brooch. Honestly, failing for wearing a hat once is an overreaction!

It wasn’t like I beat them all to death with superhuman strength like Grandpa. Even without a hat, an elegant city girl who seemed like she’d never curse in her life suddenly spewing profanities could make people freeze in shock.

So please let the hat slide just this once! Understood?