A few hours later.
"Fuck…!"
The staff member wearing the ladybug mask was hiding in the restroom next to the resort lobby, gasping for breath as he wiped the sweat from beneath his neck.
His vision was spinning.
'What is this.'
What the hell is all this.
If this was a new Darkness with no manual, he could have at least mentally prepared himself, but everything happening now was so abrupt that he couldn't keep up…
'I, I definitely entered as a guest!'
That damned Security Team monster became the mascot and then dragged them into the ghost story…!
…as employees of this place.
And soon, this Cheerful Theme Park Resort zone would start its operations.
The ladybug employee swallowed hard.
'…Isn't there some way to sneak out?'
Steal the stamp and stamp the pass, then run for the gate.
'If I could just deal with the choking rope…'
At that moment.
Creak.
"…!"
The bathroom door opened and someone entered.
…Two Field Exploration Team staff in resort uniforms.
"There you are. Come out and get this."
The harvest mouse staff member waved a piece of paper.
After being utterly terrified by that Security Team monster, they'd changed somehow after the monster had actually stamped their ride ticket. Even when told to wait and freshen up before the opening, they'd really obeyed!
It was as if, thinking maybe escape really was possible this way, they'd given up on resisting.
'Idiot!'
While trying to sneer at their slave mentality, the ladybug employee managed to reach out and take the paper…
Flower Golden Resort Work Regulations
"…!!"
Welcome to our newly refurbished dream rest space, our luxurious and cozy resort, where you will work as one family.
Before today's work begins, please make sure to read and understand the following items.
"These are the guidelines for work, stacked in the staff room… Assistant Manager?"
The ladybug employee gulped and looked down at the document.
1- Please observe your assigned work hours.
2- Do not leave your post during work without permission.
3- In case of emergency, politely inform the mascot. The mascot will take care of everything.
4- During breaks, you may move freely within the resort, but please try to keep your uniform bowtie with you.
In case of emergency, it will serve as your identification.
5- The mascot's office is a restricted area. However, for exit interviews, you may enter after knocking politely. Unless you are personally invited by the mascot, never enter otherwise.
6- All guest requests must be fulfilled, and if necessary, please split open your skin and offer up your organs as complimentary service.
7- Do not attack the mascot. All damages will be charged as overtime.
Regulations may be revised or added without prior notice. Employees are strongly encouraged to review the rules at all times to prevent improper responses or handling.
Chilling, bizarre expressions.
A ghost story written in the form of regulations.
'Fucking hell…'
Cold sweat trickled down the ladybug employee's back.
He reluctantly grabbed the document with a trembling hand. As a supervisor managing similar Darknesses in his own squad, he knew that there was a hint in here somewhere.
But there were still too many uncertainties. As always with Darknesses. So…
'…I'll have to make someone else break the rules and see what happens.'
He needed to check that.
Concealing a calculating look, the employee glanced at the others.
Then, with a suggestive tone, spoke.
"So, what do you all think?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, these rules just popped up out of nowhere, right? Do you think… it's just that Security Team mascot improvising on the spot?"
His voice lowered further.
"Do you get the feeling that guy's contaminated too, just making stuff up as he goes…?"
"…!"
Egging them on, the staff member continued.
"Hey, um, you're Mr. Bison, right? What do you think?"
"Huh?"
"About the mascot's condition."
"Ah…"
Jang Heowoon, wearing a bison mask, quietly lowered his head as he read the work regulations.
"Well, how should I put it… Um, I don't think he's a bad person."
"…?!"
"What did you say?"
Has this reject already been contaminated?
The two employees exchanged glances for a moment, thinking that if need be, they could use this creepy branch office staff as bait.
Jang Heowoon, lost in thought, spoke up.
"This is my second time visiting this place. Even before, the theme park's zones were divided between scary mascots and kind mascots."
"..."
"In other explorations recorded in the manual, it seemed like the mascots pursued various, uh, values as well…"
"So you're saying that one's kind?"
"Not exactly kind, but… if you think about a mascot like Magic Bunny… ugh."
Recalling that time, Jang Heowoon's face turned pale and he gagged. The staff in the ladybug mask silently sneered at him.
'Typical of a round-off team alum.'
Useless.
Surviving and even getting promoted with that attitude must mean he was just lucky.
"A-Anyway… I think it's rather considerate to even provide us with rules like this…"
"Oh, I see."
Good.
Look at that pointless optimism.
'He'll probably make a mistake soon, so I can observe the result.'
Concealing such gruesome calculations, the ladybug employee left the restroom for now.
In that case, he should get his own stamp, too.
May as well take what he could.
If he had to spend the night in this Darkness, staying here seemed like it would give him the highest chance of survival.
"E-Excuse me."
He carefully approached the mascot standing motionless at the front desk.
Since it was a basic mascot costume with no accessories, this was probably the real Security Team monster transformed.
Bowing as politely as possible, he spoke.
Acting arrogant in a ghost story is basically foreshadowing your own death.
"If it's alright with you… I'd like to use this ride ticket to stay at the resort tonight as well…!"
The round, black eyes of the yellow mascot stared at him silently.
Completely black.
…Strangely, the yellow light above that black, gaslamp-like face came to mind...
Just as cold sweat started to bead at the nape of the ladybug-masked staff's neck—
[(Cheerful) Fantasy Land Ride Ticket ■□□]
"…!"
The mascot permitted him to write his work name in the guest register and stamped it.
"T-Thank you…!"
But.
S o o n
"…!!"
The ladybug employee snapped his head up in surprise.
The mouth of the theme park mascot—creepy in its cuteness—did not move. It was a mascot suit, after all.
But a voice echoed through the lobby.
O p e n
And the monster began to assign staff to positions.
G e t R e a d y
Jang Heowoon was assigned as the assistant front desk attendant and stood beside the counter, while the harvest mouse employee, assigned as a cleaner, went to the back of the lobby.
The ladybug gulped and quickly looked around.
Then, the remaining position was…
'Security!'
The mascot approached him.
"…!"
No way. That looked like the most dangerous post!
He instinctively spoke up.
"Um, I'm better with my head than my strength… If I could be assigned to a different position, I think I'd be able to demonstrate my abilities better!"
What he was aiming for was Jang Heowoon's position.
'It makes sense for me to take the position with a higher chance of survival, rather than the one who gags at the sight of gore.'
Pretending not to be obvious, the ladybug employee sneaked a glance at the front desk spot where Jang Heowoon was.
The mascot silently stared at him.
"..."
And then began to guide him.
To the spot he'd been eyeing—the front desk!
"…!"
Success! He'd gotten the spot!
The ladybug's heart pounded as if it would burst.
But…
H e r e
The position he was assigned to was… the desk next to the front.
…The one taking room service requests by phone.
'Damn it.'
Room service in a ghost story… Just the thought of the kinds of requests that might come in was horrifying.
The ladybug employee clenched his teeth. But he couldn't ask the mascot for another reassignment.
Becoming the first to stubbornly demand something meant there was a 50% chance he'd end up dead.
Meanwhile, the mascot moved away and walked off.
T h r e e
The mascot stood at the reception desk.
The position for directly receiving and checking in guests.
T w o
The golden sun was setting outside the window.
O n e
When the mascot at the desk looked at the entryway, the standard-issue mascots standing there reached for the glass doors.
And then.
R e s o r t O p e n
The doors opened.
– ♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪
– Ahahahaha!
Music plays, and the laughter of children fills the lobby.
It's the background music of Cheerful Theme Park.
W e l c o m e
The mascots all bow in unison toward the open doors.
The Flower Golden Resort was now officially open for business.
* * *
I realized something.
Being able to communicate in words is truly precious…
Even if those words are in that bizarre mascot-style yellow speech.
'Ahem.'
I never thought I'd say this myself…
'At least the atmosphere is set.'
Suppressing a sigh, I squeezed my eyes shut inside the mascot suit, then opened them.
I looked over at the employees.
'I've assigned everyone to the posts where they can get by with the least effort while shifting as much responsibility as possible.'
They must have learned the work rules well. I fought with the pen to write them.
I could only hope that they'd use their heads and work sensibly. If they worked too hard though, they could end up subjected to something outrageous by a ghost or monster.
But if they slacked off enough to be noticed… I have no idea how the resort will react.
"..."
I swallowed and looked at the wide open resort doors.
And at the newly added clause in the document.
Requirements to expand resort facilities
Employees : 3
Satisfied Guests : 30
Either way, it had to be operated.
'No matter what, I need to fill thirty satisfied guests to open the next area.'
Even if I somehow trick or force the three employees, there's no way around the second requirement.
For now… I have to endure.
At least for today.
– Ahahahaha!
And, and…
Through the open doors of the resort, guests finally begin to enter.
They were carrying souvenirs from other parts of the theme park. …I tried not to imagine what those souvenirs might be made from.
But.
'…Why am I excited?'
My guests.
As soon as I recognized them as official guests of this wonderful resort, my heart inside the mascot suit started pounding.
No!
I desperately suppressed the feeling and greeted the first arriving guests.
At a glance, they looked like an ordinary, happy family. Their hair was wet, as if they'd just had a great time at the water park.
"Hello. Please give us a room."
If only their heads, bellies, and hips weren't crushed and their organs weren't a mess from being squeezed by something like a tire.
…It was obvious the entire family had died in a horrific accident together.
'Huu.'
I assigned them to a deluxe room and added an extra bed for the child.
"Dad, are we really sleeping at the amusement park this time?"
"That's right. My dear ■■, you can finally get to play one more day at the amusement park!"
Blood dripped onto the counter, then was reabsorbed into their mashed organs.
Face pale, Jang Heowoon covered his mouth, but got through it by bowing deeply as if to greet them.
"Thank you!"
As the guests headed for the elevator, Jang Heowoon let out a faint sigh of relief.
I lifted a mascot paw and patted his head.
W e l l D o n e "…! T-Thank you…"
Jang Heowoon bowed his head, then, for some reason, raised his eyes with a bit of sparkle and started handling his duties with more enthusiasm.
'...??'
I told you not to work too hard…
In any case, the process of assigning rooms to various strange guests continued after that.
There were more guests than expected. It was as if they had all been waiting for the grand opening.
And they all handed over the same kind of currency.
I rolled it in my front paw.
Colorful plastic coins.
'…These look like pieces from the Cheerful Theme Park board game.'
Right. They were like the plastic game tokens used in board games.
On the front, a strange language. On the back, the theme park logo.
Most of them were blue.
'Hmm.'
I decided to keep them. Since it was currency that's being used to pay for the rooms, I figured I'd need them at some point.
After sending off three or four groups, I finally caught my breath.
Creeeeak.
A strange sound started coming from the door.
The sound of a balloon rubbing against glass.
A Magic Bunny balloon.
Holding a bright red balloon and dragging its feet, it approached me, looked up, and spoke rapidly and precisely.
"Hello, I'd like to stay one night. A quiet room. A room no one can find. A room where I can die, please."
"I-I'm sorry, guest, but in our resort, acts that violate public morals are strictly prohibited."
Heowoon-ssi!
'Seriously! You really don't have to work that hard!'
I hurriedly pulled out an information leaflet I'd kept under the desk and handed it over to the figure in front of me—one so inhuman, it could barely be mistaken for a person anymore.
It was a notice derived from the resort usage regulations.
Flower Golden Resort is a space for happiness. Please refrain from any actions that would make other guests or employees uncomfortable.
The mascot determines the standards of happiness.
"Dying is my joy! Dying is my joy!"
It was causing a scene.
'Violation of resort usage rules!'
The standard mascots ran over and grabbed the troublesome guest by the arms, dragging them out the door.
…Through the back door.
Phew.
'That's done.'
A-Anyway, I'd protected the resort safely.
If I can keep this up… this should work, right?
Yes.
'Let's keep enduring like this.'
A safe horror story resort filled only with dignity and class!
* * * At about the same time, Blue Dream Waterpark.
"Huuu. We got all the stamps."
"Let's get out of here!"
The Field Exploration Team employees who had drawn the blue pieces had finished riding all three attractions and were ready to leave.
'This is a piece of cake, piece of cake!'
'B-rank sushi! It's that easy!'
Since there were already exploration records for this place and the rules in Blue Dream Waterpark weren't too difficult, they had finished the work comfortably.
They went to look for the exit.
"…?!"
"I-It's closed…?"
[Maintenance Ongoing]
A sign was posted on the main gate, blocking access.
"W-What's going on?"
"Um… Where should we go to get out?"
Perplexed, but very carefully, they addressed the blue mascot standing beside the gate.
The mascot pointed in a direction.
"Thank you!"
They hurried away. Every time they passed a mascot, it raised its hand and pointed them the right way.
"So fucking kind."
"Wouldn't it be great if all the other Darknesses were like this?"
As the two snickered, the lizard-mask employee quietly watched his surroundings and followed.
The path gradually led them to the outskirts, into a beautiful garden.
"Oh."
"This looks newly built? Smells like fresh paint."
And at the end of the garden path… there was a gate.
Beyond the gate, dazzling lights could be seen.
"Huh…?!"
At the end of a line of golden streetlights, there was a huge, gorgeous hotel-like building shining brilliantly.
The Field Exploration Team members instinctively realized—
"T-The yellow zone."
"That wasn't in the previous explorations…?"
The blue mascot standing next to the gate quietly watched them, then held something out.
"Huuuh?"
[Special Lottery Event]
It was a board with thick, small slips of paper attached, covering their contents. The kind where you peel off a slip to see what's inside.
"..."
The employees gulped.
"Um, if it's here…"
"Yeah. Should be fine."
This area was supposed to be a good place, so maybe they could get a useful item.
'That'd be a huge gain.'
'Might as well take a shot at it…'
They figured they must be lucky, since they'd managed to avoid that monstrous Security Team employee today.
And besides, they'd be leaving soon anyway!
In the end, unable to resist their greed, they reached out and peeled off slips.
"Oh? I won!"
"Aw dang, blank…"
And the one standing at the very back quietly reached out and peeled a slip off the board…
Y o u "..."
I K n o w Y o u Lee Jaheon looked up and met the gaze of the blue dragon mascot. They had once faced each other at Death Lane.
But the mascot didn't stop him from taking part in the lottery.
G o o d So, Lee Jaheon reached out and drew a slip.
Winner.
"..."
He accepted the prize that the mascot handed him.
It was a coupon that looked like a printed ticket.
Flower Golden Resort
Deluxe Room – One (1) Night Accommodation Voucher
(Experience review required)
He looked up at the Flower Golden Resort, its golden lights shining brilliantly.
-x-X-x-
The first day of resort operations is proceeding smoothly.
'Huu.'
Though inside the mascot suit, I was sweating cold bullets.
'T-There are just too many problem guests.'
To be precise, they're not just 'problem guests', but the sort of terrifying, ominous beings you'd expect to see in a horror movie—one out of every three guests was like that.
– Please give me Room 404. It absolutely has to be Room 404, and never, ever come looking for me.
– Letsburntodeathtogether
– There sure are a lot of elevators here… Heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee.
And I'm starting to realize that it's honestly easier when they just make it this obvious.
…Because, gradually, the room service desk is getting flooded with bizarre requests...
Calls that are hung up abruptly, pretending to desperately ask for help and then bursting out in wild laughter when you point out something strange, and bizarre, incomprehensible tales of a religious judgment day that no human could understand.
'Scary as hell.'
This is just a Neapolitan ghost story hotel.
Save me. I'm going to lose it.
Still, the only consolation is that today is almost over.
It looks like today's check-ins will soon be finished.
Let's check the results of the first day's opening after business ends.
'Looks like the theme park is nearing closing time too.'
Except for the night shift, the resort seems to close together with the theme park.
– Ahahahahaha!!
Far outside the window, fireworks were going off.
…It seemed like the red zone, the Magic Bunny Zone, had some horrific and fun parade, because I could hear guests gossiping in disappointment about having missed it…
'That insane red zone, I guess it's still operating just fine…'
For once, I'm glad mascots can't leave their own zones...
And I realized something else. A significant number of these problematic guests coming to the resort had spent most of their time in the Magic Bunny Zone.
For example, even now.
"Excuse me. I don't have eyes, and if I don't have eyes, I can't close my eyes, so I can't sleep, so there's no point in renting a room. Give me eyes. Eyes."
"Ah, one moment, allow me to check our inventory…"
"You have some. You have them, don't you! You're holding onto them!!"
"Huhk."
Get lost!
I barely managed to rescue Jang Heowoon, who was about to have his eyeballs yanked out, and chased that horrifying thing out the front door.
"Eyes!!! EYES!!"
That thing, with empty eye sockets blinking all over its body, wailed as it was forced out by a standard mascot's intimidation.
The employee wearing the harvest mouse mask, working as a cleaner, was hunched up in a corner while half-heartedly sweeping as if wishing he could disappear from this place.
It made sense. If I weren't wearing the mascot suit, I might have fainted, too…
'…Can't I spot them ahead of time and just refuse them entry?'
I wanted to kick all the troublemakers out before they even made it inside.
Three more provisions had already been added to the staff work regulations because of this…
'Huu.'
As I was considering what method to use during a lull in check-in guests—
A guest burst through the glass door.
"Save me!"
No, maybe it wasn't a guest.
A Field Exploration Team employee wearing a weasel mask spotted the ladybug-masked employee sitting at the room service call desk and sprinted over, clinging to him desperately.
"A-Assistant Manager! Assistant Manager, please save me. I tried to go out through the gate, but I can't get out…"
"E-Excuse me? I'm not sure what you mean…"
"No matter what I do, I can't leave! I can't go back into the blue zone, either! I was told my ride ticket has already been used! Please save me. Please, please…"
"…I apologize, dear guest!"
The ladybug-masked staff politely disentangled himself and pointed toward the front desk.
"I'm not a concierge, so, if you have questions about the exit, please inquire at the front desk over there."
"..."
The weasel-masked employee stiffened, creaked as he turned his head, and met my eyes.
Welcome.
C o m e H e r e
Don't worry. I'm an ally.
But the weasel-masked staff tried to turn and run out the glass doors.
No, if you do that, where do you plan to sleep…?
I mean, how did you even make it over here in the first place? Did you cross the gate without getting your ticket stamped?
At that moment.
"…!"
Just then, a guest entering the lobby grabbed hold of the fleeing weasel-masked employee.
…It's Section Chief Lee Jaheon!
Ah, no, why is the squad leader here instead of leaving!
Dragging the sobbing staff by the scruff of the neck, Section Chief Lee Jaheon strode up to the front desk and looked straight at me before greeting me.
"Hello."
H i
"May I use this?"
He held out something like a small, rectangular paper badge.
It was a lodging coupon.
'…??'
W h e r e D i d Y o u G e t T h a t
"The Blue Dream Waterpark mascot is handing them out as event prizes."
'...'
Wow.
'Why would it do something like that?'
No… More importantly, was it even allowed to do that without permission?
After sending everyone off, I stayed in the lobby alone for a moment before returning to the administrator's office.
'Huu.'
I considered taking off the mascot suit for a second… but I held back, worried that I might lose my mascot status if I did.
And, strangely enough, the suit is starting to feel more and more comfortable.
'It's like being wrapped in a down comforter.'
It's a bit heavy and stuffy, but bearable. In the end, I sat down at my office desk and picked up my pen.
It was time to settle today's operations.
Day 1 Performance
Visitors : 78
Guests : 45
Rooms Used : 27
Satisfied Guests : (Tallying)
Revenue : Cheerful Coins x51
Cheerful Coins?
'Are those the plastic tokens I got as payment?'
I asked a standard mascot to bring the coins to the office.
Sure enough, there were 51.
'Looks about right.'
And if this is based on a board game… coins like these usually have a use somewhere.
Should I try buying resort supplies with Cheerful Coins?
Or.
Alternatively, it may be possible to upgrade or remodel resort facilities.
I decided I'd choose whichever option would help operations the most.
Hmm.
I crossed my arms. It was a bit awkward, but I managed.
'…If I want to make this resort safe, I really need to block those problem guests ahead of time.'
So what method would be the most effective?
If I can do some changes to the resort, then it's actually a simple matter.
'Just make it so they can't come in.'
I started adding another item under the existing resort rules.
2- For the peaceful rest of all guests, all disruptive behavior is prohibited within the resort.
All amenities, welcome gifts, and services are provided immediately upon check-in. After that, you can enjoy a dignified and peaceful rest in your room, without disturbance from anyone.
Strict social distancing!
'It's like acting like one of those clothing stores where not soliciting customers is the main selling point.'
With that, I can naturally add this line:
If you disturb the peaceful rest of other guests, your room stay may be cancelled.
But this is a resort attached to a theme park.
Saying, 'You've had plenty of fun at the amusement park, so now it's time to get a good rest,' is plausible enough… but if I'm not careful, there might be lots of complaints about lack of service or boredom.
I need to pay attention to guest satisfaction too, since adding new facilities and earning more stamps to escape depends on it…
Alright.
I decided to use Cheerful Coins to purchase the highest quality amenities and welcome gifts.
In addition, I'll replace all the bedding in the guest rooms with the very best.
I'm going with the 'freebie meta'.
Facility investment? That's for mascots who plan to run this place long-term. For a mascot like me, who just wants to milk guest satisfaction as much as possible and bail, it's irrelevant.
Let's just spend all the game money!
Hahahaha!
Ha...
Huu.
'…But where am I supposed to find more staff, seriously.'
Even the people who used coupons to check in today are all going to run away tomorrow unless they're crazy.
There's no answer. Ugh.
'For now, I'll just focus on picking out supplies…'
And so, the night shift hours passed by.
* * *
Less than an hour before Kim Soleum's frenzied shopping spree for supplies.
Lee Jaheon took the antique wooden elevator up in Flower Golden Resort and was assigned a room on the third floor.
The standard mascot who'd guided him opened the door for him, then waved a few times in a somewhat friendly manner before politely disappearing.
And so he was left alone in the room.
"..."
As is often the case with hotel-style accommodations, it was a bit narrow, but fitting for a theme park, it was a baroque-style, atmospheric room.
Brass decorations and glass ornaments faintly reflected the dim light.
He passed by the crystal stand lamp and headed for the bed.
On the nightstand was a beautiful information sheet, engraved with golden flowers.
Information Guide for Guest ...Lizard...-nim
We sincerely welcome you, our valued guest, to Flower Golden Resort, a fantastic place of rest.
To help ensure your comfortable and pleasant experience, we have prepared a simple resort information guide.
We hope you enjoy all the delights this resort has to offer.
Beneath that was item number 1, which could be summed up as a request to be polite and respectful. And then…
Lee Jaheon's gaze drifted downward.
…On the information sheet, a second item was being added in real time.
2- For the peaceful rest of all guests, all disruptive behavior is prohibited within the resort.
"..."
And at that moment.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Without hesitation, Lee Jaheon set the paper down and walked to the door.
The knocking didn't stop, coming more and more rapidly…
Knock, knock, knock…
Click!
He opened the door without a second thought.
If Kim Soleum was here to witness it, he might have torn all his hair out, wondering if he should have included 'ignore all requests to open the door' as a rule, but Lee Jaheon was unperturbed.
And the person standing outside his room was…
"Uh, um, good evening, sir."
The employee wearing the bison mask.
Jang Heowoon.
Though his shift was over and he'd changed out of his uniform and back into a suit, the gold bowtie was still tucked into the breast pocket of his jacket.
He glanced nervously and anxiously down the hallway, but quickly spoke up again.
"Sorry for the sudden visit, Section Chief. The reason I came is…"
With a look of determination, he raised his head.
"Would you consider working at this resort? …We need more staff."
Lee Jaheon stared at him with his vertical pupils.
* * *
The next morning.
"I'd like to work at this resort."
"…?!"
The yellow mascot, who had been carrying welcome gifts, dropped them all onto the floor with a crash!
-x-X-x-
A lizard, becoming a theme park employee.
No, for real!
Kim Soleum stared blankly at Section Chief Lee Jaheon, who had, instead of suddenly checking out this morning, firmly expressed a desire to be hired.
R e a l l y ?
"Yes."
And in a flash, he finished signing the employment contract. Section Chief Lee Jaheon, now wearing the uniform, really, truly…
'Uh, it suits him.'
With that lizard appearance, he genuinely looked the part of a theme park employee…
"Is it over there?"
Y e s
Naturally assigned to security, Section Chief Lee Jaheon ended up working near the main entrance.
'Please take care of getting rid of the problem guests…'
By the way, standing next to him, Jang Heowoon was staring awkwardly at the suite room voucher in his hand.
That's right. I'd already heard it was all Jang Heowoon's doing!
– Um, to tell you the truth, last night I went to see Section Chief Lizard and asked him for help. We're short on staff at the resort, and we can't leave…
And so, Jang Heowoon was promoted to HR manager.
"...?!"
So it was a multi-level promotion structure? But since everyone was just trying to get through and escape, nobody cared!
However… Kim Soleum couldn't shake a faint sense of dissonance.
'How did he know?'
That more staff were needed to escape the resort, I mean.
"Huh? Oh, well, it just seemed natural… I figured since we needed three employees to run the resort and get a stamp, the next requirement would be similar… that is, that we'd need more manpower."
Hmm.
It was quite the deduction, but the strange feeling lingered, so Kim Soleum decided to remember it.
'Anyway, it's a good thing.'
If it's Section Chief Lee Jaheon, it's not strange for a human being with such values (well, alien, but still) to step in for the sake of everyone's survival.
Just like that, they were a step closer to escaping!
However, there was someone watching this with growing anxiety.
'Damn it.'
Ladybug's eyes darted around.
Now that a manual had appeared for dealing with the crazy room service requests, making the job a little more doable, he started plotting something else.
Standing out in a ghost story is always dangerous, but falling behind and getting left out of 'success' is also a direct survival problem.
He looked at Jang Heowoon in the bison mask and barely held back a curse.
'Isn't he just trying to save only himself?'
Ghost stories where only those who meet some bizarre criteria survive are practically a cliché.
'No way.'
In the end, he convinced the weasel-masked employee who'd come during check-out time—through lies and veiled threats—to sign an employment contract.
The things he said were along the lines of, 'If you don't become staff, you can't leave. That's why Section Chief Lizard is working here, too." Terrified, the weasel-masked employee, on the verge of panic, approached the mascot.
'This is it.'
Ladybug was secretly hoping he'd be promoted too…
Y o u M a y G o
But the yellow mascot simply told Employee Weasel he could leave.
After staring intently for a moment, just— thump.
'Shit!'
Does that mean I'm useless?
…Still, since Weasel managed to get hired by clinging on, he was somewhat satisfied.
Looks like we have another guinea pig… huuuuh?
At that moment.
The standard mascots suddenly appeared and began installing something in the center of the lobby.
L o o k
A giant capsule machine had appeared in the middle of the lobby.
"...??"
For a moment, Ladybug forgot to say anything and just stared blankly at the dazzling, glittering glass ornament that looked like a gigantic Christmas tree.
Wh, what is this, even.
As if to explain, a colorful sign was attached to the front.
[Welcome Gift Capsule Draw]
Meet wonderful items to enhance your relaxation.
Inside, like a giant snow globe, it was filled with wrapped presents.
Guests could press a button to draw a gift from inside.
Inside the yellow mascot suit, Kim Soleum watched with satisfaction.
'Gacha never fails to trigger dopamine…'
Incidentally, the special gifts were wrapped in gold, and if you drew one, your room was upgraded to the top-floor suite.
And besides, there weren't any blanks. Every prize was a good one, so there's no way people wouldn't like it… hahaha.
'Take this, and just have a nice, quiet stay in your rooms. Please.'
The yellow mascot threw out bribes like confetti in all directions!
"Oh my, oh my, it's so sparkly! I love sparkly things! Can I draw one?"
Y e s
G i f t
And that wasn't the end.
For each guest, for whatever reason, room upgrades were being handed out…!
'W-What is this?'
Truly a giveaway-style operation!
Ladybug looked at the mascot in confusion and bewilderment.
And realized.
'Is this a ploy to charm guests and pressure them into lingering at the theme park, to raise its own status as the resort's owner?!'
No it's not!
Kim Soleum, who was running this as a variety-show-style board game, betting all the coins on escape, looked at the guests with satisfaction.
Incidentally, starting today, there was even a sign right on the lobby's glass door: 'A Space for Tranquil Rest'.
It seemed to work, as some problem guests were getting screened out right at the entrance.
'Good.'
The yellow mascot let out a sigh of relief, picturing a pretty decent future.
It felt like they were finally getting a handle on how to run the resort on day 2.
But, just before closing that day.
An unexpected incident began to unfold.
-x-X-x-
I looked at the prospective staff in front of me… No, at a hopeful guest who had run out of money.
The person, whose eyes were sunken but who still looked human, anxiously rummaged through their pockets, then began to sob.
"I—I don't have any… I don't have any money…!"
Oh!
I held out my hand in welcome and spoke kindly.
T h e n
W o r k
Labor counts too!
"Hiiiieeeek!"
But instead, the person bolted for the front entrance. I mean, I was even planning to let them camp out in the lobby…
I could only hope that they'd hurry up and leave the park before business hours were over. I clicked my tongue and looked at my front paw.
'Recruiting even one last person… it's hard.'
Failed to hire in lieu of lodging fee.
Still, I figured if I kept at it, at least one more person would get roped in.
'…How much longer will it take?'
I was starting to feel a little anxious at how much time it was taking, but I suppressed it. This isn't the time to panic in fear.
I am a mascot right now.
And then…
– See you again next time~
'It's closing time again.'
Theme park operations have ended.
End of Day 2.
"Aaaaah!"
"It's the resort!"
The last guests rushed in through the doors, and the standard mascots began to prepare to close, lining up on both sides.
Section Chief Lee Jaheon was apparently still being trained, as the standard mascot wielding the baton had him standing behind, giving instructions.
'The chief as a rookie…'
As I was thinking about how it was a rather amusing sight, at that moment—
Thud.
"…!"
Someone forcefully pushed through the glass doors and appeared in the lobby.
"Welco— hiiek."
Next to me, I heard Jang Heowoon gasp and struggle not to throw up.
…I also, at first, thought it was a monster.
A lump of flesh with human arms sprouting in place of its own.
But on closer inspection, it was a small person dragging two others along by each hand.
…You could have called it a gruesome sight.
If what they were holding in both arms hadn't been corpses, with every limb broken and heads smashed, dragged along like trash.
"Uurrp—"
Harvest Mouse, who had been cleaning, clapped a hand over his mouth. This was pure fear, not of the supernatural, but a primal terror for survival.
Leaving two thick trails of blood behind, it barreled through the other guests and approached the front desk at terrifying speed…
"..."
Wait.
Instead of fear, a strange emotion welled up.
Displeasure.
'You shouldn't cut in line.'
Isn't that quite rude?
And what reason is there for blatantly dirtying the floor like that?
If they'd left the corpses in the lobby, or asked the standard mascots, they would have been courteously ushered!
How lacking in class.
This does not suit our resort.
The standard mascots and I all stared at it together.
'...'
However, this odd and sudden displeasure vanished the moment our eyes met at the front desk.
The small, blood-soaked figure, gasping for breath, looked up at me at the front desk…
"One room, please."
'…!!'
A dolphin mask.
…it was Supervisor Lee Seonghae of the elite team!
'Why, why are you here?'
Weren't you supposed to have left yesterday? Why are you still here, and more than that…
'How did you even survive the night?'
In the closed theme park.
Dragging two dead bodies behind you.
'...Wait a minute!'
I managed to get a good look again at the horrifying bodies in Lee Seonghae's hands.
Masks and suits.
They were the teammates who, like Lee Seonghae, had drawn the red piece.
A chill ran down my spine.
'They died, so she had to carry them.'
If you let physical distance grow, you get strangled to death.
'...'
It felt strange somehow, but as a mascot, I responded with polite service.
R o o m F e e
"Ah."
Thud, thud.
Supervisor Lee Seonghae dropped the corpses on the floor and held out to me a small bloodstained golden object.
"Um, how about this?"
It was pure gold.
Probably something that used to be a decorative item, now broken up.
'Gold, huh.'
If it were the old me, I would have gladly accepted it, thinking what a windfall this was when funds were tight.
But as a mascot, I can't do that… Huu.
N o
T h i s
I took out a plastic coin, a Cheerful Coin, from under the desk and showed it.
But Supervisor Lee Seonghae didn't react. Of course, it looked like she didn't have any coins…
Ah.
In that case.
T h e n
W a n t T o W o r k ?
Maybe it'll work this time.
I nervously watched her mouth.
Lee Seonghae opened her mouth...
"Sure!"
Wow!
"But both of my legs are fractured, so… is it okay if I do a desk job? Hehe."
'...'
How can you say that so cheerfully.
Now that I look, she probably cut the line because she could barely move, not out of any awareness of others.
In any case, she really needs to rest for now.
'I'll ask for the details tomorrow.'
H e r e
I quickly handed over the employment contract, and Lee Seonghae carefully read through it…
"But there's no salary clause?"
Ah.
Right. From an employee's perspective, that's the most important part.
-x-X-x-
'Things have just been so hectic…'
We built this resort out of ruins and started normal business in half a day, after all.
I quickly scribbled on the back of the employment contract.
The employee is entitled to guaranteed accommodation while working at this resort.
Hmm.
And on top of that.
Furthermore, if the employee works until all three resort facilities are operating successfully, they may take one item of their choice from the souvenir shop that will open in the future.
That way, you can at least get an item.
'It's worth a try.'
I don't know if a real souvenir shop will ever open, but given what happened in other theme park zones, it was a reasonable guess.
"Oh, nice."
Supervisor Lee Seonghae checked every line, then cheerfully signed her name after receiving the pen.
Employee : Dolphin
At that moment, something amazing happened.
"Ah."
The traces of blood vanished from Lee Seonghae's body, a clean uniform covered her, and her messy, tangled hair was neatly tied back.
Over the most badly injured body parts, buckles or stickers in the style of the mascot appeared, adding the kind of decoration you'd expect from a theme park employee.
…As if it were magic.
"Oh."
Supervisor Lee Seonghae bounced on the spot and raised both hands.
"My body feels light!"
That's a relief.
'It seems it's not just about putting on the uniform, but about giving you the appearance of an employee so you can work properly.'
Now, since I have to process the next guests, I was about to show Supervisor Lee Seonghae to her room… Ah!
She was trying to pick up the corpses again. Nooo!
You'll get your uniform dirty!
'Seriously creepy.'
I suppressed a shudder as I looked at the two corpses Lee Seonghae had tossed carelessly on the floor.
Then I pointed with my finger.
"If I leave them, I'll die…"
Strictly speaking, all my employees are essentially part of me, since we're all mascots.
So, while working as employees—inside the resort—we seem to be recognized as a single group.
'That's why everyone is able to work in their respective positions right now.'
And as for the corpses of teammates from the same group… hmm. It looks like they automatically became part of my domain.
They're mine now.
I watched as the standard mascots took the two corpses and carried them off somewhere.
…Let's not worry about what happens next. It's bad for my mental health, and I don't have the mental bandwidth to care about that right now.
Let's focus on the living.
I handed Lee Seonghae a welcome gift I hadn't yet put in the machine.
It was a golden flower-scented candle that cures insomnia.
"Ohhh."
She watched the tiny flame in the air, tracing the shape of a golden flower, and soon smiled softly.
"You're such a good mascot."
Lee Seonghae raised both fists into the air.
It looked like a dolphin doing a cheer.
"So, where do I work starting tomorrow?"
Well, about that… hmm.
'I bet she'd be amazing at filtering out problem guests.'
But she also seems like the type who would openly fight or even try to kill guests making unreasonable demands…
'Ummm.'
I decided to put her assignment on hold.
"Yes, yes."
Because it's just about time for new positions to emerge.
'Resort expansion.'
After closing time that day.
Day 2 Performance
Visitors : 102
Guests : 67
Rooms Used : 41
Satisfied Guests : 33 / 45
Revenue : Cheerful Coins x62
'There we go.'
I managed to get a decent report card.
'The satisfaction rate was good even on the first day.'
It looks like I'll be able to confirm tomorrow just how effective the new 'social distancing' theme, which started today, will be.
What's important is…
'Now I can expand the facilities.'
I looked at the document.
Requirements for Resort Facility Expansion
Staff: 3 – Complete.
Satisfied Guests: 30 – Complete.
Requirements to expand resort facilities
Employees : 3 complete.
Satisfied Guests : 30 complete.
The opening proceeded smoothly! The guests are generally satisfied, and the top reason seems to be that it's a 'theme-park-style accommodation'.
I'm looking forward to seeing what results come from the new bedding and welcome gifts purchased with revenue investment.
And… It looks like this resort is now ready to open a new facility.
Which facility should I open?
I'm pondering the options below…
I looked at the pen moving as if flying in my hand.
The words I'd expected filled the page.
Spa
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Swimming Pool
'…Huu.'
It's easy since I thought this through in advance.
Let's see.
Given the personalities of the current staff and the clichés of ghost stories…
'This is it.'
I circled one facility with my pen.
Spa ○
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Swimming Pool
Restaurants are a classic horror story setting, fitness centers have a gore risk, and the swimming pool overlaps with the blue zone so I have no idea what kind of incident might break out.
'So it has to be the spa.'
Everyone, just go have a sauna and a massage!
I was pleased and satisfied.
Incidentally, this choice would bring about a completely unforeseen event.
Two days later—
Our resort's number of guests would explode by a factor of seven…
'...?!'
And.
…On that same day.
The first death would occur.
-x-X-x-
The morning of the third day since the opening of Flower Golden Resort dawned.
One hour before the lobby doors opened at 9AM, the employees who had come to work gathered in the lobby to hear the mascot's briefing.
And today, once again, something extraordinary happened.
The mascot pointed to the resort's left window.
Beyond it, you could still see part of the resort area that was in ruins.
And the moment the mascot declared it—
"…!!"
The ruins beyond the window began to reconstruct themselves.
Broken glass swirled together to form a dome, with gold accents glittering in the seams.
Inside, it's filled with dazzling golden flowers.
Steam rose from above, and a glass hallway extended from the resort building, breaking through the window and forming a door that connected them.
Standard mascots rushed out and put up an elegant sign overhead.
[Healing Golden Spa]
All the staff widened their eyes at the golden glass greenhouse.
From this view, it looked like a marvelous place straight out of a fairy tale… but it was not meant for humans.
If a human entered with no information and tried to enjoy the spa, '■■ goes missing', 'bones removed from all limbs, later found in the recycling area'—such horrific endings would fit perfectly here.
Even the oils used were like that.
The spa's featured oils were carefully selected from the finest ingredients: Sun Orange, Grape, Fig, Everfarm's Apple Juice, Blood of 18-year-old ■■ from Mt. ■■, vascular juice of bipedal primates, and so on…
…Recalling the sample spa introduction with such phrases, Kim Soleum felt light-headed.
'It's the perfect place to die.'
So after much thought, he introduced an emergency measure.
That was… automation!
At Healing Golden Spa, all massages are performed by highly professional, self-aware plants, customized for each guest.
Every massage at this spa was now done automatically by these bizarre greenhouse installations.
Kim Soleum had poured coins into the place to sever any possible connection between this perilous facility and the staff…
In the process, the spa only became more grotesque, but there were no regrets!
'No more new Neapolitan-style ghost story rules, please…'
The theme of 'guaranteed private rest for our valued guests' proved useful once again.
For the record, the leftover coins were all scraped together and spent to replace the beds with top-quality furniture to match the upgraded bedding in the resort rooms.
An investment with no regard for profitability!
'Be satisfied with your rooms, so you never leave for the lobby or hallway.'
It was all about minimizing foot traffic and eliminating variables.
In truth, the goal was no different from an exorcistic seal.
The mascot's struggle to keep the work rules from ballooning to Rule #20 was tear-inducing…
The yellow mascot stifled a sigh and finally assigned the new employees their new duties.
First, Supervisor Lee Seonghae in the dolphin mask was put at the spa's reservation desk.
"Okay. Understood!"
Next, Weasel was assigned as the spa lounge cleaner.
"Y-Yes…"
Still not fully back to his senses, Weasel nodded repeatedly and quickly bowed his head as he hurried off in that direction.
And there was one employee watching all this closely.
Ladybug mask.
He was just realizing something on his own.
'…Useless staff are being assigned to posts where there's no direct interaction…!'
In a sense, he had hit the mark.
By Kim Soleum's standards, the more reliable staff were assigned to directly face the ghost stories.
It was a utilitarian arrangement to maximize the survival rate of the whole team, but people naturally judge others according to their own values and ways of thinking.
'It's sorting us!'
Ladybug clenched his fist.
Would useless staff end up fired, or converted into standard mascots?
Either way, it would be a spine-tingling ending.
'Damn it, seriously.'
And he looked around at his competitors with a darkened gaze.
Now that he had already become a staff member, the safest official method of 'fading into the background and clearing the stage unnoticed' could no longer be applied.
If so, he would have to use a different method.
Make it into the passing group.
Make the ghost story itself judge that it's fine for him to survive…!
The yellow mascot called over the staff who had been on his team and stamped their ride tickets with the stamp at the spa entrance.
Next to him, Employee Harvest Mouse, now finally seeming a bit more relaxed, even started to grin.
"At this rate, we'll escape in four days, won't we?"
"..."
You idiot.
The ladybug, anxious, thought.
As the person in charge of room service, what ranking am I…?
'I can't afford to get pushed out before getting all three stamps.'
However, regardless of what any one employee thought, the resort kept running.
A new day began with the new facility.
That day was a success as well.
However, starting the next day, the yellow mascot began to notice strange phenomena.
-x-X-x-
The fourth day of operations—
Kim Soleum inadvertently exchanged confused glances with Jang Heowoon.
"..."
"Um, it feels like the guests have changed a bit…"
Yes, that's right.
Since the spa opened, something strange had been happening.
Up to yesterday, most of the guests coming to the resort looked like they were here for the theme park, or had already enjoyed it.
That was only natural. After all, this was a resort attached to a theme park.
But… today, there was a noticeable increase in strange appearances.
"Iheardthisisaplaceforquietrestthankyouforthegiftpleasedon'tmindmeaslongastheresbathwatertheresnoproblemthankyouverymuch"
Just now, something weird—something like a blob of slime with only arms and legs—had passed by.
It looked like something out of a horror story set in a remote forest.
There was no entry ticket on its wrist, and no souvenirs or headbands either. By all appearances, it wasn't here to enjoy the theme park.
And today, all sorts of such strange guests rushed the front desk to get rooms, like a sudden rush hour.
A crowd so big, it wouldn't even matter if they came flooding in!
'…??'
Is it really supposed to be this successful?
A bad feeling crept up. Sales were good, but…
Anyway, Kim Soleum welcomed the next guest.
But that guest…
He even recognized them.
"One room, please. Including the spa. Huu…"
A pale man wearing a service uniform and a peaked cap, like a driver.
'It's the Hellfare Taxi driver…!'
Kim Soleum broke into a cold sweat, remembering the favor owed from escaping Death Lane!
Why would someone like him come to a theme park? Was there even a member among the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse who would care about a theme park?
'This isn't good.'
I need to get a handle on what's happening.
In the end, the yellow mascot opened his mouth.
"Hmm?"
Kim Soleum hurriedly put together a survey—How did you find us?—and handed it over.
The taxi driver scanned it with tired eyes, but just replied verbally.
"These days, there's a lot of promotion in reviews… My job requires rest, you see. I can't quit until it's all over. Hahaha…"
...??
Watching the taxi driver go up to the fourth floor with his deluxe room key, the yellow mascot blinked.
'Promotion by reviews…?'
And then, he remembered.
The coupons the blue mascot had been handing out.
Flower Golden Resort
Deluxe Room – One (1) Night Accommodation Voucher
(Experience review required)
'…!!'
No way.
The yellow mascot immediately called for Lee Jaheon.
"Yes."
My god!
"One of the mascots assigned as a guide gave me a postcard."
Kim Soleum called over the standard mascots in charge of the task and confirmed the origin of the postcards.
'Holy shit.'
…There were already dozens of postcards written by coupon-using guests stacked up.
And among them was Section Chief Lee Jaheon's one-line postcard.
– The bed mattress is soft.
'...'
Well, it's a nice review, at least…
'It seems these review postcards are being circulated as advertisements through some kind of strange ghost story network.'
…And this, combined with the newly launched social distancing theme, was creating an incredible synergy that attracted even the kinds of ghost stories that would never normally come to a theme park…
A boom in business that was completely unexpected!
'Ughhhh.'
It wouldn't have been surprising if Kim Soleum, in a fit of frustration shouting, "Why the heck is the business doing so well!" would suddenly slashed the number of rooms dramatically.
But as a mascot, his identity simply couldn't permit him to chase away guests like that…
In the end, the yellow mascot drooped his horns and resigned himself.
'…Let's just think of it as being able to fill the satisfied guest count quickly.'
He recalled the requirements he'd written yesterday for adding the third facility.
Requirements to expand resort facilities
Staff : 3
Satisfied Guests : 300
Mascot Ceremony Rites
The required number of guests had increased exactly tenfold.
And now there was even a suspicious ceremony that needed to be held…
'Still, I guess I should be relieved that the number of extra staff needed is still only three.'
Anyway, with guests flooding in, there was no need to worry about filling the guest count.
"Is there a problem?"
Section Chief Lee Jaheon asked, seeing the yellow mascot with his horns drooping.
Of course, the mascot had no reason or guts to get mad at the alien lizard who'd simply written a good review as asked…
The yellow mascot patted the lizard's back.
"? Yes."
It was like something out of a sitcom.
But someone watched this scene without smiling at all, anxiety written all over his face.
Ladybug, sitting at the room service call desk.
He swept his bloodshot eyes over the scene.
'Is that guy being acknowledged?'
What if Section Chief Lizard gets promoted?
He'd fall behind.
His survival odds would drop…!
'No.'
He'd have to do something.
Ladybug recalled his 'trump card', but quickly clenched his teeth.
Section Chief Lizard was simply too difficult an opponent for tricks.
That guy's special method of clearing ghost stories was already famous in the company. If he tried anything stupid, his head could literally explode.
For the same reason, Supervisor Dolphin was also out of the question. She was from the elite team.
In the end…
There was only one employee who was rated higher than himself, but still manageable.
"..."
He glanced over at the front desk.
The bison-mask-wearing Jang Heowoon, who was now promoted to manager.
-x-X-x-
That night—
Knock, knock, knock.
A guest came to Jang Heowoon's room.
"Uh, who is it…?"
"Oh, it's me. Ladybug."
"Ah!"
Recalling several work rules, Jang Heowoon's tension eased a little as he stepped back.
Luckily, the ghost-guest who could mimic voices had checked out yesterday. He'd handled the check-out himself.
'G-Good.'
Jang Heowoon opened the door, and Ladybug stepped inside, looking a bit sheepish.
"Uh, hello, Mr. Bison. Sorry, but could I just borrow a…"
"Um, excuse me."
"Yes?"
Jang Heowoon blocked the way.
"Please don't come in."
"...!"
"It's in the work regulations."
16- Please refrain from inviting other guests into your room.
It is better not to make exceptions, even for fellow staff. By the time you realize it's not actually them, it will already be too late.
"..."
"Um, I don't mean to be rude. It's just… I think it's safest to follow the rules as much as possible,"
"Yeah, of course."
Ladybug stepped back with an awkward laugh.
"I'm just out of bottled water in my room. If you could just lend me a bottle, I'll leave right away…"
"Ah…! Of course. I should have a spare. Just a moment…"
The color returned to Jang Heowoon's face beneath the mask, and he quickly went to the mini-fridge inside the room.
"..."
Taking advantage of the moment, the ladybug made a tiny, subtle movement.
Just a little.
Flutter.
"..."
"Ah, here you go."
"Thank you!"
Ladybug received the water bottle from Jang Heowoon, who had come back from the fridge to the doorway, and left with a smile.
Jang Heowoon bowed his head to him and closed the door.
"Huu."
He was alone.
Somehow, it felt even scarier to be resting at night like this. Remembering the blood and entrails seen during the day made him feel like throwing up.
'Still, it's worth it.'
This resort is truly a wonderful place, and the mascot is really amazing, wonderful, and great.
It felt like his daily life was coming alive again for the first time in ages.
Thinking so, Jang Heowoon went to check the front door one last time before bed…
But.
'Huh?'
Something had fallen on the floor at the entrance.
A flat yellow square.
'A post-it?'
It was an ordinary post-it like the kind you use on documents.
It seemed like the cleaning mascot or Ladybug must have dropped it while cleaning.
And since it was yellow, Jang Heowoon smiled unconsciously.
'So fitting for this place.'
It was closer to yellow than gold, but at any rate, he picked up the note.
The front side of the post-it, which had landed face-down, was revealed…
what to do
so young
what a pity
boohoohoohoohoo
"..."
Jang Heowoon froze.
With trembling hands, he peeled the post-it off.
'I…tem?'
For someone who'd spent a year professionally entering ghost stories, instincts naturally kicked in.
A sense that something was very wrong.
He realized it.
"...!"
He dropped the post-it on the floor and dashed to the emergency phone in the room, snatching up the receiver.
"P-Please help, Mr. Mascot! Thi—!"
That moment.
Jang Heowoon slipped.
As he grabbed the receiver, his foot caught in the coiled phone cord stretched across the floor.
'Ah.'
And then.
Thud.
Unluckily, his head struck the nightstand by the bed.
Unluckily, the yellow mascot had recently replaced all the beds and nightstands with sturdy oak to match the luxury bedding.
Unluckily, as his head struck, Jang Heowoon was concussed and crashed hard against the nightstand.
Unluckily, as his hand swept the nightstand, he knocked down the crystal lamp, shattering it to pieces.
Unluckily, one of the jagged shards bounced off the wall and stabbed him straight in the spine.
"…!"
He tried to reach behind him, but it was already over.
Thunk.
He collapsed to the floor.
And did not rise again.
That was how Jang Heowoon died.
Without even a single scream.
Unluckily.
* * *
Room 303 was awash in blood.
'...'
I stared blankly at Jang Heowoon, collapsed on the floor.
With a pale face, his neck and below shredded by crystal shards.
…Dead.
"Looks like he broke a work rule."
"Tsk."
A few employees, summoned suddenly at dawn, murmured in the background.
These people were accustomed to death.
After that first time witnessing a scream, they'd gotten used to it. Now it was like nothing to them.
Like a true alumni of the round-off team, he was dismissed with a simple 'Guess he just messed up, huh.'
'...'
But I had already found something at the entrance.
In my hand was a crumpled item that had lost all effect.
A post-it note.
…I know this item.
It's a horrible, classic curse item listed in the Delusion Home Shopping Network.
Unlucky Post-it
: Got someone you really resent? Here is a cursed talisman, an old superstition that comes to life! Now, with a simple trap, you can mourn their tragic accident yourself!
Tip) The more your target believes in superstitions, the faster and stronger the effect!
(Note : The target must be someone the user knows personally. The target must discover and read the talisman directly. The target must be flustered. The effect of hemothorax is only guaranteed if ALL precautions are followed.)
If you didn't know, you might have missed it. But I know.
And the one who knocked on Jang Heowoon's door a few hours ago.
The mascot knows.
"...!"
Ladybug froze.
I looked at him.
You thought you wouldn't get caught?
"U-Uuuuh ..."
He doesn't understand. Why?
This isn't a ghost story where you kill someone and only you can escape. Why your teammate?
I stared at him.
"No, I just… I thought only people who did their jobs well would be allowed to survive! Hic!"
"Strange… Oh, right! The better you do, the more you might just be told to keep working at the resort and never go home, so I don't know why I believed it had to be that way. Ah!"
Ladybug suddenly grinned and started clapping.
"Maybe it's because I came to love the resort! Mr. Mascot! I'll be a really outstanding employee here! The best employee—"
Thunk.
"..."
Supervisor Lee Seonghae withdrew the hand that had struck the ladybug mask's neck.
"What a lunatic. Right?"
But I couldn't answer.
I just kept staring at Jang Heowoon's corpse.
It wasn't even my first time seeing someone die anymore, but it felt too strange...
My stomach churned.
'...'
Just then.
"Um, can't you revive him?"
What kind of crazy talk is that?
'It's not like I have a Wish Ticket…'
But Supervisor Lee Seonghae pointed to her arms and legs.
The parts were now adorned with resort staff accessories and knick-knacks instead of wounds.
"You fixed me too, didn't you?"
...!
"A mascot can do anything in their own zone, right? And staff are part of that zone…?"
It flashed through my mind, reflexively.
The thought I'd had a few days ago, when I'd seen the corpses Lee Seonghae had dragged in.
– It feels like even the corpses naturally became my subordinates.
"Can't you fix the staff too? Like resort facilities."
Could it be.
'...'
The yellow mascot opened its mouth.
The dead Jang Heowoon's body began to rise from the head up.
"…!"
His pale face, dripping blood and entrails, remained unchanged.
"Hiiek!"
Ignoring the scream, I stared at Jang Heowoon's corpse.
For that, I had to make him presentable for work.
"...!"
The sharp shard embedded in Jang Heowoon's punctured spine was pulled out, and the blood pooled on the floor was drawn back into the gaping wound. The wound closed, covered over by a stylish uniform vest.
The sharp crystal fragment became a mascot-printed handkerchief tucked into his pocket.
With that, Jang Heowoon's corpse twisted and shook in midair…
Thunk.
…and stood on its own strength on the floor.
Then, he opened his eyes.
"..."
The room was filled with nothing but breathing and silence.
And finally…
The bison mask transformed grotesquely.
Jang Heowoon was now wearing a strange, feline golden mask with horns.
A yellow mascot mask.
And he smiled as he spoke.
"Mr. Mascot! Then should I go back to my post now?"
"AAAAGH!"
From that day on, the real ghost story began.
-x-X-x-
The resort must open its doors.
Even if someone died three hours ago.
Even if that person was a close coworker of mine.
Even if their blood and entrails flowed back into him and he was resurrected as something no longer human.
"Welcome, dear guest! What kind of room would you like?"
We stand side by side at the front desk.
…Right next to me, the staff member in the yellow mascot mask is courteously attending to guests.
Jang Heowoon.
No, rather...
'I don't know.'
Cold sweat trickled down inside the costume. As I mechanically handed a room key to a guest, I kept thinking…
What in the world is this?
'Did I bring Jang Heowoon back to life?'
But can I really call that thing Jang Heowoon?
My sense as a mascot recognizes the employee standing next to me as a being pledged to me by contract.
However, for him to start working with a wide smile like that… It's not the reaction of a human being who was impaled through the spine and brought back to life.
It's a ghost story.
But since the resort must operate, and since Jang Heowoon also has to work diligently to fulfill the conditions as an employee and get his ride ticket stamped, I stand here.
But now, I even doubt whether escape is possible at all.
If you've already become part of a ghost story, can you really escape back to reality under human rules?
And is it even okay to escape…?
"Wow… thank you so much!"
He's no longer overly tense.
He really acts like a hotelier, even toward the strangest-looking guests.
No matter how bizarre the requests, he doesn't sweat or get flustered.
Who is that?
Even at lunchtime, instead of joining the other employees and heading to the staff cafeteria I had set up, he continued to work among the standard mascots.
He wouldn't even look at Ladybug—the one who killed him—who was now muttering to himself, cleaning in a deranged state in the corner.
No resentment, no forgiveness, no interest.
Nothing.
'He's not human.'
All of that incongruity made my stomach churn and sent chills down my spine.
Thankfully, the mascot suit hid everything.
N e x t
I sent off a guest and glanced around as I saw the next guest approaching, mouth half-open.
But…
"E-Excuse me…"
A modern person in a hoodie and jeans, looking flushed and glancing around nervously.
'That's a human.'
Was she caught up in the theme park board game? If so, then all I could hope for was that she'd just fill up her ride ticket and get out quickly.
But…
"This is the resort from that magazine, right? Amazing…"
…Magazine?
'Wait a minute.'
I checked both her wrists.
…No ride ticket band.
"Huh? There's a theme park here too? I just, um, saw the review ad… Huh? But how did I get here? I remember wanting to visit, but why am I here?"
The person's face went blank.
And I felt a chill down my spine.
…A human has shown up, dragged here by a method other than the board game.
Just for this resort?
"Um, but I don't know how I got here. How do I leave?"
"This way, dear guest!"
Jang Heowoon cheerfully pointed toward the lobby door.
But the exit to this resort… Wait a second.
You can't just let them walk out that way…!
A legitimate theme park guest will safely return to where they entered from. But a mere visitor… Wouldn't she have a high chance of just ending up 'outside' the theme park?
And who knows what's outside the theme park…
Just think of Death Lane or the Mansion of the Blind!
'She'll go missing.'
I hurriedly stopped the person.
W a i t
"Uh… yes?"
T h i s
I handed over one of the room keys hanging behind the desk at random.
T a k e I t
"Huh? Ah, no, I'm fi…"
I lowered my head.
And I gave the last chance to become my guest to this bystander who had entered the resort, not even as a guest.
The mascot's pupils stared at the bystander.
T a k e I t
"Y-Yes…"
The person, trembling, held out her hand and accepted the room key.
It was basically a forced sale.
But there was no other way.
'Just let her stay for now.'
At that moment.
"How would you like to pay?"
…!
"P-Pay? Card…"
Jang Heowoon, in the yellow mascot mask, smiled as he handed the card back.
"That's not a payment method accepted at Cheerful Theme Park, dear guest! Please pay in Cheerful Coins."
"Uh… um, where can I get those?"
No.
"It's simple! At the Theme Park ■■'s where you can ■■■■■ your ■■■ ■■ and ■■■■■."
"Aaaah! Ohthere'sawaylikethat!"
"Yes! It's very simple."
"I'll go exchange it now! It's so reasonable! Imagine, evenhumanscanbeusedascurrency!"
He's saying things that should never be heard! He's talking about things that should never be known! There's a reason I deliberately assigned a human staff member, not a mascot, as the assistant front desk attendant! And there's a reason I make sure not to think about it but of course as the mascot I already know. No, I won't think about it! No…
Q u i e t
The staff member closed his mouth.
The drooling human guest looked up at me.
G i f t
"Uh, but, payment…"
F o r g e t I t
"Yes."
The guest staggered away and went up to her room.
A sigh of relief slipped out between my twisted lips.
"..."
There was one thing I was sure of.
The employee standing next to me had just done something that the real Jang Heowoon would never have done.
"Mr. Mascot, shall I bring in the next guest?"
I couldn't hold it in. Y o u W h o A r e Y o u
"Pardon? Ah, I'm a staff member you hired, working at this resort…"
W h o A r e Y o u
The staff member glanced at the mascot's eyes, but soon answered brightly, just like any employee at Cheerful Theme Park.
"I'm the HR manager of this resort!"
Y o u r N a m e
"Um… Ah. My name is Bison, sir!"
...
The nickname signed on the contract.
W h o A m I
"You're Mr. Mascot!"
M y N a m e
"Mr. Golden!"
The employer's name on the contract.
With a devastated heart, I stared at the employee wearing Jang Heowoon's face, whose identity I could not gauge.
And finally, I asked.
"…Roe Deer?"
The staff member in the yellow mascot mask paused for a moment.
"Batchmate."
…!
"A colleague from the previous company I worked at before getting this job at the resort. I was very grateful to them. I remember you, Mr. Mascot, were also a member of the Security Team there…"
...
Could it be.
The reason he worked at Daydream Inc.
Wish Ticket.
The most desperate goal in his life.
If I reminded him of the essence of who Jang Heowoon was, maybe...
"Ah… I wanted to save my precious family."
…!
"I was an orphan and grew up in a facility, but three years ago, there was a huge fire, and all the family I lived with died in it. I just barely survived, by chance."
...
"I tried to die too, but they told me I shouldn't. So I tried to save other people. If I did that…"
E n o u g h
"Yes? Understood, Mr. Mascot!"
I couldn't listen any more.
I was losing my mind.
"But it turns out all of that was meaningless obsession. I feel so fulfilled and happy working at this resort!"
...
W h y
"…Yes?"
W h y A r e Y o u H a p p y ?
"Because it's a wonderful resort run by the amazing Mr. Mascot…"
W h a t D o e s T h a t H a v e T o D o W i t h Y o u
"I-I'm sorry… That was presumptuous. I'll work even harder for you and the resort..."
Damn it.
S o r r y
"No! Mr. Mascot, you can do anything. This resort runs entirely on your decisions and will. I'm honored to work at a place like this."
...
N e v e r M i n d
After that, I returned to accepting guests at the front desk.
The staff member with Jang Heowoon's face seemed a little nervous for a moment, but when another guest approached, he went right back to acting like a Cheerful Theme Park Resort employee.
Which only made my mind go cold.
'I really shouldn't have heard all that.'
That sense of rejection when you hear someone's deeply personal, desperate story in a far too light, careless, and offhand manner.
It made me nauseous.
I was honestly relieved that I'd cut it off before hearing even more details.
...
Is there really, truly, no way…?
I even took out the operational guideline document I'd used like a manual, and picked up my pen.
I repaired one staff member. It took some effort, but it seems like he became an even better employee through the repair process. Very satisfied
It gave me goosebumps.
I forcibly twisted the pen.
Very satisfied, but being an excellent employee isn't necessarily the same as being a good employee, so I'm trying to find a way to return things to normal.
But the pen won't stop.
However, there is no such way.
...!
All I can do is think about how to run the resort better. I decided not to waste energy on meaningless worries.
I will exist solely as the mascot of this resor
I picked up my pen and finally managed to erase all the notes.
My breath grew rapid inside the costume, but the mascot did not falter. I can't let this shake me.