'I need to get out quickly.'
Something is going wrong.
But… first, to do that, I needed to successfully expand this resort one more time.
As quickly as possible.
Requirements to expand resort facilities
Staff : 3
Satisfied Guests : 300
Mascot Ceremony Rites
For now… at this rate, I'd reach 300 satisfied guests in no time. Honestly, judging by how many guests flooded in today, I'd probably hit the goal within a day or two.
It was an astounding achievement.
'Why does the social distancing concept work even for ghost stories?'
If it were before, I might have found it infuriating or funny, but now I really didn't care. The real issues were above and below. Staff and the ceremony.
'...'
Three additional staff members.
One way was to tempt civilian visitors into taking a job here, using a night's stay as bait, just like before.
The problem was, how many people could I actually persuade like that? And if someone died while working here, who would be responsible?
'Those people don't even have basic gear like a mask.'
There was also the question of whether my own mind could handle it.
The next method was…
Gruesome, but I'd learned about it from the recent incident.
'...'
I called for the standard mascots.
Then, I asked them about the whereabouts of certain things they had stashed away.
Specifically, the two corpses that Supervisor Lee Seonghae had dragged in with her.
Right.
I was going to check if I could revive those corpses and use them as staff.
The standard mascots led me to the back of the resort building.
It was a place where only mascots worked, where human staff avoided and guests were forbidden from entering.
Among those spaces, they guided me to the cold storage section in the room service warehouse.
Two mascots were standing guard at the entrance.
[Freezer Storage. Lock Confirmation Required]
'Ha.'
I was about to open the door, imagining the corpses inside…
'...'
And then I realized.
As a mascot, I could see it immediately.
Y o u T w o
The corpses were not in the freezer.
The two standard mascots guarding the freezer were the employees' corpses themselves!
'Fuck!'
The corpses had turned into those standard mascots…!
Just like how Jang Heowoon's corpse became an employee…
The mascots stared at me.
I almost stumbled back, but my identity as the resort's operator kept me upright.
Then, the mascots—creatures that, in a sense, I recognized as extensions of myself—approached and tried to support me.
Goosebumps crawled down my spine.
That means, all the standard mascots here are...
'Damn it.'
There must have been corpses wandering in the resort ruins.
I was raising up people who had died who knows when, and using them as staff!
This was a terrifyingly creepy resort… Wait a minute.
If you think about it, it's not the resort's fault.
'Corpses end up buried in graves and become nutrients for nature anyway.'
But if they became nutrients for this wonderful resort, isn't that better than simply decaying for bugs and weeds?
Yeah. If someone's already dead, it might actually be better to make good use of them.
'Huu.'
I barely managed to calm myself, letting out a sigh of relief.
…Anyway, reviving the corpses to use as staff was a failure.
'Maybe because I didn't make a separate contract, they're not recognized as individual beings.'
Still, there was one silver lining. Jang Heowoon was still counted as staff, not just a standard mascot.
In other words, he's recognized as an individual, not just as a mascot with no self.
…Even if he didn't have a mascot appearance, it's just because I allowed staff to maintain a human appearance.
"..."
I squeezed my eyes shut— No, I wanted to, but the mascot head prevented it.
This situation… is spiraling out of control.
'I'm so confused.'
The weirdness of the ghost story was starting to show itself blatantly.
I'd been so focused on running things, but now that I took a step back, I realized things could get far worse at this rate.
I had assigned Ladybug to keep a close eye on the two powerful staff—Section Chief Lee Jaheon and Supervisor Lee Seonghae—but I couldn't load all the burden on him forever.
'I have to get out of this insane resort as soon as possible.'
No matter how dazzling this resort is, or how much care I put into it, this is something I can't avoid.
'I need more information.'
Ironically, now that Jang Heowoon… is a perfect staff member for the resort, I can leave him in charge of the front desk while I move around.
If I give him instructions, he'll carry them out precisely.
I've gained a bit of freedom of movement.
So, on this fourth day, my evening plan was… this.
I left the resort building entirely and walked down the road.
Then…
H e l l o
I went straight to the gate leading to Blue Dream Waterpark.
That is to say…
To meet the blue mascot.
I ' m H e r e
The blue mascot, standing on the other side of the gate, tossed aside the booklet it was holding and ran over.
-x-X-x-
The Blue Mascot.
A bizarre being who turned my ride ticket into a membership card. They even treated me as a missing person and put out a wanted notice after I escaped through the gate.
The more I remember, the more that cute Blue Dragon exterior feels unsettling…
G o o d C h i l d !
Strangely friendly.
Just seeing them now brings a sense of calm.
I walked up right to the gate and waved my hand at the flustered Blue Mascot.
Perhaps realizing once again that we couldn't cross into each other's zones, the Blue Mascot looked a little downcast, but soon enthusiastically waved back.
Some visitors nearby smiled as they watched the two mascots waving at each other across the gate.
G o o d C h i l d
I
C a m e T o S e e Y o u
And then I realized something odd.
'I can… hear them more clearly.'
It's like… Beyond the short phrases unique to mascots, I can also hear a deep, grand voice like the one I once heard before.
But unlike that time, there's no crushing pressure that makes me cough up blood.
It just transmits a pure will, as if imbued within the words.
Maybe because we're both mascots?
Right now, the Blue Mascot's short words seem to carry both: 'You finally came to see me' and 'I'm really happy and thankful that you came to meet me like this'.
So mascots can communicate this richly with each other, huh.
'If that's the case… the visitors around us probably don't understand these meanings.'
It means we can communicate more directly.
!
I'm basically asking: Why did you invite me here, saying we'd have fun at the theme park, only for me to end up having to work even in this place?
Hearing that, the Blue Mascot fidgets anxiously and answers,
W e C a n P l a y
…!
L e t ' s M a k e
O u r O w n Z o n e
…What?
Then the Blue Mascot shows me some kind of vision.
'…!'
Creating a shared zone between the Yellow Zone and the Blue Zone.
'Ah!'
That's it! My third facility can be made from this!
That way, we can spend time together.
Then I'll be able to cross into the Blue Zone! And the Blue Dragon can come to the Yellow Zone too!
Guests will have twice as many rules to follow, but it'll be twice as fun!
And since our rules won't be in conflict, it's definitely possible.
We can cheerfully enjoy each other's theme parks together, spending eternity in this marvelous Cheerful Theme Park, happy and cheerful and happy and cheerful and happy and cheerful and happy and cheerful and happy and cheerful and happy and cheerful and happy and cheerful and happy and cheerful and happy and cheerf—
'…!'
I bit my tongue.
…Barely, I managed to pull myself out of that vision…
'I almost… just went along with it.'
It feels like the Blue Mascot's will is contaminating me. Not good.
Even without malice, it's dangerous.
'Trying to do more right now would be suicide.'
I waved my hand, speaking to calm the Blue Mascot.
Like, what if I just quit being a mascot and cross over into the Blue Zone as a guest instead?
But the Blue Mascot sadly hangs their head.
N o
...
T h e r e H a s T o B e
M a s c o t
There must always be a mascot in an active theme park zone.
So I can't just quit being a mascot on a whim.
'I knew it.'
I figured it'd be something like this.
Still, if I forced my way out, the consequence would be…
G o o d C h i l d
D i s a p p e a r
'...!!'
This Yellow Mascot would remain as is.
But the me that's not a mascot… would separate from the mascot and disappear.
If I'd already become deeply fused with the mascot's identity, all of my self and power would be sucked into the mascot, leaving not even 'discarded scraps' behind…
'No!'
It's only the fourth day. I… I haven't been assimilated with the mascot to that extent yet!
I haven't lost myself to the point that quitting as mascot would make my very existence disappear!
I know who I am. I'm fine.
The me who isn't the mascot can leave!
'...Huu.'
With trembling hands, I barely managed to grab onto the gate and lean against it.
A swirling mix of wanting to tear off this mascot costume right now because of the creepiness, a resistance to the question of whether I actually could take it off, and the comfort and security provided by its softness and coziness.
I
P r o t e c t
G o o d C h i l d
The blue mascot speaks, fidgeting anxiously.
It wasn't the Blue Dragon's intention for me to become the resort's mascot, but even about that, it's as if they're saying they could offer full help and advice.
They seem to be giving their wholehearted support.
And then, from somewhere, other blue mascots start running to the gate all at once.
They each have an envelope in their hands.
They gently toss the envelopes over the gate, and I catch one successfully.
Visitors nearby clap as if they're watching something entertaining.
Inside the envelope, which I opened a little—
'Cheerful Coins…!'
Inside were a hundred blue and red coins.
It seemed like the blue mascot was settling accounts for the accommodation event they held on their own. But, wait…
I t ' s O k a y
The blue mascot looks a bit triumphant.
I H e l p
G o o d C h i l d
Good grief.
But it seems that a mascot who has run their own area successfully for a long time becomes rich. It doesn't look like they're overexerting themself, so I'll just accept these for now.
I can invest these in the resort. No, no! I might need them for something else!
'…Get it together.'
I tucked the envelope into the pocket at my mascot belly and pulled myself together.
'I need to hurry.'
As soon as I open the third facility, I need to get my ticket stamped, quit being a mascot, and escape.
'I can't take it anymore.'
Hurry up and recruit additional staff, then hold the mascot ceremony.
The plan hasn't changed. Just do it as is.
And my instincts as a mascot were telling me I should return to the resort soon.
If I leave my post too long during operating hours, that's neglect.
I should quickly ask the Blue Dragon what I need and go.
The blue mascot raised their hand.
Their ceremony was fireworks.
Beautiful lights exploding over the waterpark, reflected on the water's surface, evoking memories of his beloved deep sea ■■, though now faded… Wait, what?
'A-Anyway. It's some sort of signature theme park event.'
Apparently, you can choose the ceremony to fit your mascot's taste. For example… Magic Bunny's seems to be a parade.
It'll probably be similar for me.
The blue mascot looked even more pleased.
Then they hurriedly grabbed something else brought over by another version of themself and handed it to me.
Snacks.
A bunch of treats sold at the waterpark. From hot dogs to chocolate. And just like before… churros, too.
'…!!'
Wait a minute.
[Blue Soda Churros]
A product that, when eaten, causes you to vomit out sea water as a form of contamination.
The item's description isn't very precise, but since it originated from a ghost story, I haven't used it except in desperate, urgent situations where there was no other way… but now the creator is right in front of me!
I picked up the churro and waved it.
The blue mascot looked at me blankly, as if confused by the question.
Wait a minute.
They're saying there isn't any special intended effect…?
'...'
I looked at the churro.
If it's just a natural description…
Usually, when you eat ghost-story food in a ghost story… what happens?
In countless legends, what happens if you eat food from a strange and mysterious place?
—You become a part of that world.
Right.
If a human eats food from the theme park, they gradually change into a being suitable for this theme park…!
'So that's why all those other contaminations were vomited out.'
Things that don't belong in the theme park!
The realization sent a jolt through my head, but instead of excitement, a cold shock took over.
'Then…'
It's completely useless for Jang Heowoon.
The Jang Heowoon, who was revived as a staff member, is already a being perfectly suited for the theme park.
Because he's a ghost story now.
'...'
There won't be an effect, at all.
I don't know.
'…I need to do what needs to be done.'
I moved on to the next topic.
I used my forepaws to gesture the shape of a soft, plush doll as I desperately appealed.
The Good Friend Doll.
It originally came from the Cheerful Theme Park's souvenir shop, and it was one of my main reasons for coming here.
But the blue mascot shakes their head.
Ah.
Right, it wouldn't really fit the theme to sell a plushie in a water park. They'd sell cute tubes instead. Damn it!
Then is there any way to get it from the Magic Bunny zone?
To summarize what the Blue Mascot said:
Magic Bunny is a lunatic.
Do you really think something from that souvenir shop will actually help you?
'…Hearing it like that is a bit…'
Either way, the Blue Mascot wasn't wrong. But still, the Good Friend's power was proven in the
It shouldn't be any different no matter the zone of the theme park.
You said you'd help with anything!
Finally, the blue mascot drooped their horns and ears, but nodded.
But it seemed like they would try.
Still, they kept reminding me to absolutely avoid Magic Bunny and never go near that zone.
Of course, I'll keep that in mind, too.
'It's a relief that the blue zone is in between, at least.'
I grew quiet, recalling the terrible sight of the red team where only Supervisor Lee Seonghae survived.
Now that I think about it, it's really a mystery how Supervisor Lee managed to survive outside after business hours ended…
Oh?
I turned my head.
Just now.
Something happened at the resort.
The yellow mascot could sense it. Something had happened in my area. I need to know!
Time to return!
The blue mascot looks at me calmly.
…!
Come to think of it.
It's impossible to tell amongst the blue mascots which one was a special individual and which ones were just standard mascots.
Every mascot costume is the Blue Dragon, and the blue mascot can freely move all of their bodies as they please.
All the blue mascots are them.
The blue zone is theirs.
And…
The yellow zone is mine.
I understood that lesson as if under a spell.
And thus, the me who was in the resort.
I focused my consciousness on one of the standard mascots. And then…
I became myself.
'…!'
When I blinked, I was a mascot standing guard inside the resort.
'Oh my god.'
But before I could even be surprised or disoriented, I was confronted by a shocking scene.
Section Chief Lee Jaheon was restraining Supervisor Lee Seonghae in the lobby.
'…?!'
And that wasn't all.
Next to the tied-up Supervisor Lee was someone's limbs strewn about like garbage.
Blood, soaking the lobby.
Employee Ladybug, dead.
A knife was stuck in his neck, blood gushing out in spurts.
He must have died trying to stop the bleeding, hands also covered in blood…
'…!!'
And blood had also splattered onto Supervisor Lee Songhae's uniform.
Every sign pointed to one conclusion.
…Supervisor Lee Seonghae killed Employee Ladybug.
"Uurgh— Section Chief, it's fine. I did everything I needed to do!"
But Section Chief Lee Jaheon did not release the restraints.
However, when our eyes met, surprisingly, he seemed to realize that the standard mascot was me. He picked up the bound Supervisor Lee Seonghae and brought her over to me.
"Eh?"
"Oh, Mr. Mascot, you're here."
Supervisor Lee Seonghae spoke in her usual calm voice.
"Um, can you take the cost of reactivating that one over there out of my salary? I'm fine even if I don't get anything from the souvenir shop…"
Supervisor Lee Seonghae looked at Jang Heowoon.
At the employee who no longer wore the bison mask, just a resort staff member.
"Because he killed that good person over there for no reason."
…!
"And if given the chance, he'd kill someone else too, so you can't just let him be! Honestly, dying actually lets them be reused in a way that benefits the resort."
My head spun.
But do you know what the real problem is?
…Somewhere, there's a part of me that feels relieved.
What's more, the guests aren't shaken up at all.
Some of them even clapped as if they'd just seen an entertaining show, or tried to tip Supervisor Lee Seonghae.
Which means…
It's an even bigger problem.
It should have been me, the mascot, to punish Ladybug.
Whether I made him serve the horrific toxic bath users in the spa, forced him to run around on foot for room service, or made him do whatever the guests wanted. That was my decision to make.
But…
"But Mr. Mascot, you're just too good."
...
"Stuff like this is best handled by someone who doesn't get stressed out, like me!"
Huu.
"…!"
"…Yes, yes."
In the end, I had a standard mascot assign Supervisor Lee Seonghae to spa cleaning duty as a demotion.
Honestly, rather than a real demotion, it felt more like a show of punishment for overstepping authority.
I don't know whether I should be grateful, scared, or horrified… haa.
'My head hurts.'
I gritted my teeth and even revived Ladybug.
…Whether this could really be called reviving, I'm not sure.
"I'll work hard, Mr. Mascot!"
With that, the number of casualties reached two.
Two human beings were replaced as perfect staff members.
"..."
Section Chief Lee Jaheon somehow seemed to be quietly watching me, but I avoided his gaze and went to the front desk.
I was exhausted.
But there, too, was the staff member in Jang Heowoon's form.
'God damn it, seriously.'
Just work.
Work faster, escape faster…
Then, as I was welcoming the next guest—
"Team Leader, look! Daydream bastards!"
…!
"Yeah, I've got eyes too. I've seen those maniacs more than once during Disasters, stop making a fuss."
…That familiar term of address.
Their voices were soft, almost whispers, but since a standard mascot was nearby, I could hear it.
"Still, you have to note that there are people here working just fine. Got it, Gomyeong?"
(T/N: Gomyeong = garnish)
I looked up.
Two people in Disaster Management Bureau jackets were approaching the front desk.
'…!'
Holy shit.
The one called 'Team Leader' looked down-to-earth, but somehow tough, and stepped forward to speak to me.
"Hello?"
"Um, we're here to ask a few questions."
And the Team Leader explained as she looked at me.
"I heard a guest who looks similar to us, wearing a hoodie and jeans, checked in recently."
That civilian.
This was obviously a response to that person's call for help.
Which means these people are…
'One of the other Black-Tortoise teams…!'
Oh god.
And I'd seen Team 2, the team next door, coming and going for weeks, but these people were strangers.
That means only one thing.
'Black-Tortoise Team 3!'
"Could you tell us which room that guest is staying in?"
I barely managed to reply to Black-Tortoise Team 3's leader.
"…You're really strict about professional ethics, huh?"
"Seriously?"
The members of Black-Tortoise Team 3, who had been staring at me blankly, soon shifted their gaze to the 'staff' beside me.
"Pardon me, isn't there some other way?"
"I apologize, dear guests! As Mr. Mascot said, here at Flower Golden Resort we absolutely cannot disclose the personal information of our guests. Is there anything else we can help you with?"
"Ah, then…"
"Wait."
At that moment, the team leader's face hardened as she studied the staff member.
She stepped closer, checked over the build of the front desk employee, and then looked into the eyes behind the yellow mascot mask—
"…Site Cleanup rookie?"
…!
She recognized Jang Heowoon.
"Why's he here…? Wait, this isn't a registered site. That's why only two people were assigned, right?"
"Yes? Yes! That's right. And as far as I know, that rookie was on vacation…"
"..."
"..."
The two agents fell silent and stared at the staff member with Jang Heowoon's face.
And then—
"How can I help you, dear guests?"
A small curse nearly escaped the Black-Tortoise Team 3 leader's lips, but she swallowed it.
…Still, the two of them quickly regained their composure, showing the calm typical of people used to situations like this.
They looked at me with cooler eyes than before, but did not forget their reason for coming.
"…You said you can't tell us what room the guest is in. Then, please call the guest for us. Tell her we're here."
I gladly accepted that request.
The civilian, startled several times, at first wouldn't answer the phone, and then, even after finally picking up, dropped the call in terror a few times or cried, but in the end, believing she'd been rescued, she finally came down.
The problem was…
In the process, the guest broke a few things in the room…
"…!!"
"S-Sorry, I was just so startled…! I'm really, really sorry…"
I politely held out both hands to the civilian.
But, of course, the civilian couldn't pay.
Realizing this, the team leader pushed her aside and stepped up to face me.
"Even without money, is there some other way to pay you back?"
Huu.
"…?!"
I gestured toward the group.
Then I made a bold suggestion.
Or…
The civilian I pointed to froze.
"T-Tha, that…"
The agents immediately moved to shield the civilian.
And the team leader calmly confirmed,
"If we say we'll work, do we end up like that?"
She gestured to Jang Heowoon.
...
"Or can we work like the other employees?"
If I were just a mascot, I might not have understood what that meant.
But I do understand.
I lowered my head.
"..."
The agents flinched.
The Black-Tortoise Team 3 leader studied me as if gauging something.
After several tens of seconds passed, she finally declared,
"…Fine. The three of us will work here."
"Team Leader!"
"Yeah. Just think of it as good work experience. And you know…"
She glanced at her sneakers.
Or more precisely, an item attached to their laces. It was most likely that kind of item.
An escape item.
"I brought it."
"…!"
The agents ended up protecting the civilian, and it seemed they intended to look for a chance to rescue Jang Heowoon as well.
The three took the employment contracts, read them carefully, and signed.
…And with that, the staff requirements were all fulfilled.
'...'
Now for the last thing.
It's time to set up the ceremony.
His agent name… was Hwagak, wasn't it.
"I just had a question."
"Ask me anything!"
"I was wondering if you remember what you were doing before you entered this resort."
"Yes! Of course I remember! You're from the Disaster Management Bureau, right? I used to work there too."
He remembers?
"That's right. Then I'll send your regards. Vermillion-Bird Team 2, right?"
"Yes! Thank you."
The team leader carefully chose her words.
"But you know, you could always go and deliver your regards in person, right? When you leave here…"
"Not possible."
"..."
"I swore to Mr. Mascot that I'd devote myself to this resort, and I signed a contract. I won't leave. And the contract is valid forever, until it ends, forever."
"How about taking some vacation?"
"I do not take breaks."
"..."
The resort employee, who had once been a rookie on the Site Cleanup Unit, smiled silently at the team leader.
Silence.
"I need to go to my room now. I have to follow the work rules! You should go to your room quickly too, and no matter who comes, don't open the door."
And he walked down the hallway and into his room.
Thunk.
"Motherfucker…"
The team leader let out a curse, more like a sigh.
Not being able to smoke, since doing anything that draws attention in a supernatural disaster is idiotic, was all the more frustrating.
'How am I supposed to get him out of here.'
She didn't open the window, but just stood at the end of the hallway, staring out past the window as if she were smoking.
It felt like if she at least set the mood, she'd be able to organize her thoughts…
Wait.
'…?'
There's something beyond the window.
"…!"
The team leader immediately stepped away from the window and pressed herself to the wall.
Noticing something in a supernatural disaster is rarely a good thing.
Instead, she organized what she'd just seen in her mind.
'So…'
The resort grounds with all the lights out showed only a very dim silhouette. And beyond that, there were faint traces of where colorful lights and music had come from.
'…It looked kind of like an amusement park.'
But the 'something' wasn't over there.
Beside it.
From beyond the ruins, out of reach of the resort's lights… something lumpy was moving.
'…A forest?'
Maybe it was just leaves rustling in the wind.
But surely, wasn't something over there… looking up this way?
Something that looked like… a mascot.
"..."
The team leader stepped away from the wall.
She frowned and approached the window one more time…
"…!"
She turned around.
In the middle of the dim, cozy, rustic hallway stood a cute mascot costume.
…At some point, the yellow mascot had appeared right in front of her.
"…Ah. I just wanted to check if my team was okay."
The yellow mascot, with its adorably shaped face, stared at her without any expression.
Cold sweat ran down the team leader's back, but with years of experience, she managed not to let it show.
"Actually, I was craving a cigarette, but I held back."
Surprisingly, the mascot patted the team leader's head as if praising her.
And even gave her a small gift.
…A sleep mask.
"..."
She took it for now and kept it safely. She would hand it over to the forensics unit later.
And as for the strange thing she'd just seen outside the window…
'I won't mention it.'
A strong survival instinct jabbed at her, but before that, her instincts as an agent—needing to grasp the nature of this disaster—surfaced as well.
'Damn it.'
"I'm curious, though. What's over there?"
In the end, she reached out and pointed in the direction where something had been moving.
And she twisted her hand slightly.
"Oh, so that's the theme park. Then, this is the theme park, but that place… doesn't look like it."
The team leader rotated her hand, adjusting the direction to the forest.
The yellow mascot peered at her.
"..."
After that, the yellow mascot guided the team leader to her assigned room and opened the door for her.
And until she was fully inside and closed the door, the mascot just stood there silently outside.
Through the closing door, the team leader could hear the mascot mutter,
And the next day.
For the first time since entering the resort, the agents were able to go outside.
Because the back of the resort had been opened.
Before operating hours began, the mascot gathered the staff and went to the ruins behind the resort.
And as the mascot raised both arms into the air—
Wooooooo—
The shattered facilities in the ruins vanished into the ground.
Instead, beautiful garden trees began to rise.
"…!"
Landscaping took place.
Bushes full of green leaves, trees, golden flowers sparkling. Clusters of small flowers in various colors shimmered, making the huge golden blossoms stand out even more.
And even a fountain.
"Wow! Is this the new facility?"
'…Ceremony?'
The team leader looked around.
Standard mascots were busily carrying things.
…Flyers.
On the backdrop of the beautiful night garden, golden-lighted, antique, sparkling promotional phrases were written.
‒‒‒
Come and See the Flower Golden
Dazzling brilliance!
Astonishing blooming!
The most beautiful illumination
in the ■■!
※If you stay in a theme park view room, you can enjoy special effects through the window.
‒‒‒
…Something was being prepared.
-x-X-x-
Day 5 of resort operations, evening.
The time had come.
I checked my outfit in the facility office.
Over the signature yellow mascot fur, I fastened a dignified golden bow tie.
And on the horns, I placed golden glass ornaments like flowers…
Lastly, I held armfuls of glow sticks.
Now, all preparations are complete.
Once the mascot, having carried out the ceremony, truly becomes the owner of the resort, the third facility can be opened.
Thanks to the Blue Mascot perfectly settling the event funds, the budget is generous.
I stepped out of the office.
When I entered the lobby during the busy evening hours, guests looked my way at my appearance.
I handed out glow sticks to each of them.
The standard mascots also waved and generously handed out small glow sticks to visitors.
The ceremony I chose was an illumination. A festival of beautiful lights.
It's a perfect match for Flower Golden Resort. As a flawless ceremony, it will further elevate the prestige of this resort, demonstrating a dignity incomparable to a certain loud parade.
I led the guests to the back of the resort building.
The huge, beautiful rear gate that had been set up in advance opens.
Oooooooo—
It looks desolate.
The grounds of the dark resort, long after sunset, are shrouded in darkness, and only the theme park lights twinkle in the distance.
But even that is about to end.
The moment the mascot raised its hand…
Lights began to sparkle all across the garden.
Ooooohhhh—!
The night garden blooming in gold glittered and danced strangely.
The glow sticks given to guests, shaped like flowers blooming on branches, also lit up, each flower shining with its own light.
Oooooohhhhh—!
Cheers and shouts from the guests rang through the garden.
Some guests were crying or laughing, even wailing on the ground in awe.
Now, preparations are complete.
– We would like to thank everyone who visited Cheerful Theme Park again today.
Soon, our Twinkle Illumination will begin at Flower Golden Resort. We hope you'll join us and witness the birth of the magnificent Flower Golden…
I took a deep breath.
'Let's do this well.'
The mascot must absolutely take center stage for the finale of this show.
And after that…
"Oh, now we're opening the third facility!"
That's right.
I nodded proudly at Supervisor Lee Seonghae, who had come over.
"That's great. The other zones have, like, ten attractions each, right? I think it'd be good to have that many more here too."
No. I'm going to cut ties and leave immediately…
But as the mascot, I couldn't say something like that out loud, so I just stood there quietly.
If I bring up another topic… Ah, that's right.
"Yes?"
I'd been curious for a while.
How exactly did Supervisor Lee Seonghae escape the red zone, and how did she survive a full day there?
Might as well ask now to relax a bit.
"Oh, I got one stamp on my ride ticket. But that rabbit kept chasing me! I couldn't ride anything else. They wouldn't let me enter the blue zone at all."
As expected.
"So I went the other way!"
...
Huh?
"You can actually go to the opposite forest, you know? Once business hours end, there were weird noises from the theme park, but even if that crazy rabbit chased me into the forest, it was a bit slower there."
Probably because it wasn't its own zone.
No, but…
Does that mean you circled all the way through the opposite forest and came out to that forest over there?
'Unbelievable.'
"So when I got here, I saw the resort!"
"But isn't it cool? Heehee."
Yeah. It's really cool.
To escape here by dodging Magic Bunny.
Even if the mascot slowed down after leaving its own zone…
...
Wait.
"Yes!"
"Yup!"
If the forest isn't considered someone's zone, I can understand that.
But that's not the real issue.
"Yes, yes! It chased me almost the whole way! Once I got here, it couldn't come out and got blocked, though!"
...
The Magic Bunny…
…knows how to get…
…to the Yellow Zone.
-♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪
– Kyahahahaha!
"..."
"…Mr. Mascot?"
I turned my head.
With the garden's creation, the once-ruined ground had been developed.
And it brought the zones even closer, now completely adjacent.
The forest.
And the light from the garden shone all the way into the depths of the forest.
And thus, it is revealed.
A red path.
And standing silently on it.
C a u g h t , H u h ?
The red mascot moves.
The Magic Bunny, who had spent the last four days clearing the forest to expand it its own zone, now begins the final phase.
Wearing overalls, the mascot raises its hand, and between the forest and garden, a device decorated with a cute rabbit drawing rises up.
A gate.
A facility connecting the two zones.
And then.
– Kyahahahaha!
A flood of long-term red zone guests and missing persons comes pouring in through the gate, running down the path.
-x-X-x-
It's all red.
Because of the countless red things pouring in through the gate connected to the forest.
Those who have followed Magic Bunny's parade.
-♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪
– Ahahahahaha!
People holding snacks made from their own ribs, headbands decorated with their own plucked-out eyes, balloons made from the intestines that were once part of their family.
The wretched people driven mad by the horrifying shows of the Magic Bunny zone and Magic Bunny's cruel, brutal demands.
Now, those who have become monsters inhabiting the red zone are recklessly flooding into the yellow zone.
And they shout,
"They're giving out a mask prize, a mask prize!"
"I wish everyone could become like me."
"Enjoy your time in the Magic Bunny zone! It's fun! I told you, it's fun! Please! It's fun!"
…The most dangerous things I'd worked so hard to keep out of the resort were now pouring in.
Dozens, hundreds of them.
'No.'
G o B a c k
I hurriedly moved the staff to the rear, and had the standard mascots gather near the gate.
'Block them.'
If I could just do some crowd control somehow and proceed with the illumination as planned…
"The yellow mascot!"
"It's him!"
"Ahahahahahaha!! Hahahahahahahahaha!"
Horrifyingly-shaped guests leap madly at the Flower Golden mascots.
'…!!'
I looked up.
Beyond the surging horde of monsters, the red Magic Bunny at the gate raises a sign.
Prize Event
Bring back pieces of the Yellow Mascot's flesh!
1st prize: The Great Magic Bunny
2nd prize: The Great Magic Bunny
3rd prize: The Great Magic Bunny
Ah.
"Yellow!!"
The red guests swarm the standard mascots, scratching with bare hands and digging out flesh with Magic Bunny-branded items.
Eyes are torn out of the mascot suits.
It hurts.
Horns are ripped off, stuffing bursts, the felt-made organs inside are torn out.
The yellow mascots writhe and are torn to pieces in agony. No… I'm being torn to pieces!!
"Got it!"
"Ahahahaha!"
"Lookitsparkles??Kkakkakkakka!"
These rude, pathetic, penniless, red-zone trash addicts, how dare they, in my zone!
Still thinking they're in the red zone, doing this disgusting act. I cannot allow it! Never!! Absolutely not!
You all.
D I E
The red visitors raise both hands and strangle their own necks.
It's almost time for the ceremony. Don't do anything so disgraceful as to stain the garden red. Don't even think about being absorbed by me and becoming nutrients for the resort.
D i e
These disrespectful pieces of shit have no right to be guests at my resort.
I won't send them back to the red zone, either.
Even if it takes a little time, asphyxiation will be the cleanest and most pleasing way.
It's like watching an ant swarm invade the office and gnaw away at the documents and supplies as they please.
I was furious, my vision blazing yellow. No, not fury—this was the revulsion that comes when something absurdly unfair happens.
So…
D i e
The red zone mutants, with blood pouring from their eyes, bang their heads on the floor.
The other resort guests watch with interest at this quiet rhythm.
Fine. If it's a spectacle before the illumination, it will make for an even more successful ceremony…
"Mr. Roe Deer."
...
"Mr. Roe Deer."
Huh?
I turned my head.
An employee wearing a lizard mask was looking at me.
What did he just call me?
In a low, impassive voice, so others wouldn't hear, he whispered,
"Do you remember your name?"
...
That is,
K i m
"Don't say it."
Ah.
I closed my mouth.
It's not a good idea to say your real name in a ghost story.
And I… That is, my name is…
...
'Kim Soleum.'
Yes. That's it.
The yellow mascot I wear is just a costume. Flower Golden is a made-up name, and I'm only disguised as a monster.
The real one is inside.
I am… human.
'...'
S t o p
"Huuhhk!"
The red zone visitors, who had been strangling themselves, let go of their throats.
"Hiic, hiiiiic…"
"Givemeaprizeifyougivemeaprizepleasereturnour■■please"
Even as they burst into manic laughter, or wept, or crawled desperately across the floor toward the yellow mascot, I spoke gloomily.
L e a v e
Regardless of whether the yellow mascots are being torn apart, I push them toward the gate.
"AAAAAHHH!"
As I forcefully push them, these people, who weren't normal to begin with, are somehow driven back through the gate.
As she watched the broken pieces of yellow mascot suits rolling on the ground, Supervisor Lee Seonghae spoke quietly.
"Should I go after them?"
I shook my head.
My heart thundered in my chest, and at the same time, it turned cold.
'Just now.'
What was I about to do just now?
'I'm being assimilated.'
It's dangerous.
I need to get out, quickly. Quickly.
As soon as the staff are safe, immediately…
'The ceremony!'
I had to start the ritual!
I anxiously looked toward the gate.
…But what was even more horrifying was what happened after I pushed those guests back through the gate.
"Priiiiiize…"
Magic Bunny welcomed those coming back through the gate with open arms.
And then.
"Uck."
He pulls out their heads.
"…!!"
He pulls out their entrails, snaps their waists.
As if letting them ride each attraction one by one, as if playing or putting on a show, the guests are killed one by one as they cross the gate.
"Blaaargh!"
"…!"
I could hear the voices of the Disaster Management Bureau agents tending to the civilians in the back. Even Daydream Inc.'s employees, who were almost immune to gruesome sights, were overwhelmed and froze at the horror.
And yet, they still throw themselves at the gate.
"Give me a prize!"
"I brought this, please, a prize!"
And then, the 'prize' is given.
Cruuuuuunch
The empty body of the dead, toppled like a toy, is crudely transformed into a cute animal mascot suit.
Right.
Those who get lost or who'd die in the theme park are recycled into mascot bodies.
That's why, inevitably, in the red zone… there can only be an insane number of mascots.
'...Ha.'
This was the chilling truth.
At Magic Bunny's playful gestures, they die and turn into mascots in that death march. Even when I stopped pushing visitors out with the standard mascots, the red zone visitors did not stop.
They continued to grip at the yellow mascot's flesh and fling themselves at the gate.
"AAAHHHHHH!"
The gate had become a sight no one should ever have to see.
And it doesn't end there.
Magic Bunny, using a long magic wand-like toy merchandise, was even stabbing visitors who hadn't yet crossed the gate.
"…!"
"Stop it, you disgusting…!"
Thunk.
A red visitor's neck is snapped and they roll onto the garden.
In the yellow zone…
…they became a corpse.
But the one who thoroughly corrupted that visitor was the Magic Bunny, and the one who killed and disposed of them was also the Magic Bunny.
Their form twists and distorts.
"…!!"
"Eek, r-red mascot…!"
The Magic Bunny mascot, having shed its corpse, rises up in the yellow zone.
And, drawing terrifyingly close, it rushes madly toward the staff and me.
"Aaaack!!"
But mascots cannot cross into another zone.
Thunk.
The advancing Magic Bunny mascot, like a balloon slowly losing air, staggers and then collapses, stiff on the ground.
"..."
"I-It stopped…"
But the red mascots don't stop their actions.
Playful bunny dolls bash the heads of the unfortunate.
"Ack! Aaaah!"
"The Great Magic Bu—"
Those who died caught in the gate transform into Magic Bunnies and, as they rush forward, they keep collapsing and stopping in place.
Overwhelming waste.
Overwhelming brutality.
…Before long, dozens of corpses—red mascot mutants—piled up in the resort garden.
The staff watched, frozen in place, not even daring to breathe…
"..."
"..."
I lifted my head and looked at Magic Bunny beyond the gate.
And I realized it.
This performance is a threat.
It's meant to make me get angry or scared and overreact, so that what happens next will be even more fun for them—a kind of prelude to their amusement.
F u n !
Fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun
On the other side of the gate, the Magic Bunnies clap their hands.
– Kyaahahahahaha!
Some guests from my zone laugh along with them.
…Laugh?
They're laughing after seeing this scene? Even though they might miss the dazzling illumination, even those people laughing seem to have no manners!
Q u i e t
The guests hurriedly covered their mouths.
The Magic Bunnies poked their heads through the gate, as if wanting to get a better look at the scene.
'You too, shut up.'
I grabbed one of the Magic Bunny mascot suits lying around on this side and hurled it hard.
Thunk!
The Magic Bunnies that got hit in the head toppled backward.
"Huuk!"
At that moment.
Whip.
The red mascots who hadn't been hit all turned their heads at once and stared right at me.
Hahahahahahahaha
As if to kill.
Hahahahahahahaha
Silently.
…A chilling terror swept over me. Still, I felt like I could breathe again, just a bit.
Whenever you try to pull something like you did earlier, I'll just have to do this—
"Mr. Roe Deer."
Even if you don't keep calling me, I remember that was my old name.
"Mr. Roe Deer."
I know!
I turned to the one who called me.
Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
"It looks like you need help."
But who could possibly help me now?
…Ah, wait.
...
Maybe.
– We Can Help.
That button item, the emergency escape tool, the one that reptilian alien used to control my body before. Is he talking about that?
It was certainly useful. But I can't use it now. Besides, I don't have any money to use the Space Shopping Mall…
N o B u t t o n
"I see."
Lee Jaheon replied, looking at me without a hint of agitation.
"Please reconsider this conversation after business hours are over."
...
"When business hours end, you need to rest as well. Have you gotten any rest lately?"
N o
"Tonight, take off your mascot suit and rest."
C a n ' t
If tonight's ceremony ends safely, I'll come out and stand guard. The red mascot will definitely try something else.
'…If I'm careless, I'll die.'
No, it'll be a massacre.
This mascot was very clearly depicted as killing other mascots in the attractions.
He definitely knows how to kill mascots and will try to do it.
C a n ' t T a k e O f f
"You can take it off."
Lee Jaheon's voice was utterly flat.
"When the theme park's operations end, your shift ends as well. That means you can rest as yourself, not as a mascot."
That's not the problem, though…
Wait.
Wait, wait.
Just now… I feel like I heard something strange.
'So, after the theme park closes for the day, I can exist in a state other than the mascot…'
...!!
I remembered.
After the theme park's operating hours ended, the guests who couldn't get back into the resort, begging and pounding on the lobby door.
– Let us innnnnnn!
People vanishing in terror as they ran away. All those people who entered the theme park via the board game and never made it out before closing time, eventually going missing.
…Unless they were a special case like Supervisor Lee Seonghae.
'And Supervisor Lee even said it herself.'
– Once business hours end, there were weird noises from the theme park, but even if that crazy rabbit chased me into the forest, it was a bit slower there.
If it was just normal sounds you'd expect from the theme park—like attraction repairs—she wouldn't have called them 'weird noises'.
That means… they were sounds that should never be heard in the theme park.
So…
Noises that don't belong in the theme park.
And, with no other employees possessing separate selves, only the Magic Bunny mascot exists in the red zone after closing hours, so it's only natural that it would be the one making those noises…
'...'
I looked at the red mascot in the rabbit costume on the other side of the gate.
Then.
Then maybe, after operating hours, a mascot can take off their suit and walk around.
If Section Chief Lee Jaheon's explanation is right.
The reason it was able to chase Lee Seonghae through the woods wasn't just because that was a space outside another mascot's territory…
But what if it wasn't even wearing the mascot suit?
If it was counted as 'not a mascot', maybe it could move into other zones?
But in just a single night, it wouldn't have had enough time to cross the forest and reach here. Unless it deliberately expanded its territory all the way here.
'...'
No.
I realized.
How Magic Bunny was able to kill the other mascots.
– After the theme park closes, it comes to kill.
Then, today, with a gate to the red zone set up right in front of the resort…
'…!!'
"Mr. Mascot?"
I frantically began tidying up the garden.
'I have to start the ceremony right now.'
I need to open the third zone and escape before the theme park closes.
T o d a y
"Yes?"
I t ' s C o m i n g T o d a y
I pointed beyond the gate.
W h e n I t C l o s e s
I t W I l l C o m e
"…!!"
The moment the park closes, it'll attack.
The employees didn't even ask how that could be possible, their faces just went pale.
They had already witnessed Magic Bunny's insanity.
"Th-Then…"
"Wait, so if we just do this ceremony quickly, we can escape, right?"
I nodded.
The Disaster Management Bureau agents rushed over to help clean up the garden.
I assigned tasks to the other staff as well.
My mind was almost breaking from anxiety.
It felt like listening to a countdown before a nuclear explosion.
'No.'
More information… Right. Maybe I can hear something helpful.
Just in case, I sent one of the standard mascots toward the gate where the Blue Dragon was.
Since the blue mascot had boasted about it, they'd definitely help.
But…
'…So much for the Good Friend.'
There was no time left to get it.
If I successfully escape today, I'll have failed my original goal for coming here.
And… there's no more time to figure out a way to get out a staff member who's been revived from the dead in a ghost story, while they're still alive.
...
N e e d . . .
"What do you need?"
…!
I turned my head. Supervisor Lee Seonghae, still busily cleaning, had also been watching the Magic Bunny gate I was looking at, and as she stroked her chin, she spoke.
"Do you, uh, need anything from over in the red zone? You keep looking over there!"
!
"Oh, I guessed right. In that case…"
Supervisor Lee Seonghae whispers.
"Should I go get it for you?"
What?
"I'll hurry and do it while you're running the ceremony! I'm probably the fastest one here with both legs still working. I may not be as strong as Section Chief Lizard, but I'm smarter!"
She glances at the gate.
"I think it's because of me that that crazy mascot figured out how to get here…"
...
I opened my mouth.
I t ' s O k a y
I couldn't send her to a place of certain death on the off chance that she might succeed.
L e t ' s J u s t F i n i s h U p
Just hurry, let's conduct the ceremony as planned, as quickly as possible.
"…Yes, yes."
I began cleaning up the now-ruined garden once more.
'There's no time.'
Faster, faster.
The ceremony is an event held right before closing, and of course I'd prepared it to match that time, so there wasn't much time left until closing now.
Any moment, the announcement might play.
-♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪
– Hahahahaha!
My staff and I frantically cleaned up the area.
Dozens of Magic Bunnies were staring at us from just beyond the gate, but weren't doing anything crazy like before.
Still, the sense of tension lingered.
I sent the employees to give gifts to the guests, and I personally used the standard mascots to clean up the mess near the gate.
. . . . . .
On the other side of the gate, the Magic Bunnies stared at me as I cleaned.
'Don't show it.'
They seemed like the kind who would enjoy it more if I looked rattled. I quickly finished cleaning up the horrible blood and flesh and backed away.
'Is there still enough time?'
-♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪
– Hahahahaha!
This area's good, that area's good.
Everything is ready for the illumination.
I anxiously scanned the garden. The only things left were the Magic Bunny mascot suits that had lost function, like kites with broken strings.
Let's hurry up and clear them.
The standard mascots picked up those rabbit mascot suits and carried them away.
'It'd be great if I could turn them into my own mascots instead.'
But that didn't seem possible.
These seemed to be recognized as something unique, originating from Magic Bunny, the red zone.
'Like a souvenir, maybe.'
It was disgusting, but that's how it seemed.
'...'
No, wait.
Wait a second!
I stopped in my tracks.
And looked down at the Magic Bunny mascot suit I was holding.
'Souvenir.'
A thing made from a guest's corpse, with the appearance of a mascot. A plush toy filled with soft fur and stuffing, with a cute look—something you can only get at the theme park.
There was one other thing that matched this description exactly.
'…Good Friend!'
♩-♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪
Then, could a non-functional mascot suit essentially be treated the same as a Good Friend…?
– Attention, please! Our theme park will soon be closing for the day~
…!!
"Mr. Mascot!"
I had to make a decision.
If the ceremony didn't go well and closing time arrived, it would all be over.
And just in case, right now… we needed a trump card.
If it were someone who knew a lot about the nature of ghost stories, who had various abilities, and who was on my side…
'...'
– We hope all guests inside the park enjoy Cheerful Theme Park until the very end!
I gritted my teeth and made up my mind.
"Mr. Mascot…?"
I immediately grabbed one of the Magic Bunny mascot suits, dragged it, and dashed like mad into the resort. Then…
– One hour until closing!
I began drawing the Good Friend summoning circle.
I remember it exactly.
It's vivid and unforgettable. It was an event that marked a turning point in my Daydream Inc. days.
The Good Friend summoning ritual.
1- On a smooth floor, dip your finger in water and draw a hexagram using the enclosed design.
I ran to the bathroom, got some water, poured it on the office floor, and began drawing the pattern with my finger.
Strangely enough, I could recall the design with perfect clarity, as if someone had etched it into my mind.
In no time at all, the floor was covered with the damp outline of the hexagram.
But there was one difference…
B i g g e r
The hexagram was big enough to cover the entire office floor.
I placed the nonfunctional Magic Bunny mascot suit in the center of the completed hexagram.
And, as carefully as I could, I reached for a coin…
'...'
But I couldn't get the coin out.
The original 'Silver Serpent Coin' used to summon a good friend… it was inside my mascot costume, inside the Security Team's uniform under that, and all the way down in the pocket of my regular clothes.
But I couldn't take off the mascot suit.
'…In that case!'
I opened the office drawer and took out a Cheerful Coin.
'This is a coin too.'
Even though it's a plastic token, it's still definite currency, and it fits the intent of 'coin' in this ritual.
It doesn't have to be a real metal coin, it just needs to be a small, round object with monetary value.
I made sure the mascot's glove was completely dry, then picked up the coin and placed it on the mascot suit's belly.
'Done.'
I hurried on to the next step.
So…
'Salt!'
4- Hold a tablespoon of salt in your mouth and burn the item related to a friend using fire.
5- When the 'Good Friend' starts to speak, swallow the salt and return the greeting kindly!
If the coin has disappeared, the ritual was successful! You have met a reliable friend. Always keep them close and cherish them!
※ If you cannot swallow the salt, tastes strange, turns to ash, or if blood comes out, run away.
There was little time left.
The standard mascots came running from the room service storage, carrying salt. I snatched the salt up outside the office and put it in my mouth…
...
Would it work, putting it in my mouth while I was wearing the mascot suit?
'Let's try.'
I cautiously opened the yellow mascot's mouth and poured the salt inside, then closed it.
Now, there was one last thing to do: burn something.
Last time, I'd used my necktie, but I didn't have one now.
'This will do.'
I took off the yellow bowtie from around the mascot's neck and held it in my hand.
Then I brought it to the flame of a prepared candle.
Whoosh.
The bowtie flared up in the fire.
The oddly tall flame brought back memories of the time I had summoned Good Friend before.
A huge shadow fell across the pink mascot suit.
And it wavered.
Shake.
Shake.
I watched, anxious.
I know that that as long as you used a suitable medium, it would come.
So it should work.
Shake.
Shake.
The shadow seemed to move as if the mascot suit itself was about to stir.
Any moment now. Any moment.
Shake.
Shake.
Within the dark shadow…
…the massive mascot suit opened its mouth.
– My resort!
...
What?
– My resort has called me back! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahaha! My resort! My resort! Myyyyyyy resooooooort! Beautiful Flower Golden Resort!
In the center of the hexagram, the mascot suit shook with spasmodic laughter. I watched, frozen.
Thunk.
Its upper body sat up.
It twisted its head around to look at me.
– Give it
The Cheerful Coin placed on its belly sizzled as it burned, then was sucked into the mascot suit.
The stench of burning plastic filled the facilities office.
– My
– Resort
The water on the hexagram vibrated, and blood flowed.
From the eyeholes and mouth of the mascot suit, something like melted plastic dripped out.
It rose to its feet on the hexagram.
– Give it
'...'
Something's wrong.
I needed to end the ritual—right now!
'Swallow it.'
I tried to swallow the salt. If I just got the saltwater down my throat…
...
What?
Why… don't I have a throat?
– Hahahahahahahahaha!
I looked down at myself.
And realized something shocking.
'I don't have a body.'
Inside this mascot suit, I was filled with stuffing. And the reason was—
I hadn't returned to 'my own body'.
After meeting the blue mascot, and after Supervisor Lee Seonghae killed Ladybug, when I rushed back to the resort, instead of moving my original body, I'd started using one of the standard mascot bodies as if it were mine.
And I'd kept doing that.
So, so…
I had forgotten that I even had an original body.
Right now, I'm using a standard mascot's body.
'…!!'
Then… where is my original body?
Don't tell me… When the Magic Bunny attacked earlier, was it torn apart as one of those standard mascots…?
Ah, no.
If my real body had been torn up, there would have been blood and real entrails, not just stuffing and cloth organs.
There was no yellow mascot like that. My body must be somewhere…
...
But then, where?
– Hello?
And the thing summoned by the Good Friend ritual, whose call had it responded to?
I realized.
My reasoning was right.
A mascot costume was indeed a suitable medium for the invitation ritual.
But there's a flaw.
'Undefined purpose.'
Because it's not a plush sold at the souvenir shop.
It has no 'Good Friend' seal or restriction.
– Hello? Hello? Hello? Answer me. Answer me.
The mascot suit twists, transforming into something grotesque.
…That's not a 'Good Friend'.
It's just something from the other side.
– Greet me warmly and accept me, you hollow thing.
...Wait a minute.
'My resort'? Don't tell me that's…
– Behold the true mascot!
...!
The being within the hexagram begins lurching out of the mascot suit.
Petals of a bizarre, fractal structure, shining in dirty gold, burst upward and fall back down, threatening to pierce its head.
…Flower Golden.
– Accept me.
The silhouette from the ruined resort's sign.
The mascot resembling a golden flower was inside.
The invitation ritual, performed by a 'standard mascot', had awakened and called the deceased original owner of this resort—who knows where they'd been since dying.
– Accept me.
The papers on the desk tremble.
A pen, all alone, dances across the document that once celebrated my appointment.
The true owner of the resort has appeared.
I was nothing but a pitiful interim manager, just holding his seat until now. Now, I must humbly hand over everything I've built to him and step aside.
Everything was undoubtedly prepared for this moment!
The document floats toward me.
The pen scribbles furiously in my own handwriting.
He will perform the ceremony. The great Flower Golden will personally take back the mascot position and run this resort!
Up until now, I had been borrowing his power! I dared to take the seat of a temporary manager, but it's all over now.
Ah.
Accept him.
Completely accept him, become part of him, and follow the mascot.
Accept him.
– Accept me.
I stumbled backward.
The mascot suit moved to the edge of the hexagram, peering at me.
– Accept me.
The ritual had failed. I needed to run.
But where could I run to?
And, up until now, I'd been following the excellent advice of those documents. Now that it's been revealed that these documents were following the true mascot's will all along, surely the right thing is to submit to the true mascot!
Yes, that must be—
...
'No!'
I looked at the other documents on the desk.
Work regulations, employment contracts, guest policies—all things I'd written while fighting against the will of the mascot that wanted to run the resort in its own monstrous way.
I…
...
N o
I looked at the being inside the hexagram.
Th i s I s
M y R e s o r t
I grabbed the document and stood before it.
My head was pounding, but I could handle it.
Because I'd realized something.
Y o u A r e
N o t Q u a l i f i e d
– Ooooooooooooh?
How dare you say such a
I crumpled up the document.
Y o u L o s t
– !!!!!!
Right.
You're a specter who lost your territory by dying to another mascot.
And now.
I t ' s
C o m i n g
The very being who killed you and turned this resort into ruins is right outside the garden, ready to re-enter this zone and start hunting again.
Let me show you proof.
H e r e
I flung open the office door.
Directly across the hall was a large window.
Through that window, where it was too dark outside to see much, the bright office was reflected instead.
There it was, clearly visible. The silhouette atop the hexagram in the reflection.
The red rabbit.
M a g i c B u n n y
I s H e r e
You.
– ...
The mascot suit touched its face, reached up to its head, and checked for the two ears sticking up.
And then, looked down at its own hands.
Red fur. Rabbit paws.
– Magic Bunny.
Its hands trembled violently, and its limbs twisted with terror.
-Magic Bunny! Uwaaaah! Aaaaaaah! Save me! Save me!! Please save me! Don't take out my guts! My resort! Resort!
I hurriedly dumped salt over the office floor.
'Erase it.'
White salt poured over the blood and black plastic drawing the hexagram, erasing the pattern.
As it was erased, the mascot suit was gradually pushed toward the center, clutching its head and screaming.
– Run away! Magic Bunny is coming! The red mascot is coming! It's coming along the red path! Aaaah! Aaaaahhh!
– Save me! It's infiltrating! The wriggling red ■■ inside the suit ate me! Only the dregs remain underground! Save me!
– Disappear, red thing, disappear, red thing, disappearredthingdisappearredthingdisappearredthingdisappearredthinplease
The summoned one, who had been tearing at its head…
Cruuuunch.
…finally tore its own head off.
With both hands, as if wishing to get farther away, or in awe, or in terror, it lifted the mascot head high into the air. Raised it up.
And then.
Thud, it collapsed to the floor.
...
...
'Haah.'
I sank down onto the office floor.
'I thought I was done for.'
I almost got absorbed and ended with the standard mascot ending.
Even though this body is just stuffing, my heart felt like it would burst.
Still, somehow… I managed to handle it, and it feels like I achieved something impressive, but what's important now…
'…Time!'
How much is left?
I looked at the clock.
20:11.
'49 minutes left until closing.'
Should I be dismayed or relieved that all this chaos only took ten minutes? What matters is one thing.
I failed to summon a good friend.
'...'
No.
This definitely means something.
I gained something.
I learned the true identity of what was forcing me to run this resort.
And I got rid of it.
I straightened the crumpled document and picked up the pen.
...I didn't feel that odd sense of control anymore.
'I'll be able to write the operating rules more freely now.'
Even things I couldn't write before, things that would harm the 'successful operation' of the resort, I think I can now implement as I wish.
…Just like the crazy things Magic Bunny does.
'It'll be useful.'
I stood up.
…Still, if only I'd had a bit more time, maybe I could have succeeded. That lingering regret clung to my back.
Was it the coin that was the problem, or the bowtie, or…
'…Maybe he just decided not to answer.'
Maybe the fatal flaw was that I didn't summon it with my original body.
'Huu.'
I gathered up the documents, looking for even a little bit of extra protection, and set out to find the blue mascot…
Driiiing—
"..."
I froze.
Driiiing—
I turned my head.
The telephone on the office desk was ringing.
Driiiing—
I stared at it, frozen.
Had the phone ever… rung at this resort before?
'No.'
Room service calls use a walkie-talkie that plays a calling melody. Summoning a mascot makes a real bell sound.
But this was an old-fashioned ring.
…Someone was calling.
Driiiing—
'...'
I walked over to the desk and picked up the old-fashioned receiver.
Click.
A dark brown, elegant wooden phone.
A cheerful and pleasant male voice sounded out from within.
[Hello! What a fine night. Oh, I'd be very grateful if you could connect me to the talented and cheerful mascot of Flower Golden Resort.]
…!
[Oh, it's you. Perfect. Actually, I'd like to rent your simple and beautiful resort for a few days.]
[As you know, a celebrity needs a private place to relax. So I was thinking of spending my summer vacation at your resort…]
...
N o
[Hmm?]
I ' m Q u i t t i n g
R I g h t N o w
[Oh my, but why didn't you hand over the resort to that fellow just now? He seemed so desperate!]
[I'm kidding. Hahaha! It's quite unpleasant that such a crude person tried to snatch away the resort you've nurtured.]
The distinctive voice of the Host comes from the phone.
[Mr. Roe Deer.]
'...'
[It was an excellent idea to try to summon me, but you were so deeply immersed in the show that you overlooked a few things.]
Over…looked?
[Of course, that's the talent of a performer fully immersed, and it's fitting for the genre, but if it goes on too long, it gets boring. Now it's time for the perfect advisor for you to appear—at the perfect moment for fun.]
[So from now on, your friend will offer you a few kind words of advice…]
The voice on the phone lowers.
[Now, hold the receiver and listen carefully to the amazing voice of this Braun.]
The Host's friendly advice began to flow from the telephone.
...
[Can you hear me?]
I can hear it.
Braun's voice.
Classic, cheerful, and with a distinctive accent.
[My heartfelt advice is already prepared, but no matter how good the advice is, it's meaningless if you're not ready to listen to it.]
[So, first, I need to properly introduce you to your current situation, Mr. Roe Deer.]
…Introduce my situation to me?
I held the receiver, and gradually fell into a strange sense of immersion, as if the conversation was spreading beyond hearing to all five senses…
…
[Can you see it?]
Ah.
I can see it.
[Oh, good! Then, let me introduce it! Roe Deer's Great Adventures, Resort Arc!]
A classic band sound and applause as the curtain rises.
That's…
'Me.'
As if rewinding a sitcom, my days from the very first day I entered Cheerful Theme Park begin playing before my eyes.
Me, waking up in the resort facilities office wearing a Security Team uniform.
[What a fun costume! Isn't it rather nice? A beast restrained by a belt, so typical of horror and allure. But it's not bad. Not bad at all…]
Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
With cheerful sound effects, the things I did are edited and pass by in quick succession.
[That was the moment you became the owner of this resort. Hmm, the mascot's deformed style looks a little childish… but it's fine. This is a theme park, after all!]
[Yellow bowties for all employees? Oh my! It would've been better to just put mascot suits on all of them! Good heavens!]
Laughter.
[Goodness, giving out gifts and free spa services too? That's a promotion so outrageous all the world's gloomy souls would come running! Well, unless the resort goes bankrupt first, of course!]
Scenes flash by rapidly, edited for speed.
Braun's cheerful commentary turns my desperate survival story into something like a fun and successful resort management tale.
[The dead staff rise up and start working again! Thus, Mr. Roe Deer learns another valuable mascot lesson.]
['You can't fix a person, but you can fix an employee'!]
I felt strange.
'…Did I really do all that?'
It was an odd feeling.
After all, true immersion is when you get absorbed in something that's not your own experience.
In other words… it's based on distance.
So, the yellow mascot's actions in the flashback felt like something to be evaluated, not relived.
[And another! Someone unsuited to the dignity of the resort is thrown out the lobby doors once again!]
At some point during the past few days, I'd started endlessly adding new guest and staff rules, gradually becoming the resort's powerful and fearsome manager.
A typical Cheerful Theme Park mascot.
That… that's…
[Look at your rigorous guest selection process!]
The more successful the resort became, the more powerful I grew.
As the resort expanded, brought in more guests, earned better reviews, and made more profit, I began to judge management policy not by safety, but by the presence or absence of discomfort.
'Wait a second.'
A feeling of wrongness slowly crept in.
And then… the scene finally reached the moment I changed 'bodies'.
In the flashback, I naturally transfered my consciousness into a standard mascot to deal with the chaos inside the resort, when Supervisor Lee Seonghae killed Ladybug.
…Seeing it this way, it really was a perspective and ability that was no longer human.
[This is the scene. Here's my first piece of advice for you, Mr. Roe Deer.]
[Let's focus on this moment. But…]
With a tape rewind sound, the scene rewinds.
[It'll be fun to watch it from a different angle this time.]
My consciousness, which had moved into a standard mascot, and what was left behind. My body.
The yellow mascot standing at the gate to the blue zone stands still for a moment, then soon begins handing out balloons and greeting guests at the gate.
Just like the standard mascots.
'…!'
Thank goodness. It was right there the whole time.
Since it was next to the blue zone gate, it shouldn't have been harmed or gone missing.
…Although I was immediately struck by horror at the thought that my own body could be treated like a standard mascot.
Anyway, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me for a moment.
Now I just have to retrieve my body and quickly perform the ceremony!
T h a n k Y —
[Shh! Let's enjoy just a little more.]
But the 'advice' wasn't over.
[Now then… here it comes. Oh, what a foul and rude intruder!]
It's dizzying.
The flashback fast-forwards again, soon leading to the recent rampage of Magic Bunny's crazy gate attack.
The missing people, driven insane by torture from the red mascot, wail and beg and die as lunatics.
It was a hellish scene.
[A surprise attack! What an electrifying event that ratchets up the tension. Oh! Your response is great, too!]
One by one, countless missing people who were once ordinary become terrifying monsters, shouting for the red mascot, being killed like a joke, and rising again as red mascots.
And in the scene, the yellow mascot—filled with rage—threatened by throwing the corpse of the red mascot back through the gate.
From the black shadow of the mascot whose territory had been invaded, strange golden branches bulged out and then disappeared…
...
Wait a minute.
Rage?
Instead of feeling devastated or terrified by what happened, what came first was the anger of having my territory invaded?
I was going to punish the intruders?
S t r a n g e
That's really how it was.
A chilling sensation crawled up my back.
In the end, I came to a conclusion about the evaluation of my own actions…
—Thoroughly contaminated.
As the yellow mascot, I had already become thoroughly assimilated into this resort.
Under the pretense of acting for the sake of escape, I was doing everything I could to make the resort more successful and expand it.
And the principles of the resort, which I had originally created for safety, had ended up dominating me, enforcing etiquette and dignity above all else.
…The means and the ends had been reversed.
S t r a n g e
I flailed my arms, and then realized.
Why do I still have my right arm?
This was already my fifth day here.
So why was my right arm still moving without any problem?
The dokkaebi flame that mimicked my right arm should be recharged every three days, yet there's been no reaction.
Even my original body, which I'd left near the blue zone gate, still had its right arm intact. I, I…
I had reached a point where I could move my right arm just by having the form of a mascot suit.
A cold realization ran down my spine.
'Just how much have I been consumed by the mascot?'
It wasn't simply a matter of how long I'd been a mascot, but rather, the more successfully the resort was operated, the deeper this consumption became…
[That's right. You were far too devoted to your role as the mascot of this resort. And…]
[It's already too late.]
[You can't quit on your own anymore. You are now a member of the Cheerful Theme Park.]
My hands trembled.
[You even personally drove out your meddlesome predecessor just now. The resort is now completely yours!]
Then…
C a n ' t
E s c a p e ?