Chapter 6 - Room 101, The Cursed Room - 'A Strange Family'
[User: Han Ga-in (Ji-hye)
Date: Day 2
Current Location: In front of Room 101 (???), Layer 1
Sage's Advice: 3]
Everyone stood in front of Room 101. A tense atmosphere hung in the air before anyone realized it. What kind of monster could be waiting inside? It wouldn't be something even Jin-cheol hyung couldn't handle, right? Honestly, if whatever's in there is a monster that even Jin-cheol hyung can't deal with, then at that point it's just total annihilation for all of us. I did pack a dagger, but... truthfully, holding a dagger doesn't make me feel like some kind of combatant at all.
Everyone seemed to share the same thought, glancing sideways at Jin-cheol hyung. To anyone's eyes, he was our muscle. Our fist. The one we trust most. Having someone this reliable who even has a good personality from what I've felt—how terrifying would it have been without him? Perhaps conscious of the people's gazes around him, Jin-cheol hyung cleared his throat and stepped forward first toward Room 101's door.
"Well, let's go in. I'll take the lead. Let's not worry too much. It's just a vague thought I had... if this hotel really intended to kill us all? Then there'd be no need to make things this complicated. If they just don't give us food, we starve to death, and if they give us food laced with poison, we'd all die without being able to do anything.
But, looking at what they've done so far, they've fed us well, given us spacious beds to rest properly, given Ga-in warning notifications in case she encounters danger, given Eun-sol noona a fake Copang for equipment, and even helped me build some strength."
"In their own way, they genuinely want us to overcome the dangers and obtain the treasure?"
"That's right. I don't know why they're doing all this, but at the very least, they don't intend to kill us indiscriminately. That's my conclusion. Them always saying 'Dearest customer' this and that isn't just empty talk. So even if there's a monster inside, some ridiculous thing suddenly coming out and killing us all in 1 second—I don't think something like that will happen."
If they had intended that kind of ending, there'd be no need to make things this complicated; just putting poison in the food would've been enough. That's persuasive. I hadn't noticed it before, but this hyung has an unexpectedly thoughtful side.
That's right. This hotel is not a space created to kill us. In some form or another, there must be dangers we can overcome!
With that thought, the tension subsided.
[You have gained some understanding of the hotel.]
Eventually, the moment everyone opened the door and stepped into the room, we instinctively realized.
The order of entering this room means nothing.
[User: Han Ga-in (Ji-hye)
Date: Day 2
Current Location: Room 101 (Cursed Room - A Strange Family), Layer 1
Sage's Advice: 3]
..........
I had a strange dream. It was like a nightmare, but I can't remember it well. No wonder. Dreams are originally hard to remember once you wake up, aren't they? I shook my head once and forgot about it. I felt my consciousness sinking back into the world of dreams again......
Bang!
"Han Ga-in, you're not getting up! The sun is high in the sky! At this rate we'll be late, late!!!!"
Startled awake by the deafening shout, I jolted from my sleep.
"Ah! Mom, stop yelling so loud!"
"Try getting up on time for once. Then Mom wouldn't have to yell, would she? How old are you that you still need your mother to wake you up? Hurry up and come eat breakfast! The family has already eaten!"
I woke up groggily, washed up halfheartedly, changed clothes, and headed toward the dining table. For some reason, I felt like I had met someone very—dear to me. Was it because of the nightmare I had yesterday? What a strange thing.
Naturally, at the dining table, the family hadn't even started eating, let alone finished. Mom always says everyone's already eaten without even opening the rice cooker when she wakes me up. I don't understand why.
"Ugh, haa! Because of you, oppa, I thought my ears were going to fall off too. You should just wake up right away. I had to call you five times before you got up."
"Hey, I had a weird dream yesterday. My head hurts like crazy. But shouldn't you be at school? Is it okay for a high school sophomore to be waking up at the same time as me?"
"Oppa. They say if you live incredibly lazily, you don't even know what day it is, and that's exactly you. Today is Sunday and tomorrow is a holiday, did you forget we're going on a trip today?"
"Ah, really? Why don't I remember that at all?"
"What would you know when you live like a bear. It's a relief the university accepted you, a real relief! Just hurry up and eat quickly and finish packing your bags!"
Continuing the chaotic conversation, I ate as fast as I could. A trip today, huh? No matter how lazily I've been living since finishing the college entrance exams, could I really not have known until the day of the family trip? I reflected on myself faintly. But wait, what is my sibling eating right now?
"Hee-kang? That... what is that? Is that even edible?"
"What do you mean? Silkworms are health food these days, Mom always puts them in rice, why are you saying nonsense all of a sudden?"
Silkworm rice. Come to think of it, that was trending as wellness food lately, right? I forgot again. Looking closely, I could see fresh silkworm larvae wriggling in my rice too. But, for some reason, I had no appetite.
"Mom! I'm going to go pack my bags now."
"Aren't you going to eat? How old are you that you're still being a picky eater?"
"It's not about being picky, I haven't packed anything at all so there's a ton to pack."
"Haa, I told you to pack little by little since last night... go pack then!"
I headed to my room to pack, but then I was momentarily bewildered again. 'Where' am I going? It's strange to the point that I have no memory at all. Did I get dementia at 20? Feeling absurd, I came back out to the living room, and my father, who had apparently finished his meal, was sitting on the sofa chewing on something wriggling. A grub. That was also wellness food these days, right?
"Dad! Where are we going for the trip today?"
"Mom was yelling since morning, and now I see why. You don't know anything at all, nothing!"
"Ah, I'm asking where~ Dad really nags as naturally as breathing."
"In the morning, we'll go to the arboretum for some forest bathing, have roast duck nearby for lunch, and go to a resort in the evening. Tomorrow morning we'll ski a bit... pack your bags well. It's cold these days."
"Okay."
I went to my room and started packing. Stuffing in simple workout clothes for walking around the arboretum, underwear, and a down parka for the ski resort, before I knew it, 30 minutes had flown by. When I came out of my room to catch my breath, my sibling handed me scissors as big as a forearm.
"What's this?"
"What would you do without scissors when going to the arboretum. Forgot again?"
Ah, I forgot. Scissors are essential for the arboretum.
Right after packing and departing, we arrived at the arboretum. From my childhood memories, I thought it took 3 hours by car? Arriving at the arboretum in just 3 seconds after opening the door? Highways must have gotten really fast these days.
Upon arriving at the arboretum, a festive atmosphere filled the air. Abundant fields, beautiful flowers. Chirping birds. Many families were walking around enjoying themselves.
Scissors. That's right, scissors. People started happily holding up scissors and slicing away at plants.
I forgot again. Isn't the arboretum originally a place you come to enjoy forest bathing and slice up plants? Why do we raise livestock? To eat them. Humans raise everything to 'consume' it. Naturally, the reason for raising plants is to slice them.
Returning to childhood for the first time in a while, I sliced wildly with scissors—sliced and sliced and sliced again. Across the way, I saw Hee-kang giggling while tearing apart lily of the valley flowers. A peaceful moment. How wonderful it would be if such happy moments could last a long time.
Across the way, I saw Mom pulling earthworms out of the ground. Thinking she was being so frugal, I went over and gave her a piece of my mind.
"Mom! We're not beggars, why are you eating things from the dirt! You can just buy them at the mart, seriously ㅡㅡ"
"You're right. When I see you at times like this, you're really frugal. We already have two more sacks of earthworms from the mart at home, why are you eating something like that?"
"Phew... just spit out the dung beetle you're chewing and speak. And, this is all~ because you kids don't help with housework that you're saying such pathetic things. If you gather a little bit of these, instead of buying 3 packs from the mart, you only need to buy 2, and the money saved from one pack piling up for 10 years..."
"Uwaaaah~ Mom started her lecture again. This is all because of oppa. Just come here and slice trees with me."
My mistake. With unnecessary nonsense, I ended up setting up the angle for Mom's nagging!
Running away and slicing trees with my sibling, the enjoyable morning passed.
Time passed, and we went to a famous roast duck restaurant nearby for lunch. Again something amazing—by the time the family all said, let's go have lunch together! We arrived at the duck restaurant in just 3 seconds. The world has really gotten better these days!
Entering the duck restaurant, fragrant smell of blood wafted, and in the atmospheric ambiance, the screams of ducks could be heard. Feathers were flying everywhere. What an atmospheric vibe. Since the atmosphere here is this good, our family visits this restaurant at least once or twice a year.
Sitting at the table, as always, the staff brought two live ducks. Instantly, a flinching thought crossed my mind. Do you normally eat duck meat live?
"Hee-kang? Isn't this... too unprepared? This isn't duck meat, this is just a duck."
"Stop showing off your ignorance. Who eats duck by just filleting the meat these days? Tearing into fresh duck is the trend."
Ah, I said something ignorant again. I'm getting nagged a lot by my family today. The world has really developed a lot in the brief time I spent rolling around lazily after the college entrance exams.
But, how do you eat a live duck? I was afraid I'd be called ignorant again if I asked, so I just looked around. I saw a happy-looking couple grabbing a duck's leg and biting into its head. Isn't eating like that a bit dangerous? The duck's beak was poking right at the woman's mouth?
While I was watching in bewilderment, Dad chipped in a word.
"Eating like that, just biting into the head right away, is dangerous and also a terrible sight. Kids these days... well, I guess they play around like that at that age."
"Did you even act refined when you were a bachelor?"
"Of course, when I was a bachelor, I was a very hot man. If I just grabbed Lady Yu-mi's arm like this—"
"Oh my, oh my! You really have no shame saying things in front of the kids!"
"Hahahaha, what's there to be ashamed of saying? The kids are all~ grown up. Anyway, Ga-in. The proper way to eat duck is to stab its neck with a fork and suck the blood first. I saw celebrities eating it elegantly like this on TV lately."
For some reason, I didn't really want to eat lunch either, so I just had a staring contest with the duck and got up. Should I call it fortunate? Everyone was busy wrestling with their ducks, so no one said much to me.
I finished lunch and got up from my seat. Until evening, we'd play freely at the resort, then have a buffet dinner. And tomorrow was the skiing I'd been looking forward to.
Suddenly, I felt like I was forgetting something. Somewhere—a faint something seemed to flicker in my vision. It's probably nothing. I must be a bit tired.
[Mental contamination has reached a dangerous level. You must immediately stop contact and communication with your family.]