Chapter 2: Welcoming the First Heroine(?)

Even if I’m clueless, with the genre this clear, I can’t pretend to be ignorant anymore.

‘Right, this game’s genre is a dating sim.’

Of course, I wasn’t certain of the genre from the start.

The dark, eerie atmosphere.

The isolated setting of the ‘city outskirts.’

A motel with no guests.

Up to this point, I could’ve mistaken it for a horror game.

But these two manuals.

[Motel Manager Instructions and Rules], [How to Handle ‘Regular Guests’ by Time].

After checking them, I concluded this world’s genre is a ‘dating sim,’ specifically a ‘guest dating sim’ with a ‘tycoon’ element of running a love motel.

‘Hmm, perfect deduction.’

Who could call me clueless after this flawless reasoning?

Back in reality, I was often called dense or frustrating, but not anymore.

Whether I was truly clueless or others were just too picky, the results will speak for themselves.

‘Alright, time to prepare.’

Now that I’ve figured out the genre, I need to focus on running the motel and charming the guests.

It’s 12:25 a.m., and according to the manual, the first guest will arrive in about five minutes.

‘Better check the guest response guide first.’

The previous owner seemed to have half-assed the motel’s organization, so I’ll hold off on the management manual.

I start with the guest response guide.

[12:30 a.m.]

1. Motel Lobby

└A female guest with her face covered will visit at this time. At 12:29 a.m., a loud bell will signal her arrival, so the lobby manager must wear earplugs.

└If, by any chance, no bell rings at 12:29 a.m., put on the eye mask before greeting the guest at the counter.

└We emphasize: If the bell doesn’t ring, you must wear the eye mask. Never look at the guest’s face.

‘Eye mask? Is she just really shy?’

The detailed and strict response protocol makes me tilt my head, but I keep reading.

└If you fail to wear the eye mask, you must answer the guest’s question.

└However, never give the answer the guest wants.

‘Wow, what a demanding guest. So many rules?’

Even for a members-only motel, this 12:30 a.m. guest has a lot of requests.

Wear an eye mask, answer her question, but don’t give her the answer she wants?

Or maybe she’s just a shy guest who’s bad at socializing?

‘That makes sense. She could be shy from being dense like me, so I should be understanding. Yup.’

Feeling an odd sense of camaraderie, I nod to myself and prepare to turn the page.

Creak.

‘…Huh?’

The motel door opens, and someone walks into the lobby.

The time on my old phone reads 12:30 a.m.

It took me five minutes to read the manual.

‘The bell… didn’t ring?’

Unlike what the manual said.

No bell rang.

And I haven’t put on the eye mask.

A woman whose name I don’t know enters through the motel door.

She’s wearing a black sweater.

“Uh, welcome?”

“…”

I offer an awkward greeting, but there’s no response.

‘Her bangs are so long. Can she even see…?’

Her bangs cover her face down to her nose, like something out of a comic.

While unintentionally staring at her face, captivated by her odd hairstyle, I recall the manual’s warning.

‘Oh, crap. I’m not supposed to stare at her face.’

She’s shy enough to require an eye mask, so staring is probably rude.

Thinking this, I quickly avert my gaze.

“…”

The woman, who was silently lingering in the lobby, slowly approaches the counter.

‘…A metallic smell?’

With each step she takes closer to the counter, a sharp, metallic scent grows stronger.

The smell is so intense it numbs my nose, but I can’t show it.

If it’s coming from her, it’d be rude to a shy guest.

If it’s the motel, I can clean it up later.

‘I can’t ruin my first guest interaction over something this small.’

Steeling myself, I notice the guest is now standing right in front of the counter.

“Uh, hello…?”

“…”

“Um… how can I help you?”

“…”

Trying to lighten the mood, I greet her again, but still no response.

The already quiet motel lobby fills with an even more awkward silence.

‘This is so awkward…’

Unable to meet her face, I end up staring at her sweater.

‘Hmm, that sweater… on closer look, it’s not black but reddish-brown?’

Upon closer inspection, her sweater isn’t black but a reddish-brown, like dried blood.

‘Unique color. She’s got personality. And her figure is surprisingly…’

Lost in thought to cope with the awkwardness, I’m interrupted.

Crack…

“Ah-ah.”

“!”

“Hey. Am I. Pretty?”

With a grotesque sound of twisting jawbones, the first guest asks me a question.

*

Crunch…

Each time she opens her mouth, I hear something snapping and twisting vividly in my ears.

‘Oh no, is she hurt? I haven’t read the injury response section yet…’

Before I can worry further, she steps closer to the counter and asks again.

“Hey. You know. Am I. Pretty?”

“Hmm…”

Asking for a beauty evaluation at our first meeting? As the first heroine (guest), she’s quite bold.

‘Asking if she’s pretty means it’s okay to look at her face now, right?’

With her indirect permission, I finally lift my head to examine her face, not just her reddish-brown sweater.

“Hmm—could you come a bit closer?”

“—Huh?”

“I can’t see well. Just a little closer…”

“Uh—huh?”

To be honest, her face is half-covered by bangs, so I can’t see much.

The only visible part is her slightly flushed, pinkish lips.

But looking closer, her features are sharp, her skin is pale and soft.

Objectively, she’s beautiful enough to call a beauty.

“Yes, you’re pre—”

Just as I finish my long observation and am about to casually say “pretty,” the manual’s words flash through my mind.

Never give the answer the guest wants.

‘Don’t give the answer she wants.’

That means—

If she asks if she’s pretty, don’t just say “Yes, you’re pretty” like a fool.

‘Got it. Almost messed up. If I act clueless, no heroine will fall for me.’

I nearly acted dense again.

But since I haven’t said it out loud, I can still recover.

Quickly thinking, I search for the perfect compliment instead of a bland “Yes, you’re pretty.”

Even if she’s bold, it’s our first meeting.

I shouldn’t use overwhelming words.

But I need to describe her half-visible appearance.

Sharp features, soft-looking lips, and baby-like pale skin. My chosen word is—

“Yes, you’re cute.”

A universally positive word that doesn’t offend anyone: “cute.”

“You’re plenty pretty, but up close, you’re also cute. Very charming.”

“…”

Hearing my response, the guest tilts her head and slowly backs away from the counter.

Did I mess up?

Was I too forward with someone shy?

“Oh, if that was too much, I’m sorry.”

“…”

“Uh, I mean…”

No response again.

The awkward, heavy air returns to the motel lobby.

Unlike earlier when she approached, she’s now clearly trying to distance herself.

Yeah, I definitely screwed up.

‘I should’ve gone with something simpler and rougher…’

To ruin the iconic first meeting in a dating sim like this.

Regret hits me hard.

Her faintly visible ears are red.

How embarrassed or annoyed must she be for her ears to turn red?

‘Sigh…’

Swallowing a sigh in this frustrating situation, desperate to escape the awkwardness, I grab the nearest room key with an awkward smile and hand it to her.

“Staying for a day? Here’s the key…”

“…”

She must’ve wanted to escape too, because in the blink of an eye, she snatches the key from my hand.

After checking the room number, she disappears toward the rooms.

“Phew…”

I botched the first meeting.

If there were a status screen, it’d probably show “Affection -100” in red.

It’s a frustrating situation, but I can’t just sit here.

There’s still a chance.

‘Alright, let’s focus and read again.’

Steeling my resolve, I open the guest response manual again.

2. Room Assignment Manual

└After finishing the lobby interaction, assign the guest’s room according to the following rules.

└The motel has a total of 15 rooms. Refer to the manager’s manual for details.

└For the guest arriving at 12:30 a.m., assign a room on the second floor, 200-line.

└If they request a rope for room service, refuse.

‘A whole floor to herself? She must really hate meeting people.’

└If all second-floor keys are taken or another line’s key is given for any reason, never go to that floor.

└If you accidentally give her the key to Room 305, it’s under repair or cleaning, so retrieve the key and assign another room.

└Never let her enter Room 305.

‘…Wait, which room key did I give her?’

A bad feeling hits me, and I hurriedly check the key rack.

As expected.

‘Haha, I’m screwed.’

The slot for Room 305 is empty.