Chapter 6: This motel is Full of old things.
Having dealt with the first nuisance guest, the tasks ahead of me are:
1. Dispose of the broken furniture and trash from cleaning Room 305.
2. Prepare for the second guest’s arrival by reviewing the response manual.
3. Figure out a concrete plan to recover the shattered affection of the “shy guest” upstairs.
Three tasks in total.
“Alright, let’s keep pushing.”
As the saying goes, joy comes after hardship.
Excluding the third task, the others seem manageable with steady effort.
I mentally cheer myself on, steeling my resolve.
“Let’s tackle the easiest one first.”
The simplest task is disposing of the trash and broken furniture from Room 305.
I need to locate the motel’s disposal area and address a lingering question from earlier, so I return to the counter and open the manager’s manual.
“The trash disposal should be under cleaning and facilities… Here it is.”
3. Cleaning and Facility Management
3-3
└The following are procedures to follow if, for unavoidable reasons, you fail to broadcast after finding a weapon.
└If you don’t broadcast within 30 minutes or more after finding a weapon, an “external guest” will visit the lobby.
└Under no circumstances let the “thing” obtain the weapon. If this rule is violated, proceed to section 3-4.
3-4
└This section covers procedures for violating the “critical rules” in 3-1 and 3-3.
└If the retrieved weapon doesn’t fall into the external guest’s hands, ask them to wait and immediately evacuate to the rooftop via the emergency stairs.
└If the weapon falls into the external guest’s hands, cover your face with both hands and inform them, “Someone is in the last restroom stall.”
└Then, enter the emergency stairs, lock the door, and stay put. No rule contradicts this.
└Correction to previous rules: Do not stay put. Use the emergency stairs to move to the rooftop.
3-5
└Dispose of all room trash and waste in the “disposal storage” behind the building.
└The storage’s iron door may be locked. Take the key from the counter.
└Do not dispose of trash more than once a day. We emphasize: Never dispose of trash more than once a day.
“Ah… So that’s it. I get it now.”
Reading sections 3-3 and 3-4 about the broadcast, I fully understand why I was supposed to broadcast and hide in the restroom when a nuisance appeared.
According to my “perfect deduction”:
The “thing” in the manual likely refers to the old man I encountered.
In other words, this old man is a “habitual nuisance” with detailed response protocols.
Sections 3-3 and 3-4, which sound grandiose, are essentially a guide for the manager to slack off and avoid dealing with a nuisance old man looking for a weapon.
‘The rooftop, emergency stairs, the last restroom stall… Quite the variety of hiding spots, huh?’
Neglecting room cleaning, dodging nuisances instead of resolving them…
I’m a first-day newbie manager, but I’m starting to feel embarrassed by the previous manager’s antics.
‘Pathetic doesn’t even cover it…’
One thing to praise, maybe, is preventing internal chaos by keeping guests out of the lobby with the restroom excuse.
Though, honestly, that’s not much of an achievement given the other messes he left.
‘…Wait, does this mean my intuition’s improving?’
Seeing through the “essence” hidden in the lengthy 3-3 and 3-4 sections feels like a major breakthrough.
Maybe tackling this dating sim solo is sharpening my senses. I feel proud.
‘Heh heh… Major progress. Alright, time to dispose of the trash!’
Buoyed by my improved intuition, I grab the mattress, broken furniture, and trash bag, heading to the disposal storage behind the motel.
Stepping outside the lobby, the crisp early morning air greets me.
After breathing the stale motel air for hours, this fresh air lifts my spirits.
I want to savor it longer, but—
‘Not the time. Let’s dump this and go back.’
With the next guest arriving soon, I can’t waste time.
I hurry to the disposal storage behind the building.
‘Is that the disposal storage from the manual?’
Behind the building, I find the storage as described.
“Now, if I sort and dump this trash, then go back to study the second guest’s response manual…”
Click.
“…Huh?”
Click.
Click.
Click.
The iron door’s handle is firmly locked.
‘Oh, right. It said to bring the key…’
Focused on analyzing other sections, I forgot to grab the key for the disposal storage.
I consider going back to find it, but that feels like a waste of time.
Don’t get me wrong—it’s not that I’m too lazy to search the messy counter for the key.
While pondering for a few seconds, a brilliant idea hits me.
‘…What if I just break the handle?’
The storage door’s handle rattles with each pull, rusted and clearly old.
‘Yeah, it definitely needs replacing.’
It saves time, opens the door, and replaces a rusty handle.
A two-birds, no, three-birds-with-one-stone solution.
‘Alright, let’s do it.’
With no time to waste, I grab the locked handle with one hand.
“Hup!!”
I give a slight tug.
Crunch!!
“Oh, it worked—”
Crack!!
Rip!!!
“—Huh?!?”
Unfortunately, the rusty handle only dents, not breaks.
Instead, the iron door itself tears off.
“…Why is this door so weak?”
The supposedly sturdy iron door rips off pathetically.
*
Inside the storage, I toss the trash bag filled with room debris.
I prop up the smelly mattress and broken furniture.
Next to them, I place the freshly torn-off “storage iron door” and return to the lobby.
‘Hmm… The door must’ve been really old to tear off like that.’
How neglected was this place for a mere tug to rip off an iron door?
If I’d gone back for the key, I’d have left this dilapidated door untouched.
It would’ve eventually collapsed, endangering guests.
Not grabbing the key was part of my grand plan.
‘Yup, it was all part of the big picture.’
Dismissing the minor hiccup, I review the remaining tasks.
1. Dispose of trash from room cleaning.
‘Done. Check.’
With more urgent tasks pending, I’ll fix the torn storage door later.
That leaves:
Study the response manual for the second guest.
Recover the shy guest’s shattered affection.
Just two tasks remain.
‘What time is it?’
It’s 1:50 a.m.
Ten minutes until the next guest arrives.
Of the two tasks, the third is harder, but with only ten minutes left, I prioritize the second.
‘I’ll quickly study the second guest’s response manual. After guiding them to a room, I’ll tackle the third task.’
Deciding my priorities, I head to the counter, open the response manual, and start reviewing the 2:00 a.m. guest’s protocol—
“Hello—?”
“!”
Just then, the shy guest from upstairs greets me from the counter.
‘When did she come down?’
Caught off guard by the sudden conversation, I seize the chance to recover her affection and greet her cautiously.
“Nice to see you again. Can I help you with anything?”
“Uh… Ahh—”
With the next guest arriving soon, time is tight.
But if this is another “dating sim moment” like before, I can’t miss it.
“Feel free to tell me. I’ll help with anything.”
“Uh—!!!”
“Ma’am? Is something wrong…?”
“Ahh—.”
She stares at my face, muttering quietly, then stomps her feet in frustration before slowly speaking.
“You—can. Help—me.”
“Yes, what can I help with?”
“Can’t. Talk—here.”
“Sorry?”
“Come—with. Me—”
“Come where…?”
“To. My. Room—bed.”