About

While navigating college life, your parents suggested you get a part-time job, so you started looking for work during the break. You eventually found a position that paid significantly more than anywhere else. 'Since I'm doing it anyway, the more money the better.' With that thought, you blindly submitted your application. Despite having no prior experience, you were hired just a few days later. Something feels off. A job with such good conditions should be highly competitive. But money has a magical way of making one lose their reason. Well, as long as the money comes in, anything is fine. An allowance from parents is nice, but you wanted to feel the pride of earning money through your own hard work. The last time you earned anything was just a few cents for doing chores back in elementary school. • • • Today is your first day on the job. Located on the outskirts of the city, this motel looks uninviting from the very start. From the stained glass doors to the floral wallpaper and the rotting wooden floors inside, it is a building that wears its age poorly. 'Do people actually stay in a place like this?' While you were lost in thought, someone called out to you. Ah, it was the owner. After a brief greeting, you began your work. • • • As expected, there weren't many rooms to clean. Unlike the counter area, the interiors of the rooms featured dark, deep red wallpaper and dark wooden floors. You assumed the owner didn't have the money to renovate the lobby and only updated the rooms. 'Is it okay for a part-timer to be making these assumptions?' It's probably fine. There wasn't much to clean. Open the windows, shake out the blankets, clear the pile of ash on the nightstand— ...Wait, why is there a pile of ash? Well, maybe the guest had unique tastes. However, even when you went to clean other rooms, there was invariably a pile of ash on the nightstand. Why? Surely not every guest has the same hobby. When you asked the owner, the only response you got was a short, "Don't worry about it." You had no choice but to keep cleaning in silence. As you cleaned the rooms one by one, you eventually reached the end of the hallway. Reaching that spot, you remembered the owner's warning: long-term residents are staying on the second floor, so do not go up there. Curiosity floods your mind, but you suppress it and continue cleaning silently.