WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 297: Room 204, Mission Room - ‘Hotel Cinema’ (19)

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[User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)

Date: Day 134

Current Location: Level 2, Room 204 - Mission Room, ‘Hotel Cinema’

Sage’s Advice: 3]

- Han Ga-in

After Grandfather suddenly died, those of us left held a meeting to decide how to proceed. After a long discussion, we more or less found a direction for Park Su-mi's ‘Newlywed Memories.’

Eun-sol, who had been covering the whiteboard with notes from the meeting, spoke first.

“Let's start with the most important part. The final film begins with the three people other than us meeting the drama writer Do In-ho, right? At first glance, it seems like a meaningless introduction, but it's actually hiding a very important clue.”

A-ri nodded.

“All three were alive and well.”

“That's it. Not only were they alive, none of them had disabilities either. Judging by the circumstances, all three were ordinary people. In other words, the bizarre stories in the film have scenarios that ordinary people can escape unharmed.”

I spoke up as well.

“You mean we shouldn't rely too heavily on Inheritances or blessings?”

“Right. Think of Inheritances and blessings as a last resort. Grandfather only used his when the murderous couple caught him and he was about to be killed, didn't he? Isn't that the approach we should take?”

I saw it a little differently, but it was Eun-sol's turn to enter now, so I held back. In the end, whoever entered would act according to their own judgment.

“I roughly understand ‘Newlywed Memories.’ I have some idea of what Grandfather missed and how we should proceed. The problem is what comes after that...”

Honestly, I had no idea about ‘The Bewitching Girl.’ Grandfather had died within a minute, so all we'd learned was that it took place at a high school.

“There's no helping it. I'll find out more, then Seung-yeop will find out more after me. That's how we'll clear it. Still, there's one thing I'm worried about.”

“What is it?”

“My tools. They'll all come in with me, right?”

I wasn't worried about that. Even after Grandfather had turned into a woman in her twenties, he had been able to use the Arm of an Abras Warrior. I figured Eun-sol's tools would enter somehow too.

The hotel's rewards were made to be used in the first place. The warning to choose between an Inheritance and a blessing had nothing to do with tools that were neither, so unless there was some specific restriction, she should be able to use them.

With a somewhat nervous expression, Eun-sol drank three cups of cold water before walking toward the screen. Naturally, she chose her Inheritance, the ‘Flute of Rest.’

* * *

- Lee Eun-sol

Phew... Here we go.

The beginning played out exactly as it had in the film. I woke up in a busy district, went to the coffee shop, and met Do In-ho, the writer hosting the gathering, Park Su-mi, the elegant lady, Han Yu-ri, the high school student, and Cha Eun-pyo, who I still didn't know much about.

Before long, Do In-ho singled out “Park Su-mi,” as before and asked her to tell a story. At that moment, I remembered what he had said when Grandfather passed through it.

“Let's try again later.”

Since Grandfather hadn't cleared it properly, did that mean the next person was supposed to try again? If someone cleared it properly, would the next person skip the story that had been completed and begin with the next one?

Just then, the space shook, and the first story began.

* * *

- First Story, Newlywed Memories

The moment the story began, I checked on my tools. The badge and brooch were attached near my chest and in my hair like ordinary accessories. The Chef's Hat was inside my handbag.

As expected, all my tools had come in. When I casually reached out, the Flute appeared and disappeared without any problem.

“... Should I bring a kitchen knife, just in case?”

The beginning played out the same way as it had for Grandfather. Park Sang-ho said he wanted to visit his hometown, and since there was no point interfering with the scenario itself, I agreed. Three days later, I arrived at the rural house where the mad elderly couple lived.

“Hello, Mother.”

“Oh, dear! Yes, Sang-ho has told me about you often.”

“Oh my! Sang-ho, you brat! How did you find such a lovely, beautiful young lady? This old man's eyes are blessed in my old age!”

“Father...”

Knowing the elderly couple were serial killers, I nearly let out an incredulous laugh at that brief exchange.

What followed was similar too. The young man who was my husband's younger brother stared blankly at Park Su-mi before running away again, while the gloomy sister-in-law reacted strangely. Everything had gone the same way up to this point.

From here on, I had to proceed differently from Grandfather.

Around evening, Grandfather had gone to the rural kitchen and found it strange that his mother-in-law and sister-in-law wouldn't let him touch any of the tools nearby. Why had they acted that way?

The answer A-ri found was surprisingly simple.

Why was the husband's family home in such a remote village? Naturally, to hide their serial killings from the outside world.

Yet because it was so remote, the house didn't have many tools, and it wasn't very large. There couldn't be some grand, separate facility for torturing people, killing them, and disposing of the bodies.

Simply put, that kitchen was both where they kept the tools for killing people and where they disposed of corpses. They had no choice but to stop an outsider like me from approaching if they wanted to hide their crimes. They probably also didn't want their prey getting hold of weapons.

So instead of going to the kitchen and provoking the murderers, I moved elsewhere while they prepared for their “murder work” at dawn.

...

As I walked, I went over it again. What was the secret to a powerless young woman escaping this hell where a serial-killing elderly couple lived?

A collaborator.

--- Creak!

I approached the barn where the young man had appeared and quietly opened the door. As expected, the place that looked like a barn was actually where a person lived while being treated no better than livestock.

“Grrrk!”

The young man sat on a filthy pile of grimy cloth, doing chores. The moment I entered, he startled, made a wet gurgling sound in his throat, and urgently gestured for me to leave.

Hmm... As expected, he wasn't going to cooperate the moment I came in. Had he been brainwashed after living in this hell for so long?

If so, I might need to provoke a little “male instinct.” Park Su-mi being such a great beauty couldn't be a coincidence.

“Oh my! Brother-in-law? What on earth is this place...? Are you being punished?”

When I suddenly stepped close, he fell backward in surprise. I deliberately brought my face close to his, then took a wet towel from my handbag and wiped his face.

“Why is someone so handsome living in such filth? Stay still.”

“Ggh...”

Just as I thought, he couldn't speak. Had they cut out his tongue? I didn't bother checking his mouth.

Park Su-mi was an extraordinary beauty with an elegant air. In other words, she was exactly the kind of “city lady” rural bachelors would imagine as their ideal type.

Naturally, the young man's face quickly turned red, and he didn't know what to do. I treated him kindly for a while. Well, to be honest, I seduced him while waiting for the right moment.

Kid, shouldn't seeing such a beautiful woman make you think of something?

... Honestly, I was glad this wasn't my real body.

In the end, male instinct overcame the murderers' brainwashing. The trembling young man took a small scrap of paper from his pocket and handed it to me.

“This is... the ‘letter’ Sang-ho said he sent home.”

It was now clear that some of the various scenarios we had considered outside had been right. I looked at the letter, then at the young man, meaningfully.

Perhaps frightened by what he had done, the young man trembled and picked up some black dirt from the floor. He wrote on my hand.

‘R U N A W A Y.’

Kid, I know this place is dangerous too.

“Brother-in-law, I don't know what you're suddenly talking about. That's quite the joke. Besides, how could I run away alone from a place like this?”

His eyes widened, and he looked completely at a loss.

“I'll be going now.”

As I left the barn, the young man reached for my clothes as if he had more to say, then stopped himself. He probably needed more time to think too.

The letter's contents were simple.

‘I found another wife. I really like this one.’

* * *

Late that night, I looked at Park Sang-ho sleeping beside me and quietly opened my handbag. The kitchen knife I had brought from Seoul was inside a letter envelope.

It was about time to settle this. There was no need to wait until they came after me. It would be nice if my brother-in-law had steeled himself too.

--- Swish!

One strike and-

--- Thud! Crash!

Park Sang-ho, who had been lying beside me, suddenly kicked me away and jumped to his feet! This bastard had been pretending to sleep?

“Hah! I had my suspicions. When I heard you suddenly stopped by the barn during the day, I had my suspicions. Did that filthy bastard blab? No, that can't be it. We pulled out his tongue ages ago, so there's no way he could've opened his mouth...”

“Ugh...!”

“Su-mi, did you really think one knife would be enough? Hah... Women should be obedient. What a shame. Come on in!”

The wall flipped over, and the elderly couple entered.

“Hoho... City girl, I'm disappointed in you. I don't know why young people these days have no charm to them.”

“Honestly, you. Once we tie her up and pull out a few teeth, she'll become cute soon enough.”

“Is that so?”

As I pushed myself up from the floor, I thought about it.

Their attitude was pure confidence. Of course it was. It would be stranger for two elderly people hardened by rural life and one strong adult man to be afraid of a woman in her twenties.

Was this a failure? Had I ruined the first story too?

“Dear? Don't you have anything to say? Are you already so scared that... Why are you suddenly putting on a hat?”

“Shut your fucking mouths!”

“What-”

“Your worthless lives should be ground up and used as animal feed.”

The moment I hurled out curses without restraint, all three froze like stones at the same time! Now was the time!

“Eeyah!”

I grabbed the kitchen knife from the floor and swung it at my mother-in-law, who had come right up to me. Thanks to Top Chef's Charisma, the old woman, frozen like stone, couldn't even resist before a huge hole opened in her neck.

“Ghk! You! I wondered why you suddenly started spewing bullshit, but-”

They were already free? I had hoped to kill at least two of them!

I kicked open the bedroom door and ran out, avoiding the hands of my “husband” and “father-in-law” as they began to move slowly. As I raced down the dark dirt road of the village, without even moonlight to guide me, I thought:

They wouldn't say I ruined the plot just because I put on a hat once, would they? It's not like I used the Invisibility Badge or Butterfly Brooch. Honestly, calling it a failure over one use of the hat would be over the top!

It's not like I beat everyone to death with superhuman strength like Grandfather did. If an elegant city girl who looked like she'd never cursed in her life suddenly started swearing viciously, anyone could freeze in shock even without the hat.

So please let one use of the hat slide! Okay?

Footnotes:

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