His agent name… was Hwagak, wasn’t it.
“I just had a question.”
“Ask me anything!”
“I was wondering if you remember what you were doing before you entered this resort.”
“Yes! Of course I remember! You’re from the Disaster Management Bureau, right? I used to work there too.”
He remembers?
“That’s right. Then I’ll send your regards. Vermillion-Bird Team 2, right?”
“Yes! Thank you.”
The team leader carefully chose her words.
“But you know, you could always go and deliver your regards in person, right? When you leave here…” “Not possible.”
“……”
“I swore to Mr. Mascot that I’d devote myself to this resort, and I signed a contract. I won’t leave. And the contract is valid forever, until it ends, forever.”
“How about taking some vacation?”
“I do not take breaks.”
“……”
The resort employee, who had once been a rookie on the Site Cleanup Unit, smiled silently at the team leader.
Silence.
“I need to go to my room now. I have to follow the work rules! You should go to your room quickly too, and no matter who comes, don’t open the door.”
And he walked down the hallway and into his room.
Thunk.
“Motherfucker…”
The team leader let out a curse, more like a sigh.
Not being able to smoke, since doing anything that draws attention in a supernatural disaster is idiotic, was all the more frustrating.
‘How am I supposed to get him out of here.’
She didn’t open the window, but just stood at the end of the hallway, staring out past the window as if she were smoking.
It felt like if she at least set the mood, she’d be able to organize her thoughts…
Wait.
‘…?’
There’s something beyond the window.
“…!”
The team leader immediately stepped away from the window and pressed herself to the wall.
Noticing something in a supernatural disaster is rarely a good thing.
Instead, she organized what she’d just seen in her mind.
‘So…’
The resort grounds with all the lights out showed only a very dim silhouette. And beyond that, there were faint traces of where colorful lights and music had come from.
‘…It looked kind of like an amusement park.’
But the ‘something’ wasn’t over there.
Beside it.
From beyond the ruins, out of reach of the resort’s lights… something lumpy was moving.
‘…A forest?’
Maybe it was just leaves rustling in the wind.
But surely, wasn’t something over there… looking up this way?
Something that looked like… a mascot.
“……”
The team leader stepped away from the wall.
She frowned and approached the window one more time…
“…!”
She turned around.
In the middle of the dim, cozy, rustic hallway stood a cute mascot costume.
…At some point, the yellow mascot had appeared right in front of her.
“…Ah. I just wanted to check if my team was okay.”
The yellow mascot, with its adorably shaped face, stared at her without any expression.
Cold sweat ran down the team leader’s back, but with years of experience, she managed not to let it show.
“Actually, I was craving a cigarette, but I held back.”
Surprisingly, the mascot patted the team leader’s head as if praising her.
And even gave her a small gift.
…A sleep mask.
“……”
She took it for now and kept it safely. She would hand it over to the forensics unit later.
And as for the strange thing she’d just seen outside the window…
‘I won’t mention it.’
A strong survival instinct jabbed at her, but before that, her instincts as an agent—needing to grasp the nature of this disaster—surfaced as well.
‘Damn it.’
“I’m curious, though. What’s over there?”
In the end, she reached out and pointed in the direction where something had been moving.
And she twisted her hand slightly.
“Oh, so that’s the theme park. Then, this is the theme park, but that place… doesn’t look like it.”
The team leader rotated her hand, adjusting the direction to the forest.
The yellow mascot peered at her.
“……”
After that, the yellow mascot guided the team leader to her assigned room and opened the door for her.
And until she was fully inside and closed the door, the mascot just stood there silently outside.
Through the closing door, the team leader could hear the mascot mutter,
And the next day.
For the first time since entering the resort, the agents were able to go outside.
Because the back of the resort had been opened.
Before operating hours began, the mascot gathered the staff and went to the ruins behind the resort.
And as the mascot raised both arms into the air—
Wooooooo—
The shattered facilities in the ruins vanished into the ground.
Instead, beautiful garden trees began to rise.
“…!”
Landscaping took place.
Bushes full of green leaves, trees, golden flowers sparkling. Clusters of small flowers in various colors shimmered, making the huge golden blossoms stand out even more.
And even a fountain.
“Wow! Is this the new facility?”
‘…Ceremony?’
The team leader looked around.
Standard mascots were busily carrying things.
…Flyers.
On the backdrop of the beautiful night garden, golden-lighted, antique, sparkling promotional phrases were written.
‒‒‒Come and See the Flower Golden
Dazzling brilliance!
Astonishing blooming!
The most beautiful illumination
in the ■■!
※If you stay in a theme park view room, you can enjoy special effects through the window.
‒‒‒…Something was being prepared.