“Br… br… cold…”
Even though it’s supposed to be summer, it was freezing. I had no choice but to open my eyes because of the cold. Did I set the air conditioner too low? But there’s no way I’d set it that low…
When I opened my eyes, a cold, prison-like scene greeted me. Confused, I got out of bed.
“Ouch!”
The floor was icy cold. Not thinking, I climbed back into bed. Flustered, I looked around and realized I was in a prison cell with bars.
“Scary…”
I hugged my knees and waited for Maru to come. But Maru didn’t show up. Instead, the sound of footsteps echoed. Maybe because it was a prison, the sound echoed even more.
Perking up my ears, I got out of bed again. I grabbed the bars and pressed myself against them to see the hallway outside. Bora and Haru were walking toward me. Overjoyed, I called out to them.
“Bora! Haru!”
But Bora and Haru didn’t seem happy to see me. They looked unfamiliar and awkward. This wasn’t like them at all…
Bora and Haru walked up to the bars of my cell. I shook the bars and said to them, “Bora! Haru! Stop joking around and let me out!”
I spoke earnestly, but Bora and Haru just chatted among themselves.
“What is this creature saying?”
“Right? Is it some alien language?”
Wait, was I not speaking Korean but some alien language? Bora and Haru didn’t seem to understand a word I was saying.
“Open up, Bora! Haru!”
Bora and Haru eventually opened the cell door. So they *did* understand me after all!
Feeling triumphant, I tried to run toward them. Maybe because I’d been playing only with Maru lately, they seemed upset. I thought, as the older one, I should give them more attention.
But contrary to my expectations, Bora and Haru handcuffed me. Then they attached a leash and held it tightly.
“Huh…”
I was shocked by their sudden change in attitude. Was skipping playtime with them really that big of a deal? But my calm thoughts didn’t last long. Not long after being dragged like a dog, I was greeted by a place that looked like a dentist’s office. Doctors in white masks and gowns were standing there.
Bora and Haru tied me to a surgical table and said, “I heard a good plant grows from this creature’s teeth.”
“Should we pull them out?”
The doctor held up a giant pair of pliers-like tools. I trembled like a leaf. They were really going to pull out my perfectly fine teeth. I looked at Bora and Haru with pleading eyes, but they showed no reaction.
This cold side of Bora and Haru was new to me. Realizing my usual tactics wouldn’t work, I struggled to break free. But I was strapped to the table and couldn’t escape. It was like the restraints used on psychiatric patients during episodes.
With the strength of a child, there was no way I could free myself. Even as an adult, I wouldn’t be able to. These restraints were too strong for human strength—only a hunter could break free.
“Waaaah…”
I cried as the doctor approached. Losing teeth wouldn’t normally be a big deal, but the thought of them being forcibly pulled out was terrifying. I imagined blood gushing everywhere.
“Waaaaah!”
I burst into tears, but the doctor didn’t stop. As the doctor grabbed my tooth with the pliers, I screamed with all my might.
“AAAAAH!”
“Hana, what’s wrong?”
“Did you have a scary dream?”
When I opened my eyes, I was back in my room. Bora and Haru were beside me. They must have come to wake me up. Shivering, I looked at them.
“Bora, Haru, are you really you?”
“What are you talking about, Hana? Did you meet fake Bora and fake Haru?”
“Eek… I was scared…”
Seeing Bora and Haru back to normal, I let out a sigh of relief. That scary version of them was a first. Even though it would never happen, the dream felt so real it was almost tangible. I managed to calm my racing heart.
“Hana! Let’s go eat some rice.”
“Today, they say there’s some delicious Chinese food.”
Bora and Haru grabbed my hands and said that. I immediately felt better. Can’t resist tasty Jajangmyeon!
I got up, held Bora and Haru’s hands, and headed to the restaurant.
—
**Starlight Hotel.**
If you ask Seoul citizens to name the most famous hotel in the city, ten out of ten would point to Starlight Hotel. That’s how famous and popular it was in Seoul.
As a luxury hotel and the flagship of Starlight Group’s hotel business, its facilities and services were top-notch. Executives and CEOs visiting Seoul often stayed here, and even VIPs from overseas preferred Starlight Hotel. It offered services and facilities that set it apart from other hotels.
But now, Starlight Hotel was in a state of emergency. Not even a presidential visit had caused such a frenzy. The employees wore smiles, but deep down, it was different. If not for their years of training in forced smiles, the atmosphere would have felt like soldiers heading to war.
“All the Royal Suite Class rooms are booked. And the lower-tier rooms? Forget about it.”
It wasn’t common for the Royal Suite Class rooms, costing tens of millions of won per night, to be fully booked. Logically, not many people would pay that much for a single night.
Even first-class airplane seats don’t sell out completely, so for Starlight Hotel to have all its Royal Suite Class rooms reserved was no small feat.
The manager continued, “Every room in Starlight Hotel is checked in.”
Even the standard rooms cost hundreds of thousands of won per night, and with around 600 rooms, not a single one was left vacant. The manager had never seen this before.
No matter how popular Starlight Hotel was, a 100% occupancy rate was unheard of. But now, it was happening. All rooms were checked in by overseas auction participants.
When Starlight Food announced the auction of rejuvenating apples, they had prepared, but there were limits. They couldn’t magically increase the number of rooms. Physically, it was impossible. To add more rooms, they’d need to build a new wing, which required construction.
“The group chairman is coming too, so we need to brace ourselves.”
For Starlight Group, the hotel was a small part of their business. The group focused more on byproducts from the Gate and manufacturing, not so much on hospitality. Other groups had hotels, so Starlight Group just followed suit.
But when they built it, they aimed for the top, making it Seoul’s most luxurious hotel.
“This is a trial, but also an opportunity. It’s a test of our hotel’s capabilities. Everyone, stay sharp and do your best to serve our guests. No mistakes are allowed. The guests arriving now are the ones who control the global economy.”
The manager scanned the employees with a determined look. “Let’s give it our all for just one week.”
Luckily, after the auction, the rooms would empty out. They just had to survive one week of intense service. Once the apples were sold, the tycoons would have no reason to stay in Korea. Of course, there would be future auctions, but those would be handled by proxies.
Kim Sehee, the CEO of Starlight Food, had assured them. The first auction required personal attendance, but knowing the chaos it would cause, she decided that future auctions would allow proxies.
