Chapter 31

“…They really blocked it tight.”

“If the start isn’t good, nothing goes right from beginning to end, they say.”

I came to the mart basement humming a tune, only to find the door tightly shut.

No, the door was just gone.

‘There was definitely a door here…’

I reached out and pushed the wall where the door used to be, but there was no response.

How hard did they block it?

Well, the guys who built such a large laboratory underground would probably block a door easily.

“…Should I go back?”

I was planning to explore the underground laboratory all day without staying at the hotel Emerald arranged, but my plans were already messed up.

Ah, whatever. I’ll just go in and sleep.

With that, I turned around and left the mart.

“It’s gloomy…”

Just like my mood.

The sky, looking like it would rain any moment, made anyone who saw it feel depressed.

No, my only hope…

“Things aren’t going as you hoped, are they?”

“…Sigh.”

Why is this guy so persistent?

Is it okay for a so-called doctor to follow monsters around so leisurely?

He looks like a villain but seems to have nothing to do.

“How about it, won’t you come with me? I can surely give you what you want—”

“Could you please disappear from my sight? I’m barely holding back from killing you right now.”

You remind me of my mom.

Ah, more accurately, the Doctor.

That’s why it’s even harder to hold back…

I had planned to make the Doctor pay for abandoning me, but at this rate, I feel like I’ll unleash all this anger on this guy.

‘I can’t waste all this built-up anger on a trivial human.’

Emotions are consumables. If I use the emotions I’ve saved for the Doctor here, I’ll surely regret it later.

How this guy in front of me would take it is unknown, but if I end up developing separate emotions just for him, that’s another story.

Who knows, I might end up killing this arrogant guy with my own hands.

“Well, fine. Watching how long you can hold out seems like a good show.”

He talks as if he knows something about me.

From my perspective, it feels like he knows nothing about me, but the way he talks makes it seem like he does, which feels weird.

The phrase “a stupid person with a lot in their head” must refer to guys like him.

‘He talks about watching and stuff, tsk.’

Seeing bugs occasionally is just creepy, but seeing them constantly is just disgusting.

Anyway, ignoring the second bug, I arrived at the hotel, and the staff inside looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“Welcome! Are you the guest booked under Midori’s name?”

“Yeah, well…”

The overly shining eyes are too burdensome.

Is this guy exuding hope just by looking at me? Why?

Even if it’s human hope, hope is still hope.

Just like how someone with a peach allergy gets hives from even a little peach, I’m the same.

Even a little hope makes me feel like I’ll break out in hives.

It doesn’t actually happen, but that’s how it feels.

“Your room is on the top floor! Ah, shall I guide you?”

“Yeah, well…”

I keep saying the same thing, must be my mood.

I half-listened to the staff chattering about introducing the best room in the hotel.

Emerald must be really rich to book such a room.

“There’s only one room on the top floor. It’s even perfectly equipped to handle monster invasions— Ah, to what extent, you ask? It boasts the strength of the top floor of a shelter! It can block Gamma-level monsters!”

I had zero interest in that.

They just let in something worse than Gamma-level monsters into the room.

“Then, have a comfortable stay! Thank you so much for visiting our hotel!”

“Yeah, well…”

Ugh, creepy.

I’ve gotten used to humans being hostile, but this is the first time someone’s been so polite to me.

Facing an unfamiliar situation feels… ugh, ugh, ugh.

Suddenly, my body started trembling as if I’d been plunged into cold water.

“Ha…”

Anyway, what followed was a dive onto the bed.

I don’t know. I’m going to sleep here all day, so don’t anyone disturb me.

Hoping it would be morning when I woke up, I slowly closed my eyes.

.

.

.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“…Ugh, what?”

I had just closed my eyes when, not long after, an alarm started blaring.

Looking at the clock, only about 3 hours had passed.

Rubbing my eyes and sitting up, I noticed a commotion outside the door for some reason.

What the heck.

Bang bang bang bang bang!!!

“Is anyone in there?! Open the door!”

“There’s a monster out there! Please open the door!”

“Dammit, are you planning to live alone?! Open the door!”

“We’re all going to die like this!”

…What are they talking about?

Even though I just woke up, I brushed my shiny hair and let out a sigh.

Ah, come to think of it, they said this room is as safe as the 5th floor of a shelter.

Seems like humans have flocked here because a monster appeared.

‘I really don’t want to open it.’

I finally got some alone time, and now I have to let humans in?

I’ll get a neurosis, definitely.

“Open the door, we know you’re in there!”

“Dammit, the monster’s coming up!!”

“Are you planning to live alone?!”

Oh?

The louder the voices outside got, the thicker the scent of despair became.

This makes me even less inclined to open the door.

If I just stay quiet, I can savor their despair.

“Welcome! Are you the guest booked under Midori’s name?”

“Ah.”

Then it hit me.

This room wasn’t booked under my name, but Emerald’s.

If it were under my name, maybe, but since it’s under Emerald’s, this situation would surely reach her ears.

‘…That can’t happen.’

I’ve worked hard to build up some goodwill; acting like a monster here would mess things up.

I’ve already been kicked out of the house; if I earn her hatred too, it’d be like advertising, ‘Hey, I’m a monster, come catch me!’

“Sigh…”

I really don’t want to. I seriously don’t.

Or should I just wait until the humans outside die? That might be better.

The corpses will be eaten by monsters anyway, so no need to worry.

“Please, save us! We’re begging you! Open the door, please!”

“Dammit, why did the monster have to come to this hotel?!”

Indeed, the timing is suspicious.

A monster appears the moment I enter the hotel and fall asleep?

Anyone can see it’s staged.

Even if it’s not hope, it stinks to high heaven.

‘Should I have killed that guy after all?’

Tsk, I clicked my tongue and got up.

I don’t know what he’s aiming for, but if I just sit back, something bad will happen.

It’s obviously a stage set to win me over.

If I accept this, they’ll surely use it to blackmail me.

Not that I’d be blackmailed by something like that.

Creeeak—

“…Is something going on outside?”

Still, it’s better to put on a little act.

I messed up my hair as much as possible, put on a tired face, and opened the door.

The humans who were despairing, thinking they were all going to die, widened their eyes in surprise.

What if a monster breaks down the door like last time?

Ah, do these guys not know?

“W-we’re saved! Th-thank you!”

“You were sleeping, student… I had no idea…”

“Look at him, pretending to sleep. Scared of getting scolded, that’s why he’s opening the door now, tsk.”

“Yeah! How could you not hear all the commotion outside?”

They’re so rude.

As soon as the door opened, a flood of humans rushed in, and I let out a deep sigh inside.

I’d rather have the monster. At least monsters don’t talk.

There are special cases like the Doctor, but most monsters can’t talk, which is much more comfortable for me.

‘Ah, I suddenly miss that guy.’

That monster I got along with after leaving the shelter.

Being the Doctor’s handmade product, it had something unique about it, and thinking back, that guy was an angel.

In a way, the only flaw was clinging to the rotten lifeline called the Doctor, but otherwise, it was nearly perfect.

‘We could have been great partners.’

I wonder if there’s a partner made entirely of despair.

The opposite of May, who Emerald keeps around.

“Hey, are you listening? I asked why you opened the door so late!”

But my serious thoughts were drowned out by the human’s shout.

…I don’t really like rude people.

Seems like this guy has multiple lifelines.