Finally emerging from the seemingly endless tunnel, the sunlight stabbed right into my eyes.
How long has it been since I last saw such clear weather?
The cloudless blue sky felt somewhat unfamiliar to me.
“Waaah, the ocean!”
Alice next to me shouted in my direction.
Well, her gaze was probably aimed more at the window on my side.
After blinking a few times to adjust to the light, I slowly turned my head to the side.
What greeted my eyes was a sparkling blue sea that shimmered like a gem.
Even though I must’ve seen it dozens of times in my life, it was still a sight that made my heart flutter unintentionally.
But Raven sitting in the passenger seat seemed to have a slightly different opinion.
With an utterly indifferent tone, he scolded the overly-excited Alice.
“What’s with that reaction, acting like you’ve never seen the ocean before. Night Haven has oceans too, you know.”
“Pfft, that’s totally different! There aren’t any proper beaches over there!”
“Still, an ocean is an ocean. Besides, you can’t even go swimming in this weather. Not much difference anyway.”
“Geez, I’ve told you this before! Jin, you have absolutely no sense of romance! You’re such a pessimistic realist!”
“Hah, really? Well, a realist is a hundred times better than some airhead with flowers in their brain.”
“What did you just say?! Who are you calling an airhead with flowers in their brain?!”
Raven in the passenger seat and Alice in the back continued their usual bickering.
Honestly, they could get worked up over the smallest things. They really were quite the pair.
Though if they were going to fight like this, maybe it would’ve been better if I’d taken the passenger seat.
Poor Olive, the muscle-bound, bald driver, kept glancing around awkwardly from the driver’s seat.
“And it’s not just the lack of romance, but you’re just so cynical! Remember when we watched that movie together? You kept ruining the mood by saying how unrealistic everything was!”
“Well, it was unrealistic! How does the heroine fall for the protagonist while he’s stealing stuff? Is this some kind of thief fetish? Just because he’s handsome doesn’t mean everything’s okay!”
“That’s all it takes for a romance! What kind of crazy logic are you expecting from a rom-com?!”
“Oooh… What should I doooo…”
“…”
Sorry, Olive. Our people are a bit immature.
I silently apologized to Olive, who was driving with a hunched posture.
But still, they’ll probably calm down after a while.
They’re just bored right now. By the time we arrive, they’ll stop fighting on their own.
Used to this situation, I relaxed and rested my chin on my hand as I gazed absentmindedly at the white waves crashing against the shore.
How much time had passed with Raven and Alice’s squabbling as background music?
Before I knew it, the two had somehow patched things up, and we arrived at our destination.
“Wow… It’s packed like a sardine can.”
Raven muttered under his breath, looking thoroughly exhausted as he glanced around.
Even though we hadn’t reached the entrance yet, the area was already swarming with people.
It seemed he preferred fewer crowds, unlike me.
He scratched the back of his head, looking like he regretted coming.
Unaware of Raven’s inner thoughts, Alice crossed her arms confidently.
“Well, Saint Maria Hotel is a super popular vacation spot. There are tons of people like us who planned to enjoy Night Week. Honestly, getting a room was such a pain!”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard your story about how you tried reserving two rooms starting a month ago. Thanks, really.”
“Hmph, just be grateful! Do you know how hard it was to succeed?!”
Alice seemed proud of herself for winning the brutal reservation battle against impossible odds.
She placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest as if to say, “Impressive, right?”
This naturally caused her assets to make a bold appearance…
Both Olive and Raven quickly averted their gazes. Alice sure was something.
But Alice, oblivious to their reactions, tilted her head in confusion.
Raven cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to change the subject, and spoke to Olive in the driver’s seat.
“Anyway, thank you so much, Mr. Olive. For driving us all this way.”
“Oh, no problem. My boss thought it’d be better to drop you off directly rather than lending you another car…”
“…Jin, this isn’t because you trashed a car last time, is it?”
“Ah… Yeah, I did kinda wreck one.”
“This is why trust is completely gone.”
“Haha! No, no! It’s not like that! Hahaha!”
Olive burst into an awkward laugh, his face visibly strained.
Clearly, he wasn’t the best liar.
Come to think of it, around the time Aisha posted that request, he had totaled a borrowed car.
Rather than lending him another car, it was probably more comforting to just drive them to their destination.
People really should live more carefully.
Then again, given Raven’s job as a fixer, getting tangled in incidents was almost inevitable.
Not long after crossing the bridge, we finally arrived at the hotel.
Olive hurriedly said his goodbyes and left as soon as his task was done.
Thank you for bringing us here, and good job.
Waving my arm energetically at the disappearing car, I hoped my gratitude reached him.
Saint Maria Hotel.
This place was truly a top-tier luxury hotel without a doubt.
First off, the quality of the rooms was unmatched.
From the breathtaking ocean-view interiors to the outrageously expensive bedding and excellent amenities—every detail exuded luxury.
The meticulous attention to detail and service justified every penny spent.
The diverse restaurants and bars went beyond mere dining—they offered an experience.
The high-end spa, pool, sauna, casino, and fitness center provided everything anyone could need without ever leaving the hotel.
And the unique entertainment and events featuring famous artists made guests want to return regularly instead of making it a one-time visit.
“Of course, since it’s by the sea… If we came in summer, we could’ve enjoyed water sports on the private beach. That part’s a little disappointing.”
“Are you secretly working for the hotel? How do you know so much?”
Raven looked at Alice, who was gleaming with excitement in front of the hotel entrance, with a look of disbelief.
She was spouting information nonstop as if she had memorized everything.
But Alice puffed up her cheeks dramatically in response to his reaction.
“Of course I know! Visiting this hotel was my dream, even back in my hometown! Ugh, do you know how complicated it is for beastmen living in Japan to travel abroad?”
“That’s… definitely tough. Isn’t it hard just to get in?”
“Not just hard—it’s practically impossible. Honestly, giving up citizenship like I did might’ve been faster.”
Alice shook her head vigorously, emphasizing her struggles.
I could only imagine how difficult it must’ve been.
Standing behind her, I got smacked repeatedly by her bouncing pink hair. It was quite enlightening.
‘A luxury hotel, huh? I’ve never been to one, not even in my past life.’
Who would’ve thought I’d get to enjoy such extravagance?
The vague excitement and anticipation I felt during the journey now filled my chest completely.
Would this fancy hotel actually have beds that made you feel like you were floating?
I wanted nothing more than to take a nice bath and sink into bed, feeling all cozy and relaxed.
Whooosh.
Lost in my thoughts, a sudden cold breeze brushed past my neck.
No matter how bundled up I was, the wind always found its way in when I least expected it.
Feeling goosebumps rise on my spine, I jumped in place reflexively.
“Hey, looks like Yuria’s cold. Can’t we just go in already? We can tell David and the others to find us later.”
“No way. We can’t contact them right now. It’ll be harder to find us once we’re inside. Yuria, are you cold? Want to borrow my coat?”
“…”
“If you ask like that, she’ll never admit she’s cold. Here, just put this on.”
Fwoosh.
Without asking for my consent, Raven took off his coat and tossed it straight at me.
I didn’t even agree to wear it. What was he thinking?
Rejecting Alice’s coat, I awkwardly held Raven’s in my hands.
He smirked once, then suddenly ruffled my hair wildly.
“…!”
“It’ll be annoying if you catch a cold, so just wear it. I don’t get cold easily anyway.”
“Right. Jin doesn’t even catch colds—he’s a tough guy. No need to refuse. Oh, unless… does the coat smell like an old bachelor?”
“That one really hurt… Please bear with me…”
“Ah, sorry.”
“…”
Raven looked genuinely wounded by the comment about his coat smelling like an old bachelor.
Getting called out for smelling like an old man seemed to hit harder than being called “uncle.”
…Honestly, I could understand how he felt.
Hastily draping the coat over my shoulders, I shook my head to signal that wasn’t the case.
Seeing my reaction, Raven nodded in satisfaction, looking a little relieved.
Anyway, perhaps thanks to my newfound warmth strategy, Alice looked around curiously and squinted one eye.
“But it is* getting late. Did something happen to David’s train…? We haven’t heard anything.”
“You’re right. Maybe we should’ve come together.”
“We couldn’t exactly borrow a car… It couldn’t be helped.”
The two seemed deeply troubled by David’s continued silence and lack of contact.
But what could we do? All we could do was wait.
We gathered near the entrance, sitting on chairs, staring at the distant scenery or fiddling with our terminals to pass the time.
Let’s wait 30 more minutes. If they still don’t show up by then, we’ll go in first.
After agreeing on that plan, we sat drinking warm coffee when someone approached us.
Could it be David’s group?
Our gazes naturally shifted toward the newcomer.
“Oh? Is that… Alice-chan over there?”
But contrary to our expectations, standing there was a beastman with perky fox ears.
Judging by the long cat-like whiskers on her cheeks and the thick tail swaying behind her, she was likely a fox beastman.
Alice stared blankly at the neatly uniformed, beautiful fox girl, then suddenly shot up from her seat and shouted loudly.
“Ahh! Tamamo!”
“Eh?”
“!”
It was an unexpected reunion with Alice’s hometown friend, catching everyone off guard.
