Someone was there.
As if noticing their presence, the figure turned and walked straight toward them, footsteps echoing across the tile floor.
She wore a black suit that hugged her curves perfectly. Tall and stunning. Her long, slender legs were wrapped in black stockings, and she radiated mature, dangerous charm. Her long black hair swayed with each deliberate step.
So beautiful.
Sawanaga Taisuke stood frozen, Tanaka Ichiro's eyes widened despite himself. Even after all his years in society, this was the first time he'd seen such a gorgeous woman.
A new participant selected for the death game?
"Welcome, guests. I am Fukada Mayu, a staff member of the Koi no Kokoro Love Hotel. Is there anything I can do to serve you? Any service at all?"
A bewitching voice rang out, smooth and honeyed, constantly stimulating their nerves.
Any service? Anything at all?
Their blood flow accelerated, hearts pounding harder. The flames of desire ignited in Sawanaga Taisuke's and the middle-aged man's chests, spreading fast.
Hoshino Ai at the elevator entrance completely freaked out the moment she heard that voice.
Where did a staff member come from? The rules said there are no staff members!
It's something supernatural!
She swallowed hard, her throat dry, instinctively wanting to dive into the elevator and escape to the third floor. But she forced herself to maintain rationality, holding her position like Hayato asked. Her eyes unconsciously darted toward the lobby, watching from a distance.
Facing Fukada Mayu, the flames of desire burned hotter in Sawanaga Taisuke and the middle-aged man's hearts, threatening to consume their judgment completely.
Just as the two were about to lose their rationality and lunge forward with a response—
Thud! Thud!
Hayato kicked each of them hard in the back.
The sharp pain cut through the haze instantly.
These two can't die this early. They haven't even started staying yet. If we lose two people now, who'll share the pressure later on?
The intense pain brought them back to their senses as reality crashed down on them.
Staff member. A staff member of the Koi no Kokoro Love Hotel.
Holy crap, there actually is staff here!
In that moment, Sawanaga Taisuke and the middle-aged man quickly lowered their heads, withdrawing their gazes, completely not daring to look at that woman anymore.
The rules said to ignore them. Just ignore them.
"Guests, is there anything I can help you with?"
Ignore her.
Keep ignoring.
With Hayato's pat on the shoulder as a firm reminder, Sawanaga Taisuke and the middle-aged man bit their lips hard, using the pain to avoid being influenced by that voice, and headed to the self-service check-in machine with stiff movements.
Sawanaga Taisuke began operating it with trembling fingers, re-processing the check-in procedures.
Hayato didn't look directly at the staff member's face. He kept his eyes fixed on her feet to track her position. After Sawanaga Taisuke and the middle-aged man started ignoring the staff member, she just stood in place without making any more sounds.
The huge, brightly lit lobby held four figures, but there was no increase in human presence. Instead, it fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the occasional mechanical beeps from button presses.
Finally, two rooms were processed: room 304 and room 307.
But neither of them relaxed at all. Their shoulders stayed tense, bodies rigid.
There was still an extremely dangerous existence in this lobby. One wrong move and they'd die.
"Let's get back to the third-floor rooms quickly."
"Okay."
Just as Sawanaga Taisuke finished answering and took a step, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
Wait....
The person who just spoke wasn't the middle-aged man at all. It was Kuroda Hikari's voice.
But Kuroda Hikari wasn't on the first floor.
She was up on the third floor.
Gulp...
Cold sweat broke out across his back.
He fearfully shifted his gaze, barely moving his eyes. With just the slightest glance downward, he saw those sexy long legs wrapped in black stockings.
The woman who'd been over ten meters away just moments ago was now right beside him, close enough to touch.
Instantly, an icy chill ran down Sawanaga Taisuke's spine, his blood freezing in his veins.
"Run..."
Sawanaga Taisuke didn't care about anything else and bolted toward the elevator. The middle-aged man's reaction was quick too, both used every ounce of strength they had, terrified they weren't running fast enough.
Flicker...
Flicker...
The lobby's white fluorescent lights suddenly began flickering continuously, casting jerky shadows across the floor. The temperature in the lobby plummeted, breath misting in the sudden cold.
But Sawanaga Taisuke found that no matter how hard he ran, legs pumping desperately, he couldn't advance a single step. His feet moved, but the distance stayed the same, like running on a treadmill.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man was almost reaching the elevator, getting farther and farther away.
"Save me..."
"Hayato-san, save me!"
Sawanaga Taisuke shouted for help, his voice cracking with terror.
He could feel the force from behind, something pulling at him. The constantly approaching cold breath made the hair on his neck stand on end. His legs trembled so badly he was about to cry.
Why did it have to be me?!
Something resembling a hand, pale and twisted with too many fingers was slowly reaching toward him.
"Guest, service."
"Service, for you."
Even a dog wouldn't want that kind of service!
But the last bit of rationality he had left kept him from daring to respond, to acknowledge her in any way.
"Hayato-san, save me! I, I'll let Kuroda stay with you! Please, I'm begging you! She likes me, I'll make her stay with you! She'll definitely agree! Aaaah!"
Scum.
Hayato's gaze turned ice cold.
This guy was in some ways even more disgusting than that piece of trash, Makoto. Using a girl who liked him as a bargaining chip.
Time stop!
Bzzt...
Time once again fell into a frozen state.
The flickering lights stopped mid-flicker. The cold breath hung motionless in the air. Sawanaga Taisuke's terrified scream cut off mid-sound, his mouth frozen open.
"Let me check this staff member's situation first."
Hayato's voice was the only sound in the silent, frozen lobby.
"Wonder if she can be killed through simple physical means."
As for saving Sawanaga Taisuke? Hayato's attitude toward Sawanaga Taisuke had always been that it'd be better if he died. The guy was scum through and through.
But not now, though.
Who knows if participants killed by supernatural entities here would become new supernatural entities themselves and seek revenge?
At the same time, considering the "game" nature of this death game, combined with the similar infinite flow novels he'd read in his past life, after successfully clearing a death game, there'd probably be reward points settlement.
The number of surviving people would likely affect the evaluation grade too.
Therefore, under permissible circumstances, he didn't mind stepping in. But he wouldn't force it or risk himself unnecessarily.
That was Hayato's pragmatic attitude.
Hayato picked up a solid wooden chair from the lobby, testing its weight. Heavy enough. He gripped it firmly and slowly approached the frozen staff member.