“My apologies if the rooms aren’t what you imagined, Miss Ryuk,” Mr. Ho explained as we arrived at the doorstep of a room. It was customed as a hut, with wooden exterior. From the floor to the walls and pillars, everything was made of wood.
He continued, “But don’t let your eyes deceive you, Miss Ryuk. Just because the room looks like this on the outside, what’s behind the door may amaze you.”
I nodded, smiling formally.
Mr. Ho slid the key in and turned it. He opened the door and allowed me to enter first. And dtrue to his word, the interior wasn’t what I expected.
The floor was actually tiled. The ceiling was properly made with a chandelier as its main light. The kitchen and the dining area was the first to greet my sight. And there was enough space to cook and eat. Up on the edges of the ceiling were some kind of fairy lights. The living oom was spacious enough and the air conditioning - which was an interter type - was positioned there.
Up ahead were two bedroom doors. Hyeorae opened both and I wasn’t disappointed with what I saw. From the outside, both had queen-sized beds. One had a sliding door to what seemed to be a terrace. But the other had an extra window.
All in all, this was a place built for a comfortable and relaxing vacation to those who would stay here. Though the outside was simple and more on the cozy side of things, the interior didn’t fail in giving that luxurious feel for a newly-built hotel.
“What can you say about our place, Miss Ryuk?” Mr. Ho asked from behind me.
“Hm, I say,” I replied as I slowly turned around, “You’ve outdone yourself, Mr. Ho. This place was amazing. Both exterior and interior designs of your rooms are impeccable. Actually, with everything that I’ve seen in your facility so far, I’m incredibly impressed. Apologies for my rambling, I’m just rendered speechless.”
He nodded, holding back a smile. He then answered, “Thank you for your kind words, Miss Ryuk. As a new businessman, it warms my heart and it humbles my soul to hear your feedback.”
“You deserve them, Mr. Ho,” I smiled as I approached him.
He bowed after a smile. “Well, then, I’ll give you some time to settle in. I, on the other hand, have more clients to attend to. I shall see you later once Mr. Nam arrives. Correct?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Awesome. Here’s your keys to your room,” he carefully handed over the keys, tied up in one hotel keychain. He explained, “All of these are spare keys for your room. As for the bedrooms and bathroom, you have to be very careful with those locks.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Ho,” I smiled, bowing as well.
He returned a bow and left the room.
Looking around, I took in a deep breath. Then, Hyeorae broke the silence by saying, “I’ll give you some time for yourself, Miss Ryuk.”
“Where are you headed to?” I asked as he headed towards the door.
Turning the knob, he returned to me and answered, “I’m just going to take a look around, ma’am. I’ll also wait for updates in regards to Mr. Nam’s arrival.”
“Are you sure? Aren’t you going to rest for a bit?” I asked.
He shook his head and explained, “I can rest later tonight, Miss Ryuk. Right now, I need to do my job. And that’s to ensure your safety around the perimeter.”
“Okay. If you insist. But don’t overdo yourself, Hyeorae,” I replied.
He nodded briefly and went on his way.
I pushed my luggage into one of the bedroom and jumped onto the soft mattress. I closed my eyes, breathing in as my back slowly sunk into the bed. And in no time at all, I was soothed into the world of sleep.
---*---*---*---
“Miss Ryuk? Miss Ryuk?”
I groaned as someone knocked on my bedroom door. Squinting, I looked around and it was still day outside.
“Miss Ryuk, are you alright?” Hyeorae asked after another knock. He continued, “Mr. Nam is here. He wants you to accompany him in a meeting with Mr. Ho.”
My eyes widened as soon as I heard Mr. Nam was mentioned. I bolted up from my bed, quickly removing the blanket from my legs. I rushed to the door and opened it, panting.
“Miss ryuk, are you okay?” he asked, worried at my state.
“Don’t mind me,” I replied as I took a gulp whilst panting. I asked, “What else did Mr. Nam say?”
He proceeded, “Mr. Nam is waiting for you by the beach. He’s currently with Mr. Nam. He told me to tell you to dress accordingly.”
“Ah, okay. Thank you, Hyeorae,” I said.
“No problem, Miss Ryuk. I’ll just wait for you outside,” he said.
“Thank you.” I then closed the door and headed straight for my things. I grabbed my backpack and pulled out my business attire. It was a good idea that I vacuum-packed it. There was no available iron in this place so I didn’t have to worry about it being wrinkled.
I grabbed one of the towels provided by the hotel and rushed to the bathroom. I couldn’t keep Mr. Nam waiting, I shouldn’t keep them waiting.
---*---*---*---
“Where are they, Hyeorae?” I asked, turning around to face him.
“Um, they’re in the beach resto. Just right up ahead. We’ll be making a right turn over there,” he explained as he pointed forward.
“Okay, then. Let’s go,” I replied as I continued walking ahead of him.
After a bit of silence, Hyeorae asked, “Are you sure you’re going to the meeting in that outfit, Miss Ryuk?”
My brows furrowed. I returned a question, “Why? Is there something wrong with how I look?”
“Well, not really. It’s just that Mr. Nam said to dress accordingly. And I don’t think that’s appropriate for a place such as the beach,” he explained.
His question suddenly made me question my decision of attire. I wore my all-grey ensemble, paired with black shoes and my hair was tied in a bun, giving myself a clean look.
When I chose this outfit, it was truly for business purposes. Especially when Mr. Nam said that during our stay here, our mornings would focus more on meetings. So, I chose my best suit for this trip.
We made a right turn and immediately, we were at the beach. I stopped and took my time to watch the whole scenery in front of me. I was actually amazed that for a newly-built hotel, there was no shortage of guests. From families to a group of friends, everyone was having the time of their lives by the waves. There were even staff members who would approach guests, offering drinks and snacks.
“Are you alright, Miss Ryuk?” Hyeorae asked as he stepped closer to me.
“Of course, I am,” I smiled as I briefly turned to him. I continued, “I was just taking in the view. Anyways, let’s go and find Mr. Nam.” I took a step forward but Hyeorae immediately held me by the arm. I looked back at him and asked, “What’s the matter?”
He whispered in my ear, “I already found Mr. Nam.”
“Well, let’s go and meet him, then. Why are you stopping me?” I asked.
He replied, lowering his voice, “I don’t think you should show yourself right now, Miss ryuk. Especially, with your outfit.”
“Why?”
Carefully, he turned me around and pointed towards a resto bar. There, I saw Mr. Nam with Mr. Ho and a group of other men. They were sharing smiles to one another, with drinks and snacks.
I turned back to Hyeorae and said, “You said he was in a meeting with Mr. Ho.”
“That is the meeting, Miss Ryuk.”
I replied, “That’s not a meeting, that’s just a group of guys, having a drink with one another.”
“No, Miss Ryuk, that’s exactly their meeting,” he replied. He continued, “Remember, Miss Ryuk, Mr. Nam sent me to come and get you. That means that I was with him when they started their meeting.”
“What am I supposed to do now? I don’t have an outfit that would mesh well with what they’re wearing,” I complained.
“Miss Ryuk?”