“Unbelievable…”

I was left behind at Medthicare’s front lot. I carefully tossed the coins that Nanik gave me in my palms up and down. Clink, clink. They were actually quite light despite their size and the feel of metal, but that wasn’t my main concern.

“There’s way too many of them!”

No way my pant pockets were going to hold them all. Luckily enough, after searching around the outfit I chose to wear before I woke up at that park, I found two shirt pockets—both side-by-side, like the scrubs found on the health staff; wonder if it’s a uniform for something…

‘If it’s from my previous job, maybe a coworker will recognize me,’ I joked inwardly. I knew it was unlikely that I was actually from this area.

“…” Now, with suddenly no one to talk to, I began pacing around the sidewalk absentmindedly for the car to pick me up.

…

However, to my surprise, only 10 odd minutes had passed when I began to hear the sound of tires rolling up. The aforementioned “transportation” of the hotel was a sizable maroon-black SUV. The passenger window of the car was rolled down. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long, esteemed guest.”

My chauffeur was a woman decked out in a striking black vest suit and maroon shirt. She was also sporting an additional matching tie that put the outfit together.

“Nope, you’ve actually gotten here quite fast. You’re my driver?” I asked with some incredulity.

“Mhm~. Make yourself comfortable.”

I naturally wanted to get the full experience, but since I didn’t want to look like I was madly searching through the vehicle, I just opened the front door, got into the passenger seat, and gazed around the interior.

Immediately, I could tell that this was a luxury car. The cabin boasted stitched leather seats and was lined with burgundy wood around the door trims and dashboard—and a lot more spacious than the cab I rode in earlier. They didn’t skimp out on electronics either, with the dashboard itself having some advanced-looking digital displays.

‘You can’t be serious… This looks like something only celebrities could enjoy!’

“T-this is a service, right?”

The driver smiled at me, making her black hair part and her dimples show, “Of course, this is a standard and free treatment for guests staying overnight,” She assured,

“Would you like me to handle your seatbelt?”

“I’ve got it.” I reached my hand out and pulled the seatbelt over myself. With the seatbelt clipped in place, the driver began to drive us out of the parking entrance.

…

After just a little serene driving, I had almost dozed off, but I managed to stay awake after I drank some of the sparkling lemonade that was provided.

‘Tastes a bit funky with the whole bubbly sensation added, but I don’t think I hate it,’ I commented internally.

I became a lot more relaxed than I was initially. “Hello? madam, if you don’t mind me asking—”

“You can ask me anything. Oh, and you should just call me Hailey.”

“…Okay. Um, Hailey, how long have you worked here to be driving something like this?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I’ve only been here for 5 months,” She said with a chuckle.

“Wow…” I guess they just trusted her that much: I’m in good hands.

“What’s the name of the hotel, by the way?” I asked whilst taking sips from my drink.

“It’s Annual Hotel,” She replied,₍₁₎

“Did your friend not tell you?”

“They had to leave abruptly, so they didn’t give me any details.” I refrained from mentioning any part of what happened back over there.

“That does remind me of a particular guest… Everything about them is suspicious, though. Like the kind you feeling you have about someone, when you’re like, ‘Is he money laundering? Or a fraud?’”

I get it, but I don’t get it…

Wait.

“Are you talking about someone named Nanik, by any chance?”

“Yes! That was their name. Do you know them?”

‘Yes, I do. In fact, the person you’ve been bad-mouthing is that ‘friend’ of mine.’ My great insight told me it’d be in my best interest not to tell her he was the one that actually called her over. “Oh, I think I met someone by that name the other day.”

“What impression did you get from him?”

‘Damn, I walked right into that.’

With some begrudgement, I answered truthfully, “Hmmm… Honestly, even though he was a bit odd, he seemed to have good intentions.”

“That’s how you get swindled! It’s well-kempt and rich guys with no clear-cut jobs that you’ve got to look out for!”

“…Why does it sound like you’re speaking from experience?”

“I don’t know what you mean! A-ah! Esteemed guest, we’ve arrived at the gate of the hotel. This vehicle will have to undergo an inspection as per the hotel’s regulations, so please, do not be alarmed.” Hailey quickly changed subjects as she informed me.

‘Wait, we’re here?’

I looked out as we pulled into a box-like chamber. The brightness from the outside started to get dimmer and dimmer until the only thing that could be seen were our headlights. Hailey parked the vehicle in front of what appeared to be just a concrete wall. Before I could voice my confusion, a metallic clank of some mechanism echoed behind us. I turned sharply, eyes widening as the entrance we had just passed through was sealed off by thick metal doors.

Blue lights started flickering from a place I couldn’t quite pinpoint. It formed a thin plane that oscillated back and forth through the car. The flashing lights caused me to flinch every time they passed over us.

‘What annoying, yet high tech security measures…’

After a few repetitions, the lights pulsed green before shutting off. As if in response, what had appeared to be a solid wall ahead began to unfurl, cracking open from the middle and revealing the outside again and a paved road that led further inside.

As the vehicle rolled forward, my breath hitched. The building that loomed before me was unlike anything I had ever seen before: an opulent monolith that seemed to fuse the extravagance of a royal palace with the cutting-edge brilliance of modern architecture. Towering above the surrounding cityscape, the exterior gleamed under the artificial lights, its surface a seamless blend of pristine white marble and dark reflective glass.

Intricate gold and silver inlays ran in delicate, symmetrical patterns along its structure, catching the light with every subtle shift. Large, sweeping balconies jutted out at varying levels, adorned with lush palm trees and cascading waterfalls that glowed faintly with embedded luminescent strips. Massive, curved double doors crafted from some kind of obsidian-like material, and their surfaces were adorned with luminous etchings that looked like veins of energy.

A deep sense of awe settled in me as I took in the sheer enormity of it all. If there was any place for the nouveau riche, this building reeked of it. I instinctively grasped my pocket with the money, “So long. For the brief time we were together, just know that you made me feel whole…”

Hailey looked at me. “What’re you doing?”

“Nothing…”

…