Chapter 14

Chapter 14

14. You're Really Paying That Much to Sleep Here?

The remodeled annex was several times more extravagant than I'd expected.

“This is incredible.”

“Of course it is! Look who made it!”

At Vivian's answer, brimming with pride, my thumb rose on its own.

The executive office looked exactly like something from a chaebol drama.

Luxurious marble pillars and floors, and even the furniture was designer-brand, giving the place a properly intimidating atmosphere.

It made the nine million dollars feel completely worth it.

Well, it cost a bit more once the interior was included, but either way, it was nearly perfect for the price.

There was even a study, bedroom, bathroom, and utility room inside, so I could move in today and live comfortably.

But the real masterpiece was somewhere else.

The rooftop room.

I climbed the stairs again and headed to the roof.

Sure enough, this one was perfect too.

A narrow room that looked barely ten pyeong,

a wooden platform,

and a black shade canopy.

“I barely touched this part. I only replaced the wallpaper and flooring based on the photos you sent.”

“Perfect.”

“Huh? Somehow your review sounds more enthusiastic than it did for the executive office.”

“Hahaha.”

It couldn't be helped.

From the moment I'd discovered this rooftop room, it had been destined to become this.

A small room built on the roof.

Apparently, it had once been temporary lodging for maintenance staff.

But now it had been transformed into a space where one of my dreams could come true.

Living in a palace was only fun for a day or two.

I'd started missing the kind of home I'd lived in back in Korea.

Call it a place to cure homesickness.

I hadn't overlooked the details either.

With floral wallpaper and vinyl flooring specially shipped from Korea, a rooftop room from Bogwang-dong, Seoul had descended upon Waikiki Beach in Hawaii.

Sometimes I could sit on the platform and cook ramen,

or spread out a blanket inside the cramped room and spend a night sleeping Korean-style.

There couldn't be a more perfect place for it.

“We should see the suite now, right?”

“Ah, I haven't seen that yet.”

I'd gotten distracted by the office and rooftop room and completely forgotten.

“What? The suite is my real masterpiece, even more than the office! The artwork inside alone cost over a million dollars! Come on, hurry!”

“Wait. You don't have to shove me that hard.”

Dragged downstairs by her rough hands, I reached the suite, where Vivian stopped me just before I opened the door.

“Ahem. All right, here we go! Ta-da-da-daaaa~”

“Puhahaha! Who taught you that?”

“James said Koreans all sing this song when they enter a room for the first time?”

It's been over twenty-five years since Love House ended, yet these Koreans are relentless!

Still, Vivian's song really did fit the moment.

When the door opened, the suite beyond was magnificent enough for a president to stay in.

“But it's really thirty thousand dollars a night?”

“Yes. They said the photography finished this morning, so it's probably listed at thirty thousand by now.”

“My God······.”

“These kinds of rooms aren't really built to make money.”

“Pardon?”

“They're symbols. A symbol that our hotel has a suite this expensive.”

Exactly.

Most famous hotels had high-end suites.

And the names were always absurdly imposing.

Royal, Presidential, Imperial, and so on.

At prices reaching tens of millions of won per night, I'd always wondered who in the world actually stayed in them.

But what do you know?

The information I picked up through Frank was even more surprising.

Almost nobody actually did!

Even less than I'd imagined!

Average occupancy under ten percent,

meaning they weren't really products intended to sell in the first place.

Then there was no reason to set some mediocre price, was there?

Now the most expensive suite in all of Hawaii belonged to my hotel!

Though admittedly, I'd made it mainly so I could put acquaintances up and brag about it.

Wait, now that I think about it, there's an acquaintance right in front of me I can brag to.

“Vivian, when are you heading back?”

“In two days. Why? Don't tell me you're giving me more work.”

“No. You've worked hard, so I was wondering if you'd like to stay here tomorrow. As the first guest.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes. It'd be meaningful too.”

“Wow! I've never stayed in a suite before!”

Vivian jumped up and down in delight.

See? Perfect guest room.

***

Backstage at SoFi Stadium in the United States.

- Bang.

World-famous singer Eve Callaway, who had just finished her performance, came in shivering all over.

“Ugh, it's freezing. Why is it this cold in May? Manager, cancel my entire Switzerland vacation next week.”

“What? But everything's already reserved······.”

“If I catch a cold and have to cancel my next concert tour, it'll be a disaster.”

“Then where should I arrange instead?”

“Hmm, somewhere by the ocean. I dieted like crazy for the concert anyway, so shouldn't some swimsuit photos make the news?”

“How about Hawaii?”

“Hawaii sounds good.”

“Yes. Then I'll look for a nice hotel in Hawaii. Do you already have any particular hotel in mind?”

“Only the best! I'll leave it to you.”

“Yes.”

With that impossibly cool answer, Callaway smiled and left the waiting room.

- Tap. Tap-tap.

After searching hotel booking sites on his laptop for a while, the manager found a hotel that perfectly fit the requirements.

(Yes, Waikiki Sun Beach Hotel.)

“I'd like to ask about a reservation. Is the Imperial Crown Suite available on May 14?”

(I'm sorry. It's already booked for that date. If you'd like, we have one tier below the Imperial······.)

“Thank you.”

- Click.

He needed to reserve the best hotel.

A lower-grade room wasn't open to compromise.

‘Isn't there somewhere else? Huh? This place is even more expensive than the last hotel.’

The manager tapped the call button again.

(Yes, Hale Makani Hotel. How may I assist you?)

“I'd like to ask about a reservation. Is your suite available on May 14?”

(Pardon? Yes! It is!)

And just like that, Hawaii's most expensive suite received a two-week reservation all at once.

***

At the same time, in the chairman's office at Waikiki Sun Beach Hotel.

- Grit.

“Are these bastards seriously trying to start a war?”

The chairman ground his teeth while staring at the monitor.

【TrapBible Hawaii Hotel Rankings (By Price)】

1. Hale Makani(★★★★★): Suite($30,000)

2. Waikiki Sun Beach(★★★★☆): The Imperial Crown Suite($27,000)

···

Whenever he sorted by rating, his hotel always sat below Hale Makani.

It had been several months since he'd finally switched the sorting option to price just because he couldn't stand looking at it.

But today, he encountered an unbelievable sight.

That damned Hale Makani Hotel had once again planted itself above his hotel.

A thirty-thousand-dollar suite?

“Elena, are you seeing this? Their suite is thirty thousand dollars. How the hell did they fit such an expensive room into that tiny hotel?”

“They reportedly repurchased the annex they sold years ago.”

“The shopping center with that soul-food restaurant?”

“Yes.”

“Ha! They really only know how to overreach.”

It was laughable.

Using an expensive suite to raise a hotel's prestige was a marketing strategy that only worked for large hotels.

Like his Waikiki Sun Beach Hotel.

Even if Hale Makani advertised a thirty-thousand-dollar suite, how much could they possibly raise their standard room rates?

Within a few months, the annex would clearly be back on the market at a bargain price.

‘But our Imperial Crown Suite is on another level.’

As Hawaii's most expensive suite, it had already been featured in the media several times.

Naturally, famous people from around the world had competed to stay there, and photos of him shaking hands with them still decorated the walls of his office.

Of course, not a single one of them had actually paid the room rate.

That only made Hale Makani's suite look even more pathetic to him.

“Actually, this is perfect. We should use this chance to show them what real scale looks like. Elena, what date are those Asian singers supposed to arrive?”

“May 14.”

“Really?”

Somehow, the day those singers—whose group name he'd already forgotten—were visiting had crept up to next week.

Grin.

“On that day, call every reporter we can reach to the airport. Let's give them a grand welcome.”

“Yes, I'll pass it along immediately.”

“May 14··· That day, the world will learn where Hawaii's true best suite is.”

For the first time in a long while, a broad smile appeared on the chairman's face as he checked the calendar.

***

- Ring-ring-ring.

Huh? It's Sullivan.

“Long time no see. You've been well?”

(Yes. I'm calling because all the paperwork related to the building acquisition is finished.)

“Oh, you said it'd take months, but it ended surprisingly fast. Right, then you're finally free now, aren't you? Come to Hawaii. I'll treat you.”

(You mean that full Hawaii course you mentioned before?)

He understood immediately.

“I'll let you stay in a thirty-thousand-dollar-a-night suite.”

(Seriously?)

“Of course. When are you coming?”

(I'll take a flight on May 14!)

“Great. See you then.”

I hung up and immediately called Frank.

“Frank, reserve the suite for May 14. Sullivan will be staying there.”

(President Kim, the suite is already booked that day.)

“Huh? Someone is really paying that much to stay here?”

My God······.

(There's an even bigger problem.)

“A problem?”

(We still don't have a VIP courtesy vehicle to pick up the guest that day.)

© Kim Mangcho#1ond5