A Troubled Spirit

After the unexpected kiss, Ji-won found herself reeling with a mix of confusion and curiosity. She tried to shake off the lingering emotions as she prepared for her first major task as the new hotel manager.

Ji-won stood in the lobby, glancing at the clock. It was nearly midnight, the hour when new spirits often arrived. She had been briefed about her new responsibility assisting a particularly troublesome ghost with a unique and complicated request.

Suddenly, the front door creaked open, and a cold gust of wind blew through the lobby. Ji-won felt a chill run down her spine as a shadowy figure stepped into the dim light. The ghostly presence emanated a menacing aura, its form shifting and flickering as if it were made of smoke.

The spirit was a tall man with hollow eyes and a sneer that sent shivers down Ji-won's spine. His voice was a raspy whisper, filled with malice. "I've been waiting," he said, his gaze locking onto Ji-won.

Ji-won took a deep breath, summoning her courage. "Welcome to the Hotel of New Beginnings. How can I assist you?"

The ghost sneered, floating closer. "Assist me? Do you think you can ease my suffering?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Ji-won stood her ground. "I can try. Tell me what you need."

The spirit's form twisted with anger. "I was wronged in life, betrayed by those I trusted. I demand justice."

Ji-won listened carefully, her heart pounding. "What kind of justice?"

"I want those who wronged me to suffer as I did," the spirit hissed.

Ji-won knew she couldn't promise that. "I can't bring harm to the living. But I can help you find peace."

The ghost's laughter echoed through the lobby. "Peace? There is no peace for me."

Ji-won felt a pang of empathy. "Maybe not yet, but we can try. What happened to you?"

The night was long and arduous as Ji-won listened to Min-ho's story, trying to understand the depth of his pain. 

As Ji-won sat in the dim light of the hotel lobby, listening to the troubled spirit before her, the air felt heavy with the weight of Kang Min-ho's presence. He was a spirit driven by deep anger, yet as he began to speak, Ji-won could hear the pain that lingered beneath the surface.

"Why are you so angry?" Ji-won asked gently, her voice breaking the silence between them.

Min-ho's hollow eyes locked onto hers, the fury in his gaze still burning. But his voice was tinged with something else—a deep, sorrowful resignation. "Angry?" he repeated, as if the word was too small to contain the vastness of his emotions. "I was betrayed, Ji-won. Left to die by the very people I trusted with my life."

Ji-won leaned forward, trying to make sense of his words. "Who betrayed you?"

Min-ho's expression darkened, and he clenched his fists in the air, as if reliving the anguish of that moment. "My comrades. My brothers-in-arms. We were soldiers, united in our mission. I thought we were a team—family, even. But when the time came for me to trust them the most, they turned on me. They left me to die."

"That... must have been unbearable," Ji-won whispered, her heart aching for the spirit before her.

Min-ho's eyes flashed with bitterness. "You have no idea," he said, his voice low and full of venom. "I was out in the field, fighting alongside my comrades, thinking I was doing my duty. We were sent to secure a stronghold, a mission that was supposed to bring us victory. But when we got there, we were ambushed."

He paused, his gaze distant as he seemed to relive the pain of that moment. "The enemy was everywhere. We were outnumbered. But instead of fighting together, my comrades... they abandoned me. They turned their backs on me. Left me to be captured. Left me to die alone in that hellhole."

Ji-won felt a chill run down her spine as Min-ho's voice grew strained with emotion. "Why would they do that? Why would they betray you?" she asked softly.

Min-ho's eyes hardened, his hands trembling with the weight of his grief. "I don't know. Was it fear? Was it greed? Maybe they thought they could save themselves by sacrificing me. But whatever the reason, they left me to suffer."

He let out a bitter laugh, his spirit flickering with the intensity of his emotions. "I tried to escape. Crawled through the dirt, bled from the wounds they left on me, but it was no use. I was too weak. The enemy found me. They mocked me as I died. I begged them to end it quickly, but they didn't. They wanted me to suffer, to know the pain of betrayal."

Ji-won's voice trembled with sympathy. "And you... you were left there to die?"

Min-ho nodded, his face contorting with the rawness of his memories. "Yes. For days, I was left in the dirt. Alone. Betrayed by those I trusted most. And when I died, there was no one there to mourn me. No one cared. No one remembered me."

The spirit fell silent for a moment, the only sound in the lobby being the faint creaking of the hotel's ancient wooden floors. Ji-won could feel the weight of his sorrow pressing in around her.

"I've wandered ever since," Min-ho continued, his voice hoarse. "Searching for justice. For some kind of retribution. I want those who betrayed me to know what it felt like. I want them to suffer. I want them to experience the pain I went through when I was left to die alone."

Ji-won's heart ached for him, but she knew that revenge would not bring him peace. "I understand your anger, Min-ho. But I can't bring harm to the living. I can't give you what you seek. But I can help you find peace."

Min-ho's laugh was harsh, bitter. "Peace?" he spat, his voice low and filled with disbelief. "What is peace to someone like me? I don't deserve peace. I was betrayed. I was discarded like garbage."

Ji-won looked him in the eyes, her voice firm yet compassionate. "I think you've suffered enough, Min-ho. You've been holding onto this anger for so long, but it's not helping you. It's only keeping you here, trapped in this world of pain and resentment."

His form flickered, as though her words had struck a chord. "And what would you have me do?" he asked, the question hanging in the air. "Forget it all? Forget the betrayal? Forget the agony?"

"I'm not asking you to forget," Ji-won replied softly. "But I want to help you let go. You don't have to carry this burden anymore. You don't have to keep seeking revenge. It's only weighing you down."

Min-ho was silent for a long moment, his figure flickering as though torn between the rage that had defined him and the possibility of release. Finally, he spoke again, his voice quieter, almost resigned. "I don't know if I can let it go, Ji-won. I don't know if I can stop wanting revenge."

Ji-won reached out a hand, her voice gentle. "You don't have to do it alone. I'm here to help you. But you have to decide. Will you let go of the pain, or will you continue to carry it with you forever?"

As dawn approached, Min-ho's form began to fade, his expression softer. "Thank you,"  he whispered, a hint of gratitude in his voice.

Ji-won watched as he disappeared, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Just as Min-ho's spirit dissolved into the early morning light, the familiar black limousine rolled up to the front entrance. Noh Joon-suk, the driver, stepped out and opened the door. Min-ho hesitated for a moment, then turned to Ji-won with a faint smile. "I hope you find peace too," he said before stepping into the limousine. Ji-won watched as the car drove through the gateway to heaven, Min-ho finally at rest.

Later that day, Ji-won sat in the lounge, reflecting on the night's events. The hotel was quiet, and she felt a sense of calm settling over her. Just as she was about to relax, the front door creaked open again.

A new guest stepped into the lobby, looking lost and confused. Ji-won straightened up, ready to assist.

"Welcome to the Hotel of New Beginnings," she greeted warmly. "How can I help you?"

The guest, a man with an air of charisma, looked at Ji-won. "I need to find someone," he said softly.

Ji-won felt a familiar sense of empathy. "We'll do our best to help you," she assured the new arrival, feeling a renewed sense of purpose as she prepared to assist another troubled soul.

Man-hee, who had been watching from the shadows, stepped forward, her expression unreadable. She recognized the man instantly, and her presence added a layer of tension to the room. Ji-won glanced at her, sensing there was more to this guest than met the eye.

"Follow me," Ji-won said to the man, leading him to a quiet corner where they could talk. Man-hee watched them, her mind swirling with memories and unresolved emotions.

Man-hee, frozen on the stairs, stared at the man with eyes wide in shock. The air crackled with tension as their gazes locked, neither willing to break the connection. In that brief moment, a flashback of her past surged through her mind—a torrent of memories she had long buried. The faces of those she had lost, the choices she had made, and the haunting events that led her here all rushed in. The weight of it all pressed down on her chest, but she fought to stay grounded, knowing that this encounter would be pivotal in unlocking the truth.

Ji-won sensed the significance of the moment but didn't yet understand the depth of history that had just walked through the door.

The night was far from over, and as the mysteries of the Hotel of New Beginnings continued to unfold, Ji-won braced herself for the challenges and revelations that lay ahead. With every step deeper into the hotel's secrets, she could feel the tension building, as if the walls themselves were whispering, urging her forward. There was no turning back now.

The night was far from over, and as the mysteries of the Hotel of New Beginnings continued to unfold, Ji-won braced herself for the challenges and revelations that lay ahead.

- 1775 words

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