The female receptionist still gave no answer to his question. But right now, her silence spoke far louder than any words ever could. Hayato's theory had been completely confirmed.
Why did she want to die so badly?
Hayato wouldn't have thought to ask himself this question, but Sawanaga Taisuke's final desperate words made him roughly guess the female receptionist's true identity and circumstances.
Just like Taisuke himself, the female receptionist had originally been a regular participant who got dragged into the "death game" against her will. But she failed to clear the game when it mattered. Faced with certain death from that failure, she chose to accept the mysterious invitation and become a "Koi no Kokoro Love Hotel" staff member instead, successfully avoiding immediate death.
And this job, having gone through who knows how many countless repetitions and endless cycles over an unknown span of time, finally, one day, accumulated over all those years, her spirit and soul suffered tremendous damage and complete devastation, eventually leading her to desperately want liberation through death.
No wonder Sawanaga Taisuke had mentioned earlier that "she already has problems." Her current mental state no longer met the "death game's" strict operational needs and requirements.
It's just that the "death game" system hadn't dealt with her situation yet, or more accurately, it couldn't directly deal with it through normal means. And she herself didn't have the qualification or ability to die on her own terms, completely unable to seek liberation through suicide.
So this was how things had ended up. This current scene is playing out before them.
Hayato watched her carefully. His eyes reflected the expressionless face of the suited female receptionist standing before him. A trace of genuine regret and deep sympathy flashed through his mind.
The two of them were technically on opposing sides in this game, but after everything that had happened, she'd still provided crucial help at key moments. She might've even gone easy on him in subtle ways he didn't even know about or couldn't perceive.
If she'd really taken her duties as the hotel's female receptionist completely seriously and fulfilled them to the letter, this entire game probably wouldn't have been anywhere near this easy to clear.
"I'll help you."
"I'll let you find the liberation you're looking for."
In that exact moment, a distinct flash of profound relief passed through the female receptionist's normally dead eyes.
Hayato saw it clearly.
Hoshino Ai and Kuroda Hikari, who'd been watching everything unfold from the side, also noticed that brief change.
They never expected Hayato-kun to guess absolutely everything correctly! He'd even correctly guessed that the receptionist secretly harbored death wishes deep inside!
Sorrowful emotions couldn't help but naturally emerge in both girls' hearts.
If it were somehow possible, they really didn't want this kind-hearted receptionist to have to die! But this was clearly the receptionist's own deepest wish, and Hayato had already agreed to grant it. The urge to try persuading him otherwise was stuck in their throats and could no longer come out.
Just like that, under both girls' conflicted gazes, Hayato bent down, picked up the spilled bottle of lubricant from the floor, and walked slowly until he stood directly before the female receptionist.
Hoshino Ai couldn't help looking away from the scene. Kuroda Hikari desperately wanted to close her eyes completely, unable to bear watching what would inevitably happen next.
The female receptionist still maintained her perfectly calm and composed posture. Facing the approaching death that she'd yearned for, she showed no fear whatsoever. All that remained visible in her expression was a trace of liberated relief.
How long had it actually been since this all started?
All of this suffering could finally end at last.
Such a pity about everything. As expected, I really wasn't a match for my big brother's abilities. I could only chase his back forever. But soon, all of this pain could be completely let go. I would finally welcome the end of my life....
Smack...
Hayato suddenly grabbed the female receptionist's wrist firmly and raised it up. The receptionist let him do exactly as he pleased without offering even a shred of resistance.
"This is for you..."
Something solid suddenly appeared in her raised hand. The receptionist lowered her head to look. The moment the item came fully into view, even she showed a genuinely shocked expression breaking through her usual mask.
These were... condoms! A whole box of them!
Hoshino Ai watched the scene with a completely dumbfounded expression.
She remembered now! These were the exact same condoms Hayato had taken from the hotel room!
"This hotel is way too shabby and unprofessional."
"This box is for you to keep. In the future, if any guests need these, you can give them out. A proper hotel absolutely can't be without this essential thing."
Hayato smiled warmly at her.
"I will let you find the liberation you're seeking. That's my genuine promise to you. But I won't do it by killing you right here and now. Instead, I'll do it by helping you leave this place entirely. If the death game system had the power to make you a staff member here in the first place, there absolutely must also be some method or way to let you leave this hotel completely."
Sawanaga Taisuke had just said as much before he died.
Hayato turned around and beckoned Hoshino Ai and Kuroda Hikari to follow him toward the self-service checkout machine.
"Kuroda-san, you should go first!"
"Then I'll... process my checkout first."
Kuroda Hikari carefully inserted room 307's keycard into the machine and pressed the checkout button with a trembling finger.
With a satisfying beep, the checkout procedures were successfully processed.
Next, Hayato inserted room 306's keycard and also completed his checkout procedures without any issues.
Everything was proceeding normally. No problems at all so far.
But when Hoshino Ai instinctively started to turn toward the exit, she suddenly saw Hayato pull out yet another keycard from his pocket. That was room 304's keycard that technically didn't belong to any of them.
"Hayato-kun, you're returning room 304's keycard too?" she asked with confusion.
"The card's already in my hands anyway. I might as well return it properly."
Your reasoning sounds exactly like someone who found free money on the ground and decided to keep it!
But Hoshino Ai had absolutely no logical reason to stop him from trying. She knew Hayato must've thought of something specific and wanted to test it out.
Beep...
All three keycards were successfully returned. Checkout procedures are fully complete.
But somehow the three of them were still standing in the love hotel's lobby instead of outside.
Hayato looked directly toward the exit door and took a single confident step forward.
Hoshino Ai immediately followed in one quick step and firmly grasped Hayato's hand. Kuroda Hikari also followed closely behind and grabbed Hayato's other hand tightly.
The exit entrance door began slowly opening before them.
"We welcome your next visit to our establishment."
Who in their right mind would ever come back here again?!
That mechanical, automated voice wasn't pleasant to listen to at all.
Hayato's peripheral vision glanced back toward where the female receptionist stood.
"Thank... you..."
The voice was very light and soft, but compared to all her previous professional scripted words, this single sentence was truly from her actual heart.
"Oh, right, I still don't know your real name. You're not actually called by that name tag, are you?"
Hayato looked directly at the name tag attached to her suit.
"Horikita... Suzune."
"That's a really nice name...."
It felt somehow strangely familiar for some reason.
Hayato continued speaking.
"I'll keep my promise to you. Just wait for me to figure it out."
The thick glass door slowly closed, completely separating the inside and outside into two entirely different worlds.
Hayato smiled warmly in farewell, leaving only his departing back visible to her.
And she remained alone in the lobby watching Hayato's retreating back, still holding the boxed condoms carefully. A flickering light of something resembling hope emerged in her normally bright but dead eyes.
After the three figures completely disappeared from view, she finally withdrew her fixed gaze. After a long, quiet while, she slowly returned to her usual front desk position.
She began entering the new adult toys into the hotel's inventory system.
The most difficult task she'd been assigned to complete was accomplished just like that, almost like magic. She also felt like this entire encounter was all just a dream.
But at least now, there was genuine hope for the future.
Hayato's group of three re-entered the thick fog outside.
By the actual time, it should definitely be daytime right now, but as their steps progressed forward through the mist, the surroundings grew increasingly dark instead of lighter.
And Hayato suddenly recalled exactly where he'd heard the name "Horikita Suzune" before.
"Don't tell me this is actually the main heroine from 'Classroom of the Elite' light novel series?!"
It really was entirely possible, given how this world seemed to work!
Right at that moment, a familiar mechanical voice came directly to his ears. Along with it, a strong feeling of weightlessness suddenly emerged. Hayato found himself floating in a completely unfamiliar space.