The night without the moon

Back to the hotel

"Why were you mean with her?" Chan-sung stormed into the CEO's office. Mr. Lee watched him surprised. In his CV, Chan-sung was described as a calm, hardworking person. Hardworking? Maybe. Calm. Mr Lee had some doubts.

"She's clumsy and stupid. As you'll be working here, you'll see that yourself. See if you can deal better. I've lost enough customers because of her." He complained. "When are you going to start? Your office is ready for a long while."

"I haven't said I'll work here." Chan-sung snapped back. "I'm here just because..."

"I've brought you here." The CEO continued. "How much do you want?"

"I have money. I'm paid well enough at the hotel where I'm curently working."

"What about the ghosts? You've already have a lot of experience with such type of guests. I'm kind of new and...you see, this business... I've never have a job on my life." The CEO admitted.

"What exactly had you been doing before? You seem old enough to have had at least one job."

"My father had a big company, so I could afford anything I wanted. I didn't like school and I had no plans on ever working somewhere. I had enough money to pay others to do the job for me."

"And? What happened?"

"My father died. Out of the blue. The business went from bad to worse. I did what I had to in order to cover my debts." Mr. Lee continued.

"What you had to do?"

"I took a lot of money from the company and framed an innocent man. He ended in prison, eventually."

"And?"

"One night, after a party my driver refused to take me home. I was drunk. I could hardly walk. Despite that, I drove the car. I was driving too fast, but I didn't realize it. The next thing I know, I hit another car. A family: the parents and two kids. I...became the owner of this hotel of Ma Go made me drink the wine. I don't have much money left and I..." He ended the story.

"You killed an entire family and sent an innocent man to prison and the only thing you are worried about is money." Chun-sung couldn't hold back his temper. "What happened with that family?"

"They're dead." He answered calmly as if it were something natural.

"Did you at least apologize?"

"Of course, not." He cried, offended by his remark. "They were ordinary people. No one is going to miss them anyway."

"You really are a monster." Chun-sung threw at him and stormed out the door.

                                ***

The moon garden looked desolable. The flowers were mostly withered. Chan-sung had never seen the garden so miserable. Man-wol hadn't been kind with her guests. She'd searched for every opportunity to extort money from them and she'd helped them only if it would have resulted in a shiny new thing for her. The more expensive the best. But the ghosts left in peace at the end of day and the flowers bloomed and stood fresh in her moon garden.

"They won't be able to reincarnate well." The good Ma Go uttered disappointed as she studied the garden. "It looks worse and worse every day. It's a good thing you decided to help...for the guests."

"I haven't said I'll work here." Chan-sung snapped, a bit harsher than he'd intended.

"Yet you are here. You should have run, but you didn't. It means you won't run anymore. I knew the price you'll pay will be huge, but you did a good job. You are going to make a lot of flowers bloom."

"What price am I going to pay for those flowers?" He asked, but his voice came out weak, resemnated. "I don't have a choice anyway." He went on. "I can't find my place in this world anymore and waiting for the end seems too sad. So sad and lonely. I'm glad she never completely understood this."

"Life is what you make of it. Flowers need just a few sunny days to bloom, but they won't grow without wind and rain." She uttered mysteriously.

                              ****

As time passed and summer left for autumn, the situation at the hotel changed dramatically. Chan-sung hardly slept at home since he'd started his work at the hotel, but the garden bloomed beautifully while the customers and the staff enjoyed his company.

Mr. Lee, though, spent less and less time at the hotel. Chan-sung had a bad feeling about it as the CEO kept gaining a lot of money during his "journeys in the town".

On top of that, for the first time, some of the applications for a limousine were rejected and those guests were unable to leave. Chan-sung had the slightest idea who those customers were. They were brought by Mr Lee, spent a few days in exquisite rooms and then they were supposed to leave. Mr. Lee would explicitly forbid him to bother them during their stay. However, as those ghosts were unable to leave, Chan-sung got more and more curious about them and their demands.

                                  ***

Aera was elected. In just a few days she changed completely. From the depressed, underconfident girl she turned into a cheerful, lovely lady. She still committed some mistakes here and there, but her cheerfulness was so contagious that it was difficult for the guests to be mad with her.

She was in love for the first time and the world seemed so much better. Her clothes also suffered a few changes. With the help of a ghost who'd used to work as a tailor she designed the most fabulous dresses she'd ever dreamed to wear. Soon she opened a line of clothes for the ghosts who stayed at the hotel and she became quite successful.

Her little business helped other ghosts who'd lived their lives in the shadows to shine. The dresses were free and every woman could try and wear some of her creations. Even the ghosts who'd lived a wealthy life were impressed by her outfits.

As her idea brought many smiles on the faces of the female customers, the hotel provided her with other accessories they needed to complete their outfits.

The staff organised different events where the ladies could etalate their dresses and jewels. Not even the arrogant, wealthy customers complained about the quality of the services. It was with these occasions that Chan-sung managed to find more things about them and finally elucidate the mystery.

                               ***

"Do you know what he is doing?" Chan-sung asked Ma Go the first day she came to pick the flowers. He was fuming and he tried his best to be polite. "Am I wrong to assume you do as you didn't allow those guests to leave? Many people were tricked by them."

"You mean the illegal affairs he runs for them. I'm giving them a chance to consider their actions. They will pay for everything in their future life. Inform them they can leave whenever they feel ready, but on foot, or they could stay to amend for their errors." Ma Go uttered calmly. It was shocking how she managed to be so friendly and calm even when she should be cruel and cold.

"What about Mr. Lee? I can't prevent him and innocent people are suffering. I can hardly deal with the work here, I can't help those people, too. Moreover, he'd killed someone. He's still driving. I'm afraid he might hit someone again. I know he can't get drunk anymore, but I can't help thinking he might do something stupid. "

"My sister suggested changing the owner. Chan-sung, what do you think I should do?"

"Maybe, you should let him die. As a ghost he won't be a danger for others. He's dead anyway, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is. Once you drink the wine, you can't return. The only way to live again is to cross the bridge and reincarnate, but whatever injustice you left behind in this life, must be paid in the next lives."