Chapter 1: 外人 (Foreigner)

"Welcome to the Hotel Katashi! How can I help you?"

A raven-haired woman looked over at the front desk worker, Onna, for a second before returning to cleaning the mirrors in the lobby; the afternoon sun reflecting off of them made the lobby walls shimmer. A small sigh escaped her lips, but she heard something from Onna that made her heart stop.

"Ah, Takahama-san! It's a pleasure to see you!"

She looked in the mirror and saw a 49-year-old man dressed in a fine suit, and she immediately felt her stomach sour. She froze as his eyes caught hers, and she tensed as he began to head her way. She turned around to offer the man a big smile and a bow.

"Takahama-san! Good afternoon!"

He smiled when he looked at her, but his eyes narrowed. He stepped over to her and leaned in. "Good afternoon, Jisoo." She shivered at the close proximity and when he stepped back, she resumed smiling.

"Jisoo-chan, I need you to go and clean room 713. The businessmen staying there had too much to drink, so they made a mess of the room. It will probably take a couple of hours, so please hurry." She gave another quick bow.

"Yes, sir." When she turned around, another of the housekeeping staff was standing right behind her, and she jumped. "Mina, you scared me!"

Mina laughed. "That was the point. Here, I'll help you clean room 713. Let's go." They walked off, and a smile crept onto Hone Onna's lips.

It's amazing how tranquil things look on the surface.

As they walked down the hallway to the elevator bank, Mina turned to Jisoo.

"Park-chan, why do you allow him to treat you so inappropriately?"

Jisoo sighed. "It's not inappropriate. Besides, he took me in and gave me a job here so I can send money to my parents in Korea. I'm very lucky to work for a man like Takahama-san."

Mina chuckled. "Are you a robot or something? Did he program you to say that?" Jisoo simply looked at the floor until they got into the elevator, and Mina sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't say things like that. I think it's wonderful that Takahama-san is providing you with such an opportunity." Mina put a hand on Jisoo's shoulder, but the latter flinched as soon as the hand made contact. Mina frowned, but said nothing.

The elevator stopped on the 7th floor and both women got out; Mina retrieved the supply cart while Jisoo waited. When they got to room 713 and opened the door, they were both hit with the stench of vomit. Jisoo's heart dropped; since wealthy people often stayed at the hotel, Takahama would let them do as they wished, even going so far as not to charge them for damages to the rooms. Of course, the staff still had to clean up the mess on a barely livable wage.

They set to work, but before she could start, Jisoo sat on the bed and began to sob. Mina ran over and sat down beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder again.

"What's wrong?"

Jisoo sniffled. "I'm sorry. I just miss my family. It's been 5 years since I've seen them."

"No, no, it's normal to miss your family if you haven't seen them for that long! It's okay."

"I know, but I haven't been to Korea since then, either." Jisoo rested her head on her co-worker's shoulder. "I wish I could go back, but I send the money I make back to them."

Mina put an arm around her. "I think that you're a good person for doing that for your family. You work every day of the week into the evening. Maybe you should talk to Takahama-san about taking a vacation back to Korea." Rather than the happiness she was expecting, Jisoo started crying even harder. They finished cleaning the room after she calmed down, and before they knew it, they were done. They both got off of the elevator at the 1st floor, and Mina looked at her watch.

"Oh, no! My shift ended a hour ago! I'm sorry, but I have to head home before Takahama-san notices I'm still here. See you!" She ran off, leaving Jisoo alone in the lobby with Onna and Ren, a security guard. Just as she took a step forward, Mr. Takahama entered the room and she froze. While his smile at the sight of her may have looked warm, what she saw froze the blood in her veins.

"Jisoo-chan, what are you still doing here? It's very late. You should go home."

She bowed. "Yes, sir. Thank you." He put a hand on her shoulder, and she found herself desperately wishing that he wore gloves when his finger brushed her neck for a moment.

"Now, let me escort you to the back entrance."

"Thank you, Takahama-san. Let's go."

Hone-Onna teeth grit behind her lips. "What do you think?"

Ichimokuren chuckled. "I think that the Miss has her work cut out for her. I can sense her anguish from here."

"As can I. Let's just hope that this girl doesn't die before she has a chance to access the homepage."

They followed the black marble path inlaid in the lobby's floor, past the front desk and to an employee hallway. As they rounded a corner, Jisoo stopped when she heard keys rattling. When she turned around, she saw Takahama unlocking a door. As soon as it was open, he walked over and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the door. She started crying when he let go, making her stumble into a utility closet.

He stepped in, turned on the light, and locked the door behind him, and she let out a small gasp when she saw the tangible change in his demeanor. "Jisoo, Onna informed me that Mina helped you clean room 713."

She took a shuddering breath. "Yes, sir."

He stopped mere inches from her. "You must be punished for your disobedience." She nodded her head and every muscle in her body went rigid. She hit the floor when he backhanded her, and he adjusted his tie.

"Now, as additional punishment, you will not be working tomorrow. Oh, and Mina will no longer be working here, thanks to you." He turned off the light and left the closet, locking the door again. Jisoo felt around until she found the dingy mattress lying on the floor and she crawled onto it. Although she wanted to cry, she knew that would earn her even more punishment.

Two days later, Takahama let her out of the closet and put Jisoo to work early in the morning, being sure to let her know that she would be covering the morning shift, as well as Mina's former evening shift. As long as she didn't step out of line, she knew there wouldn't be more punishment.

When she walked into the lobby, Onna and Ren stopped talking and stared at her. She could have sworn, however, that she could hear Onna mention something being Jisoo's fault; she knew in an instant that the desk worker was referring to Mina's dismissal. This didn't surprise her, as Mina was well-liked among the staff. As she walked down a hallway, she stopped when she heard someone knocking at a side entrance. She looked around before going to open it; she prepared to let someone know that they had to go to the front desk if they lost their key. When she opened the door, she gasped when she saw Mina standing on the other side. A smile lit up her face, and she stepped forward to embrace her friend.

"Mina, I'm sorry. Please forgive me." A tear rolled down her cheek as she got down on her knees and touched her forehead to the floor in front of her. Mina felt a pain in her chest as she helped Jisoo up and embraced her again.

"I can't forgive you. There's nothing to forgive. I know why he fired me, but don't worry! Everything's okay. I have a new job already." Mina smiled, and Jisoo stepped back, still crying.

"I'm very glad to hear that. You deserve to work at a better hotel."

"So do you! Why do you stay here, working for a man like Takahama?"

Jisoo froze. "I...I owe him a debt."

"What kind of debt? If it's money, that's easy. I can help with that." Jisoo shook her head.

"Jisoo, what do you-" Mina's heart stopped when another possibility entered her mind. "Are you...are you his slave?" Jisoo nodded.

"Oh my god. We need to get you out of here. Now." Mina grabbed her arm, but she pulled it away.

"I can't. He can find me if I leave, and if I do, he said he would-" Jisoo started sobbing.

Mina hugged her. "Don't worry. I promise you that I will find a way to get you away from him." She paused, and then a smile started to cross her lips. "Jisoo, have you heard of Hell Link?"

"No."

"It's a website you can only access at midnight, but if you do, you can enter someone's name and Hell Girl will take them to Hell for you. Do you have access to a computer?"

"No."

MIna sighed. "Wait. Onna always leaves her mobile phone on the desk while she works. Do you think you can get to it at midnight?"

"No. Takahama-san locks me in at night."

Mina put a hand over her mouth. "Okay. Don't worry. I'll find a key in the desk or something. Just be ready around midnight." Jisoo nodded and went back inside, feeling a gentle warmth in her chest as she went about her work for the day. That night, Takahama approached her, sporting a particularly luxe suit.

"Jisoo, I'll be attending a gala tonight, so you'll have to go home early." Jisoo nodded and followed him to the back hallway, offering no resistance as she stepped into the closet and sat down on the mattress.

"I'll be away until tomorrow afternoon, so you won't be working." He closed and locked the door, but a couple seconds after he left the hallway, she heard metal hit the tile outside the door. She barely breathed as she crawled toward the small slit of light coming from under it, and time came to a crashing halt.

He'd dropped the key to the closet. She felt around for anything that might help her reach it, but all she could find was a wire hanger, undone by her hands. She bent the end into a hook and stuck it under the door; when she did, someone approached the door picked up the key. Putting her arms and knees in front of her face, she bowed her head and waited for her boss to strike her again; however, she heard a different voice.

"Jisoo! It's 11:45. We need to go." She looked up to see Mina and tears started streaming down her face, but a smile lit it up like a beacon. She didn't say a word as her friend stepped into the room and turned on the light, closing the door behind her. Mina took a seat on the floor, unable to put her reaction to the ghastly conditions into words. She shook her head to clear it and cleared her throat. "We have 15 minutes until we get out of here, but until then...could I ask you what happened?" Jisoo swallowed a lump and nodded; she could remember five years ago it like it was yesterday.

Heat hung heavy in the air of Gangnam, and on the outskirts, away from the glitz and glamour of the Three DIstricts, sat the village of Guryong. Jisoo had spent her entire life there, but her parents always had her go into Gangnam to ask people for money. Her face burned red every time she did it, but her parents said that she could get more money than either of them.

One day, a man stopped on the sidewalk to look at her. He smiled, but his expression gave her a sour feeling in her stomach. In perfect Korean, he introduced himself as Mr. Takahama from Japan and asked her where she lived. When she told him she lived in Guryong, his face lit up. He told her that he'd like to talk to her parents about taking her in and giving her a better life; despite the sour feeling, she took him to meet her parents.

When they met, Takahama asked her to wait outside their shanty as he discussed things with her parents. She did, and when he came out, he told her that her parents were very happy that her daughter had such an opportunity. She packed what little she had and went with him.

They arrived at a dock in Gangnam, and he led her onto a boat ramp, stopping only to hand something to the workers that met them. As soon as they were on board, he led her over to a trapdoor in the deck floor. When he opened it, she started shaking when she realized that she couldn't see anything in the opening. A yelp escaped her lips as she fell into a holding space not much taller or wider than her.

"Wait! What are you doing?"

"I have to smuggle you into Japan. Do you think I could take you by airplane? They would never allow you into the country that way. Now, be quiet until I open this door again." He closed the trapdoor, leaving her in total darkness. She started crying as she realized that he had lied to her.

When the boat docked, Takahama opened the trapdoor and hoisted her out, immediately taking her by the arm and running to a car waiting on the dock. He gave something to the dock workers again, and before she knew it, she was off. She started trembling when he locked the car doors.

"Here are the terms of my deal. You belong to me, and you will work for me in my hotel as a maid. If you try to run away, believe me, I will find you, and the consequences will be severe."

Her terror was written all over her face. "Wait! My parents didn't sell me to you!"

He laughed. "Jisoo, they were more than happy to sell you as long as they could buy more drugs." She broke down crying, and he kept laughing. "Now, be a good girl and be quiet until we get to my house."

Mina was crying as Jisoo finished her story, but a look at her watch told her that they didn't have time to waste.

"Let's go. I have a friend helping me."

They ran quietly down the hall, toward the front desk. Mina put a hand out to stop Jisoo and checked her watch: 11:58PM. She poked her head around the corner; when she saw her friend, she nodded to him. He walked into the lobby, and when Onna asked him how she could help him, he threw the contents of his water bottle at her. Onna gasped and yelled for security, and he went around the desk and stole her jacket. As soon as she noticed, he took off down one of the hallways, Onna hot on his trail.

"JIsoo! Go!" Mina gave Jisoo's shoulder a push, and that was all the motivation Jisoo needed to run over to the front desk. As soon as she reached for Onna's phone, she stopped when Ren came running into the lobby.

"Jisoo! Which way did he go?" She pointed down the hallway they'd taken; he thanked her and ran off. She snatched Onna's phone from the desk and ran back to Mina.

"There's no time to celebrate. It's midnight." Mina took the phone and entered the URL to Hell LInk before handing the phone back. "Hit 'Submit'."

Jisoo did, and a flame flared up as the screen went black. She read the only text on the page: I will cleanse your bitterness. She quickly entered Takahama's name and hit 'Submit', and almost immediately, the screen turned red with a couple lines of text.

I have received your request.

Hell GIrl

When she looked up from the screen, she jumped when she realized she was in a completely different place. A lone, tall tree stood in the middle of a grassy field, and the sun was setting.

"You called?" She started again when she saw a girl with black hair and red eyes wearing a schoolgirl's uniform spoke.

"Who are you?"

"I am Enma Ai."

"Hell...Girl?"

Ai held out a black straw doll with a red thread tied around its neck. "Take this." Jisoo did. "If you really want retribution, pull the red thread. By pulling it, you will enter into a covenant with me. The object of your retribution will immediately be ferried to Hell; however, once you have your retribution, you will have to pay the price for it as well."

Jisoo swallowed a lump in her throat. "What price?"

"When you curse a person, two graves are dug. After you die, your soul will also be ferried to Hell. Unable to enter Heaven, your soul will wander in torment and agony for eternity." Jisoo looked at the ground as it turned into a lake of fire, and she screamed as she was slowly lowered into it until she was submerged. The illusion vanished, and only Hell Girl stood before her. "That's only after you die, though." In a split second, Jisoo found herself outside of the front of the hotel.

"The rest is for you to decide." She looked down at the straw doll in her hand, and her fingers wrapped around it. Gritting her teeth, she set out with one destination in mind. She passed Wanyuudo, one of the custodial staff, and he reached out as she passed to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Jisoo, are you okay?"

"Yes." She put her hand on his before continuing her journey. As she turned the corner at the end of the block, Wanyuudo let out a hmph.

"What's wrong?" Hone-Onna materialized behind him, dressed in her kimono again.

"Nothing. I'm just worried about her intentions."

Ren laughed. "She intends to send someone to Hell. Why should that bother you?"

Though he couldn't see her, Wanyuudo could still sense her. "Those aren't the intentions I'm talking about."

A small sigh escaped Hone-Onna. "I know exactly what you're referring to."

It was around 2AM when Takahama and his wife, Naoko, returned from the gala. It had been a lavish affair as usual, and he had even managed to make a few important business connections; Naoko took a liking to the Hawaiian wine they'd served, and both her and her husband had more than a couple of glasses. Their laughing caused a small ruckus as they got out of the chauffeured black town car, but they shushed each other so as not to wake the neighbors.

When they stepped through the front doorway, Takahama entered a code to turn off the alarm, and when he turned around, he dropped his keyring. Jisoo had her arm locked around Naoko, and he blanched when he saw the blade in her hand pressing against his wife's throat.

"Jisoo, what are you doing? How did you get out?!" He stepped forward, but she put more pressure on the knife.

"If you come any closer, I swear that I'll kill her. Do you understand?" The steel in her eyes cut through him, and he nodded.

"Why are you doing this? Haven't I been gracious to you?"

Jisoo laughed. "Gracious? What, by locking me in a closet for five years? For making me work my fingers to the bone without paying me? Or was it when you bought me from my parents in Korea?" She felt Naoko's muscles loosen.

"Is this true?"

"Darling, I-"

"Is what she saying true?" Naoko's voice trembled as she raised it to her husband.

"Yes."

Tears started falling down her face, and her hand went to her purse. "I can't believe this. I can't believe I stayed married to a man who could do such awful things." She removed a black straw doll from her bag, and his eyes went wide.

"No! Don't!" He took a step forward, but stopped when she grabbed the thread.

"Why shouldn't I? I should have done this when I found out about your affair with Onna. I feel so stupid."

"Naoko, we can talk about this, please. Just don't pull that thread." He took another step forward, and she pulled the string a fraction of an inch.

"There won't be any talking about this. I can't stand to look at you now that I know what you've done to this poor girl. Maybe you'll get the punishment you deserve in Hell." She took a step forward and ran her throat across the knife. Hot blood cascaded down Jisoo's hand, and she screamed and dropped the knife.

"NO!" He ran forward as she collapsed, and she let out gurgling breaths when she hit the floor. He put his hand under her head and kissed her forehead, and he turned his head just in time to see her pull the thread. The doll in Jisoo's pocket vanished, as did Naoko's, and a booming voice rang through the room.

I have heard your request.

Naoko's head dropped to the floor as he vanished right in front of Jisoo.

In the Realm of Eternal Twilight, Ai floated on her back in the pool outside of the house, looking up as flower petals wafted in the wind. Her hair swam around her, and her hyoku caressed her skin. A chime rang through the air, and her head lifted slightly out of the water.

"Ai? I've put out your nagajuban by the fire." Ai stood up as water cascaded down her body.

"Thank you, Grandmother." Steady steps took her out of the pool and into the house, water droplets marking her trail as she did. Her under-kimono slid on with no effort, and her kimono billowed around her as she put it on. Tying her obi, she swept her hair over her shoulder, letting her sleeve hang for a few moments.

"Wanyuudo."

"Yes, Mistress." In the blink of an eye, he became her carriage. As soon as she was seated, Wanyuudo blazed through the sky and over the hills in the distance.

When Takahama lifted his head, Jisoo vanished in front of his eyes. He gasped, then felt the body in his arms start to move; he screamed when Naoko's eyes opened.

"Why did you do this to me?" She made a gurgling noise as blood came from her mouth, and he dropped her on the floor. When she landed, Hone-Onna had taken her place.

He screamed again. "It's not my fault! She killed herself!" Ren appeared behind him and wrapped his arms around the man.

"Why did she want to kill herself, then?" Ren stepped back through the wall, but his arm remained to keep Takahama pinned to the wall.

"It's not my fault! If Jisoo hadn't had the knife, she wouldn't have been able to kill herself!" Wanyuudo came out of the wall in the full blazing glory of his original form.

"It was your actions that drove her there! Your greed, your selfishness, and your utter lack of disregard for human life drove her there." Takahama closed his eyes.

"No! It was her fault!" Hone-Onna materialized in front of him.

"So, you don't wish to repent for your sins? Very well. Miss?" Ai appeared at the end of the hallway.

"O pitiful shadow bound in darkness, looking down on people and causing them pain… A damned soul wallowing in sin…" She looked him in the eye as she appeared right in front of him. "Want to try dying this once?" He let out one last scream as the flowers from Ai's sleeve engulfed him.

When he came to, the sloshing of water floated through the air as he felt the ground moving. He sat up and saw an endless black lake around him, shrouded in fog. His hands brushed the smooth wood of the boat he lied in, and he let out a small gasp when he saw Ai.

"Naoko?" A tear rolled down his cheek.

"No." She kept the boat going with fluid strokes of the pole. He looked down, then back up at her, a trembling smile on his face.

"Perhaps I will see Jisoo in Hell."

"I ferry this grievance to Hell." She guided the boat through the black torii gate as a chime rang through the still air around them.

The next day, the lobby and the sidewalks outside of the Hotel Katashi played host to a crowd of gawkers, busibodies, reporters, and police. Everyone had a million questions, but the main one was, "Where was Mr. Takahama?". Ren did his best to keep anyone who wasn't law enforcement and reporters out of the rest of the hotel, and Hone-Onna did her best to field the endless supply of telephone calls. She hung up the receiver and glanced over to Ren.

"I'm glad Wanyuudo's fears didn't come to pass." He nodded.

"Me too. I wonder what Jisoo will do now?" In the midst of the crowd's clamor, a woman managed to slip through it unnoticed (by everyone besides Wanyuudo and Ai across the street). As she got closer to the lobby doors, her shoulder bumped that of a blonde American woman.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Please excuse me." The American rattled the words out in perfect Japanese, and Jisoo smiled as she walked away. The utter chaos of the lobby was music to her ears, and she stood among it with an elegant dress draped over her. When she caught sight of her reflection in a lobby mirror and pulled her sunglasses further down on her nose, she almost didn't recognize herself wearing Naoko's clothing.

Maybe this is for the best. For starting a new life.

Her smile only faltered as she glimpsed the mark that looked like it was branded onto her chest; the mark of her eventual fate. She smiled again and walked out of the lobby, resolving to enjoy her time before an eternity in Hell.