Chapter 48
『HungoverTomato? That’s a strange name.』
Then some choices appeared.
- I hear that often.
- (Laugh it off.)
I got a general sense of how this game works.
A first-person game without a distinct ‘protagonist’—the player is the player themself.
『I get that a lot.』
『Using an alias, huh? Bold move.』
『How did you…?』
『I have my ways.』
It was supposed to be a mysterious setup, but I couldn’t take it seriously. “HungoverTomato” is obviously an alias.
I continued the game quickly. The invited guests arrived at the Rose Mansion one by one. As the player, I took their photos and talked to them like a good reporter.
Then a newly arrived man’s illustration looked familiar.
“Huh? Wait a minute……”
This character named Alex was invited as a billionaire…I’ve definitely seen him before.
“He’s the guy who used counterfeit money!”
But what? A billionaire?
What billionaire scams poor small business owners with counterfeit money? He clearly did it purely for kicks, not out of lacking money.
“Isn’t this guy a complete lunatic?”
I was furious, but all I could do in the game was choose between weird options.
For example:
『What’s this? Ah, you’re that journalist? Hmm, I’m Alex. You must have heard of me, right?』
When the arrogant Alex is dismissive, the choices were:
- Yes! The ring on your finger alone costs billions, you’re so rich!
- Who are you?
Of course, I chose “Who are you?”
Offended that a mere reporter didn’t recognize him, Alex fumed indignantly.
But he didn’t cause a scene as there were many eyes watching.
‘So he cares about his public image, huh?’
He only approached me again when it was time for the group photo.
『Hey. Make sure I look good in the photo. Got it?』
- Leave it to me! I’ll capture you looking your absolute best, Alex!
- (Sighing) No matter how well I take the photos, it won’t help if the original is lousy.
Once again, I chose option 2. As others burst into laughter, Alex turned beet red and insulted HangoverTomato, but the odd name deflected any impact.
“Our Tomato is giving Alex a hard time, huh?”
I kept progressing by choosing the subtly taunting responses against Alex.
After the celebrity guests conversed and danced, they gathered for an extravagant feast.
Countless dishes were served, capping off with wine for after-dinner drinks.
‘Is that port wine? Looks delicious…..’
I licked my lips as I looked at the wine illustrated in the game.
Thunk!
“Ahh!”
The chandelier fell, killing the in-game character Alex.
I blinked blankly at the gruesome illustration.
Alex, who antagonized early on, was the first supporting character to die.
One could say this was justice served, but I didn’t feel satisfied.
‘Is his death what really matters?’
Does his death erase the suffering and sleepless nights of the victims he scammed?
I mocked him in the game, even saw his pitiful demise, but this couldn’t be called revenge.
Right. What matters is warm consolation through a hefty compensation and refund.
‘I’ll make sure to get it back, no matter what!’
🫧
Even if I restarted the game and chose different options, Alex would always be the first to die.
After confirming that, I closed the game.
My heart grew restless. How far could the real story have progressed?
‘It’ll be too late once the Rose Mansion is complete. If the party starts, I’ll miss my chance to catch Alex.’
I hurriedly entered the ‘Rose Mansion’ dimension and saw the mansion under construction.
‘Thank goodness. I can only get the compensation if he’s still alive.’
I glanced at the Rose Mansion in relief, but a shiver ran down my arm.
Despite its beautiful appearance, the thought of imminent bloodshed made it seem eerie.
Ding!
<Notice> A quest has occurred!
In this dimension, there’s Alex, who paid with counterfeit money and fled. Recover the 500 coins you were originally owed.
Bonus: ‘Detective Mode’ will be activated.
Do you accept the quest?
[Y] [N]
Unlike usual, there was a ‘bonus’ instead of a ‘reward’.
“What’s ‘Detective Mode’?”
While unsure, it should help track down Alex, so I accepted the quest.
<Notice> ‘Detective Mode’ has been activated for player ‘Hangover Tomato.’
- Choices will appear. (Can be turned ON/OFF)
- Exclamation marks (!) will indicate locations requiring investigation.
- You can designate residents of this dimension as ‘assistants’ and assign them tasks.
※This mode only applies to the ‘Rose Mansion Murder Case’ dimension.
‘Ah, those exclamation marks. They were useful for investigations in the game too.’
It seemed some game functions had been partially integrated.
I turned off the troublesome choices and followed the exclamation marks, soon arriving at a square.
‘This smell…..’
The aroma of grilling meat wafted from nearby.
Looking around, rows of food stalls lined the streets.
‘It’s like a food truck zone.’
There was a variety of food being sold, such as stir-fried noodles, grilled skewers, buttered corn, and various fried foods.
“Hmm…..”
Exclamation marks hovered over the heads of several passersby, indicating that I should talk to them.
But if I approached random people out of the blue, they would all be on guard.
‘This is when my main job comes in handy.’
It’s easier to break the ice with someone who looks like a shop owner rather than a complete stranger.
Fortunately, this dimension is set in a modern era with cameras and newspapers, so cocktails would be easily accepted.
“Summon cocktail making kit.”
I took out a liquor bottle and cleared my throat.
“Cocktails for sale! Cocktails! Delicious cocktails that you won’t regret trying!”
I imitated the voice of the old man who sometimes shows up at night, loudly calling out to sell rice cakes.
‘Let’s see, someone with an exclamation mark…’
Looking around, they were right nearby. I followed the marks towards the long line at a fried noodle stall.
“Hello! The line is quite long, how about having a cocktail while you wait?”
“I already have beer.”
The woman defiantly raised her beer mug.
“I see. How about trading that beer for an alluring cocktail then?”
At my suggestion, the curtly responding woman’s eyes widened.
“Well…I guess you can give it a try.”
“Leave it to me.”
I smiled faintly as she handed me the beer mug. A light sniff revealed a subtle orange aroma—clearly a refreshing type.
‘Maybe I’ll mix it with Campari.’
I poured a bit of Campari into an empty glass, filled it with the beer, and mixed well.
The bittersweet herbal notes of Campari blended uniquely with the beer, achieving a peculiar balance.
The acquired taste of Campari was softened by the beer for easier drinking, while the beer’s brilliant golden hue was tinted crimson by the Campari like a sunset.
“This is ‘Campari Beer.'”
Receiving the glass from me, the woman let out a small gasp.
“This vibrant red color. It’s as glamorous as the Rose Mansion itself!”
“Hahaha.”
So the Rose Mansion is already a popular topic.
At that moment, the exclamation mark above the woman’s head vanished.
‘Ah, that was a miss.’
With that thought, I pocketed the glistening coins she handed me.
<Notice> You have obtained 5 coins.
I continued to clear the exclamation marks one by one. About halfway through, I moved away from a liquor stand where I was getting dirty looks. I headed towards the tables set up for tasting.
‘Plenty of exclamation marks here too.’
“Cocktails for sale!”
“Here!”
A man holding grilled skewers in both hands waved at me. It was a rather crowded table with an unusually diverse mix of ages and genders.
‘What kind of gathering is this?’
🥂
Thank you for reading! ♡
