Chapter 1: The Young Master Under Arrest on Day One

The taxi came to a halt right in front of an aging structure that stood facing the sea.

Musashi Kanata stepped out slowly. He wore a thin blue jacket over a simple white T-shirt, dark trousers, and thin-rimmed glasses that made him look far more serious than his years suggested. He pulled a black suitcase from the trunk.

He squinted at the signboard, its colors faded from years of salt-heavy sea winds.

UMINEKO HOTEL.

"Hooh… so this is the famous Umineko Hotel everyone’s talking about?"

The building still stood firm, but it was clearly neglected. The plants out front were withered. One of the windows was cracked. Even the hinges of the main door looked slightly askew.

Kanata narrowed his eyes. "Ugh… what a ghastly sight."

He left his suitcase by the gate and pulled a small notebook from his inner jacket pocket. He immediately began scribbling down a list of necessary repairs.

Front greenery—replace.

Main door—fix hinges.

Cracked window—priority.

Exterior paint—re-evaluate.

He began pacing around the perimeter of the hotel, his pen moving frantically.

At that exact moment, an elderly security guard arrived and spotted the mysterious suitcase left abandoned at the entrance. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"A... mysterious suitcase?"

The younger guard beside him stared at it with equal suspicion.

"Could it be? You don’t think it’s like that thing in the news, do you?" the older guard whispered, his face pale with tension.

They both swallowed hard in unison.

Meanwhile, Kanata had reached the pool area at the back of the hotel. The water in the pool was a deep, murky red.

He stopped, staring at it for a long time. "…What is this?"

The evening breeze blew softly, accompanied by the sharp chirping of insects cutting through the silence. Suddenly, he felt a prickle on the back of his neck—as if he were being watched.

He spun around. A shadow darted past.

"…A ghost?"

He shook his head. "No way. I’m just exhausted."

But then, the shadow flickered again.

"GHOST!"

MEOW—!

"WAAAAAARGH!"

A black cat with golden eyes leapt from behind a lounge chair. Kanata nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Dammit, you stupid cat! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

The cat stared back at him, perfectly composed. Kanata turned his attention back to the pool. The water seemed to glow even redder now.

"GHOST!!"

"WHERE?! WHERE’S THE GHOST?!"

A woman’s voice shrieked from behind him. Both of them jumped, equally startled by the other’s presence.

A woman with long pink hair that fluttered in the wind stood a short distance away. Her hair shimmered softly in the twilight, and her eyes were a bright, golden yellow. She wore a white off-shoulder top and a skirt that swayed with every gust.

"Heeeh… a human? Oh, thank goodness!" she sighed, her tone surprisingly innocent.

Kanata pointed a trembling finger at the pool. "That… why is it red?"

The woman looked at the pool, then offered a bashful, awkward smile.

"I’m so sorry for scaring you! We're cleaning the pool to drain it. I think I accidentally dropped way too much floor cleaner in there… hehehe…"

Kanata went silent. All that panic… over soap.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept through the area. Without warning, the woman’s skirt fluttered upward.

Kanata froze.

KYAAAAA!

SMACK!

A stinging slap landed squarely on his cheek.

"Why me…?" Kanata muttered, clutching his face.

"You creep! Four-eyes!" the woman snapped nervously. "Come on, Shino! Let's get out of here before you catch this guy's degeneracy!"

She scooped up the black cat and hurried away.

"Hey… it was just the wind…" Kanata protested weakly.

Kanata eventually made his way into the main lobby.

"It’s been a long time since I was last here," he murmured.

He remembered his childhood, when his parents would bring him along to visit this place. Back then, the hotel was in its prime—famous and prestigious. But now, rumors said the management was a disaster. To make matters worse, Itsuro and Tsuyako were on the verge of retirement.

There were even whispers that the hotel would be sold. However, Itsuro had fiercely refused; he saw the hotel as family—especially since it held the last traces of memory from before Kanata’s parents died in that accident five years ago.

Kanata continued through the corridors until he reached the grand hall.

"There he is! The creep who broke into the hotel!"

The pink-haired woman reappeared, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"What do you mean, 'creep'?"

"You saw my underwear and now you’re playing dumb? You pervert!"

"Yeah, yeah, you can tell all that to the police later," added the elderly guard, who suddenly appeared and promptly slapped a pair of handcuffs on Kanata.

"W-wait! You’ve got it all wrong!"

He was dragged outside. The younger guard began prying open his suitcase.

"Let’s see what this weirdo is packing. Probably more 'pervert' gear!" He donned a pair of gloves and rummaged through the contents. "Huh? Nothing strange. Just clothes and a laptop."

"Check deeper!" the older guard barked.

The younger guard pulled out an ID card. His face instantly drained of color.

"Kawaguchi? What’s wrong?" the senior guard asked.

"S-Senpai… we should probably let him go…"

"Let him go? Why? Don't get cold feet now!"

"He’s… he’s the grandson of Lord Itsuro and Lady Tsuyako!"

"WHAT?!"

The handcuffs were off in a heartbeat.

"Please forgive us, Young Master! We had no idea it was you!"

Kanata adjusted his glasses, his expression flat. "It might be a good idea to ask for someone’s name before arresting them next time."

He looked around the empty hall. "Besides, where are the other employees? Why isn't anyone at their post?"

The three of them went quiet, including the pink-haired girl.

"Don't you know, sir? The hotel is scheduled to close down soon," the old guard explained.

"So they’ve already given up? There’s no hope left?"

Kanata took a long, deep breath. "That is exactly why I’ve come. To fix all of this."

"So the rumors are true? The hotel really belongs to the Young Master now?" Kawaguchi asked.

"You could say that. But it's not official yet. I still have to meet with my grandparents."

"In that case, allow me to drive you there as an apology!" Kawaguchi rushed toward his car.

The pink-haired woman looked incredibly fidgety. "Umm… about earlier… I’m sorry."

"It’s fine. It was just a strong wind, anyway."

"But still… I slapped you for no reason. Maybe I should resign for being so disrespectful to you."

Kanata shook his head. "No need. Besides, I suppose I earned that slap one way or another."

The woman beamed with relief. "In that case, Mr. Musashi—"

"Just Musashi is fine."

"Right… Musashi. My name is Hikari Sazanami. You can just call me Sazanami."

Kanata nodded. A car horn honked nearby.

As he climbed into the car, he stared out at the vast blue ocean. His first day in Shiosora had only just begun, and it seemed… nothing was going to be simple.