bigbutadorable(.)bl0gsp0t(.)c0m

"Ah, wait!" A staff shouts.

"What's wrong?"

"I forgot my rag! It must be in the kitchen!"

Everyone looks honestly troubled by that. But then, every single eye is glued on Benjamin, one who hasn't entered the elevator yet.

"Go and get it!"

A senior tells Benjamin. Mortified, but unable to refuse, he turns around and runs back to the penthouse.

"I'll get it!"

"Hurry up, Benjamin!"

"Wait, the key!"

Philip and the rest of the staff inside the elevator shout in panic, but Benjamin, upset and nervous, doesn't listen. With no master key, not knowing what to do, he arrives at the penthouse. Fortunately, no single guest has yet entered the living room, so Benjamin decides to walk to the kitchen thinking he still has time. As Bonnie (the one who left the rag) had said, there, next to the sink, is a rag that had turned black. If the guests ever see it, they surely going to create a ruckus and make this hotel lose money.

Benjamin quickly folds the rag up and stuffs it into his shirt's pocket. He is about to open the penthouse's door and out when one of the main elevators (the ones for general use) dings open. Inside, there are several huge-suited, elegant men led by the manager at the front. They seem to be unaware of Benjamin's presence yet. Another man with a smaller build emerges. He wears sunglasses, black clothing, and hair all tousled forward. Benjamin frantically looks around. No spot. There really is no spot for Benjamin to hide. He has to pass those people to get to the staff elevator. 

Benjamin is looking right and left, watching as the manager approach followed by the slender and big-suited men. Wait, now that they are a bit closer, Benjamin notices that unlike the other men coming alongside him, the slender man's clothing is not a suit. No, he is surrounded by the suits!

Shit, he must be incredibly important!

So when Benjamin sees another elevator (closer to the penthouse) is open, Benjamin decides it is best to leave through there instead. From there out come several bellhops pushing service carts loaded with suitcases and gold ornate cutleries.

Now, there is only one chance.

Benjamin retreats back and opens the penthouse entrance wide. The bellhops are puzzled to see that a janitor is still there. They quickly push the trolley in and ask:

"What are you doing here? We were told the cleaning was over."

"I'm...on a quick cleanup."

"Come with us so the guests won't notice."

Benjamin nods, hurriedly help unload the suitcases, and while he listens to his terrible heartbeat, another guest shows up. The three men guests there are big, but this guy seems to be a little bit bigger. A head taller than he is. He wears a trench coat, a blue shirt, and trousers the same dark shade as his shoes. He looks like someone who had just gone from a funeral. Also, probably because of his dark clothes, his very clean and fair face is much, much paler than it looks. Black sunglasses cover his eyes. Funnily enough, something inside Benjamin has time to think that underneath those sunglasses, this man must be very, very handsome. He can tell just by looking at his sharp nose and firm lips.

Benjamin unconsciously hides behind the cart and spies on the man some more. He is much better than the models he had ever seen in the hotel magazines.

And out of all times, as he thinks about it, the man turns his head.

They clashes look.

Benjamin immediately bows his head. Now, since the bellhops are already done with their job, he keeps the act by pushing the now empty cart―making himself a hell lot smaller in his place. 

Now, since all the staff is heading back to the elevator at the same time, the men in suits stop near the entrance looking like some impenetrable barrier. Stiff with a stolid, expressionless posture.

The manager has now also noticed Benjamin's presence. He looks at him with a puzzled face.

The good-looking man wearing sunglasses approaches the manager and whispers something to him while pointing at Benjamin. Shoot. Benjamin realizes he has made a huge mistake. A very really huge stupid mistake.

Holding his breath and embarrassed, Benjamin hurriedly speeds toward his gate of freedom.

Surprisingly, though, problem doesn't seem to want to stick longer with Benjamin. The guests don't seem to bother themselves to poke around his existence at all.


*   *   *


Benjamin returns with Philip once it is time to leave. They take off their work clothes and throw them into a basket attached to the wall. Later, when the basket is full, it will automatically send the laundry into the washing machine. The hotel washes the staff's clothes in hot water every day for hygiene.

As someone living in a slum, this is so foreign despite it has already become an everyday thing now. Benjamin stares at the machine doing its job quite intently. From start to finish without skipping a beat.

A staff member, the person who had left the rag a while ago, approaches Benjamin and says that he is very grateful to him and would like to give him a new change of clothes.

"Benjamin, is this one in your size?"

"Yes, but is it really okay?"

"Clothes get washed all day anyway. It's always nice to have an extra outfit."

"Thank you very much."

"No. I'm the one who seriously thank you very much. If it wasn't for you, I would have been scolded for hours or got my pay cut."

Benjamin smiles. He receives the new shirt gladly and put it on right away. All the clothes the staff wore are secondhand items abandoned in the city or recovered from excavations sold by some merchant. Only wealthy people can make new clothes. Workers here get them by bartering or secretly making their own clothes. The rich would never save money this way.

Medicines, clothes, and cosmetics are common stuff to the Green City folks. So does alcohol. They have endless stock for bottles, barrels of wine and, of course, the most beautiful, the most valuable thing in the world, is food. They waste them all as they like. Although the maids here would always secretly take those food wastes left by the hotel guests and share the ones still in good condition with the others—to Benjamin and his friends. Every little thing can be snuck out of here, but metal. Despite its precious price, it is incredibly difficult to steal. A tiny amount can be detected on the metal detector. People wouldn't dare to even try.

On the way home, Benjamin is so nervous about the shirt he just got. Fortunately, though, he can make it through the inspection point like any other day.

When he passes by the station restroom, some people are seen talking in a circle. They appear to be exchanging things among themselves, pretending to go to the toilet or board some train to avoid the stares of the soldiers.

Once he gets home, Benjamin eats the food he had already packed before throwing himself on the bed.






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