Norio Gets Fired from His Job at the Love Hotel

My name is Norio Aoi, and I'm a 30-year-old freeloader living in my girlfriend's apartment.

"Norio, listen... When are you going to start looking for a job?"

"Ah, sorry Yuki. I'm looking right now... but I can't seem to find anything good."

"Once you get a job, could you pay half the rent?"

"I know, just give me a little more time..."

"Anyway, if you want to keep living with me, you need to get a job soon!"

"Yes, I understand..."

But there was no way I was going to do manual labor...

(Hey, this looks good!)

"Front desk staff at a business hotel!? It says here that no experience is required! So, I can just sit at the front desk and make 250,000 JPY a month!? I have to go to this interview!"

And so, I went to the interview.

When I arrived and saw the exterior...

(2,800 JPY for a break, 6,800 JPY to stay the night!? What the...? This is a love hotel! It said it was a business hotel...)

But I couldn't just leave now...

I decided to go through with the interview anyway.

"You must be Norio Aoi... have you ever worked at a hotel before?"

"No, I haven't."

"I see... it said business hotel in the job listing, but we're actually a love hotel... Do you think you can work here?"

(What should I do... but I need to work...)

"Yes, I can work here..."

"That's good to hear. A lot of people say they can't work here as soon as they find out it's a love hotel..."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm fine with it."

Hired at the Love Hotel

And just like that, I got the job. That night, I reported the good news to my girlfriend, Yuki.

"Yuki! I got hired as front desk staff at a hotel!"

"Really? That's great! Now you can help with the rent!"

"Yeah, just wait, I'll do my best!"

"Okay, good luck!"

First day on the job...

Alright, today's the day I start working.

(I hope it's an easy job...)

"Listen up, Norio. Our work shift is 24 hours, from 12 noon to 12 noon the next day, with a 2-hour break. After your shift, you get two days off before your next 24-hour shift. Got it?"

"Yes, I understand..."

(Ugh, a 24-hour shift... that's rough...)

The one teaching me the ropes was Katsuya Oshima, who was three years older than me and had been working here for about a year.

"It's nice that we get two days off, though."

"Yeah, with these long shifts, you need that time to rest or your body won't hold up. Plus, we have to be careful not to violate any labor laws."

"I see, so it's well-managed here..."

"Of course. Aside from the fact that it's a love hotel, the work is pretty much the same as at any other hotel."

"That's true..."

(In addition to the monthly salary, there are bonuses twice a year, social insurance, and transportation expenses. There's also an attendance bonus and a break room. Before I started working here, I was worried about the work environment, but it turned out to be better than I expected, which put me at ease.)

"Alright, let's get to work."

"Yes."

"First up is cleaning..."

(Wait a minute. Cleaning a love hotel means...)

"You've probably figured it out... if you've ever been to a love hotel, you know that guests use the rooms in all sorts of ways. This cleaning work is probably the toughest part of the job."

"O-okay..."

I opened the door to find the bed sheets in disarray and towels scattered everywhere. The smell of shampoo mixed with... well, you know what, and it made me feel sick...

"Ugh, blergh... oh, urgh!"

"Norio, are you okay? Go ahead and throw up in the toilet if you need to!"

"Y-yes..."

(It's true that guests don't exactly leave the room spotless after they're done...)

"Let's move on to the next room..."

"Okay..."

(This room is a mess with food crumbs and garbage everywhere. Probably a girls' night out... how did they even make such a mess?)

"Alright, next room..."

"Okay..."

(This room has tissues with... stuff on them, and it smells awful...)

"Norio, if you keep getting worked up over this, you won't make it. Just focus on the task and don't think about anything else."

"Y-yes..."

"You'll get used to it soon enough."

"Okay..."

And so, after the cleaning was done, I was taught how to work the front desk.

"Alright, let's put that behind us and do our best!"

"Please take care of me."

"Working the front desk isn't that hard. You just hand over the keys to guests checking in, handle payments, and answer the phone."

"Okay..."

"Let me tell you this, though. Don't keep the guests waiting. It's not good to make them feel uncomfortable."

"I understand..."

"That's all I have to say. The rest is in this manual, so read it later."

"Yes..."

Getting the Hang of Things in Three Days

Everything except the cleaning was easy, so I got the hang of things in three days.

When there were no guests, I could even read manga at the front desk.

I'd get sleepy in the middle of the night, but only at first; I was used to it now.

I was happy to be getting paid for this.

It had probably been about a month...

When you're working alone, you end up thinking about things you shouldn't...

Ding-dong!

"Oh, a customer..."

I looked at the monitor and saw a man in his 50s and a woman in her 20s enter.

Room 601, huh...

"Welcome. Here's your key."

"Thank you..."

(Boss and employee? Or an affair? Ah, I know! I'll show this footage to my friend Hiroshi! It's one of the perks of the job. It's fun to film people doing things in secret...)

Fired

Then, about three months later...

The video I posted online went viral!

(I guess a lot of people like these kinds of videos. Hmm, with this many views, maybe I can make some money off it...)

Just as I was planning something fun, this happened...

"Hey Norio! You're the one who posted that video of our guests, aren't you!?"

"Huh!?..."

"What have you done!? You've ruined our hotel's reputation!"

"Just wait a minute. What proof do you have that it was me?"

"Are you kidding me!? The time and date that video was taken line up perfectly with your work schedule! You're the only one who could've taken it!"

"Ugh..."

I apologized profusely, but it didn't help.

In the end, I was fired, and to make matters worse, I was slapped with a 10 million JPY damages claim.

(This is the worst...)

Conclusion

After that, Norio found another job at a different love hotel. He negotiated to pay the damages in installments, and now he's paying it back a little at a time each month.

But remember, no matter how bored you are, never film someone's personal information and post it online. It's an absolute no-no.