Today was the day Ayaka would enter the Love Kingdom Hotel, a small, unassuming love hotel tucked away in the heart of the city.
Despite its quaint name and appearance, it was a place shrouded in darkness, a facade hiding the rot beneath.
The exterior was a garish display of pink walls designed to mimic old European brickwork, with a cutesy sign out front that read "Love Kingdom" in bubbly letters.
It looked more like a tacky tourist trap than a hub for criminal activity, but Ayaka knew better.
As she stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. The lobby was dimly lit, with a faint smell of stale air and cheap air freshener.
A fat man sat behind the administration desk, lazily twirling a pen between his lips. He didn't acknowledge her as she passed, and she didn't greet him either.