Chapter 16

Who is this!

So ugly, so hideous!

……

…… ===== CHAPTER 35 =====

‘Drip, drip……’

Water dripped down, continuously emitting a clear splashing sound.

Hoshino Ai realized at this moment who that woman in the mirror was.

It was herself!

The girl with long purple-black hair turned around immediately, not daring to look at herself in the mirror again; for the first time in her life, she had seen such an ugly appearance.

Having seen it once, she had no desire to see it a second time.

“I, we…… have all been infected, what should…… we do?”

Even Hoshino Ai knew that if the degree of infection deepened further, the moment of death would be that much closer.

“It’s, it’s a problem with the water, right? After Lin Ye touched the water, we became like this.”

“The function of the water is, unsurprisingly, to eliminate the influence of the bed-creaking sounds from next door, which aligns with the reminder in Rule 8.”

Lin Ye had a hypothesis.

“The sounds next door don’t just affect our desires and impulses; they also induce hallucinations, which is why we were so slow to discover the condition of our own bodies.”

As for why they still looked normal after the influence was eliminated, Lin Ye could only temporarily attribute it to the special rules of the hotel.

“Then could it be that the influence of that sound is what caused us to be infected?”

“That is the most likely possibility for now.”

“Then we should be safe now, right! The sound can no longer be heard; it has no influence on us.”

It was unclear whether the sound had stopped on its own, or if they could no longer hear it because they had eliminated its influence through the water.

Yet, she had clearly showered before the sound started, so why did she still hear it? Did the sound need to exert its influence before the water could be used to resolve it?

But she had touched the water before Lin Ye, yet the fire of desire in her heart remained; it was only after Lin Ye also touched the water that the desire and impulses rapidly subsided.

Does it only take effect if both people touch the water?

Hoshino Ai racked her brains and came up with a reasonable explanation.

“We’re safe for now. Put on your clothes first.”

At Lin Ye’s reminder, Hoshino Ai immediately reacted and realized her current naked state; she found some clothes and put them on at once.

Even though she knew how hideous she looked in Lin Ye’s eyes, she still felt shy.

Two minutes later,

Hoshino Ai had finished dressing and adjusted her terrible, shameful, and complex state of mind.

Time passed midnight.

Lin Ye, who was standing in front of Hoshino Ai chatting with the girl, noticed at a glance that the black-gray patches on Hoshino Ai’s face had deepened.

Just as he was about to say something, the door was knocked.

“Senior Lin Ye, it’s…… it’s me,”

“I, we feel…… something is wrong,”

“Sawayanagi-kun, he is currently about to…… lose control of himself,”

“Please, help us……”

……

That was Kuroda Hikari’s voice.

She was outside the door asking for help.

“It’s Kuroda-san……”

Hoshino Ai swallowed and looked at Lin Ye.

“Should we……”

“According to the plot of horror mystery novels, the possibility that it’s a supernatural entity outside the door is the highest; it’s tricking us into opening the door.”

“I understand.”

Hoshino Ai nodded as if she understood, putting away her sympathy.

But then she saw Lin Ye turn and walk toward the door.

“Lin Ye-kun, you……”

“Stay inside, I’ll go take a look.”

Now that the ‘un-ah’ sounds had stopped, he noticed that Hoshino Ai’s infection level had clearly increased; his own situation wouldn’t be any better.

He needed to collect more information; continuing to cower in the room was no different from waiting for death.

Hoshino Ai was anxious and uneasy, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and followed; her fate was already tied to Lin Ye’s, and rather than waiting in the room worrying, it was better to follow him and perhaps provide some help.

‘Click……’

The door opened.

“Senior Lin Ye, help…… us……”

The moment she looked up and saw Lin Ye behind the door, Kuroda Hikari’s eyes changed instantly; the rationality she had been maintaining seemed to collapse in that very moment.

“I…… want……”

……

[Time Stop] activated.

Everything came to an abrupt halt.

Only Lin Ye remained able to move in this world.

Lin Ye looked at the Kuroda Hikari in front of him; the chestnut-haired twin-tailed girl had a flush on her face, her hair was slightly messy, and her left hand was clenched into a fist as if to restrain her inner emotions, but her skin was normal, without any mutated black-gray patches.

He carried the girl out into the hallway.

In the hotel hallway after midnight, the lights were much dimmer; the green light from the emergency exit signs mixed with the yellow lights of the hallway, adding a richer, more eerie atmosphere to the dark red carpet.

Lin Ye looked at room 307 directly opposite.

Sawayanagi Taisuke, who had just opened the door to 307, had bloodshot eyes, his body hunched over, hands reaching out, trying to grab the fleeing Kuroda Hikari, but there were no signs of mutation on his skin.

“Need shower water.”

Lin Ye carried the girl toward 307, pushed Sawayanagi Taisuke aside with his left hand, and successfully entered.

Finally, he grabbed Sawayanagi Taisuke by the back of his collar and dragged him into the bathroom like a dead pig.

“Now is the time to verify my hypothesis.”

……

…… ===== CHAPTER 36 =====

Time resumed its flow.

The showerhead Lin Ye turned on sprayed out black-red liquid.

Sawayanagi Taisuke was sprayed until he was soaked.

“Kuroda, I can’t hold it anymore……”

“I want you, give me……”

Just after shouting, Sawayanagi Taisuke felt countless droplets spraying over him, soaking his face.

A flash of bewilderment struck him, but the moment he saw Kuroda Hikari, his fire of desire was ignited once again, and he struggled, trying to pounce on her again.

But Lin Ye kicked him, heavily sending Sawayanagi Taisuke to the ground.

That wasn’t enough; Lin Ye followed up with several more kicks.

“Look at me.”

Lin Ye raised his voice; the image of Sawayanagi Taisuke in his field of vision had already changed.

“You…… Lin…… monster……”

It seemed that under the influence of fear, Sawayanagi Taisuke’s impulses were restrained, and he even scrambled away with his legs in a panic.

“Kuroda-san, do you see anything special about the two of us?” ===== CHAPTER 37 =====