บท 18: Chapter 018: Help Us
Chapter 018: Help Us
'Drip... drip...'
The sound of water dripping echoed continuously, each splash clear and distinct.
At that moment, Hoshino Ai realized who the woman in the mirror was.
It was her.
The girl with long, dark purple hair immediately turned away, unable to bear looking at her reflection again. For the first time in her life, she saw herself looking so hideous.
After seeing it once, she never wanted to see it again.
"We… we're both infected. What… what should we do?"
Even Hoshino Ai knew that if the infection worsened further, death would draw even closer.
"It's… it's the water, isn't it? After Lin Ye-kun came into contact with it, we turned into this."
"The water likely neutralized the influence of the sounds from the next room. That aligns with the reminder in Rule 8," Lin Ye hypothesized.
"The sounds next door didn't just affect our desires and impulses; they also caused hallucinations. That's why we didn't notice the changes in our bodies sooner."
As for why their reflections appeared normal even after breaking free from the hallucinations, Lin Ye could only attribute it to the hotel's peculiar rules.
"Then… does that mean the sounds caused our infection?"
"That's the most likely explanation for now."
"So, are we safe now? The sounds are gone they shouldn't be affecting us anymore."
It was unclear whether the sounds had stopped on their own or if the water's influence had blocked them.
However, Hoshino Ai remembered showering before the sounds began, yet she still heard them. Could it be that the water only worked after the sounds started affecting them?
She had touched the water before Lin Ye, but her inner urges hadn't subsided until after Lin Ye also came into contact with it.
Did it require both of them to use the water for it to work?
Hoshino Ai racked her brain and came up with what she thought was a reasonable explanation.
"For now, we seem safe. Put some clothes on."
At Lin Ye's reminder, Hoshino Ai snapped out of her thoughts, realizing her current vulnerable state. She quickly grabbed some clothes and dressed herself.
Even though she knew how unappealing she looked to Lin Ye, she still felt shy.
Two minutes later,
Hoshino Ai had fixed her appearance and steadied her messy, shame-filled thoughts.
Midnight passed.
As Lin Ye stood in front of her, talking, he noticed something alarming: the black and gray patches on Hoshino Ai's face had darkened.
Just as he was about to say something, there was a knock at the door.
"Lin Ye-senpai… it's me,"
"We… we don't feel right,"
"Taisuke-kun… he's almost… unable to control himself,"
"Please, help us…"
That was Kuroda Hikaru's voice.
She was calling for help outside the door.
"It's Kuroda-san..."
Hoshino Ai swallowed nervously and looked at Lin Ye.
"Should we..."
"According to the typical plot of eerie horror stories, what's outside the door is most likely something sinister trying to trick us into opening it."
"I see."
Hoshino Ai nodded in apparent understanding, suppressing her sympathy.
But then she saw Lin Ye turning and walking toward the door.
"Lin Ye-kun, you..."
"You stay inside; I'll go take a look," he said.
Now that the strange noises had stopped, Lin Ye noticed that Hoshino Ai's level of infection had clearly worsened, and his own condition wasn't likely to fare much better.
He needed to gather more information. Continuing to hole up in the room would be no different from waiting for death.
Hoshino Ai was anxious, but she clenched her teeth and followed. Her fate was already tied to Lin Ye's. Rather than staying in the room and worrying, it might be better to follow him and perhaps contribute in some way.
Click...
The door opened.
"Lin Ye-senpai, please... help us..."
The moment Kuroda Hikaru saw Lin Ye behind the door, her eyes immediately changed. The rationality she had been holding onto seemed to shatter in an instant.
"I... I want to..."
[Time Freeze] Activated.
Everything came to an abrupt halt.
Only Lin Ye remained able to move in this frozen world.
Lin Ye looked at Kuroda Hikaru in front of him. The chestnut-haired girl with twin-tails had a flush on her face, her hair slightly disheveled. Her left hand was clenched into a fist, seemingly to suppress her emotions, but her skin appeared normal there were no signs of the black and gray patches of infection.
Carrying the girl in his arms, he moved into the hallway.
After midnight, the hotel corridor had grown much dimmer. The faint green glow from the emergency exit signs mixed with the yellow corridor lights, casting an eerie hue over the dark red carpet, further intensifying the unsettling atmosphere.
Lin Ye turned his gaze toward Room 307.
Standing at the door of Room 307 was Taisuke, who had just opened it. His bloodshot eyes darted around, his body hunched forward, hands outstretched as if trying to grab the fleeing Kuroda Hikaru. However, his skin showed no signs of mutation.
"We need the shower water," Lin Ye muttered.
Holding the girl, Lin Ye moved toward Room 307, pushed Taisuke aside with his left hand, and successfully entered.
Finally, he grabbed Taisuke by the back of his shirt and dragged him into the bathroom like a lifeless weight.
"Now, it's time to test my hypothesis."
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