In the world of anime with the power to stop time.

Chapter 014: I Care

In Room 304,

The middle-aged man, Tanaka Ichiro, and Miho Kamimura returned to their room. As soon as they entered, Miho Kamimura immediately inquired about what had happened on the first floor.

The appearance of the female staff member, her mutation after the blond-haired man responded to her, and the screams that followed.

This hotel was bizarre and extremely dangerous.

"Rule 8 recommends taking a shower before sleeping. Do you want to go first, or should I?"

It wasn't mandatory, but both of them agreed it was better to follow the suggestion.

"You go first."

Tanaka Ichiro was still caught in the lingering fear of what had happened earlier.

The sound of running water echoed in the room.

Tanaka Ichiro glanced towards the bathroom, suppressing the unease growing in his heart.

He and Miho Kamimura had only met for the first time that day. Their meeting was strictly transactional he paid, and she provided her company. It was a fair deal. But never in his wildest imagination did he think he'd be dragged into such a dangerous and eerie game.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have made plans tonight. Staying home and sleeping would've been better."

But there's no medicine for regret in this world.

Tanaka Ichiro could only sigh.

Suddenly, a piercing scream broke the silence.

It was Miho Kamimura is voice.

"What happened?"

"Blood! So much blood!"

The sound of something heavy hitting the ground followed.

Startled, the middle-aged man initially wanted to investigate. But upon seeing the blood-red liquid pooling near the bathroom door, all thoughts of approaching vanished. Instead, he backed away in panic, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the bathroom. Grabbing a vase, he prepared to defend himself against any potential monsters.

"Come help me! Hurry up!"

"Handle it yourself!"

In the end, Miho Kamimura managed to pull herself up on her own. She gradually calmed down, and upon realizing her body seemed unaffected, she pushed through her discomfort and turned off the shower.

"Useless man,"

Now dressed and standing in the bedroom, she glared at the middle-aged man who was cowering at a distance and mocked him coldly.

"I could take you down easily."

"Hmph, always picking on a weak woman like me."

"You love being picked on, don't you?"

"Come here, then!"

But Tanaka Ichiro had no intention of approaching her. Instead, he worried that getting close to her might put him in danger.

307,

In Room 307,

Kuroda Hikari and Taisuke Sawanaga spent a considerable amount of time talking. The girl was particularly focused on asking about the events that had occurred in the lobby on the first floor.

Taisuke Sawanaga provided a brief explanation, mentioning the encounter with the female staff member in the lobby. However, he deliberately withheld the part about how her reaction had been triggered by his response.

I only kept it from her to avoid unnecessary worry, he thought.

"Kuroda, if we truly face danger, you must go to Room 306 and ask Brother Lin for help. If any one of us can make it out of this love hotel alive, it will be him."

This was a consensus shared by everyone. Lin Ye's performance in the hotel had left a strong impression on them all.

"I will, Taisuke. We will both make it out of here alive."

"Yeah, we will. You're a girl, very cute, though... well, not quite as striking as Hoshino Ai. Still, you have your own charm. But sometimes, to survive, sacrifices have to be made."

Taisuke Sawanaga spoke tactfully, but Kuroda Hikari understood his meaning. She gave a bitter smile and lowered her head.

Why does it have to be like this?

A wave of frustration swelled within her as she turned and walked towards the bathroom.

She turned on the faucet at the sink, and the moment she saw the black-red liquid flowing out, she instinctively recoiled and let out a panicked sound.

Taisuke Sawanaga quickly came to check the situation.

"It's all black and red now,"

"Then... what about taking a shower?"

"I'm skipping it. Rule 8 doesn't say you have to shower."

Taisuke stared at the dark liquid, feeling as though it was some kind of deadly contaminant straight from the abyss.

In the end, Kuroda Hikari decided not to shower either.

She was worried, too.

The two of them found a spot to sit down and rest.

This night was destined to be sleepless.

Time passed.

It was now 10:48 PM.

Over an hour had gone by since Lin Ye arrived at the Romantic Love Hotel.

During this time, aside from the faucet spewing black-red liquid, no other unusual incidents had occurred.

Hoshino Ai occasionally started conversations with Lin Ye, sharing her plans and dreams for the future. She talked about wanting to become a beloved, incredibly popular idol and how, if she ever got married and had children, she hoped to be an exceptional mother.

"I grew up in a single-parent family. My mom was really strict and often hit me,"

Recalling the past, Hoshino Ai hugged her knees, her body trembling slightly. She had put on Lin Ye's jacket to prepare for any sudden emergencies.

Lin Ye remembered the details of Hoshino Ai's background, but at this moment, he chose to simply be a listener, taking in the girl's deepest thoughts and feelings.

"She was eventually arrested and went to prison. I ended up in an orphanage. But even though she hit me so much, I always missed her. I knew she was the only family I had in this world."

The girl with her long, dark purple hair showed a sorrowful expression, her aura heavy with grief.

"I kept waiting for the day she'd get out and come find me. But to this day, I haven't seen her again. She completely abandoned me. Maybe even if I died, she wouldn't care."

"I care," Lin Ye said.

"Huh?"

Hoshino Ai turned a surprised gaze toward him.

"Hoshino, if you were to die, the world would lose a beautiful girl. That would be such a shame. So yes, I care. You will leave this place alive."

"Lin Ye-kun, you really are..."

She was caught between laughing and crying, unsure whether to feel happy or sad.

"Focus on happy things. This world has sadness and pain, but it also has joy and happiness. As someone dedicated to being an idol, you must love your work—it brings you joy. So keep going! Work hard to become the super-popular idol you dream of being, Hoshino Ai."

"Thank you."

The single word carried all her heartfelt gratitude.

"Um… Lin Ye-kun," she began hesitantly.

"Speak freely," he replied.

"Could you… continue to support me? I hope you'll keep supporting me. Please don't… don't switch to supporting Mai, okay?"

This request seemed to take every ounce of her courage.

She looked at Lin Ye nervously, waiting for his response.

Not supporting Mai?

Wait—does this mean Mai actually exists?

Lin Ye's inner thoughts ignited like a blazing fire.

Bunny Girl Senpai!

"I can't do that. Once we leave this hotel, I'm going to find Mai," he declared.

Mai was real—how could he not go meet her?

Hoshino Ai's face instantly filled with sorrow as her request was bluntly rejected.

"I actually…" she started to say,

But at that moment, strange noises broke the silence:

"Ah… ah…"

Hoshino Ai and Lin Ye exchanged a look, then turned toward the source of the sound.

"Mm… mm…"

"Oh… oh…"

The voices were coming from the direction of Ichiro Tanaka and Miho Kamimura. Were they really… doing that?

"Wait," Lin Ye's expression shifted suddenly.

The sound was coming from Room 308, not 304.

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