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

Chapter 017: A Little Gentler, A Little Faster

Infection Lin Ye was already infected.

A surge of fear instantly replaced the nervousness and panic in Hoshino Ai's heart.

If even Lin Ye, a superpowered individual, had succumbed to the eerie infection, how could she possibly survive the night and leave this Romantic Love Hotel alive?

I'm doomed, completely doomed!

Plip…

Hoshino Ai instinctively moved her left leg back, taking a step away. She crossed her arms over her chest, covering herself.

The primal instinct to survive rose within her.

She wanted to flee, to resist, but Lin Ye was blocking the only exit. She had nowhere to escape.

"Lin Ye-kun... being too rough with a girl... that's not good. I believe you're not the kind of man who would force himself on someone," she stammered, her trembling voice breaking intermittently.

At this moment,

Hoshino Ai could only hope that Lin Ye still retained his rationality and hadn't completely lost control due to the infection.

She couldn't break through with force, so her only hope lay in reasoning with him.

To her relief, Lin Ye stopped in his tracks, seemingly listening to her.

"Hoshino, you need to mentally prepare yourself," he said.

"I… I will, but can I at least put some clothes on first?"

"Look down at your body," Lin Ye replied.

Hoshino Ai glanced down. Her delicate, fair skin came into view her figure petite but alluring, her legs long and slender, her feet exquisitely charming.

This body of hers could drive countless men mad.

"It seems you've realized," Lin Ye said, taking another step closer. Hoshino Ai instinctively retreated again, but there was nowhere left to go.

"I hope you'll cooperate. I don't want to resort to violence or force."

Hoshino Ai shook her head vehemently, her eyes filled with fear and panic.

"Lin Ye-kun, please control your impulses. I believe in you. You won't… you won't lose to the infection. Please, come to your senses!"

Come to his senses? Lin Ye was perfectly calm. At this moment, his emotions were steady, far better than they had been earlier.

Faced with Hoshino Ai's body marked by black and gray patches, how could he possibly feel any desire?

Lin Ye took another step forward.

"What is that?" he asked.

Before he could do anything further, Hoshino Ai threw a towel at him.

Clenching her teeth, she shielded herself with her hands and dashed forward.

Even if the chances were slim, she refused to give up.

Whoosh!

But the impact she expected never came. Hoshino Ai realized she had once again fallen into a state of stillness.

'Rip...'

The towel in Lin Ye's hands was torn into strips, transformed into makeshift ropes.

The girl's hands and feet were bound tightly.

Hoshino Ai could only watch helplessly as it all unfolded. She had no way to resist, forced to witness her own restraint. She knew there was no escaping her fate.

Sob, sob…

If I'm infected after Lin Ye-kun violates me, won't I succumb too? I... I'm doomed to die here in this love hotel…

Despair overwhelmed Hoshino Ai, her heart heavy with sadness that seemed to have no end.

The moment time resumed, tears streamed down her face, flowing uncontrollably from her eyes.

At this point, Hoshino Ai had already been tossed onto the large bed by Lin Ye.

Lin Ye felt a twinge of guilt but understood the immense psychological strain Hoshino Ai was enduring in the face of this infection.

No one was unafraid of death let alone a young girl who had been chasing her dream of stardom just days ago.

"I won't kill you right away. Your consciousness is still intact for now. However, the moment you lose it and transform into something… unnatural, I will act," Lin Ye said calmly.

"Rest assured, as you hope, I will make it gentle and quick, so you won't feel much pain."

Hoshino Ai: ???

Her tearful expression froze in shock.

Why did it sound like Lin Ye was saying she was the one infected?

But it was clearly Lin Ye-kun who was infected!

"Lin Ye-kun… sob… sob…"

Her protests were muffled as a towel was stuffed into her mouth.

Hoshino Ai struggled fiercely, letting out muffled cries. Her bright, tear-filled eyes stared intently at Lin Ye, and finally, he paused and spoke.

"Do you have something to say to me?"

Hoshino Ai nodded desperately.

Lin Ye removed the towel.

"Lin Ye-kun, I'm not infected! I haven't turned into something unnatural!"

Lin Ye didn't believe her.

"You are infected. You've been affected by something eerie. Look at your arms and cheeks they're covered in black and gray patches."

Lin Ye frowned slightly and looked at his own arm.

His skin appeared perfectly normal, with no signs of abnormality.

Out of caution, he removed his shirt and examined his body. His skin was completely normal, utterly unlike Hoshino Ai's condition.

"I'm serious! You're the one with patches all over black and gray, just like that mutated female staff member on the first floor."

Was Hoshino Ai lying?

But another possibility crossed his mind.

"Check your own body now. What do you see?"

"Uh! Nothing unusual everything seems fine."

Hoshino Ai glanced at herself again and found no abnormalities.

"From my perspective, your face, body, and legs are all marked with black and gray patches you look infected."

"This can't be…"

Even Hoshino Ai, slow to catch on, began piecing it together.

"Are we… seeing illusions?"

If that were true, then neither of them was infected. A wave of relief washed over Hoshino Ai as she felt like she had narrowly escaped death.

"There's another possibility: we can't see our own mutations."

The moment Lin Ye said this, Hoshino Ai's face turned pale. If that were the case, then they were truly doomed.

"How can we confirm this?"

Hoshino Ai was desperate to understand her situation.

Lin Ye turned and walked to the bathroom, heading to the sink. Under the bright lights, his face was illuminated clearly.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror.

His heart remained calm.

Through the mirror, he confirmed his condition.

The skin, which should have been its normal color, was instead covered in patches of black and gray. His eyes were dull, devoid of vitality, as if he had been infected by something that drained the life out of him.

It wasn't as severe as the mutated female staff member in the lobby, but if the condition continued to worsen, he feared he would end up just like her.

This wasn't an illusion.

Both he and Hoshino Ai had been affected by some unknown force.

And it had nothing to do with the shower water.

If it were simply water that caused the mutation, Hoshino Ai would have transformed long ago. There was no way it would have taken this long to manifest.

Returning to the bedroom, Lin Ye observed Hoshino Ai with a calm expression, which only deepened her growing unease.

"Umm… Lin Ye-kun, have you… confirmed it?"

"Yes."

Lin Ye didn't elaborate further. He simply untied the towels binding her wrists and ankles and led her to the bathroom.

When Hoshino Ai saw her reflection in the mirror, she froze in shock.

Who is this?!

So ugly, so horrible!

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