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

Chapter 002: Romantic Love Hotel

A love hotel?!

Lin Ye had never been to one before, and to think that on the very first day of his reincarnation, he was being invited by a girl to visit a love hotel. His luck post-reincarnation seemed almost too good to be true.

But... could this be a trap? A honey trap?

Instinctively, Lin Ye glanced at Ai Hoshino beside him.

The girl was stunningly beautiful, her long, dark purple hair swaying gently in the evening breeze. Her beauty was like a vibrant red rose in full bloom.

However, why did Ai Hoshino's face look so pale, as if she were frightened by something?

Just then, Ai Hoshino, who had been lagging slightly behind, suddenly quickened her pace and caught up. She grabbed Lin Ye's wrist with her delicate hand, which was unexpectedly strong.

"What's wrong?"

There was something off about Ai Hoshino.

"Let's… go to a different hotel," she said hurriedly, turning around and pulling Lin Ye along in the opposite direction.

By now, a thin mist had crept in, obscuring the path they had just walked. Ai Hoshino held onto Lin Ye's wrist tightly as they hurried forward, and Lin Ye began to notice something was amiss.

Having consumed plenty of supernatural stories in his previous life, Lin Ye couldn't help but recognize the strange atmosphere surrounding them.

The once-bustling street was now eerily empty, leaving only Lin Ye and Ai Hoshino. There wasn't a single pedestrian or car in sight, and the surroundings were deathly quiet. Even the streetlights seemed to dim as if they had wandered into an isolated, abnormal world.

A few minutes later, a light appeared in the distance, like a beacon guiding their way.

Ai Hoshino, walking ahead, quickened her pace.

But soon, she froze.

Her trembling grip on Lin Ye's hand tightened, her body growing icy cold, as if she had been plunged into a frozen abyss.

"Romantic Love Hotel," Lin Ye read the name on the sign aloud once more, his voice calm.

"We… we were walking in the opposite direction. This… this is impossible."

Ai Hoshino's voice quivered as she spoke, the fear in her heart rising uncontrollably.

Instinctively, she moved closer to Lin Ye. He was the only one who could provide her with a sense of safety amidst the dread.

"Lin Ye-kun, let's leave," she pleaded.

But this time, Lin Ye held onto Ai Hoshino's wrist and shook his head.

"Given the current situation, I don't think it's possible for us to leave this mist-encircled area. Trying again would only waste more time. Moreover, I suspect there's a time limit for checking in. If we exceed it, something bad might happen," Lin Ye said calmly.

He recalled similar scenarios from stories he had read in his past life.

"Right now, I need you to tell me everything you know about this situation," Lin Ye continued.

"Just once one last time we'll try again. I'll tell you everything I know along the way," Ai Hoshino pleaded, her large, starry eyes shimmering with desperation.

She absolutely did not want to enter that dangerous love hotel.

"Alright," Lin Ye agreed.

Once again, the two turned and briskly walked in the direction opposite the Romantic Love Hotel.

Compared to before, Ai Hoshino now clung closely to Lin Ye, eliminating any sense of distance between them.

Lin Ye felt like he was being taken advantage of.

He was losing out here!

"We... must have been dragged into... a supernatural game,"

"The government clearly stated that ordinary people wouldn't encounter anything supernatural. So why... why am I experiencing this?!"

As she spoke, Ai Hoshino complained, trembled, and expressed her fear.

"Miss Hoshino, please get to the point,"

"Ugh, Lin Ye-kun, you're so inconsiderate of a girl's feelings. You'll never get a girlfriend this way."

"Well, considering you already rejected my confession, it's no wonder I don't have a girlfriend."

"Eh? A fan confessing publicly can't be accepted! I'm an idol, after all. If an idol falls in love, her fans turn into haters."

Despite her grumbling, Ai Hoshino began to calm down a little.

"I've actually heard some rumors about the Romantic Love Hotel. About half a year ago, a couple died there under mysterious circumstances. Although the government dismissed it as a hoax, the hotel was closed down for renovations. The most critical detail, though, is that the hotel is located in the Shinjuku district, not Chiyoda, where we are now."

Calculating from the central point, Chiyoda and Shinjuku are about five kilometers apart, a distance that would take at least 20 minutes to drive.

It's not somewhere you can reach on foot in just a few minutes.

"This time, the supernatural game must have chosen the Romantic Love Hotel as its setting… ugh, ugh..."

She looked up again, only to see the same Romantic Love Hotel sign glaring back at them.

They had returned to the hotel.

She was on the verge of tears.

Ai Hoshino wanted to cry.

From the dark-haired girl's words, Lin Ye gained a deeper understanding of the world they were in.

This wasn't a simple slice-of-life anime world but a blend of the supernatural, urban legends, horror, and other eerie elements.

It was dangerous.

But no matter

He was a superhuman with the ability to stop time. How could he lose?

Seeing Ai Hoshino frozen in fear, unwilling to take another step forward, Lin Ye steeled himself, grabbed her hand, and forcibly led her toward the hotel's entrance.

Confrontation was the best solution.

In the end, Ai Hoshino followed nervously, her eyes half-closed, too scared to look at anything potentially horrifying.

"Welcome."

The moment they stepped inside, a welcoming voice echoed through the lobby.

Lin Ye looked around.

The spacious lobby was brightly lit by fluorescent lights. A clock hung on the wall, vending machines hummed faintly, and various other mechanical devices filled the room. The reception desk, however, was unmanned.

"No monsters. You can open your eyes," Lin Ye said, patting Ai Hoshino.

The girl cautiously opened her eyes, and the bright environment helped ease her nerves a little.

People are naturally drawn to light.

"Let's look around for clues,"

Lin Ye scanned the area, and his gaze fell on a white piece of paper lying on the reception desk. He walked over and picked it up.

The bold title read: Rules for Staying at the Romantic Love Hotel.

Ai Hoshino quickly followed and read the text on the paper.

"Welcome to the Romantic Love Hotel. To ensure all our guests have a pleasant and enjoyable evening, please adhere strictly to the following rules."

"This is a rules-based supernatural game," Ai Hoshino said with a sigh of relief.

She had never participated in a supernatural game before, but information about them circulated privately, and many people were aware of their existence. However, no reports or news about them could be found online.

"In this type of supernatural game, as long as we follow the rules, we can successfully clear it and leave here alive."

Rule-based supernatural games had their pros and cons. For someone like her, an ordinary person, they were a good choice. At least she wouldn't have to confront supernatural beings directly or fight monstrous creatures herself.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ai Hoshino glanced at Lin Ye.

With him here, this master of time-stopping abilities, she felt incredibly safe. Surely a fan wouldn't abandon his own idol, right?

"Let's read the rules," Lin Ye said.

Rule 1: This is a love hotel. Each room must be used by two or more people.

Rule 2: You can use the self-service check-in kiosk to obtain your room keycard. All rooms are freely selectable. Check-in services close at 10:00 PM.

Rule 3: This is an unmanned hotel. There are no staff members. If anyone claims to be staff, please ignore them, especially during late-night hours.

Rule 4: If you encounter an emergency, you can use the stairwell to return to the first-floor lobby and seek help at the reception desk.

Rule 5: Room keycards are very important. Please keep them safe. Checkout can be done starting at 6:00 AM the next day by returning the keycard to the card machine.

...

Five rules in total.

"Tomorrow at six," Ai Hoshino murmured, realizing that if they could hold out until six in the morning, they would successfully clear the game and leave this place.

Suddenly, she felt a surge of motivation, a sense of purpose and hope.

At that moment,

The mechanical voice repeated, "Welcome."

Footsteps echoed from the direction of the entrance doors.

Someone else had arrived.

Ai Hoshino instinctively panicked.

Could it be... something supernatural?!

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