Strange Game - Anime Mashup

Nanase Ren dipped cotton in alcohol and began applying it to the man's forehead, both sides of his neck, limbs, and palms, initiating a new round of physical cooling.

These areas, rich with large blood vessels, allow alcohol to easily remove more heat.

This was her profession, and she couldn't afford to fail.

Lin Ye had found a solution, and she was determined to lower this strange body temperature.

Nanase Ren focused all her attention on her task. In addition to using alcohol, she fanned him to speed up the dissipation of heat.

Her hands began to feel sore, but she gritted her teeth and persevered without complaint, refusing to slack for even a moment.

Lin Ye looked at the hardworking nurse and smiled knowingly.

He noticed that the bus was slowing down significantly, the man's body temperature was dropping, and they were just a step away from victory.

Finally,

The man opened his eyes.

Nanase Ren was so startled that she immediately pulled her hand back.

'What do I do now?'

Should she continue wiping or stop?

Her gaze darted to Lin Ye for guidance, and he responded with an "OK" gesture, signaling that her job was done.

"Phew..."

Nanase Ren raised the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

'I'm so tired. This is even more exhausting than working in the emergency room.'

She knew the strain wasn't just physical. The dangerous environment and high stakes compounded her fatigue. On this bus, failure could mean death—or worse.

The mental stress was overwhelming.

Now that her task was over, she could finally rest.

Nanase Ren sat up straight, rubbing the sore muscles in her right arm with her left hand to relieve the tension.

"Thank you, nurse."

Just as she was taking a deep breath, a calm voice of gratitude came from her left.

Instantly, Nanase Ren tensed.

'What do I do?'

Should she reply? How should she reply?

Her eyes flitted to Lin Ye again. Only he seemed to know how to handle situations like this. After all, he was the one who had calmly conversed with the pale boy earlier.

Lin Ye nodded.

The bus rules only prohibited communication with the driver, but Lin Ye's general approach was to avoid unnecessary interaction with passengers unless it was crucial.

That said, conversations with "strange" individuals often provided clues or hints about how to escape the bus.

"No, it's okay. This is my duty as a nurse," Nanase Ren replied, her voice faltering slightly.

It took tremendous courage to speak and interact!

She admired Lin Ye even more for how naturally he had spoken with the pale boy earlier.

"We are approaching the next station. Please prepare to disembark if this is your stop," the automated announcement sounded.

"We're almost there,"

The man stood and moved toward the exit.

Nanase Ren quickly stood and stepped aside to make way.

As he passed her, the man muttered, "Don't get off with me."

Suddenly,

Nanase Ren's mind went blank.

'Don't get off with him?'

'Does this mean that Chiba City Hospital isn't our stop?'

'No... it can't be!'

Her heart sank. She had endured so much, only to discover that she might not be able to disembark here?

The man walked to the bus's exit and held onto the handrail. Then he looked back at her, his expression calm, as if he hadn't said anything unusual.

Lin Ye noticed her unease and approached, gently patting her shoulder to reassure her. He motioned for her to sit.

She moved to a seat and quickly typed on her phone, handing it to Lin Ye.

—He just told me, "Don't get off with me." Does this mean Chiba City Hospital isn't a stop we can disembark at?

Lin Ye tapped his fingers lightly on his thigh as he pondered the meaning of the man's words.

Was Chiba City Hospital truly not their stop?

Was the man lying to mislead them?

But none of the passengers so far had directly lied. This strange game didn't seem to be about distinguishing truth from falsehood.

If this were a final-stage trick to entrap them on the bus, it wouldn't align with the game's established rules.

Therefore,

The man must have been telling the truth.

They couldn't get off with him.

Nanase Ren was anxious, but she had stopped trying to figure things out on her own. She listened to Lin Ye, trusted his actions, and placed her life and future entirely in his hands.

'Live together or die together'

Having come this far, she had resigned herself to her fate.

'You decide! I trust you'

'Stay on the bus or disembark, I'll follow you'

To express her determination, she reached out and took Lin Ye's hand.

The gesture made the nurse blush slightly, but she didn't let go.

For the first time, she had consciously taken the hand of someone of the opposite sex. His hand was a little rough and large, but it felt comforting—so much so that she held on tightly.

Lin Ye teased, "Taking advantage of me, huh?"

Flustered, Nanase Ren rolled her eyes at him but didn't let go, unwilling to admit he was right.

The bus came to a stop.

Both the front and rear doors opened.

'Should we get off or not?'

Nanase Ren's heart raced as she waited for Lin Ye's decision.

Lin Ye understood now.

There was a new stop on the route map.

It wasn't that this station had changed, but another stop had been added.

"Excuse me," Lin Ye said, suddenly standing before the man. He pointed to the map and continued, "This isn't your stop. You should disembark at the next one."

The man paused, then nodded.

"I fainted from a fever and got confused. Thank you. You and your girlfriend should get off and go home early," the man said as he found a seat and sat down.

Lin Ye called for Nanase Ren, holding her hand as they walked off the bus together.

Unlike Lin Ye's calm demeanor, Nanase Ren was terrified. 'If this is a mistake, we'll die!'

They stepped onto solid ground.

A cool evening breeze brushed past them.

Nanase Ren hugged her clothes tightly as she took in her surroundings.

The Chiba City Hospital stop stood illuminated under dim streetlights.

It was the same stop where she had first boarded the bus.

'I'm back. I'm finally back!'

Tears of relief welled up in her eyes.

Overcome with joy, she threw her arms around Lin Ye and kissed him on the cheek.

Lin Ye sighed dramatically.

He thought to himself, 'She took advantage of me. I'll have to kiss her back to make things fair'

Well, that's how it should be.

He thought silently in his heart.

Lin Ye hugged the nurse, feeling her soft body, the refreshing scent she carried, and the ticklish sensation of her hair brushing against him. He had no intention of pushing her away.

Why rush? It wasn't his fault—Nanase Ren had thrown herself at him. Strictly speaking, he was the one being taken advantage of.

Lin Ye glanced down and met her eyes. The nurse's startled expression betrayed that she hadn't fully grasped their close proximity yet.

At such a short distance, he noticed her delicate features: flawless skin, clean and tender, almost irresistibly kissable.

Nanase Ren blinked, her long eyelashes trembling slightly as she finally became aware of their closeness. The pressure against her chest was unmistakable, a subtle yet insistent sensation that made her pulse race.

She quickly released him, trying to push him away but losing her balance in the process.

"Ah!"

Her panicked cry escaped as she flailed her arms, grasping at nothing. Instinctively, she shut her eyes, bracing for impact.

"Be careful," Lin Ye said calmly, steadying her with a firm grip.

"Thank you, thank you," she stammered, standing upright again with a crimson face. Flustered, she began fussing over her clothes, smoothing them back into place.

Moments later, she regained her composure.

"Thank you so much," she said earnestly. "If it weren't for you, I would never have been able to leave that bus alive."

The memory of the No. 18 bus sent a chill down her spine. It was a dangerous place, one that could have claimed her forever if she had made a single misstep. Lin Ye had saved her life.

Lin Ye, however, was nonchalant. He pulled out his phone, tapped a message, and showed it to her

—Lack of sincerity.

Nanase Ren's face turned a deeper shade of red, embarrassment creeping in.

"I'll treat you to Wagyu barbeque," she blurted. "You can eat as much as you want. Anything else you want, as long as it's available in Chiba—my treat."

Though prepared for an expensive bill, the journey on that eerie bus had also awakened a primal hunger within her. While the edge had dulled, her appetite still demanded satisfaction.

"Barbecue?" Lin Ye mused, recalling the strange barbecue incident earlier that week. "Interesting choice."

"Don't you like barbecue?"

"I do, but there's something else I'd rather eat."

He looked at her meaningfully.

"What is it?" she asked.

Lin Ye slowly raised his right hand, pointing... directly at her.

"Huh?"

The words spoken on the bus flashed through Nanase Ren's mind.

"No, no, no, that's not possible!" she stammered, shaking her head and hands in fervent denial. "Anything but that!"

Yet, despite her words, she didn't back away.

"What a shame," Lin Ye said with an exaggerated sigh. "I thought the beautiful nurse I saved would be so moved that she'd say, 'I can only repay you with my body.'"

"Absolutely not!" Nanase Ren retorted, her face bright red.

Lin Ye smirked. "Ah, I see—I'm not handsome enough. If I were, you'd probably have said it."

"That's not true!" she shot back, flustered. "It's just... something like that is too fast! I-I've never... had any experience…"

Her voice dwindled into a shy whisper, her fingers fidgeting nervously. She wanted Lin Ye to know her refusal wasn't about him—it was about her inexperience.

"You're plenty handsome," she admitted softly. "When you stood up to protect me on the bus, I was... deeply moved. I like people who are brave enough to stand up for others. But still! You're moving too fast…"

Her scattered explanation painted her as someone sincere yet overwhelmed by the situation.

"It was just a joke," Lin Ye reassured her with a chuckle. "Don't take it so seriously."

"Um…" She hesitated, then suddenly remembered something. "I don't even know your name yet."

"Lin Ye."

"I'm Nanase Ren. Just call me Ren."

"Alright. By the way, everything about the No. 18 bus must remain a secret."

"Understood," she replied quickly, though curiosity lingered. "Will there be consequences if others find out?"

Lin Ye nodded gravely. "If you tell others, they're more likely to encounter the bus themselves."

Nanase Ren swallowed hard, chills crawling up her spine.

"The rules can change," Lin Ye continued. "Don't assume you can survive just by knowing them. The dangers are unpredictable."

Ren nodded again, now determined to keep the experience locked away.

Lin Ye approached her and tapped her shoulder gently. "Miss Ren, you did something very rude earlier."

"Huh?"

She blinked, confused, only to see Lin Ye pointing at his cheek.

"You took advantage of me and kissed me."

"I…"

She wanted to deny it, but Lin Ye's calm yet teasing tone left her tongue-tied. Backing away instinctively, she found herself cornered by a tree, her retreat blocked.

"One thing I hate is being taking advantage of," Lin Ye said, stepping closer.

"I-I'll apologize!" she squeaked, her voice barely audible.

Lin Ye said nothing, simply waiting. His silence bore down on her until she finally relented.

"Fine!" she declared, reluctantly tilting her head and offering her left cheek.

Lin Ye didn't hesitate, leaning in to plant a light kiss.

"The other side," he added.

"Eh?"

"It's compensation."

Nanase Ren's face turned scarlet, but she hesitated only a moment before offering her right cheek as well.

As she did, a thought crossed her mind

'Will he make even more excessive demands if this continues?'