Chapter 32

Bang.

The soft fragrance hit Natsuki's arms. Slightly dizzy from switching worlds, he instinctively hugged the girl he was holding.

"Whoa, Kaguya?!" Chika's surprised voice rang out.

Rikka chimed in, "What a crazy transformation!"

Natsuki had vanished moments ago. While the girls were frantically searching, he suddenly reappeared, holding Kaguya without warning. It seemed like magic.

"Kaguya, are you alright?" Chika rushed forward, concern etched on her face. "We just turned this room upside down looking for you. How'd you pop up out of nowhere?"

"Chika..." Kaguya bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.

Being trapped by a mirror ghost for so long had left her shaken and terrified. Seeing Chika now made even the usually silly girl seem like a beacon of comfort.

"We can catch up later," Natsuki said decisively, placing the mirror on the table. "Let's get out of here first."

That mirror ghost was beyond creepy – not even close to being as cute as his own Sadako!

He pushed open the door and led them into the corridor.

The hallway had gone dark again, danger lurking in the shadows.

Natsuki guided the three girls, intending to return to Chika's room. But when they opened the door, a new vengeful spirit greeted them:

"Excuse me."

Acting quickly, Natsuki slammed the door shut and hustled everyone back to his ward.

Bang.

The door closed behind them.

In the dim, eerie light of the room, Natsuki finally relaxed upon seeing the old black-and-white TV in the corner. The Sadako from Himura Dairy suddenly didn't seem so scary anymore.

"Hey, Natsuki~" Chika leaned forward with a mischievous smile, hands behind her back. "How long are you planning to hold Kaguya's hand?"

"Huh?"

Natsuki looked down, realizing he was still grasping Kaguya's hand.

Wait a second...

He'd gotten it wrong. It was actually Kaguya who was holding his hand tightly.

He'd completely forgotten to let go. Seems like he'd been pretty scared too.

Kaguya quietly loosened her grip. Her expression had returned to its usual calm, but her ears were tinged with a faint blush. Changing the subject, she said:

"I was in a ward just now, but it was a ward inside the mirror..."

Like everyone else, Kaguya had appeared alone in a hospital room after entering the game. But she'd had incredibly bad luck.

The corridor outside was pitch black, making it impossible to leave. Kaguya had carefully examined the room, then stood alone in the center, considering how to complete the game safely.

By the time she realized the person in the mirror was smiling at her, it was too late. The mirror ghost had dragged her into its world. She watched helplessly as it gradually took on her appearance until they were identical. Even now, the memory sent chills down her spine.

"No wonder your eyes are all teary, Kaguya. You must have been terrified!" Chika gently patted Kaguya's head, her voice soft and comforting.

"I didn't cry," Kaguya insisted, unwilling to admit her fear.

"You're fibbing. I saw it with my own eyes," Chika insisted.

"Saw what exactly?" Kaguya asked with a sweet smile.

"I'm sorry! I take it back. Please forgive me." Chika dramatically dropped to her knees, then turned to Natsuki with curiosity. "Hey Natsuki, how did you actually recognize the real Kaguya?"

Hearing this, Kaguya gently pursed her lips and glanced at Natsuki. She was curious too.

While trapped in the mirror world, the ghost's imitation had been perfect - appearance, voice, memories, even personality. Even Ai or Chika, who knew her best, probably wouldn't have spotted the difference. So how had Natsuki managed it?

"The eyes," Natsuki said, pointing to his own. "The ghost was just mimicking, after all. It couldn't copy instincts that Kaguya herself isn't even aware of."

"What do you mean?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Natsuki turned to face her. "A few days ago, during our 'Opening Eyes to the Sun' mission, I noticed that when we looked at each other, your pupils would unconsciously dilate."

"In the mirror world, I looked into the other Kaguya's eyes. Even though she looked tearful and vulnerable, her pupils didn't change size at all."

"..."

Kaguya bit her lip, internally fuming. Tearful and vulnerable? As if she'd ever look like that!

"Oh, I get it!" Rikka, who'd been quiet until now, suddenly raised her hand.

Everyone turned to look at her.

The middle schooler's hair bobbed slightly as she whispered, "Well, I saw on TV that when a girl sees a boy she likes, her pupils get bigger."

"What?!" Chika's eyes went wide as she rushed over, starry-eyed. "Kaguya, do you like Natsuki?"

"...Impossible." Kaguya crossed her arms, her face tense as she flatly denied it. That heart-racing feeling was nothing more than the suspension bridge effect. Besides, there was no scientific proof that "liking" someone was even real.

"What do you think, Natsuki?" Chika clasped her hands in front of her chest, her gossip senses tingling.

Natsuki looked over Chika's shoulder. "First, calm down. Don't panic. Listen to me."

"Huh?"

Chika froze, noticing that Kaguya and Rikka were also staring behind her.

The naive girl suddenly felt nervous. She slowly turned around, coming face-to-face with a Sadako figure in a blood-stained white dress, long black hair covering her face.

"Eeeeek!" Chika's scream was ear-piercing.

She launched herself into Natsuki's arms, pressing her hands against his face so hard he could barely breathe.

"I told you not to panic," Natsuki grumbled, trying to pry off the octopus-like Chika. "She's just my roommate, the shy Sadako. She's actually pretty chill."

Natsuki hadn't noticed Sadako when they first entered the ward. She must have quietly crawled out of the TV while they were talking.

The corridor lights flickered on, chasing away the darkness.

Natsuki cracked open the door, peering out cautiously. "Coast is clear," he whispered. "We can head out now."

"I'm coming too," Chika declared, peeking out nervously. She clenched her fist with determination. "We came into this game together, so we'll leave together."

Natsuki winced internally. Don't go raising death flags like that!

Rikka quickly followed suit. No way was she staying alone in a room with Sadako. Who knew when the ghost might decide to play hostess?

The four stepped out into the hallway. Despite the lights being on, an eerie chill still hung in the air.

"So, what's next on the agenda?" Kaguya asked, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to the creepy atmosphere.

Natsuki didn't hesitate. "We complete as many tasks as possible and rack up those rewards."

The main objective was to survive for 24 hours. With that comb in hand, socially anxious Sadako wouldn't dare show her face. They could just hole up in the ward, wait it out, and call it a day.

But that would only net them the bare minimum - ten game coins. Barely enough for one measly loot box.

Passive survival had never been Natsuki's style. Especially not when his eyes could pick up on all sorts of useful prompts. No, the goal was clear: crush those side quests and maximize their rewards.

Kaguya nodded, her thoughts aligning with his. "If we're doing this, we're going all in. I'm with you."

"Let's stick together," Chika added, her voice wavering slightly. "Safety in numbers, right?"

Rikka just nodded, wide-eyed and silent.

As they ventured deeper into the hospital's twisted corridors, Natsuki couldn't shake a nagging thought. Sure, Sadako had seemed harmless enough, but what other horrors might be lurking in the shadows? He gripped the comb tighter, hoping it would be enough to keep them safe.

...

[Current Power Stones: 269]

For every 15 Power Stones, 1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded on the same day.

[Target: 284]

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