Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Dancing Devil
Renji patted the mysterious dance machine, confirmed it was still functioning, and quickly plugged it in. With a soft beep, the screen lit up, displaying a series of menu options.
"Alright, it still works. Kobeni-senpai, are you ready?" Renji turned to look at Kobeni.
Kobeni had already untied her black tie and half-removed her white shirt, revealing well-defined abdominal muscles, a slender waist with not an ounce of excess fat, and the edge of a black bra peeking from underneath.
"N-Not yet..."
Her voice was tearful as she slowly took off the shirt completely and wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.
"Is… is this really going to help?"
Renji watched her quietly, taking in the beauty and fragility of her form, though his expression remained composed and serious.
[Ding~ Detected Higashiyama Kobeni's shyness, system rewards 10 points.]
Kobeni seemed to sense the trace of a hidden gaze. Her cheeks flushed, eyes flickering with unease. Instinctively, she crossed her arms over her chest and stomach, trying to hide her nervousness and embarrassment.
"I can't guarantee it, but the probability of success is high. And in a situation like this, even if the odds are slim—just a fraction of a percent—we have to try, right?"
After a long pause, Kobeni gave in. She began to unfasten her pants but suddenly stopped, her gaze darting around before settling on the nearby bathroom.
"T-That... I'll go into the bathroom to change... Is that okay? Taking off clothes in front of others… it's just too uncomfortable..."
"Of course."
"Th-Thank you..."
Kobeni scurried into the bathroom and closed the door quickly behind her, leaving Renji alone in the room.
Five minutes passed with no sound from the bathroom. Renji cleared his throat, speaking with a deliberate, slightly anxious tone.
"Sigh… Time's running out. If we drag this out, we might really miss our chance... What do we do..."
[Ding~ Detected Higashiyama Kobeni's shyness, system rewards 10 points.]
Just as he finished speaking, the bathroom door creaked open slightly. Kobeni peeked out, her face flushed and filled with nervous tension. She clutched her arms tightly across her chest, trying to shield her vulnerability.
"M-My figure isn't that great, please don't laugh at me..."
Her voice trailed off, almost inaudible by the end.
"How could I? I'm a girl too, and I don't have a great figure either. Why would I laugh at you? Besides, look at the time. Come on—hurry up."
With great reluctance, Kobeni stepped out of the bathroom. She avoided looking at Renji directly, her bare feet padding slowly toward the dance machine, half-covered, half-exposed.
Renji noticed her underwear was a simple black set—plain, nothing flashy. But worn by her, accentuating her curves and firm figure, it still looked unexpectedly alluring.
She stepped onto the dance platform, selected a song, and hit start.
Deep down swirling through my mind~~Deep down swirling through my mind, yeah~~Deep down swirling through my mind~~Every morning down down down~~
......
As the beat began, Kobeni tried to follow along, but her movements were stiff and out of sync.
[Ding~ Detected Higashiyama Kobeni's nervousness, system rewards 5 points.]
Renji couldn't hold back any longer—he had to raise the stakes. Closing his eyes, he let tears stream down his cheeks.
He bent forward in anguish, shouting hoarsely, "I… I don't want to die…! I want to live! Please, Kobeni! You have to score 100! Don't you want to escape?! Don't you want to survive?! Don't you want to go home?!"
Kobeni was struck by Renji's cries. Her emotions erupted, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
"I do! I want to get out too! I want to live! I want to go home safely too!!!"
Her voice cracked, pouring out all the pain and desperation she had kept inside.
"Then sing! If you don't sing, what's the point of dancing?!"
On the brink of collapse, Kobeni opened her mouth without hesitation and began to sing along.
Deep down swirling through my mind~~Deep down swirling through my mind, yeah~~Deep down swirling through my mind~~Every morning down down down~~
......
She sang while dancing, moving in sync with the figure on the screen. Tears streamed down her face, but she didn't stop. On the contrary, she leaned deeper into the rhythm, more immersed than ever.
She spread her arms, twisted her slim waist, moving with grace and fervor. Every motion radiated intensity and allure.
As the tempo increased, so did her pace. Her body began to relax and flow naturally with the beat. Movements grew fluid, effortless—her flexibility and control finally shining through.
Finally, as the music reached its climax, Kobeni's dance reached its peak. Fireworks exploded across the screen—brilliant, dazzling, celebratory. A massive "100 points" flashed brightly, announcing her perfect score and undeniable success.
Kobeni stared at the number, eyes wide with disbelief. Then, as the truth sank in, tears spilled down her cheeks again—but this time, they were not born of fear or humiliation. They were tears of overwhelming relief and joy.
With a smile through her sobs, she dropped to the ground in a duck-sit, covering her face with both hands. Her body shook as she cried, but her lips held a joyful curve.
"Re... Renji Kuroda... Renji, I did it…! We can live… We can live, right? Huh? We can get out... We can really get out, right?"
Her voice was hoarse and trembling, pleading for confirmation—longing for the answer she'd dreamed of hearing.
But when she looked back at Renji with hopeful, tear-bright eyes, the expression she found on his face wasn't what she expected.
Instead of joy, Renji's brow was tightly furrowed. His face was a storm of sorrow and frustration.
He clenched his fists and suddenly slammed one into his thigh, his voice trembling with anger and helplessness.
"Failure! Kobeni-senpai… it still failed! We're trapped! We can't get out! We're going to die here! We'll starve, and no one will even find our bodies!"
[Ding~ Detected Higashiyama Kobeni's collapse, system rewards 20 points.]
Kobeni's smile shattered in an instant. Her eyes widened, the light inside them dimming. A choking sound escaped her throat as her body convulsed.
She began gagging violently. Saliva burst from her mouth, splattering across her bare thighs—thick, sticky, and uncontrolled.
Clutching her mouth, she stumbled toward the bathroom, no longer caring about composure or modesty. She threw open the toilet lid and collapsed before it, heaving uncontrollably.
There was no food to expel—only bile and mucus—but her body kept retching, shaking with each desperate spasm, her strength unraveling by the second.
Renji stood at the doorway, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His expression flickered—something between torment and a twisted kind of pleasure. He lingered in that moment, breath heavy, before finally stepping forward.
Inside, Kobeni slumped against the cold toilet, completely spent. Her limbs were limp, her breathing ragged, and her eyes—once so expressive—now hazy and unfocused.
Then, without warning, the corners of her mouth curled into a strange, fragile smile. A soft giggle escaped her lips—high-pitched, vacant, and terrifying.
[Ding~ Detected Higashiyama Kobeni's collapse, system rewards 20 points.]
Her tongue slid out slowly, trembling in the stale air, inching toward the toilet lid with eerie resolve.
Renji's eyes widened in horror.
"Hey—HEY! I was just kidding!" he shouted, lunging forward. "We can get out! Don't lick that! I swear, we can get out!"
He grabbed her and pulled her away just in time, heart pounding, voice tight with panic.
P@treon Rene_chan