Strange Game - Anime Mashup

For this surprise, Hoshino Ai continued playing the role of a participant who chose to reject the invitation of the "strange game." In Lin Ye's eyes, she had now lost all her memories of the Love Hotel experience.

"Hehe," she chuckled. "I wonder if Lin Ye feels uneasy."

"Would he be sad, thinking he finally got closer to his idol, only for me to forget everything?"

"As a fan, that must feel awful, right?"

The thought of seeing Lin Ye's shocked and delighted expression later made Hoshino Ai's heart race with excitement.

"No, I can't keep fantasizing like this," she scolded herself, shaking her head vigorously, her long, dark purple hair swaying. Eventually, she pointed at the stockings on the right.

"Okay, it's decided."

But she didn't act immediately. Instead, she headed straight to the bathroom.

Although she had showered before leaving the Love Hotel, the unsettling environment hadn't allowed her to clean up thoroughly. Here, however, she could bathe with peace of mind.

The sound of water gushing from the showerhead filled the air.

"Ah!" Hoshino Ai instinctively stepped back when she noticed the water was black and red at first.

"It scared me to death," she muttered.

Even though she was now safe, the harrowing experience at the Love Hotel had left an indelible mark, lingering as a faint shadow over her thoughts.

"It's okay... everything's fine now."

Warm water soon cascaded over her body, washing away her tension. Droplets trickled down her delicate, fair skin as she scrubbed herself thoroughly, ensuring every inch was clean.

After rinsing off the foamy shower gel, her gaze drifted to the bathtub.

"Hmm... no time for that."

"If I go too late, Lin Ye might have already fall asleep," she reasoned. "Besides, there's a bathtub in his room."

She left the bathroom wrapped in a towel. 'Hmmm' The hair dryer hummed as hot air blew through her damp, purple-black hair.

Once finished, she examined herself in the mirror. Her freshly washed face was rosy, her natural cuteness accentuated by a newfound charm.

Smiling brightly, she gave her reflection a thumbs up.

"Perfect! Ai-chan is perfect now. Lin Ye won't be able to resist!"

Her outfit, however, was plain.

"Oh well. What matters is the stockings!"

With her confidence restored, she stepped out of the room and rang the doorbell next door.

Meanwhile, Lin Ye was also finishing his shower. Warm water soothed his muscles, washing away the exhaustion from the day.

"No matter what, that was draining," he sighed.

Though he had remained composed during the Love Hotel incident, the underlying tension had been undeniable.

Drying off, he settled onto the bed, pulled out his phone, and began searching the web.

"Horikita Suzune..."

"If she's the same Horikita Suzune from Classroom of the Elite, then there should be a Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School in this world."

Moments later, the search results confirmed his hunch.

"Got it."

The official school website revealed little beyond basic introductions and congratulatory posts about students being admitted to prestigious universities.

"If it's like in the story, that checks out," Lin Ye thought.

After all, Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School prioritized secrecy.

"So she really is that Horikita Suzune," he mused.

"But how did she end up as staff in the strange game? Lack of ability, failure to spot the hotel's rules, or..."

Lin Ye recalled her behavior in the original story.

"Or did someone sabotage her?"

His mind wandered to possible companions. Could it have been her brother Horikita Manabu or Kiyotaka Ayanokoji?

"If it were either of them, she wouldn't have failed," he speculated.

"Unless..."

The thought of Kushida Kikyo amused him.

"If it was Kushida, there's a good chance she tricked Horikita into failing!"

Lin Ye chuckled at the idea.

"I'll have to visit Advanced Nurturing High School someday," he decided. "And definitely meet Sakayanagi Arisu while I'm at it!"

He was curious about how people in reality perceived Horikita Suzune's absence. Had she been declared dead or missing?

Suddenly, he remembered someone else.

"Sakurajima Mai..."

Typing her name into the search bar, he was delighted when results appeared.

"She exists here too!"

Looking at her photos, he couldn't contain his excitement.

"I have to see her—Bunny Girl Senpai in the flesh!"

Lin Ye wondered whether Mai in this world had encountered the mysterious symptoms like puberty syndrome. In a world with strange games, such phenomena would be trivial by comparison.

"Are there other characters here?"

His heart brimmed with anticipation. This new world offered endless possibilities.

"Time travel, superpowers, strange games... I'm going to make this life unforgettable!"

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Who's here at this hour?"

Hoshino Ai?

"It's not a monster is it?," Lin Ye muttered to himself, laughing involuntarily at the thought.

It was a conditioned reflex, but he remained cautious.

As the doorbell rang a second time, Lin Ye stood up, straightened his bathrobe, and walked toward the door. Slowly, he opened it.

Outside stood a delicate young girl with long black-and-purple hair, waiting quietly.

It was Hoshino Ai.

She tilted her head slightly, her red lips parting hesitantly. "Excuse me, there's something I hope you can help me with."

Her hesitant demeanor prompted Lin Ye to step aside and gesture for her to enter. After she walked in, he closed the door behind her.

"Miss Hoshino, you really lack vigilance," Lin Ye said, his tone even. "Entering a man's room in the middle of the night could lead to... unfortunate outcomes."

The words had barely left his lips when Hoshino Ai instinctively took three steps back, putting some distance between them.

"Well, um, forcing someone is illegal... and bad..." she stammered, clasping her hands tightly. Her eyes brimmed with vigilance. "I-I know you like me a lot, but... you can't do that to me!"

Lin Ye froze, baffled.

"The old me might have liked you," he said, his voice tinged with irritation. "But not anymore."

Truthfully, even his past self's affection for her wasn't something he felt strongly connected to.

The current Hoshino Ai, supposedly amnesiac, only bored him further. If she had retained memories of their ordeal at the Love Hotel, he might have felt a lingering connection to her as a partner who shared in his trials.

"Why… why is this happening?" Hoshino Ai's voice rose in disbelief. "You're supposed to be a fan of Ai-chan!"

"Not anymore."

"Ai-chan will be sad, Lin Ye," she said with a pout.

"That's none of my concern," he replied curtly.

Just as he finished speaking, Lin Ye froze, his hand still on a bottle of mineral water he was about to open.

How had she addressed him just now? Lin Ye?

His eyes shot up, meeting Hoshino Ai's starry gaze, her lips curling into a sly smile.

Could it be...?

"Surprised? Happy? Lin Ye, hehe..." Hoshino Ai tilted her head, her face lighting up with a bright, mischievous smile. She could no longer contain her joy.

So happy!

As she had hoped, she'd finally witnessed Lin Ye's stunned reaction.

"It's the Ai-chan you know!" she declared proudly. "How was my acting earlier? Pretending to have amnesia and all? Even you, didn't notice anything was off! My acting skills must be better than Sakurajima Mai's. I'll definitely become a famous star one day!"

Lin Ye's expression darkened immediately, his gloomy demeanor causing Hoshino Ai's excitement to waver.

"Ah... um..." she stammered, tension and panic creeping into her voice.

Lin Ye stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Hoshino Ai instinctively backed away until her legs hit the bed, and with a soft cry of "Aiya," she tumbled onto it.

"L-Lin Ye, don't be angry!" she said, trembling slightly. "I was just joking! I-I didn't mean to tease you like that!"

Lin Ye reach his hand, and she instinctively closed her eyes, curling into a defensive ball.

But instead of anger, his hand gently landed on her cheek. Using his thumb and forefinger, he pinched her cheek lightly.

"Ouch! Ow, ow!" Hoshino Ai yelped, her voice a mix of relief and annoyance.

"Why did you do this?" Lin Ye asked, his tone even but demanding.

"Uh... well..." she faltered. "It was to give you a surprise! I wanted to see your shocked reaction."

"What I'm asking is why you chose to stay in the strange game as a player," he said sharply. "You do realize you'll likely die in the next game, right? You're aware of your own limitations, aren't you?"

Hoshino Ai blinked, then suddenly broke into a wide grin, joy flooding her face.

"So... Lin Ye is worried about me!" she exclaimed inwardly.

Her heart soared.

This was the first time in her life a man had shown her such sincere concern. Lin Ye was truly kind, gentle, and attentive.

This had to be... love!

She clung to that thought, the idea growing stronger by the second.

"Don't change the subject, Hoshino Ai," Lin Ye said sternly, snapping her out of her daze.

Hoshino Ai shifted, sitting cross-legged on the bed and hugging her knees.

"Well... I promised Lin Ye something," she said quietly, looking down. "I said I'd wear white stockings and dance for you after leaving the hotel."

For a moment, Lin Ye wondered if he was hallucinating.

That was it?

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Do you even realize what you've done? How do you plan to survive the next game?" he asked, exasperated. "You don't seriously think another player like me will bail you out, do you?"

"Won't they?" she asked innocently, blinking.

"No."

At that moment, Lin Ye began to seriously question Hoshino Ai's intelligence.

Her response made him doubt both her mental state and her understanding of the gravity of her situation.

But when he looked at her carefree expression, he realized she still didn't grasp the seriousness of her choice—or the danger ahead.

There was no hope for this girl.

It was over.