Strange Game - Anime Mashup

"Is 308 a twin-bed room?"

"I'll go and have a look."

Without another word, Lin Ye walked straight to Room 308 next door.

Was he worried? Yes. But compared to worrying, observing and gathering potential clues is more important.

There were still fifteen minutes until 22:00. Time was on his side.

Lin Ye entered Room 308. Taisuke, Ichiro, and the other two exchanged uneasy glances but dared not step inside. They waited nervously in the corridor.

The room's layout wasn't much different from Room 306, though it was larger. The two enormous king-size beds immediately caught his eye.

Each bed was spacious enough to accommodate three or four people comfortably.

Lin Ye glanced at the wall, spotting a clock. It read 21:45. He compared it to the time on the mechanical watch strapped to his wrist. The times matched.

"100... Is that the humidity level?"

But the air didn't feel humid.

One hundred percent humidity? Lin Ye frowned. It didn't make sense—there wasn't even a hint of dampness.

He began a thorough search of the room. Aside from the additional large bed, everything else matched what he had found in Room 306.

Two minutes later, Lin Ye exited Room 308.

"Brother Lin, what did you find?" Taisuke asked immediately.

"Nothing unusual, except for the extra king-size bed in Room 308. There are still twelve minutes until 10 p.m. What do you plan to do?"

According to the new rule, Taisuke and the others needed to return to the lobby to redo their check-in process. But after the strange events they had witnessed earlier, none of them dared to go alone.

The middle-aged man exchanged glances with the others, signaling that he wasn't about to take the lead.

"Um, Brother Lin, could you please—"

"No," a voice interrupted.

No one had noticed when Hoshino Ai had appeared at the doorway. Her expression was stern as she cut them off.

"This is your responsibility. No one knows how dangerous the first-floor lobby is, and I won't let my friend risk his life for your sake."

Hoshino Ai knew she couldn't contribute much, but she was determined to help Lin Ye decline these requests.

Taisuke suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of rejection. As a devoted fan, his idol's attitude crushed him.

I liked the wrong person.

"Five hundred thousand yen. I'll pay five hundred thousand yen if you accompany us to the lobby," Ichiro Tanaka offered, gritting his teeth.

It was a considerable sum.

"Compared to your life, five hundred thousand yen is nothing. Even five million yen wouldn't be worth it," Hoshino Ai retorted coldly.

"Then, let Mihui accompany you for one night," Ichiro Tanaka said, pushing Mihui forward.

Mihui's eyes flashed with anger but she didn't object. She had clearly agreed to the arrangement.

Kuroda Hikari's face was filled with shock, and even Hoshino Ai was momentarily stunned.

"Lin Ye-kun has me. What's the use for her?"

Hoshino Ai jabbed her finger toward Mihui in indignation.

Compared to someone like her, I'm a beloved idol!

Mihui, offended, crossed her arms and sneered.

"I'm better than some idol who acts glamorous but is awful behind the scenes," she snapped.

Hoshino Ai bristled, her anger rising. She lifted her hand to retaliate, but Lin Ye grabbed her wrist, pressing it down.

"I'll go down with you," he said, cutting through the tension. "But how many rooms do you plan to book?"

The group realized what Lin Ye was implying—if they booked another room, it might turn out to be another twin room.

"Two," Taisuke said decisively.

"Then we need one more person to come with us," Ichiro Tanaka added.

"Can't you just book the rooms yourselves?"

Lin Ye's cold stare silenced the man instantly.

"You're coming with us," Lin Ye declared.

"I..."

"I don't mind breaking your legs and dragging you down," Lin Ye said bluntly.

Faced with the threat, Tanaka relented. "Fine, I'll go."

"I'll go too," Hoshino Ai interjected.

She preferred staying with Lin Ye, even in danger, over being alone on the third floor.

After a moment's thought, Lin Ye nodded.

"I won't cause you any trouble," Hoshino Ai assured him.

Lin Ye pressed the elevator button, and the silver doors slid open. Four people stepped inside.

As the elevator descended, the tension in the group grew.

"Ding!"

The elevator reached the first floor. The scenery beyond the doors was unchanged.

Lin Ye led the way, with the others following cautiously.

As the group moved through the hall, Lin Ye felt a chill.

There was someone else here.

A woman in a black suit emerged. Tall and elegant, she exuded a mature charm, her black stockings and flowing hair accentuating her allure.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Mayu Fukada, a staff member of Love Heart Hotel. Is there anything I can assist you with? Any 'service' at all," she purred.

A charming voice echoed through the air, tugging at their nerves.

"Any service? Any service?"

The words sank in, and a surge of heat ignited in the hearts of Taisuke and the middle-aged man. Their pulses quickened as if the very words were fanning the flames of their desire.

At the elevator entrance, Hoshino Ai felt a wave of nausea.

"Hotel staff? In a place like this?!"

Suppressing her instincts to run, she gritted her teeth and held her ground, casting a wary glance toward the hall.

Facing Mayu Fukada, Taisuke and the middle-aged man were overwhelmed by the allure. They were on the verge of losing themselves, drawn to her like moths to a flame. Just as they were about to take a step forward, Lin Ye's foot lashed out.

A swift, sharp kick brought them back to their senses, the jolt of pain grounding them in reality.

'We can't afford to lose these two idiots now. They're liabilities, sure, but useful ones.'

The agony on their faces made it clear—they understood their folly. Fear crept back in.

Staff? Real staff? In this love hotel? The rules had been clear—ignore them.

Mayu's sultry voice drifted through the air again, smooth as silk.

"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"

Lin Ye's expression remained cold.

Ignore her. Keep ignoring her.

He gave the pair a firm pat on the shoulders as a silent command. Both men bit down hard on their lips, using the pain as a lifeline to resist the voice. Focusing all their energy, they staggered to the self-service check-in machine.

With trembling hands, Taisuke began operating the machine while Lin Ye carefully monitored Mayu's movements. He kept his eyes fixed on her feet, refusing to look directly at her. Her presence was unnervingly still—silently waiting.

The hall, bathed in harsh fluorescent light, felt unnervingly empty. Despite the four figures present, the atmosphere was hollow, the mechanical clicks of the machine the only sound breaking the eerie quiet.

Finally, two rooms were successfully booked—Room 304 and Room 307. Relief was a fleeting emotion, as danger still loomed ominously nearby.

"Let's get back to the third floor"

"Okay"

Taisuke took a step forward but froze mid-motion. Something was wrong.

The voice he had just heard wasn't the middle-aged man—it was Kuroda Hikari. But she come here on the first floor at all.

"Gulp..."

Taisuke's gaze darted around in panic. In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something—long, slender legs encased in black stockings. The woman who had been ten meters away was now right beside him.

A chill ran down his spine.

"Run!"

The command burst from his throat, and he bolted for the elevator. The middle-aged man, equally terrified, sprinted alongside him. Desperation propelled their legs, but dread clawed at their heels.

The lights in the hall flickered erratically, casting long, jagged shadows. The air grew cold, biting at their skin.

Taisuke stumbled to a halt—no matter how hard he ran, the elevator remained agonizingly out of reach. Meanwhile, the middle-aged man was nearly at safety.

"Brother Lin! Save me! Please!"

The fear in Taisuke's voice cracked as he pleaded.

Something unseen reached toward him, its form barely discernible—a twisted, hand-like silhouette.

"Guests, service..."

"At your service."

Taisuke clenched his jaw, suppressing the urge to respond. The rules were clear—no interaction. He swallowed his scream, even as panic clawed at him.

Desperation twisted his thoughts.

"Brother Lin, I'll—I'll give you Kuroda! She likes me! I swear, I'll let her be yours! Please, save me!"

Lin Ye's gaze hardened.

'Pathetic'

In that instant, Lin Ye activated his trump card—Time Stop.

The world froze in an eerie stillness, time suspended like a held breath.

"Let's see if this 'staff member' is killable by normal means."

Lin Ye hefted a sturdy wooden chair from the hall and strode forward deliberately.

"Taisuke can wait. He's trash, but trash I might still need—for now."