Infected! Hayato-kun had already been infected!
A surge of pure terror instantly replaced the tension and panic in Hoshino Ai's heart, flooding through her veins like ice water.
Even Hayato, a superpower user who'd handled everything so far, had been infected by the supernatural. So how could she, just a normal girl, successfully get through tonight and leave this death game?!
I'm going to die. I'm going to die here.
Tap...
Hoshino Ai instinctively moved her left leg back, stepping away from him. Her hands crossed to cover her exposed body protectively.
The instinct to survive kept rising, screaming at her to run.
She wanted to escape. She wanted to resist. But the only exit was blocked by Hayato's approaching figure. She had nowhere to run, trapped.
"Hayato-kun... being too rough... with a girl... isn't good. I believe you're... not the kind of man who'd force himself on someone."
Her voice shook as the words slipped out in broken pieces, barely holding together.
In that moment, Hoshino Ai only hoped Hayato's rationality still remained somewhere inside, that he hadn't completely lost his reason due to the infection taking over.
She couldn't physically force her way through. She could only hope communication would somehow work.
Hoshino Ai felt a fragile relief as Hayato stopped advancing, as though he had actually listened.
"Hoshino, you need a bit of mental preparation first..."
"I... I will, but could you let me put on some clothes first? Please?"
"Look down at your body first."
Hoshino Ai looked down hesitantly. What entered her vision was her own graceful, fair skin, completely normal. A certain part wasn't particularly large, but it had already started slightly swelling from the cold air, still beautiful. Her legs were slender and unmarked. Her delicate feet looked captivating as always.
This body could drive countless men crazy, she knew that much.
But I don't see anything wrong with it?
"Looks like you understand now."
Hayato took another step forward. Hoshino Ai instinctively retreated again, her back hitting the wall. Now there was nowhere left to go.
"I hope you can cooperate with me. I don't want to resort to forceful measures and use violence on you!"
Hoshino Ai shook her head hard, hair whipping across her face. Her eyes flickered with panicked, fearful expressions that made her look like a cornered animal.
"Hayato-kun, please restrain the impulse in your heart. I, I believe you can do it. You definitely won't... lose to the infection. Please, snap out of it!"
Snap out of it?
Hayato was perfectly clear-headed right now. His emotions were calm, his mood stable and rational. So much better than the desire-addled state from before.
Faced with Hoshino Ai's body covered in those dark gray patches, how could he possibly have any impulses at all?!
Hayato took another step closer, closing the distance.
"What's that?"
As she spoke desperately, Hoshino Ai even threw a towel at his face.
In that moment, she gritted her teeth and suddenly charged forward with both hands still protecting her body, trying to slip past him.
Even if the chance was small, she didn't want to give up without trying.
Swoosh!
But the expected impact force didn't come. Hoshino Ai only realized she'd once again fallen into that frozen state, time stopping around her.
Riiip...
The towel was torn into strips by Hayato's hands and repurposed into a makeshift rope.
The girl's hands were pulled behind her back and tied. Her feet were bound together.
Hoshino Ai's consciousness watched all this happening but had absolutely no way to stop it. She could only observe helplessly as she was restrained, unable to move a single muscle. She knew she couldn't escape this nightmare now.
Uuugh.
After being violated by the infected Hayato-kun, will I also become infected? I'm destined to die in this death game!
The moment time resumed flowing—
Hoshino Ai grew increasingly desperate with each passing second. Sadness kept welling up in her heart like water filling a sinking ship.
Tears immediately burst from the girl's eyes, flowing freely down her cheeks in hot streams.
Right now, Hoshino Ai found herself already tossed onto the large bed by Hayato, landing with a soft bounce.
Hayato felt somewhat reluctant about this approach, but he also understood the intense psychological pressure Hoshino Ai must be under, facing what she believed was her own infection and impending death.
No one was afraid of dying. Especially this girl who'd just been a dream-chasing idol with her whole life ahead of her.
"I won't kill you right away. You still have normal consciousness at the moment, so there's no immediate need. But when the time really comes that you lose human consciousness completely and become a supernatural monster, I'll kill you."
Hayato's voice came out calm and measured.
"Rest assured, just as you hoped earlier, I'll be gentle and quick about it, so you won't feel too much pain."
Hoshino Ai: ???
Her tearful face froze in that exact moment, expression stuck.
Wait...
She felt like what Hayato meant was that she was the one infected.
But it was clearly Hayato-kun who had the infection!
"Hayato-kun... uuugh..."
But a towel suddenly blocked her mouth, muffling her words.
In that moment, Hoshino Ai struggled with every ounce of strength she had, continuously making desperate whimpering sounds. Her bright, tear-filled eyes stared intently at Hayato, pleading and confused, finally making Hayato pause and speak.
"What do you want to say to me?"
Hoshino Ai nodded vigorously, her head moving up and down.
Hayato reached over and removed the towel gag from her mouth.
"Hayato-kun, I'm not infected! I haven't turned a supernatural monster at all!"
Naturally, Hayato didn't believe this claim.
"You're the one who's infected. You're the one affected by the supernatural thing. Look at your own arms and cheeks, they're all covered in dark gray patches everywhere."
Hayato frowned slightly and looked down at his own arm.
"Hm?"
His skin tone was completely normal. No problems whatsoever that he could see.
Out of abundant caution, Hayato removed his shirt to examine his torso more thoroughly. His skin was also perfectly normal across his chest and back, completely different from Hoshino Ai's current horrifying condition.
"Really, I'm telling the truth! Your body has so many dark gray patches spreading across it. Almost identical to the patches on that mutated female staff member's face down on the first floor!"
Was Hoshino Ai just making desperate excuses to save herself?
But then another possibility occurred to him, clicking into place.
"Look at what condition your body is in right now."
"Eh! What condition? Isn't it perfectly normal?"
Hoshino Ai looked down at herself again and didn't find any problems with her body at all. Everything looked fine.
"I see.... In my eyes, from your cheeks down to your body to your legs, you have dark gray patches everywhere. You look completely infected."
"That can't be..."
But even slow-witted Hoshino Ai realized something clicking into place.
"What we're seeing... are hallucinations? Visual manipulation like the blood water?"
If that was the case, then they were both actually fine! Hoshino Ai was immediately filled with the overwhelming relief of narrowly escaping death.
"There's another possibility we need to consider. That we can't see our own mutations, only each other's."
The instant those words fell from his mouth, Hoshino Ai's face went completely pale, color draining away. If that was the case, then they were completely done for!
"How, how can we confirm which one it is?!"
Hoshino Ai desperately wanted to know her real situation.
Hayato turned without another word and walked toward the bathroom, moving to stand before the washstand. Bright lights illuminated his face clearly at that moment.
His heart remained calm despite everything.
Through the mirror's reflection, Hayato confirmed his condition.
"So it's not an illusion..."
The skin that should've been a healthy normal color showed patch after patch of dark gray discoloration spreading across his face. His eyes looked dull and lifeless, as if infected by something terrible and having lost all vitality.
Slightly better than the first-floor lobby's female staff member had looked, but if the degree continued deepening, he'd probably end up exactly like that creature.
This wasn't a hallucination at all.
Hayato and Hoshino Ai had both been affected by something unknown lurking in this hotel.
And it wasn't simply a problem with the shower water itself.
If it were just getting wet that caused the mutation, then Hoshino Ai would've transformed an hour ago. It couldn't have only been discovered now.
So what's the real trigger?
Hayato returned to the bedroom with a deliberately calm expression, watching Hoshino Ai carefully. This made Hoshino Ai's heart increasingly uneasy with each passing second.
"Um... Hayato-kun, can you... Confirm it? Tell me what you saw?"
"Yeah."
Hayato didn't elaborate with words. He just untied the towel restraints binding the girl's wrists and ankles, then gently helped her stand and brought her to the bathroom.
After seeing herself clearly in the mirror's merciless reflection, Hoshino Ai completely freaked out.
Who is that?!
So ugly, so hideous!
The creature staring back at her from the mirror looked nothing like herself!