Even after an hour had passed, Kaguya Shinomiya still hadn't turned the wall clock to initiate a rewind.
There was no way to know what was happening on her end.
The nearly torturous wait yielded no results. The room was still the same room, and the surroundings were just as tranquil, just as silent.
It was now nighttime, and neither Gao Hai nor Maki dared to venture out and explore. So, after a brief exchange about their respective situations, the two of them simply sat down, leaning against the wall, about a meter apart, silently awaiting the rewind that might come at any moment.
One minute, two minutes...
Having turned off the only small desk lamp in the room, the two of them sat in silence in the small room where only quiet existed.
They had already searched the house itself quite early on. The result was that neither the living room nor the kitchen revealed any abnormalities, like a corpse or anything of that sort. However, this room also contained a sheet of rules and a supply box, so both of them ate some compressed biscuits, temporarily staving off their hunger.
As for opening the living room door to check the hallway, Gao Hai found that the door seemed to be locked from the outside and couldn't be opened. Thus, they could only sit inside the room.
Darkness.
Silence.
Amidst this silent wait, Gao Hai could feel his body tensed at nearly every moment, a sensation as if every nerve in his body was about to snap.
But even so, he still didn't dare to turn on the lights, speak, or close his eyes to rest. He just continued to sit there.
That outdated sheet of rules, incapable of accurately addressing the current situation, had specifically emphasized the dangers of the night. Once it was past 9 p.m., one absolutely could not turn on the lights, speak, or make any noise. In short, they had to do everything in their power to remain quiet, to make the entire room seem like an unoccupied, empty house.
Understanding that the anomalies in Shirakawa Apartments had worsened from a previously stable state due to some external stimulus, Gao Hai was certain that the places mentioned as 'safe' on that rule sheet were most likely problematic now. However, the places mentioned as 'dangerous' would surely be just as dangerous, perhaps even more so than before.
Therefore, both Maki and Gao Hai were just sitting quietly in place, waiting. Waiting for Kaguya Shinomiya to initiate the rewind, or... waiting for a new day to arrive, for a still-uncertain morning.
Maybe we won't even make it through tonight?
Gao Hai couldn't help but have this thought.
He had managed to piece together quite a bit by now. For instance, after learning about the strange, blood-red words Maki had seen in those records, Gao Hai could basically confirm that for the anomalies in Shirakawa Apartments—for those horror stories to take effect—the most crucial medium was 'information exchange'.
This exchange could be an interaction of the senses—visual, auditory, cognitive, and so on. For example, the 'three strange knocks' had nearly wiped them out through auditory and sensory interaction, while the anomaly Maki encountered was generated through textual interaction. And compared to direct sensory interaction, the anomalies produced by a secondary interaction like text were less potent in their effects. That's why Maki wasn't killed on the spot and could maintain her consciousness. Although, considering she had gotten both him and herself trapped in some godforsaken place, it was anyone's guess how long she'd survive.
But, if textual interaction could have such an effect, then what about Xusheng? This was a man explicitly recorded as dead by the previous generation of survivors, someone who theoretically should have become a monster like Fridge Bro and Under-the-Bed Bro. He had left behind so many rule sheets and supply boxes, and had even altered the layout of every room in Shirakawa Apartments through some unknown means. Theoretically, their group should have had numerous interactions with Xusheng, so why hadn't he come to harm them?
Perhaps that man hadn't died? Perhaps he still retained his own will? And that's why he resolutely refused to harm anyone?
Or, had he made some arrangements before his death to ensure he wouldn't harm people after he died?
Speaking of which, that human-head wall clock also incorporated this man's design. After turning its hands, I gained the ability to see others turn the clock, my senses underwent some kind of abnormal change, and I could even see Xusheng's message from before his death. So, in this now completely out-of-control Shirakawa Apartments, had this powerful man, who once single-handedly organized all the survivors, truly vanished without a trace, unable to take any further action?
Gao Hai thought of many things.
But as his thoughts drifted, he couldn't help but let out a silent sigh and put a stop to these wild speculations.
He was trapped in this place now.
If he couldn't survive, all the clues he had gathered and organized would be meaningless.
This is so pathetic.
This feeling of only being able to struggle and survive cautiously... it's just so pathetic.
Can't I be one of those cool, dashing heroes?
As these wild thoughts ran through his mind, Gao Hai heard a faint, almost imperceptible sound from beside him.
It was the sound of Maki.
What was she doing?
Gao Hai subconsciously grew wary, but then he thought that if Maki really had turned into something terrifying, what could he possibly do in this small room with nowhere to hide? So he remained quiet, staying perfectly still and letting her move.
Then, he heard Maki quietly walk over to his side and sit down, less than three centimeters away, so close that their shoulders and arms would occasionally brush against each other.
A small finger was placed on the back of Gao Hai's hand, and then it began to write.
[In such a dark environment, sitting too far apart makes it hard to notice if something is wrong with the other person. You must be quite flustered, right? Don't worry, this young lady can protect you. As long as I'm here, there won't be any problems.]
Although she was writing in Japanese with her finger, for Gao Hai, who had already acquired a language 'plug-in', it was easy to understand her meaning.
He got it. Maki was afraid of being alone in this dark and deathly silent environment, which was why she came over to him. And because the rules required them to be quiet at night, she resorted to writing on his hand to communicate.
Having seen the original work and knowing the characters' personalities was certainly a great advantage. Someone who couldn't understand Maki's subtext would probably find her annoying.
With this in mind, Gao Hai was suddenly seized by a mischievous impulse. He caught Maki's small hand and placed his own index finger on the back of the girl's hand.
It was soft and warm—the hand of a young girl who clearly took good care of it.
He could feel a slight tremble from her. His action had probably startled her a bit, making the already timid girl quite nervous.
Speaking of which, is this the first time a guy who's been single his whole life has ever touched a girl's hand?
Oh crap, why do I suddenly think being Yoshikage Kira isn't so bad...
While lamenting this internally, Gao Hai began to write on the back of Maki Shijo's hand with his index finger.
[According to horror movie logic, in a moment you'll discover that I actually only have one hand left, and you're interacting with a severed hand floating in the air.]
After smoothly writing this message, Gao Hai successfully felt Maki's hand stiffen in an instant, even showing signs of a slight tremor.
Several minutes passed before he heard Maki take a deep breath. Then, she quickly pressed her hand onto the back of his and began to write rapidly with her finger.
[This joke isn't funny at all! Go work on your emotional intelligence, you idiot!!!]
The three exclamation points she drew at the end on the back of his hand were quite forceful, as if trying to slice his hand open, which was enough to show just how furious the silent Maki Shijo was.
[Sorry. Actually, I was worried you might be the one with only a hand left. I'm pretty scared right now.]
Gao Hai, who almost couldn't hold back his laughter, then wrote on Maki's hand again.
[Hmph, you're still just an ordinary person from a common background. It's only natural for you to be scared at a time like this.]
Even though he couldn't see her expression, Gao Hai could imagine Maki Shijo's proud face at that moment, her head held slightly high.
Does this girl ever get tired of forcing herself to maintain such a haughty posture, even at a time like this?
As Gao Hai was thinking this, Maki continued to write.
[Don't worry, I'll protect you. After all, I am a genius of the new generation of the Shijo family. I won't cower behind you in the face of something like these rules-based horror stories.]
[And I can tell you're actually pretty capable. Your mind might not be the sharpest during normal times, but the more critical the moment, the faster you react. Maybe you're even stronger than me and my great-aunt, you know. Hmm, of course, that's assuming you build up your strength. Your current physique isn't exactly strong.]
[Anyway, don't be scared. Even I, a girl, am not afraid, so you'd better not be less brave than me. Of course, if you're really, really scared, I suppose a hug isn't out of the question. That's a special favor from me, you know.]
As she finished writing, the girl gently patted the back of Gao Hai's hand, and then, just like that, covered his hand with her small one.
Her hand was much smaller than Gao Hai's. With a soft touch, she slipped her fingers through the gaps between his, bringing a bit of warmth and a flutter of emotion in the darkness.
Gao Hai didn't speak, nor did he make any move.
It was a bit embarrassing, but faced with the gentle comfort of a genuine beautiful girl, even in the pitch-dark where he couldn't see her face, his heart began to beat a little faster. He felt an urge to jiggle his leg, pick at his cheeks, or scratch his hair, but his body was too stiff to move.
I've seen over 10TB of high-quality 'resources' and am acknowledged by my friends as a master connoisseur, yet now, faced with the tenderness of a real-life 2D girl, I'm this pathetic?
At this moment, Gao Hai sat there stiffly, lamenting internally.
To be honest, even if Maki had already turned into a monster and this was all just a ploy to make him lower his guard, Gao Hai felt it would be worth it. The exit was locked anyway; he couldn't run even if he wanted to, so he might as well enjoy himself before he died.
However, these chaotic little thoughts were soon interrupted by another sound.
Thump—thump—
Footsteps.
The sound of footsteps from the hallway outside, seemingly separated by only a single wall.
Someone's out there?!
Gao Hai sat up in surprise, and then he heard more footsteps, mingling together, clearly more than one person.
Knock, knock—
What followed was the sound of knocking on the door.
A knock, just as unhurried as before, that immediately reminded Gao Hai of the knocking horror story incident he had encountered a few hours ago.
And along with the knocking, a calm voice.
'Mr. Gao, Miss Shijo, are you in there? We've come to rescue you.'
It was Kaguya Shinomiya's voice.
________________________________________
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