“Ayaka, want to go out and play? Class rep Chizuru is organizing a test of courage—”
A friend called from outside the door, but Ayaka lazily leaned against the window, sitting on the floor, gazing at her phone screen. She didn’t even lift her head when she replied, “No, I want to rest.”
“Okay—”
The sound of footsteps faded away, and Ayaka continued looking at her phone, which displayed a selfie she had posted online. The youthful and cute gal outfit had gained her quite a bit of popularity.
There were plenty of likes and comments.
“Quite popular,” she muttered, seeing the numerous compliments and even date invitations. Ayaka smiled but then sighed. Although there were several men in her DMs who seemed nice…
And plenty of people in the comment section invited her out. Ayaka felt like she should be happy—finally, she wouldn’t need to reward herself; she could find some other guy to enjoy herself with once she returned to Tokyo.
But…
She wasn’t motivated at all. Could any of these men be as impressive as Mu-kun? As big as him? The things she saw in the hot springs at noon were deeply etched in her mind, making her lose interest in other men.
Besides that, there were also the things Mu Xiaoxiao had said to her during the meal… They were definitely lies, definitely just toying with her.
Yet she still couldn’t stop herself from overthinking.
Suddenly, the girl got up, stood in front of the mirror, and undressed from her current outfit, reapplying her makeup to transform back into the cute “Saiyaka-chan.”
Staring at the beautiful girl in the mirror, her smile like a blooming flower, with rosy lips and white teeth, her smooth, fair face gradually turned sullen. “So pretty, so cute, so popular. Why does Mu-kun prefer the old me?”
She grabbed her hair and shook her head, then glanced at the glasses on the table. Feeling conflicted, she slumped to the ground, touching her chest. “Why do I… feel a little happy, even expectant?”
She knew he was most likely deceiving her, but she couldn’t help but anticipate, daydream…
She only needed physical pleasure, but now she found herself yearning for affection…
Did he really like that unpopular, invisible version of her? Did he really want to do that with the old me?
“Ah—so annoying!”
Ayaka sat in her room for a long time, unable to calm down. The selfies on her phone continued to garner attention, but she had lost interest in the comments.
She kept thinking about that bad guy Mu Xiaoxiao and her old self.
Until the noise from outside the room broke her thoughts.
“What’s going on?”
She realized it was already dark.
“During the test of courage, Izumi-chan got lost.”
“What?”
Ayaka was startled. Izumi-chan? Is she one of those troublesome gals?
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mu Xiaoxiao, along with class rep Chizuru and others, leaving the inn. She pouted, knowing exactly what he was going to do.
“Going to look for Izumi Noki, huh?” The girl leaned against the window, resting her chin on her hand, watching him walk away. Ayaka wasn’t familiar with Noki Izumi and her group of gals, but Mu Xiaoxiao seemed to have some connections with them. “So reliable.”
She sighed.
Mu-kun is really popular… So compared to invisible me, girls like Izumi-chan are more attractive to him, right?
Her mood grew more melancholic.
…
“Ah—!!!”
Noki Izumi was fleeing through the forest.
Her sharp screams echoed through the mountains, the rustling leaves adding to the tension. It was unclear whether the leaves were being blown by the wind or shaken by the sheer terror in her voice, but the panic, dread, and intense fear were palpable.
“Huff, huff…”
“What was that?”
Her face was painted with fear. The night had already added an eerie atmosphere to this remote, dense forest, and she had really encountered something. The woman who had just emerged from behind that large tree, tall and wearing a white hat…
Noki Izumi would never forget the expression that woman showed her.
So terrifying!
“Ah!”
Rustle—
She tripped.
Rolling once on the ground.
“Oww, it hurts…”
The pain in her foot and her pitiful state brought tears to Noki Izumi’s eyes. The surrounding darkness felt like a giant maw ready to swallow her whole. She held her breath, the fear in her heart growing with each passing moment.
“Minako! Sae? Where are you?! Come save me!”
No one answered; instead, only the echo of her own voice returned, heightening the sense of terror.
“I should never have joined this test of courage,” she whimpered, seeing the “No Signal” message on her phone. Noki Izumi almost cried out loud. No, she was already crying. She tried to stand, but the pain in her ankle sent her back to the ground.
These endless forests are easy to get lost in during the day, let alone at night when you can’t see a thing. How could Noki Izumi know where she was?
