Room 304
After Ichiro Tanaka and Kamimura Mihui entered their room, she immediately demanded answers.
"What exactly happened on the first floor? The staff member and the screaming."
Her voice trembled as she recounted the events. This hotel was more than eerie—it was outright dangerous.
Tanaka sighed, still shaken. "I don't know what that thing was, but it wasn't human anymore."
Mihui frowned. "And now we're stuck here. Rule 8 says to bathe before bed. Should we follow it?"
They both hesitated. The "rules" weren't mandatory, but neither wanted to test what might happen if they ignored them.
"You go first," Tanaka suggested, still too rattled to move.
Mihui sighed and entered the bathroom, turning on the shower. The sound of running water filled the room.
Tanaka glanced over, quickly averting his gaze as inappropriate thoughts surfaced. He reminded himself that their meeting was purely transactional—a cold arrangement with no strings attached. They weren't friends or lovers, merely strangers caught in a horrifying situation.
"If I'd known, I would've stayed home tonight," he muttered bitterly.
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air.
"Blood! So much blood!"
Tanaka jumped to his feet, staring in horror as crimson liquid pooled beneath the bathroom door.
He froze, paralyzed by fear. Then, in a panic, he grabbed a vase, ready to defend himself from whatever monstrosity might emerge.
"Help me! Come here, quick!" Kamimura's desperate voice called from inside.
But Tanaka hesitated, his legs rooted to the floor. "You… you can handle it yourself!"
Inside the bathroom, Mihui's trembling hands reached for the shower controls, shutting off the torrent of red liquid. Her breathing was shallow as she forced herself to her feet.
Nothing had happened to her physically, but the psychological toll was immense. She exited the bathroom, glaring at Tanaka, who was still cowering near the doorway with the vase.
"Coward," she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "What use are you, anyway?"
Tanaka's face flushed with embarrassment. "I wasn't going to risk—"
"Save it." Mihui waved him off. "You're useless. If anything happens, I'll deal with it myself."
The tension between them hung thick in the air. Neither slept well that night.
Room 307
In Room 307, Kuroda Hikari and Sawanaga Taisuke sat tensely, discussing the events downstairs.
"So you saw a hotel staff?" Hikari asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Taisuke nodded but left out the part about the staff member's grotesque transformation. "Yeah… but it's best not to talk to them. Just follow the rules and avoid drawing attention."
He paused, his tone becoming serious. "If anything happens, go to 306. Lin Ye seems like the only one who might get us out of here alive."
Kuroda nodded, a small flicker of hope lighting her eyes. "You're right. We'll make it through this."
But Taisuke hesitated, adding in a low voice, "Kuroda… if it comes down to survival, you might have to make sacrifices. Even if it means…"
His words trailed off, but Kuroda understood. Her face fell, her smile bitter. "I see. So that's how it is."
Later, Kuroda went to the bathroom to wash up. But when she turned on the tap, black and red liquid gushed out instead of water. She let out a startled cry, quickly withdrawing her hands.
Taisuke joined her, confirming the bizarre liquid.
"It's the same here. All the water's… tainted."
Neither dared to shower after that. Instead, they returned to the main room, sitting in silence, both too uneasy to sleep.
Room 306
Time passed slowly. By now, it was 22:48 PM—just over an hour since Lin Ye and Hoshino Ai had arrived at the hotel.
The two had spent the time talking. Ai, still wrapped in Lin Ye's coat, shared stories about her life and dreams.
"I want to be a superstar, someone loved by everyone," she said with a wistful smile. "And maybe, one day… a good mom."
Her tone turned somber. "But I don't know if I'm cut out for it. I grew up in a single-parent home. My mom was… harsh. She hit me a lot."
She hugged her knees, her voice trembling. "Even so, she was my only family. When she went to prison, I thought she'd come back for me. But she never did. She probably doesn't care if I'm alive or dead."
Lin Ye, listening intently, finally spoke. "I care."
Ai blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"
"If you die, the world loses a beautiful and talented girl. That'd be a waste. So I care."
Ai didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his blunt honesty. "You're ridiculous."
Lin Ye smiled. "Think about the good things, Hoshino. The world isn't all bad. Focus on your dreams and the happiness they bring. Become the superstar you're meant to be."
Their conversation was interrupted by faint sounds from the next room.
"Hnnn… ahhh…"
Both Lin Ye and Ai froze, exchanging confused glances. The noises grew louder, more rhythmic.
"What… what is that?" Ai stammered, her cheeks flushing.
Lin Ye frowned, his focus sharpening. "It's not from 304… it's from 308."
Something was wrong.
~~~
Room 304
Ichiro Tanaka sat on the chair, trying to find some rest. But the noise coming from the adjacent room (Room 306) was relentless, gnawing at his nerves. It was driving him to the edge.
"It's just a strange game," he muttered bitterly under his breath.
"This is a hotel in crisis—people could die at any moment. And now, they're... doing that?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Don't they see what time it is?"
Tanaka had always seen Lin Ye as reliable, rational, someone who could stay cool under pressure. But now, after barely an hour, it was clear Lin Ye couldn't resist the temptation.
Sure, Hoshino Ai was stunning, a beauty that could make any man lose his mind. But this wasn't the right time for that! Now wasn't the time for indulgence, especially not when even Tanaka, an experienced "player," was holding back the rising tide of his own desires.
He took a deep breath, trying to push aside the hunger building inside him, and shifted his gaze away from Kamimura Mihui, who was resting across the room. If he kept looking, he feared he might lose control.
The sound continued.
The moans, the groans, the endless back-and-forth from next door… It was impossible to ignore.
Room 307,
Taisuke Sawanaga and Kuroda Hikari were also aware of the noise.
At first, there was a brief pause of confusion. Both Lin Ye and Tanaka Ichiro lived across the hall. The sound didn't make sense—it couldn't have come from there. No one occupied the room beside them.
"Rule 7," Kuroda muttered, trying to steady herself. "The rooms are well soundproofed. We shouldn't hear anything from the other rooms. If we do, we should ignore it."
Taisuke nodded, but his uneasy glance betrayed his own thoughts. "What happens if we don't ignore it?"
"I'm not sure," Kuroda replied, stuffing a tissue in her ears, "but it's definitely not a good thing."
Despite their efforts, the noise seeped through. The emotional undertones of the sounds began to stir something in them both, something they couldn't quite ignore.
Room 306
Lin Ye sat silently, his focus unwavering as the sound echoed through the walls. It was maddening.
The moans had been going on for more than an hour. If it were a different situation, Lin Ye would've been impressed by the man's stamina. But this wasn't the real world. This was the strange, twisted hotel of this bizarre game, where the sounds were just a part of the trap.
The rules were simple: ignore it, stay calm, and don't let it affect you. That was the key to surviving.
But as the hours dragged on, Lin Ye could feel his composure slipping. The impulse—the desire—began to rise.
His fingers clenched into fists. He bit his lip, twisting his arm, using pain to keep his mind from surrendering.
"This is insane," he muttered. "How long is this going to go on?"
He glanced at the clock—23:39. They'd started over an hour ago, and it wasn't over yet. It wasn't just annoying—it was a test of will. How could an ordinary man withstand this for so long?
Hoshino Ai stirred beside him, opening her mouth to speak, but Lin Ye quickly silenced her with a sharp glance.
"Don't talk to me," he snapped.
Every word, every breath from her, fed the desire rising in him like a wildfire. If he wasn't careful, if he lost control, the consequences could be disastrous.
"Hoshino," he urged, "Resist it. Don't let the sound affect you."
She hummed in agreement, though there was an underlying tension in her voice. "I actually..."
Bang.
Lin Ye's fist slammed against the table, cutting her off. His breath came in sharp bursts as the desire surged once again, a constant undercurrent threatening to drown him.
"Remember," he gritted out, his voice low and intense. "Don't lose to this."
But deep down, he knew something wasn't right. There had to be another way out.
The clock read 23:56.
Lin Ye looked around, scanning the room for any clue, anything that might break this cycle. There were strange, peculiar items scattered around, sex toys in the bedside drawer, a humidifier increasing at 40%. The room's soundproofing was a joke—this wasn't normal.
The impulse, the desire, was becoming overwhelming. His thoughts were clouded.
There were ten rules for this hotel. He had memorized them all. But what did they really mean?
Could Rule 4—"Visit the first-floor lobby in an emergency"—hold the key to breaking this madness?
No. That didn't seem right. He thought about the other rooms—the other players.
There had to be another way.
Suddenly, something clicked. He realized what needed to be done. Something was off with the setup, and it was time to take action before it was too late.