Almost at the exact moment Gao Hai's expression changed, Kaguya immediately turned her head, looking in the direction of his gaze.
Maki reacted a bit slower, but she also realized something was wrong right away, quickly picking up the wall clock, ready to turn its hands at any moment.
"Don't. That won't work."
But then Gao Hai waved his hand, signaling Maki not to waste a rewind opportunity.
Given that the last rewind failed to shake off that thing, it was certain that another rewind wouldn't improve the situation.
Ultimately, the clock's rewind was fundamentally a power of the anomalous place that was Shirakawa Apartments. And this thing was certainly the true core of the Shirakawa Apartments. It made no sense for a subordinate to overpower the boss. Therefore, for Gao Hai, who had already [Understood the Taboo], rewinding again and again would be useless.
I don't know if a full reset would work. In theory, a reset should have the highest priority, but this thing's power is based on [Understanding]. Tsk, now isn't the time to think about that. The thing is just standing here for now, not doing anything. I can't do anything that might provoke it. I've finally obtained some clue items; I need to hold out until I get more information.
"Is it something that can't be mentioned?"
Kaguya took a step forward and asked calmly, her eyes fixed on Gao Hai.
Gao Hai nodded lightly.
"It's right here?"
Kaguya asked again.
Gao Hai blinked. He noticed the figure that had been standing in the room was gone. He thought it might have left for a moment, but when he looked around, he found it standing on the ceiling, right above his head, staring down at him with its neck twisted at an impossible angle.
"..."
So he nodded once more.
"Is it safe?"
Kaguya continued to ask.
Gao Hai knew she was asking if his current state was dangerous and if it would endanger others. He lowered his head and thought for a moment. He realized he could see this thing because he had witnessed a key scene. As long as he didn't speak of it, the thing probably wouldn't change any further. Although this anomalous entity was theoretically the most terrifying thing in the Shirakawa Apartments, it still had to abide by the rule of [Information Exchange]. He had received the information but hadn't yet initiated an exchange. Under these circumstances, a temporary balance could be maintained.
Thinking about it that way, the first, outdated set of rules wasn't completely useless after all. A pity it was too late by the time I figured that out.
"Don't ask, don't mention, don't think."
Gao Hai spoke slowly, addressing the others in the room with gravity.
It seemed as though a yellowish-red fluid, a mixture of blood and pus, dripped onto Gao Hai, but a closer look revealed nothing was there.
Then, before Kaguya and Maki could think any further, Gao Hai took out the key to 304 and the cassette tape.
He gave them a rough account of his experience in 109, avoiding any content related to the [child]. Green, who was ashen-faced from having turned the clock once, simply huddled in a corner, not listening to anything. Sun Dajun, due to his age and slower mental reflexes, couldn't follow the details too closely. Only Kaguya and Maki were able to quickly grasp what Gao Hai was describing and think about it deeply.
"The key to 304 and the cassette tape... Sanchez in 109 investigated quite deeply. By following in his footsteps, we'll learn the deepest truths of this apartment, step by step... But I can't see how knowing such truths will help us leave. On the contrary, I feel the more we know, the harder it will be to get out of here."
Leaning against the wall, Kaguya spoke slowly after a long moment of thought, a hint of worry in her eyes.
"That's true, but we don't have any other leads to go on right now. Perhaps 309 could be a new direction for investigation, but we know nothing about the situation on the third floor. Hmm... but Hai-kun said all the stairwells on the second floor lead to the third. In that case, I think we can shift the focus of our next phase of investigation to exploring the third floor."
Knowing that certain topics couldn't be discussed at the moment, Maki clapped her hands and spoke up, effectively shifting the focus to their next course of action.
After that, the group discussed for a short while. Throughout the conversation, both Kaguya and Maki completely avoided the topic of the [child], a clear sign they understood just what kind of taboo Gao Hai had touched upon.
The day was growing late, and the light outside the window began to dim.
Gao Hai, having gone on two explorations, and the injured Maki both needed rest. Thus, it was no longer suitable to explore today.
As for whether to attempt any actions at night, everyone agreed against it. Moving around at night in this treacherous, anomalous apartment was ultimately too dangerous; it was better to use the time to rest.
"Hai-kun, are you sure you're really okay?"
Before night fell completely, around 5:30 PM, everyone returned to their respective rooms to prepare for the darkness. Before going back to her room, Maki, a bandage wrapped around her head, stopped and looked over at Gao Hai with concern.
"I'm fine. At least, it shouldn't be a big problem for now. Don't worry about it."
As he spoke, Gao Hai raised both hands, bent his arms, and placed his fingers above his head to form a heart shape.
"Hah, who's worried about you? If you're fine, then stop looking so sickly. We have more investigating to do tomorrow. And can you not make such a disgusting gesture? It's not cute at all when a guy does that."
Maki's brow furrowed almost instantly. She huffed, crossed her arms, and turned to enter Room 208.
Such a textbook tsundere.
Faced with her reaction, Gao Hai couldn't help but sigh internally.
Turning around, Gao Hai started walking towards the door of his own Room 204. But before he could step inside, another voice sounded from behind him.
"And also... don't push yourself too hard, okay? If you're really not feeling well, it's fine to stay behind and guard the base."
When Gao Hai turned back, Maki had already closed the door to 208, hiding her expression from view.
She clearly wants to show she cares, but she can't just say it directly. She has to be difficult about it... but, this is a standard tsundere, right? Seems like the type that would be fun to tease.
The thought lifted Gao Hai's spirits considerably. If he hadn't seen that thing standing at the corner of the hallway upon returning to his room, his mood would have been even better.
Incidentally, the reason Gao Hai kept describing it as [that thing] wasn't because he was deliberately avoiding certain descriptive words, but because in his vision, that was truly the only term that fit. He couldn't make out its specific appearance.
In terms of size, it looked like a five or six-year-old child—very short and small. Its entire body was blurry, making it impossible to discern any features. At best, it could be described as a humanoid mosaic.
If he were to observe it closely, he felt its image would gradually become clearer. But Gao Hai wasn't about to tempt fate like that, so he continued to ignore it.
Ignore her.
Pretend she doesn't exist.
As long as I maintain this attitude, there won't be a problem.
Will there really be no problem?
A thought struck Gao Hai, making him pause. He subconsciously wanted to turn and look at it, but he resisted the urge and continued walking toward the living room.
Is such a thing really possible?
For everyone to adopt an attitude of 'it's not my problem' and remain indifferent to the cruelty happening right before their eyes?
Gao Hai desperately wanted to deny this thought, but he couldn't find a reason to convince himself otherwise. So he simply remained silent, continuing to pretend he couldn't see the thing behind him as he walked into the living room.
Kaguya was already inside, holding a wall clock.
Seeing Gao Hai enter, she just asked with a cold expression if the main door and the living room door were locked. After receiving an affirmative reply, she nodded and said no more.
It was worth mentioning that the hole in the door to the living room of 204 had been repaired by Sun Dajun. Although he had just nailed a wooden board over it, it effectively sealed off the hallway from the living room, ensuring nothing could peek in from outside.
The light outside the window was almost gone.
On the wall clock inside, the time was approaching 7:00 PM.
I have a feeling that time in the apartment flows a bit faster than normal. I wonder if it's just my imagination.
Gao Hai glanced out of the corner of his eye at the small figure standing in the kitchen doorway, which appeared even blurrier in the dim light. He then closed his eyes, intending to rest while sitting against the wall. As the vanguard for today's exploration, his mental state was exceptionally fatigued. Gao Hai reckoned he could probably sleep straight from now until eight the next morning without any trouble.
"Mr. Gao Hai, would you mind if I asked you a question?"
Kaguya, sitting not far from Gao Hai, suddenly spoke up.
"What is it?"
Gao Hai first turned to look at Kaguya, confirming it was her speaking and not something mimicking her voice, before replying.
"Are you very fond of Maki? Do you have strong feelings for her?"
The next moment, Kaguya's flat, emotionless voice made Gao Hai freeze.
What a strange question. Are we sure this is a rules-based horror story and not a dating sim?
Or maybe she's trying to ease the tense atmosphere of the past couple of days with a question like this?
Gao Hai couldn't figure out Kaguya's reason for asking.
But answering it was simple and easy. On matters like this, Gao Hai's answers were always straightforward.
"Of course I do. How could anyone not like such a cute girl?"
"My feelings for Maki... it's the kind of like where I want to marry her, bring her home, and make her my wife."
Gao Hai's voice was utterly serious, with no hint of joking.
"R-Really? To that extent?"
Even Kaguya Shinomiya in her Ice Kaguya Princess state was clearly taken aback by such an answer, to the point that her voice wavered slightly.
Of course it's real.
Just like I'll always love Laffey, Yukikaze, Akashi, Amiya, Rosmontis, Skadi, Artoria, Rin Tohsaka, Illya, Jalter, Chino Kafu, Rem, Emilia, Nagisa Furukawa, Mai Sakurajima, Megumi Kato, Eriri, Reimu Hakurei, Kanna, Ruri Gokou, Kurumi Tokisaki, Mikoto Misaka... ah, that's a bit too many to list.
"Ahem, that's just my own wishful thinking. For now, let's focus on survival."
Gao Hai cleared his throat, temporarily closing the topic.
"I see..."
And Kaguya, lost in her own thoughts, also fell silent, and the entire room grew quiet.
It should have stayed quiet.
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion suddenly erupted in the second-floor hallway.
Amidst the violent shaking, Gao Hai was thrown to the floor. Kaguya Shinomiya was also startled, pushing herself up abruptly while steadying herself against the wall.
And then, before either of them could react further, a series of rapid gunshots—bang, bang, bang, bang—rang out in the hallway, accompanied by the sound of someone running past at high speed.
And an ominous, ice-cold aura spread throughout the entire second floor.
________________________________________
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