The cup shattered and the wall made a strange sound. The ceiling light flickered, and the sudden supernatural event startled Luo Cheng. After a moment of brief panic, he saw a black shadow flash by and then vanish. The room returned to normal.
That person has arrived.
Having gone through this a few times, Luo Cheng is starting to get used to it. He used to think the 'ghost' was malicious, deliberately scaring him with every appearance, but now he realizes that's not it. To appear, she must first frighten him into a state of mental vulnerability so he can see her.
"So you were right next to me?"
The room is empty, with no response.
"Alright then."
"It's daytime; you can't scare me even if you try."
She's not Sadako, with spooky filters and sound effects. The real world doesn't have that nonsense. If ghosts want to scare people, they need to wait for night. A cup on the side table falls, seemingly expressing the 'ghost's' displeasure.
Actually, it's pretty hard to get scared at night too. When you know Sadako is a cute, beautiful girl, her crawling out of the well isn't scary—it's exciting. Knowing Sunday Silence is beside him, Luo Cheng feels a sense of security, not the nervous unease of being haunted.
Nobody could reject an arrogant, beautiful, and amazingly skilled 'ghost,' Luo Cheng is willing to bet on it.
He picks up the cup and decides to wait until evening for Sunday Silence to try to scare him again. Otherwise, he can't enter the mentally vulnerable state he needs, as his spirit is simply too strong.
Just as this thought crosses his mind, a cold breeze blows over his back. His hand is touched by something and lifted by a strange force to tap on three spots.
[Story Replay]
[Support Card Story: Solo in the Rain, My Originality - A Rainy Day Invitation]
Luo Cheng's vision blurs.
Pat!
A drop of rain lands on him.
"It's raining!"
A shout rings out, and Luo Cheng opens his eyes, finding himself standing in the center of the training field. Dark clouds swirl overhead, and the rumble of thunder echoes in his ears.
"Trainer, it's raining. We should find shelter."
The black-haired girl next to him speaks. Manhattan Cafe pulls on Luo Cheng's sleeve, and behind her is Agnes Tachyon.
"Trainer... Trainer?" Cafe holds his hand.
"Guinea pig-kun? What's wrong?"
The familiar dialogue stimulates Luo Cheng's nerves. A sharp pain shoots through his heart. He really doesn't want to experience this dreamlike feeling a second time.
"Guinea pig-kun?"
Luo Cheng covers his chest, looking at their bewildered faces.
"Trainer, are you okay?" Cafe reaches out and gently strokes Luo Cheng. The rain gets heavier, but the three of them don't move.
"If you're feeling unwell, you can tell me." The rain soaks Cafe's hair, and the beautiful black strands stick to her pale cheeks. Her clear golden eyes reflect Luo Cheng's pained face.
Sometimes, Luo Cheng wishes these horse girls would just beat him up to snap him back to reality.
"What is it, guinea pig-kun? Are you in trouble? If you have a problem, just say so. There's nothing that can't be solved," Agnes Tachyon says. Her messy, fluffy hair is now wet from the rain, giving her a captivating, ethereal look.
"An event is about presenting a problem and solving it. If guinea pig-kun can't do it, leave it to me." Her dark red eyes look at him. "Alright, tell me what's bothering you."
Tachyon... how much easier would it be if I could really just throw my problems onto someone else.
Luo Cheng forces his face into a smile. Just as the two are about to say more, Cafe's pupils constrict.
"Frie—"
"Let's go, Trainer."
His body is lifted. A face identical to Cafe's appears before him, a wild smile on her frighteningly pale face.
"Sunday Silence?"
"Heh, you say you're whole, but you still can't let go, can you? You fall apart at the sight of something like this. You're a long way from being indifferent to joy and sorrow!"
Holding Luo Cheng's body, Sunday Silence runs through the rain. Cafe stares at them, dumbfounded.
"Guinea pig-kun... is flying?" Agnes Tachyon says, mouth agape.
Sunday Silence runs to the training field's lounge and places Luo Cheng on the bed. She pulls out a towel and throws it on his face. He wipes himself and then offers the towel back to her.
"Aren't you going to wipe yourself?"
"My body didn't get wet at all."
Even after running so far in the rain, her hair and clothes are still dry.
What's the principle behind this? Can ghosts ignore the wetness debuff?
"You called me here. Did you find any progress in your investigation?"
"Rest first. In your current state, you can't hear a thing." Sunday Silence says, seeing Luo Cheng's body shivering from the rain.
"Okay... oh, wait. Cafe. Cafe and the others might still be looking for me. I need to tell them to go back."
"Don't worry about them." Sunday Silence pushes him back onto the bed. "When you return, these people will disappear. This entire world will disappear. There's no point in you caring about them."
"Sunday Silence... aren't you Cafe's friend?"
"I am, but not this Cafe." She gestures outside with a look of disdain. "I don't feel a soul connection with her. She's just a puppet with Cafe's appearance."
"She's a fake Cafe?"
"That depends on your definition of real and fake. To this world, she's the real Cafe. To me, she's a fake Cafe."
Luo Cheng is silent.
"Don't get attached to these things, or you won't survive until the end of the game. Of course, this way is convenient—you're always in a vulnerable state, so I can come whenever I want."
"I need to rest first. You won't disappear when I wake up, right?"
"I won't, unless I choose to leave. Don't think I can always be by your side. I agreed to investigate those people for you. Don't think a ghost can split herself."
"I know, I know." Luo Cheng waves his hand, still afraid that Sunday Silence will vanish when he wakes up.
"Such a demanding man. Come here." She sits on the edge of the bed and pats her thigh. "With you on me, you don't have to be afraid of that, do you?"
"A ghost's lap pillow?"
"What do you think? Isn't it a rare treat?"
"I've never had one." Luo Cheng lies down on her soft thighs. A cool sensation spreads across the back of his head. It's not cold, just lacking human warmth. Sunday Silence reaches out and massages Luo Cheng's furrowed brow, and he quickly falls asleep.