"This door can lead to other versions of Mita's room," Alain summarized, piecing together the strange occurrences.
He realized he had fallen into a cognitive trap, assuming the doors had fixed destinations.
But this was the game world, where the bizarre could easily become the norm.
One door consistently led to the corridor, their necessary path to Cappie's room. The destination of the other, however, was unpredictable.
Alain tilted his head back, his gaze drawn to the black sphere suspended in the very center of the white room.
This strange object was the root of it all. Even Misha, who knew this world intimately, couldn't identify it.
He couldn't shake the question: why would the black sphere create such doors? Leading to other versions… what exactly was its purpose?
Moreover, after opening the "anywhere door," the threshold of Mita's room always showed those faint black spots, a stark contrast to the bright pink decor usually associated with her.
What also puzzled Alain was why only the door frame of the braided-hair Mita's room had been free of these black marks.
Then his gaze fell on the ring on his hand. Ever since he had stood beside this "anywhere door," the ring's version number had flickered erratically, as if experiencing some kind of interference. Only after closing the door did it return to normal.
Yet, when he had just tried it again, the guiding function remained unchanged and perfectly usable.
Alain turned to Misha, seeking her insight on the possible effects.
"Hmm… the ring's functions, besides pointing out the correct and quickest route, also include version saving." Misha glanced at the mysterious door. "According to the original settings, once you've visited a version, the ring can save it, allowing you to return to it by opening the door again in the future."
"So, the versions reached through the 'anywhere door' can't be saved?" Alain frowned. Otherwise, he would have wanted to open a door and save each version they encountered, a potentially useful trick for later.
His gaze drifted back to the black sphere. "This ball is the one causing all this."
"It's a bit like it's making the underlying code of an area become… no, it's tampering with it, making it erratic," Misha murmured beside him. "Let's give it a name first: let's call it the Tamperer. As for those worms… they're always eating. Let's call them Devourers."
Focusing on their immediate goal, Alain knew that despite the unknown threat of the Tamperer and its possible connection to the Devourers, they still needed to utilize its strange power to reach Cappie's room.
"The next time we enter a room, if it's a normal type, we'll go straight in and try to talk to the owner," Alain decided.
Ordinary Mitas weren't all defenseless. According to Misha, there was one particularly cool and strong Mita. While she might not reach Honey's level of… intensity, she was still a significant fighting force.
Encountering her would be ideal.
"Mm," Misha agreed. "That way, the danger is much lower than trying to deal with Ugly Mita."
"Since we still can't rule out danger, if we enter a door, will we have a way to return here?" Alain looked into Misha's eyes.
She pondered for a moment, her gaze drifting to the ring on his middle finger. "The version saving function has limitations, but the guiding function is reliable. As long as we open the entrance door of the living room, this ring will lead us back onto the route to our target."
They exchanged a look, having roughly solidified their plan. Afterward, Alain's hand reached for the door, and he gently pushed it open.
The scene that greeted them was no longer the familiar living room or bedroom, but a cramped, brightly lit space.
"Is this the bathroom this time?" Alain wondered aloud.
Seeing the normal lighting, both of them breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into the bathroom.
"Hmm?" But as soon as Misha crossed the threshold, she frowned, a subtle unease flickering across her face.
"What's wrong?" Alain asked, noticing her change in demeanor.
"Alain… something's a little strange."
Her gaze was fixed on the bathroom wall, specifically at the non-reflective mirror hanging there.
Then, with a crisp "snap," she clicked her fingers. Instantly, the mirror reflected their figures.
"My dear, you can actually do this?" Alain asked, surprised.
He stood next to her. Misha wasn't short, and her white dress complemented his white shirt perfectly.
"We actually have quite the married couple look, don't we?" Alain commented with a smile.
Misha blushed slightly and agreed. "Indeed. How about… we get our marriage certificate after we go back?"
"...Isn't that progress a bit too fast?" Alain stammered, caught off guard by her sudden suggestion.
"Would it be? Wait, wait… I've been led astray by you again, my dear," Misha said, playfully swatting his arm.
She rubbed her temples, and as her thoughts gradually returned to the present situation, her face paled.
"Alain, I might… know which Mita's room we've arrived in."
"Huh?" Alain's brow furrowed in confusion.
As soon as she spoke, Alain felt the ring on his finger vibrate subtly.
He raised his hand to look, but the number on the ring hadn't changed, still displaying version 1.9.
Then what was that vibration just now?
In the next moment, a realization seemed to dawn on Alain, and his shoulders stiffened.
"I think… I've guessed it too," he said, his voice low.
"Click."
Before either of them could voice their conclusions, the sound of a door opening echoed from the direction of the living room.
Cold sweat trickled down Misha's forehead. "What do we do? What do we do? We can't handle this kind of sudden situation at all!"
"..."
Alain was silent for two seconds, his gaze fixed on their reflection in the mirror, a frown creasing his forehead. "Although it's a bit dangerous, this is the only way."
"Huh?" Misha looked at him, bewildered.
"My dear, first turn off all the reflections in the bathroom, then hide and don't make a sound. Later… it might make you a little uncomfortable, so be prepared."
"Huh?? Okay, okay… Can you guarantee your safety?" Misha asked, her voice filled with worry.
"Most likely," Alain replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
Misha clapped her hands together, and the mirror, along with the glass of the shower stall, instantly became opaque, losing all reflection.
The girl quickly darted behind the bathroom door and crouched down, while Alain simultaneously stepped into the shower stall. In the moment before sliding the opaque glass door shut, he gave Misha a reassuring look.
A few tense seconds later, a familiar soft murmur drifted from outside the bathroom door.
"That took some effort, but I finally cleaned up some of the trash. So troublesome…"
With a soft "click," the door swung open, and she walked into the bathroom, sighing as she muttered to herself.
"I don't know where so many disgusting things came from… it's even reduced my time for intimacy with Darling. Darling, Darling~ Darling-ling——hmm?"
The strange woman… so cute.
Just as Alain had expected in the shower stall, she noticed something was amiss within three seconds of entering the bathroom.
The girl with the low ponytail suspiciously eyed the opaque shower stall. Had the reflections been turned off before she left? She couldn't quite recall.
Crazy Mita's brow furrowed in thought, completely unaware that just behind the bathroom door and to her side, a pale-faced girl with long dark hair was crouching in the shadows.
And Alain, concealed within the shower stall, listening to the approaching footsteps, felt his heart pound in his chest, as if it would leap out in the next second.
Until a distorted shadow of dark blue and bright red appeared on the opaque glass, Alain understood… Crazy Mita was standing right outside the shower stall.
"Who is it——"
Before she could even finish the question, Alain took the initiative. He slid open the shower door and directly pulled the surprised girl into his arms.
"?!"
Crazy Mita gasped, feeling herself completely enveloped. Her face darkened with annoyance, and she instinctively tensed to deliver a sharp elbow to the stomach of the oblivious intruder.
But when she raised her eyes and saw that dreamlike face so close, her clenched fist hesitated for two crucial seconds.
The body brimming with frenzied power instantly became as fragile as a willow branch in spring, and she spoke with an incredulous, trembling voice,
"Eh? Alain?!"
The young man's arms circled the girl's shoulders, his hands resting gently on Honey's slender waist.
"H-how come you're here?" she stammered, her surprise evident.
Crazy Mita, completely caught off guard, hadn't yet processed the situation. Her beautiful eyes filled with a hint of mist, and a delicate blush crept up the skin beneath her eyelids as she shyly tried to turn her head away.
Seeing this unexpected reaction, Alain quickly pressed her head against his chest. "Let's go on our first date," he murmured softly.
"...Mm," Honey replied, her voice muffled against his shirt.
She no longer questioned why he was here. Alain also gave Misha, who had narrowly avoided detection, a quick, reassuring glance.
The girl in his arms stretched out her own arms and wrapped them tightly around Alain, hugging him back. Accepting this unbelievable reality.
The three people in the small bathroom seemed to be getting along peacefully, a bizarre tableau of unexpected reunion and hidden presence.
____
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