Strange Game - Anime Mashup

"Yuki—Yukinoshita,"

Tachibana Hina recognized the girl.

"Good afternoon, Teacher Tachibana," Yukino replied politely, nodding in acknowledgment before picking up her lunch box and leaving the classroom. Her demeanor remained calm and composed, like still water.

However, as she exited, she glanced back at Lin Ye and Hina.

The brief conversation she overheard had sparked her curiosity.

The female teacher had mentioned saying goodbye earlier that morning, returning to the apartment, and then buying lunch to bring to the classroom. It hinted at a deeper connection between her and Lin Ye, making Yukino's thoughts wander.

Hina sighed heavily.

"It's over. Rumors about you and me are going to spread like wildfire now."

Her shoulders slumped as a wave of unease swept over her.

"Don't worry, Teacher," Lin Ye said reassuringly. "From what I've seen, Yukinoshita-san isn't the type to gossip. Even if she wanted to, I doubt she has anyone to tell."

Hina blinked, her spirits lifting slightly. "That's… true, I suppose."

Regaining her composure, she added, "Anyway, I'm leaving now. Make sure you prepare your own lunch next time."

As she turned to leave, she paused, as though remembering something.

"Oh, one more thing—I overheard Hiratsuka-senpai complaining about you earlier, so brace yourself."

What a thoughtful teacher, Lin Ye mused with a smile.

"Thank you for the heads-up, Teacher," he said.

With that, Hina left.

Lin Ye didn't stay in the empty classroom to eat. Instead, he joined the other students in the courtyard, finding a quiet spot to enjoy his lunch.

In the afternoon, the English class was taught by someone other than Tachibana Hina—a young, middle-aged woman. Lin Ye went through the motions of being a regular high school student, keeping his head low and avoiding attention.

After school, students trickled out of the classroom in pairs or small groups.

Not a single classmate had initiated a conversation with Lin Ye all day, solidifying his belief that his original body had been nearly invisible in class. This was, as the teacher had said, an undeniable fact.

Still, this worked in his favor—it saved him the trouble of managing the former Lin Ye's relationships and friendships.

As he packed up his books, he noticed Yukinoshita Yukino still sitting by the window. She remained in her seat, quiet and detached, as though the world outside had no bearing on her.

A soft breeze blew in through the open window, causing her hair to flutter gently. Her long eyelashes were particularly striking in the light.

She really is beautiful, Lin Ye thought.

Yukino's cold and reserved temperament gave her a distinctive allure—an untouchable aura that only made her more captivating. This quiet beauty, however, had a way of unnerving those around her, particularly the opposite sex.

"What's up?"

Her cold voice broke the silence. At some point, her piercing navy-blue eyes had locked onto Lin Ye, reflecting his figure.

She waited patiently for his response.

"Nothing," Lin Ye said with a shake of his head before turning and walking away.

Yukino watched him leave, her mind wandering briefly. She wondered if she had overthought his actions—she had almost expected a confession.

From childhood, she had grown used to boys confessing their feelings for her. She rejected them all with the same frosty demeanor, leaving no room for hope to avoid any further complications.

She sighed lightly, gathered her things, and headed to her clubroom with a literary anthology in hand—the one space in the school that truly belonged to her.

Lin Ye made his way to Hiratsuka Shizuka's office.

The counselor greeted him with her usual bold presence, her white lab coat adding to her authoritative air.

"I was half-expecting you to skip out again," she remarked, giving him a pointed look.

"I promised you I'd come, didn't I?" Lin Ye replied.

"Good. Then let's keep things simple—if you promise to study harder, I won't give you any more lectures."

"That's it?" Lin Ye asked, surprised.

"Of course."

Lin Ye had expected her to drag him into the Service Club, just as many protagonists in similar situations were forced to join clubs in fan fiction. But this time, his assumptions proved unnecessary.

"I'll… try my best," Lin Ye finally said.

"Good."

Hiratsuka let out a long sigh. "Lin Ye, you've come all this way to study at Sobu High. You should aim for a good university and a brighter future. If you focus, I know you can achieve excellent grades."

"Thank you, Sensei," Lin Ye said earnestly.

"If you ever face any challenges, don't hesitate to tell me. And if you feel more comfortable to Hina, you can always talk to her instead," Hiratsuka added, her voice tinged with slight annoyance.

It was clear she wasn't entirely pleased with how quickly Lin Ye had bonded with Tachibana Hina, despite only knowing her for a day.

"I will, Teacher. I promise not to let you down on the next test," Lin Ye assured her.

"Good," she said. "And if you excel, we can discuss any preferential treatment you want afterward."

"Deal," Lin Ye replied confidently.

He knew he'd forgotten much of what he'd learned in high school, but he was confident he could quickly relearn the material with a bit of effort.

Nothing unusual happened for the rest of the day.

This is reality, Lin Ye thought.

Despite his abilities and his involvement in the strange game, he was, in essence, just an ordinary high school student in this world.

And that was okay. Staying under the radar was safer.

After school, Lin Ye stopped at a burger joint for dinner.

As he ate, the television broadcast caught his attention.

"The Chiba Fire Department has released details about the fire at Chiba Station," the news anchor announced.

"The fire resulted in one death and also three serious injuries. Among them, one victim succumbed to their injuries during rescue attempts. The others are currently being treated at Chiba City Hospital."

The scene shifted to a railway official bowing deeply in apology.

Lin Ye's gaze sharpened when he caught sight of one of the survivors.

The image of their eyes sparked a connection in his mind, reminding him of the creature that he had encountered the previous night.

Could there be a connection?

Determined to find answers, he decided to visit the hospital and investigate further.

-Chiba City Hospital-

After dinner, Lin Ye changed clothes, donned a mask, and headed to the hospital.

A brief inquiry revealed the location and basic condition of the critically injured rescue personnel. Both were still in life-threatening situations.

Time Stop

Using his time-stopping ability, Lin Ye slipped into the ICU undetected and located the patients.

One of them, swathed in bandages and critically ill, lay motionless. An infusion tube ran into his arm, and an oxygen mask assisted his labored breathing. The other patient's condition, though severe, was slightly better.

After observing them briefly, Lin Ye exited the ICU quietly and made his way to the hospital's medical records.

The records provided a name:

Koichi Honda, 35 years old.

At 9:38 p.m. on April 8, he experienced sudden cardiac arrest and respiratory failure, falling into a deep coma and shock. Despite ten minutes of resuscitation efforts, he was pronounced dead.

The timing caught Lin Ye's attention.

It had been around 9:30 p.m. when he take Tachibana Hina off, and approximately six minutes later, he had entered the mysteriously unending street.

If those chances were just a coincidence, the timing would also need to align perfectly, which makes it highly unlikely.

Lin Ye suspected that the strange entity that he encountered last night was the deceased Koichi Honda.

But if that were true, what about the other two injured? Would they also transform into strange beings?

Lin Ye committed the details to memory and turned his focus to another patient still at the hospital.

This individual had survived being possessed by a spirit after Lin Ye's timely call to the authorities. There was a chance he had regained consciousness and might provide some insight into his experience.

A few minutes later, Lin Ye used Time Stop once more, making his way to a secure floor.

The presence of guards making it obvious where his target's location.

Inside, the man wore a blue hospital gown, sitting up and watching television. He seemed fine now. Lin Ye opted not to engage him directly, instead finding and reviewing interrogation notes compiled by the officials.

Name: Kenji Hirano

Age: 28

Condition: Intermittent headaches. No memory of the experience, describing it as a vague dream. His last clear memory was boarding the train home.

Conclusion: Likely encountered a strange entity on the tram, resulting in possession.

Though sparse, the report confirmed what Lin Ye needed to know—the man retained no memory of his time under possession.

Satisfied, Lin Ye re-placed the file and retraced his steps to the point where he had activated Time Stop, seamlessly restoring the flow of time.

The corridor came alive with noise.

Patients shuffled along slowly, while nurses hurried past, as if responding to an urgent matter.

Lin Ye took the elevator down and exited the hospital.

It was now six o'clock.

The sun dipped below the horizon as Lin Ye strolled alone along the wide street. A gentle breeze cooled the evening air.

His phone buzzed, its ringtone breaking the silence.

"Good evening," he answered.

"Good evening, Lin Ye! How was your day? Did you enjoy being back at school?"

Hoshino Ai's cheerful voice filled the line, her curiosity about Lin Ye's high school life evident.

"High school's great! Surrounded by young, beautiful JK girls, I feel like I've regained at least ten years of youth," he joked.

"Hahaha! If you were ten years younger, you'd be six or seven!"

The two chatted lightheartedly for about ten minutes before ending the call.

As an idol, Hoshino Ai had settled back into her daily routine of practicing singing and dancing. Following Lin Ye's advice, she had also incorporated special exercises into her regimen.

"Ah… if only Lin Ye could attend school in Tokyo," Ai mused wistfully after their call ended.

Although Chiba wasn't far, the distance was noticeable. If Lin Ye lived in Tokyo, she could visit him daily.

The thought made her cheeks flush.

Pah, pah!

She lightly slapped her face, dispelling her daydreams.

"Focus! Train hard! Next time, I won't be a burden to him!"

Determined, she resumed her workout on the company treadmill, sweat pouring as she pushed herself harder. 

Meanwhile, Lin Ye returned to his apartment, carefully inspecting his belongings.

"ID card, bank card, 30,000 yen in cash, and…"

He organized everything meticulously.

Although he briefly entertained the idea that his original body might have kept a diary, it was clear now that it hadn't. Most people don't, after all.

"Let's see if I can reset my bank card password through the app. If not, I'll have to visit a bank branch in Tokyo."

Money was essential.

How to earn it?

His Time Stop ability made robbing a bank feasible—no one would notice—but Lin Ye dismissed the idea. It violated his principles.

To avoid arousing official suspicion, his income needed to be both legitimate and discreet.

Or… find a rich woman!

With a wealthy benefactor, financial concerns would vanish entirely. It was a lawful, reasonable solution that wouldn't attract scrutiny.

Smiling at the absurd thought, Lin Ye sat at his desk and opened up his computer.

"First, let's research recent accidents, deaths, and urban legends in Chiba."

The peculiar events at the Love Heart Hotel and the station fire had prompted Lin Ye to consider whether other real-world incidents might also be connected to "strange entities."

Instead of waiting passively, Lin Ye decided to actively seek out potential triggers for his next encounter with the strange game.