Is There Something Wrong with Looking for a Boyfriend in a Horror Game? Chapter 9

At dusk, when hearts were restless—for once night fell, no one knew if they’d be dragged into the next brutal ga—today was an exception. Everyone was hiding from the terrifying black rats. Rumor had it that these corpse-eating rodents lurked in every shadowy corner of the campus, and a single bite would spread a dreadful plague.

No one knew why the rats, usually lurking in the dark, had suddenly scurried out.

Thus, the cafeteria at dinner hour stood nearly empty, save for two figures sitting in a corner.

"Here, I’ve already added you as a friend. If you ever want to find , just tap here to ssage ." Xia Miao shoved a Banana-brand phone into his hands, showing him how to use it. "The conditions here aren’t great, so I could only get you a secondhand one for now. Once we’re out, I’ll buy you a better one."

Lu Yan cradled the cold "tal brick" in both hands, staring dumbly at the contact on the screen. The profile picture was the bouquet of hand-shaped flowers he’d given her. Then his eyes landed on the contact na. Though he barely recognized any characters, sothing felt off.

"These two words… aren’t your na."

Xia Miao replied matter-of-factly, "Since I’m the one you’re pursuing, if your nickna for was just my na, wouldn’t that sound too distant? So I thoughtfully changed it for you in advance."

Lu Yan squinted at one of the two characters he recognized. "‘Ancestor’?"

"It’s ‘Your Ancestor.’"

Lu Yan froze for a second before exploding, "Hey, you asking for a beating!?"

Xia Miao didn’t even glance at him, calmly chewing a piece of at. "Swearing. Minus one point."

Lu Yan’s eyes burned with fury, but after a mont, he realized he couldn’t hit her, couldn’t curse—he was only tornting himself. With a heavy "hmph," he grabbed his tray and chopsticks. His gaping maw erged from the gaps in his bandages, and with a few ssy gulps, he shoveled all the food into his mouth in seconds.

Xia Miao stared at him, stunned.

Her own eating was elegant and poised—back straight, chopsticks held delicately, each bite chewed behind closed lips before swallowing.

Compared to her, he devoured like a wild beast.

A strange sense of sha crept over Lu Yan belatedly.

He lowered his head, staring at the chopsticks clutched awkwardly in his five fingers like a hot potato, then set them down. Hands on his knees, he hunched further, stealing glances at her from the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, at and vegetables landed on his empty plate.

"I can’t finish this much. Help eat so."

Lu Yan lifted his gaze, unblinking.

Xia Miao scooted closer, nearly pressed against his side. Tilting her face up, she bead at him, eyes crinkling. "You eat a lot, I eat little. In that way, we complent each other. Plus ten points!"

Lu Yan tilted his head. "Why are you giving points?"

"Because the heavens are hinting we might be a match made in destiny. To celebrate, plus ten!"

His dead-fish eyes flickered with sothing. "We’re a match?"

Xia Miao corrected him, "Just a possibility. You’re still far from a hundred points—you haven’t successfully won over yet."

He stabbed a piece of at with his chopsticks, muttering as he chewed, "I’ll definitely catch you."

The boy’s competitive spirit burned like wildfire, as if he’d declared her his sworn rival to conquer. Yet under the table, his hand furtively brushed her fingers. When she didn’t pull away, he inched up her hand until their fingers intertwined completely.

The warmth sent his heart pounding erratically.

It felt like self-torture.

But the next mont, her fingers slid between his, locking them in a tight clasp.

Black smoke seeped from his bandages again.

A piece of at slipped from his chopsticks onto the table. Unfazed, he abandoned the unwieldy utensils and grabbed the at with his hand—only for Xia Miao to smack it away.

"Food that falls out of the bowl is dirty. Don’t eat it!"

Lu Yan had an odd obsession with food. Glaring at the at on the floor, he snapped, "You think I won’t hit—"

His hand was snatched up. Xia Miao pulled out a tissue, gently wiping the grease from his fingers. The light, ticklish touch made his scalp tingle, his whole body restless.

The boy’s eyes glead, head bowed, gaze glued to her face, baffled by his own uncharacteristically ek behavior.

Xia Miao suddenly looked up. "What was that about thinking you wouldn’t dare… what?"

Lu Yan gulped inexplicably, shrinking back. "Y-You… don’t think I’d dare to kiss you."

Seizing the excuse, he lunged forward—only for her hand to block him before shoving his face away.

"Get lost!"

Lu Yan gaped. "You won’t let kiss you!?"

"You just ate. Disgusting. No kissing!"

Behind the bandages, his cheeks puffed in indignation.

Night was falling. A new ga was about to begin.

The Headless Woman still dug through the earth, searching for her missing head.

The conjoined twins each held a large bag of red juice, stocking up energy for the night’s activities.

The old gardener, finally free after a long day, lounged in a chair under a tree, sipping chilled tea in bliss.

One twin suddenly spoke. "Where’s Lu Yan been loitering?"

The other echoed, "Yeah, haven’t seen him all day."

"Don’t tell that idiot’s playing so love ga again?"

"No way. Didn’t he kill that girl yet?"

The old gardener said, "He’s back."

The bandaged boy strode in, humming a tuneless lody. Spotting flowers by the path, he kicked them cheerfully.

Passing the Headless Woman, he suddenly gasped, patting his pockets before pulling out a chocolate. "Almost dropped the candy Miao Miao gave !"

The Headless Woman straightened, blankly facing his direction.

A few steps later, Lu Yan paused near the twins, lifting his hand to wave it pointedly before them.

"Miao Miao made sure to clean my hands spotless. She really knows her place—worshiping properly!"

The twins exchanged bewildered looks.

Finally arriving under the tree where the old gardener was enjoying the shade, Lu Yan plunged a hand into his own body, rummaged around, and pulled out a phone. With exaggerated theatrics, he exclaid, "Damn it! We’ve only been apart for a short while, and that woman already sent a ssage saying she misses —using the very phone she gave ! How annoying!"

The old gardener chuckled softly, "Heh heh heh."

Lu Yan shoved the phone—whose screen hadn’t even lit up—back into his body. He cast a sidelong glance at his colleagues, his expression haughty, bearing a striking resemblance to Xia Miao’s usual air of superiority. Though he feigned modesty, his words dripped with smugness.

"Ah, how I envy you all—no one likes you. Unlike , stuck with a girl who’s obsessed, clinging to relentlessly. Every other day, she’s pestering , restless unless we’re holding hands or kissing. I barely get any peace—such tornt."

The conjoined twins bared their beast-like claws. "Then let us kill her for you."

A blade whizzed through the air, piercing through the twins’ bodies and pinning them to the tree.

The youth’s dead-fish eyes glead with a dull gray-white hue, lifeless yet nacing. His bandages smoldered, his form flickering like a mirage. His voice was a low, rasping growl: "Try laying a finger on her. I dare you."