"I, I also think so. Strength in numbers. Six people taking turns keeping watch through the night. If something weird happens, we can alert each other and help right away."
Kamimura Miho immediately voiced her agreement.
Kuroda Hikari thought about it and nodded along too.
Tanaka Ichiro, having just been attacked by something supernatural outside, was even more willing to stay with the group.
Finally, everyone's eyes focused on Hayato and Hoshino Ai. And since Hoshino Ai clearly followed Hayato's lead, his decision would be hers.
"If we all gather in one room, what if the monster has a rule that it can only visit one room per night? What if the more people there are in the room, the harder it is to survive? Right now we are just ordinary humans, not death game players."
"You four can stay together. Tonight, Hoshino-san and I will take one room. But I'd suggest two people per room is best."
As his words landed, everyone's expressions shifted slightly.
Based on Hayato's rational behavior so far, he'd already become their unofficial leader. His opposition and suggestion made everyone fall into doubt.
Only Hoshino Ai couldn't help overthinking things.
Don't get the wrong idea, Ai-chan.
Hoshino Ai clenched her fists, nails pressing into her palms. The sharp pressure helped clear her head a bit. Given the current situation, Hayato definitely wasn't thinking about anything weird. It was just because she was the safest overnight partner, that's why he chose this arrangement.
She couldn't very well make Hayato team up with someone else for the night anyway.
The moment that thought emerged, Hoshino Ai shook her head. Even if Hayato didn't want to stay with her overnight, she'd find a way to make him agree.
Sawanaga Taisuke and the middle-aged man's group of four started discussing among themselves, their voices low and tense.
Finally, after some deliberation, the four chose to get one room and huddle together to face the dangers of this death game.
Hayato didn't say much more.
Both rooms would be adjacent to each other.
Hayato didn't refuse this suggestion.
Hayato, Sawanaga Taisuke, and Tanaka Ichiro came to the self-service check-in machine in the lobby and began processing their check-in procedures.
Facing this machine, Sawanaga Taisuke and Tanaka Ichiro looked somewhat worried, their hands hovering uncertainly over the screen.
But Hayato started operating it without hesitation, his fingers moving across the touchscreen. A room keycard slid out with a soft mechanical whir.
Seeing this, after some urging from the middle-aged man, Sawanaga Taisuke reluctantly processed his check-in too.
Hayato's room number was [306], while Sawanaga Taisuke's group of four got room [308].
They'd successfully completed check-in.
Next up was heading to the rooms on the third floor.
But...
"Oh yeah, Sawanaga. Do you have a friend named Itou Makoto?"
That sudden question threw Sawanaga Taisuke into visible shock.
But before he could answer, everything stopped.
Bzzt...
A faint electrical crackle rippled through the air.
Hayato had activated his superpower again.
The world froze.
The fluorescent lights stopped their subtle hum. The vending machines went silent mid-buzz. Even the faint rustle of clothing stopped dead. Complete and total silence pressed down on him, broken only by his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.
The superpower worked. It hadn't been restricted in this game.
This was the first thing Hayato confirmed.
The time stop ability's drawback isn't "can't be used in death games." Good. That's really good.
In this death game love hotel, the time stop superpower was his greatest ace. But Hayato also knew he absolutely couldn't rely entirely on it. His own analysis and thinking to find survival clues were just as important for successfully escaping this place.
Hayato didn't believe that simply following the check-in rules would let them survive until 6 AM tomorrow and smoothly leave the hotel.
There has to be more to it than that.
In this space where time was frozen, Hayato glanced at the clock. The second hand hung motionless mid-tick.
His breath misted slightly in the still air as he moved toward the four frozen people.
Next, he began inspecting them.
Sawanaga Taisuke stood with his mouth half-open, caught mid-reply. Hayato reached into his pockets, feeling the rough denim fabric, the cool metal of keys, the smooth plastic of a student ID card.
"Student ID, phone, cash, keychain."
The identification showed no problems. Sawanaga Taisuke and Kuroda Hikari were both first-year students at Sakakino Academy.
The middle-aged man Tanaka Ichiro and the shoulder-length haired woman Kamimura Miho's work IDs also proved their identities checked out. The laminated cards felt cool against his fingertips.
None of the four had lied.
However, he found something rather interesting in Kamimura Miho's small ladies' bag, the leather soft and worn from use.
Condoms.
An entire unopened box at that. The cardboard felt crisp and new.
Looking at the item in his hand, Hayato thought for a moment before slipping it into his own pocket.
Might need this. We never know.
This made Hoshino Ai, whose consciousness existed and witnessed this scene, unable to stop her wild imagination.
What is he planning to do? Hayato couldn't possibly be thinking of...
Her frozen body couldn't move, couldn't react, could only watch helplessly as he moved through the lobby.
Right now, Hayato focused on observing the middle-aged man. After leaving the hotel and returning, was there a chance he'd already been replaced by something?
Hayato frowned slightly, then pulled back his fist and threw a measured punch into the middle-aged man's soft abdomen. The flesh gave slightly under his knuckles.
Sawanaga Taisuke got one too, a controlled jab to the ribs.
If they react differently when time resumes, I'll know something's wrong with their reaction. After all, in novels or horror movies, supernatural beings do not feel pain when struck with the strength of a normal human body.
Hayato came before the two girls.
But facing the two young women, a certain type of work flashed through Hayato's mind. Those works involving "time stop" superpowers in... less wholesome content.
Time stop was ridiculously useful in those scenarios.
If Hayato wanted, he could do whatever right now.
But thinking it over, that would be pretty pointless. Not to mention they were currently in a death game involving actual life-threatening danger.
Focus. This isn't the time for that.
There was plenty of time ahead. His superpower should be used for more important things.
Still, Hayato didn't spare the two girls. One body part each, one controlled hit. Nobody got left out of the test.
Kuroda Hikari took a light tap to the shoulder. Kamimura Miho got a measured flick to the arm.
Finally, Hayato came before Hoshino Ai.
Her purple eyes were wide, frozen mid-blink. She looked terrified even in stillness.
Hoshino Ai was screaming internally.
Don't hit me, I'm afraid of pain!
Please be gentle!
She watched helplessly as Hayato raised his fist, unable to close her eyes, unable to turn away. In the end, Hayato's right thumb and index finger pinched her cheek and twisted firmly.
The sensation burned through her frozen nerves, sharp pressure spreading across her cheek, fingers digging into soft skin.
My face is gonna split! It hurts so much!
Finally, Hayato made a lap around the lobby. His footsteps echoed strangely in the frozen space, the only sound in a world of complete silence. Without finding any more useful clues, he returned to his original position.
Time stop released.
Bzzt...
The electrical crackle rippled outward.
Everything snapped back to normal.
The fluorescent hum returned. The vending machines resumed their faint buzz. The clock ticked forward.
"Ugh..."
"Ah!"
"Ow, ow, that hurts!"
"Who hit me?!"
"It hurts, my face, uuugh..."
Everyone cried out in pain one after another, voices overlapping in confusion. Hands flew to stomachs, ribs, shoulders, faces, clutching at the sudden sharp aches that appeared from nowhere.
And Hayato very cooperatively clutched his left hand, his expression twisting into a grimace.
A chill instantly swept over everyone, raising goosebumps along their arms.
They'd been attacked by an unknown entity!
There was something supernatural in this lobby right now!
They had to run. Now!