Chapter 0: Trapped, Demanded
“What the heck… Hah…”
April 4th, time unknown.
I was sitting at the entrance of a bookstore, looking at a book, although I couldn’t focus on it at all.
“It’s completely out of time now…”
I took out a long, slender gift box from my pocket, glanced at it, and felt depressed.
Why would something like this happen… No, I haven’t even figured out what happened.
I glanced back at the empty interior of the bookstore, then at the empty street in front of me. I felt like I had been abandoned by the world.
There was no one, nowhere. Not a soul in sight.
The uncle who had guided me initially was long gone. The sky was covered with black clouds, and it felt like it was about to rain, but in the end, it only became gloomy, and not a single drop fell.
It was like a common trope in horror movies, where everyone except the protagonist disappears. The once bustling pedestrian street suddenly turned into a creepy scene.
If this were some prank show or a reality show, then the director had done a really successful job.
Because I was already starting to feel scared.
This place… this street is not good.
I really hoped it was just my imagination, but unfortunately, my intuition for danger is always accurate, like precognition, precisely at times like these.
I wanted to ask for help, but my phone had no signal.
It was strange that I couldn’t get a signal even though I was in the city.
As a result, I couldn’t get out…
That’s right, it wasn’t that I was lost and couldn’t find the exit, but that I “couldn’t get out,” I was “trapped here.”
At first, I was anxious and ran around desperately, thinking of escaping this cursed place quickly. But whether I walked along the main street or went down alleys, I couldn’t get out of this street.
Finally, I became ruthless and broke into a house, jumping out of the window… As a result, I ended up back on the original street.
Is this really the city I’m familiar with? Does this city have such strange places? How can I escape from this place?
At this point, I obviously couldn’t think about the situation with common sense.
This situation is quite like the legendary “ghost wall.”
Speaking of which, I’ve encountered a lot of strange things recently, even succubi and zombies. So, encountering ghosts might not be impossible.
Then I tried various methods I saw online, like walking for a bit, turning ninety degrees further, or spitting towards the sky… I was even tempted to whip out my… and pee in public… Although there was no one around, I still couldn’t bring myself to do such immoral things.
So, I don’t need to tell you the result, right? If it worked, I wouldn’t still be here…
According to the next steps, a ghost should probably appear now, right?
Please, anything! Just make something happen soon! I don’t want to stay in this cursed place anymore!
And at this time, Ji Lianbing’s birthday party must be almost over…
“Juncheng, if you don’t come… hehehehe, you know, right? Don’t make me unhappy?”
… I’d better stay here.
I somehow feel that even if I could get out now, I would only be met with another terrifying “female ghost.”
“Sigh…”
I sighed dejectedly again. I didn’t know how long I had been trapped, and my phone had already run out of battery.
I had completely given up on escaping from here. From now on, I’ll just leave it to fate.
At this moment, the door of the bookstore I was leaning against suddenly opened, and I lost my support and toppled backward.
Hmm? What is this?
This dark, mysterious area, with a holy light-like white at its center.
Slender, smooth calves, thighs with no excess fat, a firm butt, paired with pure white panties, outlining beautiful lines. Based on the lines of this lower body, I could imagine the upper body of the person in my mind…
Hmm, her chest should be small, otherwise, it wouldn’t be harmonious. Her waist would be slender, a very youthful figure.
Is she in middle school… No, elementary school?
Thin fabric fluttered in the wind.
Wait, could this be… under her skirt…?
“Juncheng.”
Huh?
A familiar voice!
This should be Jiang Xueqing, my first good friend, whose title recently changed from green to blue, and whom I can trust with all my heart.
“Xueqing!”
I quickly got up and looked at her. It was indeed Jiang Xueqing!
Jiang Xueqing still had a poker face. Even though I had peeked under her skirt, she showed no reaction.
What’s wrong with girls these days? Has their sense of shame completely disappeared?
“Why.”
“Huh? Why what?”
“Here?”
Ah, I get it. Putting it together, she’s asking why I’m here.
“I don’t know either. I inexplicably came to this street, and I can’t get out… Do you know what’s going on?”
“…”
Uh, she’s not talking again…
Well, although it’s good to have met someone I know, I still can’t figure out the cause and effect of things.
Someone like her, who is so taciturn, can’t possibly explain things properly to me.
“This place, dangerous.”
“As expected… I thought something was off about this place. It makes me very uncomfortable.”
Jiang Xueqing nodded and pointed to herself.
“Take you, out.”
Hearing her say this with such certainty, I excitedly stood up, grabbed her hands, and shook them in gratitude.
“Oh! You can take me out! That’s a big help!”
That’s great! As long as I can get out, I don’t care what this place is!
“Remuneration.”
She said that phrase again.
She has been asking for remuneration after helping me these past few days.
I’m already used to this.
“Ah, I know, your hair, just a moment.”
Jiang Xueqing has helped me several times these past few days, and each time she asks for remuneration. At first, I wanted to treat her well, invite her for a meal, or buy her some books. But she still only asks for my hair, just like that noon, and only asked for my fingernails last time.
These prices are all insignificant to me, so I always feel a bit remiss, but since she wants them, I don’t mind.
Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire. I don’t need to force her to change her views.
This time too, I casually took a few handfuls of hair, about twenty-odd strands. Although she only asks for ten strands each time, it’s fine to give her more.
It’s just hair, after all.
Just as I had this thought, I saw Jiang Xueqing gently shake her head, refusing the hand I extended towards her.
“Don’t want, hair.”
I asked back with a bit of surprise.
“Huh? You don’t want hair anymore?”
Jiang Xueqing nodded with a poker face and said,
“Hair, enough.”
“Okay, then what do you want this time?”
It seems she’s finally realized that hair isn’t valuable. Will she finally propose a normal reward this time? What would a girl want? Clothes or a doll? Or maybe just money… Although giving money might seem a little less sincere, it’s generally the most convenient reward.
The next second, Jiang Xueqing showed me with her actions that her values hadn’t changed.
She extended her snow-white hand towards me and, pointing to the surface of her right index finger with her left index finger, said to me.
“Fingernails.”
“Fingernails, huh…”
Nodding.
It’s still body parts!
A sense of foreboding suddenly flashed in my mind. It’s fingernails now, but what will it become later…?
N-no way, it wouldn’t go as far as such extreme actions, would it…?
“You already gave me fingernails last time…”
“Not enough, want more.”
Even if you say that… I gave her all my trimmed fingernails last time. My current fingernails are already the shortest they can be. I can’t cut them at all…
There’s no other way. I’ll just make up a couple of excuses.
“Sorry, I don’t have a nail clipper with me right now. And…”
Before I could even finish my next excuse, Jiang Xueqing took a nail clipper out of her pocket and handed it to me.
I took the nail clipper with some embarrassment and continued what I was saying.
“My fingernails haven’t grown out yet… Can I give them to you in a few days?”
Shaking her head.
She actually refused.
This was probably the first time she had refused my request.
“Then how about after we get out?”
Shaking her head resolutely.
“Uh, how about changing the request?”
Still shaking her head.
“You must have it now?”
Nodding.
Her face showed no expression, making it impossible to know her inner feelings, making me even doubt if she had any emotions at all.
As someone who considered himself her friend, I could somewhat understand what she meant, but I still couldn’t grasp her emotions.
“Fingernails, give to me.”
“How do I give them… an entire piece?”
“…Mm.”
She actually nodded!
She wants my entire fingernail!
“All, fingernails.”
All of them!
Pulling out all my fingernails and giving them to her is like torture!
“Give to me.”
She stepped closer, taking off her glasses.
“I want.”
Her tone was exceptionally firm, and her voice was louder than usual.
“Give me your fingernails.”
She showed emotion in front of me for the first time… It was a persistent emotion.
I wasn’t sure what she was persistent about, but I instinctively felt a terrifying aura.
There was no need for a reason; my body was sending me danger signals. I suddenly understood one thing, and that was…
Jiang Xueqing wasn’t my companion.
No, that’s not quite right either… Her title is indeed blue.
That is undoubtedly proof that she trusts me without reservation.
However, it is precisely because of this trusting relationship that she has begun to open up to me.
To start revealing her emotions to me.
To convey values that ordinary people can’t understand or accept.
“…Tsk.”
I subconsciously stepped back.
Then, I turned around and ran with all my might!
It might seem cowardly, but if I didn’t run, things would definitely spiral out of control.
“Should I say it’s expected… it’s happened like this again!”
I converted the air in my lungs into a feeling full of complaints, and shouted it all out with a depressed heart.
Footsteps began to come from behind me, light and not fast, I felt like I could easily shake them off.
However, I am still in a “ghost wall” situation. I am still trapped in this damned street and cannot escape.
No matter how much I run, how much I run, how much I run…
The faint footsteps behind me never disappeared.
Conversely, if I slowed down even a little, the footsteps would get closer and closer, following me like a ghost.
She seems to know this place very well, as if it were her own backyard.
So even though her pace isn’t fast, it’s much more efficient than mine. If I scramble around like a headless fly, she’ll easily catch up to me once my stamina runs out.
“What is all this!”
I started regretting many things that had happened before.
If I hadn’t taken a shortcut to try to get to Lianbing’s birthday party faster, and instead walked down a path I had never taken before… I wouldn’t have stumbled into this cursed street.
If I hadn’t gone shopping for Ji Lianbing’s birthday gift with my younger sisters the day before… I wouldn’t have been questioned by Keling, and I wouldn’t have had to spend so much time comforting her.
If I hadn’t replied to those strange text messages last night… I wouldn’t have stayed up until two or three in the morning, and I could have woken up earlier in the morning.
But there are all sorts of fruits in the world, except for one called “if.”
Actually, I know in my heart why things have become this way…
Jiang Xueqing, like Ji Lianbing, is twisted. I clearly noticed this, but I never took it seriously.
Ultimately, I have to take half the blame for this outcome.
Ah, I really wish I could go back and slap myself. How could I be so stupid!
Yes, the beginning of everything should have been… the last day of March.
