lcionline Chapter 31 Nightmare
Chapter 31 Nightmare
"oh."
Meimei nodded, her face expressionless, showing neither disappointment nor dissatisfaction, as if what he was talking about had nothing to do with her.
Rito glanced up. Although he knew she had always had this leisurely personality, he thought that a teenage girl who had just joined a new group and was already at the forefront from the start would find it hard to accept falling behind, even if she had no competitive spirit or desire to win.
"The other four people in the row haven't changed."
Seemingly dissatisfied with her reaction, Rito rolled her eyes and added a comment with a mischievous grin.
"oh."
Meimei gave the same response, but this time, a noticeable change appeared on her mature-beyond-her-years face.
Is it coming? Is it coming?
Li Ren suddenly became excited. It is said that strong emotional stimulation often comes from contrast. He had never really seen what a usually composed girl like Meimei would be like when she got angry, so he couldn't help but be a little curious.
"Kubo-san!"
Unfortunately, the evil Rito's plan was quickly seen through by the clever sheep. She pouted, put her hands on her hips, stood up from the stool, and her bright eyes shot out a righteous sheep beam, which quickly defeated Rito.
"Okay, okay, it was my fault." Seeing the cute girl who was already a little exasperated, Rito couldn't continue to act shamelessly and quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"Hmph!" Meimei blushed as she accepted his apology, then immediately gave him the order to leave: "Alright, thank you Kubo-san for coming all this way to tell me this good news. Now I'm going to take a group photo. Please make yourself at home."
"Oh~" Rito suppressed a laugh and gave up her seat, but still felt a little uneasy. So, as Meimei walked past, she grabbed Meimei's wrist and asked seriously:
"Seriously, Meimei, are you okay? If you're feeling down, you should say it. I understand."
She tried to pull her hand away but failed. Meimei silently lowered her head, her long, straight black hair covering her face like thorns, and her deep voice flowed out like a mountain stream.
"If it's Kubo-san, then it's fine."
"Excuse me, what did you just say?"
Rito didn't hear clearly the first time, so he asked again.
"I said, if Kubo-san wants me to go to the second row, I'll accept."
The girl bit her lip, her chubby cheeks glowing with a rosy light, and suppressed her shyness as she repeated herself.
"Oh—what if I told you this was Konno-san's decision?"
To be honest, it would be a lie to say that Li Ren wasn't moved by the girl's unwavering trust in him, but he also felt it was a bit embarrassing to be moved by a little kid, so his words ended up being a joke that evaded the question.
"Then I'm not going to be an idol anymore!" Meimei was furious. She rolled her eyes at him, stomped her foot on the ground, and walked away quickly.
"Tsutsui!" Rito called out, but seeing that the girl didn't turn around, he could only shrug. "This little brat has quite a temper. Well, it's good that she's alright."
He watched Meimei's puffed-up back disappear around the corner of the photography studio, smiled helplessly, shook his head, and turned to leave.
The afternoon sunlight gradually softened, turning the leaves of the plane trees lining the street a warm orange. Rito walked slowly along the sidewalk, his mind still preoccupied with the third single's location. Before he knew it, he had reached the parking lot, got into his car, and started the engine. The cold light from the dashboard reflected on his face, revealing a hint of weariness.
By the time he got home, it was completely dark. Rito quickly cooked himself a bowl of frozen food, took a shower, and collapsed onto the bed. His consciousness slowly faded as if sinking into warm water, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.
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Sensing a faint light, Rito suddenly opened his eyes.
The surroundings weren't the familiar bedroom, but an endless expanse of dark red. The air was thick with the pungent smell of rust and dust, and beneath my feet lay cold, rough concrete. In the distance, the hollow echoes of clashing metal reverberated, each strike pounding against my heart.
"Where is this?"
Rito frowned, instinctively reaching for his phone, only to realize he was wearing pajamas with no pockets. He looked around and found himself standing in a huge abandoned factory. The overhead lights flickered, casting distorted, swaying shadows, and the walls were covered in dark red graffiti, like dried blood.
Just then, a faint singing voice drifted over.
「Death pupil じて
YesAn An の中
Missed? "
The singing carried an eerie, deep, and familiar quality, echoing through the empty factory. Rito felt a certain name flash through his cerebral cortex, but he couldn't recall it for a moment.
"That's strange, it sounds really familiar."
He said, and then looked in the direction of the singing, and saw a figure slowly walking out of the shadows deep in the factory.
The girl wore a bright red silk blouse with a loosely tied matching bow at the collar. Black leather straps draped over her shoulders, accentuating her slender waist. She wore black leather shorts that barely covered her thighs, ripped fishnet stockings, and heavy combat boots. Her dark hair fell messily over her face, obscuring half her features, revealing only a pale chin and a slightly upturned smile.
She sang as she slowly walked towards Rito. Her steps were as light as a cat's, the sleeves of her red shirt swaying gently with her movements, one hand raised in the air, her fingers curving in an extremely strange arc, as if beckoning, or as if provoking.
Nono Mio?
Li Ren was taken aback, and a name popped into his mind.
What's wrong with me? Aren't all these members I've pulled out enough to worry about? How come I can still dream about her?
Lost in thought, he watched as Nomi Aoi walked up to him and stopped. She looked up, revealing her eyes, which were usually hidden by her hair. Her eyes were dark and deep, like two bottomless ancient wells, devoid of any emotion, only a cold emptiness.
She didn't speak, but tilted her head slightly, then reached out and gently stroked Rito's cheek. Her fingertips were icy cold, gliding across his skin like snake scales, bringing a chill to his bones.
Rito tried to back away, but found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move. He could only watch helplessly as the girl slowly approached, the faint scent of gardenias mixed with the smell of rust wafting towards him as she drew closer.
Nono Mikoto's face was only centimeters away from his. Her breath brushed against his lips, carrying a cool sweetness. She looked into his eyes, a strange smile slowly curving her lips, then she tiptoed and kissed his lips.
There's nobody.
You misunderstood.
The background music continued to play, and just then, two lines of red tears suddenly streamed down the girl's face.