Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

This time, however, Gao Hai failed to notice someone's cries of pain throughout, because his own sinister laughter had drowned out everything, and the walls and floors of his house, which had only recently been renovated, had already begun to crumble.

However, such trivial matters are not something we need to worry about now.

Interlude 3-43: A Sleepless Night with Takami and Several Girls

At midnight.

bed.

Female-Male-Female.

The three of them lay down side by side and fell asleep as if nothing had happened.

Both Maki and Chika had their eyes closed and appeared to be asleep.

Gao Hai opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling, and fell into thought.

What is the meaning of life?

Humans should not live in this world merely to fulfill simple physiological desires such as eating and sleeping.

As the old saying goes, what people should most admire are the stars in the sky and the light within their own hearts… Wait, what was the original quote again? Speaking of which, whose words were these? Kang… Kang what was it again, Kang Tao? No, that seems to be an organization from Cyberpunk 2077? What is that, Kang… Kang Tai? That doesn't seem right either, who said that?

Well, as long as we grasp the spirit, that's enough. Humanity is always bogged down in the mundane details of daily life, but even in the mud, we shouldn't forget to sing praises of the distant grasslands and poetry. Think of the beautiful blue sky, think of the boundless sea, think of the countless stars in the universe. Even if we are but a speck of dust in it all, even this speck of dust possesses thought. Therefore, we—

"Ah Hai, I need to go to the bathroom."

The girl beside him gently nudged Gao Hai's shoulder and said to him with a slightly flushed face.

"Hmm? Now?"

Gao Hai snapped out of his reverie and looked down at Qian Hua, who was lying on her side next to him, and asked.

"Hmm... so, let me loosen it a little."

Chika nodded gently, then shifted her body slightly, revealing the red rope wrapped around her shoulder.

It needs to be stated beforehand that this is not an ordinary rope, but a specially made high-strength alloy rope. Because Chika's physical abilities have been greatly enhanced after the "School Ghost Stories," far exceeding human limits, she needs to use this kind of rope to play the various games she and Takami used to play.

However, precisely because of the nature of the rope, untying it wouldn't be easy. Gao Hai originally estimated that he could only forcefully break the rope, or wait until daylight to figure out how to untangle it. But now, wait, in this state, perhaps we could try some new ideas?

"I'll take you there."

Gao Hai's eyes had become sharp.

"Hey, but my legs are tied too, if they're not untied..."

Chika paused for a moment, then quickly whispered again.

"It's okay if you don't untie it, don't worry."

However, Gao Hai had already gotten up and carried Qian Hua in a princess carry towards the restroom.

"Oh, that's so embarrassing, Ah Hai, you're getting worse and worse."

Realizing what Gao Hai was planning to do, Chika whispered, her cheeks turning even redder, and she was also a little excited.

As for Gao Hai himself, his gaze had become even sharper than before.

The so-called ocean and starry sky...

It's not important anymore, I'll think about it later. I have more important things to do right now.

In short, by the time Gao Hai and Qian Hua returned, it was already around 2 a.m., having gone from midnight to midnight.

Laying back down on the bed, exhausted, Qianhua fell asleep immediately, her breathing soon becoming even. Gao Hai, on the other hand, once again pondered the starry sky and the sea, the future of human civilization, and his own life. He felt he still had many things to consider, until a petite figure approached him from the side.

"You seemed to be having a lot of fun playing games just now. I could hear you two even from far away."

Princess Zhenfei's expression was resentful, her voice was unhappy, and her body was warm.

"...It might wake her up."

Gao Hai was silent for a while, then turned to look at Qian Hua, who had already fallen into a deep sleep, and hesitated before speaking.

"Are you scared now?"

Zhenfei's eyes widened, and she immediately spoke.

"Ok?"

Gao Hai's eyes sharpened again.

Am I scared?

You're saying I'm scared?

Woman, are you provoking me? You're playing with fire!

So Gao Hai reached out and pulled Zhenfei into his arms, letting her lie on his chest.

"Let's see if you can wake her up."

"Hey? Wait, wait a minute, oh..."

Leaving aside the starry sky and the sea for now, what's more important is the issue of a man's dignity.

……

Time quickly came to 4 a.m.

Maki and Chika are already asleep, both soundly, and they probably won't wake up before noon tomorrow.

Gao Hai, however, remained awake. He began to ponder how many more years he had to live, how many more missions he could complete, the meaning of his existence, and what he should pursue in this perhaps short life. Meaning, yes, meaning is crucial. What distinguishes humanity from plants and animals, from the rest of nature, lies in our capacity for thought. Therefore, one must learn to find one's own meaning; one should not indulge in simple desires, but rather…

Hmm...

It seems I heard a sound.

Gao Hai closed his eyes and began to sense things carefully.

Yes, this feeling... it's a voice originating from within oneself, from one's own mental world.

Kita Ikuyo.

Her consciousness has begun to return.

Incidentally, Kita Ikuyo's consciousness was actually quite fragile when she first regained it. However, because she was immediately subjected to strong stimulation upon waking up twice, and thus fell back into a state of unconsciousness, she has now had ample rest and is in excellent condition upon waking up for the third time. It can be said to be her best performance yet.

Therefore, Takami vaguely sensed that he could further separate Kita Ikuyo in this state from his own consciousness.

An invisible spiritual force was mobilized.

{Ugh...what am I...}

Accompanied by the girl's dreamlike voice, Gao Hai could feel something gradually separating from his body.

That thing was a condensation of spirit, an unformed soul. And at this moment, stimulated by Gao Hai's spiritual power, this shapeless thing was rapidly recovering, gradually regaining its original memories, and remembering its original form.

It's visible now.

Gao Hai opened his eyes.

He could see a blurry phantom hovering above his head.

This is a projection of an illusory soul in the outside world. It exists only in Gao Hai's line of sight and cannot be perceived or touched by anyone else.

The phantom is now rapidly becoming clearer, and a gradually recovering humanoid body can be seen.

Her long, red hair mirrored her passionate personality.

Thin and slender limbs, and skin as white as jade.

And that little belly that makes you want to rub it.

It seems even flatter than Princess Zhenfei's.

Hmm... that's pretty much the same. Girls in anime usually don't have much body hair, so I won't comment on that.

Your eyes are open. Looks like you've fully regained consciousness. Those are beautiful green-gold pupils. But why is your expression so strange when you look at me? And do you blush even in a soul state? Sigh, you even reached out to cover yourself. Oh… I see.

{Don't you dare stare at me, you pervert!!!}

An angry scream echoed in my mind.

This voice, which only exists in Takami's mental world, is naturally impossible for Maki and Chika to hear, so they are still sleeping soundly.

As for Gao Hai, who had just admired yet another naturally beautiful JK girl, he figured he would definitely not be able to sleep tonight.

……

At the same time, at Goto's house.

"Ugh, I can't sleep..."

Having become completely accustomed to having Takami by her side during their long journey through time together, Goto Ichiri opened her eyes and, finding Takami no longer there, found herself unable to sleep.

……

On the other side, at the Yotsuya family home.

"very strange……"

Yotsuya Miko, her face slightly flushed, was also having trouble sleeping. For some reason, every time she fell asleep tonight, she dreamt of a pure black void, completely unable to find any trace of Takami. Her usual embarrassing dreams were completely ineffective tonight, so much so that she would wake up shortly after falling asleep due to intense discomfort.

What's going on? Why have I suddenly stopped having those embarrassing dreams?

And after I stopped having those dreams, I feel... a little out of sorts. What's going on? Am I actually that type of girl? No, that can't be... that shouldn't be possible...

It seems that Zi has fallen into a state of slight withdrawal.

It seems there's more than one person suffering from insomnia tonight.

Interlude 3-44: Kita Ikuyo's melancholy and unresolved problems

Kita Ikuyo is a cheerful, optimistic, always smiling, and always full of energy.

Even after becoming a gamer, she still faces life positively, trying her best to make every day fulfilling and leaving no regrets for herself.

Even if her life could only be measured in months, as long as she hadn't let herself down, it wouldn't be too bad. With this thought in mind, the girl lived life to the fullest, striving to live without regrets in both music and life.