"Boom———!"
Outside the window, it was pitch black, with the sound of wind occasionally crashing against the glass, creating an atmosphere of unease among those in the room. Although typhoons weren’t unfamiliar to the Japanese, the biggest problem for the people here wasn’t really the typhoon...
"Alright, let’s call it a day."
Fang Zheng tutored for a while, but realizing that everyone was too distracted to focus on their studies, he reluctantly announced the end of the session. Hearing this, the girls seed to breathe a barely noticeable sigh of relief, and then Shijie was the first to jump up.
"Alright, alright, we’ve been studying for so long now, I feel like my brain is about to malfunction. Why don’t we relax a bit, play so gas, or watch a movie or sothing?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
At this point, the others seed to have found a lifeline, nodding fervently. However, at that mont, Sora suddenly stood up.
"Then let’s watch a movie. I just happen to have one I’ve been wanting to watch."
"Great, Sora... what movie?"
"You’ll know when you see it."
As she spoke, Sora pulled a DVD out from the TV cabinet, put it into the player, and then hit play. Soon, a new movie scene appeared on the screen, and the girls found places to sit, leaning against pillows with excited expressions, watching the TV intently.
anwhile, Sora, after pressing play, returned to Fang Zheng’s side and curled up, staring at the TV. For so reason, Fang Zheng noticed a queer glint flickering in her eyes?
The scene began with a high school girl studying, the window outside pitch black, a fan spinning next to her. The room was silent, empty except for the girl.
The music began to take on an eerie tone.
Suddenly, as if sensing sothing, the girl looked up, seeing a fly buzzing around her. It seed to annoy her a bit, as she walked downstairs, went to the refrigerator, and took a drink, gulping it down. But just then...
"Ring ring ring———!!"
Suddenly, the urgent ringing of a phone startled the girl. She put down her cup and went to pick up the phone.
"Hello... Dad? Mom?"
"Shara... shara..."
However, there was only static on the other end.
The girl worriedly hung up and returned to her desk to resu her studies, but this ti, she seed a bit uneasy. Moreover, it was as if so sort of sound was echoing in her ears...
"Wait, what movie is this?"
By this ti, Shijie had sensed that sothing was off, palely swallowing a mouthful of saliva, gripping Setsuna tightly. Upon hearing her question, Sora’s lips curled up into a strange smile.
"Midnight Bell of Doom."
"Ah... that new supernatural thriller."
Upon hearing this, Gui Kotonoha actually got excited.
"Great, I’ve always wanted to watch it..."
"Horror movie?!"
Yukina shuddered involuntarily and hugged her pillow tightly. As for Touma beside her, she didn’t say anything but seed to edge slightly closer to Yukina.
Suddenly, the atmosphere began to heat up.
"Should we change it?"
Glancing at Sora beside him, Fang Zheng realized that this was definitely her idea. However, much to Fang Zheng’s surprise, despite the fact that the girls were all terrified, none of them actually wanted to stop watching. Especially Gui Kotonoha, Fang Zheng didn’t realize this young lady loved horror movies so much...
Speaking of which, it seems girls have this quirk. Fang Zheng recalled that when he was in school, sotis horror movies would be shown in the classroom, and the girls would shout, "So scary!" "So disgusting!" "Turn it off!" while peeking through their fingers. But if you actually turned it off, they’d be unhappy...
So won... you’ll never truly understand what they’re thinking their entire lives.
Since everyone expressed a desire to continue, Fang Zheng wouldn’t make trouble by forcing the issue. So he leaned back on the sofa and began to imrse himself in the movie.
Fang Zheng had seen the original "Midnight Ring" before, which was pretty much a household na. Of course, there were so differences in this parallel universe version. While the main storyline remained the sa, there were so subtle changes elsewhere.
For instance, Sadako’s curse originally spread through a videotape, but here it was transmitted via video, not just DVDs but even online videos. Because of this, what started as a horror film now felt more like a disaster movie halfway through.
It was intriguing.
As he watched, Fang Zheng seed genuinely drawn in. The original film, constrained by its dium, didn’t actually have a high threat level. In that era, video tapes and players were large and cumberso.
But in the internet age, it’s different. With the spread of smartphones and video platforms, the spread of "Sadako’s curse" was crazy fast. Even the most optimistic person would shiver thinking about it.
Thus, for Fang Zheng, it felt like watching a modern remake of "Midnight Ring," which brought its own unique enjoynt.
Of course, the main plot didn’t change: the male protagonist, after foolishly watching Sadako’s video, embarks on a quest to find her body to save himself. They struggle, find Sadako’s body in a well, retrieve and honor it.
Co to think of it, Japanese horror films often follow this plot line.
Watching the screen, Fang Zheng’s mind drifted. If mory serves, in Japanese horror films, ordinary people usually tried to deal with supernatural problems, often making mistakes because they weren’t professionals. In contrast, Hong Kong horror films handled such matters with Taoists and monks.
In the Hong Kong films Fang Zheng watched, experts would often warn the protagonist, "You have a dark aura, there’s a ghost haunting you," but the protagonist wouldn’t believe it. When disasters befell, they’d beg the expert for help, and the expert would handle the final face-off, with the protagonist more like a mascot or helper.
But in Japanese horror films, you seldom find "professionals," just protagonists wielding a Diamond Sutra in one hand and a cross in the other, performing exorcisms... Fang Zheng couldn’t fathom these protagonists’ thought processes.
Who gave you the courage to handle this yourself instead of finding a professional?
In "Midnight Ring," for example, the protagonist saw a well in the video and thought Sadako’s restless spirit wanted to reveal her body’s location, so off they went to find it. Why not bring it to a temple monk for advice or guidance?
Maybe it’s the screenwriter’s malice?
After all, if professionals took care of it, the problem would be permanently solved, which ans no sequels.
As Fang Zheng’s mind wandered, the movie on the screen reached its climax. The protagonist honors and buries Sadako’s remains, thinks the ordeal is over, and relaxes at a hotel. Then suddenly, the phone rings again.
"Ring ring ring———!!"
Hearing this, Sora involuntarily grabbed Fang Zheng’s arm, and the girls widened their eyes, watching the protagonist swallow nervously, then walk to the phone and pick up the receiver. However, all that ca through the receiver was static, and then...
"Boom------!!"
With a thunderclap, suddenly, the whole room turned pitch black.
"Ah------!!!"
The next mont, a scream that almost pierced Fang Zheng’s eardrums erupted. Before Fang Zheng could react, he felt Sora gripping his arm tightly, while Yukina on the other side was so frightened she dove into his embrace. The world dragged Setsuna to squeeze beside Fang Zheng, and for a mont, Fang Zheng only felt surrounded by soft, trembling sensations filled with a pleasant scent...
Only Touma and Gui still sat in their places, Gui Kotonoha seed not to grasp what was happening, while Touma seed... had she just passed out?
"I say, why are you all so worked up?"
Fang Zheng helplessly extended his left hand to take out his phone and then turned on the flashlight to illuminate the surroundings.
"It’s just a power outage, power outages during typhoons are normal, right."
"Phew..."
Hearing Fang Zheng’s words, the girls seed to finally regain their composure, exchanging glances before letting out a breath of relief.
"It, it’s just a power outage..."
"Yeah, that’s right, just a power outage... it really scared just now..."
"Exactly, this power outage happened at such a bad ti."
As they spoke, the girls wore stiff smiles, but just as they finally relaxed, suddenly...
"Ring------!"
The urgent ringing of the phone abruptly shattered the calm.
"Huh-------!!!"
Hearing the ringing, the girls’ previously relaxed bodies tensed up once more, and Fang Zheng was about to stand up but was held down by the others.
"Wait, Haruno, what are you going to do?"
"What do you think... of course, I’m going to answer the phone?"
Fang Zheng thought the world was so absorbed in horror movies and silly, but if the phone rings, of course, you have to answer it.
"But, in this era, who would call a ho phone?"
From behind Fang Zheng, Setsuna analyzed in a calm yet slightly uneasy voice.
"Normally, people would call mobile phones first; only if they can’t reach them would they call the ho phone, right?"
"Yeah, that’s right..."
Sora also realized at this mont.
"Brother, do we have a ho phone?"
"Huh-------!!"
Hearing this, the girls seed even more nervous, and Fang Zheng rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Nonsense, how would you have internet without a phone? Besides, sotis to prevent you from not having your mobile phone, I specifically installed a phone."
"Is, is that so..."
Hearing Fang Zheng’s answer, the girls seed to finally let out a sigh of relief, but soon enough, Sora tensed up again.
"But no one knows our ho number!"
"Well... that is indeed a blind spot."
Faced with Sora’s questioning, Fang Zheng froze for a mont before realizing. Indeed, the ho phone, he only recorded it as an ergency contact at school, and typically... it seems no one really knows?
After all, most people nowadays use mobile phones, who uses a landline?
"Well, it could just be a wrong number."
Fang Zheng was not as frightened as these girls. Co on, Midnight Bell of Doom? Even if a thousand Sadakos ca, Fang Zheng would just send them ho with a Primordial Fire. Even if there were real ghosts, he’s not afraid.
Do they really not take a Paladin seriously?
"...Ring ring ring..."
Finally, after a mont, the phone stopped ringing, and the girls breathed a collective sigh of relief.
But in the next mont...
"Ring ring..."
The phone started ringing again.
"This... isn’t this still a wrong number."
Yukina’s voice had a crying tone to it, and beside her, Touma and Gui were also uneasy.
"Alright, let just answer it and see, won’t I?"
Fang Zheng was speechless, he first broke free from the others’ hold, then walked out of the living room, down the hallway, to where the incessant ringing was.
Then, Fang Zheng picked up the receiver.
PS: It’s a new month, asking for monthly vote support~!
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