Chapter 30: The Meteor Hammer of Social Anxiety

Mai’s single, short sentence was enough to send Chajingyuan’s social anxiety spiraling once more.

What exactly did ‘same city’ imply? It meant that the chat they had just discussed could easily become an in-person meeting, requiring only a subway or bus ride.

Indeed, if a face-to-face rendezvous was possible, there was no logical reason for Chajingyuan to refuse such an efficient mode of communication.

Although Chajingyuan had, in fact, thought earlier that Gengetsu Shiori was quite an interesting person, that sentiment was predicated on online-only interactions, specifically the comedic banter within the live stream.

Once it came down to reality, once Chajingyuan considered the implications:

First, having died hundreds of times and getting stuck in a jumping game;

Second, constantly being proven wrong despite her stubbornness;

Third, subconsciously choosing such an incredibly old song; and finally, the fact that she, who self-identified as male, would have to appear as a petite girl to her real-life ‘friend.’

And then, at the very end, her eloquent, silver-tongued self from the live stream would become a hesitant, stammering mess in reality, unable to even articulate a clear sentence.

“…”

With all these factors combined, it wouldn’t just be a matter of ordinary ‘stammering’ or ‘social difficulty.’

It would be akin to having a lie or a mask ripped away, making her want to crawl into a crack in the earth—no, making her want to die…!

“Ugh…!!”

Chajingyuan didn’t even dare to type a response. Clutching her phone, she cast a pleading look at her younger sister, her face clearly screaming the unspoken words:

[Teach me how to refuse!]

“Oh, for goodness’ sake~”

Chahuayuan shrugged her shoulders, a mixture of indifference and helplessness in her posture.

“It’s no big deal. Even if you really have to meet, things will sort themselves out when they come to it; you won’t be so scared once you’re face-to-face.

Besides, our C City is huge. Our old district in the south of the city might not be convenient for meeting people from other areas. Why don’t you ask first, and then we’ll see?”

“Mm… mhm mhm mhm!”

Hearing Chahuayuan suggest ‘ask first, then we’ll see,’ Chajingyuan immediately felt as if she’d found a lifeline, quickly typing a reply on her phone screen:

–Mirror in the Rain Night: [So, should we perhaps look at the specific situation first? Which area does Shiori live in?]

–Unyielding Shibahime: [Oh, right, that’s true. Wait a sec, let me check what Gengetsu told me.]

–Unyielding Shibahime: [Xinglong Community, Nanxiang District, C City. Is that close to you?]

“Eh??”

Chajingyuan was instantly startled: ‘They live in the same district, the same community!’

Chahuayuan nodded casually.

“That’s pretty close, isn’t it? It wouldn’t be any trouble for us to meet up if it’s on the way.”

“No! Absolutely not! Wait, let me confirm again!”

Chajingyuan cried out in despair, frantically sending another message as if in a death throe:

–Mirror in the Rain Night: [Then, then, then, which residential complex???]

–Unyielding Shibahime: [The complex? I think I checked, it’s an older one. The entry control should be quite relaxed, so meeting in person shouldn’t be too difficult. Let me see.]

–Unyielding Shibahime: [Fuhua Garden Complex. Does that ring a bell?]

“…”

“…………”

Silence.

Silence was Fuhua Garden tonight.

Even Chahuayuan was stunned. Alongside a distraught Chajingyuan, she looked up at the residential complex gate nearby. On the arching, somewhat rustic iron gate’s lintel hung three red characters in regular script: ‘Fuhua Garden.’

“This, this, this… this is our complex!!”

How could they possibly find an excuse to refuse an in-person meeting now? Ultimately, how could fellow streamers from the same online community possibly live in the same residential complex?!

Chajingyuan, still unwilling to give up, wanted to try some trick, like fabricating her home address. However, under her sister’s influence—a combination of reasoning and a ‘fist of iron’—she ultimately relented.

After all, such a practical lie was bound to escalate, and it simply wasn’t worth it just to avoid a real-life meeting.

Finally, they scheduled the meeting for 3:30 PM.

Through a direct private chat with Gengetsu Shiori, they agreed to use Gengetsu’s home as the meeting location.

The two families’ apartment layouts seemed different, and according to Gengetsu, her living room was quite spacious.

Moreover, she was currently living alone, making it ideal for a meeting and saving them the trouble of walking a long distance to find a coffee shop.

Incidentally, Gengetsu’s exact words in the chat were: [My place is quite spacious~].

Chajingyuan stared at the chat history, a shiver running down her spine:

“I just feel like inviting a young girl my age to an old apartment, alone, and with a comment like that… no matter how you look at it, it’s super dangerous, ughhhhhh…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You still have me, don’t you? Your own sister will be there to protect you the whole time. Besides, you could sense Gengetsu’s personality before, couldn’t you? Don’t overthink it.”

“No.”

But Chajingyuan felt utterly insecure.

What’s more, she was already a severe sufferer of mental illness and social anxiety.

“First, don’t take advantage of me. Second, I need to prepare my own self-defense tools~”

“Uh-huh…”

In any case, to put her words into action, after finishing today’s takeout lunch, Chajingyuan selected two soda bottles, filled them with water, and sealed them.

She then twisted the handles of the takeout bag into a long rope, tying the water bottles to each end, creating a ‘meteor hammer’ that, by all appearances, served only for self-reassurance.

Chahuayuan mused, ‘This utterly impractical weapon of yours, if the other party truly intended to harm you, might not only fail to protect you, but the conveniently ‘shaped’ soda bottles could even become an accessory to the act.’

Incidentally, because this homemade meteor hammer was too heavy, Chajingyuan couldn’t carry it herself, so it ultimately ended up in Chahuayuan’s shoulder bag.

“Sigh!”

Chahuayuan was truly speechless, accepting it as a mere placebo, a necessary hassle to allow her silly older ‘brother’ to socialize with some peace of mind.

Amidst the anxious waiting, the meeting time quickly arrived.

“Eek…………”

In the dimly lit corridor, Chajingyuan huddled, trembling, behind Chahuayuan.

“I just have this feeling… even though it’s the same complex, why is the atmosphere here so eerie? The light is dim, and the cold drafts are terrifying…”

“The dim light is because the apartments in this unit are larger, which affects the hallway’s natural lighting. And the eerie atmosphere?

That’s because the weather is changing; the forecast says it’ll rain for the next few days! Don’t scare yourself.”

“But I just feel like something’s off! What good is science to me right now?!”

“Alright, alright~, none of that matters. Just make sure that when you meet Gengetsu later, your voice is as loud as it is now when you’re whining to me.”

“I-I can’t promise that…!”

Gengetsu’s home was on the top floor of the building, the seventh floor.

As they knocked on the door, hearing a cheerful ‘Coming, coming!’ from inside, Chajingyuan clutched her sister’s sleeve tighter.

“I’m telling you, behind that seemingly soft and adorable ‘loli’ facade, someone who can fake such a harmless image might actually be some terrifying schemer! You, you, you, you need to cover me later!”