Chapter 65: The Monster’s Embrace

After a short wait, Rainbow emerged from the fitting room, dressed in new clothes.

It was undeniable that the body Rainbow inhabited today was a natural clothes hanger; even Black Mirror, who paid little attention to such matters, found herself immediately struck by how well the outfit suited her.

“How does this look, Little Mirror?” Rainbow approached Black Mirror, proudly showcasing her attire.

“It suits you well, though I think it would look even better with that light-colored, lace-trimmed top you were holding earlier.” Black Mirror replied instinctively.

“You think so too, don’t you? I also thought that one was quite good. We truly have a telepathic connection, it seems! Please wait a moment, I’ll go change again.”

‘Oh dear, I seem to have spoken too much.’

Having lingered there with Rainbow for a while longer, Black Mirror finally saw her, satisfied as if she had been playing a dress-up game, standing before the checkout counter.

Just as Black Mirror thought they could finally leave, she saw a store assistant suddenly approaching her with several garments.

“Miss, your friend said she’d like you to try on these clothes.”

“Me?”

She turned to look at Rainbow, who gave her a thumbs-up.

‘If I refused now, she would likely wear me down until I had no choice but to agree.’

With that thought, Black Mirror quietly nodded to the sales assistant, thanked her, took the clothes, and entered the fitting room.

Once the curtain was drawn, Black Mirror picked up each item of clothing, one by one, unfolding them to hold against herself.

She had no intention of actually trying them on; she merely needed to remember their appearance and then use her magic to transform her current casual attire, which had originated as a uniform, into a new form.

The fitting room mirror before her couldn’t reflect her current appearance, forcing her to rely on her meager imagination.

At that moment, the curtain behind her suddenly swished open, and another person entered the somewhat cramped space.

“Oh, I was hoping to catch the moment Little Mirror changed clothes! Why were you so quick?”

“That’s very impolite of you.”

“My apologies, my apologies. But who can blame me for wanting to see Little Mirror in different clothes so quickly?”

Rainbow, showing no genuine remorse, circled Black Mirror, then confidently began her critique.

“This outfit truly suits you, Little Mirror. I knew my judgment was impeccable.”

“Is it?”

“Hmm, that’s right. It is a bit troublesome that Little Mirror can’t see herself. Well then, how about this?”

Seeing that the fitting room mirror only reflected herself and not Black Mirror, Rainbow had a flash of inspiration and used her magic, causing another version of herself to appear before Black Mirror.

“It’s roughly this feeling!”

The Rainbow who had transformed into a twin demonstrated the outfit.

This certainly provided a more direct reference for Black Mirror.

The current attire was within her acceptable range; it was sharply cut and elegant, embodying a “chic and effortless” style.

In comparison, her previous outfit had indeed appeared somewhat “plain.”

However, no matter how many times it happened, Black Mirror still felt a slight unease seeing Rainbow adopt her own face, especially when that face could display such a rich array of expressions.

She always felt a strong sense of dissonance.

“Not bad.”

“Give me a bit more reaction, come on! Actually, I wanted Little Mirror to try on another outfit, something like this—”

As she spoke, Rainbow’s attire transformed once more.

This time, Black Mirror was utterly speechless.

A soft purple dress, imbued with a dreamy aura, its skirt light and flowing, with a lace trim extending from the waist to the knees.

Puff sleeves made her look exceptionally girlish, complemented by a matching bow tied below the collar, a decorative small handbag, and white Mary Jane shoes.

Everything about it was sickeningly sweet.

“How about it? I think this style actually suits you quite well?” Rainbow twirled, her skirt describing a graceful arc in the air.

“—What on earth is that monstrosity?” Black Mirror’s eyebrows twitched twice.

“Do you honestly think I would wear something like that?”

“I’m not asking you to wear it!” Rainbow stood before the mirror, thoroughly pleased with her “creation.”

“I’m just showing you what it would feel like to wear it.

You can’t see yourself in the mirror, so this is the only way I can demonstrate it.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to be a little cute once in a while, would it?”

She said this with a smile.

“…”

“Don’t keep making that ‘I’m going to burn this dress’ expression,” Rainbow said, leaning a little closer.

“Relax, Little Mirror.”

“This outfit suits you,” she added half-jokingly, “at least in appearance, that’s the case.”

Black Mirror blinked, her lips parted, but ultimately, she offered no rebuttal.

The “herself” before her, eyes curved into crescent moons, continued to admire her “design” in the fitting room mirror, seemingly oblivious to the psychological impact she was having.

****

“You should have just let me buy it for you, it wouldn’t have made much difference,” Rainbow remarked, carrying two bags in her hands, expressing slight regret that Black Mirror had ultimately prevented her from purchasing that outfit.

However, the Black Mirror beside her had already used her magic to adjust her attire into the one Rainbow had chosen for her, the one she somewhat approved of.

Perhaps that counted as a small step forward.

“I’m simply puzzled,” Black Mirror said, looking at Rainbow’s bags full of clothes and accessories.

“Since you can directly change your attire and appearance, why do you specifically spend actual money to buy them?”

“Little Mirror, your thoughts are far too unromantic.

Humans consume to satisfy their desires, and thereby gain sufficient happiness; isn’t that perfectly normal? Moreover, this way I can keep all the clothes I love in my wardrobe, and just looking at them fills me with immense satisfaction.”

“Doesn’t sound cost-effective.”

“Indeed, it’s imperfect, irrational, a collection of numerous flaws with little progress.

But precisely because of this, it is all the more endearing.

If everyone could control and introspect themselves, how would we ever come into being?”

Pulling Black Mirror along, Rainbow stood with her before a colossal facility, her eyes brimming with anticipation.

“Actively seeking stimulation, pain, and fear—that’s the kind of humans I like.”

Following Rainbow’s description, Black Mirror subtly raised her head, looking at the facility they intended to enter next.

Despite being a bustling amusement park, what appeared before her was a sinister and dilapidated hospital.

Upon realizing the function of the facility, her heart gave a jolt of apprehension.

“Let me see what this sign says: ‘Years ago, a sudden epidemic swept through this entire hospital.

Medical staff mysteriously vanished, and patients successively went mad.

After being sealed off, no one has set foot in this hospital since.

And you, are you truly ready to step into this ward forgotten by time?’

So that’s the style, huh? Oh, Little Mirror, are you listening?”

“Ah, yes, I know.” Black Mirror nodded distractedly.

“It’s rare to come here, so how can we not play in a haunted house? Let’s go in!” Rainbow took Black Mirror’s hand, intending to lead her inside, but this time, she found she couldn’t pull the girl beside her.

“It looks so boring, let’s just skip it…”

“Eh, but this is a summer-limited attraction.

It’s rare to come here, so let’s experience it.”

“Haunted houses or whatever, they’re everywhere else too, and they’re probably not interesting anyway.” As she said this, Black Mirror’s eyes involuntarily drifted elsewhere.

“Hmph? Could it be that Little Mirror is actually scared to go in?”

“How could I be? They’re all artificial things, they can’t scare—”

“Then come with me! I can hug you if I get scared!”

After a brief standoff, Black Mirror realized that Rainbow’s strength was growing, and with a sunny smile, she was slowly dragging her into the demonic lair before them.

Following the instructions of a mummy-costumed staff member, Rainbow walked in, arm-in-arm with Black Mirror.

The space within this haunted house was larger than expected, with numerous complex rooms and corridors that were surprisingly narrow, often obstructed by heavy objects, forcing them to seek alternative paths.

Despite it being afternoon, the interior was chillingly cold, with only a few dilapidated chandeliers hanging in the corridors flickering occasionally, making the atmosphere even more eerie.

“Let’s go check out that room next, the door’s open, and there seems to be light inside.” Once they entered the haunted house, a subtle contrast emerged in Rainbow and Black Mirror’s behavior.

Rainbow kept her head slightly bowed, clinging to Black Mirror’s arm, appearing somewhat scared, yet her desire for exploration was remarkably strong.

Sometimes, even knowing there would be something frightening, she couldn’t resist edging closer, and when the staff members dressed as various monsters jumped out, she would scream her lungs out while pulling Black Mirror and fleeing elsewhere.

As for Black Mirror, she had become exceptionally silent since entering the haunted house, her limbs even growing somewhat stiff.

Only when Rainbow asked her how she felt would she slowly reply, “It’s just so-so.”

But the truth was, several times, had Rainbow not pulled her to escape in time, she would likely have frozen on the spot.

Unfortunately, Rainbow had already noticed this, so she often pushed Black Mirror forward while feigning fear.

Pushing open a door whose handle was stained with dark red smudges, Black Mirror and Rainbow entered the room.

Upon seeing the scene inside, Black Mirror instinctively recoiled half a step, only to be pressed forward by Rainbow’s body.

“It’s an operating room.

What are they doing? Let’s get a closer look.”

Several silent figures in white coats crowded around the operating table, performing mechanical and stiff movements.

Black Mirror slowly shuffled forward two steps, and after confirming that the white-coated figures didn’t react, she moved two more, reaching the operating table.

At the same time, she saw a gruesome, blood-splattered body lying on the table, seemingly undergoing surgery.

“Cough, cough…”

After two dry coughs, Black Mirror quickly averted her gaze.

“It’s nothing, let’s leave here.

There’s nothing else—”

Before her words had finished, the “corpse” on the operating table suddenly thrashed violently, and several streams of crimson liquid spurted out, narrowly missing Black Mirror’s face, who was closest.

Instantly, the arm that Rainbow had been holding now yanked Rainbow closer instead.

“I-it’s just the device under the table working, it’s no big deal—”

With another loud bang, the nearby cabinet was kicked open, and a figure wrapped in bandages, revealing a row of ferocious teeth, leaped out.

Upon seeing the two in the room, it lunged at them, clawing and roaring.

The next moment, Rainbow felt a dizzying blur before her eyes, and her body was painfully yanked.

When she came to her senses, she saw that Black Mirror had already pulled her out of the room, and was now pressing her body firmly against the door, preventing anything from getting out.

‘She says it doesn’t matter, but isn’t this a very cute reaction?’

Watching the calm façade on Black Mirror’s face gradually fail to conceal her heavy breathing, Rainbow decided to fan the flames further.

Adjusting her position to keep her back to the surveillance camera, Rainbow leaned in close.

“Oh my, that really scared me.

Good thing you’re here, Little Mirror.

We should be safe now, right?”

“They’re nothing but a few overly theatrical actors, only enough to scare children.

There’s nothing to be afraid of at all.”

“You truly are reliable, Little Mirror.” A sly smile played on Rainbow’s lips as she tugged Black Mirror’s arm.

“But Little Mirror, I don’t think we’re safe yet.”

“You… look at *me*?”

Black Mirror instinctively turned her head, only to see a blood-splattered face, terrifyingly close, far more gruesome than the body on the operating table.

“—”

For a moment, the girl forgot to breathe.

Half a second later, a shrill, continuous scream erupted from within the hospital, the highest compliment for the haunted house staff.

****

Black Mirror recalled her last memory of visiting an amusement park with others; it was a rather unpleasant memory.

She had arrived half an hour early, only to stand an extra hour waiting for her late friends.

Her power bank, brought to counter a dead phone, was stolen while waiting in line for a ride.

After an hour and a half of waiting, just as it was almost her turn, a sudden downpour led to the ride’s temporary closure.

Then there were the couple friends who argued over trivial matters in front of everyone and broke up right there.

Everything about that day exuded a disheartening sentiment, followed by nearly half a week of physical breakdown due to intense walking and drinking ice water all day.

These experiences made her dread and avoid amusement parks at all costs.

And today… she had been constantly led by the nose by Rainbow, who always found various ways to tease her and take pleasure in it.

This also made her feel a little uncomfortable, yet she also discovered that she didn’t seem to entirely dislike it.

The indomitable sun gradually sank into the twilight, and with a gentle sway, the gondola carrying Black Mirror and Rainbow began to move.

They were now sitting on the park’s Ferris wheel.

The amusement park and the city, enveloped in a blaze of lights and neon, grew smaller and smaller in their view, while the lingering orange streak on the horizon drew ever closer.

Through the window, they could easily take in the parade of floats moving below.

The external clamor was temporarily shut out; here, at this moment, only they remained.

“Little Mirror, what are you thinking?”

“Nothing, just thinking… this day is almost over.”

“Do you feel reluctant to leave?”

“Not at all, it just feels like time passed even faster than I expected.”

With a few whooshes, several streaks of fire flashed across the twilight sky, then blossomed into dazzling, brilliant hues—the night’s fireworks.

The fireworks illuminated Rainbow’s cheeks, a faint smile always gracing her face, lending her a serene beauty at this moment.

“The way we are, it’s just like a couple on a date.”

She seemed to be talking to herself, yet she immediately drew Black Mirror’s attention back to herself.

It was remarkable that she could always say such things; was her inner self truly so strong, or was this still merely a careless jest?

“Then your taste in partners is truly terrible.”

“Don’t be so modest, Little Mirror, you’re wonderful.

I’ve always liked you.”

“…As a toy?”

“Do you still think that even now, Little Mirror? If so, even I would be a little sad.”

“…”

‘Honestly, why did I even feel the need to confirm this with her?’

“Rainbow.” Black Mirror sat up slightly, pulling out the confusion that had weighed on her heart all day.

“Why did you want me to accompany you here today?”

“Is that question important, Little Mirror?”

Rainbow withdrew her gaze from the splendid fireworks blooming before them, her voice slightly languid.

“‘I just wanted to relax with a friend and have a pleasant weekend.’

If I answered that way, would you accept it?”

Seeing Black Mirror offer no response, Rainbow continued.

“Little Mirror, you’re always so tense, always a little reserved no matter what you do.

While that’s also cute, in my opinion, it’s a bit too constrained.”

“You always subconsciously reject human joys, yet you don’t possess the resolute determination of a Corroder (TL Note: A type of being in this world, often associated with negative emotions or concepts).

You’re like a child standing at a crossroads, unable to find their way home, forced to wander in place, neither daring to ask for help from those around you nor truly brave enough to walk down one of the paths alone.”

“So, I want to liberate you, I want to save you, I want to see more expressions I haven’t seen from you, I want to see you loyal to your own desires.”

“I want you to be free, Black Mirror.”

“…”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re an extremely controlling lunatic, Rainbow?”

Rainbow chuckled twice, unfazed by the comment.

“For Corroders, labels like ‘lunatic’ or ‘madman’ aren’t even accusations; they’re compliments.

If we weren’t mad, how would humans fear us?”

“Besides, this is ‘love’.”

The beautiful monster spread her arms, presenting Black Mirror with a realm of seductive madness, passion, darkness, and love.

The lonelier one was, the more disillusioned with life, the more easily one would fall into it.

She was not a being dependent on you, but rather one more proactive, always guiding you.

It would encompass you, it would consume you.

She was no one, yet could become any existence; walking with her, the world would be compressed into a narrow cradle, only able to hold her and you, with no longer room for loneliness, and you would be ignited in flames, eternally embracing one another.

“…”

Outside the window was the hot summer, reality existing just beyond that thin layer of glass felt beneath her fingertips.

For some reason, even though Black Mirror felt an unprecedented, almost suffocating intensity of emotion in Rainbow’s words, she instead found peace and clarity.

She felt that certain vague things that had always lingered in her heart had become much clearer.

Black Mirror wasn’t sure if what Rainbow proclaimed could truly be called love, but she understood that this was the first time since her birth that she had been treated this way, the first time anyone had spoken such words to her.

“Rainbow, I had a great time today.

Thank you.”

These were her sincere words.

“However, today truly wasn’t a date.”

The being before her tilted her head slightly, showing no regret, no confusion, no misunderstanding, merely continuing to wait for her.

“Indeed, I probably do prefer someone more proactive.

Perhaps more than someone who says ‘I love you,’ I am more drawn to someone who says ‘Please love me.’

The ‘love’ you speak of certainly has an appeal to me that I hadn’t even anticipated.”

“However, I’m also not always willing to be the passive one.”

“Rainbow, do you know why I could never convince myself to trust you further?”

“Oh? Tell me, Little Mirror.”

“I’m only just realizing now that the answer is so superficial.

But whether it’s affection or love, they are, as you said, merely those pathetic yet endearing human traits.”

Rising from her seat, Black Mirror walked towards Rainbow, her hands pressing onto Rainbow’s shoulders, pushing her body backward.

At this moment, it was she who looked down upon the being before her.

“Because no matter how close I get to you, I’ve never genuinely felt your presence, Rainbow.

I am a contemptible person, and for someone like me, I cannot truly be moved by a being who won’t even grant me a concrete, fixed form.”

“Just as you wish to peel off my shell and devour my essence, I also want to see what kind of face you hide beneath this ever-changing skin.”

“Miss Monster who strives to be human but cannot attain it, don’t you think that would be fair?”

Quite uncharacteristically, Black Mirror caught a glimpse of unconcealed anger on Rainbow’s face.

It seemed she had finally hit a nerve, and in return, the flames in Rainbow’s eyes burned even brighter.

“I thought you were just a poor little thing hiding in the mirror, afraid to come out.

Who knew you had such a bold side, Little Mirror? Hmm, all the better.”

Rainbow broke free from Black Mirror’s hands, stood up, and pressed her body against her, embracing her while softly whispering in Black Mirror’s ear.

“You want a ‘me’ that belongs only to you.

Then, as you wish.”

The Ferris wheel slowly descended, and the world gradually returned to ground level.