Huh? You Weren't Acting?

Xia Changying had always been sure she was an ordinary person living an ordinary life, with nothing unusual ever happening to her.

That was until, after a gathering with friends, she realized she might not quite fit in.

During a game of Werewolf at a class reunion, her old classmates were nervous and cautious every step of the way, as if they were in the middle of some terrifying, high-stakes situation.

Xia Changying, playing the guard and remaining so calm she was almost asleep: Huh? Why does everyone look so serious?

While visiting her hometown for a funeral, she was dragged into a game of "Ghost Hunt" by her sisters, who kept shrieking at the top of their lungs as if they had really seen a ghost.

Xia Changying, now a Taoist priest's assistant: What? Where did they get props this realistic?

At an in-person tabletop roleplaying game, she was dragged in to make up the numbers and found all her teammates looking delirious, murmuring words she couldn't understand.

Xia Changying, having made a perfectly ordinary bystander character: Wait, is everyone's acting really this good?

Every time they played, all her friends became completely immersed in the games. They switched between emotions with ease and acted so convincingly that Xia Changying felt as if she were right there in the scene, amazed by their performances.

Trying to fit in, she did her best to imitate her friends' expressions and gestures, but she was always half a beat behind.

Xia Changying felt that she was always so out of sync, and that everyone would soon stop wanting to play with her.

☆

To Xia Changying's delight, her friends not only didn't mind that she couldn't get into the spirit of the games, they even saw her as a powerful expert who could lead them out of danger.

In the Werewolf game, there was an extra player who shouldn't exist. At the funeral, evil spirits appeared. During the roleplaying game, something that must not be looked at descended...

As they were chased into a panicked retreat and engulfed by an indescribable terror, Xia Changying remained calm and rational, like a warrior certain of victory.

They couldn't touch Xia Changying, much less hurt her.

Every time, she made it out unscathed.

After finally learning the truth, Xia Changying said: Huh? You weren't acting? There really are ghosts and monsters in these games?

Theme: Not sure yet.