The Cunning Instance Disguised Itself as Reality

After seven years missing, Song Mian finally returned from the Infinite Worlds.

His long and arduous experience in the dungeons had changed him completely. He had grown sensitive and suspicious, his mind filled with illusions from the dungeons, leaving him unable to adjust to reality.

When his childhood friend, who looked nothing like the person in his memories, embraced him, Song Mian even thought it was some wildly out-of-character hallucination. But he quickly pulled himself free of his delusions and realized that at last, he had truly been reunited with someone after all this time.

Yu Que said to him, "Welcome back, Xiao Mian."

The unwavering support and care from his childhood friend gave Song Mian courage. He resolved to put the shadows of the past behind him and become an ordinary person again.

To do that, first he had to stop thinking everyone was out to get him.

Someone warned him that a monster had set its sights on him: just a madman's rambling, nothing to worry about.

He saw a scene that didn't match reality: his hallucinations were getting worse, he needed more rest.

The figure of his late mother flickered in the distance: he must be missing her too much.

Even when he touched a companion in the dark and felt a limb that was unmistakably inhuman, Song Mian did his best to convince himself it was a prop meant to scare people in a haunted house. Once the lights came on, nothing beyond his understanding of reality would appear.

And that was exactly what happened.

This reality seemed full of suspicious details, but on closer inspection, it was as calm as still water. He could only have been overthinking things.

Song Mian kept trying to stay oblivious, and little by little, he seemed to return to normal.

Until a party...

Facing a white wall, Song Mian watched with his own eyes as the shadow belonging to his childhood friend grew longer and twisted in the light.

Behind him, the owner of that shadow chuckled and said:

"Xiao Mian, I want to tell you a secret."

"So many times, I thought you were going to find out. Luckily..."

Song Mian couldn't make out what came next.

-

[Little Extra]

"So, did I really look that scary to Xiao Mian that day?"

Song Mian: "What do you think? I just felt like I'd been thoroughly fooled by a dungeon disguised as reality, and I'd stupidly kept trusting the monster in that dungeon until it got bored and took off its disguise of its own accord..."

It turned out to be nothing more than someone's sudden inspiration.

Song Mian: "You could really get a cameo in a horror movie."

Yu Que: "(っд`) I'm so, so sorry!!"

[Notes]

1. A dog-and-cat couple, a short romance-focused story. A wonderful misunderstanding leaves them thinking they're in completely different genres.

2. A writing comeback story. I'll try to update daily, around noon.

If you've read this far, come check out the upcoming novels on my profile!

Don't Underestimate a Children's Show Villain! A dimensionality-breaking attack on a children's show world that takes everyone by surprise.

When a Delusional Mind Meets a Mastermind: The lead's schemes can't keep up with the recipient's wild imagination.

Theme: What cannot destroy me makes me stronger.