Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

"Too heavy, way too heavy!"

"Poor Sophia, so pathetic!"

"Kylie, are you just going to stand there and watch?"

"What, should I sit down and watch instead?"

"Vanessa, you're heartless!"

"VibraMyst? It's over, folks!"

Sophia frowned as she watched the barrage of comments—danmaku—floating across the screen.

She could feel the overwhelming malice in those comments.

It made her furious. Why were these people treating her pain like some kind of joke? They didn't know the full story, yet they were here, spouting nonsense.

Sophia was absolutely livid.

Then, Ethan opened another video.

Sophia saw that it was a performance on The Pulse stage, and she was on it.

"???"

Her face was full of confusion. She saw Elise, Zara, the pink-haired girl she had met earlier that evening, and... who was that other girl?

Sophia couldn't understand why she was standing on stage with these people.

Where was Kylie? Where was Vanessa?

Had she really given up on reuniting VibraMyst and bringing Vanessa back?

Then the intro music started, and her eyes widened in shock.

Why was it Shadows of Spring?

As the performance continued, Sophia spotted her beloved Vanessa in the audience. But when Vanessa ran off, her eyes widened again, her heart sinking.

Sophia wanted nothing more than to jump into the screen and chase after Vanessa. Her emotions were clearly getting the best of her.

"Why are they playing Shadows of Spring!?"

But just then, she noticed a sudden flash in front of her eyes—it was the flash from a phone camera.

Sophia blinked, confused, and looked at Ethan, who was holding his phone up, pointing it at her.

"What are you doing?"

"I just thought your expression was interesting," Ethan shrugged, explaining casually.

Meanwhile, the performance in the video ended, and as the band was leaving the stage, the tension between the members suddenly erupted.

"Why did we play Shadows of Spring!?"

At that moment, the video abruptly paused—Ethan had stopped it.

Then, to Sophia's surprise, Ethan took the photo he had just snapped of her and placed it next to the computer screen. The comparison between her real-life expression and the one in the video was uncanny.

"Pretty similar, huh?" Ethan mused thoughtfully.

"You…"

Sophia nearly lost it. She was on the verge of cursing him out.

But, being the daughter of Riverside High School's elite, she managed to hold back.

Still, the way she bared her teeth and glared at him made it clear that if she weren't tied down, she'd probably lunge at him and bite him.

"So, Sophia, what do you think? Are you satisfied with this 'truth'?" Ethan asked, looking at her.

"Truth…"

Sophia had started to piece things together. She stared at Ethan in disbelief.

"That's right," Ethan nodded, confirming her suspicions.

"You, Nessa, and the others—at least to the people on this website—you're all just characters in an anime."

"That's impossible…"

Sophia felt like her entire worldview was crumbling.

"And what about you?" Sophia asked, staring at Ethan.

"To you guys, in a way, I guess you could say I'm a higher-dimensional being. But that's not really important."

"Why are you showing me all this?" Sophia glared at him, her frustration evident.

"Hmm?" Ethan looked at her, surprised. "Weren't you the one who wanted to know the truth?"

He shrugged again. "Nessa already found out about all this last night. Since you want to do something about it, you should know the truth too."

"Are you... helping me?" Sophia asked, incredulous.

"But why?"

Ethan smiled and patted her head. "Honestly, I'm on your side. I think Nessa was pretty harsh, too."

"Shut up!"

Sophia's temper flared the moment this annoying guy dared to badmouth Vanessa. She was instantly riled up.

"What do you know about how amazing Vanessa is!?"

"Yeah, yeah, you're the one who knows her best, right?" Ethan rolled his eyes at her.

"Hey, let me go!" Sophia struggled, but the restraints holding her were too strong for her to break free by force.

"I can do that, but first, I want you to answer a question," Ethan said with a grin.

"What is it?" Sophia asked warily.

"How do you really feel about Nessa? Why is it so intense?" Ethan asked, his tone curious.

"That's none of your business!" Sophia snapped, glaring at him.

"Hmm..." Ethan thought for a moment before continuing, "Let me guess. Whenever you think about Nessa, your chest tightens, you lose your appetite, and you can't sleep, right?"

"…"

Sophia didn't want to admit it, but what he said was pretty much spot on.

"So, is that love?" Ethan tilted his head, asking innocently.

"…"

Sophia fell silent, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Ethan.

"Don't look at me like that. As an apology, let me give you a little treat," Ethan said, his tone playful.

Sophia looked at him suspiciously as he pulled out a pair of headphones and placed them on her head.

Then, he opened a video from his favorites titled "Vanessa's Breathing Moments Collection."

In an instant, Sophia's face flushed bright red, as vivid as a sunset. She squirmed in her seat, her legs rubbing together in discomfort.

Ethan had expected her to demand he stop the video immediately.

But to his surprise, she seemed... captivated?

Who would've thought, Sophia, that you were this kind of person!

When the video finally ended, Sophia snapped out of her trance and instinctively stood up.

It was only then that she realized her restraints had somehow disappeared.

She turned and saw Ethan sitting on the bed, watching her with an amused expression.

Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and anger surged within her. Without thinking, she launched a flying kick straight at Ethan.

But her attack didn't go as planned. Ethan easily caught her mid-kick, and with a swift motion, he tossed her onto the bed.

"Why did you kick me?" Ethan asked, genuinely puzzled as he looked down at her.

"Get off me!" Sophia shouted, her face burning with embarrassment.

Since arriving at Ethan's house, she had probably blushed more times than she had in the entire past year.

Now, Ethan was straddling her stomach, pinning her arms beneath his legs, leaving her completely immobilized once again.

"This is all your fault. Don't you have anything else to say?" Ethan asked, his hands free as he reached down and pinched her cheeks, pulling them playfully.

"You…"

Sophia was utterly helpless, and the way he was treating her made her feel like she was about to explode.

"If you apologize, I'll let you go," Ethan teased.

"In your dreams!" Sophia shot back, her defiance unwavering.

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