Reina held Ren in her hands, looking at him with a mix of curiosity and amusement. Her playful expression hadn't changed since the moment she kissed the puppet, but deep down, a spark of suspicion was beginning to form in her mind.
"I'm sure it moved."
The idea that the puppet could have a life of its own was ridiculous, but the feeling that there was something strange about him wouldn't go away. With a mischievous smile, Reina decided to test her theory.
"Let's see… what happens if I stretch you a little?" she whispered to herself as she gently grabbed Ren's arms and began pulling them softly.
Trapped in his own lifeless body, Ren shivered as he realized what Reina was trying to do. "No, no, no. This can't be happening!" he thought in panic.
Reina pulled a bit harder, trying to see if anything would happen, but Ren remained completely still. Her expression twisted into a slight pout.
"Hmmm… nothing. Maybe I imagined it," she murmured.
But then, with a sudden decision, she took Ren and started stretching his legs and arms more aggressively.
"Come on, say something. I know you moved before," she whispered with a malicious grin.
Ren felt his body being stretched more than it should, and although he didn't have a flesh and bone body in that state, the discomfort and pain were real. "I'm not a toy! I'm going to break if this keeps up!" he thought, feeling the pain growing little by little.
Luckily, before reaching his limit, Reina sighed and stopped trying.
"Ugh, how boring," she complained, releasing him and placing the puppet back in her hand.
Ren felt immense relief as his body returned to normal control. "That was close…" he thought, feeling he had almost been forced to reveal himself.
But anger began boiling inside him. "What the hell did that girl just do to me?!" He couldn't stay silent after that.
Without thinking, he spoke.
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! Do you have any idea how painful that was?!"
Silence took over the room.
Reina, who had been settling into her chair, froze completely. Her eyes widened in surprise and she slowly turned her head to look at Ren, who was now staring back with a look of annoyance.
The surprise on Reina's face was obvious. She blinked a couple of times as if processing what had just happened.
"…"
"…"
The silence stretched for a few more seconds until Reina, in a completely nonchalant tone, answered:
"Oh. So you can talk."
Ren was momentarily speechless. "Is that all you're going to say? After all that!" he thought, feeling his indignation rising.
"Is that all you have to say?! You were stretching me like a rag doll and you don't even apologize!"
Reina simply tilted her head, watching him with interest.
"Well… technically you are a doll," she replied calmly.
Ren felt his patience running out.
"That doesn't mean you can treat me like that!"
Reina looked at him with an amused smile.
"Well, well. This is interesting," she whispered, crossing her arms. "So… what exactly are you?"
Ren shivered. "Damn. I just gave myself away."
But before he could think of an answer, the bathroom door opened and Hikari came out wrapped in a towel, drying her hair without much interest.
"Reina, what are you doing with the puppet?" she asked in a disinterested tone.
Reina, without taking her eyes off Ren, smiled mysteriously and calmly replied:
"Oh, nothing. I was just seeing if it had any hidden tricks."
Hikari frowned but didn't give it much thought.
"Leave it on the table. I'll keep investigating tomorrow," she said as she approached her wardrobe.
Reina, with a mischievous grin, glanced sideways at Ren and whispered softly before letting him go:
"Looks like you'll have to behave tonight, talking doll."
Ren shivered at the way Reina said it.
"Damn… what kind of trouble am I in?"
As Reina placed him on the table and headed to her bed, Ren knew his secret was in danger. Now, more than ever, he had to find a way to escape that room before it was too late.
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End of Chapter 13