Chapter 182 - Heaven and Hell on Meimung's Stage
Meimung's stage—it was usually the pinnacle event where she basked in the loudest cheers, hearing "so cute!" from the crowds more than anywhere else.
But now, laced with Hypno's hypnosis, it had turned into a grueling ordeal that relentlessly chipped away at Meimung's mental strength.
The cheers sounded utterly genuine, impossible to doubt. Yet at the same time, voices of suspicion crashed over her.
Even sincere cheers were drowned out entirely by those suspicious voices. It felt like the whole world was denying her existence, the doubts assaulting her without end.
Her own voice was attacking her mind. Her expression was on the verge of crumbling. She felt like she might stop dancing right then and there, clutching her head, curling up on the spot, and plugging her ears.
But Meimung kept dancing. But Meimung kept singing.
Without letting anyone notice. Without her fans catching on. Just like always.
Meimung acted like her usual self. To her fans, she looked adorably cute as ever. Awis's unchanging idol. The quirky yet cute and charming adventurer-idol who was kind to everyone.
Meimung danced and sang on the sparkling stage. But in her eyes, the stage had morphed into something eerie and foreboding.
The nonstop voices of doubt shook her psyche, even conjuring hallucinations.
The screens reflecting her image shattered one by one. The audience seats were empty, not a soul in sight, and the glittering stage was pitch black.
Up there, she was just dancing and singing alone. No one to welcome her, no one calling her cute.
Only the doubting voices questioning if she was really cute at all tormented her in place of cheers.
What started as flickering switches between reality and hallucination had fully overtaken her vision with delusion.
Even in that precarious mental state, Meimung pushed on. Despite the doubting voices. Knowing deep down that the fans' words calling her cute were sincere.
No matter how much she wanted to cry, no matter how badly she wanted to collapse.
Meimung successfully finished the stage to the end.
"Everyone~ Thanks so much for coming today~☆ Meimung is su~per happy~☆☆☆"
"We had a blast too, Meimung~!"
With her final bow, Meimung slowly retreated backstage. And the moment she was out of her fans' sight—
Snap!
"Haa! Haa! Haa! Haa!"
Meimung unleashed Wind Bound to kick off the air, racing at top speed to her room—making damn sure no fans could glimpse her face.
"Ugh, ueeegh...! Hic! Sniff! Ueeeh...!"
The instant she burst into her room, Meimung bolted straight for the bathroom.
Overwhelmed by surging sorrow and fear, she dry-heaved violently. No vomit came up, but thick saliva dripped from her mouth, and the tears she'd held back with every ounce of strength poured from her eyes.
Her body wasn't slick with dance sweat—it was covered in cold sweat from pure stress, beading across her skin.
Drenched in sweat, tears streaming from her wide, glistening eyes, her face twisted in grief and agony. It was impossible to imagine this as the same cute, sparkling Meimung who'd shone on stage.
How much time passed like that?
Knock knock.
"Meimung~."
Hypno's voice called from the door, drifting into her ears.
"Hypno oppa...!"
Meimung dashed to the door and flung it open.
"Meimung, I'm he—"
Before Hypno could finish, Meimung threw her arms around his waist, clinging like a koala, chin pressed to his abdomen as she gazed up at him.
"Oppa, oppa, oppa, oppa, Hypno oppa...!"
"Uh, yeah."
Hypno had some idea of her state, but this reaction exceeded even his expectations, leaving him flustered.
"P-p-p-praise me, p-p-please...!"
Her teeth chattering, words barely coherent.
Hypno gently stroked her head to calm her first.
"Meimung is cute. So relax."
"Ah, aaaah...♡"
Just one compliment from Hypno, and the lingering echoes of doubt swirling in her head vanished clean away.
"Hypno oppa...♡"
Once calmed, Hypno entered the room and was treated to Meimung's cooking.
"Ta-da~ Meimung's special steak! Meat's the best for adventurers, right?!"
"Ooh, thanks, Meimung. Looks delicious."
"Hehe~! It doesn't just look good—it's su~per tasty too☆"
Reassured by Hypno's praise, Meimung returned to her usual self.
Hypno and Meimung filled their bellies together over the steak. Her cooking was so good, Hypno thought it could sell in any shop.
Damn, this is good.
"Whew. All done, Meimung. You cook this well too? Whoever becomes Meimung's darling is gonna be one lucky guy."
"R-really? Hehe...♡"
Meimung sneaked a glance at Hypno. She knew he had Wintineas, but she couldn't help fantasizing what if.
"Um, Hypno oppa... We've eaten plenty now... so, time to praise Meimung lo~ts...?"
She'd finished eating, eagerly awaiting a night full of compliments from Hypno.
But Hypno cut her off.
"Time to settle our bet."
"Huh? Bet?"
"Yeah, the bet. The one with you, Meimung."
"Wha... Did I... ever make a bet with you, Hypno oppa...?"
Meimung trusted her memory. But no matter how hard she racked her brain, nothing came up.
"Meow~?"
She pressed her index fingers to her temples, squeezing her eyes shut in thought, but still nada.
"For real?"
"Yeah, right now it's just blocked by hypnosis."
"Hypnosis?"
"Yep. Time to lift it, Meimung."
Hypno reached out toward her.
"Hypnosis Wave."
Hypnosis Wave
A wave of hypnosis radiated from Hypno's body, enveloping Meimung—her eyes glazing over.
Then Hypno recalled the bet's details for her and released the hypnosis causing the doubting voices.
Snap! He flicked his fingers, dispelling the wave.
Light returned to Meimung's eyes.
"Ah, aaaah...!"
Remembering the bet with Hypno, she realized why those doubting voices had plagued her.
"So that's... how it... was..."
Staring quietly at the ceiling, Meimung—
"Hic... Sniff... Waaah...!"
began bawling, fat tears rolling from her round eyes.
"I'm so glad... Waaah...!"
Relief washed over her in tears.
"They really... hic! They really didn't all hate Meimung... Waaah...!"
The doubting voices had all been from the hypnosis tied to Hypno's bet. Confirmed that everyone truly found her cute and didn't hate her, Meimung wept tears of relief and joy.
"Must've been rough all this time, huh, Meimung. Sorry. For betting something like that on such a cu~te girl."
Hypno pulled her head to his chest, stroking her hair.
"Waaah...!"
Meimung clung to him, burying her face in his chest, tears still flowing.
His praise brought bliss and joy. But the stress and sorrow she'd endured wouldn't fully melt away just yet.
Sniffling through snotty sobs, she mumbled,
"Hypno oppa's hypnosis... is too strong... Meimung let her guard down..."
"Not mad?"
Meimung shook her head vigorously.
"It's fiiiine... Meimung agreed to it. And getting praised by Hypno oppa made Meimung so~ happy. Oh, but... why didn't you hear those... doubting voices?"
"If I did that to myself too, you'd probably break down crying on the street. Wanted to show you my hypnosis power, but not enough to make you that sad."
"Hypno oppa...♡"
Meimung melted at his words. Sure, none of this would've happened without the hypnosis, but she wasn't thinking that far.
"Oh, so... that super happy feeling from your praise... was hypnosis power too?"
"Yep."
Hypno admitted it straight.
"As expected of Meimung. Not just cute—you're sharp too."
"Hehe~♡ Meimung always tries hard! Oh, hey~ Did you hypnosis Wintineas unni or Clarice unni too?"
"Yeah. Wintineas loves cool stuff, so I made my dick and cum feel refreshingly cool to her... Clarice causes too much trouble, so I hypnotized her to obey me."
"I see! Ngh? But Clarice unni's a klepto, right? Can't you just hypnotize her not to steal?"
Hypno nodded at her question.
"Good point, Meimung. But I want Clarice to reform through her own will if possible. Trying not to mess with that part."
"Aha! Hypno oppa wants Clarice unni to truly repent, not just from hypnosis!"
"Exactly. You're so smart, Meimung."
"Hehe~♡"
His praise lifted her spirits even higher.
Seeing that, Hypno grinned slyly to himself.
Time to kick it off.
He clapped once.
"Alright! All hypnosis lifted... Guess I'll head out."
"Huh? Wh-what do you mean? Tonight... tonight we were gonna stay up all night...!"
"Truth is, tonight was just to release your hypnosis. Now you can relax and soak up all the cuteness from everyone, right?"
"Th-that's true! But...!"
"It was a bet, but I still made you sad. Plus, you don't want happiness from hypnosis, yeah? Oh, and we'll be leaving Awis in a few days. Gotta move on to the next spot."
"Wha...?"
The info hit all at once. Stunned by the barrage of shocks, Meimung blanked out.
All the hypnosis gone...? Then that happy feeling too...? Even with the doubting voices, your praise made everything okay—that bliss is vanishing?
She'd tasted that hypnosis-amplified praise pleasure multiple times. The moment it lifted, that joy greater than anything she'd ever felt would disappear.
A happiness no mere "cute" or cheers could match—gone.
But an even bigger shock loomed.
Hypno oppas leaving? From Awis... without me?
Hypnosis or not, the happiness Hypno gave her was real. Bigger and cozier than the warmth from her mother as a child.
And now. Those words from his mouth: leaving. With his beloved Wintineas and companion Clarice.
Meimung saw her mother overlapping with Hypno. Mai-mung, who abandoned her in Awis for her honey.
Someone who'd given her so much joy, leaving her side.
As the doubting voices had tormented her, memories resurfaced—her mother abandoning her.
Once thought, it lingered inside. So now, Meimung felt terror that Hypno would abandon her like her mother.
Not again... not again... No...!
The fear hit—and reflexively, Meimung grabbed Hypno's robe hem, eyes brimming anew, voice trembling as she pleaded.
"D-don't abandon me... Don't leave Meimung behind...!"
No longer everyone's idol, but a scared little rabbit begging not to be discarded, Meimung implored Hypno.