You like photography, so she volunteers to be your model, learns post-processing, and buys you a red-ring lens.
You love playing galgames, and she will even cosplay nukige characters for you to see.
You usually play CS:GO a lot, and when she finds out, she saves up a few months of living expenses to buy you an Emerald knife, and drops you an AWP every eco round.
You love playing Valorant, and she will walk over with a blushing face and tell you that calling her Mommy is totally fine.
You are a model kit builder, so she learns how to clean up nabs and do custom paint jobs just for you.
You want to be a Long Sword master.
During multiplayer hunts, she keeps the wound softened so you can slash away with pleasure, helps draw monster aggro, and dusts you with Lifepowder when you miss your Helm Breaker and are about to cart.
She is also very cute, cuter than anyone you’ve ever seen.
Until one day, when you can’t help it anymore, you ask her why she treats you so well.
She doesn’t explain anything at all, only flashes a somewhat shy smile at you, and then says to you:
“I only hope that you can be happy.”
Now, do you still think you don’t understand?
“…”
Looking at the brilliantly smiling blonde girl, Otto suddenly recalled a story he had read in a book before.
That day, Otto found an out-of-place book in his family’s library.
Unlike the books he usually read, this one was actually woven together with bamboo strips and fine strings.
Out of curiosity, he found the librarian, obtained the special translation copy for Eastern books, and spent nearly two days figuring out what was written on it.
It recorded the story of an Eastern monarch who was bewitched by a fox, ultimately leading to the destruction of his country.
“There are three levels to the honey trap. Not knowing it is a plot is considered the lower strategy; knowing it is a plot yet still refusing to believe it is the middle strategy; recognizing the plot and yet willingly drinking the poison as if it were sweet is the upper strategy.”
The story itself wasn’t hard to understand, but Otto could not understand the attached commentary at the end no matter what.
At this moment, however, Otto grasped the true meaning of that commentary in an instant. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Even if he realized the other party might have ulterior motives, even if believing in her might cost an immense price, even if he might be deceived and betrayed, he still immersed himself in it.
This was the most perfect honey trap, the one known as the upper strategy among honey traps.
“Vester, with what kind of resolve did you say such things?”
“Hey, this… hiss, Otto, you’re hurting me.”
Otto’s hands had somehow placed themselves on the blonde girl’s shoulders, and the gradually increasing force made the latter knit her brows.
“Sorry.”
Though his heart was in turmoil, a bizarre and burning light flashed in Otto’s eyes.
In the end, he only silently released his hands:
“Vester, I asked too much. I already understand what you mean.”
A honey trap.
Haha, a honey trap.
Otto was no longer lost.
Why did he envy the freedom of birds?
Because birds could cross high mountains and vast oceans, spread their wings across the haze, and embrace the light.
Those who pursue light and love, as they fly on and on, blur the shape of what they are pursuing.
Like bitter candy, like an empty basketball court, like a bus that never reaches home, like the sound of the piano fading away while someone sings with a blushing face.
Candy will eventually carry a trace of sweetness, a basketball court will never lack the figure of someone entertaining themselves, one can still walk on two legs after getting off the bus, and the blushing person doesn’t need to worry that the piano music won’t ring out once more.
Perhaps he had once lost his direction, but he still reached the other shore.
Purpose, motives?
These no longer mattered.
This dream was simply too beautiful, so beautiful that Otto no longer had the heart to distinguish reality from illusion.
‘If Vester wants to use me, then I will squeeze out every drop of my value and offer it to her with both hands; if she is merely content with standing on the moral high ground to grant me salvation, then I will exhaust my acting skills and please her by acting overwhelmed with gratitude.’
Even if he might drown in it, Otto would never look back.
Just enjoy it to the very last moment like this.
Just like that, Otto’s life was ruined.
‘I somehow feel like something terrible has happened?’
On the other side, Vester inexplicably felt a chill and nervously looked around.
“Otto, are you alright?”
“I’m great, never been better in my life!”
Under the blonde girl’s puzzled gaze, Otto reined in the madness on his face.
After all, if he scared away his own sun because of his own behavior, it would simply be too terrible.
“However, Vester, you must, must, must, must not forget what you said today.”
Otto wore a very eerie smile.
A kind of resolve had already formed deep within Otto’s heart.
No matter who it was, no one could stop him from enjoying the warmth from the sun.
Even Vester herself could not.
“Otherwise, I will get angry.”
“Alright, alright, I know. Why are you making such a terrifying expression…”
Feeling a bit strange, the blonde girl still nodded under Otto’s fervent gaze.