"Please wear a mask before entering the rally."

Dressed in plain black vests and white dress shirts, the polite waiter retrieved small white business cards from the attendees, and then motioned for each guest to pick out a mask from a tray on the side.

It was the back door of a convenience store's warehouse, and at least that was what the people gathered around the neighborhood thought until the waiter opened the hidden door.

Red curtains, carpets, tables, large and small decorations, in an instant, a group of strange men who were also dressed in waiters' clothes suddenly came and went, and before those who were invited could react, they dressed up the originally simple secret door into a solemn and serious style.

The waiters, who had dispersed like a dark cloud, were finally left alone, standing respectfully by the secret door, waiting for the guests to enter.

The masks on the tray come in a variety of styles, from traditional Japanese Noh noodles, Chinese Tibetan noodles, and Venice Carnival masks to a variety of modern masks with innovative twists.

The expression of each mask is the same:

Laugh.

The waiter's face also wears a plain pure white mask, and the mask is painted with a freehand smiling arc.

The people with business cards in their hands also unconsciously approached him, and finally gathered in front of the secret door, their wary and puzzled eyes intertwined, hesitating, but still with some inexplicable longing.

"Hey, cousin, is this the opportunity you were talking about, this strange party?"

Noda Shou gently patted his cousin Kozo Noda, who was standing in front of him, on the shoulder and asked in a low voice.

"It's a masquerade...... Isn't life just a masquerade? ”

The cousin, who is usually brave and rough-lined, did not answer his question head-on, but uncharacteristically issued such an emotion completely different from his character.

And knowing the word 'masquerade' that even he didn't know, Noda Shou couldn't help but wonder if his cousin had recently taken time to audit a Chinese class at a university.

Ignoring his cousin who was still confused and the others who were hesitating, Kozo Noda took the lead before everyone, neatly handed over the business card in his hand, and then chose a crimson ghost face.

"Good work."

Kozo Noda, who was wearing a ghost face, smiled and nodded to the white-masked waiter, who also bowed slightly in return.

"Hey...... Cousin—"

Looking around at all kinds of strangers around him, Noda Shou obviously couldn't hold his breath, so he had no choice but to follow closely behind his cousin, picked up a mask casually, put it on his face and hurriedly ran into the mouth.

A moment of silence.

Then, suddenly, as if a switch had been turned on, the assembled men, women, and children lined up in an orderly manner, following Kozo Noda's movements, choosing their favorite masks, and no one left. Until finally politely signaling to the waiter and entering through the secret door.

No one talked to each other and no one asked questions.

To those who are not in the know, it may seem that they all clearly understand who is organising the rally, who is supporting it, and who is organizing it, not to mention what the central issue and purpose of the rally is.

However, in fact, everyone present only had confusion and subconscious obedience in their hearts.

The waiter bowed continuously, quickly and politely took one business card after another, and stacked the small white pieces of paper neatly on the tray.

No one knows if behind that plain mask is a face that is smiling like the mask.

Until the last middle-aged man in a suit also picked up a black smiley mask and strode into the venue.

"Ahh

In the silence of the dust, the waiter suddenly chuckled, and then slowly straightened his back. The momentum of the whole person has also changed from an inconspicuous standard waiter to full of courage and eye-catching.

He took off the unremarkable mask, and underneath the mask......

"No one knows if there is another mask under the mask."

Pale cheeks, scarlet, narrow smile.

It was the mask called 'Joker'.

-------------------

"Hey, cousin......"

Walking through the gloomy and long corridor, even with the uninterrupted minimum light, Noda Shou felt a chill in his body.

Of course, he wasn't afraid of ghosts, and he had been to haunted houses and other places with girls before, but this oppressive dark atmosphere was far better than those weird-looking evil ghosts.

Not to mention his cousin Kozo Noda, who had been striding in front of him, the brave man he usually admired, but at the moment he seemed to have fallen into an evil spirit, just walking forward vigorously, deaf to his cries. Compared with the unfamiliar environment and oppressive atmosphere, this is what scares him the most.

"Cousin! I said—"

shouted many times and did not respond, Noda Shou was also anxious, and reached out to hold down Kozo Noda who was advancing, but he was coldly led by the advancing force.

"Ah Shou, I brought you here for the sake of you being the one I chose."

Kozo Noda turned his head faintly and pressed the same on the shoulder of Noda Shou.

"Don't ask too much, don't move too much, just watch, just listen, just think."

Noda Shou shuddered in silence, just now, he clearly saw a bright green in his cousin's eyes behind the mask, and in a trance, he didn't even distinguish whether the mask on his cousin's face was a mask or his cousin's real face.

"Yes...... I—I see, sorry......"

Under that cold, inhuman-like gaze, Noda Shou swallowed with difficulty and nodded yes.

"Good."

Kozo Noda didn't seem to care about his apology, or rather, he didn't care about what Noda Shou thought, and he just made the action out of some kind of request.

"Don't waste any more time."

Leaving such a sentence, Kozo Noda hurriedly disappeared into the shadows ahead.

Noda Shou, who was cold, leaned against the wall, walking past waves of people around him, and his mind was still replaying the green he had just seen.

For some reason, he actually had a hint of anticipation.

What exactly is this rally? And what will it bring him?

The curiosity that I had not felt in the first twenty years of my life suddenly awakened at this moment, and even swelled by twelve points, as if every brain cell was crying out to explore the unknown...... and freedom.

"Don't waste any more time......"

He muttered to himself, straightened up, and moved with the advancing flow of people.

The silent people moved forward firmly, enveloping the confused him into the dark and peaceful atmosphere.

Then, what unfolded in front of them was the real venue.

"Welcome, welcome, everybody."

On the semi-circular stage, broken stage props were piled up everywhere, and the floating dust was a little choking, and the curtain hanging on the stage had changed from bright red to black, obviously the remnants of years ago. The announcer standing in front of the stage didn't care about all this, waving his hands confidently and enthusiastically.

Everyone who entered the venue involuntarily stopped, looking at the ...... who were shouting in front of the stage in confusion

Clown.