Chapter 38
"President, please enjoy."
It was just past noon on Friday. Inside the Yuanyue Academy Student-Council Office, a cup of fragrant coffee was set gently in front of Yan Huan as he pored over council paperwork.
He lifted his eyes from the file and found Sakuramiya Hitomi smiling down at him.
"Thanks, Sakuramiya."
Yan Huan blinked, quietly admiring her for a second, then brushed a thumb along the warm ceramic. The coffee was the perfect drinking temperature.
"It's nothing. Didn't sleep well last night, President?"
Sakuramiya tilted her head, voice soft with concern.
"A little. Couldn't drop off."
Mainly because the first ti he'd activated Learning Conqueror, he'd gotten carried away and studied until two; the school bus left at seven-thirty, so he'd scraped together barely five hours of sleep. Add the perpetual drowsiness curse, and the double-whammy had left him absurdly groggy. Ironically, fighting the curse had made him look more alert than the past few days—no yawns, just a forced stiff upper lip. Yet sohow Sakuramiya had seen through it.
Yan Huan glanced sideways, taking in her outfit. Today she wore a black Japanese-style sailor uniform—long sleeves, long pleated skirt. Beneath the hem, sheer black stockings disappeared into brown leather loafers. Her long hair was pinned back with a ribbon that matched everything else; the effect was stunning.
She tucked a stray lock behind her ear. "President, is sothing off about ?"
Yan Huan blinked again. "No. Just thinking you look especially cute today."
"......"
Sakuramiya froze for half a second, then countered, "So my usual outfits aren't cute enough?"
"Exactly."
Yan Huan smiled, nodding. Just as she lifted her chin to protest, he went on, thinking aloud, "Hmm—on Monday you looked elegant, Tuesday you were serene, yesterday you were gorgeous, but today you're downright adorable." She hadn't co to school Wednesday—busy with the cat-café fiasco.
Watching her eyes go wider, he finished, "I don't rank them, but each day feels different, right?"
"Ah... I see. Thank you for the complint, President."
Sakuramiya covered her mouth with a small fist, coughed theatrically, and bead—exactly the reaction of soone used to praise. After all, this was the famous Sakuramiya Hitomi; complints had lined up behind her since kindergarten.
Inside, however, she was a kettle seconds from shrieking. He rembers every outfit from Monday to Friday?! That ans he's paying attention to , too!
Her knees felt weak; she sank onto the sofa opposite, trying to lift her own coffee with poise. The cup rattled against the saucer, so she let go at once to keep it silent.
Yan Huan sipped his latte—rich, perfect—and exhaled. Being around the normal, uncorrupted Sakuramiya really was comfortable. A world without Modifiers was a beautiful thing.
Yellow-scarf ow-chan appeared on his shoulder without warning. It studied Sakuramiya, then spoke inside his mind.
"Yan Huan, do you like this Vice-President Sakuramiya Hitomi?"
He kept his expression neutral, sipping. "Why do you ask?"
"Last Saturday night you were awfully friendly on the phone. Monday, when you were both locked in the equipnt room, you looked after her. Now you're showering her with praise. It feels... different from how you treat other girls."
ow-chan hopped to the table, sat primly, and added, "She's not a Modifier user, so you're not acting. You're as relaxed as you are with Tong Yingying, yet the words are ten tis sweeter. Poor Tong got caught in the crossfire."
Yan Huan took another sip. "I'm neither a monk nor gay; having a soft spot for the opposite sex is normal." He happened to favor petite, cute girls—triggered every protective instinct he had.
"ow~" Translation: Fair point.
"But I'm afraid it can only stay a soft spot."
"Why, ow?"
"The gap's too wide." Yan Huan stirred his coffee. "Sakuramiya joined the council for the experience. She's brilliant, and her family's wealth is absurd. ? No background; I'm here for recomndation letters and resources. Between studying and part-ti jobs, I'm already stretched thin. Throw in the Modifier ss, and I've got nothing left to give. Even if she doesn't care about my origins, I'd still be too poor—emotionally, financially—to offer anything aningful. So instead of making grand promises, I'd rather level up, survive the Modifier storm, and see what happens. What do you think, ow-chan?"
ow-chan blinked, offered no opinion, just a soft "ow."
Yan Huan smiled and almost ruffled its head, but with Sakuramiya watching, he refrained.
Modifiers might be driving him to the brink daily, but last night Learning Conqueror had let him finish most of a calculus textbook. If he cleared every Modifier hurdle, the payoff would be unimaginable.
Still, lack of sleep was winning. He checked the ti and stood. "Nothing else at noon, so I'll head out, Sakuramiya."
"Eh? No classes this afternoon; you usually stay until the late bus."
"Normally, yes. But I need a nap—didn't sleep."
Sakuramiya turned, puzzled. "You could nap right here. There's a sofa."
"Hmm." Yan Huan considered. "I'd feel awkward with you here."
"Oh?" She hid a giggle behind her hand. "Don't tell you snore, grind your teeth, or talk in your sleep?"
"None of the above."
"Then is my presence going to keep you awake? I can always head back to class."
The office had a Boundary; he could monitor things from anywhere. Since she'd offered, Yan Huan abandoned the idea of sleeping under his favorite tree. A quick nap—what could go wrong?
"Don't. If I won't disturb you, I'll crash here."
"Okay~"
He rolled his shoulders and stretched out on the opposite sofa. Sakuramiya fetched a blanket from the bookcase.
"Blanket? Where'd that co from?"
"I bring it. It gets chilly reading here at lunch, so I drape it over myself."
Before he could sit up, she spread the blanket over him. A trace of her scent drifted down; his fingers froze mid-stroke on the soft fabric.
Maybe I should've gone outside after all.
"Um, it's a bit small. Is that all right, President?"
"It's fine. Covers my stomach—that's enough."
Sakuramiya Hitomi tilted her head, not quite following his remark.
Then she watched Yan Huan snap the folder shut, flop straight onto the couch, and yawn.
Kind of adorable—like an oversized baby.
She settled back onto the opposite sofa and thought, Cute.
"Good afternoon, President."
"Mmm... afternoon."
Yan Huan relaxed and closed his eyes. The phantom ow-chan sprang lightly onto his chest, tucked its paws beneath itself, and surveyed the room with curious gold eyes.
ow-chan didn't need sleep; it usually stayed by Yan's side and kept watch even while he napped. The night at Ye Shiyu's place had been no different.
Stare~
The cat stared at Sakuramiya, who remained blissfully unaware of its presence. As Yan's breathing steadied into the soft rhythm of sleep, the girl who had been reading began glancing up more and more often to study his face.
Mm.
So far, so normal.
Could it be this kid likes Yan too?
Ah—she's not just peeking anymore, she's flat-out gawking!
Across the room, Sakuramiya was now openly scrutinizing him, her book forgotten.
The President's sleeping face.
Heh-heh~
I've never been inside his apartnt, so I never had a chance to install caras there. Next ti—next ti he invites over—I'll set up a Boundary just like the one I placed in the student-council office.
Then I'll see exactly what he does when he's alone.
Pity the Boundary has to be cast from inside; otherwise I could just stand at his front door and deploy it.
With that thought, Sakuramiya pursed her lips and stealthily drew her phone. She had already muted it, ready to sneak a photo.
ow-chan watched, puzzled by the phone.
But Sakuramiya paused.
No—phone shots are risky. What if he wakes up? I'd never be able to explain.
Besides, my Boundary records everything anyway. I can capture every angle without a single blind spot.
So she slipped the phone back into her pocket, though the smile on her face had turned oddly dreamy.
Mm.
Everything normal... right?
Unseen, Sakuramiya activated her Boundary, preserving every second of Yan Huan's sleeping form.
At the sa mont, outside Year 1 Class A.
Ye Shiyu stood by the doorway, clutching a plastic bag. Auntie Chen had nagged her for a week—she could no longer delay returning Yan Huan's uniform jacket.
Yet the handso boy who usually occupied the window seat was nowhere in sight.
Not here, huh.
Guess I'll try again later.
Disappointed, she turned to leave—just as a girl packing up to go ho gasped and covered her mouth.
"Um... you wouldn't happen to be Ye Shiyu-sis, would you?"
"You know ?"
"Well, Senior Gongzi said you're President Yan's sister! President Yan's so handso, and his sister is just as pretty—heh-heh. I'm Fu ngyao, in the sa class as him."
The praise directed at Yan Huan made Ye Shiyu purse her lips, but she nodded politely and started to walk away.
She paused.
"Do you know where Xiao Huan is?"
"Huh? President Yan?"
Fu ngyao turned back, thinking.
"No afternoon classes today. He said he'd handle paperwork in the student-council office until the late bus leaves."
"How do you know that?"
The girl smiled shyly and scratched her cheek.
"President Yan's schedule isn't exactly a secret. Everyone keeps track—he's popular."
.
Unhappy.jpg.
But Ye Shiyu didn't press the girl; she simply thanked her softly and headed upstairs.
She rembered: the student-council office was on the top floor of the freshman building.
The hallway was quiet. Ye Shiyu found the door with no trouble, knocked lightly, and waited.
No answer from Yan Huan.
A few seconds later, faint footsteps approached inside.
The door cracked open, revealing Sakuramiya Hitomi.
"Hello, how may I—"
The words died on Sakuramiya's lips the instant she saw Ye Shiyu; Ye Shiyu, in turn, blinked at the girl who had answered.
Then mory clicked: the Vice-President. Of course she'd be in the sa room as Xiao Huan.
And Sakuramiya recalled: this is supposedly Yan Huan's sister.
Though labeled as such, Sakuramiya sensed sothing off in the way the girl looked at him.
"Ye Shiyu-sis, right? What can I do for you?"
"I'm here... for Xiao Huan."
No further explanation; just that.
"Ah, now might not be the best ti. If there's sothing urgent, you can tell ."
"Inconvenient?"
Ye Shiyu blinked, then lifted her gaze and effortlessly peered over the petite Vice-President.
Through the narrow gap she saw Yan Huan asleep on the couch.
Xiao Huan... sleeping?
His sleeping face.
I want to see.
Instinctively she pushed at the door, but it refused to budge—so force resisted.
Only then did Ye Shiyu look down and et Sakuramiya's steady smile as the girl braced the door with one hand.
"If there's anything, just let know. I'll pass it on when the President wakes."
.
The faint scent of gunpowder began to drift, causing the peacefully sleeping Yan Huan to frown in his dreams.
(End of chapter.)
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