"The workers have already started setting up the venue for the Club Competition’s opening ceremony. Here’s the budget report."
Inside the Student Council Office, Ying Gong Tong sat on the sofa and thanked the Student Affairs Office staff mber handing her the docunt.
"Ah, thank you. I’ll pass it to the President for approval later."
"Alright, I’ll take my leave then."
The female staff mber turned and left, closing the door behind her. Once again, Ying Gong Tong was the only one in the office.
She gazed at the empty, quiet office and lowered her eyes slightly.
"The President… still hasn’t co to the office today?"
With the Club Competition’s opening ceremony so close, they should be eting frequently to discuss matters and getting busier by the day.
But now, while everyone was occupied, the office felt like a retirent ho with her as the lonely old resident.
For major tasks, Yan Huan was on-site directing things, while she handled the paperwork.
"Busy… Everyone’s busy. I suppose being busy is good…"
Pouting slightly, Ying Gong Tong took a sip of her hot tea, as if trying to calm herself down.
But the next mont, she pulled out her phone, impatiently opening Plane to contact Nara.
"Seriously, Nara! Weren’t you going to help
think of a solution? Use that brain of yours! Why haven’t you replied since you went to dismantle the caras last night?!"
Ding ding ding~
Just as she was about to send the ssage, her phone rang—Nara was calling.
Ying Gong Tong was montarily stunned before answering.
"…Hello, Miss?"
"Nara, where are you? You didn’t co back last night. Don’t tell
you snuck off to play again?"
Her suspicious tone made Nara hesitate slightly before replying in a relaxed voice,
"…Of course not! I was busy handling sothing for you. I did you a huge favor, okay?"
"Really?"
"…You’ll know when Yan Huan cos today. But more importantly, Miss, there’s sothing very serious I need to tell you."
"W-What is it?"
Nara chuckled softly and said,
"I need to lay low for a while. I can’t go back to your place, or I’ll be in trouble."
"Trouble? What trouble?"
"Didn’t I ntion before that I have a terrifying enemy in Linn? Well… I think they’ve picked up my trail."
Ying Gong Tong rembered Nara ntioning this when she first ca to her.
Her lips pressed together in concern. "…Is there anything I can do to help?"
"h, it’s not that serious. I just need to stay hidden for a while. Anyway, Miss, you’ll have to manage on your own for now."
Nara’s voice was relaxed, tinged with a seductive charm, as if she had been drinking.
"By the way, I did you a big favor this morning, so don’t forget to reward
later. For now, you’re on your own."
"This morning? What did you—hello? Hello?!"
Beep beep beep~
Before she could ask, the call was abruptly cut off.
"…Seriously."
Ying Gong Tong stared at Nara’s profile picture on her phone—a cute little deer, a symbol of her hotown.
"……"
She sighed, stretched her fingers, and picked up her teacup again.
Just then, urgent footsteps echoed from outside.
Tap tap tap!!
Her lips touched the tea, but her expression grew colder as the footsteps neared.
BANG!!
The Student Council Office door was kicked open, sending ripples through the red tea in her cup.
Spencer stord in, holding a paper notice, her expression livid. Her eyes locked onto Ying Gong Tong imdiately.
She raised the paper and shouted furiously,
"Ying Gong Tong! Are you targeting ?! Targeting our Hentai Club?!"
"……"
A flicker of deep anger flashed in Ying Gong Tong’s eyes, but her face remained calm. She set down her teacup and spoke evenly.
"Spencer, targeting you…? What makes you say that?"
"……"
Spencer opened her mouth, trying to recall what An Le had just told her, but the explanation was all over the place.
"Anyway… the location you assigned us… makes it really easy for other clubs to… you know…"
Pfft!
Ying Gong Tong covered her mouth, letting out a mocking laugh. Her open derision only fueled Spencer’s rage, making her grit her teeth and demand,
"What’s so funny?! Just tell , are you targeting us or not?!"
"……"
The next mont, Ying Gong Tong dropped her hand from her mouth, her expression turning completely blank. However, a vein throbbed on her forehead, and her gaze turned chilling.
Looking straight at Spencer, she calmly admitted,
"I am targeting you. What of it?"
"Hah?"
Even Spencer was caught off guard. This peacock, usually so fake and pretentious, was openly admitting to her sches?
This totally disrupted her Plan A.
Wait, what was Plan B?
Uh… she didn’t have one.
Well, regardless, whether it was Plan A or B, Spencer never intended to have a civil conversation with Ying Gong Tong!
Ying Gong Tong’s expression darkened as she clenched her fists, her patience running thin.
"Do I need a reason to target you? You ill-mannered, classless white pig! Did your mother never teach you to knock before entering?!"
Spencer flinched in shock before her own expression twisted with fury.
Clearly, Ying Gong Tong had hit a nerve.
"…What did you say?! Say that again if you dare!"
But Ying Gong Tong’s rage burned like a volcano, no less intense than Spencer’s.
If Spencer hadn’t repeatedly broken her barrier—
In the Equipnt Room, she could have kissed the President.
In the Haunted House, she could have taken things even further.
In the Student Council Office, the President wouldn’t have caught her spying on him.
Ti and ti again, Spencer had disrupted everything…
It seed she had been by the President’s side for too long, becoming soft, forgetting to deal with people the way she used to.
And now Spencer really thought she was an easy target?
A sinister shadow cast over Ying Gong Tong’s face as she clenched her fists and said coldly,
"Since you love kicking doors so much, let’s see how much fun you have with it!"
Clap!
She moved her hand slightly, and the entire room trembled.
Outside the window, the bright noon sunlight seed to be swallowed by darkness, casting eerie shadows inside the office.
Gurgle… Gurgle…
Spencer hesitated and looked outside, only to see countless writhing, flowing eyes in the shadows.
The light flickered uncertainly, and the office was filled with moving, insect-like shadows crawling along the walls.
A chilling sensation ran down Spencer’s spine, as if a massive centipede was slithering over her body.
"Ugh…"
Feeling sick, she instinctively took a step back, aiming to kick the door open behind her.
Clap!
But Ying Gong Tong clapped her hands again, and the shadows vanished in an instant.
The door had subtly shifted position. Instead of hitting the door, Spencer’s foot slamd into the solid wall.
BANG!
"Ahhh…!"
The backlash made Spencer hiss in pain, hopping on one foot while clutching the other.
She looked up at the door—perfectly centered on the wall, exactly where it had always been.
What… the hell just happened?
Spencer’s brain struggled to process it.
anwhile, Ying Gong Tong smirked, as if everything had gone exactly as planned.
Watching Spencer sit on the ground, pouting in pain, Ying Gong Tong clapped her hands again. The shadows thickened around her once more as she whispered,
"It’s only common sense to say your greatest fear out loud."
"……"
Spencer stared at her, dumbfounded, before snapping in frustration.
"What… what kind of twisted trick are you playing now?!"
"So it's useless…"
Ying Gong Tong didn’t seem surprised. She simply stood up, tilting her head slightly as she looked down at Spencer, who was still clutching her foot on the ground. Her hollow gaze was chilling.
"What am I playing at…? Tell , Spencer—why don’t you ask yourself what you’ve been doing all this ti?"
"I…"
As Spencer thought about it, guilt flickered across her face.
Truth be told, she and Ying Gong Tong had no real grievances at the start. Their rivalry only began because she wanted to steal Yan Huan away.
But…
Thinking about it made her clench her teeth.
"And what about it? You act like so perfect, innocent saint, but you're just as disgusting, if not worse!"
"The first ti I saw you, I knew you were the most fake, sickening person I’d ever t."
"And sure enough—pretending to be all high and mighty, but behind the scenes, you’re just a pervert stalking and spying on Yan Huan!"
Spencer sneered, her clear blue eyes reflecting Ying Gong Tong’s terrifying expression.
But strangely enough, the first ti she had seen Ying Gong Tong, smiling like a flower beside Yan Huan at dusk, the image in her eyes had been just like this—this unmasked, hideous version of her.
Ying Gong Tong froze for a mont, her composure cracking. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.
"If it weren’t for you, that idiot! If not for you, the President wouldn’t have found out—"
"Oh?"
Spencer dusted herself off and stood up.
"So by your logic, as long as a criminal doesn’t get caught, they’re not in the wrong? The police are the ones at fault for exposing them?"
"I…"
Ying Gong Tong’s eyes widened, montarily speechless at the simplicity of Spencer’s argunt.
Spencer pointed a finger at her, sneering.
"Cut the crap. What you’re really saying is that it’s my fault for exposing you? That it’s Yan Huan’s fault for leaving you after seeing the truth?"
As she spoke, she rolled her shoulders and stretched, her joints cracking as she loosened up.
"And now you’re just making excuses, blaming everyone but yourself—"
"But maybe, just maybe, if you hadn’t done anything wrong in the first place, you wouldn’t be in this ss!"
"Why don’t you take a second and consider that maybe this is your own damn fault?!"
Ying Gong Tong took a step back as Spencer advanced toward her, clenching her fists.
She had thought she could play Spencer like a clueless monkey, manipulating her like a child fumbling with a computer.
But Spencer had her own solution—if she couldn’t deal with the system, she’d just smash the damn computer!
Forget trying to understand all the logic behind it—if the problem ca from Ying Gong Tong, she’d just beat her up instead!
"You still dare target ?! It’s ti for so self-reflection!"
With a short sprint, Spencer charged straight at her.
Panic surged through Ying Gong Tong as she hastily clapped her hands again, shifting the barrier into external mode.
Bam!
Out of nowhere, a sofa appeared right in Spencer’s path.
"I—"
She had no ti to stop.
Thud!
She tripped over the sofa and crashed onto the ground.
"Ugh! Damn it!"
Just like before, the barrier’s layout didn’t match reality.
By dodging based on the illusion, she ended up stumbling the mont the real-world layout returned.
And unlike barriers, reality couldn’t be broken.
But Spencer?
She never learned her lesson.
She tripped once? So what.
She tripped twice? So what.
Learning from mistakes? What’s that?
anwhile, Ying Gong Tong scrambled to her feet, lifting the hem of her skirt as she backed away. She grabbed a stack of docunts from the table and chucked them at Spencer.
"Get away from ! You brainless, pig-headed idiot! I—I’ll smash you to death! Ha… ha…"
Even a few simple movents had drained her stamina bar.
Panting heavily, she clutched her chest, struggling to catch her breath.
"Fine, fine, I’ll roll away—"
Spencer, now buried under a pile of docunts, instinctively rolled across the floor, ducking behind the sofa.
Then, she sat up, rubbing her head.
Pressing an imaginary police cap onto her head, she pointed at Ying Gong Tong and dramatically declared,
"Give it up, pervert Ying Gong Tong! You’re completely surrounded—by !"
"Hah? What… what the hell are you—"
Ying Gong Tong froze.
Then she realized.
Spencer had gotten so into her earlier "criminal vs. police" argunt that she was now actually roleplaying as a cop.
From behind her cover, she was treating Ying Gong Tong like an ard fugitive, spewing nonsense.
"You—are you a child?! Idiot!"
She snapped, flinging whatever she could grab at Spencer.
Whoosh! Docunts scattered.
Thud! A pen holder hit the floor.
Silence.
Then—
The President’s gift box.
Ying Gong Tong’s breath hitched.
Her pupils shrank as she realized she had just thrown the wooden box Yan Huan had given her.
"No—NO!"
The box tumbled through the air.
She lunged forward, reaching out.
BANG!
She caught it.
But the box had already been opened. The ribbon securing it had co undone.
The lid shot off.
Spencer peeked from behind the sofa just in ti to see it.
THWACK!
The wooden lid smacked her straight in the forehead.
"Ow… ugh… that hurts!"
She clutched her head, crouching down in pain, eyes tearing up.
anwhile, Ying Gong Tong, having just barely caught the box, collapsed to her knees.
She exhaled in relief, holding it tightly in her hands.
Then, she clenched her jaw and lifted her gaze—
And locked eyes with Spencer, who was still rubbing her forehead in pain.
Their eyes t.
A violent crackling tension filled the air.
"Spencer…"
"Ying Gong Tong!"
Both of them had ended up on the floor, the Student Council Office now resembling a battlefield.
A ring.
A stage.
And the two contenders lay in wait.
But Spencer—Spencer still had energy left.
Would she strike first?!
Would she launch an attack on Ying Gong Tong’s weakest point?!
The next second, her long blonde hair shimred with a faint glow, and the tips curled upward like a pair of spectral horns, radiating an invisible force.
She sneered.
"Heh, you don’t even know, do you? I’ve always wanted to steal Yan Huan from you. But he loves you way too much—I could never succeed."
Ying Gong Tong’s face froze.
"…Huh?"
But Spencer’s mouth wouldn’t stop. It was venomous. Ruthless.
"The day I exposed your real face was the first ti I ever saw him that devastated. But even then, he let
go. He stayed here, skipping class, waiting for you."
"He loves you so much. He was probably hoping—hoping you’d give him an explanation."
A sharp, mocking grin curled on Spencer’s lips.
"But you? You, fake and disgusting as you are, could never explain yourself properly. Whether you dodged the truth or used dirty tricks—"
"Even I know how to handle that situation, but you? You just treated Yan Huan like an idiot."
"And he’s smart. He figured it out."
She tilted her head, laughing coldly.
"It’s tragic, really—watching him, soone who loved you and wanted to forgive you, finally see you for what you are."
Ying Gong Tong sat there, completely drained of strength.
The President… loved her?
Even if he did…
Even if he did, it was only the version of her that she had pretended to be.
How could he…?
How could he still—
Plop.
The wooden box slipped from her trembling hands.
The fan inside slid out, unfolding on the floor before her.
Four inked characters stared back at her, the delicate brush strokes carrying his quiet admiration—
Refined elegance, pure heart).
But at that mont, those words felt less like praise and more like a cruel joke.
"…I… ugh…"
Her lips trembled. Her fingers clenched.
A tear dropped onto the fan’s surface, staining the ink.
Seeing Ying Gong Tong utterly shattered, Spencer suddenly found it hard to revel in her victory.
She rubbed the back of her head, glancing around the disaster zone that was now the Student Council Office. Her expression grew a little uneasy.
Clicking her tongue, she cautiously took a few steps backward, keeping an eye on Ying Gong Tong, who remained frozen, staring motionlessly at the unfolded fan.
"Uh… then… I’ll be heading out now…" she mumbled.
"……"
She kept retreating step by step, completely unaware that the door behind her had just swung open.
Thud.
She backed straight into a firm, warm chest.
"……"
Spencer stiffened.
Turning her head, she found herself staring up at Yan Huan, who was slightly taller than her.
He didn’t look annoyed or expressionless. He simply asked,
"Spencer? What are you doing here?"
"YEEK!"
Startled, Spencer activated ergency evasion mode, leaping several feet away.
With her out of the way, Yan Huan’s line of sight was no longer obstructed.
Now, he could see the complete ss inside the office.
He took in the overturned furniture, the scattered papers, and finally—Ying Gong Tong.
She was still kneeling on the ground, her head bowed, her fingers gripping the edges of the fan.
"……"
Yan Huan parted his lips slightly but said nothing.
Instead, he stepped forward.
Tap… tap… tap…
The sound of his approaching footsteps seed to reel Ying Gong Tong’s vacant gaze back into focus.
Bit by bit, she lifted her head—just in ti to et his eyes.
"…P-President… you’re back…"
Her throat tightened, her voice hoarse and weak.
Yan Huan nodded.
Then, he smiled faintly and spoke softly.
"Yeah, Ying Gong… Where else would I go? I am the Student Council President, after all."
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