Today's Yan Huan was not yesterday's Yan Huan.
This philosophical musing wasn’t sothing Yan Huan would normally entertain, but he couldn't help feeling a twinge of regret about the choices he had made the day before.
It was like a whimsical wish he made at age six for a fantastical life had co back to haunt him in high school, with Modifiers now threatening to push him to his knees.
In short, he regretted it.
After finishing his morning routine, Yan Huan stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his appearance. ow-chan circled his feet, tail raised high.
Dressed in a white cotton T-shirt layered under a printed, loose-fitting button-up and paired with long denim pants, Yan Huan completed his Monday school outfit.
Looking at his reflection, Yan Huan yawned, his handso face taking on a hint of laziness.
It was only then that he fully understood what the Modifier’s "mild drowsiness" truly ant.
Splashing his face with cold water and eating breakfast didn’t help—it was a persistent, subtle pull that sapped energy throughout the day.
Only when fully engrossed in an activity did the sensation fade, but how often could soone maintain complete focus in a single day?
At around 7:10 a.m., Yan Huan shouldered his backpack and called out to ow-chan,
"ow-chan, I’m heading out."
"ow?"
Even though ow-chan could appear whenever summoned, Yan Huan still felt the need to bid it goodbye—a testant to how the Modifier-induced drowsiness was clouding his mind.
He grabbed his phone and descended the stairs. The school bus stop was a seven or eight-minute walk, and when he arrived, several other students from the South District were already there.
"Good morning, President!"
"Morning," Yan Huan greeted them with a smile before leaning against the bus stop and scrolling through his phone.
Before long, a large bus bearing the Yuanyue Academy crest pulled up.
Tapping his student ID to board, Yan Huan chose a familiar window seat.
The journey to school took about forty minutes, with the first class starting at 8:30 a.m. Yan Huan’s stop was one of the earlier ones in the South District, so the bus was relatively empty when he boarded.
At the next stop, Yaqiao Mu boarded, holding his phone. Spotting Yan Huan, he called out,
"Yo, morning, President!"
"Morning," Yan Huan replied.
After scanning the bus, Yaqiao Mu naturally plopped into the seat next to Yan Huan.
As soon as he sat down, he eagerly turned his phone sideways, launching a popular 2D wife-collecting ga.
"Ah, leader, you’re so diligent! I must work harder too~" the ga’s charming avatar greeted him. Yaqiao Mu, wearing Bluetooth earbuds, grinned at the screen.
"The new banner’s about to drop! The next character is an electro queen—I’ve saved up tons of gems, and I will pull her!" he declared while clearing daily missions and stamina.
Yan Huan glanced at the screen, resting his chin on his hand.
"Didn’t you pull both characters from the last banner? How much have you spent?"
"All my allowance. But it’s worth it for my wives! Look at this sword I pulled—it’s her signature weapon!"
The phone’s physics engine made the ga character’s soft body sway as dazzling effects and cascading numbers pumled the boss on-screen.
Yan Huan yawned, uninterested, and leaned against the window.
"I didn’t sleep well last night. Wake
when we get to school."
"Wow, President, taking a nap on the school bus? Had too much fun at that Auntie’s house, huh?"
"Heh..." Yan Huan chuckled dryly.
Fun? Did nearly being hypnotized count as fun?
Still shaken by Saturday night’s incident with Ye Shiyu at his bedroom door, Yan Huan closed his eyes and let the drowsiness take over.
anwhile, Yaqiao Mu busied himself with his digital waifu garden, clearing dailies out of sheer habit.
Suddenly, a hand reached out from the aisle and lightly tugged his sleeve.
"Hm?"
Turning, Yaqiao Mu saw a blushing girl looking at him nervously.
"...You’re not a regular on this bus. I’ve never seen you before," he said, adjusting his glasses.
"Ah, sorry. I stayed over at a friend’s house—she’s a regular here. Um, Yaqiao-kun, could you..."
From her bag, she pulled out a delicately scented envelope and a small tin of candies, holding them out toward him.
Her eyes flicked toward the sleeping Yan Huan, her intentions clear without words.
Yaqiao Mu looked at the handso boy dozing by the window, his serene visage almost too perfect to disturb.
Sighing, he accepted the gifts with a resigned nod.
"Alright, I’ll pass these to the President when he wakes up."
"Thank you! You’re such a nice person, Yaqiao-kun!"
"...That doesn’t feel like a complint," Yaqiao Mu muttered as she returned to her seat.
But before he could resu his ga, another hand poked his shirt sleeve.
Looking up, he saw an upperclassman holding out a bar of chocolate.
"Haha, Yaqiao-kun, you know the drill," she said with a grin.
"..."
"From now on, President, you sit on the aisle seat. I’m taking the window," Yaqiao Mu declared as they disembarked at school.
Yan Huan cradled the pile of gifts in his arms, looking exasperated.
"I usually don’t accept these, so you could’ve just refused."
"How could I? I’m not you—I don’t have experience dealing with this stuff! And wouldn’t it seem rude to turn them down?"
"No, it wouldn’t. Or you could’ve just waited until I woke up..."
Their conversation was interrupted by the rhythmic clanging of construction. Turning toward the north side of campus, Yan Huan noticed the outline of a nearly completed building.
"The school’s building sothing again? It’s so noisy this early in the morning."
"Probably a new teaching building. Construction started over winter break and should finish this month," Yaqiao Mu replied.
Chatting idly, they ascended to the top floor of one of the school buildings, where the entire floor was dedicated to the Student Council.
At the end of the hallway, a plaque on the door read:
[Yuanyue Academy Student Council Office]
Yaqiao Mu checked the mailbox outside but found it empty.
"Huh? No docunts this week?"
"Impossible—it’s Monday."
The Student Council held weekly etings on Monday mornings, and administrative staff usually delivered docunts over the weekend for planning.
So why was the mailbox empty?
Yan Huan approached the door, gesturing for Yaqiao Mu to open it with a smile.
"Vice President Ying must already be here."
"She’s early?"
Opening the door revealed the tidy, 30-square-ter office. The wool carpet covered a wooden floor, and a glass coffee table sat between two black sofas, adorned with a potted plant.
Near the far wall was a line of cabinets filled with files and books. The large bay windows let in morning sunlight, illuminating the sizable desk marked with a golden naplate:
[Student Council President]
By the bookshelves stood a girl in a black British-style school uniform. Her dark hair was tied in a neat bun, secured with a simple white ribbon, and her bangs frad her delicate features, her ebony strands ending in faint pink tips.
Standing on tiptoe to dust the upper shelves, she turned at the sound of the door, her eyes sparkling as they landed on Yan Huan.
Her smile was as radiant as an elf’s.
"Good morning, President. Good morning, Yaqiao-kun."
"Morning, Ying Gong," Yan Huan replied.
"Good morning, Vice President Ying," Yaqiao Mu added.
Yan Huan placed the gifts he was carrying onto the coffee table.
"Ying Gong, help yourself to anything you like. Let’s all share these."
Ying Gong Tong set her duster aside, her gaze falling on a pink envelope among the pile. She picked it up and read the inscription aloud.
"To the lovely President Yan Huan."
Noticing the signature, she murmured,
"Park Shuwen, Class 1-C."
Her grip on the envelope tightened slightly before she set it back on the table.
"Let’s wait for You Anlina and Aixi Li before eating together," she suggested, heading to the tea counter.
"Sure," Yan Huan replied, sorting the snacks with Yaqiao Mu.
Not long after, the door burst open, and an energetic voice rang out.
"President! Ying Gong! Yaqiao! Good morning!!"
In walked a JK-uniford girl with pink-and-red-dyed hair, her bright features betraying her mixed heritage. Her confident stance highlighted her ample curves.
Behind her, a tall blonde girl with short hair followed silently, her stoic expression showing she was well accustod to her companion’s exuberance.
"Good morning, everyone," she greeted calmly.
The two girls who entered the Student Council office were You Anlina, the Student Council Secretary, and Aixi Li, the Head of Discipline.
“Morning, You Anlina, Aixi Li.”
“Oh wow, so many snacks! Where’d these co from?”
Ignoring You Anlina, who was practically salivating over the tea table full of treats, Aixi Li calmly took a seat next to Ying Gong Tong.
After glancing at a candy tin adorned with heart-shaped stickers, Aixi Li remarked,
“Looks like sothing a girl gave the President. His na’s even written on it.”
“Eh?!”
You Anlina’s head shot up like a tiger sensing prey. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at Yan Huan’s leisurely expression.
“President, are you falling in love?”
“We have a eting, You Anlina.”
Ying Gong Tong’s tily interjection doused You Anlina’s enthusiasm. She stood and retrieved a stack of docunts from the desk.
“What?! Aren’t you curious, Ying Gong? Aixi Li, don’t you want to know who’s won the President’s heart? How are you all so uninterested?! This Student Council is full of unromantic hermits—it’s your fault we have no love stories!”
Ying Gong said nothing, taking a calm sip of her tea.
Aixi Li, already scrolling through her phone, replied,
“The President and Vice President won’t lack for admirers, but the President’s too busy to date, and the Vice President said when she joined the Council that she’d never fall in love.”
Ying Gong, unbothered, added,
“I already have my hands full with work, school, and part-ti jobs. As for Yaqiao Mu, isn’t he perfectly content with his 2D waifus?”
At this, Yaqiao Mu adjusted his glasses with a smug look that scread, "You’re absolutely right."
Undeterred, You Anlina leaned closer to Yan Huan and whispered conspiratorially,
“President, just tell
if you have a crush on soone. I promise not to tell anyone~”
Yawning, Yan Huan smiled and said,
“Sure, I like you, You Anlina.”
Ying Gong continued sipping her tea. The ripples in her cup mirrored the subtle shifts in her eyes.
anwhile, You Anlina’s face turned bright red. Waving her hands frantically, she stamred,
“No way! I can’t date the President! I’d always be worrying if such a handso guy might cheat on ... I’d get depressed! If we got married and had kids, I’d be crying myself to death daily—I wouldn’t live past 25!”
Rolling her eyes, Aixi Li deadpanned,
“You’re seriously considering it? How drunk are you, and how many drinks did you have?”
Indignant, You Anlina turned back to Yan Huan with a disbelieving expression.
“President, are you joking with ?”
“Weren’t you joking first?”
Spreading his hands, Yan Huan decided to stop teasing the gullible You Anlina.
“Co on. If I told you I liked soone, you’d blab it to every chat group before the first period even started.”
“I wouldn’t—”
Before You Anlina could finish her defense, Yan Huan accepted the docunts Ying Gong handed him. His tone grew more serious.
“Alright, let’s begin. Everyone, review the docunts.”
The group settled down, with Ying Gong summarizing the agenda.
“Three items today. First, the results of last week’s opening exams will be released tomorrow. Word is, they’re pretty grim.”
“Results in one weekend? Those guest teachers from Longguo don’t ss around,” Yaqiao Mu grumbled.
Unfazed, Yan Huan issued instructions.
“Post the results as usual. You’re in charge, You Anlina.”
“Got it!”
Ying Gong continued,
“Second, the Club Wars event is coming up. This is our second ti organizing such a large-scale event. The Sports Festival last sester had so issues, and the school board is still skeptical...”
“I object! What right do they have to doubt us?”
Before Ying Gong could finish, You Anlina shot to her feet, waving her hand passionately.
“The pool filled with cola for swimming races and the shirtless basketball gas were both decided by vote! Even though the board rejected them, the 5K faculty race was completely reasonable. If the Vice Principal got outrun by students, that’s on him!”
“Maybe don’t put the Vice Principal in the track and field group next ti,” Aixi Li suggested bluntly.
“He claid to be a forr athlete during his speech! I just wanted him to reflect on that!”
Yan Huan chuckled and handed part of the docunt to Yaqiao Mu.
“There are two weeks until the event. This week, confirm the budget. Ying Gong and I will notify the clubs. We’ll work out the details later.”
“On it, President.”
The final docunt wasn’t from the school but from Linn’s Departnt of Education.
Glancing at the heading—“Guidelines for Preventing School Bullying”—Ying Gong raised the paper and asked,
“Do we have bullying here at our school?”
You Anlina shook her head confidently.
“Of course not! Everyone’s so friendly, and no one’s ever fought before!”
“It’s not just physical fights that count as bullying,” Yaqiao Mu retorted.
“Physical violence is obvious and easier to address. The real issue is subtle harassnt—insults, exclusion, and pressure. Victims often won’t admit it, even when directly asked.”
Aixi Li added,
“I’ve heard rumors. Last sester, a sophomore transferred out due to depression. Across town, a student at Xiuzhi Academy made the news for jumping off a building. I’m guessing this directive is a reaction to that.
“Reports show that before the incident, Xiuzhi’s administration had investigated but got nowhere. Students lied convincingly, making it impossible to identify the problem in ti.”
Faced with their reasoning, You Anlina pouted and clung to Ying Gong, wailing dramatically,
“Waaah, Ying Gong! They’re bullying ! Do sothing!”
Patting her back, Ying Gong sighed helplessly.
Yan Huan, anwhile, skimd the docunt, recalling a saying filled with philosophical nuance:
"Subjectively none, but objectively present?"
A frown crept onto his face as his thoughts turned to Ye Shiyu.
She’d started school here today, transferring unexpectedly.
Given her peculiar personality, could she integrate with classmates she barely knew? If she could get into disputes with strangers at an aquarium, what might happen if conflicts arose here?
Would she use hypnosis to deal with them?
Lord help the sophomores.
“President?”
Ying Gong’s voice snapped Yan Huan out of his reverie.
“Sorry, just thinking about sothing...” Yan Huan smiled and continued,
“Well, at least this isn’t entirely our problem. The directive outlines specific asures for the school to follow. We’ll implent them.”
“Understood, President.”
At the sa ti, in Class 1-C:
“Hey, Shuwen, did you really give the President your letter this morning? He never accepts those—how’d you manage?”
It wasn’t yet ti for class, so students milled about the room. A group of girls surrounded a seated Park Shuwen near the back of the classroom, chattering excitedly.
Covering her mouth with a sly smile, Park Shuwen replied,
“I did! The President was asleep on the bus, and his nerdy Student Council accountant friend was easy to sway. I played coy, and he got flustered. Said he’d deliver it for !”
“What? The President was asleep?”
“For real. Look, I even got a picture—doesn’t he look dreamy?”
“That’s sneaky! Send it to !”
Amid their chatter, a girl quietly walked past the aisle, her head bowed.
Her heavy black hair obscured her pale face, giving her a subdued and awkward aura.
Despite it being a casual dress day, she wore the Yuanyue uniform, standing out starkly among her casually dressed classmates.
Most strikingly, her uniform strained against her ample chest, the buttons barely holding the fabric together.
Her na tag read: "Class 1-C, An Le."
As she passed, certain words from the girls’ conversation caught her attention.
Her steps slowed, lips parting hesitantly.
Noticing her pause, Park Shuwen glanced at her friends before smirking.
“Hey, do you sll milk? Like, really strong milk?”
“Yeah, it’s so strong!” another girl chid in, laughing.
An Le bit her lip but mustered her courage, addressing a girl seated at the desk behind Park Shuwen.
“Um... this seat... it’s mine.”
The girl chuckled, not moving an inch.
“Just borrowing it for a bit. Don’t be so petty. Show so generosity, yeah?”
“Pfft.”
Park Shuwen snickered, turning her back on An Le.
As she prepared to share the stolen photo with her friends, the horoom teacher entered, calling for attention.
“Quiet down. There’s sothing to address—class starts five minutes early today.”
“What?!”
“No fair! Other classes don’t—”
“Quiet! Return to your seats!”
Under the teacher’s authority, the class begrudgingly dispersed.
An Le reclaid her seat, catching a glimpse of Park Shuwen’s phone and the photo of the sleeping Yan Huan.
Her eyes lingered on the handso boy in the picture, her face reddening slightly.
Noticing the gaze, Park Shuwen turned and shot her a disgusted look before concealing her phone.
“Gross.”
An Le lowered her head, fingers clutching her skirt nervously. Beneath her sleeve, an ethereal snake tattoo writhed faintly against her skin.
Suddenly, a mysterious gurgling sound broke the silence, distracting her from her thoughts.
“An Le, today we have a new transfer student,” the teacher announced from the front of the room.
The students clapped politely as a girl with golden hair and a confident smile strutted in.
Towering above most of her peers, her proud posture and striking figure were only accentuated by the prominent fang she flashed.
“Hi! I’m Aria Spencer. I’ll be your classmate from now on—let’s get along!”
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