"You guys..."
Yan Huan watched helplessly as Perfect Sakuramiya's body turned to ash and scattered before his eyes, yet he didn't feel the slightest bit of relief.
Instead, a wave of unease swept over his heart.
This was especially true when he saw the mouse mask that Perfect Sakuramiya had turned into after her death.
"P-President?"
Upon seeing Yan Huan enter, the expressions of all the Sakuramiyas changed.
Although they had different outfits and characteristics, they acted with the synchronized tacit understanding of a single person at this mont, reacting in exactly the sa way at almost the exact sa ti:
They instantly hid their weapons behind their backs. Then, shedding their previously fierce battle forms, they stood up straight and, like proper ladies, smoothed out their ssy clothes.
However, their actions did not ease Yan Huan's expression in the slightest. Instead, his brow furrowed even tighter.
"..."
All the Sakuramiyas noticed that Yan Huan's face showed no signs of joy or relief. They pursed their lips and looked toward Mouse Sakuramiya in the center.
Mouse Sakuramiya reacted the fastest, stepping forward and saying to Yan Huan,
"President, it couldn't be helped. We didn't want to kill her unless it was absolutely necessary.
"But if we didn't kill her, she would have killed us. We only resorted to such a drastic asure for our own self-preservation."
This was a perfectly valid reason, and it made Yan Huan's brow relax a little.
He forcefully suppressed the unease in his heart, attributing it to seeing Sakuramiya dissipate right in front of him, and asked Self-Doubting Sakuramiya,
"...But now that you've killed her, what happens to her pocket dinsion? How are we supposed to get in? Don't forget, Hitomi is still trapped inside her barrier."
"Hitomi..."
Hearing this, Self-Doubting Sakuramiya blinked, slightly taken aback.
The reactions of the other Sakuramiyas were roughly the sa.
When they had previously discussed how to eliminate Perfect Sakuramiya, it had been based on the premise of abandoning Hitomi and having Self-Doubting Sakuramiya take her place.
'But the President doesn't know about that yet. He still wants to find the real Hitomi...'
"Um, President, actually..."
It was Cat Sakuramiya who pursed her lips and took a step forward, wanting to explain to Yan Huan that Hitomi had transferred her authority and wished for Self-Doubting Sakuramiya to replace her.
But halfway through her sentence, Self-Doubting Sakuramiya suddenly reached out from behind and yanked her tail, making her wince in pain and shut her mouth.
"Eep..."
Cat Sakuramiya threw a complaining backward glance at Self-Doubting Sakuramiya, but the latter simply looked at Yan Huan and explained with a smile,
"Don't worry, President.
"After Perfect Sakuramiya's death, her barrier will rge back into the main pocket dinsion. We just don't know exactly where it landed yet."
Hearing this, Cat Sakuramiya stared wide-eyed at Self-Doubting Sakuramiya.
Her face was full of confusion, seemingly using her eyes to ask the exact question that Yan Huan was about to voice:
"Really?"
Yan Huan was half-believing and half-doubting, but Self-Doubting Sakuramiya's expression was incredibly certain.
"Of course, President. It's just that it might take a little ti to find..."
As she spoke, Self-Doubting Sakuramiya gently squeezed Cat Sakuramiya's shoulder and walked to the front of the group, pinching her skirt as she weighed her plan.
"President, how about this?
"Now that Perfect Sakuramiya is gone, I will temporarily go to reality to replace her, just to prevent others from getting suspicious.
"Then, I'll entrust the other Sakuramiyas to search for Perfect Sakuramiya's barrier within this pocket dinsion until we find it.
"Once we find Hitomi, I'll return to the pocket dinsion and let everything go back to normal!"
Looking at her sincere face, Yan Huan frowned in thought.
Logically speaking, Self-Doubting Sakuramiya's explanation was indeed seamless.
But that trace of unease in Yan Huan's heart was growing heavier by the second.
He still had many questions he wanted to ask, such as:
'Will Perfect Sakuramiya's barrier really just rge into this pocket dinsion?'
'Even if it does, you say you need to find it, but how long exactly will that take?'
'If you never find it, are you just going to replace Hitomi for the rest of your life?'
"..."
Thinking this, Yan Huan originally wanted to continue questioning her.
But at this mont, an inexplicable instinct warned him of imminent danger.
Before opening his mouth, he subconsciously narrowed his eyes and covertly scanned his surroundings.
He saw that all around them, countless giant centipedes were climbing and coiling in the eerie void, forming the backdrop of this illusory space.
In the shattered, open-air room, the dozens of Sakuramiyas who had just hacked Perfect Sakuramiya to death were now all standing behind Self-Doubting Sakuramiya, their gazes fixed intently on him.
"Gulp..."
He didn't know which Sakuramiya it was, but one of them quietly swallowed a mouthful of saliva, as if ravenously hungry or parched.
Feeling the eerie stares boring into him from all directions, goosebumps suddenly erupted all over Yan Huan's body.
The practically freezing air around him served as a stark reminder:
He was currently inside a pocket dinsion! He was facing a group of persona masks ford by a Modifier!
It was only because Perfect Sakuramiya's butcher knife had previously overshadowed this fact that Yan Huan had mistakenly assud they were vulnerable allies he could cooperate with to save Hitomi's main body.
But looking at it now, that might not be the case...
"I see... alright then."
With this realization, Yan Huan instantly activated his Perfect Expression Managent, displaying a look of trust mingled with residual worry.
"I can't be of much help in this regard, so I'll have to leave it to you.
"Earlier, I heard Bai Yi screaming in the gymnasium. When I went over, she was deliriously calling out Sakuramiya's na...
"So I guessed she might have been spooked after seeing two Sakuramiyas, which is why I hurried over to check."
In just a few words, he clearly explained his reason for rushing over, conveniently hiding the fact that he knew about the other Modifiers.
Hearing this, Self-Doubting Sakuramiya finally let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
"So that's what happened. Rest assured, President, we didn't show too many flaws in front of Bai Yi earlier. I'll just explain things to her later..."
"Okay, shall we head back first then?"
"Mhm, you go back first, President. I need to handle the aftermath here and help restore everyone's barriers to how they were. Everyone has had a really tough ti lately because of Perfect Sakuramiya."
Self-Doubting Sakuramiya smiled faintly, looking at the disheveled Sakuramiyas around her.
"I've already set the ti flow of the barrier in Linn to be slower relative to the outside world, so it won't arouse anyone's suspicion."
"Mhm."
Yan Huan nodded and turned to leave with a smile.
Just as he turned around, he caught sight of a plump black cat out of the corner of his eye. It was crouching with its butt sticking out near the spot where Perfect Sakuramiya had dissipated, continuously batting at sothing on the ground with its paw pads...
'ow-chan?!'
"It's fragnts, ow! Yan Huan, look, there are so many fragnts, ow!"
ow-chan mumbled unclearly. Wanting to take as many fragnts as possible, it stuffed them all into its mouth.
The fragnts fell into its stomach, making it bulge so much that it looked like a round ball.
'This embarrassing creature!'
Even though the other Sakuramiyas couldn't see ow-chan at all, Yan Huan's face still darkened, and he hurriedly ordered it to retreat,
"Let's go! Useless Hachimi!"
"ow?!"
Hearing this, ow-chan quickly shoved the last fragnt into its stomach, then turned and scurried toward Yan Huan.
It leapt up right as Yan Huan pushed the door open. In the blink of an eye, it appeared outside the door of the school's athletics equipnt room alongside him.
"Hah... hah..."
The mont he returned to reality, Yan Huan imdiately dropped his Perfect Expression Managent. Leaning against the wall, he gasped for air, looking just like Liu Bang escaping from the treacherous Hongn Banquet.
He had genuinely been worried that he wouldn't make it out just now.
"ow, ow..."
While Yan Huan stood there panting with lingering fear, ow-chan, whose stomach was round and plump from eating, was also panting on his shoulder.
Except, as it panted, it let out a burp,
"Burp~"
"ow-chan, I swear..."
Yan Huan turned to glare at ow-chan with a foul expression. Just as he was about to unleash a tirade, ow-chan seemingly anticipated it and hurriedly pressed its paw pads against his mouth to explain,
"The Modifier! The Modifier can evolve this week, ow!"
"..."
This instantly choked back all the words Yan Huan was about to spit out.
After a second of silence, Yan Huan retracted his gaze, too lazy to bother with the little guy.
Not daring to linger here for too long, he planned to head back and regroup with Aunt Ye and the others.
However, right before leaving, he glanced back at the barrier behind him. Suddenly thinking of sothing, he asked ow-chan,
"Wait, ow-chan, did you see Petite Hitomi, Cool Sakuramiya, and Mama Sakuramiya in the pocket dinsion earlier?"
"ow?" ow-chan swayed its tail as it thought back, then firmly denied it,
"No, ow, they didn't seem to be there."
"Yeah, I don't recall seeing them either..."
'Logically speaking, isn't Petite Hitomi supposed to have a great relationship with Self-Doubting Sakuramiya? Yet they were completely absent during such a huge confrontation earlier?'
'Sothing is wrong...'
Yan Huan silently kept this in mind. Only then did he withdraw his gaze, turning around to leave the equipnt room's entrance.
"Ding~"
At this mont, outside the stadium entrance, the mobile phone in Ye Lan's hand suddenly chid. She had been chatting with several other mothers and Principal Hers.
Offering an apologetic smile, she pulled out her phone and glanced at the incoming Plane ssage.
It was from her daughter, Shiyu.
"Mom, my friend got sick. I just escorted her to the infirmary, so I won't be able to co back for a while."
"By the way, Xiao Huan has been really exhausted lately because of Student Council matters. I heard Principal Hers is also planning to assign the arrangents for the end-of-term High Table Dinner to him."
"So, Mom, could you please talk to Principal Hers and ask him not to make Xiao Huan responsible for this? Let him have an easier ti at the end of the term."
'Oh my, this is truly...'
Reading the ssage in her hand, Ye Lan couldn't help but feel a sense of gratification.
After all, it had been so long, and this was the first ti her daughter had shown such considerate and gentle thoughts toward soone else.
'Lately, my daughter has been becoming more and more normal.'
'Not only has she made friends, but she's also no longer isolating herself with her dolls every day...'
'It's just that she seems to be spending more ti on her phone?'
'Well, as long as it doesn't affect her studies, a small matter like this is nothing to worry about.'
And all these changes could be attributed to her bringing Xiao Huan into their ho.
'...Yulu, oh Yulu. Was it not enough for you to help ? Does your child have to help my child now too?'
Wang Yulu, the na of Yan Huan's biological mother.
With this thought, Ye Lan lowered her phone. Naturally, she wasn't going to let her daughter's good intentions go to waste, so she imdiately got to work,
"By the way, Principal Hers. I heard that the school's end-of-term High Table Dinner is also handled by the Student Council?"
"Ah, regarding that... In previous years, this wasn't the case. But because the students felt the past High Table Dinners were rigid and lacked innovation, they heavily criticized it on the school forums..."
Principal Hers was incredibly astute. The mont Ye Lan spoke, his heart skipped a beat, realizing she might be blaming the school for pushing so much work onto the Student Council. He quickly changed his tune,
"However, thinking about it carefully, leaving such an event entirely to the students is indeed sowhat inappropriate. How about I discuss this with my colleagues in the Student Affairs Office later, and we can take over the preparations?"
"Mhm, that sounds perfect."
Ye Lan nodded in satisfaction, which finally allowed Principal Hers to breathe a sigh of relief.
'It seems I've correctly guessed the thoughts of the parents of these problematic young ladies once again.'
"..."
Right at that mont, Sakuramiya Lily, who was standing nearby, glanced at Ye Lan. Suddenly, as if rembering sothing, she covered her mouth and said,
"Speaking of the High Table Dinner... Principal Hers, I've heard that the school's tradition of inviting partners for the ball holds so special aning, doesn't it?"
"Ah, yes, indeed. I hear the students treat it as a sort of confession. Only students who accept the confession will attend the ball together."
Hearing this, Principal Hers nodded subconsciously and answered truthfully,
"Haha, even though the end of the term is still a while away, I'm afraid many of the more popular students have already received flowers by now."
"Oh my, what a wonderful tradition. Back when we were young, we didn't have nearly as many enriching activities... As expected of Far Moon Academy."
The mont Sakuramiya Lily praised the school, Principal Hers's "sales instinct" imdiately flared up.
'Oh my, since this parent is so supportive of our school's High Table Dinner, why not...'
'Why not see if she wants to sponsor it, perhaps buying a spot to speak as a parent representative at the High Table Dinner?'
Of course, Principal Hers wouldn't explicitly voice such a blatant "donation project."
Under-the-table transactions like this required groundwork; he had to establish so personal connections first.
For instance, wasn't this woman's daughter the Vice President of the Student Council?
That made things much easier.
Principal Hers revealed a wrinkled smile like a blooming chrysanthemum. Rubbing his hands together, he continued,
"Haha, it is indeed a very interesting social event... And according to tradition, the opening dance of the ball every year is perford by the leaders of the Student Council..."
The mont those words left his mouth, the expressions of two of the three won standing before him shifted entirely—only Sakuramiya Lily maintained her smiling deanor.
Gasp!!
Sensing the drastic shift in their expressions, Hers imdiately realized sothing was wrong.
'Oh no, my job!!'
"..."
He stared wide-eyed at the cheerfully smiling Sakuramiya Lily, finally realizing he had fallen into this woman's trap!
"What do you an... the leaders of the Student Council perform the opening dance? Does that an Yan Huan is the one leading the dance?"
Elvira frowned, imdiately launching her interrogation.
According to what Principal Hers had just said, popular students should have already started receiving flowers by now...
'Then why haven't I heard a single peep about my Aria?'
'Oh, did you expect Aria to give Yan Huan flowers to invite him to a dance?'
First, Elvira would never allow her daughter to practically gift-wrap herself like that.
Second...
'Does Aria even know what a formal dance entails, let alone sending flowers for one?'
Therefore, the fact that she hadn't received flowers from Yan Huan spoke volus.
"Uh, well, about that..."
Sweat instantly began pouring down Principal Hers's face. He truly wanted to slap himself right now for being so blinded by greed.
"Actually... what I just ntioned is rely a... tradition. It's a tacit agreent among the students, not an official rule. It's not guaranteed that Yan Huan will be the one leading the dance, or even dancing at all..."
"Well, aren't traditions established through common practice? So they still hold quite a bit of weight, right? Besides, I skimd through so records at ho yesterday and heard that for the past few decades, it has almost always been the President leading the dance..."
Beside him, Sakuramiya Lily smilingly snapped open her folding fan and casually added,
"Moreover, if the President and Vice President happen to be of the opposite gender, it's almost always the two of them leading the dance... Hmm, Principal Hers, is that true?"
'Madam Sakuramiya?!'
'I have no grievances or grudges against you, so why must you sentence this old man to death?!'
Principal Hers was utterly dumbfounded. He opened his mouth, silently pulled a pillbox of heart dication from his pocket, and shoved two pills into his mouth before letting out a soft cough,
"Oh dear, I'm getting on in years and my heart isn't what it used to be. What were you saying, Ms. Sakuramiya? Oh... the President and Vice President dancing? Hiss... I'm really not too sure about that. I'll have to ask my assistant about it later..."
His aning was glaringly obvious:
'I'm a sick man. Please stop asking
questions, or I'll just drop dead right here.'
"...Ms. Ye, has Yan Huan ntioned anything about this to you?"
Sakuramiya Lily didn't have the heart to continue torturing an old man who smiled like a withered chrysanthemum, so she imdiately cut to the chase and looked toward Ye Lan.
"Ah... ?"
Elvira also turned to her with a furrowed brow, causing faint beads of sweat to form on Ye Lan's forehead.
'You've got to be kidding . Not... not again?'
"These are matters between the children, aren't they? Why would they tell a bunch of older won like us?"
"Mhm, very true, very true..."
Sakuramiya Lily tapped her chin and said sowhat sheepishly,
"Well, just for the sake of gossip then... From a mother's perspective, who do you think Yan Huan will give flowers to as his dance partner?"
"..."
'Could he give them to my Shiyu?'
'She's thoroughly turned over a new leaf now, and I'm very proud of her...'
Ye Lan almost blurted that out.
But under their clearly serious gazes, Ye Lan managed to hold steady.
She deeply understood the principle of making a fortune in silence, which was why she had covertly laid the groundwork by arranging for Shiyu and Xiao Huan to intern together over the sumr.
If she exposed herself now, they would undoubtedly beco highly alert and take counterasures.
'I better just keep deflecting for now...'
Thinking of this, Ye Lan truly felt like she was beyond tears.
After all, at her age, she was actually racking her brains pulling off deceptions to help her daughter snatch up a suitable boy for a romantic relationship. It was genuinely putting her in a tough spot.
But on second thought, weren't the two ladies in front of her doing the exact sa thing?
If their daughters were just a bit more competent and caused less worry, would they really need to overstep their bounds and fight these proxy battles for them?
Sigh...
"I think..."
"Aunt Ye, is Sister Shiyu back?"
However, right as Ye Lan was about to speak, Yan Huan, having just returned from the pocket dinsion, stumbled straight into the battlefield.
Reviews
All reviews (0)