Chapter 46
"Born from the beauty of this world, emerging from a kind heart"—the white gloves opened as a glowing red magic wand spun at her fingertips.
"To protect the world from destruction, to guard the peace of the world!"
Skirts of crimson and pink fluttered as the girl's pale thigh lifted slightly, while her other foot stayed firmly planted on the ground.
"Magical Girl of Love, Aili, is here~!"
Her right eye was shut tight, while her left eye—adorned with a purple contact lens—locked onto the gem on her wand. Her right hand mimicked the motion of pulling a bowstring.
"Come, evil minions! Let Aili-chan purify you!!"
Fully dressed in makeup, contact lenses, and a wig, You'an Lina sparkled brilliantly. Her small face seemed to grow larger and larger in Aishili's eyes.
The next second, Aishili clutched her head in agony, blushing furiously as she shouted,
"Don't say anime lines so naturally like that!!"
Striking a dramatic pose, You'an Lina tilted her head in confusion and pouted as she looked at Aishili squatting on the ground, face in her hands.
"What are you saying, Star Magical Girl Bess-chan? Stand up and fight the weirdos."
"Aaaaahhh!!"
Clutching her face, Aishili could feel the stares of Yan Huan, Yinggong Tong, and Yaqiao Mu beside her. She desperately wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
'If I had known this would happen, I never would've agreed to this idiot's cosplay request!'
'I want to die. I really want to die.'
*Pfft!*
Seeing this, Yaqiao Mu burst into laughter and silently raised his phone to take a photo.
But in the next instant, the blue magical girl Aishili suddenly lifted her head like a fierce tiger, her blue contact-lensed eyes scanning sharply.
In that moment, Yaqiao might as well have been the "photo-taking creep" from some anime.
"Hey, Yaqiao, if you dare take a photo now, you’ll die. Got it?"
Discipline Chair... so scary!
"."
Yaqiao Mu swallowed nervously and silently lowered his phone.
Holding a parasol, Yinggong Tong looked confused as she asked You'an Lina,
"You'an Lina, did you make Aishili cosplay a character she doesn’t even know?"
"Eh? No way?! Aishili totally loves watching 'Magical Girl of Love'!"
You'an Lina denied it with enthusiasm.
Yaqiao Mu chuckled and explained to Yinggong Tong,
"She probably did like it... but that was elementary school Aishili."
Hearing that, Aishili's face turned even redder. She buried her head in her knees, making Yan Huan feel a bit sympathetic.
'It’s like being forced to cosplay a character from *Shua La La Magic Fairy* and reciting “Shua La La Energy Magic Fairy Full Body Transform” in public—pure humiliation.'
(*) *Shua La La Magic Fairy* is a parody name referencing child-targeted magical girl anime.
'Actually, this is probably on the same level as being made to sing “Once Upon a Time in Magic Fairy Castle” in front of a crowd.'
Still puzzled, Yinggong Tong rubbed her chin and asked,
"So that’s how it is... but is it okay to cosplay characters from childhood cartoons?"
Yan Huan smiled slightly and replied,
"Of course. Based on my internet surfing experience, stuff made for kids often ends up being enjoyed by lots of adults too."
"?"
Yinggong Tong didn’t quite understand what Yan Huan meant, but he gently pointed behind her.
They saw a group of people approaching with cameras, calling out to You'an Lina,
"Ah! Are you Aili-chan and Bess-chan from 'Magical Girl of Love'?! So accurate! Can we take a picture with you?"
"Eh?"
Aishili looked up dumbfounded, then turned to You'an Lina.
You'an Lina met her gaze with an innocent (yet devilish) smile.
"Sure!"
"Give me some supplements."
But before Aishili could protest, You'an Lina had already pulled her up. The two struck a magical girl combo pose together.
"Love and Star★, combined attack~!"
"Aaaaahhh!!"
Yinggong Tong turned away, no longer able to look at Aishili, who looked like she was being executed. She silently prayed in her heart.
'Hope the child survives.'
"Looks like these cosers started taking photos outside already. Not going in?"
Yinggong Tong glanced across the wide area in front of the convention center and asked.
At that moment, many cosplayers dressed as various characters were wandering around the venue, with people like You'an Lina and Aishili being frequently asked for pictures.
"Ah, it’s because you have to line up to get into the venue. Inside, there are all sorts of events and booths, but for photos and autographs, outside is probably better."
Yan Huan patiently explained to the seemingly clueless Yinggong Tong.
"Also, ticket scalpers drove the prices way up. Not everyone has one, so a lot of people just socialize and take photos outside."
Yinggong Tong looked at Yan Huan and gave a light laugh behind her hand.
"President seems to know a lot about this stuff."
"Well, this happens every year. Even if I didn’t attend before, I saw it all online. And isn’t Yaqiao also in the student council?"
Schemer~
Honestly, how could Yinggong Tong not know?
Even if she hadn’t before, after Nara reminded her, she studied up and now knew everything like the back of her hand.
In truth, she was hinting for everyone to hurry inside—she had arranged a lot of setups in the venue.
After all, outside, she couldn’t do anything to the President!!
Just as Yinggong Tong was about to say something else, Yaqiao Mu looked at his phone as if he’d just received a message.
"Ah, they’ve arrived too."
"They?"
Yan Huan looked at Yaqiao Mu and asked,
"Who?"
"Ah, didn’t I mention before? I wanted to introduce you to some insiders. It’s a top couple from the underground scene. They’re also participating this time—selling new works in the doujin area."
(*) *Doujin* refers to self-published works, often fan-made manga or novels sold at conventions.
"Underground scene?"
That completely hit Yinggong Tong’s knowledge blind spot. She blinked and looked between Yaqiao Mu and Yan Huan, silently asking for clarification.
But the two boys didn’t answer right away. Instead, they exchanged a glance and began a silent conversation.
Yan Huan tilted his head: ‘Hey, you said you’d introduce the big shots. You explain to Yinggong what the underground scene is.’
Yaqiao Mu blinked: ‘Huh?! Me, explain that stuff to her? If her family finds out, they’ll kill me, okay?!’
Yan Huan: ‘Then why did you even say you’d introduce her to insiders, knowing she’s a rich girl?!’
Yaqiao Mu: ‘People have to grow up, President. So you’ll be the one to help Vice President Yinggong become an adult!’
Yan Huan: …
Yan Huan blinked, then turned to Yinggong Tong, who was holding her parasol and looking utterly confused.
Seeing her frown, he asked,
"Is it some kind of code between you boys?"
"Not really."
Yan Huan glanced back, only to see Yaqiao Mu had quietly taken several steps back and was already scouting cosplayers to ask for photos later.
Despicable otaku!
(*) *Otaku* refers to someone with an obsessive interest in anime, manga, or video games.
As the saying goes, the more you want to hide something, the more curious people become.
That was exactly the case now.
Yinggong moved closer to Yan Huan, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Claiming to know him inside and out, she had to get to the bottom of whatever he knew that she didn’t.
"President?"
Yan Huan sighed, then crooked his finger to beckon her closer.
As Yinggong Tong leaned in slightly, he leaned forward too, stepping into the shade of her parasol.
Feeling Yan Huan’s closeness, Yinggong Tong’s face turned pink, and her hand holding the umbrella trembled slightly.
‘Wait a minute.’
‘This feels kind of strange... isn’t this like sharing an umbrella?’
But before she could get too flustered, Yan Huan leaned toward her ear and began to whisper.
"The so-called underground scene is..."
As she listened, her eyes gradually widened in disbelief, and her lips parted slightly.
All those sorts of this and that... works filled with *that* kind of content~
Wild, imagined scenes raced through her blank eyes, completely occupying every corner of her brain’s memory space.
*...*
Under Yan Huan's patient guidance, on this very day, Yinggong Tong officially stepped into adulthood (zhuan da ren)!
(*) Note: "Zhuan da ren" is a Chinese phrase referring to a coming-of-age or rite of passage.
Without looking back, Yaqiao Mu, who stood behind them, trembled as he raised a thumbs-up toward Yan Huan's back—a silent salute to his bravery.
Only after wrapping up her detailed explanation did Yan Huan step away and emerge from the shade of her parasol.
"That's about it, Yinggong."
*...*
Yinggong Tong slightly parted her lips, her small face flushing as if she were burning up.
She couldn't help but glance at Yan Huan, but after a single look, her eyes darted away as if scalded.
Under Yan Huan's gaze, her cheeks slowly puffed up.
"Mmph."
The next moment, she raised her fist in frustration and gave Yan Huan's shoulder a light, playful punch.
*Tap~*
Light and gentle—Yinggong Tong, fragile as she was, didn’t make much of an impact.
"Ah! Yinggong, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry~"
"Mmph."
Yan Huan quickly apologized, though honestly, that punch felt more like a pout than an attack.
His face showed a dramatic "pain-filled" expression, as if sincerely repenting.
Meanwhile, behind them, Yaqiao Mu—who had been scouting for cosplayers—turned his head.
He witnessed the scene like someone force-fed a flashbang, unable to dodge the blast of sweetness.
*Vmm!!*
'Yikes!!'
'Everyone, run!!'
'It’s the holy light magic of normies! Retreat to the cave!!'
(*) Note: "Normies" is slang often used in otaku/gamer culture to refer to people outside of niche subcultures.
This time, the other boy truly wore a face full of anguish.
He was genuinely regretting it: 'Why did I come to the expo with these damned normies?'
On the verge of tears, Yaqiao Mu pulled out his phone, double-checked a message, then turned to ask Yan Huan and Yinggong Tong,
"The two teachers are already inside the expo. So, what do you say? Should we go in, or...?"
Yan Huan glanced at You'an Lina and Aishili, who were surrounded by cameras, then replied,
"Shall we wait for them and go in together?"
"That might take a while. Hmm, I kinda want to take some photos too. President, Vice President, you guys..."
Although the main highlight of the expo was socializing, Yan Huan's peripheral vision kept drifting toward Yinggong, who stood there looking completely lost in otaku culture.
After a moment of thought, he smiled and said,
"Then I’ll queue up with Yinggong first. Since we didn’t bring anything, going in early might help kill some time."
"Okay, President. Send us your location on Plane later. I’ll go in with You’an Lina and the others."
(*) Note: "Plane" likely refers to a messaging or social media app within the story's universe.
"Alright."
Yaqiao Mu pulled out his "support stick"—a device that recorded his voice—then grabbed a camera from his backpack and walked off purposefully.
His back radiated unwavering resolve.
Behind Yan Huan, Yinggong Tong—still holding the umbrella—lightly patted her slightly flushed face.
It wasn’t that she was so innocent as to know absolutely nothing about these things. Mainly...
It was just... way too close. Just a moment ago—
That whisper, right beside her ear—
It gave Yinggong Tong a dizzying sense of intimacy.
That soft voice, mixed with warm breath brushing her earlobe, paired with the indescribable topic—it was enough to spark all kinds of wild thoughts.
A tingling sensation bubbled up from within. Even though she was shy, and even liked it, her body reacted in contradiction, as if acting on its own.
That’s exactly why she punched Yan Huan.
But why, exactly?
Cute aggression~
A psychological term that describes when the brain encounters something overwhelmingly cute, triggering such intense affection that it produces a reaction that looks like the opposite of love.
To balance the emotional overload, the brain prompts actions like pinching, squeezing—or, in Yinggong’s case, punching.
Yinggong Tong had just fallen victim to that exact mechanism.
'Could the President have misunderstood?'
Under the parasol, Yinggong Tong looked at Yan Huan’s back, her face tinged pink.
'Did he misunderstand and think I hit him because I disliked it...?'
Just then, as Yan Huan turned around after sending Yaqiao Mu off, Yinggong Tong panicked and tilted the parasol forward to hide half her face.
But thankfully, Yan Huan only smiled gently and said,
"Let’s go queue up, Yinggong."
"Mhm."
Walking toward the east entrance line, they soon saw a long queue ahead.
"Yinggong, ticket."
"Thanks, President."
Yan Huan handed her the ticket he had brought. He had a QR code from Bai Yi that could be used for the VIP lane.
But since Yinggong was with him, he chose to wait in the regular line together.
As they slowly moved forward, Yinggong Tong occasionally stole glances at Yan Huan, who was focused on his phone.
She pressed her lips together, trying to find a way to explain her earlier behavior.
But just as she was about to speak, another voice chimed in beside Yan Huan,
"Um... little bro, can I take a picture with you?"
Yinggong Tong froze. Turning to the side, she saw several slightly shy girls gathering around Yan Huan.
'A photo?'
If she remembered right, that meant taking a picture with the President, didn’t it?
'W-Wait a sec!'
They had spent the whole morning posing and setting up “traps” for the expo—and completely forgot to take a photo together!
And now, their first shot together was about to be stolen?!
'Photo culture...'
'What a frustrating culture!'
'Taking photos with strangers of the opposite sex—doesn’t that seem morally questionable?'
Because she hadn’t gotten a picture, Yinggong Tong launched a silent mental critique of expo photo culture.
'Should I stop them?'
'But...'
'What right do I have to stop them?'
Her persona wouldn’t allow it, and besides, this kind of thing was completely normal at expos, wasn’t it?
As long as the President didn’t refuse, the other girls had every right to stand beside him and raise their cameras.
'They’ll definitely use beauty filters, right?'
'And add those cute stickers.'
'Ah, those stickers on the President’s face would definitely look adorable.'
"Little bro, you’re so handsome~"
That’s what they’d say, and naturally follow up with,
"Wanna swap contacts too?"
After connecting on Plane, they’d start chatting, sparks would fly...
Then they’d graduate, get married, have kids, and send her invites to weddings and baby showers—and she’d have to give money every time...
'That’s Longguo culture, right?'
(*) Note: "Longguo" likely refers to a fictional or stylized version of China in this story.
'So scary—expo photo culture is terrifying.'
'No, this awful tradition must be abolished.'
'From now on, all expos in Saku Nation must ban photo-taking—and eventually, make it a global standard!'
In just a few seconds, Yinggong Tong’s imagination had gone completely off the rails, spiraling into a storm of mental scenarios.
"Miss, may I take your photo?"
"Eh?"
Just as a refined smile formed on Yinggong Tong’s face, and a gloomy aura began to radiate from her, a male voice suddenly rang out behind her, snapping her out of it.
She turned around under her umbrella and saw several boys holding cameras, asking her the same question.
Without hesitation, Yinggong Tong politely declined,
"Sorry, I don’t really take photos."
Earlier, when Spencer took pictures of Yan Huan, they had to rush to delete them—there's no way Yinggong Tong would allow anyone to take her photo here.
"Eh, Miss, you're so pretty! I'm a professional photographer. Let me take your photo for free—no charge at all!"
The man still wouldn’t give up.
"..."
Yinggong Tong continued to smile politely, saying nothing.
Just as the photographer was about to press further, Yan Huan’s voice suddenly rang out.
"Didn’t you hear? She said no photos."
Yinggong Tong blinked. The photographers in front of her were visibly startled when they saw the person standing behind her. Then, they gave an apologetic smile.
"Got it, Bro."
"..."
Did the President show any change in expression?
After the group had dispersed, Yinggong Tong finally turned to look at Yan Huan—but his face had already returned to its usual calm and pleasant smile.
"Thank you, President."
"It’s only right."
Yinggong Tong glanced again at the spot where the girls had been standing—now, they were all gone.
"Earlier... those girls who wanted a photo with you—didn’t you take one with them?"
"Ah, no."
Looking at the still long line ahead, Yan Huan smiled.
"Yinggong, your family doesn’t allow you to take photos or leave any recorded images behind, right?"
"That’s right. If anything got out, it could affect my family."
"Yeah, so I thought it wouldn’t be right to leave you alone—unable to take photos—while I ran off collecting them. Besides, I don’t really like taking pictures anyway."
Yinggong Tong’s pupils contracted slightly.
Her heart tightened, and her body felt warm, but her grip on the parasol only grew stronger.
As if afraid he might notice, she tilted the umbrella slightly to hide her face.
"You hate... taking photos?"
"Because seeing yourself in pictures is kind of... embarrassing?"
"Pfft, what kind of ridiculous reason is that, President?"
Under the parasol, Yinggong Tong covered her mouth and giggled softly.
"But maybe if you take more, you’ll get used to it?"
"You’ve got a point."
*Dong dong~*
Yan Huan’s voice came gently, and a moment later, Yinggong Tong felt the top of her parasol being tapped lightly a few times.
Like someone gently knocking on a door—it startled her slightly.
That direction—
It was Yan Huan tapping her parasol.
She adjusted the parasol on her shoulder and revealed her face to him.
Looking up at the handsome boy in front of her, she saw him raise his phone and smile.
"So, Yinggong, how about we collect one stamp together?"
"..."
Yinggong Tong slightly parted her lips, her eyes shimmering with radiant light, as if she were melting into Yan Huan’s reflection.
"Sure, President."
Her voice was soft—almost nervous.
Her hand tightened around the parasol until her knuckles turned white, and her chest felt tight, like she couldn’t breathe.
*Thump... thump... thump...*
Her heartbeat pounded like a drum, silently stirring her thoughts.
The stamp-collecting culture at expos—
It’s the best!!
[End of this chapter]
(*) Note for line 246: Stamp-collecting at expos refers to a common activity at Japanese conventions and events where attendees collect stamps from various booths as part of a fun quest or souvenir trail.