Chapter 53
"President! Vice President! Over here!!"
Outside the doujin area, Yaqiao Mu had taken off his mask at some point.
He stood at the edge of the venue, spotting a handsome boy and a beautiful girl in the crowd from afar.
Even without dramatic makeup or styling, their natural looks and presence made them stand out like characters from a painting.
They were none other than Yan Huan and Yinggong Tong, who had recently split off from An Le.
This was the standard of the Yuanyue Academy Student Council.
Truly—
"What were you two doing just now? Why do you look so out of it?"
Only when he got closer did Yaqiao Mu—who knew them well—notice the subtle changes in their expressions.
Yinggong Tong was still smiling, holding the parasol returned by the haunted house staff, but her smile looked slightly strained.
A faint darkness lingered in her expression, sending a chill down Yaqiao Mu’s spine.
It was all because of Spencer—his idiocy had ruined her setup, leaving her extremely irritated.
Meanwhile, the subtle smile that normally rested on Yan Huan's face had faded significantly. One glance was enough to see he was in a bad mood too.
That was because of An Le.
The sweet childhood friend he once knew had now become the Host of the Modifier.
Someone he had once handled with emotion had suddenly turned into an enemy he had to confront. For the first time, Yan Huan felt confused.
He could lie to Ye Shiyu, Bai Yi, and Spencer without hesitation, using all kinds of underhanded tactics to stall the Modifier’s progress.
But what about An Le?
Could he still deceive and manipulate her so easily?
What made things even more complicated for Yan Huan was the trace of—
excitement.
The conflicting image of An Le in his mind clashed with the past, creating a storm of mixed feelings.
With a quiet sigh, Yan Huan rubbed his face and said to Yaqiao Mu,
"We went through the haunted house and ended up running into a student from our school named Spencer."
"The anthropomorphic one who scored 66?"
"You've got a good memory."
"Aren’t we making study groups later? He was the only one forcibly added—hard to forget."
Yinggong Tong silently took note of this and asked,
"What about You’an Lina and the others?"
"They’re over there. The two big shots I mentioned earlier have already almost sold out their books."
"Already?"
Yan Huan glanced at the time—barely two hours had passed since the event started, and they were almost sold out?
"That couple's pretty famous in the scene. Individually, at least. Not many people know they’re dating."
Yaqiao Mu led Yan Huan and Yinggong Tong over, spotting Aishili in a blue magical girl costume near a snack booth in the doujin area.
She looked completely drained, sitting beside the booth eating oden.
"President."
Upon seeing Yan Huan, Aishili weakly lifted her head, as if her soul had been sucked out by all the cameras.
"Wow, Yaqiao-kun, who’s this hottie? He’s way too attractive!"
Just as Yan Huan was about to express sympathy toward Aishili, a surprised voice rang out beside him.
Yan Huan and Yinggong Tong turned to see a woman in glasses and a Lolita dress staring at Yan Huan with sparkling eyes.
Behind her stood the always energetic Aili—no, actually, it was Student Council Secretary You’an Lina.
"This is our Student Council President from Yuanyue! Right? I wasn’t wrong, was I?"
"That figure... that face... Classmate, would you be willing to model for the protagonist of my next book? There’ll be lots of compensation~"
"Wait, you—"
Yinggong Tong frowned slightly upon hearing this.
Just as she was about to interrupt the overly forward woman, the woman turned her sparkling eyes toward her.
"Wow, you're beautiful too! How about being the heroine, classmate? You two are perfect together—handsome boy and pretty girl, ideal for a couple pairing."
"Eh?"
Yinggong Tong was about to snap, but her cheeks flushed slightly at the comment.
'Do I really match that well with the President?'
'Oh my, that’s...'
'A discerning eye.'
As the saying goes, bystanders see things more clearly. Looks like I’m not the only one who thinks so. That Nara keeps shooting me down every day.
Still, even so, drawing me and the President into a doujin is a bit much...
'For the sake of your good taste, I’ll just tone down the sarcasm when I reject you.'
But before Yinggong Tong could speak, You’an Lina suddenly hugged her with a silly grin.
"No way~ Yinggong and the President are impossible~ Yinggong said when she enrolled that she’d never fall in love with anyone! And her family is super strict—they’d never allow a relationship! Isn’t that right, Yinggong?"
'You’an Lina, you’ve really crossed the line, you know that?'
Yinggong Tong kept her smile, but her gaze drifted to Yan Huan.
The President had been watching her the whole time, but after hearing You’an Lina’s words, he looked away.
"."
'Ah, I’m starting to think You’an Lina really isn’t cut out for Student Council work~'
'Someone that oblivious to the mood should be sent back to elementary school.'
'Maybe I’ll have the Principal revoke her position next week and hold her back?'
Just a moment ago, You’an Lina was grinning like an idiot, but suddenly felt a chill. She had no idea where it came from, and just looked at Yinggong Tong with a goofy expression.
"Geez! Barfi-sis, don’t tease them! President, Vice President, this is Barfi-sis! Her pen name is Sweet Barfi, and she’s an illustrator from the surface world! She was just messing with you!"
"No way, Yaqiao-kun, don’t slander your sis like that, okay? Hello, you two, I’m Sweet Barfi—or if you prefer, my real name is Miyake Huhu."
"Good day, Teacher Miyake."
Yan Huan raised an eyebrow and greeted her with a smile.
That charm-laced smile hit Miyake Huhu right in the heart. She gave a thumbs-up with a determined expression.
"Classmate, I absolutely must draw you!"
But just then, a muscular man wearing a mask silently approached from behind Miyake Huhu.
He was tall, and his snug T-shirt accentuated his muscular frame—but he simply stood quietly behind her.
He looked at Yan Huan, then at his girlfriend, and finally stood in front of her, holding her hand.
"And who is this?"
Yaqiao Mu turned to the silent muscleman and introduced him.
"Oh, that’s Teacher Jiaotan. He just went to the restroom. He’s Barfi-sis’s boyfriend—real name Arakawa Kyoshi. He’s an illustrator from the underground scene who draws looting-type works."
(*) Looting-type generally refers to erotic or risqué artwork, popular in certain doujin (fan-made) circles.
"...Hello."
His voice was soft as he greeted Yan Huan and Yinggong Tong, then looked away shyly.
Yan Huan studied the man called "Jiaotan," surprised.
On the outside, he looked like a total meathead.
But when he spoke, he was gentle and introverted—a complete herbivore type.
(*) Herbivore men: Japanese slang for passive or non-aggressive men, often shy or non-romantic.
'Is he into contrast play?'
"Oh, and Teacher Jiaotan is also a well-known fitness influencer—he’s got hundreds of thousands of followers online," Yaqiao Mu added.
Miyake Huhu laughed as she rubbed her boyfriend’s face.
"Don’t look so surprised. Kyoshi used to draw pure romance stories, but they didn’t sell and he nearly starved. Then he switched to beefy content, and it sold like crazy."
"Gotta make a living, right? Nothing to be ashamed of. Online, people think he’s some kind of bull demon king, but in real life, he’s just a shy guy who gets jealous easily. Super cute, right?"
Embarrassed by her words, Teacher Jiaotan scratched near the edge of his mask and softly said,
"I’m not the kind of person netizens think I am."
Barfi patted her boyfriend’s shoulder and smiled warmly.
"No one is ever exactly who others think they are. People only see what they want to see. As long as we and those close to us know who we really are, that’s enough."
Yan Huan glanced at Barfi, feeling slightly moved, and nodded with a smile.
"...That’s true."
But Yinggong Tong tilted her head and asked Yan Huan and Yaqiao Mu in confusion,
"President, Yaqiao—what’s ‘looting-type’?"
"..."
The two boys fell into an awkward silence once again.
Both Yan Huan and Yaqiao Mu knew—Jiaotan’s "Pure Series" was just too famous. You could find the resources online without much effort.
This one was even considered a heavyweight—a legendary work before "Breakthrough."
Yan Huan turned to look at Yaqiao, and the two exchanged a wordless conversation with their eyes.
"Last time, I did the talking," Yan Huan said. "This time, you explain it to Vice President Yinggong."
"Guh... President, just kill me already," Yaqiao groaned.
Yan Huan merely responded with a look.
As Yinggong Tong once again wore that expression of determined curiosity, an image flashed through Yan Huan’s mind: Tong Tingting raising a finger.
"Hey! I’ve got an idea!"
Turning to look at Yinggong Tong, Yan Huan shook his head sincerely and said,
"I don’t know either, Yinggong."
"Is that so."
Yinggong Tong didn’t question him and instead turned to Yaqiao Mu.
Yaqiao Mu pointed at himself and mimicked Yan Huan’s tone.
"Yeah, yeah, I don’t know either, Vice President."
"These two teachers were introduced by you, and now you’re telling me you don’t know?"
"..."
Yaqiao Mu pointed at Yan Huan, then at himself, completely speechless. He almost slipped back into the fiery mode he'd shown during his school-wide speech. But Yinggong Tong had probably already guessed the truth and gave him a helpless glare.
'The President hangs out with this otaku all the time—he's completely spoiled him!'
"Are you all going to check out the shows next? I heard tons of guests came to the expo today~ But it won’t start until noon. Wanna come check out my booth before that?"
Sweet Barfi clapped her hands as she invited several members of the Yuanyue student council. You’an Lina was the first to raise her hand and speak.
"I wanna go! I wanna go! Barfi-sis showed me her work on her phone—it’s super pretty! She even said she’d design a look for me!"
"I’m going to Aijo Shijo’s autograph session, so I probably need to head to the Main Venue and line up or something," added fangirl Yaqiao Mu.
Aishili had already given up on everything—she just wanted to eat oden and find a place to sit.
When she heard that Barfi’s booth had stools and chairs, she agreed to head over there.
Yan Huan glanced at the time—almost 11:30—and smiled.
"I’m planning to go see the friend who gave me the ticket earlier. I’ll head over with Yaqiao first. Let’s meet at the main exhibition area when the event starts."
As Yan Huan was about to leave, Yinggong Tong opened her mouth to speak and follow him to the Main Venue, but You’an Lina suddenly hugged her from behind.
"Hehe, Yinggong, how about we design a bestie look together? It’ll be awesome!"
'Haha, You’an Lina, how about you go back and repeat middle school? That’d be awesome.'
You’an Lina clung to Yinggong Tong for a while, then cheerfully ran off to eat Aishili’s oden.
Yinggong Tong was about to insist on going with the President when she saw him raise his phone and bring it to his ear.
"Aunt, yes, I’ll be right there."
He turned, tugged on Yaqiao Mu’s backpack, and looked back at Yinggong Tong.
"Yinggong, I’ll go with Yaqiao first. Let’s meet up when the event starts."
With that, he pulled Yaqiao Mu along and got ready to leave.
"Presi—"
Yinggong Tong instinctively called out, but ended up swallowing her words.
'If I chase after him now, wouldn’t that be way too obvious?'
"Hey, classmate, do you like your President?"
"Li—"
Yinggong Tong froze for a second, then turned her head quickly. Miyake Huhu, glasses on and visibly curious, was staring at her.
Yinggong Tong took a cautious step back, coughed once, and stiffly replied,
"N-no."
"Oh really~ I promised You’an Lina I’d draw a character illustration for your student council. You two have such great chemistry, and she even asked if I could draw one of just the two of you for fun. But if you don’t like him, never mind."
As she spoke, Miyake Huhu suddenly noticed Yinggong Tong reaching out to tug her sleeve.
Looking up, she saw a slight softness on Yinggong Tong’s face and a hint of evasiveness in her eyes.
"Just drawing one... it’s not... not impossible."
"Relax, I won’t tell that big-mouth You’an Lina."
Even though they’d only spent a short time together, Miyake Huhu already seemed to understand You’an Lina’s personality.
"..."
Judging by the President’s call, he must’ve been invited by some aunt. And based on what he said earlier about “the friend who gave him the ticket”—
All signs pointed to the person he just called being Bai Yi’s mother.
'Tsk. Why does it feel like on this trip, he’s either being chased by this classmate or that aunt?'
'And somehow, they’re all going after the President.'
'Well, whatever. The student council just needs to regroup when the event officially starts.'
'With so little time, there’s no way someone could sneak in again... right?'
That was what Yinggong Tong thought.
"Yan-classmate, right?"
"That’s right, that’s me."
At the Main Venue entrance, a young woman spotted Yan Huan, who had just parted from Yaqiao Mu.
He stood out—walking through the crowd, he attracted lingering gazes like threads of silk.
She adjusted her glasses and, while leading Yan Huan into the venue, introduced herself.
"I’m Bai Yi’s agent, Ji Lin. I’ll take you to the backstage now. Yiyi and her mama are both there."
"Alrighty."
The grand stage revealed its full splendor. In the circular plaza ahead, large enough to hold several thousand people, a sizable crowd had already gathered.
This area served in place of the wide outdoor space normally used for event photography.
Ji Lin guided Yan Huan past the red rope marking the "outer zone," through several rows of chairs in the "inner zone," then around the side of the stage into the backstage area.
The backstage was bustling with staff—it was lively and chaotic.
Along the way, Yan Huan passed by the "media room," where professional audio equipment lined the space and a staff member sipped coffee.
Further in were the guest prep rooms, their doors marked with nameplates and guest names.
"Ji-sis, there’s a form here you need to sign. Also, the execs want you to confirm the time. Come take a look."
Ji Lin glanced in that direction, then turned back to Yan Huan with an apologetic smile.
"Here’s the thing, Yan-classmate. Just go straight ahead—Room 113 is Yiyi and her mama’s room. Her name’s on the door. Don’t wander into other rooms, okay? I’ve got something to handle. I’ll be back soon."
"Alrighty, thanks, sis."
"Eh, no problem."
As he watched Ji Lin walk away, a black cat silently appeared on Yan Huan’s shoulder.
"Yan Huan, did you hear that, *meow*?"
Yan Huan looked back toward the hallway and gently nodded.
"Yeah, I heard it—it’s that ticking sound from earlier."
*Di di... da da*
The phantom, water-drop-like ticking echoed down the corridor, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made Yan Huan draw a deep breath.
'These modifier Hosts never give anyone a break...'
He sighed, rubbed his tired shoulder, and walked toward the sound.
Room 113 was at the very end. As he approached, he noticed the other rooms no longer had nameplates.
But before he could reach the door, a middle-aged woman’s voice reached his ears.
"Aiya! I told you already, this outfit is too seductive—hurry up and change!"
Bai Yi’s signature, pleasant voice responded.
"Mom! This is an otaku convention—Ji-sis already said we have to dress to fit the theme! You saw the promo posters and the execs’ request, didn’t you? Why won’t you listen?"
"I don’t care if it’s otaku or whatever—no means no! Just walking out with those influencers already lowers your status. And now you want to blend in instead of stand out? After everything I did to elevate you, you’re just throwing it away? Why do you think I asked for a separate room?"
"You don’t even understand and still love to boss people around. That’s not what we meant at all."
"Then what did you mean? You refused to sing this morning, and now you’re sulking with me—is that it?"
"I’m not!"
Upon hearing that, Yan Huan froze, then quietly leaned against the corridor wall.
"You’re not? Sure, you’re so capable now! You even ran away from home before. Can’t stand being at home now, huh? And now you’ve even got the nerve to throw a tantrum?"
"..."
Bai Yi didn’t respond. Yan Huan could only faintly hear her sobbing, as if struggling to breathe.
At the same time, the rhythmic, water-drop-like ticking of the clock echoed again.
*Di di... da da*
But as Zuo Jiangqin’s hysterical voice rang out, Yan Huan leaned silently against the wall, eyes staring ahead in deep thought.
"..."
"*Meow*?"
After a long silence, the cat on his shoulder asked softly. Only then did Yan Huan seem to return to reality.
In the next second, he gently raised his hand and knocked on the door.
*Dong dong dong~*
"Who is it?"
Zuo Jiangqin’s voice came from inside, still tinged with anger.
Outside the door, Yan Huan wore an expressionless face, but there was a hint of a smile in his voice as he replied,
"It's me, Aunt."
"...Xiaohuan?"
There was a brief pause, then her tone softened noticeably.
After a short wait and the sound of approaching footsteps, the door opened, revealing a spacious room with a makeup mirror inside.
Zuo Jiangqin stood at the doorway. Outside, Yan Huan appeared, wearing a Perfect Expression Control mask (*).
(*) A "Perfect Expression Control mask" likely refers to a fictional or high-tech mask designed to conceal or regulate facial expressions.
A radiant smile was fixed on his face. Though his eyes seemed to rest on Zuo Jiangqin, they instantly locked onto the girl seated at the far end of the room in front of the mirror.
He quickly averted his gaze, then looked at the middle-aged woman before him and said,
"It's me, Aunt.
I'm here to see Bai Yi."
[End of this chapter]