Chapter 19: The Best Actor and Actress Compete on the Same Stage

Restricted Fantasy Invasion

What kind of person was Sakuramiya Hitomi in Yan Huan''s eyes?

A girl who was old-fashioned and strict, yet understanding and incredibly gentle.

For the past six months, though she rarely spoke of it, she had actually been taking excellent care of everyone.

She preferred quiet, possessed many elegant hobbies, and was highly knowledgeable. This gave her a maturity and seriousness absent in her peers, making her a very easygoing friend.

In short, in Yan Huan''s eyes, Sakuramiya Hitomi was truly a proper and respectable person.

If he had not already concluded that their current situation was related to a Modifier, he would never have suspected her.

"If you ask me, eh, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Sakuramiya!"

Yan Huan really wanted to say it just like Old Eight from "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy".

But the problem was that the two of them were alone right now. The prime suspect was her, followed by a potential, unknown Third Party.

At this thought, Yan Huan clenched the note in his hand, slowly crumpling it.

Then, he smiled and looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi, who stood a short distance away looking somewhat guarded and anxious. He comforted her,

"I am afraid this is someone''s prank. Do not panic, Sakuramiya. I will call the school staff to let us out."

"Okay, President."

Yan Huan took out his Mobile Phone and looked at the signal bars on the screen, which displayed a red exclamation mark.

Though his heart remained perfectly calm, he made sure to show a look of surprise on his face.

"My phone has no signal."

Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi quickly took out her own phone. Frowning, she immediately dialed the emergency number.

It would not connect at all.

"...The emergency number is not connecting either. President, what should we do?"

Sakuramiya Hitomi appeared increasingly unsettled. Although she maintained a calm facade, the slight trembling of her fair legs beneath her athletic shorts revealed her true inner thoughts.

"Do not be afraid. I am here."

Yan Huan retracted his gaze, temporarily giving up on figuring out whether the Modifier''s Host was Sakuramiya Hitomi or some mysterious person. Instead, he began to survey their surroundings.

The Equipment Room was originally a confined space, with only the main door and a single ventilation vent.

And in the corner of the ceiling, a security camera blinked with a small green light.

Yan Huan walked beneath the vent, peering through the grid to the outside, but all he saw was profound darkness.

It was as if this entire space had been uprooted and thrown into an unknown alternate world, completely isolated from the outside.

''A locked room where you cannot leave unless you do XYZ...''

''It certainly sounds like the typical behavior of those restricted-level Modifiers, but how does that translate to the Modifier''s actual effect?''

''Just creating a room, and then you cannot leave unless you perform certain actions?''

''That sounds a bit too weak. It cannot compare to the other two at all.''

Bai Yi''s Indifference and Ye Shiyu''s Hypnosis both had incredibly potent effects. Yan Huan simply could not believe that this mysterious person''s Modifier effect would be so simple.

''In that case, I can only bide my time and observe for now.''

Yan Huan pondered for a moment, let out a helpless sigh, and sat down on a yoga mat a short distance across from Sakuramiya Hitomi.

Previously, Yan Huan had formulated two strategies to suppress the Modifiers. The first rule was: never let the Modifier Host get what they want.

Therefore, since he currently did not know what to do, he absolutely refused to follow the instructions written on the note.

Thus, he offered a slight smile to Sakuramiya Hitomi and suggested,

"It seems we are stuck here for now. Let us just wait it out. There is still a basketball class in the gymnasium, and they will need to return their equipment eventually. They can help open the door for us then."

"Mhm, okay, President."

Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi, who was sitting on the mat hugging her knees, finally nodded and began to wait.

However, an imperceptible gleam flashed within her deep eyes.

''The President really does just think this is an ordinary prank...''

Little did he know, the Room Barrier had already completely severed this place from the real Equipment Room.

Even if people from the outside came to return equipment, opening the door would only reveal another empty equipment room. They would never see the two of them locked inside the Room Barrier.

This was an effect Sakuramiya Hitomi had tested countless times in the Student Council Office. Sometimes, when she wanted to check the school cameras without being discovered by others, she would do exactly this.

Only when Sakuramiya Hitomi canceled the Room Barrier would this space reconnect with reality.

And right now, the students from the basketball class were already coming to return their gear.

Illusory light flickered before her eyes, allowing her to sense someone entering the real equipment room just outside the Room Barrier.

Then, after placing the basketballs back in their designated spots, the student responsible for returning the gear turned and left, shutting the door behind them.

"Click."

''So, what will you do now, President?''

''You will probably soon realize that no one is coming, and then start considering the contents of that note, right?''

''When that happens, will you expose the feelings hidden deep in your heart?''

''Perhaps you will be shy, or nervous, and then you will look at me tentatively before making your request...''

Sakuramiya Hitomi thought excitedly, inevitably sneaking glances at Yan Huan as she did.

But as she looked over, she saw Yan Huan leaning back on the yoga mat with his eyes closed, his breathing growing steady and even.

''?''

''He... he fell asleep?!''

''He actually fell asleep in this kind of situation?!''

Sakuramiya Hitomi''s mouth fell open slightly, profoundly shocked. She spoke up tentatively,

"Pre... President?"

"..."

However, there was no response whatsoever.

In truth, Yan Huan had not really fallen asleep.

No matter how drowsy he was today, there was no way he could carelessly doze off while fully aware that a Modifier was in effect.

It was just that under the current predicament, he had to return to step one: attempting to identify the Host of the Modifier.

He was testing the waters to see if the Host was indeed Sakuramiya Hitomi.

Armed with his Perfect Expression Management ability, he could flawlessly act out the state of being fast asleep.

If Sakuramiya Hitomi was the Host, she would likely do something else after confirming he was asleep.

''Whether it is using more supernatural powers or acting suspiciously...''

''Any of that will break this stalemate.''

However, he had truly underestimated Sakuramiya Hitomi.

Even after Yan Huan had seemingly fallen asleep, she continued to perform the most natural reactions.

The unease and anxiety in her heart settled heavily in the increasingly quiet space, especially after seeing Yan Huan sleep so soundly.

She took a deep breath and pulled out her phone, occasionally checking the screen as if keeping track of the time.

Over ten continuous minutes passed like this, and Sakuramiya Hitomi made not a single unusual move. She simply looked like someone waiting for rescue.

As for why she possessed a Modifier yet still refrained from using its more blatant effects, instead maintaining her usual persona?

Sakuramiya Hitomi had her own reasons:

First and foremost was caution.

Sakuramiya Hitomi''s naturally guarded personality made her extremely sensitive to the possibility of exposure. She actually completely distrusted the Modifier''s supposed ability to correct memories.

What if its memory correction was crude? Even if there was only a one-in-a-thousand chance that someone might notice something amiss, she deemed the risk too high.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, she would never resort to means that directly affected human consciousness, such as forcibly altering common sense.

Secondly, Sakuramiya Hitomi had locked the two of them up to confirm whether Yan Huan had feelings for her.

Even if he did not, surely the enclosed space effect and close physical contact could ignite the appropriate sparks?

But if she altered common sense or even changed her own persona, would the person falling for her still be Yan Huan? Would the person Yan Huan fell for still be her?

Thus, although she failed to see through Yan Huan''s test, she had inadvertently played the perfect counter card.

"..."

More than ten minutes passed without Sakuramiya Hitomi showing a single flaw, which began to test Yan Huan''s limits.

The main issue was that if this continued, he was actually going to fall asleep.

He was already tired to begin with. Keeping his eyes closed and feigning relaxation for so long meant he might genuinely pass out. If that happened, he might wake up stripped bare and tied up in some unknown basement.

Left with no other choice, he reluctantly opened his eyes.

Acting a bit groggy, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, sat up, and looked toward the door.

The door remained shut.

"Has no one come yet? How long has it been, Sakuramiya?"

"It has been nearly twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?"

Yan Huan stood up in surprise and muttered,

"That does not make sense. Their class ended at the same time as ours. They should have returned the balls by now no matter what."

"And what is even stranger is that with us shouting for help and banging on the door earlier, there is no way they could not have heard such a massive commotion outside."

"Could it be that we have encountered some sort of supernatural event?"

Yan Huan stroked his chin, actively steering the topic toward the supernatural.

However, Sakuramiya Hitomi merely sighed and said,

"President, please do not scare yourself. We must believe in science."

"You are right, Sakuramiya. But is there any other explanation..."

"..."

Sakuramiya Hitomi furrowed her brows slightly, appearing to genuinely contemplate this possibility.

''Could it really not be Sakuramiya Hitomi?''

But if he ruled out Sakuramiya Hitomi, there was truly only one other possibility Yan Huan could think of.

''What if that mysterious person really has such a twisted personality that they locked me and Sakuramiya in here just to peep at us doing that kind of thing...''

''That would mean the Desire fueling their Modifier corresponds to voyeurism or something similar. But how am I supposed to find a Host who is hiding like this?''

''Furthermore, if the two of us do not follow through, will that person really lock us in here to die?''

Yan Huan''s expression turned somewhat grim, but he forced himself to stay alert and cast his gaze around the Equipment Room.

The tiny vent was entirely insufficient to support proper airflow, causing the air in the room to become stifling.

A pleasant, girlish fragrance drifted over, intertwining with the faint scent of sweat on Yan Huan. It invisibly drew their gazes to collide.

The temperature seemed to be gradually rising.

Yan Huan took a deep breath and turned to walk deeper into the equipment room.

Seeing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi quickly raised her hands defensively over her chest and leaned back slightly.

"Wh-what is it, President?"

"Looking for a way out."

But Yan Huan merely stepped right past her, rummaging through the vast array of equipment in the back.

Then, surprisingly, he returned holding a heavy Shotput.

"Step back a bit, Sakuramiya."

"Mhm."

Sakuramiya Hitomi got up and scurried away. She watched as Yan Huan began frantically smashing the door with all sorts of equipment. In an instant, the entire room echoed with violent, deafening crashes, sounding just like a demolition site.

The Shotput? Useless. The javelin? Useless. The barbell? Useless.

The door truly was like an iron fortress, remaining entirely unmoved.

Even the lock was like Captain America''s vibranium—it actually dented the dumbbell.

''There is absolutely no way out using brute force.''

Both Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi shared this thought, though one was the investigator and the other the mastermind.

As for the mastermind standing behind Yan Huan, Sakuramiya Hitomi could not help but wonder:

''The President is so relentlessly trying to break the door down. Could it be that he truly hasn''t even considered doing what the note says?''

''My performance hasn''t had any issues; it fits my usual persona perfectly.''

''But I never expected the President to be such an upright gentleman. He hasn''t even glanced at me...''

''A President like this... I like it.''

''However, doesn''t this also prove that I have zero attraction to the President?!''

''Could it be that my appearance holds absolutely no charm?''

Having lived for fifteen years, this was the very first time Sakuramiya Hitomi had lost confidence in her own looks.

But on second thought, that should not be the case, which led her to another possibility.

''Could it be that the President just isn''t interested in petite girls?''

''Does he instead prefer the tall, older sister type?''

''Ah, so that''s why he treats that older sister named Ye Shiyu so specially...''

As Sakuramiya Hitomi''s thoughts spiraled, the light in her eyes gradually faded.

And as luck would have it, her body—more specifically, her lower abdomen—

Actually began to feel the urge to pee at this exact moment.

She suddenly really needed to go to the restroom.

Sakuramiya Hitomi clutched her lower stomach, and a tiny crack appeared in her flawlessly performed expression.

Consequently, a bizarrely bleak stalemate unfolded within the locked Equipment Room.

Yan Huan had tested and observed repeatedly but failed to identify the Host, and his attempts to destroy the door had been completely fruitless.

Right now, he felt as if he had met his Waterloo on the path to Resolving the Modifier, plunging him into self-doubt.

Sakuramiya Hitomi had performed impeccably without a single flaw, captivated by the honorable President.

Yet, because Yan Huan would not even look at her, combined with a slight physiological need she urgently had to address, she was likewise thrown into a state of severe anxiety.

How would the battle between Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi end today?

At this moment, Yan Huan turned his head and looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi behind him, only to see her clutching her lower abdomen with a rather pale complexion.

''Is she feeling unwell?''

''Oh right, this week...''

He paused for a moment, suddenly remembering that Sakuramiya Hitomi seemed to be on her period today.

"Are you alright, Sakuramiya?"

Feeling Yan Huan''s gaze, Sakuramiya Hitomi thought she had exposed something abnormal and hurriedly forced herself to maintain her fabricated persona.

As a result, outwardly, she looked even more like she was forcing herself to put on a brave face.

Her face was pale, her eyes blinked unnaturally, and her breathing quickened.

Yet she still kept her body straight, maintaining her guard to drive away the unease in her heart.

"I am fine, President... Let us think of another way to see if we can get out..."

Seeing her in such a state, Yan Huan actually could not bear it anymore.

''Fine, unknown Modifier Host, you are ruthless enough.''

Yan Huan took a deep breath. He looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi and had no choice but to yield.

"Sakuramiya, I know this is a bit forward, but... how about we try the method on that note? Just to see if it lets us out."

"Eh?"

''Such... such a wonderful thing is actually happening?''

Sakuramiya Hitomi blinked, a hint of joy welling up in her heart. However, the tormenting sensation in her lower abdomen instantly surged right back.

''Wait a minute...''

She suddenly remembered that, earlier, fearing they would not spark enough chemistry, she had specifically set the time durations a bit too long.

''Hold hands for ten minutes, hug for ten minutes, kiss for ten minutes...''

''If we do them one by one, won''t that take half an hour?!''

''Wouldn''t I just...''

''Why were you only busy daydreaming during volleyball class, Sakuramiya Hitomi?!''

''Couldn''t you have gone to the restroom in advance?''

Yet, looking at the hesitant expression on the handsome boy''s face before her, it was clear he had struggled for a long time before tentatively speaking up.

Moreover, his gaze seemed somewhat evasive. Could it be because...

''He''s feeling shy?''

''A President like this is so cute...''

''No... Whatever! Even if I have to hold it in, I will hold it in until we finish!''

''If worse comes to worst, I can secretly shorten the time limit. And if I really can''t hold it anymore, I will just turn off the Room Barrier early.''

Outwardly, Sakuramiya Hitomi pursed her lips, appearing slightly hesitant.

But after looking at their surroundings, she took a deep breath, her gaze turning resolute.

Then, she lowered her head slightly and said to Yan Huan,

"Mhm... If there are no other options, then let us try it. But once we get out, we absolutely, absolutely must check the surveillance footage to see who dared to do such a thing."

''Surveillance footage?''

''Right, there is a camera in this place.''

Yan Huan blinked and suddenly looked over to the corner, where the lit security camera was peering down into the enclosed space.

''The Modifier Host is highly likely watching the scene inside through that very camera, right?''

''What an absolute pervert...''

Yan Huan took a deep breath, then stepped toward Sakuramiya Hitomi.

Sakuramiya Hitomi''s pupils constricted slightly, her breath inevitably catching in her throat.

In the stuffy air, she felt as if a mountain radiating heat and masculine presence was crashing toward her.

She did not dare look up, as his tall figure had entirely eclipsed her petite frame.

Standing at one hundred and fifty-four centimeters tall, she barely reached Yan Huan''s chest. She had to tilt her head all the way back just to see his face.

"...I am sorry, Sakuramiya," Yan Huan said.

''No... Don''t apologize, President...''

Sakuramiya Hitomi''s eyes trembled slightly. Yan Huan had already raised his hand and gently grasped hers.

His scorching, large hand enveloped her icy, incredibly soft little hand. In that moment, Sakuramiya Hitomi''s world seemed to fall entirely silent.

She parted her lips, her heartbeat steadily accelerating.

But outwardly, she still had to pretend to be dignified and unbothered.

Her expression could be acted out, but the faint blush spreading across her cheeks was a physiological reaction she simply could not control.

"...Is this enough?"

Yet Yan Huan lifted their intertwined hands higher, aiming them straight at the security camera in the corner, and spoke with a cold expression.

''Eh?''

''Does the President think someone else is watching through the camera?''

With her arm raised, Sakuramiya Hitomi blinked but dutifully followed Yan Huan''s lead, looking toward the security camera.

Then, he lowered their hands again.

''Ten minutes...''

Sakuramiya Hitomi took a deep breath. The exhilarating feeling of having her hand held actually managed to suppress the discomfort in her lower stomach.

Furthermore, driven by an insatiable greed, she found herself anticipating the upcoming hug and kiss even more.

"President... Perhaps we could do the actions all at once. That way, the time will be shorter..."

Sakuramiya Hitomi logically analyzed the situation for Yan Huan while maintaining her calm facade.

Yan Huan naturally knew this would shorten the time a bit. He smiled faintly and said,

"I was just worried that it might be too overwhelming for you, Sakuramiya."

"Mhm... It is a little. So, we can start with a hug. As for the next part... I... I am not ready for that yet."

"I see... Alright."

Since she had already put it that way, and considering Sakuramiya seemed to be making a huge sacrifice, Yan Huan decided not to be hypocritical.

He gently pulled Sakuramiya into his arms, though it felt much more like a polite, ceremonial embrace.

They were only lightly leaning against each other, still leaving a rather wide gap between their bodies.

''Th-th-this...''

''Can this even count as a hug?''

Feeling instantly disappointed, Sakuramiya quietly puffed out her cheeks. Consequently, the sound of a fluttering piece of paper suddenly came from the door behind them.

And acting as if she did not long for this embrace at all, she patted Yan Huan''s back and said,

"President, something else just came in from behind!"

''Oh?''

Yan Huan narrowed his eyes. He released Sakuramiya Hitomi, walked over to the door, and picked up the piece of paper from the ground.

It read:

[That hug doesn''t count. Hold each other tighter.]

Sakuramiya Hitomi looked at Yan Huan in slight shock, while Yan Huan was utterly speechless at this person''s twisted taste.

''Just you wait. If I find out who in this school enjoys such fetishes, I will make sure you become utterly infamous...''

Yan Huan turned back to Sakuramiya Hitomi, seemingly asking for her permission: "Is this okay?"

Sakuramiya Hitomi pressed her lips together but still gave a nearly imperceptible nod.

Then, she opened her arms slightly toward him.

"I am sorry..."

Yan Huan apologized once more, and Sakuramiya Hitomi averted her gaze a little further.

''Please don''t say you are sorry...''

Yan Huan''s apology made Sakuramiya Hitomi, the one who orchestrated all of this, feel completely ashamed. That twinge of remorse slowly intertwined with her nervousness...

Only to ultimately transform into excitement, as she eagerly anticipated him coming closer to embrace her.

Yan Huan took a deep breath, opened his arms, and gently pulled the petite Sakuramiya Hitomi into his embrace.

The gentle hug slowly deepened, causing the gaze of Sakuramiya Hitomi, buried deep within his chest, to grow increasingly hazy.

''Kiss...''

''I want to kiss him...''

That was what she thought.

But just as she was planning to take the next step while simultaneously greedily savoring this embrace...

The tightly shut door was violently kicked open with a booming crash.

"BANG!!"

Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi''s bodies stiffened simultaneously.

Yet, what had been smashed open was not just the locked door of the Equipment Room.

"Crack-crack-crack!"

At the same time, Sakuramiya Hitomi''s Room Barrier shockingly shattered to pieces, violently crashing to the ground and reconnecting their surroundings with reality.

Yan Huan''s head throbbed slightly. As the Room Barrier shattered, the memories of what had just transpired tried to flow away like water. However, the Resistance against Modifiers blocked this effect, allowing him to remember everything that had happened.

"Hiss!"

He drew a sharp breath, quickly released Sakuramiya Hitomi from his arms, and turned to look behind him.

''The door is open? But we haven''t even kissed yet...''

He thought to himself.

Separated from Yan Huan''s embrace, Sakuramiya Hitomi felt rather reluctant. She immediately shot a disbelieving, practically murderous glare toward the doorway.

There, in the light pouring through the doorway, stood a girl in sportswear with long blonde hair, looking exactly like a lioness. She was aggressively retracting the leg she had just kicked out with.

She was the one who had just violently kicked the door open.

And in doing so, she had actually shattered the Room Barrier she had secretly set up...

Sakuramiya Hitomi had never expected her Room Barrier to be broken.

If anyone else pushed the door open, they should only see the parallel equipment room. Why was that girl able to touch her Room Barrier and even kick it to pieces?

However, despite the thousands of thoughts racing through her mind, Sakuramiya Hitomi did not let a single one show. Instead, she clutched her head, looking like she was in tremendous pain.

"So annoying! I told them someone still had not returned a ball, yet they locked the door anyway... Huh, is there someone inside?"

The girl did not seem to realize there was actually anyone inside the equipment room, freezing in slight surprise.

Then, she looked at the boy and girl in the room. One was an extremely, extremely familiar handsome boy, while the other was a girl clutching her head with a look of utter confusion...

''What are they doing?''

''Oh~''

The blonde girl—no, it should be said, Aria Spencer, who had just transferred here today—understood the situation instantly. A deeply meaningful smirk quickly curled onto her lips.

Following that, she silently pulled her Mobile Phone out of her pocket.

She was actually getting ready to take a picture!