Chapter 319: The Date is with Ye Shiyu |
"You're invincible, meow, Yan Huan!"
The next morning at Far Moon Academy.
Yan Huan and An Le bought some soy milk and steamed buns at the entrance of the subway station in Kyogo Ward. Seeing that they still had plenty of time, they sat in the shop to finish eating before walking to school.
Whenever An Le spent the night at the rental apartment and had school the next day, she and Yan Huan would skip the school bus. Instead, they woke up early to take the subway and transfer to a bus that dropped them off near the school.
The primary reason, of course, was that An Le had not paid the South Ward school bus fees, so she couldn't board even if she wanted to.
Secondly, if the two of them were frequently seen taking the school bus together from the South Ward, it would inevitably spark a storm of chaotic rumors.
At this moment, at the gates of Far Moon Academy, An Le and Yan Huan separated, with her entering the school first.
Meanwhile, keeping an eye on the time, Yan Huan bought a cup of milk on the Commercial Street. He then pulled out his mobile phone and opened Ye Shiyu's chat page.
Hearing Myau-chan's eager declaration, he shot the cat a speechless glance and said,
"You, of course, meow!"
Myau-chan looked at Yan Huan like he was an idiot and explained with a meow,
"Didn't you upgrade your Perfect Expression Management yesterday, meow?
"Doesn't that mean you can just have An Le trigger it every morning at home, wear the mask all day, and continuously gain high Resistance, meow?"
Hearing this, Yan Huan sighed. His fingers flew across the screen as he sent a message to Ye Shiyu. Seeing that it was about time, he started walking toward the Student Council Office.
On Mondays, the Student Council management held their regular meetings.
"It sounds strong, but it's basically useless in most situations.
"First of all, the duration of Perfect Expression Management has always been very short. I don't know if wearing it for a long time after a successful counter will cause any extra burden or side effects.
"Secondly, even if there are zero side effects, wouldn't I still have to pretend to be affected by their powers when I'm in front of them?
"Otherwise, if the Modifier explodes like it did in Tokyo, the whole world is doomed, and my high Resistance won't mean a thing..."
Myau-chan blinked, tilted its head, and let out a meow.
"Now that you put it that way, you're right, meow..."
"Compared to that, the Devil's Shop is the real scam. Think about it—trading an Ability for only fifty thousand. I feel like the value of that painting talent far exceeds that amount."
"Maybe it's because the Level of that reward is relatively low, meow?"
"Who knows? I don't even know how that money will be deposited into my account."
Chatting and laughing, Yan Huan inhaled the entire cup of milk in just a few massive gulps.
"President..."
"Good morning, President!"
Greeting passing students along the way, Yan Huan arrived at the top floor, stopping in front of the Student Council Office.
Out of habit, he reached into the mailbox by the door to see what documents the school had delivered over the weekend, but his hand found nothing.
It seemed someone else had arrived before him.
"Click."
"Morning..."
As he pushed the door open, Yan Huan subconsciously offered a greeting.
But in the next second, he was startled by the bustling scene inside.
Inside the office, which was barely twenty square meters, at least a dozen people were crammed together.
They were of various ages and genders, dressed in completely different attire, seemingly hailing from all walks of life.
"Yes, yes, I understand. You need customized meals for about six hundred people that night, correct? For beverages, I highly recommend our recently best-selling raspberry juice..."
Is this...
A catering team?
"Ah, regarding the drone fleet, our schedule is completely packed lately. However, if you book right now, I can go back and discuss it with the boss?"
They even arranged for a drone show?
"Here's the thing, we have several tiers for live musical accompaniment services. Take a look, this is our catalog. Depending on the repertoire, we can recommend a suitable orchestra size for you..."
Huh?
What on earth was going on?
"..."
Yan Huan stared blankly at the incredibly busy office, momentarily doubting if he had walked onto the wrong movie set.
He stepped back out to re-check the room's sign. Only after seeing the plaque that read 'Student Council Office' did he confirm he hadn't gone to the wrong place.
It was only when he re-entered the room that the young girl at the center of the crowd finally revealed herself.
"Sakuramiya?"
Yan Huan raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to one side while the ethereal Myau-chan on his shoulder tilted its head to the other.
She was wearing a striking black-and-white vintage court-style dress with a Peter Pan collar, ribbons, and a velvet-lace patchwork, perfectly highlighting a regal yet capable academic style.
Hearing Yan Huan's voice, Sakuramiya Hitomi, who had been reading some documents, turned around and revealed a beautiful smile.
"President!"
Immediately, she briskly walked up to him and gently pulled him inside.
"What is all—"
Yan Huan raised an eyebrow and didn't resist. However, just as he was about to ask, he was already led to the sofa in the middle of the crowd and prompted to sit down.
The moment he sat, Sakuramiya hurriedly turned around to look for something, as if she were incredibly busy.
Yan Huan glanced left and right...
Heh, the other three comrades of the Student Council were already gathered on the sofa.
"Oh, you guys are all here..."
First was Yabashi Ki, who had two physical galgame boxes resting in front of him. He was clutching a gaming console, his eyes burning with passion.
"Yeah, President. I've been playing for a while now. I'm almost at Satsuki-chan's crucial story route!"
'And who exactly is Satsuki-chan?'
Next was Ashley, who had several boxes of snacks, desserts, and black tea placed in front of her. She sat to the side, sneering as she watched Yabashi Ki play his game.
And finally...
Yurianna, who was wearing a pacifier and a baby bib. She sat beside them with her arms crossed, her face filled with deep resentment.
"What kind of look is this?"
Looking at Yurianna across from him, who had her arms crossed and 'reluctant' written all over her face, the corners of Yan Huan's mouth twitched.
It would have been better if he hadn't asked. The moment he did, Yurianna immediately tried to explain, but she completely forgot she had a pacifier in her mouth. As a result, all her words devolved into muffled, indistinguishable whimpers.
"Mmph mmph ah mmm!"
"..."
Having gleaned zero useful information, Yan Huan had no choice but to turn his head in exasperation. Pushing past a few strangers behind him, he looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi, who was squatting in a corner in front of some unknown object, and asked,
"Hold on, Sakuramiya. What's going on here?"
"Oh, President... Aren't I in charge of the High Table Dinner?"
Sakuramiya Hitomi smiled softly and turned her head to explain to Yan Huan.
"These people are all professionals I hired to plan the events for the High Table Dinner. I spent a long time brainstorming at home this weekend, and the draft is pretty much ready...
"You and the others just need to rest nicely over there. Leave the rest to me... I prepared some little gifts to help everyone relax and pass the time, and I have one for you too, President!"
Before Sakuramiya had even finished her explanation, an indignant Yurianna spat the pacifier out of her mouth.
"Ptooi!"
Then, her eyebrows shot up as she yelled at Sakuramiya Hitomi furiously,
"Exactly!! Everyone else got normal little gifts! Why is mine a pacifier?!"
"Eh? But that pacifier is very expensive. It's not any cheaper than the other gifts!"
Hearing Yurianna's complaint behind her, Sakuramiya Hitomi even smiled and turned around to offer an explanation.
The moment she heard this, Yurianna's small face flushed bright red, matching the same shade Bai Yi had sported last week.
"Is this an issue of price?! The question is why you would give me a pacifier in the first place!! Just what kind of existence am I in your eyes?!"
Resting his chin on his hand, Yan Huan looked at Yurianna and couldn't help but interject,
"More importantly, I'm curious why you were actually wearing it just now..."
"It-it's all Sakuramiya's fault! She said it was a very precious gift, so! So I figured if I didn't accept her gift, it would hurt her feelings... Dammit!!" "..."
'Yurianna, you really are inexplicably gentle in the strangest of ways.'
Before he could speak, Sakuramiya Hitomi's voice drifted over from behind him once again.
"President, here you go!"
"Ah?"
Yan Huan subconsciously reached out to take whatever Sakuramiya Hitomi was handing him. Looking down, he realized an adorable black kitten plushie had suddenly appeared in his arms.
When squeezed, it even let out a cute meow.
"Meow~"
Exchanging glances with the cute black kitten in his arms, Yan Huan reflexively lifted a finger to rub its head, genuinely unsure of what expression he should be making.
"Pfft, hahaha!"
As soon as that silly girl Yurianna saw the gift Sakuramiya Hitomi had given Yan Huan, her gloomy mood instantly vanished. Bouncing right back to her usual self, she pointed at Yan Huan and burst into roaring laughter,
"President, you're just like me! You belong at the kids' table!"
"..."
Yan Huan couldn't be bothered to entertain Yurianna, who had inexplicably developed a sense of superiority and was now looking at him as if he were her foolish little brother. Instead, he turned to Sakuramiya Hitomi with a helpless sigh and said,
"I know the High Table Dinner is important, but aren't you going a bit overboard, Sakuramiya? Even a drone show... Is all this really necessary?"
"Of course!"
Hearing Yan Huan's question, Sakuramiya Hitomi's eyes sparkled. Clutching a project proposal, she hurried over, sat beside him, and enthusiastically began her explanation.
"Look, President, my plan is like this...
"There's an excellent hotel in the North Sea District that has an open-air banquet hall on their private island. I plan to rent it out for the day and set it up in advance..."
The High Table Dinner consisted of two parts: the initial "Dinner" and the subsequent "Ball".
The dinner naturally came with a lot of formalized, routine segments.
For instance, speeches by various school leaders, followed by a few performances. At least, that was how it had been in previous years.
The main event was the ball.
This was the time when students could completely let loose and enjoy themselves.
Because of this, Sakuramiya had put an incredible amount of effort into planning it.
Various entertainment facilities, a constantly heated buffet, a professional live orchestra...
"Uh, pardon the interruption, but Sakuramiya, do you realize how much all these events are going to cost? The budget approved by the school should match previous years, following standard specifications..."
As he listened, Yan Huan couldn't help but interrupt Sakuramiya Hitomi to give her a reality check.
Off to the side, Yabashi Ki, who hadn't taken his eyes off his galgame, suddenly chimed in.
"Ah, about that, President, Vice President... I took a quick glance earlier. From the venue down to the individual projects, the budget has quadrupled at the very least."
"It's perfectly fine, I came prepared!"
Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi immediately whipped out several bank cards from her wallet.
Then, with a slightly flushed face, she gripped her skirt and introduced them from left to right.
"These are my life savings, this is the card Mama deposits my pocket money into, and over here is cash I got from selling some of my old belongings. No matter how you look at it, it's more than enough!"
"Sakuramiya... is all this really necessary?"
"Of course!"
Yan Huan had merely posed a simple question, but Sakuramiya Hitomi leaned in close, her face flushed and her lips pursed as she spoke with absolute earnestness,
"No matter what, this is the last project our current Student Council will be in charge of...
"After the High Table Dinner, it's hard to say if you'll run for office again next semester, President. It's very possible... that this will be the final memory of our Student Council.
"Besides, this is the first time the Student Council is organizing the High Table Dinner!
"In the future, no matter which graduating class of Far Moon Academy looks back on this banquet, they will think of you, President, and they will think of our Student Council...
"Therefore, we must absolutely execute it flawlessly!
"Because... I want all future students to remember you, President."
Gazing at the incredibly serious Sakuramiya Hitomi who had suddenly leaned in so closely, Yan Huan instinctively leaned back a bit.
For the first time ever, he felt genuinely bashful.
Especially since—let's not forget—there were still over a dozen people in the room...
To the side, Yabashi Ki and Ashley looked perfectly natural, one continuing to play his game while the other kept eating.
Yurianna silently popped her pacifier back in, pretending to be a dim-witted toddler who couldn't speak.
She struck an adorable pose that screamed, 'Mommy, Daddy, I was just born!'
Meanwhile, all the hired staff members nearby averted their eyes in unison.
Yet for some reason, the previously bustling office had fallen into a state of total silence...
Which only made it exponentially more awkward!!
"President~"
"...Alright, since you've made up your mind, let's do it your way."
Even Yan Huan was utterly powerless against such an awkwardly intense atmosphere. With great difficulty, he tore his gaze away from Sakuramiya's face, which was mere inches from his own, and continued,
"I'll review the draft later. If everything looks good, I'll submit it to the Principal's Office. Also, if you need any help, just let us know."
"Of course!"
Receiving his approval, a beautiful smile burst forth on Sakuramiya Hitomi's face once more.
She immediately sprang up and returned to the directors she had been speaking with earlier to finalize the events for the big day.
Watching her highly motivated and vibrant expression, Yan Huan couldn't help but pause for a moment.
He vaguely felt that the Sakuramiya before him was different from the real Sakuramiya, and even from the previous Perfect Sakuramiya.
Yet, when he tried to pinpoint what the real Sakuramiya was actually supposed to be like and how she differed from them, his mind briefly blanked.
Because for a brief moment, he actually couldn't remember?
"..."
Yan Huan blinked, rubbing his head in confusion.
Then, he turned to look at the draft lying on the table nearby.
It detailed the arrangements for the High Table Dinner with meticulous precision, breaking down every event to the very minute.
Alongside that were densely packed notes outlining various precautions, and even a full rehearsal schedule had been provided...
It was as if she was terrified of even the slightest mistake occurring during the banquet.
"..."
'Well, whatever. I have to complete the Crab Coins task anyway, so I'd have to attend this High Table Dinner whether I wanted to or not.'
Speaking of the Crab Coins tasks...
"Ding~"
Just as Yan Huan was reviewing the draft, his phone suddenly buzzed.
He took out his device and saw a notification on Plane. The sender was 'Sister Shiyu'.
He hadn't forgotten about his other Crab Coins task: going on a date with Ye Shiyu before the summer break.
That was why he had messaged her on Plane earlier to test the waters...
And now, she had finally replied,
"Xiao Huan, I am free this afternoon.
"I will wait for you outside the Commercial Street after school, okay?"
While replying with a 'No problem', Yan Huan picked up the draft and grabbed a pen.
After reviewing it several times and confirming there were no issues, he finally signed his name at the very end of the document. He then slid it into a folder, intending to deliver it to the Principal's Office later.
"Crack... Crack..."
However, in a place completely unknown to Yan Huan, within the Room Barrier...
The exact moment he signed his name and finalized the draft for the High Table Dinner, the entire Barrier began violently trembling.
Immediately after, across the slightly shaking expanse of the Barrier, a mysterious countdown suddenly materialized.
From 'Days', to 'Hours', down to 'Minutes and Seconds'...
"Tick-tock."
Time ticked away, second by second. And if one were skilled at calculations, they would quickly realize:
The exact moment this countdown reached zero would be the very instant the High Table Dinner ball began.