Hearing Katsura Hinagiku's form of address, Wu Yan nearly choked on the breath caught in his throat. It would neither go up nor down.
Though his eyes remained on the book, Wu Yan's page-turning visibly slowed. He said to Katsura Hinagiku irritably, "Just call me Wu Yan, or Yan. Just don't add an honorific. We Chinese are used to that, so it sounds really awkward to me."
"Oh? Hmm, I suppose that's true. I've heard that Chinese people generally call each other by name directly. Then I'll just call you Yan, and you can call me Hinagiku." Katsura Hinagiku smiled at Wu Yan. Her earlier resentment toward him had completely faded after spending some time with him. She found him surprisingly easy to get along with.
Wu Yan nodded indifferently. Neither of them realized that here in Japan, calling someone by their given name directly was something only very close people did—good friends who spent every day together, childhood sweethearts who had grown up together, couples, and the like.
Yet here stood two people who had known each other for less than an hour and were already addressing each other by name.
After all, neither of them cared much about forms of address. Wu Yan simply hadn't thought anything of it; back in his own country, even enemies called each other by name. Hinagiku, meanwhile, was carefree and simply hadn't realized it. That much could be seen from how she had directly called Ayasaki Hayate "Hayate-kun" when they first met in the original story.
Time quietly passed as the two chatted and exchanged questions and answers. An hour later, Wu Yan finally finished the last book in time.
Reviewing the contents he had memorized, Wu Yan nodded in satisfaction. He closed the book in his hands and stretched lazily.
Hinagiku froze when she saw that. "Y-You finished?"
"Yeah, I finished! Even if I hadn't, I wouldn't have kept reading. The hour's already up."
Hinagiku froze again. Looking at the clock on the wall, she saw that an hour had indeed passed.
She smiled awkwardly. She had completely forgotten about the time, but then another thought struck her, leaving her puzzled.
"You really finished all those books? All of them?" Though she had forgotten the time, Hinagiku had not forgotten their conversation. She had spent that entire hour chatting with Wu Yan, while he had read and talked to her at the same time. She hadn't realized it before, but now it seemed unbelievable.
Could someone chat while reading, then memorize the contents of more than a dozen books two or three centimeters thick within an hour? Would you believe it?
Wu Yan didn't know about anyone else, but he knew Katsura Hinagiku definitely wouldn't believe it.
"Yeah, I remembered all of it!"
Wu Yan looked amusedly at Katsura Hinagiku's ghost-stricken expression. He really had been chatting while reading, and if it had been in the past... Forget it. There was no point bringing up the past. Now that he had the Perfect Memory ability, he only needed one glance to remember everything he had read completely. So Wu Yan felt no pressure at all.
"Don't lie to me. If you fail the test later, you'll lose to me, even though I haven't thought of anything for you to do yet." Hinagiku felt a little guilty about distracting Wu Yan from his reading by chatting with him. She hadn't noticed it earlier, and if Wu Yan used that as an excuse, she would have accepted it.
But Wu Yan insisted that he had completed the task. How could Hinagiku not be suspicious?
"I know you don't believe me. The books are right here. Why don't you pick some questions and ask me?" Wu Yan patted his chest, brimming with confidence.
Hinagiku curled her lips and casually picked up a book. She flipped through a few pages and randomly asked several questions. Then, her deliberately disdainful expression gradually turned to shock.
For five full minutes, Hinagiku kept changing the way she tested him, but Wu Yan answered every question flawlessly. Little by little, Hinagiku's face went numb.
Putting down the book, Hinagiku lowered her head dejectedly. "I lost..."
"Hasn't the actual test even happened yet? Why are you admitting defeat already?" Wu Yan said with a hint of smug delight. It was not only because teasing a two-dimensional girl felt novel, but also because of the condition Hinagiku had promised him if she lost.
Hinagiku turned her head away with a touch of temper and said unwillingly, "You've memorized everything already. Isn't it obvious whether you'll pass the test or not?"
"Oh? So you believe I can pass now?"
"Yeah, I believe you. Who knew you were a genius? No, a freak. Memorizing so much in an hour... I really don't know what your brain is made of."
Wu Yan smiled wryly. "What genius or freak? I just have a good memory. Does that make me a genius?"
"A good memory? That's not merely good. It's unbelievably good, insanely good. You could practically break the world memory record. Doesn't that make you a freak?" Hinagiku rolled her eyes at Wu Yan, nearly knocking him flat with the sheer force of it.
The Student Council President's charm really was impossible to ignore...
All Wu Yan could do was spread his hands.
"Fine, a bet's a bet. Tell me, what do you want me to do?" Hinagiku stared at Wu Yan so intensely that he felt enormous pressure.
Although he really wanted to make the Student Council President do this and that for him, Wu Yan was certain that if he dared make such a request, the Student Council President would dare cut him down with a sword.
So Wu Yan could only say with a helpless smile, "Well, I don't know yet. I haven't thought of anything. I'll tell you when I do."
Hinagiku tilted her head silently, then waved a hand. "Then just consider it that you're owed one favor. Come find me when you think of something."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Wu Yan shrugged in agreement.
"Then I'll take you to find a teacher so you can take the entrance exam. With your ability, there definitely won't be a problem."
"Okay!" Wu Yan nodded expectantly. He had already grown tired of school life, but this time was different. It was not only for the mission, but also because this was the legendary Hakuhou Academy. In a noble academy from a two-dimensional anime world, the life one could enjoy had to be extraordinary...
Wu Yan was already fired up.
Seeing Wu Yan's eager expression, Hinagiku nodded in satisfaction. As she led him outside, she said with a smile, "Then let's go. I'll take you to see the teacher and introduce you to her. She's my older sister."
Wu Yan's face stiffened.
This was bad...
He had forgotten about her...
"What's wrong?" Wu Yan looked slightly strange, so Hinagiku was puzzled.
Wu Yan rolled his eyes helplessly and said awkwardly, "If the teacher you mean is that woman guarding the gate, then I think I've already met her. No need for an introduction."
Hinagiku suddenly remembered and said in realization, "Right, it's my sister's turn to guard the gate today. She should be at the entrance."
Perhaps she noticed the strange look in Wu Yan's eyes, because Hinagiku asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
The corner of Wu Yan's mouth twitched. Looking at Hinagiku, he gave a strained smile. "Well... how should I put it? Your sister's personality is a little... a little unusual. When I arrived earlier, she picked a fight with me without saying a word. She wouldn't listen to my explanation and even chased after me to hit me, so..."
Hinagiku had a bad feeling. "So what happened?"
Wu Yan sighed. "I tied her up and left her there!"
Hinagiku raised a hand to her forehead, looking utterly exasperated. "Sigh... My sister is still the same as ever..."
Wu Yan gave a few dry laughs and said nothing.
"Zzzzz..."
At the entrance of Hakuhou Academy, Wu Yan and Hinagiku stood in a corner, staring at the ground with twitching mouths. Wu Yan could not keep his calm expression, while several anger marks appeared on Hinagiku's forehead, veins bulging as though she were about to explode.
On the ground, Hinagiku's sister, Katsura Yukiji, was still lying in the same tied-up position. A map was stuffed in her mouth, just as it had been when Wu Yan left. But now her eyes were tightly shut, and a bubble on her nose expanded and shrank with every breath.
Though her eyes were closed and her mouth was stuffed, the expression on her face clearly showed that she was smiling...
This woman... had actually fallen asleep... and was even having a sweet dream...
More and more anger marks appeared on Hinagiku's forehead, and the veins on her head visibly throbbed. She took a deep breath and clenched her fists tightly.
Seeing this, Wu Yan hurriedly stepped back to the edge and covered his ears, lest he be caught in the crossfire.
"Onee-chan!!!"
"Bang!!!"
A furious roar erupted, followed by a deafening crash and a suppressed scream. The continuous commotion at Hakuhou Academy's entrance scared away countless people who had intended to gather and watch.
Wu Yan looked at the tragic sight before him and made the sign of the cross in his heart.
May the Lord bless you, crazy big sister...
Why did he make the sign in his heart instead of with his hand? Obviously, his hands were busy covering his ears...
Only after a bout of utter chaos did everything finally settle down...
"Sister! When are you going to start acting properly and fix that personality of yours?" Hinagiku said furiously to Katsura Yukiji, whose head was covered in bumps.
"But... someone tied me up... I tried really hard to call for help, but nobody came to save me. I was just too bored, so... I could only take a nap..." Katsura Yukiji said with a wronged expression. If one ignored the bumps on her head, perhaps someone might even pity her.
"Who told you to drive someone away without even asking their reason for coming? Is that how a gatekeeper is supposed to act?" Hinagiku flew into a rage. She held back the urge to beat her sister again and spoke in a low voice.
"But... if someone sneaks in, they'll dock my pay..." Katsura Yukiji protested weakly.
Hinagiku could no longer get angry. Not because Katsura Yukiji had persuaded her, but because she no longer had the strength to be angry.
Sighing, Hinagiku said helplessly, "Sister, he only came to apply for admission because he wants to attend our school. Besides, Hakuhou Academy has strict security. How could anyone possibly infiltrate it? Other than people targeting the students, what is there in our school worth infiltrating?"
"Who knows?" Katsura Yukiji retorted. "What if he uses an application for admission as an excuse to sneak into the school? Then they'd still dock my pay."
"But you still can't attack someone without saying a word..." Hinagiku shouted at Katsura Yukiji resentfully.
"I don't care! As long as something might interfere with me getting paid, I'll get rid of it!"
Hinagiku's anger rose steadily until she could endure it no longer and roared, "That's enough!"
Katsura Yukiji shuddered all over, and circles began spinning in her eyes.
Hinagiku took a harsh breath and said angrily, "Now, he's here to apply for admission. Immediately, right now, prepare an entrance exam for him!"
Katsura Yukiji nodded blankly, her body still swaying. Wu Yan seriously doubted whether she had heard a word Hinagiku said.
Hinagiku calmed her anger, then turned around and walked toward Wu Yan with her sister. Katsura Yukiji could only follow behind Hinagiku with a deeply aggrieved expression.
Watching this scene, where their roles seemed completely reversed, Wu Yan could not help sighing inwardly.
It really wasn't easy for you, Hinagiku. Having a sister like this, it was perfectly normal for you to feel the pressure!
Before you continue