Blackening?

The mysterious night air felt like thick, black ink spilled across the horizon, swallowing even the faintest glimmer of the stars.

Yes, that dark silhouette was none other than Kushida Kikyo!

She was currently using her right foot to kick the iron railing by the riverbank repeatedly and violently!

"Ah, so annoying!"

"This is just terrible, terrible, absolutely terrible!"

"Just because they're cute, they get to do whatever they want and ignore everyone else?"

"Why doesn't that bitch Horikita just drop dead!"

"It's annoying, so annoying, and that bastard Zhuge too!"

"That asshole show-off, always acting mysterious, sowing discord, and stirring up trouble."

"Ah! Why won't he just disappear? Get him expelled! Expelled! Expelled!"

Zhuge Linghao, who was recording the entire process, held his breath tightly. It would be a disaster if such a perfect piece of art were ruined by some strange noise!

After stopping the recording, Zhuge Linghao's fingers flew across his screen to send a message to someone. Once he received a reply, he sent another message to a different person.

Next, please enjoy this grand performance together.

After putting his phone back in his pocket, Zhuge Linghao turned and headed toward the dorms, preparing to pick someone up!

"I didn't expect you to call me out so late. Itching for a fight?"

Zhuge Linghao said to the man wearing a baseball cap, "Don't be like that, I just have something to discuss with you!"

The two arrived at the large tree from before and watched together as Kushida Kikyo vented her emotions by the river.

"Ugh, what kind of madness do you think she's having? Is she beyond saving?"

"Hmph, how boring. Nothing else? I'm leaving."

Watching the man walk away, Zhuge Linghao muttered, "If you two were in the same class, it would be hilarious. I'd have to call you a 'perfect match' at the very least!"

After waiting another half hour, Kushida Kikyo had long since calmed down, standing motionless as she let the night breeze wash over her.

It was time. Zhuge Linghao turned off the "Do Not Disturb" function on his phone and sent a message to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: "Ayanokoji, hungry? Want to go grab a late-night snack?"

He then placed his phone at the base of the large tree, while he himself stepped away and quietly slipped into the deeper darkness.

One minute later.

"No," the other party replied.

At the same time, the phone under the tree let out a loud, sharp ding!

Sure enough, Kushida Kikyo slowly turned her head, approaching the source of the sound with a wary expression.

By now, Zhuge Linghao was already hiding behind another tree five meters away.

"System, I'm buying an experience card!"

As the shadow moved within two meters of the first tree, Zhuge Linghao immediately imitated Kushida Kikyo's posture. He forced his dead-fish eyes to turn bloodshot and began punching the tree, blow after blow.

He shouted as he struck: "I knew it, I still like Kushida the most! She's beautiful and sweet-voiced, gentle and kind, and full of energy! She's the girl of my dreams!"

"Heh, all those stupid things I did before were just to get Kushida's attention!"

"Actually, Kikyo-chan is my little angel, my little sunshine! Kikyo is the best!"

Zhuge Linghao waited for a moment, his eyes fixed on the dark silhouette that had quietly veered off its original path. He controlled his volume and continued to pound the tree!

"Ah, so depressed! So frustrated! I'm so unhappy!"

"Why don't those pieces of trash just die already!"

"One by one, they're all so difficult! Even though I've tried so hard!"

"(Damn it), that stinking bitch Horikita only knows how to boss people around. Why hasn't she been expelled yet!"

"That deadpan Ayanokoji is truly disgusting! Just die! Every time I'm so enthusiastic toward him, he still acts completely indifferent!"

"And that hypocrite Hirata, he just loves to put on an act! Always surrounded by so many girls, damn it! Can't he share one with me!"

Kushida Kikyo heard every single word perfectly!

Having timed the distance just right, Zhuge Linghao suddenly spun around: "Who's there!?"

Kushida Kikyo stepped out from the shadows cautiously, her eyes locking onto Zhuge Linghao's blackened, dead-fish gaze.

She thought happily: Ah, how beautiful! This is the look of a kindred spirit! It's exactly the same as mine! But, this perverted lunatic actually likes me? Isn't that just absurd?

"Zhuge-kun? It's so late, what are you doing here?"

Zhuge Linghao approached rapidly: "Did you hear everything?"

"Um, I suppose so. I heard someone shouting about being frustrated and unhappy, so I thought I'd come over to check..."

Kushida Kikyo told a deliberate lie!

She concealed the fact that Zhuge Linghao had said he liked her.

Zhuge Linghao looked down at her, his voice cold and ruthless: "If you dare to say a word about this, I will absolutely never forgive you!"

Kushida Kikyo's eyes darted away, and she took a half-step back, asking uncertainly: "Then what if I accidentally let it slip?"

"Then I'll go around telling everyone that you're a crazy stalker who likes me so much it's pathetic! Not only have you become my number one sycophant, but you didn't even manage to get me in the end!"

"Eh? How could you do that? That's a completely baseless accusation!"

"It's fine, I have evidence!"

After saying this, Zhuge Linghao turned around quickly, grabbed Kushida Kikyo's hand, and slammed it hard against his own butt!

"Now that my pants are covered in your fingerprints, you won't be able to clear your name!"

Zhuge Linghao released her hand and said calmly: "Can you swear that tonight's events will stay buried in your stomach forever?"

Kushida Kikyo nodded in agreement, looking pitiful and helpless!

Having received a positive response, Zhuge Linghao performed another lightning-fast change of expression, reverting to his usual goofy, happy-go-lucky persona within 0.1 seconds!

"Hehe, Kushida-san, now we have a secret between us!"

"Ahaha, I suppose so!"

"By the way, Kushida-san, has anyone ever told you that you look like Cardcaptor Sakura?"

"Uh, uh, who is that?"

"Never mind, go on back! Good night!"

"Good night!"

Lying in bed, Zhuge Linghao felt exhausted as he tallied up his performance for the day.

When he first stumbled upon that iconic scene of the unhinged Kushida, Zhuge Linghao had only intended to record a video and get some leverage.

Later, however, he felt the opportunity was too good to pass up, so he decided to go big!

Zhuge Linghao first sent a message to Shiina Hiyori—yes, they had exchanged contact information when they met in the library!

[Jealous? Hehe!]

The content of the message was to ask Shiina Hiyori to send him Ryuen Kakeru's contact details.

As expected, Shiina Hiyori had the phone number of her Class C leader, and she sent Ryuen Kakeru's contact info to Zhuge Linghao without any fuss.

Next, Zhuge Linghao sent a message to Ryuen Kakeru, identifying himself as Zhuge Linghao and inviting him over to witness the "darkened" version of Kushida.

Because Zhuge Linghao knew that the two of them would end up together sooner or later, he was simply accelerating the plot!

After finishing all this, Zhuge Linghao switched to a different tree to hide himself and equipped the Actor Experience Card he had bought from the shop.

Zhuge Linghao transformed into a master of acting, completely baffling Kushida Kikyo; he delivered a masterful performance of a fake "darkening," making her believe that she had successfully gotten a hold over him!

[Hehe, just messing with her!]

Zhuge Linghao let out a long breath.

Of course, there was one more crucial reason for Zhuge Linghao to do this.

Kushida Kikyo had already set her sights on Zhuge Linghao, harboring thoughts of getting him expelled!

To prevent his own expulsion, Zhuge Linghao had deliberately performed that massive reversal, hoping to disrupt her rhythm.

He had even gone so far as to sacrifice his own dignity, lying that he liked her, using a "honey trap" to change her perception of him!

The scene shifted, and sure enough, the shell-shocked Kushida Kikyo was unable to sleep for the rest of the night.