The First Guest Has Returned to Clear Up Doubts

Just as the Reversed Two of Wands he had "divined" with his tarot cards that day had foretold, it was a sign of "obstacles and stagnation."

The threshold and strictness of this student council selection seemed to far exceed the norm, weeding out almost every applicant, which naturally included the expectant Ichinose Honami.

(In the original text, this student council recruitment was actually the handiwork of that sister-complex student council president, Manabu Horikita, with the goal of paving the way for his younger sister, Suzune Horikita.)

She walked out of the selection site that had disappointed her, feeling as if a piece of her heart had been hollowed out, leaving her filled with loss and confusion.

The words from Lin Mu's divination that day, especially the failure foretold by the "Reversed Two of Wands" and the "noble help" hinted at by the "Upright Hierophant," echoed repeatedly in her mind.

While she was amazed at how terrifyingly accurate the divination had been, more questions flooded her heart: Who exactly was the "noble person" who could help her? Who should she go to now?

(The blond Nagumo Miyabi, who pulls Ichinose into the student council.)

How could she join the student council as she wished? After much thought, her desire for an answer ultimately overcame her sense of loss and slight shyness.

Driven by her memory, she returned to the divination stall that had once made her flee in a panic.

Lin Mu watched the hesitant figure under the shade of the trees and glanced at the sunset, which was gradually staining the horizon orange, quickly calculating his "turnover" and physical exertion for the day.

Hmm, that's about it; time to pack up.

Earning personal points was important, but sacrificing his upcoming dessert time and leisure for a little more profit didn't fit his lifestyle.

Thus, he raised his hand toward the queue of about seven or eight people and announced the words that would disappoint the remaining customers in his usual flat tone:

"Today's divination ends here. I'm off the clock, seniors."

As his words fell, the seniors in line erupted into a commotion, their faces instantly showing regret and unwillingness.

"Eh?! Junior, don't! I've been waiting for almost half an hour!"

"I'm only two people away! Just one more, please! I'll pay extra!"

(Money-Offering Layman)

"I'll pay double the points! Two hundred thousand! Can you help me see if I can win the competition this time?"

"Junior, be flexible! Will you be setting up your stall at this time tomorrow?"

Lin Mu was currently leaning against his small stool, too lazy to even sit up straight, the lemon-flavored lollipop in his mouth being nudged by the tip of his tongue, slowly rotating in his oral cavity.

He squinted his eyes, his tone lazy as if he were stating a self-evident truth, yet his attitude was as firm as a rock:

"No. Work is work, and life is life. You have to keep them separate."

He paused and added, "The remaining time is my private time. I am not open for business. Not even for double the pay."

This was one of the core bottom lines of a slacker—never let extra compensation encroach upon the leisure time he had set aside for himself.

Money (points) was certainly lovely, but freedom and comfort were priceless.

(As the author, I currently have neither much money nor much freedom...)

Even if the other party offered three or five times the price, they wouldn't get him to spend a single extra second on "work" that should have ended.

(Clocking out on time makes me happy, hehehe.)

Seeing his firm attitude and his flat, unyielding expression, the crowd knew that pestering him further would be futile, so they could only sigh and disperse with faces full of regret.

Before leaving, they didn't forget to ask when he would set up his stall next, but Lin Mu just waved his hand casually without giving any definite promise, leaving behind only two words: "It depends on fate."

In any case, the reputation of the "Divination Immortal" had been fully established, and both his word-of-mouth and sense of mystery were well-cultivated.

From now on, he would open the stall whenever he felt like it, depending entirely on his mood, though he would basically open it a few times a week.

Only by letting the water flow slowly could he lie down flatter and earn for longer.

(This is hunger marketing.)

By the time the crowd had completely dispersed and the club recruitment plaza had gradually returned to its usual quiet as evening approached, only a few scattered clubs in the distance were still packing up their stalls.

Only then did Lin Mu stand up slowly and stretch, his bones making a slight "cracking" sound.

He turned toward the shade of the trees, facing the figure who was still standing there, seemingly at a loss.

He tilted his chin, his expression remaining as flat as ever, as casual as greeting an acquaintance:

"What are you still standing there for? Come over, Ichinose-san."

Upon hearing this, Ichinose Honami paused slightly, as if startled out of a daze.

She looked up at Lin Mu, and in those amber eyes that were always filled with gentleness, loss and confusion were now clearly visible.

She bit her lip, as if she had made up her mind, and walked quickly to Lin Mu's stall.

"Lin Mu-kun, good afternoon."

She tried hard to squeeze out a smile, attempting to make her voice sound lighter, but the trace of loss was still hard to hide, making her greeting seem somewhat forced.

"Sit."

Lin Mu pointed to the empty small stool opposite him, sat back down himself, and casually gathered the scattered tarot cards on the table into the deck box.

Then, he fished two lollipops out of his pocket—one was the Alpenliebe original flavor he often ate, and the other was strawberry.

He unwrapped the original one and popped it into his mouth, then handed the pink-packaged strawberry lollipop to Ichinose Honami. "Want one?"

Ichinose Honami was stunned for a moment, looking at the candy handed to her, then at Lin Mu's expressionless but seemingly harmless face.

After hesitating for a moment, she reached out to take it and whispered, "Thank you."

She unwrapped the candy and placed the pink sweet into her mouth; the sugary taste melting on the tip of her tongue seemed to slightly alleviate the heaviness in her chest.

She sat primly on the small folding stool, her hands resting on her knees pressed together, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt.

Silence hung between the two of them for a few seconds, broken only by the faint noise from the distance and the rustling of wind through the leaves.

Finally, Ichinose Honami gathered her courage, looked up, and turned her gaze toward Lin Mu.

The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the gaps in the tent, landing just right on one side of her face, gilding her delicate profile with a soft golden edge, yet also making her sense of loss appear all the more clear.

"Lin Mu-kun," she began, her voice soft and carrying a tremor she was trying hard to suppress, "I came today... because I wanted to ask you about the fortune-telling you did for me the other day."

She paused, seemingly needing to gather a bit more courage, "I participated in the student council selection... and in the end, I failed. Just as you said."

She lifted her head, her gaze meeting Lin Mu's directly, the confusion and bewilderment in her eyes like swirling mist:

"But, you said that day that if I could receive help from a 'noble person,' I would be able to join the student council smoothly."