Are you really a "fortune teller"?

His tone lacked any fluctuation, yet it acted like a dull blade, slowly dissecting certain truths that had been deliberately ignored.

"But if you do that, the first person to be crushed and drained will be none other than yourself.

A place like the Student Council is far more complex than what you can see, and the interpersonal relationships are even more subtle.

If you truly get in, what you face every day might not be simple 'help'; you might even find yourself unable to act according to your own will.

By then, let alone helping others, even your original self might be slowly worn away until you've forgotten who you were entirely."

Ichinose Honami jerked her head up, the shock in her eyes like birds startled into flight.

She stared blankly at Lin Mu, as if it were the first time someone had so directly and cruelly pierced through the deepest fears and disguises in her heart.

The hidden worries she dared not dwell on, the ones she had ignored while rushing forward on sheer momentum, were laid out under the sunlight by him in such an understated manner.

She bit her lower lip, the embarrassment of having her thoughts laid bare and a trace of grievance welling up; her voice was soft, carrying a tremor that was hard to detect:

"But... I just want to help everyone. The students in Class B are all very good and kind. I want to make our class better, I want everyone to graduate smoothly and have a good future.

The Student Council... aren't the resources and intelligence you can access through the Student Council far more than what ordinary students get?

Only with these can I better help everyone..."

Her defense carried a childish stubbornness, yet it revealed her genuine anxiety and her desperate need to grasp some kind of "power."

"Resources and intelligence are not necessarily accessible only through the path of the Student Council."

Lin Mu raised an eyebrow, his tone remaining flat, yet every word was like an awl, striking the vital point. "The core operating logic of this academy, to put it bluntly, is 'ability' and 'points'.

Instead of exhausting all your energy and expectations on fighting for a spot in the Student Council, racking your brains to obtain resources from the inside, you should settle your heart, improve yourself first, and then lead the students of Class B to do well in every class evaluation and academic exam, grabbing every point you can get.

Once the class's comprehensive evaluation goes up, the personal points distributed each month will naturally increase, and the resources you obtain will be much greater.

This path is far more practical than being cautious in the Student Council, watching others' expressions, and eventually having to do things that go against your own heart just to exchange for 'inside information'."

He watched the violently fluctuating light in Ichinose Honami's eyes, knowing his words had taken effect, and added calmly.

"Besides, the 'help' you imagine is not necessarily what others truly need or want.

Don't always place yourself on that saintly pedestal of 'must help everyone.'

You are not a savior, Ichinose Honami.

You don't need to, and you cannot, be responsible for everyone's life.

Live your own life clearly and easily first; perhaps the light you radiate will then be able to truly shine on those you wish to reach."

Ichinose Honami was completely stunned, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, frozen in place.

Lin Mu's words were like a basin of cold water mixed with ice, poured from above, waking her instantly from the feverish heat of her obsession.

After the bone-chilling cold came an unprecedented, empty sense of chill.

She had always felt that only by doing everything in her power to meet everyone's expectations could she avoid being abandoned.

Only then could she prove that she was worthy of being loved and needed, and ensure that those around her were well.

She had never stopped to think whether this blind running, this desperate attempt to shoulder everything, was truly worth it, whether it was actually useful, or whether she might one day lose herself in the process.

Lin Mu's words cruelly shattered the protective shell she had built with gentleness and effort, revealing the terrified, value-starved, and actually quite needy real Ichinose Honami inside.

The icy obsession in her heart seemed to have been cracked open, and while the cold sensation spread, it also strangely relaxed her long-tensed nerves.

But what followed was a massive sense of emptiness and bewilderment, as if she had suddenly lost the signpost that had guided her for so long.

"But... I am still... unwilling to give up."

She sniffled, struggling to blink her eyes to force back the moisture, her voice carrying a heavy nasal tone, yet she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.

"I prepared for so long, looked forward to it for so long, just like a race—I clearly saw the finish line, but was told I couldn't keep running...

If I just give up like this, it feels... it feels like admitting defeat."

"Giving up on a path that doesn't work, or temporarily setting aside a goal that might not suit you, is not admitting defeat."

Lin Mu leaned back into his chair, the afterglow of the sunset dyeing his white hair a warm gold, and he seemed to merge into the warm twilight.

His tone remained languid, yet carried a strange, persuasive power that seemed to come from a more distant perspective.

"It's just a multiple-choice question; you are choosing another path that might suit you better and allow you to go further and more easily.

If you really can't let go, you can certainly wait for the next selection, but stop holding onto the obsession that 'I must get in, or else I've failed.'

Sometimes, taking a step back and letting things take their course allows you to see the scenery previously obscured by obsession and encounter unexpected turning points."

He recalled a scene from the precognitive fragments and added vaguely:

"Besides, the 'noble person' mentioned in that day's divination might not need you to go out of your way to find them; in the near future, they will contact you on their own in some way."

These words caused a flash of light to cross Ichinose Honami's eyes, like a drowning person grabbing the last piece of driftwood: "You mean...?"

Lin Mu shrugged, giving no clear answer, just chewing on his lollipop, his voice somewhat muffled:

"I told you, time will give you the answer. Racking your brains to think about it now, other than making yourself more anxious, is useless."

"It would be better to pull your focus back and concentrate on what you can do right now, such as preparing properly for the next class evaluation."

He raised his hand to check the time on his virtual terminal, his tone signaling that the conversation was coming to an end.

"I really should pack up now. You should go back and think it over as well. If you can't figure it out, just stop thinking about it for a while and let things take their course. Don't always fight against yourself; that's the most exhausting thing to do."

With that, he said no more and flicked his mind.

Psychokinesis spread out like an invisible tide, and the tent's frame began to unlock and retract automatically.

The folding table closed smoothly, the box of Tarot Cards and the Crystal Ball floated into the duffel bag, and even the small blackboard flew up on its own, landing inside the bag.

The entire process was as fluid as flowing water...

Ichinose Honami watched as everything was completed in the blink of an eye, once again stunned by this "proficiency" that defied common sense.

Coupled with the terrifying precision of Lin Mu's divination, as well as those words from just moments ago that struck straight to the heart and seemed to see through everything.

A thought, bold to the point of absurdity, sprouted and swirled uncontrollably in the depths of her mind.

She watched as Lin Mu packed all his props into two lightweight bags, carried them in his hands, and prepared to leave, until she finally couldn't help but blurt out:

"Lin Mu, are you... are you really just... a fortune teller?"