Sorry, I Feel Like My Freshman Year Was Wasted

This guy is really strange.

This was something Ling suddenly noticed about Fang Ran.

At first, Ling simply thought Fang Ran was a clown, a walking complaint machine, and an idiot. But after recovering her composure from the massive blow of completely screwing herself over (which was yesterday), and regaining the intelligence of her former 'Night Wanderer' self, she silently observed Fang Ran for an entire morning.

Connecting Fang Ran's behavior over the past few days, she naturally saw many things.

This guy was undoubtedly an ordinary person, the kind most commonly found in a crowd.

He had no special skills, nothing remarkable, an ordinary family, ordinary looks, and ordinary social interactions.

And this morning, Fang Ran was just like everyone else, sleeping soundly below, squeezing into the cafeteria, completely unremarkable.

Ling thought silently, but such an ordinary person, who would be instantly lost in a crowd if he turned his head...

...was chosen by Night Battles.

Through the Night Web, Ling had seen countless participant profiles. Every single one of them had something special about them.

They were exceptionally intelligent, had outstanding physical abilities, strong willpower, powerful psychological resilience, excellent social skills...

Even the most average participants had at least one of these shining points and held a central position in their usual social circles.

But this guy...

In just one morning, Ling had already realized that Fang Ran was the kind of guy who was so ordinary that he was ordinary even within his own social circle. It wasn't to the pathetic extent of being dispensable, but he was definitely not a central figure.

However, and it's that same however, such a person was chosen to be a Night Battles participant.

Also, this guy didn't have that clownish demeanor with others; he was quite normal, laughing and talking with his classmates. But Fang Ran's 'deep impression' on Ling over the past few days still made her incredibly suspicious.

Isn't this guy a clown?

It wasn't that Ling was overthinking things; it was just that Fang Ran's appearance this morning was quite different from his clownish image of the past few days. It felt to Ling as if an idiot had suddenly become a normal person.

Then Ling suddenly remembered the night she took Fang Ran out. At that time, she hadn't fully accepted the blow of being trapped and calmed down, so she didn't think much of it. But now, looking back, especially comparing it to Fang Ran this morning...

It's full of suspicious points!!

Ling firmly believed without a doubt that if someone were to simply point a pistol at Fang Ran's head right now, this guy would immediately cower and kneel down.

But it was this coward who, that night, faced firearms head-on, deflected the bullets from that group of people, and protected that unfamiliar girl. Uh, although he shot her Second Uncle.

Also, how did a guy like this muster the courage to let go of her and jump down from a height of four or five floors that night?!

Did this guy, who clearly didn't seem to have strong willpower, really just inexplicably accept his abilities in one night?

These were all things Ling had been thinking about after reaching an agreement with Fang Ran yesterday. Ling had been very strange about Fang Ran suddenly telling her these things yesterday. Did he guess something?

Impossible, that clown who always loves to complain.

But that clown seems quite normal when he's with others today?

Ling found that she couldn't quite understand Fang Ran anymore.

In the data space, Ling floated in the air with her legs crossed, her eyes lowered, lost in thought. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something, and a mischievous smile curved her lips.

Speaking of which, it seems this coward looked back an extra time just now?

"Oh yeah, no classes this afternoon, Fang Ran, let's go! Let's play some games!"

A buddy from the dorm slapped Fang Ran hard on the shoulder. Fang Ran sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Forget it, you guys go. I'm not going."

"Don't tell me it's because of studying?"

Another buddy pushed up his glasses and questioned, looking disdainful.

Fang Ran spread his hands helplessly and said,

"Because I'm broke."

Everyone: "..."

"Alright then, since you're going to the club building to pick up girls, we won't stop you!"

It was still the same buddy slapping Fang Ran hard on the shoulder, completely ignoring Fang Ran's dead-fish-eyed, speechless accusation that meant 'I'm picking up your sister's girl'.

Then Fang Ran adjusted his hood, feeling like his Summoned Beast had moved just now. Sigh, is the power bank, that old man, uncomfortable staying in one position for too long?

"Alright then, bye~"

The few of them waved goodbye, and Fang Ran also waved, saying goodbye to everyone.

"Phew! So tired, no classes this afternoon, I'm going back to sleep."

Fang Ran ignored the stares of other people passing by on campus, stretched lazily, and said decadently with a yawn.

This decadent shut-in, Ling cursed in her heart.

"Fang Ran, what's that building over there for?"

Ling suddenly asked. Fang Ran replied somewhat unexpectedly, "Oh, that? It's the school's club building. All the clubs have their bases there."

"Let's go take a look." Ling said without question.

"Huh~!?" Fang Ran had a face full of 'I don't want to, I want to go home, I want to sleep after eating my fill' expressions.

"Are you a pig!! You just want to sleep after eating your fill!!!"

Seeing Fang Ran's unwilling face, Ling immediately roared!

"I'm telling you! If you don't go, even if you go home, I'll use telekinesis to play rock music in your mind!"

Holy crap! Does she have to be so ruthless!

Fang Ran immediately caved, and obediently took his power bank ancestor, jogging all the way towards the club building.

The club building wasn't far from the teaching area, and it didn't take Fang Ran much time to walk there slowly. People on the road were walking in twos and threes, and the closer they got to the club building, the more frequently a man and a woman appeared together.

Fang Ran felt like his burning heart was about to lose control.

One person and one treasure arrived in front of the club building, and then one person and one treasure were swallowed by the crowd!

"Chase your goddess, come to the club, the talented you are the brightest star!!!"

A huge slogan was plastered directly in front of the club building, and Fang Ran was instantly stunned.

What the heck, are the slogans for recruiting club members this wild these days?

And 'the most dazzling star'

Speaking of which, it's club recruitment season recently.

The otaku Fang Ran stood blankly at the entrance of the small plaza in front of the building, feeling completely out of place amidst the sea of people and the recruitment tents of various clubs.

"Oh, it's quite lively." Ling looked at the various clubs like soccer, basketball, table tennis, English, Japanese, journalism, and then nudged Fang Ran with her hood, saying in an inexplicable tone.

"I know you're implying that an otaku like me isn't suited for this kind of place." Fang Ran rolled his eyes and immediately understood Ling's hidden meaning.

Heh, you're quite sharp in this kind of place, Ling chuckled.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd. Large groups of freshmen in military training uniforms suddenly surged towards one direction of the plaza, all excitedly whispering something.

"What's going on over there?" Ling asked.

Fang Ran stood on his tiptoes to look, and then...

...didn't see anything.

"Uh, maybe potato chips are half price...?"

Ling: "..."

Do you believe I'll smear your face?

Under Ling's silent threat, Fang Ran had no choice but to look again and walk towards that direction. Then he suddenly remembered which club was in that direction and roughly guessed what was happening.

Just then, the person and the treasure had already squeezed their way through the crowd and arrived near that tent.

Latin Dance Club.

Ling silently looked at these five words and instantly understood why so many people were crowding over here.

Latin dance, heh, do you really think so many people, especially so many guys, are here for the Latin dance?

Heh.

Naive.

"Welcome students who are interested to join our Latin Dance Club. Interested students can come in and visit."

A girl stood there smiling and speaking to everyone.

This is the reason why these brats are crowding over, right? Ling looked at the nearby boys with disdain.

"Holy crap! Bro, is that beauty from our school?" Fang Ran had the same expression as the people around him, secretly tugging at the corner of a classmate's clothes and asking.

The guy next to him looked at him contemptuously: "No way, bro, did you transfer here? That's our school's campus belle, Xia Yao! The president of the Latin Dance Club, you don't even know this."

Fang Ran immediately burst into tears. I'm sorry, I feel like my freshman year was wasted.

Please collect!!!! Please collect!!!!

What I'm writing is really not that kind of cliché pick-up story, so please collect!!!!