The note slipped through the door crack explained how to get out

Hitomi Sakuramiya thought she had a bad habit.

It was hypocrisy.

Of course, perhaps everyone had some hypocrisy in them. After all, nobody wanted to hear the truth all the time, which was why people put on airs and played along to conceal their true thoughts.

But Hitomi Sakuramiya knew just how hypocritical she could be, and how ugly the truth concealed beneath that hypocrisy really was.

Thus, the girl who understood herself so thoroughly had grown rational thorns of rejection over her gentle exterior.

They had led her to announce publicly when she first entered school that she would never date anyone.

It sounded like a statement that nobody was good enough for her, but its actual meaning was to keep any intimate relationship from getting past those thorns of rejection and seeing her truest, ugliest self.

By then, whatever affection they supposedly had would be frightened away by her terrifying inner self anyway.

Since that ending was inevitable, it was better not to start at all.

But she seemed to have overlooked that those thorns only kept outsiders from approaching. They could not stop her truest self from looking outside and longing to get close to someone out there.

She could no longer remember when she had started liking Yan Huan.

She only remembered inviting the student council members to her rented home one afternoon. They had originally planned to eat out, but Yan Huan had cooked everyone a meal there instead.

She remembered eating her favorite caramel pudding that day, then instinctively looking toward Yan Huan, who had made the dessert.

And she had seen her three Kitties snuggling up against him, meowing affectionately, seemingly very fond of him.

He had been very patient too, smiling as he lowered his head and stroked the Kitties' chins.

The instant she saw that scene, the ugly inner self within her thorns of rejection had begun to stir and yearn to understand him.

She wanted to know everything about him: his thoughts, his movements, his joys and sorrows, his body.

To find out when Yan Huan would come to the student council office, she had installed her first camera there.

After that, things had spiraled out of control.

Yan Huan's classroom, many of the school corridors, the student council office, outside his workplace, and even outside his rented home.

Remember when Hitomi Sakuramiya had suddenly sent a Plane message while Ye Shiyu was hypnotizing Yan Huan on Friday?

That was because it was usually the time when Yan Huan finished work and went home, but Hitomi Sakuramiya had neither seen him emerge onto the street outside the tavern where he worked nor seen him return to his rented home.

That was why she had sent that message, even calling him without waiting for a reply and throwing Ye Shiyu into a panic.

Reason told Hitomi Sakuramiya that this was not the right way to like someone. She should not obsessively monitor him and try to control his life.

But her true inner self could no longer restrain itself at all. She was like a prisoner trapped within reason.

That prisoner was dancing within the shackles of her persona as "the considerate Vice President Sakuramiya"!

In fact, the folder on her laptop earlier had contained more than just a wealth of secretly taken photos of Yan Huan. Hitomi Sakuramiya had even recorded things he said.

She had reached the point where she needed to figure out the meaning of everything Yan Huan said, trying to understand all his thoughts through this method.

Of course, much of the time she could not understand certain things Yan Huan said at all.

[Fish, such a big fish, a tiger-striped shark.]

The document included a screenshot of a Plane chat, followed by dates, annotations, and other information Hitomi Sakuramiya had written herself.

"March 9, Plane chat log. A message Yan Huan sent after visiting the aquarium."

"He did not seem to be talking about a particular kind of shark, and showed no clear reaction to the information I provided. Meaning unknown. Recorded for now."

[Me, fight Sukuna? Seriously?]

"March 6. After I handed the task of reporting to the principal over to the president, he suddenly said this to me."

"Why did he compare the principal to a mythical monster? Did he think the principal was frightening? Meaning unknown."

[Where the hell have I ended up? Am I still in the same country?]

"March 4. The president said this upon seeing the student council office I had tidied up ahead of the new semester."

"Was it because my arrangement of the student council office did not look like Linmen's style? But all I did was rearrange the desks and add a lot of bookshelves."

There were many more records below, spanning from when she had started trying to analyze Yan Huan last semester up to the present.

After more than half a year together, everyone in the student council had grown used to the president occasionally saying things they could not understand.

Perhaps they were local expressions from Linmen or the Dragon Nation?

But Hitomi Sakuramiya had asked many people from the Dragon Nation and Linmen, and they had not understood what those things meant either.

And that was only the incomprehensible things he said. More often, while talking with Yan Huan, he would reveal emotions she could not understand at all.

Hitomi Sakuramiya unconsciously recalled a scene from an elective she had taken with Yan Huan last semester. They had been preparing a group report and needed to gather information on some famous companies.

Upon seeing some of the information, Yan Huan had suddenly murmured,

"Golden Lion Group offices get off work at four thirty?"

"Yes, President. That makes getting anything done there a hassle. You often have to wait weeks for your turn."

"I see."

It had clearly been an ordinary exchange, so why had Yan Huan shown such a complicated, incomprehensible expression then?

All those questions made her want to seek answers, but she did not dare ask, afraid of revealing her affection.

That would probably draw him closer, making him scrutinize this person who liked him.

Then he would discover that many of the things she asked about were things she should not have known.

"Why did you know I hadn't gone home?"

"Why did you know when I finished work?"

"Why did you know who I talked to in class?"

Because I'm always watching you from the shadows, monitoring you!

That was the ugly truth, but Hitomi Sakuramiya could not say it.

Because she knew her actions were morally unacceptable. Saying it would probably frighten him, and might even leave her with nowhere in this world to belong.

If only there were a place that would accept the ugliness inside me, where everyone would think it was normal even if I revealed it.

There, she could watch him without restraint, learn everything about him, and boldly share her ugly desires with him.

As though it were common sense. As though it were a rule.

But one day, when that thought occurred to her, a voice suddenly sounded in her mind.

[Activate Room Barrier?]

Room Barrier?

What was that?

[Barrier level: 1]

[Effect description: Once per week, select an enclosed area (within 50 square meters) and deploy a barrier. Maximum number of barriers: 1.]

[Within the barrier, you possess the following effects:]

[You may establish rules that must be obeyed and gain the ability to monitor the area without blind spots. Simply think of it, and you can see inside the barrier regardless of your location.]

[You may alter the common sense of individuals within the area, adding only one piece of common sense each time. Please note that this cannot involve something the individual is completely incapable of doing.]

[After the effect takes hold, anyone who leaves the area will completely forget what they did within the barrier, and their memories will also be adjusted. However, when a third party is present within the barrier, they may notice differences in common sense.]

[While you remain within an active barrier, its level will gradually rise, and its coverage and effects will gradually increase.]

Perhaps even after reading those words, she still could not understand what this so-called barrier meant.

But when she first deployed the Barrier in the student council office, she felt safer than ever before.

From that day onward, the barrier in the student council office had never been shut off.

Snap!

Lost in thought, Hitomi Sakuramiya was suddenly interrupted by a snap of the fingers before her, and the illusory text floating before her eyes gradually faded away.

The fading text read:

[Barrier level: 2]

[Effect description: Once per week, select an enclosed area (within 75 square meters) and deploy a barrier. Maximum number of barriers: 2.]

She blinked, drawing her attention out of her thoughts, and looked at Yan Huan beside her in his sportswear.

"Sakuramiya, class is almost over. It's our turn for cleanup duty today."

It was their Monday afternoon elective, and she and Yan Huan had chosen the same volleyball class.

After taking Ye Shiyu around the school at noon, Yan Huan had not returned to the student council office. Feeling sleepy, he had found somewhere quiet for another short nap before coming straight to the gym for his afternoon class.

Hitomi Sakuramiya had very little stamina. She generally only moved along with the teacher's instructions, then found somewhere to sit once everyone split into teams for matches during free practice.

But she had never sat motionless in a daze until almost the end of class as she had today.

"...All right, President."

Hitomi Sakuramiya blinked at Yan Huan before her, seemingly wanting to ask something, but silently stood up and nodded instead.

Many of the volleyballs in the gym had already been gathered into the cart.

Yan Huan and Hitomi Sakuramiya still needed to take down and pack away the net, then return it to the equipment room along with the cart of volleyballs.

"You hardly moved today, Sakuramiya. Are you feeling unwell?"

"A little. I'll be fine once this week is over."

She followed Yan Huan, and each began taking down one side of the net.

This week?

Yan Huan paused, then gave a look of understanding.

He turned toward Hitomi Sakuramiya beside him and offered,

"Then go rest, Sakuramiya. I can handle this."

"..."

Hitomi Sakuramiya turned to glance at the smiling Yan Huan. Rather than agree, she continued gathering up the net.

"It's all right. Let's go together."

She was not actually on her period. She just had something she wanted to ask Yan Huan.

Something about that Ye Shiyu.

Many girls at school usually paid close attention to Yan Huan. During her surveillance, Hitomi Sakuramiya seemed to have grown accustomed to their presence and did not particularly care.

After all, Yan Huan had never shown anyone anything beyond politeness. In other words, it was all just courtesy.

But that Ye Shiyu was completely different.

Hitomi Sakuramiya had never seen such patience, such gentleness in Yan Huan's eyes.

The president had suddenly called on Saturday to ask why she liked Kitty. That must have been for her too.

That expressionless girl who looked like a puppet?

I've been watching the president since last semester. I even know all his daily habits.

What gives her the right?

Just because you're his older sister?

Can a sister like you really be a good sister?

Yes, completely contrary to Ye Shiyu's impression that Yan Huan was gentle with everyone, Hitomi Sakuramiya clearly sensed how differently he treated Ye Shiyu.

But Hitomi Sakuramiya did not know that what drove that gentleness was actually Yan Huan's very real desire to survive.

She simply comforted herself, telling herself not to rush. After all, the president had clearly said those words that night too.

He had said he would remember why she liked Kitty.

Did that mean he might like me?

Then if we like each other, my peeping, monitoring, and control should all be reasonable, right?

I have to make sure how the president feels.

But she had already established her considerate persona, someone who respected boundaries. That Hitomi Sakuramiya would never actively pry into someone else's private life.

Then she could only resort to other methods.

"It seems to be getting warmer. The weather's been pretty good these past few days. It was really sunny over the weekend."

"Mm, when you went to the aquarium, President?"

"Exactly. The sun was pretty strong there."

Hitomi Sakuramiya gathered up the net and placed it in the cart, then walked with Yan Huan as he pushed the cart toward the equipment room behind the gym.

They opened the unlocked door, revealing an extremely spacious enclosed room.

Totsuki Academy was wealthy. With tuition that expensive, after all, the equipment inside was comprehensive too.

All sorts of balls, protective gear, court equipment, yoga mats, crash mats, and much, much more.

Hitomi Sakuramiya entered first. With one in front pulling and the other behind pushing, she and Yan Huan brought the cart inside and moved it farther into the room.

"All done."

"Ding, ding, ding~"

The bell signaling the end of class rang outside. Looking at Hitomi Sakuramiya, who had begun panting after even that little exercise, Yan Huan suddenly felt a little thirsty.

Not because of Hitomi Sakuramiya before him, but because he had exercised for an entire class without drinking any water.

"I'm so thirsty... Let's go, Sakuramiya. I'm going to buy some water. Want anything to drink?"

"I was thinking of buying a drink off campus and having some dessert while I'm there. Would you like to come, President?"

"Dessert, huh..."

Just as Yan Huan rubbed his chin and prepared to leave with Hitomi Sakuramiya, the door ahead suddenly slammed shut without any wind, making a deafening bang.

Yan Huan froze briefly. Beside him, Hitomi Sakuramiya was also startled by the loud noise and covered her ears.

"What's going on?"

Yan Huan frowned, walked to the door, and gripped the handle, turning it.

"Clack, clack, clack."

The handle groaned under Yan Huan's strength, but no matter how hard he tried, the door remained as immovable as a wall of iron.

"President, what's wrong?"

"The door's locked?"

"Huh?"

Hitomi Sakuramiya frowned, then came over to the door and tried turning the handle herself.

When that failed, she shouted outside,

"Is anyone there? Whoever you are, please stop playing this kind of prank!"

"..."

However, there was no response.

Yan Huan took a deep breath and motioned for Hitomi Sakuramiya to move farther away, taking several steps back himself.

Then he suddenly charged forward and kicked the door.

Clang!!

A tremendous noise rang out, but the instant Yan Huan struck the door, he felt as though he had kicked a wall.

The door did not budge at all. His powerful kick was like a drop of water falling into the ocean, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

Instead, he himself suffered a tremendous recoil and staggered back several steps.

"President! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine."

Hitomi Sakuramiya lowered the hands covering her ears and hurried over to Yan Huan, frowning toward the doorway.

"What on earth is going on? Did someone shut the door from outside?"

"I don't know."

Although that was what he said, Yan Huan had actually already sensed something amiss.

Sure enough, the very next second, a small slip of paper suddenly drifted in like a ghost from the deep darkness beyond the gap in the door, landing before Yan Huan and Hitomi Sakuramiya.

Yan Huan lowered his head and picked up the slip. Looking at it together with Hitomi Sakuramiya, he saw the following written on it:

[Want to get out of here?]

[Then the two of you must hold hands for ten minutes, hug for ten minutes, and kiss for ten minutes.]

As he stared at the slip before him, Yan Huan's mind went somewhat blank for a moment.

Now that felt right. Now that felt right.

Everything felt right now. Everything that made no sense made sense!

And so, he turned his head dazedly to look at Hitomi Sakuramiya beside him, who had covered her mouth and was equally astonished.

In that instant, he seemed to realize something on some unconscious level.

Then he silently activated his ability.

Perfect Facial Expression Control, activate!

At the same time, however, sensing Yan Huan's gaze, Hitomi Sakuramiya backed away several steps as though startled, trying to distance herself from him.

Her hesitant gaze swept over Yan Huan, and for an instant, she even seemed to suspect that this was all a prank he had played after finally giving in to his animal urges.

But afterward, she seemed to remember what Yan Huan had been like in the past, decided that he could not possibly do something like this, and chose to trust him.

Even so, she cautiously kept some distance from Yan Huan, not daring to approach him. Compared with her usual calm, her voice sounded shaky, its outward firmness masking her lack of confidence.

"President... What... on earth is going on?"

Seeing her genuine, seemingly unfeigned and entirely natural reaction to being alone with a man, Yan Huan instead began to doubt himself a little.

She really seemed afraid that he was the one who had locked them both in here to do something improper.

"Calm down, Sakuramiya. Don't panic. Let me think about what's going on here."

"Mm-hmm, it's okay, President. I'm just..."

Hitomi Sakuramiya pressed her lips together and still decided to trust President Yan.

Could it be that it wasn't the Vice President Sakuramiya?

Besides, the Vice President Sakuramiya had always had a good sense of boundaries and been very understanding, completely unlike Ye Shiyu, who looked like a destined Modifier host at first glance.

Had someone else done it?

But why?

Ye Shiyu had used the Modifier because her possessiveness had flared up, to drive me out of the house.

Why use it now?

And judging by the situation, that mysterious person had used the Modifier to lock us both up solely to hide in the shadows and watch us cross those lines?

What kind of bizarre fetish was that?!

Hiss, wait. Come to think of it, that actually did exist.

As Yan Huan thought it over, he suddenly cringed inwardly, nearly losing even his perfectly controlled expression.

Watching someone you liked or had feelings for with someone else...

Then hiding away to watch, and actually finding it very...

Memories of things he should never have seen or remembered began attacking him again, giving him something of a migraine. For the first time, he felt that knowing too much was a sin.

At that moment, he understood the maxim of the Cthulhu Mythos: knowledge was a curse.

Right then, Yan Huan truly felt that human beings were beyond saving.

So they'd watch any bizarre thing, huh?

But the question was, which possibility was actually right?

Had the Vice President Sakuramiya done it?

But what was her motive?

Yan Huan turned to look at the Vice President Sakuramiya, but she had already quietly moved behind the equipment mats nearby, seemingly very worried that Yan Huan might do something bad in this situation.

But if it wasn't the Vice President Sakuramiya who had a Modifier...

Then who exactly was the one using the Modifier?

And what did it do?

Holding the slip of paper with the method of escape written on it, Yan Huan fell into deep thought.