Sunday morning.
The vigorous sunlight that had just breached the horizon climbed the walls of a public rental building in the South District, peeking through a window into an east-facing room on the sixth floor.
Inside, a black cat ran back and forth across the wooden floor before finally stopping at the bathroom door.
It sat down primly and gave the person inside an adorable little call.
"Meow~"
"Almost done, Meow-chan."
In the bathroom, Yan Huan stood before the sink, already dressed for his outing.
A loose navy plaid shirt complemented the white of the versatile T-shirt underneath, finished off with black cargo pants.
He set down his razor and splashed hot water over his clean face and well-defined jawline.
As he breathed out a warm breath, he picked up the hair dryer.
Whoosh!
Under the powerful styling effect of alternating hot and cold air, his damp hair dried as it took on his preferred style.
At last, it provided that exceptionally eye-catching finishing touch.
"Meow~"
Meow-chan hopped lightly onto his shoulder and blinked at the handsome boy in the mirror.
"How unusual, meow. You're actually putting so much care into getting ready today."
A long black tail brushed his earlobe, then curled high.
"Yeah, after all, today isn't just an internal Student Council outing. Bai Yi will be there too, right?"
"Meow~"
After one last look at himself in the mirror, Yan Huan hung up the hair dryer and turned to leave the bathroom.
"Okay, all done. Let's get going."
He put on his shoes, picked up breakfast, and headed out the door.
He had nothing bulky to bring and didn't need a backpack, so he set off with just his phone, Bluetooth Earphones, wallet, and house keys in his pockets.
Oh, and the ticket he had prepared for Hitomi Sakuramiya.
As he ate the pork floss bun he had bought at the convenience store after work yesterday, he opened Plane and messaged Yatsuhashi Ki.
He started with a head-shaking cat sticker, then typed his question.
"I'm heading out. I'll take the subway to the station near your place first, then we can go together."
"OK."
A busty blonde anime girl gave a thumbs-up.
He also sent everyone a message in the main group chat.
"Yatsuhashi and I are both heading out. Shall we meet at the Golden Lion Convention Center in Jinghe District at eight thirty?"
After getting an affirmative reply from everyone, Yan Huan put in one Bluetooth earphone and walked toward the nearby subway station while listening to music.
The walk took a little over ten minutes, and he passed the closed Tongyao Tavern along the way.
It was a little past seven in the morning; Tong Yingying was probably still asleep.
After finishing the pork floss bun and drinking a carton of milk, he reached the station entrance just in time to throw the rubbish into a bin.
He scanned his phone to enter the station and boarded Line 11 toward Jinghe District. The station near Yatsuhashi Ki's home was one stop away.
"Ding-dong! Now arriving at South Fifth Street Station."
He got off and waited a little. Before long, Yatsuhashi Ki arrived.
"President!!"
Yan Huan, who had been browsing his phone on the platform, turned toward the voice and saw Yatsuhashi Ki running toward him, excitement written all over his face.
The guy wore a mask and a gray T-shirt.
He carried an enormous backpack, with a paper bag stuffed full of things in each hand.
Already physically weak as a scrawny shut-in, he had jogged along carrying all that stuff with a mask over his face and was practically gasping himself to death.
"Hah, hah... President... hah..."
"You're really something, running with a mask on. Don't die on me."
Yan Huan patted his back and had him quickly take off the mask to breathe, his gaze shifting to the bags in his hands.
"What's all this stuff you've brought? You're loaded down."
Still panting, Yatsuhashi Ki pulled one bag open a little to explain.
"Hah... this stuff? This bag has freebies, little snacks and things to give cosplayers, plus glow sticks and a poster for Ai-chan to sign-
"And this bag has paper, pens, a mat, water, bread, a power bank, and stuff like that. The backpack has camera equipment for taking people's pictures."
Wasn't that way too much stuff?!
Yan Huan raised his eyebrows and took something resembling a magic wand out of the bag, asking curiously,
"What's this, then?"
Yatsuhashi Ki's expression changed when he saw Yan Huan take it out, and he hurriedly said,
"Wait, President! Don't press that button! Your finger!"
But Yan Huan hadn't noticed the little button beneath his grip at all and had touched it as soon as he picked it up.
Then the little stick in his hand began to speak.
"May I take your picture? Thank you."
He pressed it again.
"May I collect a photo with you? Thank you."
In Two-Dimensional World culture, "collecting photos" meant asking to take a picture together.
He pressed it again.
"May I expand my friend list with you? Thank you."
An internet expression meaning to expand one's friend list-in other words, asking to add someone on Plane.
Every recording above was in Yatsuhashi Ki's voice.
"..."
Holding the Audio Cheer Stick, Yan Huan stared blankly at Yatsuhashi Ki.
Under his stare, Yatsuhashi Ki scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then hurriedly snatched the stick out of Yan Huan's hand and explained,
"Social anxiety! I have social anxiety, President! Have a little understanding!! I don't really dare ask those cosplayers for pictures together, photos, or friend requests, so I record my voice with this. Then I just have to press a button."
"You're way too well prepared."
"Well, I go to conventions all the time. Rather than saying I brought too much, I'd say you brought a little too little, President."
Yatsuhashi Ki pushed up his glasses, their lenses reflecting Yan Huan's face. After studying him for a moment, he pointed at his face and said incredulously,
"Hey, hey, and what's with your look, President? You're practically overflowing with the glow of a normie. You're not even drawn in the same art style as me..."
As he spoke, he suddenly clutched his head as though struck by a revelation, looking unable to accept it.
"Wait. Now that I think about it, isn't the whole Student Council full of normies...? I've managed to get along with you all this long. Have even I betrayed the other side?"
"You only just realized? We already started evolving from goblins when you became my running mate last semester, young man."
"Huh? What the hell do goblins have to do with anything?"
The Far Moon Student Council only held elections for president. Generally, two people formed a Running Mate ticket and competed against other pairs.
Naturally, the two who won became the president and vice president, while the president invited and nominated people for the other positions before announcing them to the whole school.
Of course, running alone without a partner was also allowed.
As long as someone could complete all the campaign work and receive enough votes to win, nominating a vice president afterward was fine.
But why hadn't Yatsuhashi Ki become vice president?
There were two reasons.
The primary reason was that this guy genuinely had social anxiety and didn't want to appear in public at all.
Throughout the campaign, he had worked entirely behind the scenes without ever showing his face, leaving people thinking Yan Huan was running alone without a Running Mate.
Even though his name had been mentioned many times before, most people still had no idea that the exquisitely crafted presentations, all the data generated through code, and the animated little anime characters had been this shut-in's work.
Strictly speaking, though, someone who didn't show up for endorsement speeches or canvassing couldn't really count as a running mate. Yan Huan had simply always considered him one.
When Yan Huan had wanted to nominate him as vice president, he had practically dropped to his knees in surrender, because the president and vice president had to take turns giving speeches to the entire school.
Seriously, making Yatsuhashi Ki give a speech in front of that many people...
All one could say was that if he gave the speech in the morning, he would jump off a building that afternoon.
The second reason was that the school had someone with connections.
Namely, Hitomi Sakuramiya.
Even now, Yan Huan remembered Principal Hermes's chrysanthemum-like smile as he rubbed his hands together and strongly recommended that he nominate Hitomi Sakuramiya as vice president.
"Ding-dong~ The train is arriving. Please allow passengers to exit before boarding~"
The train arrived just then, and Yan Huan dragged Yatsuhashi Ki into the carriage while the latter questioned his life, seemingly trying to figure out what about him resembled a goblin.
Since they were near the starting station, there weren't many passengers, and they managed to get seats.
Someone sent a message in the main Student Council group chat on his phone.
Hitomi Sakuramiya: "I'm already here. I'll wait for you near Golden Lion Convention Center Station."
Yatsuhashi Ki saw the message too and clicked his tongue.
"That's way too fast. Just what you'd expect from a young lady who lives in Jinghe District."
"And she has a car to take her everywhere."
Yan Huan smiled slightly and replied to Hitomi Sakuramiya with an "Okay!" cat sticker, then began thinking.
Bai Yi wouldn't go onstage until around two in the afternoon, which was also when the venue would be at its most crowded.
She probably hadn't even arrived this early, so Yan Huan planned to contact her closer to noon.
He would see how things were then and decide what to do based on the content of her afternoon appearance.
After they had ridden for some time, more and more people their age wearing cosplay outfits began appearing at the later stops near the Golden Lion Convention Center.
"Now arriving at Golden Lion Convention Center East Station."
Yan Huan and Yatsuhashi Ki followed the crowd out of the subway and up to street level. Letting the sunlight gradually dispel the shadows on his face, he raised his eyes to look ahead.
An enormous building came into view, a Golden Lion Head carved into its most conspicuous spot gazing down at Yan Huan as he emerged from the subway.
Along both sides of the broad walkway leading to the entrance, banners hanging from lampposts fluttered in the breeze.
They featured exhibiting game companies' logos, popular anime characters, and portraits of internet personalities and celebrities.
The chatter of young people gathered into a lively stream of humanity, brimming with energy like the sun at eight or nine that morning.
This was the spectacle of the Game Exhibition in Linmen's Jinghe District!
"All right, time to get to work!!"
The moment they arrived, Yatsuhashi Ki raised his hand and let out this excited declaration of unclear meaning.
He had the same enthusiasm he usually showed when pulling for waifus.
"So what exactly are you so excited about? Do you like Shijo Ai that much?"
"President, over here!"
At the subway entrance, just as Yan Huan was mercilessly mocking him and preparing to message Hitomi Sakuramiya, a girl's voice seemed to pierce through the crowd and reach his ears.
Yan Huan paused slightly and looked toward the voice, immediately spotting a beautiful girl standing beside the railing.
She wore a vintage Gothic Lolita dress, her hair tied up at the back of her head to show off the shape of a black bow.
She held a parasol to shade herself from the sun, but it didn't cover her completely, allowing sunlight from the front to struggle through her defenses and fall upon her fair, delicate skin.
On either side of her slightly illuminated, exquisite face, loose strands of hair tipped with cherry-blossom pink drifted in the breeze.
As she looked toward Yan Huan, she gave a faint smile.
Wherever her gaze swept, it was like a hyper beam, sending the surrounding boys into blushing, flustered defeat.
It was none other than Hitomi Sakuramiya, vice president of the Far Moon Student Council.
Yan Huan led Yatsuhashi Ki over to Hitomi Sakuramiya and was momentarily taken aback by her outfit today.
It hit Yan Huan's sweet spot dead center!
A thousand percent petite and adorable-that was Hitomi Sakuramiya today.
"...Sakuramiya, you're here early."
"Ah, my house isn't too far from here. I was worried there would be lots of people and traffic today, so I asked the driver to leave early."
Hitomi Sakuramiya covered her mouth and chuckled as she answered.
Seeing Yan Huan's dazed gaze, Hitomi Sakuramiya kept her expression unchanged, but inwardly she was in an All according to plan state.
Scheming~
The reason she had arrived so early this morning was to find the perfect spot near the subway entrance.
Then she had spent ten minutes posing here to ensure that every frame at this moment could pass for a portrait.
The instant the president stepped out of the dim underground passage into the sunlight, he would see a dazzlingly beautiful girl who seemed one with the sunshine, holding a parasol and waiting for his arrival...
What a psychological impact that would make!
Her outfit had been carefully selected, exquisite without being affected. Even the parasol was the best choice after she had tried matching them one by one.
She wore subtle everyday half-makeup that was difficult to detect, paired with a hairstyle that matched her overall air. It was perfection.
Most importantly...
She was even wearing daily disposable contacts.
This was a girl in her absolute peak combat condition!!
With all her preparations complete, she stood there smiling, maintaining her ladylike parasol-holding pose.
Motionless, waiting for Yan Huan to emerge.
In reality, her frail body had been standing motionless for so long that her feet were practically aching to death.
It felt like how one's legs barely obeyed after standing at attention during military training.
But you looked away, didn't you, President?
Because you saw how stunning I looked today-
Huh?
What was this?
What was the president's hairstyle today?
Had he blow-dried it? Had he styled it?
I'd never seen it before!
It looked really good!! Paired with the president's face...
At that thought, Hitomi Sakuramiya's perfectly smiling face instantly began to falter.
Her tingling legs rubbed together beneath her skirt, and her gaze darted away, no longer daring to look at Yan Huan. She hurriedly said softly,
"...You Anlina and the others will probably arrive a little later. They said they were coming together."
"I see."
Yatsuhashi Ki's incredulous look, originally directed at Yan Huan, gradually spread until he was looking at both of them.
He even began to question whether inviting these damn normies to the convention together had been the right move.
Hey, High Priest, are you there?
Please come take me back to the cave. Thank you!
Meanwhile, in a seat not far behind Hitomi Sakuramiya, Nara, wearing a cheongsam and sunglasses while eating breakfast, helplessly covered her face.
That was it?
You said you'd utterly rout the president, but he hadn't even said anything and you'd already gone weak?
All that noisy fuss, and one punch from him broke your defenses.
All that time I spent styling you, wasted. How embarrassing!
Sipping her coffee, Nara thought this speechlessly.
Well, the young lady still had plenty of other elaborate arrangements inside the convention center.
With so many traps set, surely one of them would catch Yan Huan?
Nara swallowed the last bite of her breakfast and uncrossed her legs.
The hem of her cheongsam fluttered as Nara stood and silently headed toward the convention center.
Today was another day spent working for Young Lady Sakuramiya.
"Ah! I set the wrong location for the ride!! The president and the others seem to be on the east side. Why did we get out on the west side, aaaaaah!!"
"Huh?! You Anlina, are you an idiot? How did you even get the location wrong?"
"S-sorry! Aishili, boo-hoo! It's all the satellite positioning's fault! Maybe Earth's magnetic field interfered with the satellite and caused a signal deviation..."
"Why don't you say Earth's magnetic field broke your brain? I seriously can't with you."
On the west side of the Golden Lion Convention Center, Spencer, dressed in sportswear, was squatting outside a milk tea shop, watching cartoons on her phone.
She seemed to be waiting for someone.
But because she only had one Bluetooth Earphone in, she heard the conversation between the two girls passing nearby.
President?
Hearing that key word, she raised her eyes and looked over.
She saw two cosplayers in Magical Girl outfits, one blue and one red, looking at the navigation on their phone's map as they hurried in a certain direction, on the verge of tears.
Those two seemed to be the school's Student Council Disciplinary Committee Chair and secretary?
Spencer was especially familiar with that Disciplinary Committee Chair.
They shouldn't think the clever Spencer wouldn't recognize them just because they'd turned into Magical Girls.
After all, she'd already been caught several times by Disciplinary Committee members for breaking school rules this week. There was no way she would mistake their Disciplinary Committee Chair!
Oh~
From what they were saying, that President Yan was here today too?
Closing the cartoon on her phone, Spencer watched the two leave, an intrigued expression appearing on her face.
Coming here really had been the right choice...
"Um... Sorry, I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I, Spencer?"
Just then, a timid voice, like that of a little animal, sounded beside her, making Spencer turn her head.
She saw a girl bundled up in thick clothes, wearing a face mask and carrying a paper bag in each hand.
Aside from not having that backpack, her gear was practically identical to Yatsuhashi Ki's. She looked like a veteran otaku too.
Even though she'd had her hair cut and changed her hairstyle, that timid manner and instinctive lowering of her head still let Spencer recognize the newcomer at a glance.
It was An Le.
Just kidding.
Spencer couldn't read other people's dispositions. She'd actually recognized An Le by her Oppai.
"You're finally here. I've been waiting ages."
"Sorry, there was a bit of traffic on the way, so..."
An Le hurriedly waved her hands and apologized to Spencer.
"It's fine. Let's go."
Spencer didn't particularly mind and turned to head for the convention center.
But behind her, An Le hurried to catch up and couldn't help looking at her back, asking curiously,
"Um... Spencer, why... did you think to give me such an expensive ticket? I looked online, and it seemed to cost over a thousand?"
Glancing back at An Le, who had spoken so cautiously behind her, Spencer thought for a moment, seemingly trying to find a suitable reason.
But after thinking for ages, she came up with nothing.
So she huffed and said impatiently,
"Hah, it's just because I don't know much about this stuff. You seemed to know quite a bit, so I just asked you. It's not like I specifically invited you here. Don't get the wrong idea."
"Oh, I see..."
An Le's face mask made it impossible to tell what expression she wore.
But after turning back around, Spencer pursed her lips and thought for a moment, seemingly feeling that she hadn't phrased that quite right.
She gave another little huff and added,
"Besides, it didn't cost me anything to come here anyway, so it doesn't matter."
"..."
An Le blinked. In truth, she hadn't noticed anything wrong with what Spencer had said earlier.
But looking at Spencer's back as she stood with her hands on her hips, An Le still couldn't help smiling beneath her mask.
A white snake poked its head out from her shoulder and flicked its tongue.
After looking Spencer over a few times, it delivered a merciless assessment,
"Is this person an idiot?"
"H-how can you say that about Spencer? She's admittedly a little dishonest about her feelings, but she's still pretty cute."
"Heh, you too."
"Ooh, Little Finger..."
Inside a luxurious villa in Jinghe District.
The spacious room held plenty of equipment, makeup mirrors, and clothes. This was Bai Yi's studio, as well as her preparation room before events began.
At that moment, several makeup artists were gathered around Bai Yi, finalizing her makeup for that afternoon's event.
Her manager, Ji Lin, wheeled in a rack of clothes from the side and asked her,
"Yi-Yi, take a look. Which outfit do you want to wear this afternoon?"
Bai Yi turned at that and glanced over the dazzling array of fashionable clothes on the rack.
She was just about to speak when Zuo Jiangqin walked in through the doorway.
"Let me have a look first... Aren't these a bit too flashy? Wasn't the image we established before supposed to be pure and innocent? Don't you have anything plainer?"
"Jiangqin, it's mainly because everyone at today's convention will be young, and there's a lot of Two-Dimensional World culture too. These might be more suitable."
"Two-Dimensional World this, Two-Dimensional World that. Ridiculous. I'll go see if there's anything else."
"...All right, Jiangqin."
Zuo Jiangqin turned and left the room. Ji Lin helplessly glanced at Bai Yi, who sat in front of the mirror without much expression, then silently wheeled the rack of clothes back out.
Bai Yi seemed long accustomed to this and showed no particular expression.
She merely looked in front of her, where a USB Drive and a sheet of paper covered in lyrics lay on the table.
They contained the backing track she'd recorded for her new song and the lyrics she'd rushed to finish over the past few nights.
She had copied a version onto her phone too, originally planning to send it to Yan Huan to listen to. After all, he'd said something about waiting for her to release a new song.
But faced with the chat window, she'd hesitated for ages and still hadn't dared send it.
"..."
While she was staring blankly at the USB Drive and lyric sheet in front of her, Zuo Jiangqin suddenly came in and swept aside the things she'd placed on the table.
Bai Yi finally couldn't help frowning, but when she turned, she saw her mother's expression was even sterner than hers.
"Pick from these hair accessories and clothes. Try not to dress so seductively. Maintain your image a little, and watch what you say when the time comes too. Did you hear me?"
"..."
Looking at her mother before her, Bai Yi pressed her lips together and averted her gaze.
"Did you hear me?"
Only when the other woman asked again did Bai Yi finally part her lips and ask softly,
"When I go onstage later... I'd like to sing a song. May I?"
Zuo Jiangqin froze briefly, then frowned even more deeply.
She simply slapped the jewelry on the table and said coldly and decisively,
"No.
"Stick to what we rehearsed."
Bai Yi opened her mouth, then silently turned to look in the mirror and said nothing more.
"Tick... tick... tick..."
Before you continue