"Beep!"
"Ah, finally inside."
After waiting in line for ages, Yan Huan and Hitomi Sakuramiya finally passed through the ticket checkpoint and entered the enormous convention center.
If nothing else, the Golden Lion Group's sheer wealth hit them the moment they walked in.
Light streamed through the ceiling's glass and between the marble pillars, illuminating the lion sculptures carved into the walls around the hall and lending this cultural gathering an air of golden splendor.
And this was only the first hall.
The Golden Lion Convention Center consisted of several connected buildings, with more than a dozen halls devoted to different themes scattered throughout.
Mainstream game launches, clothing exhibitions in various styles, a guest autograph session area, a fanwork exhibition, an Inner World fanwork exhibition, an entertainment area, a snack area...
Finally, there was the "Main Venue" at the very center of the convention center.
As the only venue with a stage, it hosted all the official events, including the guest meet-and-greet coming up later.
Bai Yi would be appearing on that stage too.
Yan Huan glanced at the guide map a staff member had handed him on his way in, intending to discuss with Hitomi Sakuramiya which section to explore first.
But after stepping indoors, Hitomi Sakuramiya closed her parasol, held it in her hand, and pointed in one direction as she told Yan Huan,
"President, I'm going to the restroom."
"Okay, I'll wait here."
Hitomi Sakuramiya nodded with a smile, then turned and left.
Stepping into the empty restroom, Hitomi Sakuramiya hummed as she pressed a button hidden in her parasol, then began washing her hands.
"Ding-ding~"
Before long, a woman in a cheongsam and sunglasses approached from outside the restroom.
It was Hitomi Sakuramiya's personal bodyguard, Nara.
Seeing Hitomi Sakuramiya looking relaxed inside the restroom, she sighed silently and switched off the alarm on her phone.
"My dear Miss Sakuramiya, I told you, even though I'm always nearby, don't press that button unless it's an emergency."
But Hitomi Sakuramiya acted as though she hadn't heard her, merely smiling at Nara while drying the droplets on her hands under the hand dryer.
"Hehe~"
Nara blinked, not understanding what Hitomi Sakuramiya meant.
But soon, Hitomi Sakuramiya took out her phone, opened her photo album, and began showing Nara something.
"..."
Nara raised her eyebrows and looked at her phone screen.
On it, Yan Huan held up his phone while Hitomi Sakuramiya leaned close beside him, both of them smiling at the camera.
It was a rare photo of the Far Moon Student Council's president and vice president together.
But Nara merely looked away and back at Hitomi Sakuramiya, who held up her phone with her head high and chest out, a radiant smile on her face.
"So?"
At Nara's words, Hitomi Sakuramiya's smiling expression instantly changed, and she puffed out her cheeks.
She swiped across the screen faster, switching from one photo to the next.
"Huh? What do you mean, 'so'?! Look, it's not just this one! We took lots! We even took lots with effects and stickers!"
"..."
Nara's lips parted slightly as the photos flashed through her eyes like streaks of light.
Only then did she seem to finally understand why Hitomi Sakuramiya had summoned her.
"...Miss Sakuramiya, don't tell me you called me over specifically to show off your photos with Yan Huan?"
Hearing that, Hitomi Sakuramiya froze for a moment, then insisted with some embarrassment,
"These are results, results, okay?! And they're not just photos together. The president turned down other people collecting photos and specifically took them with me!"
"..."
"He said something really cool like, 'I can't leave you behind when you can't take pictures.' Do you understand, Nara?!"
"...Yes, yes, yes. You win, miss."
"I won again?!"
Nara sighed without saying a word, but her expression was filled with the lament that earning money was as hard as eating shit.
That expression only infuriated Hitomi Sakuramiya further. Her cheeks swelled like balloons, and her face grew redder and redder.
But when she turned the screen around and glanced at her photos with Yan Huan, a warm smile immediately filled her face again.
"Hmph, I don't care. When I get home, I'm printing all these photos and hanging them on the wall!"
"Yes, and preferably hang up an 'In deepest mourning' banner too, with a memorial tablet underneath saying, 'May love live forever'..."
"Nara!!"
Fuming, Hitomi Sakuramiya raised her fist to teach her a lesson, only for Nara to effortlessly block her with one hand again.
Whenever something involved that Yan Huan, Miss Sakuramiya's intelligence flickered in and out of existence.
Yes, when it vanished, she was like this: silly, always saying strange things and doing strange things.
As for when it appeared, that was when she secretly spied on Yan Huan or confronted potential romantic rivals such as Ye Shiyu.
Mm, how adorable. First love was written all over her face.
Easily defending against Hitomi Sakuramiya's little fists, Nara sighed and told her,
"Ah, looking closely, you and Yan Huan really are well matched, miss. A talented man and a beautiful woman, truly made for each other."
Though the words were plainly a canned recitation, Nara delivered them with flawless, expressive intonation.
Someone else might have been fooled, but Hitomi Sakuramiya knew her, after all, and hearing this only made her disbelieve her.
Having failed to show off her photos, she gave a little huff and looked at them in self-satisfaction.
"Well, whatever. You just don't appreciate them... How are the preparations for the entertainment area coming along?"
"Mm-hmm, everything's ready. Fortune-telling, two-player games, claw machines, and then the most important part, the haunted house, right?"
"Good."
At that, Hitomi Sakuramiya's restless heart finally settled down.
Inwardly, she once again wore the sinister expression of someone whose plan was coming together, and she couldn't help letting her imagination run wild.
With this whole series of activities, the flames of love were sure to ignite, and the president would be mine!
"As long as these activities succeed, Yan Huan won't be far from confessing to me. He'll be mine."
That way, we could get together without contradicting the persona I'd maintained all this time or letting the president spot any cracks, as long as I kept pretending.
"It won't contradict the persona you've maintained at all. Getting together will feel perfectly natural to Yan Huan, and afterward, you just have to keep pretending so he never discovers your true colors."
As she thought, Hitomi Sakuramiya touched her chin and raised her head blankly, looking at Nara, who was reciting her thoughts without a trace of emotion.
She had already guessed almost exactly what Hitomi Sakuramiya was thinking.
"Huh?"
"...You really are easy to read, miss. Your thoughts are written all over your face."
Nara sighed, but then a naturally alluring smile appeared on her face.
"Still, I suppose you only drop all your pretense like this in front of me, Miss Sakuramiya?"
Hitomi Sakuramiya pressed her lips together and huffed at Nara.
"That's because we're accomplices, and we both know each other's most shameful secrets. That's why we have to huddle together for warmth, isn't it?"
"...Well, whatever the reason, since you trust me so much, I suppose your big sister should give you a little hint."
"Big sister? You-"
Hitomi Sakuramiya was about to give her a disdainful look, but Nara raised her index finger and wagged it a few times.
"Don't you pride yourself on understanding Yan Huan very well, miss?"
"Of course. I know exactly what the president does and when every day, and everything else too..."
"Setting aside the question of whether you can hide your true self for your entire life, let me ask you one question."
Nara raised her eyes to Hitomi Sakuramiya, aiming at her heart like an arrow on a drawn bowstring.
"Yan Huan is busy every day with studying, Student Council duties, and his part-time jobs. Where would he find the spare time to romance you, miss?"
"..."
"And however open-minded your parents are, even if they allow you to date freely, they'll probably still pick apart everything about your future husband, especially his family background and capabilities, won't they?"
"..."
With two sentences, Nara tossed the bloody reality in front of Hitomi Sakuramiya.
Weren't these problems probably even more frightening than her decision to hide her true self from Yan Huan for the rest of her life?
That's right, the president still has to work, and Father and Mother also...
"I..."
Hitomi Sakuramiya gasped, seemingly unable to refute these mountainlike, brutal realities no matter what.
But the next second, something suddenly occurred to her.
Wait.
The president wasn't completely without backing!
She remembered that on Friday, Ye Shiyu and her mother, Ye Lan, had visited Yan Huan's rented apartment. Hitomi Sakuramiya had nearly lost her composure over it at the time.
So on Saturday, besides having Nara arrange today's "traps for Yan Huan" in the entertainment area, she had also investigated the Ye mother and daughter further herself.
It hadn't been hard to discover that Ye Lan was a senior executive from the founding family of the now-renowned Ye International, with influence that couldn't be underestimated.
With Ye Lan backing the president, he wouldn't need to keep himself so busy working, and she could fill the gap in his background too!
At this thought, Hitomi Sakuramiya's eyes brightened slightly.
The photo of Ye Lan in yesterday's information seemed to sprout an angel's halo and wings at that moment, smiling benevolently at Hitomi Sakuramiya.
"O maiden, pray devoutly to your goddess, Ye Lan. She will bless your love~"
At that moment, Hitomi Sakuramiya wished she could become a believer in the "Ye Lan Cult," whether it existed or not.
Under the imaginary Ye Lan's benevolent gaze, Hitomi Sakuramiya's mind worked faster and faster.
Everyone in my family doted on me, from top to bottom. Otherwise, they wouldn't have agreed to let me come to Linmen alone to study.
Besides, I knew the president was outstanding in his own right, not some pretty boy living off his looks.
As long as I put in some effort and explained the president's good points to my parents, none of what Nara mentioned would be an obstacle!
Wait, thinking about it carefully...
Didn't this mean I had every favorable circumstance on my side?
Didn't this prove that the president and I were destined for each other?!
Didn't this mean I had already...
Won for sure!!
Under Ye Lan's benevolent gaze, Vice President Hitomi Sakuramiya bathed in holy light, as though she had achieved transcendence.
But the very next second, an expressionless, cold-faced girl suddenly appeared behind that benevolent goddess.
Horns grew from her head, and she had a pair of bat wings and a heart-shaped devil's tail behind her.
Although she was expressionless, she filled Hitomi Sakuramiya with such dislike and disgust.
It was Ye Shiyu.
Wait.
Following that line of thought, didn't that mean I had to thank that older sister named Ye Shiyu for my extremely high chances of getting together with the president?
Calm down...
Calm down, Hitomi Sakuramiya.
The president said it himself. That Ye Shiyu was only his older sister.
That was nothing. Who didn't have siblings? It was perfectly nor-
At that moment, the feeling she'd had in the principal's office on Tuesday inexplicably resurfaced in Hitomi Sakuramiya's mind: wanting to believe that Spencer and the president were simply running a normal Study Group.
Was the way Ye Shiyu looked at the president how an older sister should look at her younger brother?
And why would I even think that way...
It was all that Spencer's fault!!
Watching Hitomi Sakuramiya sink into thought, her expression alternating between excitement and coldness, Nara couldn't work out what she was thinking either.
Oh well. I was only a bodyguard, after all. I'd merely offered Miss Sakuramiya a reminder out of personal affection.
As for what exactly she should do, that wasn't Nara's concern.
In matters of love, the real effort always came from the two people in the relationship. Others couldn't help.
She smiled slightly and looked outside the restroom, gently patting the grim-faced Hitomi Sakuramiya to rouse her from her thoughts.
"All right, I'll go wait for you two in the entertainment area. Don't keep your president waiting, Miss Sakuramiya."
"Achoo!!"
Golden Lion Convention Center, Inner World fanwork area.
Inside the spacious area enclosed by curtains, a beautiful Blond Hair girl suddenly sneezed for no apparent reason.
She sniffed, looking utterly puzzled.
"No way. Does Santa Claus really hold that much of a grudge? Why does he keep cursing me?"
It was none other than the clever and wise golden-haired lion, Aria Spencer.
She looked at the stalls around her, each with a long queue. Their signs listed fan comics, games, and other things for sale, all with titles Spencer couldn't understand at all.
She didn't know what that "·" marking meant either.
Reading was already hard enough. She didn't understand why they had to use such complicated codes and abbreviations too.
Were they afraid other people would understand?
In fact, that thing was an age-rating label, meaning admission was forbidden to anyone under eighteen.
Linmen had a comprehensive rating system, allowing people with all kinds of needs to find works that satisfied them.
But of course, it also had drawbacks. For example, products with certain ratings always managed to reach groups they shouldn't be sold to through all sorts of bizarre means.
No matter how strict the inspections were, there were always gaps.
For instance, right now, nobody here was checking identification at all. As long as you didn't obviously look like an elementary schooler, you could lift the curtain and enter without being stopped.
An Le, who had come along, was very excited after arriving, saying she wanted to buy something she had really wanted.
Spencer knew nothing about any of this, so she sat by the entrance and waited for her to come out.
"Wow, Jiao Tan's new work this time is incredible!"
"Yeah, that feeling of taking everything away from a victim who had it all, who was happy and fulfilled..."
Sitting idly nearby, Spencer seemed to hear something that interested her and suddenly looked up.
Her Blond Hair brightened slightly, as though glowing. Turning to look, she saw two masked geeks, each holding a black bag, chatting enthusiastically.
"Especially the part where they fall."
"Right, right! That part was amazing! They clearly still have feelings for their lover, but they have no choice but to give in to instinct. That expression as their restraint crumbles bit by bit, until they finally give up on themselves completely and fall..."
As they continued talking, however, they seemed to feel an intense chill.
It was as though something they cherished was about to leave them.
That illusion suddenly arose in their hearts.
Both froze and turned to look, only to see a very pretty Blond Hair girl watching them with her arms folded.
"Hey, what are you two talking about? I'm really interested~"
"I..."
Despite how pretty she was, she filled them both with revulsion and fear.
One of them was still thinking of saying something, but the one behind him shook his head and pulled his companion away quickly.
"Tch, cowards."
Spencer yawned and curled her lip as she watched the two flee in panic, clutching their black bags.
"Um... Spencer, I'm back."
"Huh?"
Arms folded and chin raised, posing like someone powerful, Spencer turned around and saw the masked An Le carrying seven or eight black bags.
"Although... getting an online friend to help buy them took a bit of effort, I managed to buy all the new works I was interested in."
Even with the mask on, Spencer could faintly glimpse a flush it could not conceal, seemingly complementing her excited words.
On her shoulder, the illusory Little Finger rolled her eyes.
"The games you play and comics you read get wilder and wilder, but you're completely helpless in real life. What's the point?"
An Le glanced at Little Finger on her shoulder, only then returning to reality from the excitement of buying the new releases.
She lowered her head a little further in embarrassment, tightening her grip on the black bags in her arms.
"So what exactly is in those black bags? Every one of you looks so excited after buying them."
"Ah, this?"
Looking at the thoroughly puzzled Spencer before her, An Le wanted to explain, but simply could not get the words out.
How was she supposed to tell an outsider about these strange works...?
And she had even asked someone to buy them in secret. That made it even less fit to mention!
Seeing An Le hem and haw, Spencer grew increasingly impatient, her arms still folded.
"Forget it, I'll go look myself!"
"W-wait, Spencer!"
But how could the timid, cowardly An Le possibly stop Spencer from doing whatever she pleased?
And so she could only watch as Spencer strode toward one of the booths, arms folded and head held high.
A sign above it read,
"Pure Ballet~"
"Jiao Tan's latest masterpiece of plunder, on sale now!"
Spencer swaggered straight to the front of the line of several dozen people, showing no intention of queuing.
What a joke. Her family ran this entire convention. Why would she need to queue here?
It was over.
She was doomed!!
An Le covered her mouth, but it was already too late to stop Spencer.
She watched Spencer walk right up to the booth and speak directly to a muscular man wearing a mask inside.
"Give me a copy."
"..."
The masked man inside, who was bagging the books and was also the artist himself, froze slightly. Faced with this girl who cut in line as though it were perfectly natural and right, his mind briefly crashed.
Someone queuing behind her frowned and was about to tap her shoulder, but Spencer had already turned around.
The instant he saw her face, a sense of terror and chilling revulsion swept over him, actually making him take a step back.
"Huh?"
Only after a second did he muster the courage to speak.
"We're queuing here, you know?"
"Yeah!"
"How can you just cut in line?!"
Spencer said nothing, merely taking out her bulging wallet.
Then she grabbed a stack of large-denomination bills and placed it in the hand of the man behind her. Raising her chin, she seized the foremost spot.
"Your spot's mine now."
"I..."
The man behind her had originally intended to refuse firmly, because he knew he was not a man who would bow to money.
He was a man of integrity!
But...
She had simply offered too much!!
The man behind her instantly fell silent, while those queuing farther back also realized she was trouble and stopped speaking.
Only then did Spencer turn back in satisfaction to the masked artist inside the booth and say,
"Give me a copy of this comic of yours, whatever it is."
"..."
The man inside was burly, but surprisingly socially anxious.
He frowned, extremely displeased with Spencer's behavior, but it took him quite a while to speak again.
"Did you queue?"
Spencer paused slightly at that, then shook her head honestly.
"No, I didn't."
"..."
At that, not only the artist sitting inside the booth, but even the man behind her holding the money helplessly, was stunned.
Seriously, wasn't she being a little too honest?!
"...You can't buy it if you haven't queued."
After being stunned into inaction for several seconds, the artist finally remembered to reply.
Spencer opened her mouth, then looked up at the R16 sign above and rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
Oh.
So that was what that sign meant!
She blinked, looked back at the artist inside the booth, and continued,
"Then I've queued. Sell it to me."
"..."
"..."
An eerie silence instantly fell both in front of and behind her.
The next second, An Le, her face bright red, finally overcame her embarrassment and rushed over, grabbing Spencer.
"Sorry!! I'm sorry, everyone! Sorry, sorry, sorry!! Spencer! Let's... let's go!"
"Huh?! But I haven't bought it yet!"
"I'm begging you! Spencer."
An Le was almost crying, her face as red as an apple.
It was just too embarrassing!
If this went on, she would absolutely, absolutely lose every last shred of dignity.
Although Spencer was still very reluctant, seeing An Le's expression, so anxious she was almost in tears, she clicked her tongue irritably and let An Le gradually pull her away.
If she had not been willing, even ten An Les could not have budged her.
"Oh, right."
Just as she was about to leave, Spencer turned back again to look at the man who had originally been queuing behind her.
She snatched back the money she had put in his hand and stuffed it into her pocket.
"Business is business. I didn't get to buy it, so the money I gave you before doesn't count."
"..."
An Le's face was so red it was practically steaming. Apologizing to everyone around them, she pulled Spencer away.
"Hey, stop pulling me."
"Wah~ Sorry, let's just go... Let's go have fun somewhere else, okay, Spencer?"
Pushed out of the Inner World's fan convention by An Le, Spencer folded her arms, looking displeased.
"Huh? What else is there to do...?"
"Spencer, I'll go anywhere you want with you, as long as we don't stay here any longer, wah."
"...You said it."
Looking at An Le, who was so embarrassed she was almost burying her head in her chest, Spencer grinned wickedly and took out the guide map the staff had given her when she came in.
Then, poking a pale finger at a point on the map, she thrust it in front of An Le with a sharp snap.
"Then I want to go here!"
"Th-this is..."
An Le looked up and saw the place Spencer was pointing to.
"Entertainment area: Murderous Vine Haunted School~"
It...
It was a haunted house!!
Before you continue