Chapter Summaries

Cartethyia struggled with anger and sadness over Dania’s past while searching for a fitting birthday gift for her. After Xiao Ling helped her see Dania’s sacrifice as a way to protect the life she now cherished, Cartethyia decided to weave her a commemorative birthday hat.

• Cartethyia broke five training dummies at the kendo club while dwelling on Dania’s suffering and the Fractsidus’s role in it.
• Cartethyia went to the gardening club to tend her flowers, but Xiao Ling noticed her troubled mood and asked what was wrong.
• Cartethyia explained that flowers felt like the wrong gift because Dania had once been rootless and alone.
• Xiao Ling compared Dania’s sacrifice to withered flowers nourishing roots and reminded Cartethyia that Dania was now living the life she had hoped for.
• Xiao Ling suggested making Dania a birthday hat as a keepsake, and Cartethyia enthusiastically decided to weave one herself.

Xiao Ling discovered Aemeath secretly watching Dania feed the campus cats and helped her choose a birthday gift. Aemeath decided to sew Dania a cat plushie modeled after Senior Calico, while Xiao Ling remained confident his own gift would delight her.

• Xiao Ling found Aemeath hiding in the bushes and learned she was watching Dania to find a birthday gift idea.
• Dania called Senior Calico with a meow, fed her a treat, and was soon surrounded by about ten cats.
• Aemeath and Xiao Ling left Dania and the cats alone, then discussed whether a real cat or a plushie would make a better gift.
• Xiao Ling suggested modeling the plushie after Senior Calico, and Aemeath hurried off to prepare it.
• Xiao Ling watched Aemeath leave and thought his own gift would not disappoint Dania or everyone else.

Dania joined Aemeath, Lupa, and Xiao Ling for a run, then asked Principal Roccia about entering a women's track event at the upcoming sports meet. Roccia approved her request, leaving Dania registered for the 800-meter race.

• Dania walked after two laps and rested while Aemeath, Lupa, and Xiao Ling completed five laps.
• Xiao Ling said he had built up his endurance by running when he felt lonely and showed the girls a photo of his awkward appearance in middle school.
• Xiao Ling promised to cheer for Dania if she ever competed, but Dania insisted she was not interested in joining the sports meet.
• Dania privately messaged Principal Roccia to ask whether a women's track event still had an opening.
• Roccia told Dania an injured competitor had left a spot in the 800-meter race, and Dania asked to take it.
• Roccia encouraged Dania not to feel pressured and wrote her name into the final vacant spot on the participant list.

Xiao Ling tasted Chisa’s matcha macarons and advised her to reduce the sugar before giving them to Dania. Morning then showed him a star-projecting device she had made as Dania’s birthday gift, leaving him impressed by its constellations and night-light mode.

• Chisa invited Xiao Ling to taste the macarons she had made for Dania, and he found them far too sweet.
• Xiao Ling suggested that Chisa reduce the sugar, then took the macarons with him as payment for his advice.
• Morning invited Xiao Ling to see her new invention, and he offered her one of Chisa’s macarons to taste.
• Morning revealed a device that projected stars and a constellation shaped like Dumpling Aemeath, explaining that it was meant to reassure Dania that her morning star would always shine.
• Morning demonstrated the device’s soft-glow night-light mode, and Xiao Ling said Dania would like the gift.

Lynae took Xiao Ling on a motorcycle ride that ended at the seaside, where she found inspiration for a birthday gift for Sister Yaya. After they gathered shells and exchanged a joking conch, they headed home together.

• Lynae took Xiao Ling on a ride through the city, stopping to take photos before they reached the seaside at sunset.
• Lynae asked Xiao Ling about a birthday present for Sister Yaya, and he encouraged her to stop worrying and walk with him along the shore.
• Xiao Ling told Lynae about visiting the sea with his family as a child and how he rarely returned after something happened to them.
• Lynae found a colorful scallop shell and decided to gather more shells to string into a necklace for Sister Yaya.
• Xiao Ling gave Lynae a conch that seemed to insult them both, and Lynae decided to treasure it.
• After night fell, Lynae and Xiao Ling rode home with their pockets full of shells.

Aemeath and Xiao Ling spent a quiet afternoon at school with Little Black, and Aemeath promised to give her all at the sports meet for a reward from Xiao Ling. When Little Black darted into the bushes, they followed and found the Rover, who had appeared in a world without Resonance Power; Aemeath and the Rover froze in shock at their meeting.

• Aemeath brought Little Black to school because she did not want to leave the cat home alone.
• Aemeath and Xiao Ling made a pinky promise that Xiao Ling would save her a reward if she won at the sports meet.
• Little Black suddenly ran into the bushes, so Aemeath and Xiao Ling followed her.
• The Rover woke in an unfamiliar world without Resonance Power and found Little Black licking her face.
• The Rover picked up Little Black, and Aemeath emerged from the bushes and stared at her in disbelief.
• Xiao Ling arrived behind Aemeath and saw the Rover standing there with Little Black.

Rover reunited with the grown-up Aemeath and confronted Xiao Ling, mistaking him for a man who had led her daughter astray before learning he was her male counterpart from a parallel world. After hearing how closely Xiao Ling and Aemeath were connected, Rover warned him to keep an appropriate distance from the girl he had raised.

• Rover and Aemeath recognized each other, and Aemeath introduced Xiao Ling as the man who had cared for her in this world.
• Rover sent Aemeath away and punched Xiao Ling when he teased her instead of answering her questions.
• At the infirmary, Lahai-Roi explained to Rover that Xiao Ling was her male counterpart from a parallel world.
• Xiao Ling learned that Rover was the founder of the Black Shores and welcomed her to his world.
• Rover told Xiao Ling to maintain an appropriate social distance from Aemeath and asked whether he intended to pursue the girl he had raised.

Xiao Ling teased Rover in the infirmary and ended up with a broken foot after she stomped on him. When Rover reunited with Roccia, Morning, and the students, she learned how much the academy had changed and decided to stay with Xiao Ling, while warning him to keep his distance from Aemeath.

• Xiao Ling provoked Rover with suggestive jokes, and Rover broke his foot with a stomp after he asked her to claim him first.
• Aemeath, Dania, Sigrika, and Roccia arrived at the infirmary and found Xiao Ling bandaged; Aemeath quietly invited him to visit her room at night.
• Rover met Roccia and Morning, learned Morning could walk with prosthetic legs, and was introduced to Lynae, Sigrika, and Dania.
• Rover learned that Aemeath and the others were living with Xiao Ling and offered to stay at his spacious home.
• Xiao Ling agreed to take Rover in, and she warned him against sneaking off to see Aemeath at night.

After Verina healed Xiao Ling, the female Rover joined Star Torch Academy as a student and attended history class with him and Dania. Xiao Ling recruited Rover to keep Dania’s upcoming birthday surprise secret, and she agreed.

• Rover insisted on staying to care for Xiao Ling, but he revealed that Verina had already healed his injury and that he had been pretending to be hurt.
• Principal Roccia arranged for the female Rover to become a student at the academy.
• In history class, Rover watched Dania wake to answer the teacher’s question before falling asleep again.
• Xiao Ling told Rover that he and the others were preparing a birthday surprise for Dania and asked her not to reveal it.
• Rover agreed to keep the surprise secret after Xiao Ling persuaded her to consider how Dania and the others would feel.

With one week left until the sports meet, Lynae took Xiao Ling on a tour of the school clubs while Sigrika photographed their activities. The tour ended with Sigrika encouraged to pursue her feelings for Xiao Ling, while Xiao Ling remained uninterested in joining a club.

• Lynae invited Xiao Ling to tour the school clubs, and Sigrika joined them to take promotional photographs.
• At the music club, Aemeath sang with Xiao Ling, and Sigrika photographed their duet.
• At the basketball club, Xiao Ling met Gabriela and Augusta, and Sigrika took a picture of them together.
• At the cooking club, Lynae and Sigrika tried Chisa's improved macarons, which Xiao Ling praised.
• Iuno told Lynae that sincerity would help her next gacha pull, then advised Sigrika to pursue Xiao Ling rather than hide her feelings; Sigrika left with renewed resolve.
• At the board and card game club, Sigrika joined Dania's game, and after the tour she declared her photography mission complete while Xiao Ling declined to join a club.

Xiao Ling reunited with Crimson Snow in the Origami Club and learned how she was adjusting to life at the school. They discussed Sigrika recovering from Dania’s departure, and Crimson Snow asked Xiao Ling to tell her more about the birthday surprise for Dania.

• Lynae and Sigrika discovered that Xiao Ling had stayed behind, and he texted them to go on without him.
• Xiao Ling entered the Origami Club and reunited with Crimson Snow, who was folding paper decorations.
• Crimson Snow told Xiao Ling that Principal Roccia had arranged for her to attend school and use the clubroom as a private space.
• Xiao Ling described visiting clubs with Lynae and the others, and he and Crimson Snow discussed how Sigrika had recovered after Dania left.
• Crimson Snow asked Xiao Ling to explain the birthday surprise he was preparing for Dania.

Xiao Ling invited Crimson Snow to help prepare a birthday surprise for Dania, and she agreed despite her uncertainty about what Dania liked. They then played a game with Roccia before Xiao Ling left for home, while Crimson Snow stayed behind folding paper birds.

• Xiao Ling invited Crimson Snow to Dania’s birthday surprise, and Crimson Snow agreed to make time to come.
• Crimson Snow told Xiao Ling that Yulu had forgotten her own birthday while serving as the Blazing Sakura Shrine Maiden.
• Crimson Snow showed Xiao Ling that she could still use small arts by making a paper bird fly with Paper Shikigami.
• Roccia invited Crimson Snow to play a game, and Xiao Ling joined them in the team lobby.
• Crimson Snow and Roccia carried Xiao Ling through several matches, and Xiao Ling left when it was nearly six.
• Crimson Snow watched the students leave the field, then returned to folding another paper bird.

Iuno asked Xiao Ling to help her find inspiration for Dania’s birthday present, then decided to make her a golden brooch herself. After they exchanged small gifts and Iuno kissed Xiao Ling on the cheek, she left him owing her another present.

• Iuno summoned Xiao Ling to help her think of a birthday present for Dania and asked him to guide her around the city.
• Iuno inspected jewelry at a mall but found the pieces overpriced and decided she would make Dania a brooch herself.
• Xiao Ling took Iuno to a Sichuan restaurant, where she tried several dishes and found some she liked.
• Iuno told Xiao Ling she planned to make Dania a brooch in a gold color and said Dania deserved the effort.
• Xiao Ling gave Iuno an Iuno dango, and Iuno kissed his cheek, calling it a gift in return and saying he now owed her another present.

Xiao Ling visited Augusta and Lupa as they prepared birthday gifts for Dania. Augusta finished a Septimont coin engraved with Dania’s name, while Lupa shared her plan to give Dania her treasured old shoes; she and Xiao Ling ended the day watching the sunset after climbing a mountain.

• Augusta showed Xiao Ling the copper coin she had forged and engraved with Dania’s name in Russian letters, explaining that she believed Dania deserved to be honored.
• Augusta told Xiao Ling she had heard he was keeping his own birthday gift for Dania secret, and he promised to reveal it on her birthday.
• Lupa invited Xiao Ling to climb a mountain with her to watch the sunset and suggested inviting Dania along next time.
• Lupa told Xiao Ling she planned to give Dania her old, well-worn shoes because she wanted Dania to experience being a carefree wild child.
• Lupa and Xiao Ling reached the summit, watched the sunset, and sealed a promise to climb together again with a pinky swear.

Aemeath, Xiao Ling, and Rover arrived at the academy’s combined sports day and campus festival, while Rover recalled missing a similar event at Star Torch Academy. They met Dania, who was volunteering at the entrance, and headed inside with tickets as Dania stayed on duty.

• Aemeath, Xiao Ling, and Rover arrived at the busy school gates as the sports day and campus festival began.
• Rover told Aemeath and Xiao Ling that she had missed Star Torch Academy’s event while monitoring an Exostrider Magnetic Storm.
• Dania directed visitors to the notice board and other volunteers before Aemeath, Xiao Ling, and Rover came to see her.
• Dania explained that Sigrika was away showing her family around and that Dania had to stay on duty until the afternoon.
• Aemeath promised to bring Dania jianbing guozi and dessert, and Dania issued tickets for her friends to enter.
• Rover protested Dania’s teasing about Xiao Ling and her being family, then left with Aemeath while Xiao Ling called after them.

Sigrika reunited with her parents while volunteering at the campus celebration, then Xiao Ling, Rover, and Aemeath arrived and planned their day. The group headed for the game booths, while Dania wondered when Ling would show up.

• Sigrika and Dania volunteered together at the celebration and welcomed many visitors.
• Sigrika reunited with her mother and father, embraced them, and took them to tour the school.
• Dania stayed at the booth and thought about her family and whether Ling would arrive.
• Aemeath told Xiao Ling and Rover that her match with Lynae was scheduled for the next day and suggested visiting the game booths.
• Xiao Ling, Rover, and Aemeath set off together toward the game booths.

At a festival shooting booth, Sigrika struggled to win plushies until Xiao Ling stepped in and knocked down the Winnie the Pooh she wanted for Yaya. Xiao Ling won a bet with Rover and kissed the back of her hand, leaving Rover flustered and plotting to keep him in check.

• Sigrika spent forty shots winning five plushies but failed to knock down the Winnie the Pooh plushie she wanted for Yaya.
• Aemeath, Xiao Ling, and Rover met Sigrika and her parents, and Xiao Ling offered to win the bear for her.
• Xiao Ling missed with his first five shots, then bet Rover that he could knock down Winnie the Pooh within his next five shots.
• Xiao Ling hit the plushie in the head with all five shots and gave it to Sigrika.
• Rover honored the bet, and Xiao Ling kissed the back of her hand, prompting her to resolve to keep him in check.

Xiao Ling and Rover met Sigrika’s parents, Angelica and Sigma, while Sigrika and Aemeath played at the festival. Angelica thanked Xiao Ling for helping Sigrika through her troubles, and the chapter ended with her warning him to take good care of her daughter.

• Sigrika asked Xiao Ling whether he would give Yaya the plushie, and he said it made no difference who gave it to her.
• Aemeath and Sigrika went to play ring toss while Angelica and Sigma stayed behind to speak with Xiao Ling and Rover.
• Angelica told Xiao Ling that Sigrika had confided her self-doubt after overcoming her dark-side self, and that they had finally shared their feelings as mother and daughter.
• Sigma explained that he had been away exploring the ice field and only learned about Sigrika’s ordeal later, then jokingly warned Xiao Ling not to mistreat her.
• Angelica stopped Xiao Ling as they parted and told him to take good care of Sigrika, prompting him to promise she would not be made sad.

Xiao Ling and his friends gathered to watch Iuno and Augusta dominate a badminton match while keeping their strength in check. Roccia invited Xiao Ling to meet her after the day’s activities, while Dania kept her own plans secret.

• Xiao Ling found seats in Roccia’s VIP section, where he reunited with Lynae and Gabriela and joined his friends in the stands.
• Dania and Sigrika arrived with their plush toys, and Cart, Chisa, and Lupa joined the group shortly before the match.
• Iuno and Augusta took the court and scored points with ease, prompting Dania to explain that they were holding back.
• Xiao Ling asked Dania about her plans, but she kept her upcoming match secret.
• Roccia messaged Xiao Ling and arranged to meet him at the school gate after the activities, and Xiao Ling told Dania he would not be going back with the group.

Xiao Ling rode with Roccia after the campus festival, and the two teased each other while discussing her place as principal. Roccia took him on a date to the movie theater.

• Roccia picked Xiao Ling up from school in a BMW and explained that she had helped the others obtain identities using Professor Morning’s engineering records.
• Xiao Ling complimented Roccia’s youthful outfit, then called her an old woman pretending to be a maiden, and she pinched him in retaliation.
• Roccia asked why the students seemed wary of her as principal, and Xiao Ling explained their deep-seated fear and respect for the position.
• Roccia told Xiao Ling she wanted to visit the movie theater, one of the three famous dating spots, and they drove there together.