"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Dazzling fireworks burst in midair one after another, making the two people sitting side by side below feel as if they were traveling through time and space, experiencing days and nights together amidst the flickering light and shadows.
Yan Huan tilted his head back, watching the comical pig-shaped fireworks. For a long, long time, he did not say a word.
His body maintained the same posture throughout, with his hands resting by his sides and his gaze fixed on the sky.
It was not until his body grew slightly stiff and he had to shift his position to loosen up that his fingers twitched, accidentally brushing against the fingers of Spencer, who also had her hands resting by her side.
"..."
Both of them subconsciously pulled their fingers back at the same time, but their facial reactions were completely different.
Spencer turned her head to look straight at Yan Huan, but Yan Huan slightly averted his gaze.
Seeing Yan Huan's unnaturally averted eyes, Spencer embarrassedly looked away as well, reaching up to scratch her cheek.
Once she looked away, Yan Huan shifted his gaze back, looking at her side profile.
Even though they had not spoken beforehand, the timing of their missed glances was perfectly natural, showing a profound unspoken understanding.
At this moment, the final round of fireworks happened to burst in the sky.
Illuminated by that fleeting flash of light, Spencer's smiling face and bright azure eyes appeared so vivid and real in Yan Huan's eyes.
Unfortunately, in Spencer's eyes, his own image was probably still just as blurry.
Because to her, he was just a chibi peacock from a game.
Although this did not mean she could not tell he was a living, breathing person, it surely still had some kind of impact, right?
The roaring in the sky gradually died down, returning the heavens to darkness and tranquility.
"...The parade is over, let's go."
Yan Huan withdrew his gaze after watching for a few more seconds, speaking up to remind her.
On the brightly decorated streets below, the tourists reluctantly lowered their phones from taking photos and began chatting with one another.
"Oh."
Spencer patted her rear and stood up, while Yan Huan brought over the shoes he had set aside earlier for her to put on.
Yan Huan walked back first to open the terrace door. The moment he opened it, he caught sight of the retreating pink-haired back of Yurianna, who was fleeing down the corridor.
One look was all it took to know that this girl had been hiding in the stairwell peeking just now.
"Yurianna!"
Yan Huan's face darkened, and he immediately called out to stop her.
Yurianna's body stiffened slightly before she awkwardly turned her head around.
"President..."
Yan Huan walked down the stairs, looking at her in speechless exasperation.
"Instead of watching such a beautiful performance outside, you hide in this stairwell to eavesdrop. You really are an exceptional piece of work."
"I wasn't peeking the whole time! I only came up to sneak a look when the fireworks started."
Hearing this, Yurianna offered an explanation, casually spreading her hands as she looked at Yan Huan with an expression of utterly disappointed expectations. She asked,
"The atmosphere was so perfect just now! If you like her, President, shouldn't you have just gone in and kissed her like this?"
As she spoke, she even puckered her lips, acting as if she were giving Yan Huan a demonstration.
"..."
"But in the end, you stayed far away from her the entire time. Could it be that the person you like isn't actually Spencer?"
She was highly suspicious. After all, in her view, not doing anything in that kind of atmosphere was simply a waste of the admission ticket.
"Heh."
Yan Huan chuckled humorlessly, simply raising his right hand again.
"Gah!!"
Seeing that she was about to receive another flick on the forehead, Yurianna quickly turned and ran. As she fled, she even waved goodbye to the new best friend she had just met.
"Goodbye, big sister, we're leaving now! I'll come back to play next time!!"
"Bye-bye~"
In a flash, she disappeared from sight.
Yan Huan glanced helplessly at her retreating back. However, thinking carefully about it, it was all thanks to this girl's social skills that he and Spencer hadn't been kicked off the terrace by the owner.
All in all, Yurianna was still a good comrade.
"Were you talking to Yurianna just now?"
Yan Huan turned around to see Spencer hopping down the stairs.
The words she had said to him earlier seemed to fall along with her movements, dropping right into his heart.
"Tap."
The next second, she hopped right next to Yan Huan and looked at him.
Only then did Yan Huan belatedly nod his head. He then turned to thank the bar owner before slowly making his way downstairs with Spencer.
With her words echoing in his mind—that she would leave after the Club War regardless of whether they won or lost—he suddenly asked,
"An Le probably doesn't know about you leaving after the Club War, right?"
"Mm. After all, An Le has been worrying about the Club War this whole time. Look..."
As she spoke, Spencer unlocked her new mobile phone and opened the Plane app.
In her chat interface with An Le, it showed that An Le had summarized all the strategies and methods for the final events, compiling them into a document and sending it over.
"So, I'm actually... quite unsure of what to do. If only An Le had come today too..."
If she told An Le she was leaving before the competition even started, wouldn't that make all of An Le's hard work during this time seem like a futile effort?
Therefore, rather than announcing the outcome to An Le and the others right from the start, Spencer wanted to thoroughly enjoy this final competition at Far Moon Academy with everyone.
Although she really wanted to win just once, even if they ended up losing, simply experiencing the process with them was enough.
That was what Spencer thought.
As Spencer voiced her thoughts, Yan Huan listened silently, his own specific thoughts unknown.
Just like that, they walked out of the bar together and regrouped with their companions outside.
Everyone looked incredibly happy. Spencer swept her gaze over the group and, resting her hands on her hips in satisfaction, announced,
"Alright then, that's it for today! Let me see how we're all getting back..."
All good things must come to an end. Since they were destined to bid farewell eventually, why not start practicing by having everyone go back to their own homes today?
Well, honestly, the future wouldn't really be a true goodbye, at least according to Spencer.
She had told Yan Huan that she would come back to visit them often; after all, the private tutoring classroom her family had arranged for her wasn't far from Far Moon Academy.
The "them" she mentioned probably included Yan Huan as well, right?
Yan Huan himself did not know the answer.
In any case, Spencer called her family's driver to take everyone home.
They first dropped off Yurianna, who lived the closest, followed by the few who lived in Luoqiao District, and finally Yan Huan, who lived furthest down in the South Ward.
"Goodbye, Spencer, President, and everyone from the Doujinshi Society."
"..."
"Well then, Spencer, your teacher will be leaving first. Everyone, be safe on your way back~"
"..."
"Spencer, Pres... President, Nino and I will get off here..."
"..."
"Yes, thank you for inviting us out to play today, Spencer... President. We will do our best in the Club War finals."
"..."
From inside the MPV, Spencer waved her hand, bidding farewell to Jiang Yun, who stood at her door.
The car door closed, leaving only Yan Huan and Spencer in the back cabin.
The vehicle slowly merged onto the ring road expressway, then took the exit for the South Ward, stepping into a world of neon lights and bustling nightlife.
The driver followed the navigation Yan Huan had given Spencer, approaching his rental apartment. Spencer leaned against the window, sizing up the environment where Yan Huan lived.
"The place you live is right around here?"
"Yeah, it's the South Ward, so it's a bit chaotic."
"It feels so lively. It's so late, yet there are still so many people buying late-night snacks."
The car's internal air circulation wasn't on, so the smell of street-side barbecue drifted in, making Spencer inevitably swallow a mouthful of saliva as her craving flared up.
Immediately after, she remembered that a driver from the Jinshi Group was sitting up front, so she ultimately had to drop the idea.
Seeing her try to suppress her craving, Yan Huan smiled faintly and said,
"If there's a chance later, I'll treat you to some late-night snacks here. I'm familiar with all the nearby shops, so I know exactly which ones are good."
"Really? Have you eaten at all of them?"
"I've worked part-time at all of them."
Spencer blinked, not fully understanding but feeling incredibly impressed.
Still, looking at Yan Huan, she nodded and let out a chuckle.
"Alright! Wait until the Club War is over. I've memorized where your home is."
"It's a deal."
The vehicle slowly came to a halt in front of Yan Huan's public rental building. The driver in the front spoke faintly,
"We have arrived."
Yan Huan opened the door and turned to step out of the MPV.
"Bye-bye."
"Oh, bye-bye."
He turned back to bid farewell to Spencer, who blinked as she watched him.
Yan Huan nodded, lowering his eyes as he prepared to pull the door shut. But just as it was halfway closed, his arm suddenly exerted force, stopping the door in its tracks.
"..."
Spencer looked at the half-closed door, then raised her gaze to the hesitant Yan Huan standing before her.
Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, Yan Huan suddenly called out to her,
"Spencer."
"Huh? W-What is it?"
His tone was so formal that it made her recall the day Yan Huan had scolded her fiercely.
Thinking of that unpleasant memory, Spencer couldn't help but tense up slightly.
However, the very next second, as he looked at her, Yan Huan softly said,
"Do your best in the upcoming finals."
"..."
Spencer, who had still been a bit nervous, suddenly froze. Seeing Yan Huan—whose chibi peacock figure seemed to twist and distort even further in her vision due to her nerves—she rubbed her eyes.
Then, she clenched her fists and gave a confident smile.
"Yeah, I'll do my absolute best. I've been training every single day lately, you know!"
Yan Huan smiled softly in return and replied,
"...I know."
The next second, Yan Huan didn't linger any longer and pulled the door shut.
"Thud."
From behind the window, Spencer waved to Yan Huan as the black car restarted and drove away, eventually disappearing from his line of sight.
"Meow~"
As he stood there in place, a black cat with blinking emerald-green eyes appeared on his shoulder like a phantom.
It also watched the departing black car before asking Yan Huan,
"Yan Huan, are you thinking about Spencer leaving?"
"..."
Hearing this, Yan Huan turned his head and patted Myau-chan's head.
He did not answer, nor did he walk towards his apartment. Instead, he headed towards the gym.
Yan Huan went to exercise essentially every day; it was simply left unsaid for the time being.
After all, the results were remarkable, so he was quite motivated.
At the same time, when under immense pressure, a little exercise was a good thing that helped him get a good night's sleep.
In his previous life, Yan Huan hadn't had the habit of working out and could only improve his sleep through the highly effective masturbation-induced sleep method.
Seeing that Yan Huan didn't respond, Myau-chan continued,
"Perhaps Spencer not staying at Far Moon Academy often is a good thing, meow?
"If she stays home for private tutoring, she won't easily come into contact with others, which will greatly reduce the chances of her continuing to use her modifier.
"Secondly, there are too many hosts in the school, and aside from An Le, she has conflicts with all of them.
"Seeing them day in and day out would inevitably trigger the other hosts. Stirring things up like this, who knows when someone might be pushed over the edge by her."
Myau-chan analyzed the situation logically and reasonably, first addressing it from Spencer's perspective, and then considering it from Yan Huan's angle.
"Conversely, if she can come back to the school to visit An Le, couldn't you also take the initiative to go visit her?
"This way, when you go to see her and what you do when you meet her will be completely under your control. That should be very advantageous for you, meow."
As Myau-chan spoke, Yan Huan kept his eyes fixed forward, continuing to walk.
He seemed to be listening, but also appeared to be thinking about something else entirely.
Soon, he arrived in front of the gym.
It was only at this moment that he snapped back to his senses a little.
"...No, I was thinking about something else."
"About what, meow?"
Yan Huan raised an eyebrow, turned his head to look at Myau-chan, and said,
"That Golden Bomb Pig firework today was quite beautiful."
"Meow?"
With that said, Yan Huan pushed open the front doors of the gym and walked inside.
Drawing a close to Friday.
"The sun is way too glaring today..."
Sunday, morning.
After experiencing an incredibly quiet Friday and Saturday, Far Moon Academy seemed to be suddenly activated on Sunday morning, completely switching to the opposite extreme.
Today was the day of the Club War finals, so from bright and early, the entire Student Council had been bustling with activity.
Sakuramiya Hitomi stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the sunlight passing through the clouds to hit the ground with a dazzling glare, and couldn't help but sigh. Today, she wore formal attire, with the Student Council management armband displaying her information strapped to her arm.
Clearly, today was no ordinary day.
"Hum hum hum~"
"Everyone, remember to put on sunscreen. We're all wearing formal attire, so remind the other Student Council members and the Disciplinary Committee to be careful not to get heatstroke..."
"Hum hum hum~"
Sakuramiya Hitomi was rummaging for sunscreen, but as she listened, she gradually realized something. She raised her eyes to look at Yurianna, who was sitting on the sofa, continuously humming a song.
"Yurianna?"
"What is it, Sakuramiya~"
"...Why have you been humming this whole time, and wearing such a very happy smile?"
"Ah, because I thought of some happy things!"
"Happy things?"
Sakuramiya Hitomi's face was filled with doubt as she picked up her sunscreen and walked over.
Seeing the "Angry Little Pigs" merchandise bracelet on her wrist, Sakuramiya Hitomi became even more bewildered.
Was she the type of person to like this sort of thing?
Wasn't this...
Something only that rascal Spencer liked?
"Yurianna, where did you buy this bracelet?"
"Oh, I bought it on Friday when the President and I went to Universal Studios!"
"Mhm, mhm... Wait, what?"
Sakuramiya Hitomi opened her sunscreen and subconsciously nodded, but immediately after, she realized something was wrong, and her expression suddenly changed.
"Y-You and the President? Went to Universal Studios?! When?!"
In the President's eyes, wasn't Yurianna just an idiot?
Could it be that because of what happened with her, the President's tastes had started to mutate?
Yurianna pouted her lips and pulled out her phone, saying,
"On Friday! I posted it on my Moments. Look, the President, Ashley, and Yabashi Ki all liked it. Only you didn't like it, Sakuramiya. Honestly..."
Everyone...
Everyone knew?
I was the only one kept in the dark.
Sakuramiya Hitomi swallowed a mouthful of saliva, her face slightly pale. She couldn't shake off the illusion of being cheated on, as if green grass were growing atop her head.
At the same time, her eyes widened as she turned her head bit by bit to stare at Yurianna beside her.
Hey, hey, hey...
Yurianna, I had always thought of you as just our Student Council's mascot. Even if you were speaking without restraint due to your foolishness, that was the only reason we never sent you back to repeat kindergarten.
But now...
I see you are walking the path to your own demise!
"...Yeah, look, here's a group photo of me with Senior Jiang Yun and Instructor Lin Wanwan from the Doujinshi Society."
"..."
Sakuramiya Hitomi blinked, and her expression suddenly brightened up again.
"S-So there were other people who went together too. You should have said so earlier, honestly..."
But a faint doubt began to rise in Sakuramiya Hitomi's heart.
Lin Wanwan, Jiang Yun...
Weren't these people, perhaps, maybe...
All members of the Doujinshi Society?
But before she could ask, Yurianna glanced at the time, stood up nervously, and said in surprise,
"Ah! It's almost time, I need to head to the broadcasting studio! Sakuramiya, your mama is coming too, right?"
"Ah..."
Sakuramiya Hitomi blankly snapped back to attention and glanced at her phone.
On the screen, the message sent by her mother was strikingly clear:
"I've entered the school~"
"..."
Sakuramiya Hitomi pursed her lips and raised her eyes to look at Yurianna, who was dressed in formal attire and wearing the exclusive Student Council armband.
She watched as Yurianna cleared her throat and then rushed out impetuously towards the door.
"H-Honestly!"
But even so, Sakuramiya Hitomi had to stand up and make her way downstairs.
Down below, on the main avenue where countless students and parents were entering the academy, a sakura-haired woman wearing a black kimono was lightly tapping her folding fan as she read the "Student Council" introduction board nearby.
She looked at Yan Huan's portrait at the top, read his profile, and occasionally tapped her chin with her folding fan, wondering aloud,
"Just what exactly does my good-for-nothing daughter like about you, young man~"
"Student Bai Yi, this is how it will go. When the chimes of the Far Moon Clock Tower ring, that will be the moment the ultimate champion of the finals is decided."
At the school, inside the Teaching Building.
Bai Yi, dressed in glamorous attire, sat in front of a mirror doing her makeup while listening attentively to the arrangements from a Student Council member beside her.
"At that time, you must come to the backstage area of the athletics field to wait. Then, when the BGM prepared by the media room starts playing, you'll turn on your microphone and sing."
"No problem."
Bai Yi smiled faintly, her starry eyes shimmering slightly, accentuating her beautiful and radiant face.
She touched her chin and picked up the lyrics notebook beside her. As her high heels shook up and down, she began searching for the beat in her mind.
"Mama, this is the first-year section. Xiao Huan's Class A is right here."
Right at that moment, a series of calm explanations suddenly echoed from outside the door.
She paused slightly and turned her head to look, catching sight of Ye Shiyu trailing behind Ye Lan, who was dressed in an elegant cheongsam, as she explained the school's layout to her mother.
Today, Ye Shiyu and her mother were also here...
Feeling Bai Yi's gaze, Ye Shiyu paused momentarily and turned to look at her.
Bai Yi stared back, not afraid in the slightest. However, before their eyes could meet for more than a second, Ye Lan gently pressed down on Ye Shiyu's shoulder and greeted her.
"Hello, Bai Yi."
"Ah, Auntie. You came today as well."
"Yes, it is quite grand, after all. I heard they even set up a live broadcast and such. Are you performing on stage today as well?"
"Yes, at the very end of the finals."
"Auntie is really looking forward to it~"
Looking at Ye Lan's gentle face, Bai Yi couldn't help but relax as well, saying,
"I will do my best."
"By the way, where is Xiao Huan..."
Ye Lan nodded and looked back at Ye Shiyu to ask.
"Xiao Huan is very busy today. He's probably doing preparation work."
"I see. In that case, let's keep walking around, and head over to the venue once the competition starts."
"Mm."
Kyogo Ward, Shengxin Hospital.
An Le lay in her hospital bed. The television in the hospital ward was casting the screen of An Le's phone, displaying the real-time live broadcast of Far Moon Academy's Club War.
Beside her, An Le's father, Comrade An Bang, was peeling an orange for her.
While peeling the orange, he looked at the television and asked,
"Hey, sweetheart, what was your club called again... the Doujinshi Society?"
"Ah, yes."
"What does 'Doujinshi Society' mean? Do things like notebooks really need a dedicated club?"
"W-Well..."
An Le embarrassedly scratched her cheek, her face flushing slightly. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Her mother, Lin Yingrong, instantly noticed her daughter's embarrassment. She reached out to pat her father's shoulder and snapped,
"Why are you sticking your nose so deep into young people's business? Enough already, just peel your orange."
"Yes, yes, yes..."
Following that, Lin Yingrong turned to look at the preparatory footage shown on the live broadcast.
At this moment, it was broadcasting the sight of Yan Huan, dressed in sun-protective clothing, talking with Yabashi Ki inside the venue.
"Oh my, is that Xiao Huan? Didn't you say he goes to the same school as you? He's grown up so much and gotten so handsome!"
"Mm... Y-Yeah, hasn't he?"
An Le looked at the live broadcast. Seeing Yan Huan, who still managed to look incredibly handsome even while wearing a loose sun-protective jacket cinched with a belt, her face became rosy once again.
She couldn't help but recall how Spencer had promised to help her later on.
Spencer was truly a wonderful person.
Therefore...
No matter what, she wanted her to stay.
"..."
Thinking of this, even though she had already prepared a detailed battle plan for the Doujinshi Society beforehand, she couldn't help but feel nervous.
Because no matter how detailed her strategy was, they would inevitably have to face the Track and Field Club in the end.
Spencer, you absolutely must do your best!
On the athletics field, Yan Huan, wearing his sun-protective jacket, raised a hand to block the glaring sun overhead before turning his head to address Yabashi Ki again,
"I'll be relying on you to direct the live broadcast later. Your drone is crucial. You need to remain focused and keep your eyes fixed on the matches. At critical or tense moments, use the drone to relay the broadcast footage."
"I know, President. I'll keep it in mind. Not only are the parents and students on-site watching, but we must also pay attention to the online audience. I'm specifically in charge of the online side."
Yabashi Ki adjusted his spectacles and said this.
However, Yan Huan remained skeptical. He scoffed and said,
"...But don't be too focused either. During the last sports meet, when the vice-principal was utterly exposed, you flew the drone in close to photograph it up close, and ended up leaving behind a timeless classic..."
During the last sports meet, when the vice-principal was exposed, a photograph of his contorted face was captured by Yabashi Ki's drone.
Although it was never uploaded to the official website or the live photo broadcast, it was still widely circulated as a meme format across the academy's various Plane groups.
"Okay!"
"..."
With everything properly arranged, Ashley and the Disciplinary Committee began guiding students and parents to enter the venue.
Now, the only thing left was for the eight clubs to contend for the finals.
"Let me see, which group were we assigned to..."
At this moment, in the Club Building, inside the Doujinshi Society's clubroom.
Spencer, wearing the Doujinshi Society's athletic wear, was doing warm-up exercises, while Jiang Yun returned with the lot they had drawn.
Written on it was:
"Group C"
Jiang Yun looked at the label on it and said,
"Our first round is against the Soccer Club."
At the same time, she pulled out her phone, which displayed the document An Le had sent over.
"Because we have a maximum of four people, the Soccer Club will be forced to match our numbers and send out a maximum of four people as well.
"An Le has listed out the four most likely competitors for every single club. For the Soccer Club, these are the ones."
Spencer glanced at the information on the phone. Since she didn't recognize any of the names on it, she simply asked,
"Which group is the Track and Field Club in?"
"Group A. According to An Le's prediction, if we can beat the Soccer Club, we are guaranteed to advance to the finals. Because the two opponents in the other group are all weak."
Spencer swallowed a mouthful of saliva, staring at the strip of paper in her hand, and muttered,
"So, actually, our biggest opponent is still the Track and Field Club?"
"Mm."
With that, Spencer nervously began to ponder the tactics for later, while Jiang Yun started reading through the details.
But as she read, she suddenly realized something and turned around to look at Zuo Chuan Da Zai and Nino, who were still standing not too far behind them.
Pausing for a second, she called out to remind them,
"Do you two want to come over and look at the tactics together as well?"
"O-Oh, coming... we're coming."
Only then did they gather around.
On the other side, at the edge of the Track and Field Club.
The captain of the Track and Field Club, Owen, had his head lowered, gazing into the ring box opened wide in his palm.
Inside the ring box, a diamond ring rested quietly.
"..."
"Captain, we drew Group A!"
Just then, Hua Zhaofeng walked over from the side and announced to Owen.
"Oh, got it."
Owen quickly snapped the ring box shut, then turned his head to give Hua Zhaofeng a sunny smile.
Seeing the ring box in his hand, Hua Zhaofeng couldn't help but let out a "hehe" laugh. He sat down next to Owen, nudged him with an elbow, and asked,
"Captain, has your family already agreed?"
"Yeah, Gongzi's family has agreed too."
"Hiss, then as long as we win, doesn't that mean..."
At this thought, Owen threw his arm around Hua Zhaofeng's shoulders and said,
"Exactly. As long as we win, I'll propose to Gongzi for our engagement. And for that wish, I'll hold the engagement ceremony right here at the school, and invite everyone at the school to drink engagement wine."
"Got it. Though with so many of us in the school, you're going to incur quite an expense, Captain."
"It's a small matter. I've promised Gongzi for so long, I have to fulfill my promise eventually, right?"
Owen patted Hua Zhaofeng's shoulder, then placed the ring box in his arms. Standing up, he said,
"Alright, you continue keeping busy. I'm going to go check on the competing team members. The Doujinshi Society only has four people, so I need to pick four skilled players from our side to match them."
"Understood, Captain."
Hua Zhaofeng remained seated where he was. He watched Owen's back as he waved goodbye and left, and he did not withdraw his gaze for a long time.