"Sister Tong... I hate you..."
Wednesday morning, in the Far Moon Academy student council office.
Sitting stiffly on the "student council president's" throne, Yan Huan shoved a small bread roll into his mouth, not even daring to lean back against the chair.
Because the moment his back touched anything, pain shot through him.
It was all Sister Tong's fault—she went way too hard on him last night.
Sure, she had excellent control over every movement and rhythm, but she didn't seem to consider the fact that his current condition made him experience twice the pain...
In fact, it felt like the more he suffered, the happier she got.
What an evil boss, always squeezing everything out of her employees in every way possible!
The worst part? As the training intensity increased, the second side effect of his Naturalist buff was finally kicking in...
Hunger.
Sure, having muscle growth at double speed sounded great, but the amount of nutrition he needed was beyond imagination—like he had a bottomless pit in his stomach that could never be filled.
This morning, he was literally starving before the sun even came up. The area around his public rental apartment didn’t have much in terms of breakfast options at five or six in the morning, so he ended up buying some instant-heating Longguo buns at a 117 convenience store.
But even after taking the school bus and arriving at campus, he was already hungry again—so hungry he almost mistook Hachibashi Moku for a snack.
Since the group had planned to meet in the office early to discuss the next phase of the Club Battle, he had no choice but to stock up. That’s why he bought a whole bag of small bread rolls at the supermarket.
By the time Sakura-no-Miya and the other two girls arrived, the pile of bread in front of Yan Huan was already nearing extinction.
"Creak~"
"Morning!! President!! Hachibashi!!"
Just as Yan Huan tore open another bag of bread, cursing Tong Yingying in his head, the student council office door swung open.
A burst of energy entered the room—Yuan Angelina.
She struck a dramatic idol-like pose and declared loudly to the room,
"Far Moon Idol, Yuan Angelina, has arrived—desu!"
Yan Huan, still chewing on his bread, greeted her casually,
"Morning, Yuan Angelina."
Hachibashi Moku, on the other hand, was deep in a highly challenging game raid. His fingers moved across his phone screen at lightning speed, leaving afterimages.
Without even glancing at the door, he continued watching the explosion of visual effects on his screen while effortlessly roasting Yuan Angelina,
"Where’d this kindergartener come from? No gold stars for you here, go away, go away."
"Hachibashi!!"
Yuan Angelina puffed up her cheeks in anger, revealing the two figures standing behind her—Ashley, who was smirking in amusement, and Sakura-no-Miya Hitomi, who wore an expression of mild exasperation.
Ashley stepped past the fuming Yuan Angelina and chuckled,
"President, you invited Bai Yi for the opening ceremony, not her... Huh? Wait, President, did you accept more confession gifts again? Why do you have so much food?"
Oh, right...
Yesterday, the president announced in the group chat that he'd invited Bai Yi to perform at the Club Battle.
Off the record, he and Bai Yi must have talked quite a bit...
When they had met alone before, she had performed a little. That girl didn't seem like she had much of a hidden agenda—she quickly revealed her true thoughts.
Fan A, ninety percent likely to be the president himself.
As Sakura-no-Miya’s mind raced, she walked in and also glanced curiously at the pile of bread on Yan Huan’s desk.
"Aha! Free food! President, I want some too!"
As expected, Yuan Angelina was as greedy as ever. Drooling, she rushed toward Yan Huan’s desk.
Normally, with Yan Huan’s easygoing nature, Yuan Angelina could steal food like a sneaky rat without much resistance.
But today’s Yan Huan was not the same as before.
Today’s Yan Huan was starving.
"Smack!"
A large, warm hand firmly grabbed her wrist just as she was about to snatch some bread.
Yuan Angelina looked up, only to see a faint hunger-driven shadow clouding Yan Huan’s usual smile. It startled her.
"Yuan Angelina, I don’t even have enough for myself. But since you're so greedy, I bet you brought snacks to school, right? Come on, share some with the group..."
"Eh?! President... Why are you suddenly so protective of your food?! You’re actually asking me for food?! I’m doomed... He’s gonna eat me too... The starving ghost president is gonna eat me!!"
Hachibashi Moku finally defeated the last boss in his game, let out a satisfied sigh, and glanced over at the tearful Yuan Angelina. He explained,
"Oh, the president started working out recently, so his appetite’s gotten bigger. He already had breakfast, and then he still went and bought all this bread."
Ashley plopped down next to Hachibashi Moku, unceremoniously shoving the weak otaku aside.
Ignoring his protesting glare, she tapped her chin thoughtfully and muttered,
"Working out... Why the sudden interest in fitness? Could it be... that he’s into someone?"
Sakura-no-Miya’s gaze sharpened instantly.
Hachibashi Moku glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and scoffed, shaking his head.
"Romance brain."
Ashley turned to him with a fake smile,
"If I hack your account and you never see your waifus again, we’ll see if you’re still calling me romance brain."
Hachibashi Moku shuddered and immediately clutched his phone protectively, scooting away from her.
"Violent girl, stay away from my waifus."
"Heh, damn otaku."
"Heh, violent girl... Hey hey hey, civilized people talk things out, no need for violence!"
"......"
As Hachibashi Moku and Ashley bickered, Sakura-no-Miya had already made her way over to the desk. In a voice laced with quiet menace, she said,
"President, let go of Yuan Angelina. I have some snacks in the office."
Yuan Angelina, as if spotting a guardian angel, cried out in relief,
"Sakura-no-Miya, you’re the best! Save meee~"
"......"
Sakura-no-Miya just smiled silently, eyes lingering on where Yan Huan’s hand was still holding Yuan Angelina’s wrist.
If you were really struggling, you’d be pulling away harder, right, Yuan Angelina?
But here you are, staying perfectly still... Like you enjoy having him hold your hand.
How indecent—just like your chest.
Sakura-no-Miya walked over to a bookshelf, pulled open a drawer, and took out a small box filled with sakura mochi.
"President, please help yourself."
"Thanks, Sakura-no-Miya. I’ll gladly accept."
Yan Huan finally let go of Yuan Angelina’s wrist and turned his attention to the neatly arranged sakura mochi inside the box.
The sakura mochi was exquisitely crafted, seemingly handmade by a delicate young girl.
A faint aroma of red bean filled the air, instantly making one's mouth water.
But before indulging in the treat, Yan Huan wanted to maintain his manners and properly thank Sakura-no-Miya Hitomi.
As he lifted his gaze to look at her, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and his eyes carried a trace of heat—just in time to lock eyes with her.
For a split second, it felt as if what he truly hungered for wasn’t the sakura mochi on the table... but the breathtaking girl before him.
“!!”
Sakura-no-Miya’s face instantly turned as pink as the mochi. She quickly averted her gaze, her voice trembling slightly.
“I-I’ll go get you some chopsticks, President.”
“Ah, thanks.”
Yan Huan took a deep breath, suppressing whatever emotions had momentarily surfaced. Before he could enjoy his food, he hadn’t forgotten his responsibilities.
He picked up a stack of prepared documents from the table and handed them to Yuan Angelina.
“Take a look, everyone. I’ve already completed the master plan for the Club Battle. It includes club allocations, event schedules, and preparation tasks. All the details are in there. Yuan Angelina, please make a few copies later.”
“Uwah!? President, you’re insane! Already?! That fast?!”
Yuan Angelina looked at him in disbelief as she flipped through the pages. Her eyes widened in shock before she looked back up at Yan Huan.
She had never expected him to finish the entire proposal all by himself in just two days after the game expo.
“I didn’t do it entirely alone. I referenced documents left behind by previous student councils—most of the framework was already there.
“Besides, don’t relax just yet. There’s still a lot of unfinished work, and I need to assign tasks to you all...”
Yan Huan took the chopsticks from Sakura-no-Miya.
Perhaps due to his Ye Shiyu PTSD, he had developed a habit of checking anything handed to him—just to make sure a certain name wasn’t written on it.
Fortunately, the wooden chopsticks Sakura-no-Miya gave him were brand new. She had even rinsed them with clean water from the tea station before passing them over.
After thanking her, Yan Huan began eating the sakura mochi while systematically distributing tasks.
“Hachibashi, the school’s budget has been approved. The necessary expenses are listed in the proposal—I need you to draft a financial report and submit it to the school board for approval.
“As for existing resources that don’t require procurement, you’ll need to cross-check them with the school’s inventory records, identify any shortages or poor-quality items, and compile a report. Just like we did for the sports festival.”
Hachibashi Moku gave a thumbs-up.
“No problem, President.”
Taking another bite of sakura mochi, Yan Huan turned to Ashley with a smile.
“Ashley, the Disciplinary Committee will mainly be responsible for judging and enforcing rules once the battle begins. I’ll be counting on you guys.”
Ashley flashed an “OK” sign and grinned.
“Leave it to us.”
Yan Huan then turned to the ever-adorable but slightly airheaded Yuan Angelina, handing her another document.
“Yuan Angelina, these are the event categories from last year’s Club Battle. Every club has one competition related to their theme, plus access to the ‘Open Challenge Pool.’
“Some of the events last year received a lot of criticism, so I think they need adjustments. You’ve got a knack for creative ideas and a wide social circle, so I need you to gather feedback and revise the event lineup.”
Yuan Angelina’s eyes instantly sparkled with excitement. She rubbed her hands together, practically drooling with anticipation as she reached for the document.
“Hehehe, President, leave it to me~ Hehehe, I got this, don’t worry…”
But just as she was about to grab it, Yan Huan suddenly tilted his wrist, making her miss.
Yuan Angelina blinked in confusion and looked at him, only to see his usual smile turn cold.
“If you pull the same kind of nonsense as you did at the last sports festival, you can start preparing for expulsion.”
“!!”
Yuan Angelina, who had just been brimming with excitement, instantly deflated like a punctured balloon. She weakly accepted the document.
“Ugh… Don’t smile while saying something so terrifying, President…”
Sakura-no-Miya stood to the side, watching as Yan Huan efficiently handled everything. She couldn’t help but chuckle helplessly.
This year’s student council, under Yan Huan’s leadership, was probably the most relaxed one in history.
But the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to help lighten his burden.
“Pres—”
Just as she was about to speak, Yuan Angelina suddenly squeezed in front of her, cutting her off completely.
Sakura-no-Miya’s expression darkened instantly. The worst part? She was too physically weak to push back against Yuan Angelina.
—Yuan Angelina, I see you’ve chosen death.
—Perfect. I’ve already found a kindergarten for you to repeat over the weekend. Just wait…
“Wait, President! You… you… what kind of club is this?! A Doujin Club?!”
—Doujin Club?
Hearing that, Sakura-no-Miya’s irritation vanished momentarily, replaced by confusion. The two who had been bickering nearby also turned their attention over.
“How am I supposed to come up with event ideas for them?! Are we supposed to see who’s read the most ahem content?!”
Yan Huan chuckled helplessly and glanced at the handwritten addition to the “Participating Clubs” list at the bottom.
“This club hasn’t been approved yet. Just ignore it for now. If it gets approved, they can come up with their own event.”
Ashley stroked her chin, mumbling,
“Who even started this club? Would the principal seriously approve something like this?”
“BAM!”
Just as Hachibashi Moku was about to comment, the student council office door suddenly burst open.
Before anyone could even turn to look, a voice even more energetic than Yuan Angelina’s rang out—
“YAN HUAN!!”
Everyone looked toward the door.
Standing there was a girl with her hand wrapped in bandages, exuding an aura of boldness and confidence. Her golden hair was as wild as a lion’s mane.
She was dressed casually, wearing a baseball cap. For some reason, her athletic leggings had traces of dirt on them.
Hachibashi Moku’s mouth fell open. He immediately sprang off the couch and hid behind Ashley, pointing at her while stammering,
“Y-you… y-you-you-you…”
Yuan Angelina gasped, covering her mouth before exclaiming,
“Golden Lion! Don’t tell me… you’re Aria Spencer!?”
“Huh?”
Spencer, who had just stepped inside, blinked before breaking into a wicked grin. She pointed her thumb at herself and smirked.
“That’s right, it’s me! Heh, looks like Yan Huan was right—I really have gotten famous.”
Hachibashi Moku muttered under his breath,
“More like infamous…”
Spencer shot him a death glare, but it was completely blocked by Ashley, who stood firmly in front of him.
“U-uh… ha… ha… Sorry for interrupting…”
Just as everyone was processing this unexpected guest, a breathless voice came from behind Spencer.
Moments later, a girl clutching her chest—so tightly it was slightly misshapen—appeared beside her.
Sakura-no-Miya immediately recognized her.
It was An Le.
"We are... the Dou...Dou...”
Yuan Angelina opened her mouth hesitantly before finally blurting out—
"Doujin Club?"
“Ugh!”
An Le was so mortified she couldn’t even lift her head. At this moment, she was sure that in this entire world, only someone as fearless as Spencer could endure such a socially devastating moment without batting an eye.
Knowing Spencer’s personality, she had no doubt that even if her entire browsing history were exposed here and now, Spencer wouldn’t flinch.
Though, to be fair, she probably only looked at stuff meant for kids anyway.
Spencer glanced at the utterly humiliated An Le behind her, then stepped forward and demanded from Yan Huan, who was still seated—
"Yan Huan! Why did you only message An Le yesterday and not me? Just because you two are childhood friends? Just because you grew up sleeping together, you get to be unfair?!"
—Childhood friends?!
—Grew up sleeping together?!
Yan Huan and Sakura-no-Miya’s faces simultaneously darkened.
As for everyone else...
Hachibashi Moku and Ashley gaped at Yan Huan in pure shock.
Meanwhile, Yuan Angelina—
She had already grabbed a microphone from the nearby bookshelf, put on a pair of clear-lens glasses, and struck a “live news reporter” pose!
"Good morning, dear viewers of Far Moon Academy! This is your on-the-scene reporter, Yuan Angelina, from Class 1-E. I’m currently reporting live from the student council office, where an intense battlefield is unfolding.
"Our ever-dazzling Student Council President, Yan Huan, is now facing a stunning revelation—his long-lost childhood friend has arrived, led in by a mysterious woman, publicly accusing him of sleeping together since they were kids, while he has never once mentioned her! Absolutely outrageous—!”
Sakura-no-Miya’s temple twitched violently. Her fists clenched, itching to give this overly dramatic, gossip-loving Yuan Angelina a good knock on the head!
If only she could reach her...
Yuan Angelina had clearly mastered the art of sensational journalism.
And knowing how big of a blabbermouth she was, An Le’s identity would probably spread across campus by tomorrow morning.
An Le’s face was now as red as a fully ripened apple, practically steaming as she struggled to stop Spencer.
“Ugh… Spencer… p-please… just stop talking…”
Meanwhile, a tiny voice on her shoulder clicked its tongue in amusement, suddenly reevaluating Spencer.
"Huh… Did I misjudge her? She actually is trying to help you get closer to Yan Huan? Right direction, but… isn’t the method a bit too—"
Spencer, however, had already entered battle mode, absolutely fuming.
The real reason?
Last night, she had stubbornly spammed Yan Huan with messages—only to be hit with the dreaded “Blocked” notification.
This was the first time in her life she had ever seen that cursed red exclamation mark on Plane.
And with her tiny patience and massive ego, it was like Yan Huan had just thrown a grenade right into her gut.
As she stormed into the room, she suddenly felt goosebumps rise all over her skin.
“......”
She paused for a split second but quickly brushed it off, her focus locked onto Yan Huan as she continued questioning—
"Why did you reply to An Le but not me?! I’m the actual president of the Doujin Club—"
Sakura-no-Miya frowned slightly, her expression cooling as she prepared to step in and shut Spencer down.
But before she could, Yan Huan spoke first, his tone calm but razor-sharp—
"Are you going to sit down and talk properly, or do you want to keep barking like a rabid dog?"
Spencer froze, slightly caught off guard.
“What…? Barking like what? Did you just call me a yin-yin—something dog?!”
The entire student council—except for Yuan Angelina—looked at her with a collective are you serious? expression.
Yan Huan picked up his phone, holding it casually in one hand as he spoke with an easy, almost lazy tone—
"If I recall correctly, you’re currently on academic suspension, aren’t you?"
"Hah? So what if I am—"
"Hello, security? Yeah, it’s me, Yan Huan…"
Yan Huan raised the phone to his ear, speaking just loud enough for everyone to hear.
Then, he turned slightly, glancing toward the doorway.
And there was Spencer—now sitting obediently on the couch, arms crossed, looking very well-behaved.
“……”
Occasionally, she would shoot Yan Huan an indignant glare.
An Le, seeing this, finally let out a sigh of relief.
But along with the relief, an odd realization crept into her mind…
—How is it that Spencer, this completely untamed troublemaker, always gets effortlessly subdued by Little Huan?
A faint sense of unease flickered within her, but it was quickly drowned out by more immediate concerns—
Such as the fact that Spencer had just openly declared their childhood connection.
Forcing down her thoughts, An Le forced an awkward smile and stepped fully into the student council office.
The moment she crossed the threshold, the tiny voice on her shoulder shivered slightly and muttered—
"Why does it feel so cold in here? Is the AC on? Who the hell turns on the AC in early spring—"
Inside the office, the student council members all had varying expressions as they observed the two Doujin Club representatives entering.
Most of them still looked relatively normal… except for one.
Sitting behind Yan Huan, Sakura-no-Miya.
Her narrowed eyes lingered on Spencer and An Le, and she instinctively pressed her middle finger slightly against her palm.
There was something about these two that made her feel… deeply uncomfortable.
Even though they had now stepped into her territory.
Suppressing that strange feeling, she smoothly masked her emotions, a familiar, polite smile gracing her lips.
She exchanged a quick glance with Yan Huan—one that carried a subtle, unspoken understanding.
Then, turning back toward Spencer and An Le, she spoke in a warm, welcoming tone—
"Well, since you’re already here, let me prepare some tea for you.
"And regarding the Doujin Club’s participation in the Club Battle… let’s discuss it properly."
An Le, looking at the ever-elegant and graceful Sakura-no-Miya—who now resembled a refined hostess welcoming guests—felt a bit self-conscious and lowered her head slightly.
“I-I see… T-thank you, Vice President Sakura-no-Miya…”
Spencer, however, met the same dazzlingly poised Sakura-no-Miya with a very different reaction—
A wicked grin.
She playfully licked her exposed canine tooth, then turned toward the still-expressionless Yan Huan and said—
"Sounds good, Vice President Sakura-no-Miya~"
“……”