novelraw Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Chapter 48
After a quick consultation, Sakuramiya Hitomi admitted she knew next to nothing about otaku culture, so Yan Huan decided to ease her in with a stroll through the entertainment zone. It was barely past nine anyway; Bai Yi's event wouldn't start until after lunch. Killing time inside the venue seemed harmless—and rare. Though the Student-Council members spent every weekday together, actual team-building could be counted on one hand: today's con visit, and last semester's trip to Sakuramiya's house to play with kittens.
"Hello, you two! Before entering the entertainment zone, please draw one prize ticket each. You could win plushies, free-ride coupons, and more~"
A staffer cradling a lottery box stopped them at the gate.
"There's a perk like this?" Yan Huan glanced past her. Some attractions were complimentary, but most required extra tickets.
"Well, no harm trying our luck," Sakuramiya said, stepping forward and slipping her hand inside. While fishing around, she looked back at Yan Huan.
"President, may I draw one for you as well?"
"Sure."
"Then—"
She pulled out two slips and unfolded them. Three different rewards were printed on each.
"We won something."
Yan Huan skimmed the text. "Looks like we both get a free haunted-house run. The leftovers: one coupon for fortune-telling plus ten UFO-catcher coins, and another for fifteen shooting-gallery rounds plus five coins."
"Pretty lucky, President," Sakuramiya murmured behind her hand, smiling.
Cheater~
The two tickets had actually been taped to the inner wall of the box by Nara; a quick upward swipe was all it took. To avoid suspicion, Sakuramiya had deliberately assigned different prizes—after all, they'd end up sharing everything.
"Since we have the coupons, shall we try the fortune-teller first?" Yan Huan suggested.
"Sounds good." Sakuramiya's smile was impeccable; inside, however, gears spun at full tilt.
He'll see soon enough.
Every game had been seeded with suggestion: a tarot reading that emphasized "fate is right beside you," Nara's follow-up of "a little effort will make you a perfect couple," a UFO-catcher rigged to dispense matching cat plushies whose tails formed a heart when joined. Layer by layer the hints would take root—then explode inside the haunted house.
Dark, cramped corridors; NPC ghosts breathing down their necks; an atmosphere thick with dread. All she had to do was brush against him in the dark, wait for his startled glance—
"President, I...I'm a little scared. May I hold your hand?"
Trailing behind him, Sakuramiya's inner grin slid toward the unhinged.
Soon he'll be mine. Inviting me back to his flat will be the obvious next step. Once the second Room Boundary is installed, the final piece of "President's" life will click into place—
A blissful future indeed~
While she was already day-dreaming baby names, Yan Huan suddenly stopped and checked his phone.
"Hashimoto says they're ready. They want us to meet at the doujin area now."
"."
The smile on Sakuramiya's face remained, but it looked rusted into place.
Ha-ha, Hashimoto, impeccable timing~
Have those electronic bonsai rotted your sense of time? Just wait—after this I'm hacking your account and melting every weapon you ever farmed for your wife!!
"Is that so?"
Clouds drifted over the glass ceiling, casting soft silhouettes across the hall. In the shade, Sakuramiya turned with perfect grace.
"Then let's go join Hashimoto and the others."
Hidden in the gloom, Nara exhaled soundlessly.
So it goes. As long as she keeps the mask on, no one will see what lies beneath. Perhaps the Young Lady understands this only too well; the face behind the mask is simply too grotesque for the world.
Nothing to be done—unless the world itself learns to accept that ugliness, even embrace it as common sense.
Impossible.
All for nothing.
Nara blinked, raising her walkie-talkie to call off the planted staff.
But Yan Huan, phone still in hand, studied Sakuramiya standing in the shadows. After a second's thought he spoke.
"We've come all this way. Skipping everything would be a waste—especially after we won tickets."
"."
Both the smiling Sakuramiya and the shadow-hidden Nara froze, eyes locking on him.
Young Master Yan, it's precisely because you keep acting like this that the Young Lady can't look away. When she devours you later, you'll have no one to blame but yourself~
Not that he had the faintest clue.
Nara sighed and released the walkie-talkie. Sakuramiya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear—an unconscious tic whenever her emotions surged. Even behind the mask, the body betrayed her. Especially in front of Yan Huan.
"Will we keep them waiting?"
"They made us wait earlier. Our turn now."
Yan Huan scanned the attractions; the haunted house was the priciest at ninety-nine yuan per person—yet they had free passes.
"Let's try one or two things, won't take long. Sakuramiya, ever been in a haunted house?"
"No, but I'd like to."
"Great. Let's check it out."
He messaged Hashimoto: We'll be a bit late.
Hashimoto replied with an anime-girl sticker and, "No rush, President, we'll wander nearby."
In the shadows Nara smiled, lifting her walkie-talkie again.
"Haunted-house crew, run final checks. Operation starts in five."
"Copy."
The clouds inched aside; sunlight spilled across the queue entrance. A short wait lay ahead.
Sakuramiya followed Yan Huan, sun blazing on his back. It felt too bright, so she snapped open her parasol, blocking every ray.
"Please wait here, you two. Capacity is limited—eight guests per batch. We'll escort you once the group is complete."
At the haunted-house gate a staffer handed them blindfolds with a cheerful grin.
"For immersion, please put these on. We'll brief you shortly."
Yan Huan had done escape rooms in his last life; the routine felt familiar. He glanced over—Sakuramiya had already donned her mask.
Adjusting the cloth, she asked, "President, if we can't see, how do we walk in?"
"Staff will guide us."
"I see."
With those words, the lights in the waiting room suddenly dropped to near darkness.
A spine-chilling soundtrack began to play, accompanied by a flat, emotionless female voice.
"I am Saito Rina, Class 1-A of Kyoutou High. The story I'm about to tell concerns Kyoutou High... and my best friend, Manako."
The atmosphere was perfect; even Sakuramiya Hitomi, who knew every beat of the script, felt her pulse quicken at the corpse-cold first-person narration.
Seeing the way Sakuramiya—eye-mask already on—subconsciously pressed her pink lips together, Yan Huan gave a faint smile and slipped on his own mask.
The temperature seemed to plummet. When the final line of the prologue ended, Saito Rina's voice returned—this time, it sounded as if she were standing directly behind Sakuramiya.
"All right, you two, please hold hands and enter Kyoutou High together."
Sakuramiya swallowed hard, frozen in place.
Then a warm, steady hand reached out in front of her and wrapped around her cold fingers.
"Let's go, Sakuramiya."
"O-okay, President."
His hand is so big...
And warm. It feels nice.
She rubbed the faintest circle against his palm, then froze, terrified he might notice.
"Easy," Yan Huan murmured. "I feel the door ahead opening; there's a draft. We'll inch forward a little at a time."
"Mm, President."
He didn't seem to register her tiny movements; he simply guided her forward, officially beginning their haunted-house run.
Watching the night-vision feed in the control booth, Nara kept one hand on the radio, ready to cue each station's staff.
Before she could speak, a panicked female voice burst through the speaker.
"Nara sis, trouble! Two girls at the entrance are barging in! They refuse to queue and want to go straight inside!"
"What?"
Nara shot upright, frowning. "We just cleared the route. Don't let anyone in—physically stop them if you have to!"
"We tried! Can't hold her! That blonde one's strong as an ox—just brushing A-Qiu aside sent her flying!"
Nara blinked in disbelief. "Are all of you useless? A whole team and you can't restrain one girl?"
"Nara sis, it's not—"
She cut the channel, flipped the monitor to the entrance feed, and caught the audio.
Two staffers were half-crouched, clutching their wrists in pain; the blonde girl in front of them was already striding past the ticket booth, scanning a QR code.
"Two tickets, hurry."
Behind her, a second girl—arms full of black shopping bags—hovered.
"Um, Spencer... maybe you go in and I'll wait outside?"
"Scared?"
"...Yeah."
Spencer's grin turned wolfish.
"Too bad—I refuse."
"Eep."
Nara had feared a security threat against Sakuramiya, bodyguards downed—something sinister.
But the feed told a different story.
No assassins here; these two just really wanted the haunted house.
"What now?"
She glanced at the other monitor: Yan Huan and Sakuramiya were still barely past the waiting room, moving at a snail's pace because of the blindfolds and Sakuramiya's nerves.
When Spencer shoved the waiting-room door open, they hadn't even entered the attraction proper.
"Whoa, so this is the—huh?"
Spencer planted hands on hips, ready to deliver some bone-headed battle-cry—then spotted the two figures already holding hands.
Even through the masks, the soft current between the handsome boy and the pretty girl was unmistakable.
Spencer's expression brightened a thousand watts.
"Oh-ho~"
Behind her, An Le—who'd trailed Spencer from the doujin aisles to the entertainment zone—was still masked and panting.
"Hah... Spencer, wait—"
She arrived half a second late; when she raised her eyes, she saw the blindfolded boy.
Recognition hit like a lightning bolt.
Xiao... Xiao Huan!?
Excitement, joy, adrenaline, anxiety, shock, worry—every emotion detonated at once.
On her shoulder, the droopy white snake Xiao Muzi lit up like the national team leading 2-1.
"Holy crap, what are the odds?! An Le, c'mon—your moment's here!"
"Eh?"
An Le's heart hammered. She had never expected the long-rehearsed reunion to appear so suddenly in real life.
Instinct screamed: speak, tell Xiao Huan who you are—
"Um—"
Then her peripheral vision caught Yan Huan and Sakuramiya's intertwined fingers.
Wait.
His... his hand is already—
Sakuramiya has it.
An Le blanked out.
Yan Huan and Sakuramiya heard the commotion—and recognized the voice.
In perfect sync, like mecha pilots, they turned and pulled off their masks.
What met their eyes was a kaiju rising from a Pacific trench.
Codename: Mister Niu-niu.
"You?!" they said in unison.
Yan Huan knew Spencer was a dangerous Modifier-user; Sakuramiya remembered the girl who'd shattered her barrier with one kick.
Both went on full alert, a seamless wall of wariness.
Spencer, equal parts annoyed and thrilled, folded her arms and lifted her chin.
"Well, well, fancy meeting you here, President~"
She lingered on the word "President," and Sakuramiya felt an icy shiver.
Before Yan Huan could respond, a staff member stepped in, forcing a smile.
"Ah, to enter the haunted house you must wear the masks, listen to the backstory, and hold hands."
Hearing this, Xiao Muzi flicked his tail against An Le's cheek.
"Quit spacing out! They're only holding hands for the attraction; Sakuramiya hasn't won yet. You still have a shot!"
"R-really?"
An Le rebooted. She blinked, finally sensing the razor-edge tension in the doorway—
even the staffer had already retreated.
Wait...
Why are Xiao Huan and Spencer always at each other's throats?
Oh—right.
The study-group incident.
They nearly argued then, and I accidentally overloaded Xiao Huan with pleasure.
Sorry, Xiao Huan, it was all my fault.
"Um... you guys—"
An Le spoke up at last, soft and timid as a small animal, trying to calm the two sides that were squaring off.
Only when she spoke did Yan Huan realize there was another girl standing behind Spencer.
His gaze swept over her, curious: what kind of person could possibly hang out with someone like Spencer?
The moment his eyes landed on her, An Le's courage evaporated.
"Eep—"
Face scarlet, she dropped her head and shrank behind Spencer again, clutching several black plastic bags to her chest. That was all Yan Huan could make out through the mask.
"Useless!" Xiao Muzi hissed. "What are you doing? Hiding? Get out there! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!"
Normally, timid An Le would have let such words slide right off. But this time—perhaps because she was finally standing openly in front of Xiao Huan—some hidden courage flared.
She stepped out from behind Spencer and stood at her side instead.
"Spencer, right?" Sakuramiya Hitomi's voice chilled. "I thought Yuanyue students had better manners than this. Interrupting a game about to start, barging in uninvited—hardly normal behavior."
Her eyes narrowed. "Oh, wait—you're a transfer. Skipped the entrance exam, didn't you? Probably missed the IQ test as well."
Spencer's brows snapped together, a cold laugh escaping.
Before she could retort, An Le, cheeks still flaming, blurted, "S-sorry! We didn't mean to—sorry, sorry!" She tugged Spencer's sleeve, begging her to drop it.
"Huh?!" Spencer gaped at An Le, incredulous.
You like Yan Huan too, don't you? And you're apologizing to Sakuramiya Hitomi?
What's the point of any of this?
And you dare side with them against me?
For the first time, Spencer tasted betrayal—tiny, but sharp. Her expression darkened, golden hair seeming to glow brighter as an invisible ripple pulsed out, brushing everyone in the waiting room. No one noticed the shift, only a sudden chill.
"Vice-President, what 'interruption'?" Spencer drawled. "You haven't even gone in yet. Every group takes several people—why can't we join?"
Yan Huan, who knew far too much about Modifiers, felt the warning first. He didn't know Spencer's power had activated, but seeing the host in a foul mood was enough. More importantly, Sakuramiya was here; he couldn't let her get dragged into this.
"Sakuramiya, ignore her. Let's go." He reached for her hand, instinctively pulling her behind him.
At the same moment, Sakuramiya tried to do the exact same thing—shielding him from Spencer.
Both moved in perfect sync, fingers intertwining before either realized.
Their nerves were too taut to notice they were still holding hands.
Spencer's eyes narrowed at Yan Huan, lips curling. "President, don't forget what you promised me, hmm?"
Right—he had agreed to one condition. If this continued, it would rope Sakuramiya in.
Maybe... just let Spencer tag along.
Yan Huan hesitated, the thought surfacing unbidden.
Sakuramiya's heart lurched. A private promise? The study-group thing? Or something else he's hiding—
No. Trust him. Spencer probably—
She shook the thought away, only for both of them to snarl inwardly at the same instant:
Where did that idea come from?!
Sensing the "cuckold aura," Sakuramiya's gaze sharpened to blades. "Whatever you two discussed, wrong is wrong! And there's a line behind us—if anyone's added, it's not you. Leave. Now."
Spencer didn't even glance at her, smirking straight at Yan Huan. The naked hunger in that look made Sakuramiya nauseous.
An Le, meanwhile, couldn't tear her eyes from their clasped hands.
That's enough, right, Xiao Huan, Vice-President Sakuramiya?
You're arguing—no need to keep holding hands for the haunted house!
Wait—why are you gripping even tighter because of Spencer?
Ten fingers laced now?
Is this... marital solidarity?
An Le's eyes dulled, childhood memories flooding back.
She remembered catching cicadas in South District park, falling and crying until Xiao Huan made silly faces to cheer her up.
She remembered sharing a bed, clinging to him the next morning so tightly Mom couldn't pry them apart.
But those memories were a sheet of paper now, crumpled by Sakuramiya's invisible hand and tossed into the bin.
She saw Sakuramiya smirk, cradling Xiao Huan in her arms while his gaze turned forever away.
Toward the flawless Vice-President who'd swooped in out of nowhere six months ago.
Yes—An Le felt the sting of being cuckolded by Sakuramiya.
Her chest twisted, tears threatening.
Then Yan Huan's voice cut through, cold and sharp. "Enough, Spencer. Idiot. Did you forget what I told you?"
Spencer flinched.
She had promised Yan Huan: Sakuramiya must never know.
Yet in her anger she'd skirted the line.
Though vague, it was a red-flag breach.
Spencer hugged her arms, suddenly small, but Yan Huan's pressure didn't ease.
"It's our break time. We're not arguing—we have other things to do."
His words, meant for Spencer, pierced An Le instead.
Since that day, Spencer had been her only friend.
This wasn't what she wanted.
Cutting the line, arguing with Xiao Huan and Sakuramiya—
She just wanted to reunite with Xiao Huan, not drive him further away.
An Le reached for Spencer's sleeve.
"Spencer... please don't fight. We did cut the line. It's our fault."
Head bowed, voice barely a whisper, she added, "Let's go. If... if you still want to play, I'll queue with you properly."
Spencer opened her mouth, then closed it.
You...
Spencer clenched her teeth; the irritation inside her was getting harder to choke down.
I only helped you because you had nothing—buying your ticket, dragging you here. If I hadn't felt sorry for you, none of this would've happened!
And you liked Yan Huan in the first place, didn't you?
Yet every time you side against me, speak up for someone else—someone who doesn't even care about you—you're just patting yourself on the back.
The whole class can hate me for all I care; nobody's ever liked me anyway.
But you— you're desperate for friends, desperate not to be bullied.
That's why I stuck my nose in!
Watching An Le step in to stop her, Spencer felt the sting of betrayal; her face turned ugly, but no words came out.
"."
At the haunted-house entrance.
Sakuramiya Hitomi, stung by Spencer's aggressiveness, burned with the fear that the president might be snatched away.
An Le, seeing Sakuramiya's hand linked with Yan Huan's, trembled at the thought that her childhood-sweetheart future was slipping through her fingers.
Spencer, seeing An Le side with Sakuramiya and Yan Huan instead of her, ached with the feeling of being abandoned by the only friend she'd tried to make.
For a moment, no one could tell who had out-played whom.
Maybe she'd out-played her; maybe she'd been out-played.
Maybe everyone had been played, or maybe no one had.
A philosophical question—at least in the tense air right then.
Impossible to say.
But no matter how heated things got, they still had to end.
The one who ended them was Yan Huan.
"Spencer, stay away from us today."
With that, he took Sakuramiya's hand and walked into the haunted house, never looking back at Spencer or the unfamiliar friend beside her.
Watching Yan Huan and Sakuramiya seem even closer, Spencer sulked and silently blamed the Modifier.
If only this so-called Modifier were stronger...
She turned to An Le, ready to vent, then noticed the hand clutching her sleeve was shaking.
"."
An Le opened her mouth, eyes already brimming.
"I'm sorry, Spencer. I—I tried so hard to back you up. Cutting the line, picking fights... I knew it was wrong, but I wanted to stand with you. I didn't want to let your kindness go to waste. But—"
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand; the rest wouldn't come.
Spencer stared at her—at the tears, at the gaze that still clung to her—and the anger she'd been about to release fizzled out.
Slowly it dawned on her: maybe An Le hadn't sided against her because she liked Yan Huan.
The truth was simpler: An Le simply couldn't stand on Spencer's side.
Because she had nothing, because she followed the rules, because her kindness kept her from hurting others—because she was used to swallowing every injustice.
Everything about her ran counter to Spencer's way of doing things.
That was why An Le had always been bullied.
And why Spencer couldn't look away.
"Tch."
Spencer scratched the back of her head irritably, glanced toward the haunted house, then at the tear-streaked girl in front of her.
She opened her mouth, hunting for comforting words—and found none.
What came out instead, after she clenched her jaw, was:
"All right, stop crying! I get it—I messed up!"
"."
An Le clutched her bag, eyes still watery.
Spencer turned away, face scrunched, then forced the words out in a mumble barely louder than a mosquito:
"So... sorry."
"Huh?"
An Le blinked.
"That's it!" Spencer snapped, cheeks flaming scarlet. She folded her arms and marched ahead—toward the haunted-house entrance—leaving An Le only her back.
"Anyway, we already cut the line. Let's just go in. Won't happen again.
And—since you like Yan Huan, everything just now was my doing; it has nothing to do with you. Do whatever you want. Need help? Ask."
An Le blinked again, then stepped up beside her and whispered,
"Then let's go in together, Spencer. I'm sorry I didn't speak up for you earlier."
Spencer shrugged like it didn't matter.
"I'm used to it."
". Sorry, Spencer. Um... once we're inside, can you keep the Vice-President busy so I can talk to Xiao Huan?"
"."
Spencer didn't say yes or no; she just strode inside and tossed over her shoulder,
"Hmph—fine. I'm only here for the haunted house. Helping you's just a bonus."
"Thank you, Spencer."
With a deep breath, An Le followed her in.
Both sides declared a temporary cease-fire—leaving the two hidden spectators, Xiao Muzi and Nara, utterly stunned.
Wait, why were we even here again?
Weren't we supposed to be targeting Yan Huan?
How did we end up listening to speeches about friendship and then watching everyone walk into a haunted house?
I don't understand.
Still, Xiao Muzi and Nara each decided this was just a minor detour—plenty of room to maneuver.
From Nara's viewpoint, the young lady had entered the haunted house on schedule, and the little quarrel had actually brought Yan Huan and the young lady closer.
All she had to do was radio the staff to steer Spencer and her friend away from the couple.
From Xiao Muzi's angle, Yan Huan was inside, and Spencer—brainless but brawny—was a perfect ally for creating one-on-one time.
Fire up the Modifier, barge in, and spin a nostalgic tale—desire would do the rest.
Neither had met the other, yet both wore identical scheming grins.
Whatever the case, a chance for privacy had arrived.
The advantage was theirs.
Next step: arrange everything inside the haunted house—victory was certain.
"I hate this, I hate this so much..."
Inside the entrance stretched a labyrinthine school corridor.
Yan Huan and Sakuramiya, each determined to shield the other from Spencer, charged ahead hand in hand—only to realize, after several turns, that they'd wandered into some forgotten classroom.
Pitch-black, ghostly whispers drifting from nowhere, cold air licking their skin.
Instinctively seeking warmth, Sakuramiya tightened her grip on Yan Huan's hand.
"Sakuramiya... that hand."
Only then did she realize.
"!"
Her carefully maintained persona nearly cracked; she let go at once and apologized,
"President, sorry—because of Spencer just now..."
"It's fine."
Yan Huan smiled, but beneath his Perfect Expression Management his face wasn't so calm.
He hadn't expected Spencer to show up here.
He'd come to push progress on Bai Yi's Modifier, not to juggle two extra tables of guests.
And if Spencer and Bai Yi met too soon, who knew—Linmen's Holy Grail War might kick off early.
Trouble.
Seeing no change in his expression, Sakuramiya exhaled and surveyed the eerie, abandoned school wing, shifting topics:
"This haunted house is huge, and there's no map. Rumor says we have to find the exit and the exit key—getting out counts as clearing it."
Yan Huan pulled his thoughts back, shelving Spencer and Bai Yi for the moment.
"It shouldn't be too hard; there'll be subtle hints. Look over there, Sakuramiya."
Following his finger, she saw words scrawled in dripping scarlet across the blackboard:
"She's hiding in the equipment room!! Kill her! Don't let her escape!"
Sakuramiya Hitomi looked away from the commotion and smiled at Yan Huan.
"Looks like we need to find the equipment room first."
"Yeah, let's go check the layout outside. Try not to run into that lunatic."
She meant Spencer.
"Alright, President."
Sakuramiya Hitomi nodded with a gentle smile and followed Yan Huan out.
As they walked, checking classroom numbers to orient themselves, Hitomi seemed to break the oppressive haunted-house atmosphere by starting a conversation.
"By the way, President, there's something I'd like to ask you."
"Mmm?"
"Earlier, you and Spencer seemed to exchange some private words with each other, didn't you?"
Yan Huan paused mid-step, turning to glance at Hitomi trailing behind him. Her eyes held genuine worry.
This concern wasn't feigned.
During that confrontation with Spencer, that strange feeling had crept back into her mind again—that unsettling impulse to trust both Spencer and the President unconditionally, to lower her guard and resistance.
Each repetition made it clearer. Spencer possessed some supernatural ability similar to her own.
And from those faint, intrusive thoughts, she deduced that the President—lacking any powers—must be even more vulnerable to such influence.
If this continued unchecked, the President might...
For some reason, Hitomi's mind conjured an image of Spencer cradling the President against her chest, his expression conflicted, eyes averted. Spencer tilted her head back with arrogant triumph, that signature fang glinting as she laughed:
"Eeehahahahaha! The President is mine now!"
Then when Hitomi looked to the President, his face darkened further, a single tear tracing down his cheek.
"Sorry, Sakuramiya... I can't go back anymore."
"!!"
Hitomi shuddered violently, her disgust toward Spencer reaching its peak.
This couldn't continue. She had to eliminate Spencer without the President ever knowing.
"Ah, my apologies, Sakuramiya. I kept this from you earlier. Remember when she took those photos of us? I had to be a bit clever to get her to delete them."
"'A bit clever'?"
"Exactly."
Yan Huan smiled faintly, turning to face Sakuramiya Hitomi fully.
"In exchange for returning the photos, I agreed to one of her conditions."
As he spoke, Hitomi's pupils contracted to pinpricks.