novelraw Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Thud!
Out in the corridor, Sakuramiya Hitomi watched Spencer blunder around like a headless fly, growing more lost with every frantic turn. A contemptuous smile curled her lips.
The moment she had seen the girl ignore the common-sense rewrite, Hitomi had panicked—for exactly one second—then relaxed. Once brute force failed, Spencer was helpless against the barrier. Her sprinting and door-smashing accomplished nothing; only then did she fish out her phone.
Of course, no signal.
Now Spencer squatted at a corner, clutching her head as if the maze had fried her brain.
"Aaaah, where's the exit?!"
She no longer knew north from south.
Perfect timing.
Separate Spencer from the President, stay hidden in the shadows—flawless plan.
Clap.
Hitomi tapped the wall; the scattered barrier folded back into her palm like obedient silk.
Buzz—
The dead headsets crackled to life, cameras re-linked, and the NPCs she had locked in the abandoned classroom poked out their monster-painted faces.
"Young Lady Sakuramiya!"
"Miss!"
"The door slammed shut and everything went quiet—we couldn't reach Nara!"
Ghouls in dripping makeup crowded the hallway, waving excitedly. Hitomi almost lost her composure.
"Shh!"
She raised a finger to her lips and pointed toward the infirmary: Don't let the President hear.
Every actor snapped their mouths shut, then whispered over Bluetooth.
"Young Lady, are you okay?!"
Nara's anxious voice burst through the earpiece, loud enough to make Hitomi tilt her head.
"I'm fine. Just now—"
"All the exterior cameras on the haunted-house's second floor cut out at once. Every door's mechanism auto-triggered—staff can't open them."
"Ah, a glitch. What about the President? Has he reached the end?"
Earlier, she had explained: skip the infirmary shortcut and you'd have to circle to the third floor to reach the exit on the far side of the first.
Hitomi climbed the third-floor stairs with practiced ease and asked Nara first thing.
She intended to loop around and meet the President at the exit.
"I was just about to tell you, Young Lady. Remember the girl with the blonde?"
"Girl?"
Halfway up, Hitomi paused; a bad feeling pricked her spine.
Right—Spencer had arrived with another girl in tow. A timid otaku type, so unremarkable that Hitomi had dismissed her on sight.
She only remembered the girl because, during the earlier scuffle, she had calmly mediated.
"Ah, Young Lady, when the President entered the infirmary, that girl slipped in right behind him. They're now inside the slide tunnel to the exit. No cameras there, and—"
"And?"
"—and it's been quite a while. They still haven't come out. No telling what they're doing."
Hitomi's mouth opened, phone frozen in her hand.
She dropped her parasol, hiked up her skirt, and sprinted for the stairs.
Damn it—so focused on the troublesome Spencer that she'd let another fox into the henhouse!
Back-door capped!
She had just won the team fight, hadn't even savored victory, when a glance at the mini-map screamed:
Enemy attacking our crystal?!
"How did that girl sneak into the infirmary? Nara, why didn't you warn me?"
"Everyone's eyes were on the blonde. The other girl kept a low profile. I checked the footage—her conversation with the President looked normal. Even if they're in the tunnel, nothing should happen, right?"
Hitomi's stamina was awful; a few flights had her gasping. She leaned against the wall, partly reassured.
Huff.
Yeah... nothing should happen.
Yet the moment that thought formed, she doubted its very origin.
What if this calm was another trick of Spencer's damned power?
A bucket of ice water drenched her nerves.
Teeth clenched, she bolted back down and skidded to the tunnel hatch. It resembled a garbage chute from the school's service wing.
Still not out? How long had they been in there?!
"Heh..."
Breath ragged, she stared into the darkness and yelled, "President!!"
What on earth were he and that girl—
Ding-ding-ding~
Rewind a few minutes. Inside the dim chute, a phone's ringtone boomed like a church bell, jerking An Le's attention.
Face flushed, she lifted her head—only to shrink back from Yan Huan's closeness.
"X-Xiao Huan-hubby, w-wait..."
Her panicked mind slipped into childhood make-believe, then recoiled at what she'd just called him.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Yan Huan blinked in the dark; from this angle he could only see the crimson curve of her cheek—soft, delicate, as if one bite would release sweet juice.
He stayed perfectly still, pretending the Modifier still had him in thrall.
"Xiao Huan, that call—"
He twirled a lock of her black hair, glanced at the caller ID, then turned back.
"Ignore it. An Le-wifey."
"D-don't call me that... Xiao Huan, I'll—"
An Le shrank further, voice dwindling until only she—and Xiao Muzi—could hear the last words.
"I'll... lose control."
"Hmm? What did you say?"
The white snake flicked its tongue, eyes on An Le.
An Le seized the lifeline. "Xiao Muzi, cancel Superconducting Mode now. Smooth over Xiao Huan's memories; I don't want—"
"I know, but this chance is golden. You sure you want to do nothing?"
This time the snake sounded merely curious, not disappointed.
Its original expectation had been "pass at sixty, celebrate." Instead, An Le had scored ninety on the spot: confession, embrace, Modifier activated—bingo!
Right now, An Le didn't just sparkle through Yan Huan's haze; she gleamed for Xiao Muzi too.
An Le hesitated.
"N-no way... and with so little time, what could we even—?"
"Who knows. Untapped boys don't always need that long~"
"Xiao Muzi!"
Face burning, An Le tapped the snake's head in protest. Xiao Muzi only laughed, ruby eyes slitting as it regarded the flustered Yan Huan.
Heh. Every principled host starts with "I just want a normal romance."
But present them with stimulation far beyond the norm, and watch their limits erode—until they're slaves to desire.
No rush~
Ssss~
While An Le gathered the scattered "art books" off the floor and stuffed them into her bag, Xiao Muzi got to work.
The little serpent flicked out its tongue, then opened its scarlet maw wide.
The mouth was tiny, yet it gulped down the white mist still clinging to Yan Huan like a miniature abyss.
Along with the mist, it devoured every memory formed inside his head during the last half hour.
The moment Xiao Muzi unhinged its jaw, Yan Huan felt the familiar tug—the same sensation he'd had when other Modifiers finished their edits. Memories began to fork from the instant he first saw the manga. In reality, he'd never even laid eyes on it; the scene had simply triggered a recollection of his childhood friend.
An Le's image sharpened, radiant and beautiful, until Yan Huan's own heart skipped. He lingered on the feeling, reluctant to let it go.
What truly terrified him was that after the memory had been "corrected," a sliver of the artificial fondness remained—leftovers from the Modifier's tampering.
Yan Huan blinked, studying An Le in the dim light.
The goddess-like shimmer had vanished, yet he still found her... genuinely pretty, exactly his type.
She'd slid right into his strike zone, almost rivaling Sakuramiya Hitomi.
And just like that, a die-hard "small-chest" boy had become a slave to curves!
Sss—this girl is dangerous!
Even realizing it, he couldn't deny the truth: An Le looked adorable, and she smelled... really nice~
"Xiao Huan, are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine."
Seeing Yan Huan's heated expression settle back to normal, An Le pressed her lips together.
For some reason, a flicker of disappointment stirred inside her.
She kept it hidden—only the serpent on her shoulder, wearing a wicked grin, sensed it.
"Sss~"
It merely flicked its tongue and kept the secret.
Yan Huan turned to the phone whose ringtone had long since stopped, scooped it up, and glanced at the screen. With a smile he faced An Le.
"It's been so long; I was thrilled to see you and forgot to answer the call."
"R-really? I'm... happy to see you too, Xiao Huan."
His grin dimmed a notch. He rubbed the top of her head.
"Then why enroll in the same school? I announced my presidential campaign to the whole campus. You had to know I was here, yet you never came looking for me."
"Uuu~"
An Le half-closed her eyes under his palm, leaning into the touch like a cat. But moments later she flushed and ducked her head.
"X-Xiao Huan, I'm not a kid anymore. Don't treat me like when we were little..."
Yan Huan paused, expression softening. He lowered his hand.
"You're right... you've changed."
An Le glanced up, searching his face, but he had already turned toward the far end of the passage.
"Alright, let's head out."
"O-okay."
While he spoke, Yan Huan dialed Bai Yi's mother.
Beep—
Beep—
"Hey, Xiao Huan. Did Yi Yi tell you where to find us?"
In the narrow tunnel, her voice carried clearly to An Le.
"No, Auntie."
"Ugh, this child... Listen, come to the main hall around eleven-thirty. I'll send someone to pick you up."
"Got it. Thanks, Auntie."
"Oh, it's nothing."
He hung up. Ahead, the darkness revealed what looked like a slide.
"Looks like this is the exit, An Le."
"Mm."
Yan Huan sat; An Le settled behind him, fingers clutching his shirt. He slid forward a few inches, then wedged his feet against the tunnel sides to check on her.
"Ready—"
"President!!"
A shout echoed from the far end—Sakuramiya Hitomi.
Yan Huan froze. An Le, still clinging to him, panicked like a caught mistress.
"Uu!"
Instinctively she tried to duck behind him—forgetting he'd already started down the slide. Her lunge became a shove.
"—Whoa!"
Friction lost its grip; gravity took over. Yan Huan tumbled, pulling An Le with him.
Soft, balloon-like pressure molded to his back. His eyes widened as they shot toward the light.
Outside the tunnel, Sakuramiya had opened her mouth to call again when urgent rustling erupted from within.
The next second, disheveled Yan Huan and An Le tumbled out, landing right at her feet.
"Uu, Xiao Huan..."
Xiao Huan?
Sakuramiya blinked, tasting the pet name.
Wait—why does everyone except me call him that?
First Ye Shiyu and Spencer, now this girl?
Fine—bring it on!!
A polite smile curved her lips while, inside, knives sharpened.
"Sakuramiya?"
Yan Huan straightened, brushing himself off. Behind him, An Le—mask removed—revealed a fair, delicate face flushed pink, fingers still twisted in his shirt. She greeted Sakuramiya at once.
"Vice-President Sakuramiya."
The simple greeting, set against her clingy posture, carried the faint scent of green tea.
Yan Huan stepped aside; An Le could no longer hold on and watched him return to Sakuramiya's side.
"President, who is this?"
"Ah, Sakuramiya, meet another classmate—she's in—"
"Year One Class C. I'm An Le. Nice to meet you, Vice-President."
An Le bowed shyly, then bit her lip and added,
"About Spencer earlier... I apologize on her behalf. Sorry for the trouble."
"."
Sakuramiya's polite smile softened a fraction. She studied the girl whose gaze kept skittering away.
She doesn't seem impossible like Ye Shiyu or Spencer...
And—she's scared of me?
"It's fine. Spencer's the one at fault, not you. No need to apologize." Sakuramiya paused. "But just now, you called the president—"
An Le's face flamed. She waved her hands.
"I-I just—"
Xiao Muzi, satisfied moments ago, turned crimson again and prepared a scathing hiss—until An Le, twisting her sleeve, whispered,
"Xiao Huan and I... grew up together. So..."
Childhood sweethearts?
Another rival?!
Sakuramiya's smile nearly cracked. She glanced at Yan Huan; Xiao Muzi shot An Le a surprised look.
Sss...
Have you opened all your meridians today or what?
In truth, An Le had simply heard Yan Huan say, "Sakuramiya isn't my girlfriend."
Though still feeling small beside the dazzling vice-president, she now dared to hope.
She had tasted that warmth Xiao Huan once showered on her.
An Le, by instinct, didn't want to let it go.
So even she was startled when the words slipped out.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Yan Huan offered a small smile and, voice low, introduced her to Sakuramiya Hitomi.
"This is An Le. We grew up together in the South District; she looked after me when we were kids. I thought she'd moved back to Longguo for good."
Sakuramiya blinked, gave a polite smile, then tilted her head, curiosity piqued.
"Ah, I see. But this year the only transfer student we've had is Spencer. So An Le enrolled normally? Funny, the President never mentioned you."
An Le's face paled.
Right—because of her own cowardice she'd stayed away from Xiao Huan all this time.
Would he think she simply hadn't wanted to find him?
He'd even said, "I'm not the same person I used to be."
The old An Le would have followed Xiao Huan wherever he went.
The old An Le would never have refused his head-pats.
Yet now...
She didn't hate it.
She was just... too much of a coward, exactly as he'd said.
An Le's lips trembled. She lifted her eyes, desperate to explain.
But the moment she looked up—flustered—Sakuramiya had already read her like an open book.
This girl... is weak.
Sakuramiya mentally ranked the three potential rivals.
T0: Spencer.
Not the sharpest tool, but fools trump pros, and with brute strength plus superpowers she's the most dangerous.
T1: Ye Shiyu.
A little aggressive, lousy with words. You can feel a thousand curses bottled up inside her, yet only one or two ever leak out.
Still, her mother is President's benefactor Ye Lan—close to the water, first to grab the moon. Proceed with caution.
T2: An Le.
Pushover. Probably nursing an unrequited crush on the President. The way he looks at her is... complicated. Worth watching.
Besides, she seems on decent terms with Spencer.
With that, Sakuramiya pivoted her strategy.
Seeing An Le tense, Yan Huan's heart lurched.
He knew the old An Le would swallow any hurt in silence, but now she carried a Modifier. Years apart had changed her, too.
Who knew when things might spiral?
He opened his mouth to speak for her, but Sakuramiya beat him to it, offering an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, An Le, I pried. That wasn't my intention.
Since you and the President are childhood friends, you must visit the student council often—we'll all welcome you. I'm Sakuramiya Hitomi; pleased to meet you."
She extended her hand.
An Le flushed, nervous, but took it.
"Ah—yes, Vice-President Sakuramiya."
Yan Huan shot Sakuramiya a sidelong glance and sighed.
To anyone polite, Sakuramiya was gentle; the only one he'd seen her snap at was Spencer.
If An Le were still just an ordinary childhood friend, he wouldn't mind her dropping by.
But like Spencer, she was a Modifier host.
Sakuramiya, Sakuramiya—why do you keep drawing Modifier hosts like moths to a flame?
Yan Huan glanced toward the haunted house.
"Is Spencer still inside?"
Come to think of it, what had Spencer wanted with her Modifier this time? Lock him and An Le inside—just to expose An Le's identity?
Did she even know An Le was a host?
If not, why hadn't she shown up at the exit after her usual stunt?
And how had their phones had signal inside?
Too many loose ends.
Sakuramiya's smile dimmed. She tapped her chin.
"The President triggered a mechanism that split us up. Spencer probably hit another trap and's still wandering inside, lost."
A mechanism?
So maybe it wasn't the Modifier at all, just the haunted-house gimmicks?
Yan Huan kept both theories on the table; his head was still spinning from his childhood friend's sudden "wolf reveal."
Sakuramiya turned to them—An Le in particular—beaming.
"Forget her. An Le, come hang out with us today. The whole student council's here; the President and I can introduce you."
"Eh?"
Scheming, isn't she?
Sakuramiya felt the competition multiplying—especially with super-powered Spencer in the mix.
At this rate she'd be at war with the entire world to keep the President to herself.
Time to sort allies from enemies.
Does An Le have her eyes on the President?
Yes.
But she's weak, respectful, even afraid—ripe for recruitment.
Judging by how she interacts with Spencer, Sakuramiya could use her to land a solid punch on that idiot later.
Come, An Le—be my blade aimed at Spencer's heart.
An Le's cheeks warmed. Facing Sakuramiya's gentle smile, guilt and shame welled up.
As expected... Vice-President Sakuramiya is like a goddess—kind, graceful—perfect for Xiao Huan.
Temptation tugged at her. Joining Xiao Huan's circle, learning about his life again—it all felt possible.
Besides, Spencer was crude and clumsy, forever putting her in awkward spots like today.
An Le parted her lips to answer—then remembered the day bullies cornered her, and Spencer turned back to save her.
When she'd missed a game launch for lack of a ticket, Spencer had handed over a ¥1000 pass.
To abandon a friend who'd helped her, all for the boy she liked—did she even deserve to love Xiao Huan?
And without her as a guide, Spencer would be hopelessly lost in there.
Her budding resolve withered.
She glanced at Yan Huan, hesitated, then stepped back.
"Xiao Huan... I—I want to go find Spencer. You two go on ahead."
Yan Huan blinked, momentarily speechless.
Sakuramiya's smile never wavered; the closer those two were, the easier they'd be to manipulate.
An Le bowed hurriedly—first to Yan Huan, then to Sakuramiya.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry—ugh."
"Wait, An Le!"
Yan Huan's voice rang out behind her. She froze mid-turn.
"Yes!"
An Le turned, cheeks pink. When her eyes met Yan Huan's she immediately looked away.
"X-Xiao Huan, what... what's up?"
Yan Huan's expression flickered with something complicated, but the feeling vanished behind his usual Perfect Expression Management mask. He raised his phone.
"Let's add each other on Plane first, An Le."
Her eyes lit up. She lifted her head, smiling sweetly.
"Mm!"
Inside the haunted house, Spencer—now so lost she had no idea what floor she was on—sat slumped in a fake abandoned classroom. The indignant pout she'd worn earlier had crumbled into pure misery. After a long, silent moment she tugged at her golden hair, voice wobbling.
"This sucks! I didn't even get the manga, I lost An Le, and I haven't seen hide or hair of Yan Huan or Sakuramiya Hitomi..."
She was about to continue when a crisp click echoed through the room.
Click-click.
"Who's there?!"
Spencer shot to her feet, nerves on edge, but only silence answered. She swallowed hard, backing away while scanning the shadows.
A black paper bag suddenly floated onto the desk in front of her as if drawn by a magnet. Spencer paled but didn't scream; instead she dropped into a fighting stance.
"W-what is this?"
It looked like another haunted-house prank—until she realized the bag was disturbingly familiar. Wait, hadn't An Le been carrying one just like it? Come to think of it, everyone who bought that manga got the same bag.
Spencer rubbed her chin, curiosity overriding fear, and edged closer. Like a cautious cat she poked the bag. A comic slid out, revealing the title:
Pure White Ballet
Author: Charcoal
(End of Chapter)