Mature Fantasy Power Invasion

Chapter 35

Thursday, midday. Let's set aside the tense atmosphere of the student council room on the top floor of the first-year division for now. In contrast, the mood inside Class 2-A of the senior division was quite harmonious.

"Ye-classmate, what elective did you choose for Thursday afternoon? I don't think we saw you go to class on Tuesday."

The girl previously introduced as "Yumi" opened her bento box and asked Ye Shiyu, who was sitting at her desk.

Today, Ye Shiyu wore a simple hair accessory, a white spring knit top, a beige mid-length skirt, and white ankle socks.

Like snow melting after the first snowfall of spring—pure and beautiful.

Ye Shiyu looked at Yumi and replied simply,

"Hands-on."

"Oh, Yumi, I think the Hands-on Practice Class teacher sent them out to buy materials on Tuesday, so they didn't have class."

Sitting next to Yumi was another girl named "Aika," one of her close friends.

"I see. Ye-classmate, want to eat lunch with us? It looks like we all like to bring bentos to school."

"Yeah, yeah! Let's see what you're eating too!"

With a blank expression, Ye Shiyu opened her lunchbox, glanced at them, and after a moment of thought, nodded and brought her lunchbox over to sit with them.

Ever since Yan Huan visited on Monday, the girls in class had become much more friendly toward her.

They would often start conversations—sometimes intentionally, sometimes not—and even when not chatting, they would smile and greet her.

She wondered if Yumi had told them about her and Yan Huan's sibling relationship.

Still, she didn’t dislike the attention or their friendliness.

Yumi cheerfully opened her own bento, revealing a well-balanced and appetizing meal that made Aika cover her mouth and exclaim,

"Wow, Yumi, your cooking keeps getting better—it looks so delicious!"

"Hehe, I picked up a few tricks online recently."

Ye Shiyu also opened her lunchbox, and for a moment, it seemed to glow with golden light, revealing steaming hot dishes.

Abalone, lobster meat, and several beautifully presented dishes from Longguo.

(*) Longguo: A fictional or stylized name often used to represent a Chinese cultural setting.

Yumi and Aika were momentarily dazzled by the sight, and were even more shocked to discover that Ye Shiyu's lunchbox had a heating function.

Examining the lunchbox engraved with the name "Ye Shiyu," both Yumi and Aika were a bit stunned.

"Ye-classmate, the food from your house is way too luxurious!"

"..."

Ye Shiyu blinked and looked at Yumi and Aika, seemingly unsure how to respond, which only made them laugh.

They were beginning to realize that while Ye Shiyu wasn’t the best at socializing, she was easy to get along with.

"Then, I’ll dig in!"

"Let’s eat!"

"..."

The two of them even clapped their hands together like part of a ritual, while Ye Shiyu simply picked up her chopsticks and began eating.

As they ate, the atmosphere among the girls grew warmer.

"Hey, by the way, Yumi, do you make bentos for your boyfriend?"

"Sometimes I do."

Yumi took a bite of food and said a little awkwardly,

"Owen eats a lot—one lunchbox isn’t enough. If I make too much, it’s hard to carry, so it’s easier for him to eat at the cafeteria."

Hearing this, Aika chuckled and looked at Ye Shiyu, adding,

"Yumi's boyfriend is Owen, the president of our school's Track and Field Group. Super strong and super cool!"

Ye Shiyu didn’t react much and just kept eating.

"And Yumi is our class’s famous matchmaker! If there's someone you like, Ye-classmate, she can totally help you get together—her success rate is super high!"

Upon hearing that, Ye Shiyu’s eating slowed slightly.

She turned to look at the fashionably dressed Yumi beside her, which made Yumi a bit embarrassed.

Yumi raised her pink fist and lightly knocked Aika on the head, scolding,

"You're the one always talking about my high success rate! Every time I try to set you up, it never works out!"

Aika covered her head and quickly explained,

"My bad, my bad! I always back out at the last moment. I just end up feeling like I don’t actually like the guy that much—he’s different from what I imagined."

"Hmph, if you don’t even know what kind of guy you like, how can you expect to date? Even if you got together, you’d break up eventually, you know."

Aika looked a little embarrassed and quickly changed the topic, turning to Ye Shiyu with a grin,

"By the way, Ye-classmate, do you have a type of guy you like?"

"..."

Ye Shiyu stared blankly at Aika, who boldly continued,

"Tell Yumi! I mean, if you don’t fall in love in high school, isn’t that such a waste? Our school already has more girls than boys—great guys are in super high demand!"

Yumi also looked at Ye Shiyu with great curiosity, resting her chin in her hands.

"As for me, I like athletic guys who seem strong. If they’ve got muscles, even better!"

"Me, me, me—I like good-looking ones!"

"Tch, how is that even a type?"

Type of guy she liked.

Ye Shiyu’s eyes went blank, and her chewing slowed.

In that instant, Yan Huan’s image suddenly popped into her mind.

But she wasn’t sure if what she felt was the kind of romantic ‘like’ they were talking about, or just a simple desire to defile him.

Desire.

Ye Shiyu began to think seriously.

"I like—"

Yet after a moment, she suddenly stopped, unsure of what to say.

Seeing this, Yumi tried to gently guide her,

"Hmm, Ye-classmate, do you prefer someone older than you or—"

"Younger than me."

She said it with certainty.

"So, someone who can take care of you? Or someone who clings to you more—"

'I don’t need someone to take care of me. I want to take care of him, just like I care for those Dolls.'

'Likewise, he should belong to me like a Doll does, accompanying me every day.'

'But it seems like...'

'Yan Huan has always been the one taking care of me.'

"I... don’t know either."

So Ye Shiyu said.

"Then someone more introverted, or more sunny?"

"Obviously someone sunnier is better!"

Aika cut in, only to get a glare from Yumi, making her pout in defeat.

Ye Shiyu thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Someone sunny who smiles at me often... I really like it when he smiles at me."

Like Yan Huan.

Aika gave Yumi a smug "See? I told you so" look.

But the more they asked, the more Yumi's smile stiffened, and sweat began forming on her forehead.

'Why does it feel like you're answering these questions with a specific person in mind, Ye-classmate?'

'The more we ask, the clearer the image becomes...'

'Is this starting to feel a bit predetermined?'

'Don’t tell me—'

'The one you like is President Yan?!'

'So what’s really going on with that sibling relationship between you two?!'

'It can’t be... incest, right?'

'That would be way too—'

Aika, however, didn’t seem to catch the implication in Ye Shiyu’s words. She stroked her chin and concluded,

"So Ye-classmate, your type is the younger, puppy-like sunny boy, huh?"

"..."

Ye Shiyu looked at her, not understanding what she meant.

Aika noticed her confusion and raised a finger to explain,

"You know, the younger, sunshiney, cute boy type! Ahhh, those boys are always so full of energy—"

'Stop talking, Aika!'

'If you keep going, that answer is going to come spilling out—!'

Yumi covered her face, shouting this silently in her heart.

Ye Shiyu paused for a moment, then gave a small nod of agreement.

"You two, stop syncing up and deepening your understanding together!!"

Yumi lifted her head and forced a smile as she said to Ye Shiyu,

"S-So that's how it is."

"Hehe, then Ye-classmate, you should walk around the first-year division more often! And seriously, you need to work on your communication skills."

"Communication... skills?"

"Yeah! Like right now—we’re saying so much to you, and you can barely get out a single sentence. It’s exhausting for boys to talk to you like this—they might just give up."

Aika looked at Ye Shiyu and patiently explained,

"Love comes from heart-to-heart communication. But your heart can’t speak on its own—that’s why you need to open your mouth and say sweet things."

"If you can't express yourself properly, even if you start dating, you'll end up arguing all the time."

'So troublesome.'

'Hypnosis would be easier.'

Ye Shiyu thought for a moment, and this idea popped into her head.

But she quickly shook her head, firmly reminding herself,

'Didn't I already decide? I absolutely won’t use the modifier on him again!'

'Ye Shiyu, oh Ye Shiyu, how can you be so willing to sink this low?'

"If Ye-classmate really likes someone, then after evaluating carefully, it’s not a bad idea to take the initiative."

"Hehe, little puppy boys are made to be captured by big sisters and totally bullied! Just thinking about their cute, flustered faces—ah, it’s too good!"

'Totally bullied?'

Ye Shiyu’s breathing quickened—she looked ready to explode like a warning light.

Yumi stared at the excited Aika in front of her, covered her face, and muttered,

"You’ve never even been in a relationship, so how are you so good at giving love advice?"

"Eh?"

Aika scratched her head awkwardly. "Theoretical experience still counts! I’ve watched tons of romance dramas—I know everything!"

"But when it comes to real-life practice, you turn into a clown, right?"

Yumi glanced at Ye Shiyu, who hadn’t even touched her food and looked deep in thought.

'Wolong Shiyu, don’t tell me you’re actually going to follow this Fengchu Aika’s love advice?'

(*) Note: "Wolong" is a reference to Zhuge Liang, a brilliant strategist, used here humorously to describe Ye Shiyu as cunning or calculating.

'And you’re planning to use it… on President Yan?'

Yumi opened her mouth but found no words. She could only turn helplessly to look out the window.

Outside, on the sports field, members of the track and field club were training hard, likely preparing for an upcoming event.

Leading the group was a tall, muscular, golden-haired boy.

It was Yumi’s boyfriend, Owen.

She smiled like a proud auntie, resting her chin in her hands as she watched him train.

'Ah.'

'Club Wars are almost here.'

That afternoon, in the electives building, inside the hands-on classroom, a handsome boy yawned.

Ever since that strange modifier had ambushed him at noon, Yan Huan had been trying to figure out who the host might be—and why they attacked him.

Spencer was the most likely suspect—her identity and motive both fit.

She had a modifier, and he had just pissed her off. She even stormed off in a huff.

'But if that’s the case, isn’t her blonde modifier way too powerful? So many functions?'

'Then what about the others?'

'Yinggong Tong and You’an Lina were also on that floor, but they had no reason to target me.'

'That overwhelming surge of pleasure—it couldn’t have come from someone who didn’t hate me.'

'Surely it wasn’t just a misclick or the wrong modifier?'

'Girls in school who hate me...'

'Besides Bai Yi and Spencer, could there be someone else?'

'If it’s someone new, their modifier must have wide range and high damage—it even pierced resistance.'

'Thinking about it that way... doesn’t it sound a lot like an ADC?'

(*) Note: "ADC" refers to "Attack Damage Carry," a role in MOBA games known for high damage output.

"Everyone, take out your prepared materials, pair up in twos, and sit at a workstation. I’ll assign today’s task after that."

The teacher’s words interrupted Yan Huan’s thoughts. The girls nearby had already started pairing up.

Yan Huan looked around. There were hardly any boys. He only took this class because he couldn't get into the one he really wanted.

His choices at the time were either hands-on class or cheerleading.

Compared to cheerleading—which had a public performance at the end of term—hands-on class seemed more his speed.

Plus, he could take this class with Ye Shiyu, right?

Yan Huan scanned the room and quickly spotted Ye Shiyu sitting in the back.

Only to realize—she was looking at him too.

"Shiyu-sis."

Smiling, Yan Huan grabbed his bag and walked quickly toward her.

He stopped in front of Ye Shiyu and asked,

"Shiyu-sis, want to pair up with me?"

Ye Shiyu nodded, which counted as a yes.

"Great! Let’s sit here then. I’m not too good at hands-on stuff—I only took this class because I couldn’t get into the other one. With your help, Shiyu-sis, it should go a lot smoother."

"Mm."

Ye Shiyu sat down at a workstation with a sewing machine, and Yan Huan took the seat beside her.

She quietly turned to study Yan Huan. The more she looked, the more adorable he seemed.

But Yan Huan didn’t notice her gaze. Instead, he eyed the bulging bag she had brought to class.

"Shiyu-sis, are all these materials required? I don’t remember seeing anything like this in the class announcement."

"..."

Ye Shiyu wanted to speak, but then remembered what Aika had said earlier.

'I’m not good with words... Would explaining this trouble him?'

After a short pause, she pulled out her phone and began tapping quickly and skillfully.

With no reply for a while, Yan Huan looked up in confusion and watched her movements.

"Shiyu-sis?"

What he saw was her holding the phone screen up toward him again.

'No way?!'

'We’re in class, sis!'

Seeing this familiar gesture, Yan Huan nearly jumped out of his seat in shock.

She had already done surprise hypnosis on him twice—he couldn’t help but develop a conditioned reflex.

"..."

But looking more closely, he realized it wasn’t that familiar Hypnosis App—it was just a notepad.

On the screen, she had typed a line of text:

"This is my material pack. It includes the required class materials and some extras for making clothes."

Yan Huan looked away from the phone and at Ye Shiyu—she was holding the phone with both hands, half her face peeking from behind it, blinking her black eyes at him.

'Kinda cute.'

Though he didn’t want to admit it, it was undeniably true.

'Are you Komi-san or something?'

'Do you have a communication disorder too?'

(*) Note: "Komi-san" refers to Komi Shouko, a character from the manga/anime "Komi Can't Communicate," known for her communication disorder.

"So that’s how it is."

Yan Huan nodded, but smiled wryly and asked,

"But... why type it out to tell me?"

Ye Shiyu took back her phone and swiftly typed on the nine-grid keyboard. Within seconds, she had a reply.

She raised her phone again and showed it to Yan Huan.

"Because this way, I can say what I want quickly, and it makes communicating with Xiaohuan easier."

"Hmm..."

Yan Huan thought for a moment, then smiled and said,

"This way is more efficient, sure, but Shiyu-sis, you didn’t use to do this, right?"

This time, Ye Shiyu didn’t type anything. She simply shook her head.

"So, Shiyu-sis, just be yourself. I never felt it was hard to talk with the old Shiyu-sis. I don’t want you to change how you communicate just for me."

'The main issue is—with her holding up her phone so often, who knows whether next time it’ll be the notepad... or the Hypnosis App?'

"."

However, upon hearing that, Ye Shiyu, who was still holding up her phone, slightly parted her lips.

Then, her gaze slowly drifted away from Yan Huan's smile, using the phone screen as a shield.

Yan Huan could only see her lips pressed together. Her fair face gave the subtlest of nods, and soon, a soft and pleasant voice emerged from her throat.

"Mm."

The earlobe nestled in her black hair turned red again, looking as tempting as a sakura mochi.

(*) Note: Sakura mochi is a Japanese rice cake filled with sweet red bean paste and wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf, often associated with springtime.

Yan Huan withdrew his gaze and looked toward the teacher at the podium.

"Shiyu-sis, looks like we need to make a little cloth bundle today."

"Mm, it's really simple."

"Is that so? Then, Shiyu-sis, can you teach me?"

"Okay."

Ye Shiyu turned her head and tucked a strand of jet-black hair behind her ear.

But the moment her fingers brushed her earlobe, even she could feel its warmth.

Her eyes quivered slightly. As if afraid Yan Huan would notice, she let the tucked hair fall back down again.

Yan Huan opened his material bag, only to realize he seemed to have forgotten his scissors.

He hadn’t bought the special craft scissors for this class and was planning to just use regular ones.

Maybe he had taken them out at home to open a package or something and forgot to put them back.

"Shiyu-sis, I think I forgot my scissors. Could I borrow yours?"

Incidentally, this was also a bit of a test.

Ye Shiyu blinked once, then calmly took a pair of scissors labeled with her name from her bag and handed them to Yan Huan.

"Sure."

'Hm?'

'Seems like her possessiveness isn't that strong after all.'

'Does this mean my progress is actually pretty promising?'

"Thanks, Shiyu-sis."

Yan Huan accepted the scissors and began taking out the thread spool and other materials.

Ye Shiyu kept watching the boy beside her, until the next second, when a nearby girl shyly reached out to tap her shoulder.

But before she could make contact, Ye Shiyu’s eyes glinted with a chilling sharpness as she turned to face her.

*Eek!*

"."

Ye Shiyu deeply disliked physical contact—almost to the point of having an uncanny sixth sense. She could react in an instant, even before anyone touched her.

The girl was startled by Ye Shiyu’s terrifying gaze and didn’t dare speak, but still managed to point hesitantly at the scissors in Yan Huan’s hand.

The meaning was clear: she wanted to borrow them too.

"."

Ye Shiyu didn’t move a muscle and just stared back with an icy glare.

That look shattered the girl’s resolve. She gave an awkward laugh and quickly turned to borrow from someone else.

Without commenting, Yan Huan, who had just finished laying out all his materials, looked up and said,

"Shiyu-sis, I’m ready. Do you think this is enough?"

Ye Shiyu turned to him emotionlessly, her intense gaze gradually softening into a blank, harmless stare.

She took a glance at the materials, nodded, and said,

"Mm, just these."

"Then shall we start?"

"Mm, I’ll do it."

"That's too much trouble for you—let's do it together."

"...Okay, Xiaohuan."

[End of this chapter]