Chapter 39: The Scent of Gunpowder at the Door

Chapter 39: The Scent of Gunpowder at the Door

“President, please enjoy.”

On Friday afternoon, in the Student Council Office of Far Moon Academy.

As Yan Huan was reading through Student Council materials, a rich cup of coffee was gently placed in front of him.

He shifted his gaze from the documents to see that it was Sakura Kyoko, smiling faintly next to him.

“Thank you, Sakura.”

Yan Huan blinked, taking in her beauty quietly, then turned back to touch the cup’s wall, feeling the warmth on his fingers.

The coffee was at the perfect tasting temperature.

“Is something wrong? Did you not rest well last night, President?”

Sakura Kyoko nodded, asking with genuine concern.

“A little, I didn’t sleep well.”

Mainly because last night was the first time using the Learning Conqueror, and he got so engrossed in studying that he stayed up until two in the morning, only to wake up at seven-thirty to catch the school bus, amounting to just five hours of sleep.

Being poorly rested was one thing, but let’s not forget that Yan Huan was also cursed with hypersomnia.

Combining the two made him extremely sleepy.

Ironically, it was because he felt so dreadfully sleepy that he was forcing himself to stay alert today, making him seem better than in the days prior when he was yawning constantly.

But, Sakura Kyoko noticed that he didn’t get enough rest last night?

Yan Huan turned to Sakura Kyoko and briefly scanned her outfit for the day.

Today, she wore a black and elegant school uniform, both the sleeves and skirt very long.

Beneath the skirt, she sported a pair of slender black thigh-high socks and small leather shoes.

Her long hair was styled up with a cloth band, looking very pretty.

Sakura Kyoko tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked,

“President, do I look off today?”

Yan Huan blinked and honestly replied,

“No, I just think this outfit of yours looks really cute today.”

“…..”

Sakura Kyoko was slightly taken aback, then asked in return,

“Is my usual outfit not cute enough?”

“Yep.”

Yan Huan smiled and nodded. Just as Sakura Kyoko tilted her head, ready to say something, he continued thoughtfully,

“Well, Sakura, on Monday you looked very graceful, Tuesday very serene, yesterday you were stunning, and today is just outright cute.”

She was busy with cat-related matters on Wednesday and missed school.

In front of her eyes widening slightly, Yan Huan concluded,

“Though I don’t think there’s a difference in my eyes, it certainly feels different, right?”

“Is that so? Thank you for the compliments, President.”

Sakura Kyoko placed her fist against her lips, feigning a cough and smiling.

A typical response for someone who has just been complimented.

After all, she was the infamous Sakura Kyoko, with a line of admirers stretching from here to another continent.

Inside, however, her heart was about to boil over like a kettle!!

Did the President remember her outfits from Monday to Friday?!

Didn’t that mean the President paid attention to her too?!

Sakura Kyoko felt her body weaken, struggling to sit back down on the couch.

Trying to pick up her coffee gracefully, she hoped to sip it without revealing her excitement.

Just as her hand grasped the handle, she felt it shake, avoiding any clinking sound between the cup and the saucer, hence she hurriedly let go of the cup.

Yan Huan picked up the coffee cup and took a light sip, tasting a delightful latte.

Staying with the usual Sakura was far more comfortable.

A world untouched by the Modifier was truly wonderful!

He set down the cup and let out a long sigh of relief.

Nearby, wearing a yellow scarf, Meow-chan had appeared on his shoulder at some point.

It looked at Sakura Kyoko on the couch and suddenly asked Yan Huan in his mind,

“Hey Yan Huan, do you like that vice president named ‘Sakura Kyoko’?”

Maintaining a calm demeanor, Yan Huan sipped his latte and retorted in thought,

“Why do you say that?”

“When you called her last Saturday, you sounded very close, and when you were stuck in the Equipment Room on Monday, you looked after her, and now you’re showering her with compliments. It feels different than with other girls.”

Meow-chan gracefully hopped onto the table and then stated,

“She’s not a Modifier’s owner, there’s no need to put on an act. You’re just as natural with her as you are with Tong Yingying, yet everything you say is way sweeter than what you say to Tong Yingying.”

Tong Yingying totally caught stray bullets here.

Yan Huan sipped his coffee, smiling as he said,

“I’m not a monk or anything; finding a female appealing is totally natural, right?”

Plus, he tended to prefer petite and cute girls. It just felt like he would have that instinct to protect them.

“Meow~”

That meant “You have a point.”

“Although, I can probably only limit it to having a crush.”

“Why is that meow?”

“Because the gap is too big.”

Yan Huan stirred his coffee cup, thinking inwardly,

“Sakura joined the Student Council to experience school life; she’s not only exceptionally talented but also comes from an overwhelmingly good family.

“I, on the other hand? I have no background; joining the Student Council was purely for recommendations and various resources. I’m already overwhelmed with my studies and working, and now I have to deal with the Modifier.

“Even if she doesn’t care about my background, just needing my company and emotions, I probably wouldn’t have the resources to give.

“Thus, rather than making impulsive long-term promises right now, I’d better focus on improving myself and tackling the challenges of the Modifier, don’t you think so, Meow-chan?”

Meow-chan blinked, offering no opinion, simply replying, “Meow.”

Yan Huan smiled slightly, wanting to pat its cute little head.

But considering Sakura was right there, he ultimately refrained.

Even though the matter of the Modifier was a bit messy, constantly flirting with chaos in daily life was taxing.

But fortunes often arise from misfortunes; last night he managed to self-study most of the differential calculus thanks to the Learning Conqueror, and maybe along the way, he could gain powerful abilities while tackling the Modifier.

Just imagine how awesome it would feel to eliminate all those Modifiers afterward!

Last night’s lack of rest really caught up with him, and coffee and forced energy simply didn’t help.

Yan Huan glanced at the time, then stood up saying,

“I don’t have anything else this afternoon, so I’ll take my leave now, Sakura.”

“Eh? Don’t you usually stay until the school bus leaves in the afternoon, President?”

“Ah, that’s true. But I plan to find a place to take a short nap; I didn’t sleep well last night.”

Sakura Kyoko turned to look at him, puzzled,

“You could totally rest here; there’s a couch and you can lie down too.”

“Um…”

Yan Huan thought for a moment and replied,

“I just feel like it’d be a bit awkward with you around.”

“Eh?”

Sakura Kyoko covered her mouth with a laugh,

“Are you telling me that you snore, grind your teeth, and talk in your sleep?”

“Not really.”

“Um, then does my presence keep you from sleeping? If so, I can head back to my class.”

After all, there was a barrier here, so she could always keep an eye on things.

Since Sakura Kyoko said so, Yan Huan, who had planned to go find a familiar tree to nap under, couldn’t be bothered to leave.

It wasn’t a big deal to rest for a while, better to be open about it.

“Don’t worry, if I’m not intruding, I’ll just rest here.”

“Sure.”

Yan Huan rubbed his shoulders, lying down on the couch opposite Sakura Kyoko while she went to a nearby bookshelf and retrieved a blanket.

“A blanket? Where did it come from?”

“I brought it; I usually get cold while reading here during lunch, so I took it to stay warm.”

Before Yan Huan had even risen to take it, Sakura had already draped the blanket across him.

A faint fragrance wafted up, causing his fingers to momentarily freeze as they stroked the soft fabric.

He should have just gone outside to rest.

“Uh, it’s a little small, is that okay, President?”

“It’s fine; as long as it covers my stomach.”

Sakura tilted her head slightly, not quite understanding his remark.

But seeing Yan Huan “snap” the blanket over himself and then lie down straight with a yawn made her think he looked a bit cute, like a big baby.

Sakura Kyoko settled back onto the opposite sofa, thinking that.

“Good afternoon, President.”

“Mn, good afternoon.”

Yan Huan relaxed and closed his eyes, while the illusory Meow-chan leapt gently onto his body.

It sat there with its paws tucked in, curiously observing the surroundings.

Meow-chan didn’t need to sleep; it often remained by Yan Huan’s side, even monitoring the environment while he was asleep.

Just like that night at Ye Shiyu’s house.

Stare~

Meow-chan looked at Sakura Kyoko, who was completely unaware of its presence.

As Yan Huan’s steady breathing filled the air, Sakura Kyoko, who had been sitting and reading, began frequently glancing up to steal a look at Yan Huan’s peaceful sleeping face.

Um.

So far, so good.

But, could it be that this girl likes Yan Huan too?

Ah, not only was she glancing up and down, now she was staring directly!

The opposite Sakura Kyoko was utterly fixated on Yan Huan, completely abandoning her reading!

The President’s sleeping face…

Hehe~

Since she had never been inside the President’s home, she had never had a chance to install a surveillance camera, hence never got to see what he did when alone at home.

Next time, if the President invites her over, she must set a barrier like in the Student Council Office!

That way, she could see what the President did when he was alone in his room.

Too bad, the barrier needed her to step inside to activate, or she would just be able to set it from outside the apartment door.

Sakura Kyoko bit her lip, quietly took out her phone.

She had put her phone on silent, seemingly preparing to take a secret photo of Yan Huan’s sleeping face.

Meow-chan watched Sakura Kyoko, confused about what she was doing with her phone.

But soon, she stopped her actions.

No way, taking a picture with a phone is too risky. What if he wakes up while she’s taking it?

That would be impossible to explain.

Plus, her barrier had a recording function; she could capture everything without a blind spot using it!

Thus, Meow-chan watched her quietly put her phone down, only to notice a somewhat odd smile on her face.

Um.

So far, everything seemed normal?

Meanwhile, Sakura Kyoko was quietly using the barrier to record Yan Huan sleeping in this exact moment.

At the same time, outside Classroom A1.

Holding a bag, Ye Shiyu stood at the door, finally forced to return Yan Huan’s school uniform jacket after a week of procrastination due to Aunt Chen’s constant nudging.

However, at that moment, she did not see the striking figure of the handsome boy in their usual corner by the window.

Not here.

Guess she’ll have to come back next time.

Just as Ye Shiyu was a bit disappointed and about to leave, a fellow classmate cleaning up to leave school covered her mouth in surprise.

“Um… you are Ye Shiyu, right?”

“You know me?”

“Ah, because Gongzi said you’re President Yan’s sister, and since President Yan is so handsome, his sister must be beautiful too, hehehe. I’m Pu Mengyao, a classmate of President Yan.”

Hearing the other girl praise Yan Huan, Ye Shiyu felt a bit displeased.

She still politely nodded, preparing to leave.

Just as she was about to walk away, she suddenly remembered something and asked,

“Do you know where Little Huan is?”

“Ah? President Yan?”

The girl who was about to leave turned her head back, thinking for a moment before responding,

“Since there are no classes in the afternoon, it seems President Yan is in the Student Council Office handling documents until the school bus leaves.”

“How do you know that?”

The girl smiled slightly, embarrassedly scratching her face, replying,

“President Yan’s schedule isn’t a secret; after all, he’s quite popular, and everyone keeps an eye on him.”

“…..”

Displeasure.jpg

But Ye Shiyu didn’t make things difficult for the other girl; she softly thanked her, then turned and walked up the stairs.

She remembered that the Student Council was on the top floor of the first-year department.

Quietly arriving at the top floor, the surroundings were calm, and Ye Shiyu precisely located the office.

She gently knocked on the door, but there was no response from Yan Huan inside.

After waiting a few seconds, faint footsteps could be heard from within.

The office door slowly cracked open to reveal Sakura Kyoko standing there.

“Hello, can I help you with anything?”

As Sakura Kyoko spoke, her words halted upon seeing Ye Shiyu, and Ye Shiyu froze for a second as she realized the girl opening the door was the vice president, which seemed entirely normal for her to be in the same room as Little Huan.

Sakura Kyoko remembered that the girl in front of her was Yan Huan’s sister.

Though introduced this way, Sakura Kyoko had a nagging feeling that the way the girl looked at Yan Huan wasn’t quite right.

“Ye Shiyu, right? Is there something you need?”

“I’m here… to find Little Huan.”

Without specifying what for, Ye Shiyu simply stated that.

“Ah, it might be a bit inconvenient right now. If there’s something, you can tell me.”

“Inconvenient?”

Ye Shiyu blinked, then raised her eyes, easily glancing over the petite Sakura Kyoko in front of her.

Through the small crack in the door, she spotted Yan Huan sleeping inside.

Little Huan, sleeping?

That sleeping figure…

She wanted to look.

Instinctively pushing the door open, it wouldn’t budge, as if something was resisting her.

Ye Shiyu then lowered her head to meet Sakura Kyoko’s bright smile, who was still blocking the door.

“If there’s anything, you can tell me. When the president wakes up, I will pass it on.”

“…..”

A whiff of gunpowder unexpectedly began to fill the air, causing the peacefully sleeping Yan Huan to unconsciously furrow his brows.