Chapter 9 - Back

The librarian stared at Zi FengXin. Unhidden malice gleamed in his dark red eyes.

"What do you mean, he's… changed?"

FengXin shook like a sieve. "I thought you said he was a tyrant that only did what he wanted with disregard to others… and hit people and took their things…."

He summoned his courage and shouted at the librarian.

"Li YueYing is a kindhearted man! I look up to him!"

The librarian frowned.

FengXin vibrated in fear.

"I see." The librarian reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. He twirled it around his fingers—a practiced act, FengXin wondered how many times he'd spun that exact coin. "Bring him to the library tomorrow. I want to talk to him."

"Are you sure you won't try to strangle him like last time?" FengXin's eyes followed the coin like a cat watching a laser beam.

"Hm." The librarian gave an ambiguous answer. "I just want to see if he remembers."

With a flick of his wrist, the coin flew into the air before plunging straight to the ground.

—

Li YueYing sneezed.

[ Get off the rooftop—I bet you're getting sick from the cold (˶ˆᗜˆ˵) ]

YueYing agreed but… why did the System look so happy..?

A few minutes later, YueYing sat at an empty table at the cafeteria. He understood that, from the System's warnings, if he attended class, some sort of plan would fall into disarray. Sipping at his coffee—he didn't even like coffee—he ignored the despairing glances from the cafeteria staff and the breakfast-starved students as he daydreamed. His finger sketched cherry blossoms on the hard table surface.

[ Mr. Li? Mr. Liii (ಠヮಠ) ]

The System's gentle call broke YueYing out of his trance. He looked down—his empty cup and the glares of a student beside him alerted him to how annoying he must have sounded. YueYing looked away and prepared to leave the cafeteria.

[ 'Passive Skill Taunt — ACTIVE' ]

Like a switch had flipped, YueYing cocked his head to the side and stared daggers at the poor student next to him who huffed and ran away, leaving a half-eaten muffin on the table.

"..."

Just as YueYing took a step out the cafeteria doors, a blonde figure shot at him like a cannonball.

"Little tyrant!!!" Zi FengXin had tears in his eyes.

"Why are you not in class?" YueYing froze, supporting FengXin by the arms as the boy slumped to the ground. "What happened?!"

"Mr. Librarian… he, he's so scary!!!"

YueYing saw traces of the System's kaomojis in FengXin's face. But of course, the System had gone offline as soon as FengXin appeared.

"Did he do anything to you?" YueYing treated the sophomore like a child.

"No…" FengXin sniffled a couple of times before grabbing YueYing by the arm. "He said he wants to see you."

"No." YueYing immediately rejected and gently pushed FengXin aside. "Goodbye."

A long, wolf-like howl rang out from behind. "YueYing…"

—

Before YueYing could register anything, he found himself at the library doors. While the first time he entered the library, he didn't notice anything due to how painful his stilettos were, this time he could see just how bright and inviting the library looked. He felt a bit overwhelmed.

"It's ok, I'm right behind you!" FengXin's smile was supposed to look reassuring, but…

Why did he seem like he'd fall over from fright at any second..?

YueYing shook his head, clearing his mind before stalking off to war—that is, pushing open the doors and entering the library.

At the reception desk, the Librarian sat reading a book. He had short, wavy black hair, and YueYing noticed for the first time how beautiful his slightly downturned black eyes were. They held a hint of red, which reminded YueYing of a pomegranate.

The more YueYing stared, the more he sensed something… off. This librarian, didn't he look a bit too… young..?

"Done staring?" The Librarian's head tilted to meet YueYing's gaze. He took the glasses clipped to his neat collared shirt and put them on—the visage of a true Librarian.

"No." YueYing continued to stare. He had some grudges to settle with this man.

The Librarian paused, and the page in his hand fluttered down. He looked YueYing up and down—an act which made the now-senior-high-school-student uncomfortable. He somewhat understood what the Librarian must have felt.

"I'm sorry." An apology escaped YueYing's lips.

"Hm?" Meanwhile, the Librarian suddenly believed Zi FengXin's words.

Li YueYing had changed.

But YueYing, caught up between the memory of the Librarian choking him and his shame from ogling the Librarian, only thought of receiving an apology and stomped to the desk.

"I believe you owe me an explanation. Why did you choke me?"

The Librarian faltered.

"Oh, he does that to everyone." A clear voice alerted everyone to the person at the door: With lime-green eyes and white hair that reached the floor, Nurse X leaned against the frame and frowned.

—

Mini-Theatre:

Yue-Righteous-Ying: It's not good to leave trash on the table….

*cleans up the half-eaten muffin

System: [ He's too nice (⊙_⊙) ]

Mr. Librarian: Good boy.