Chapter 114: The Cursed Hand, Kyou Fujibayashi Disguises Herself to Keep the Appointment

Chapter 114: The Cursed Hand, Kyou Fujibayashi Disguises Herself to Keep the Appointment

 Elder sister is allowed, younger sister is not.

 Yukinoshita Yukino is allowed.

 What common ground exists between Hina and Yukinoshita Yukino?

 Lin Ye quickly glanced at Yukinoshita Yukino and Hina. Aside from confirming that both were popular beauties, there was no other commonality between them. Their figures were not even remotely similar.

 There was no reason why Yukinoshita could, but Tachibana Hina could not.

 It couldn't possibly be because Tachibana Rui wasn't wearing anything, could it? This made him take another look at Tachibana Rui, but he couldn't see any evidence that she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

 If she really wasn't wearing anything, then Tachibana Rui had a bit of a problem.

 But recalling the behavior of this heroine in the original story, it seemed there might indeed be a slight issue.

 Lin Ye soon stopped thinking about Tachibana Rui and continued to analyze the common points between Yukinoshita and Tachibana Hina.

 "Is it that..."

 Suddenly,

 Lin Ye thought of a possibility, and it was a highly probable one.

 He had saved Tachibana Hina, and he had also saved Yukinoshita Yukino. Could the drawback be 'automatically picking up the intimate clothing of girls I have saved upon touching them'?

 Further associating, could it be 'automatically picking up intimate clothing upon touching girls who have a favorable impression of me'?

 If that were the case,

 Then both Yukinoshita and Tachibana Hina must have a very high favorability towards him!

 They are on the same level.

 Tachibana Hina is easy to understand; he had protected her all the way, allowing her to survive the dangerous burning anomaly. But Yukinoshita is a bit more problematic.

 He had saved Yukinoshita Yukino, but the drawbacks of 'X-ray vision' and 'pickpocketing' had been tormenting the girl, giving her quite a psychological shadow, even making her cry.

 Remember, this was the outwardly cold, inwardly strong Yukinoshita Yukino, and he had made her cry.

 Shouldn't her favorability towards him have plummeted dramatically?

 It didn't drop, which is unreasonable!

 Could it be that her favorability was so high that even after dropping by half, it was still high? This... is even more impossible, right?

 While Lin Ye was tangled in his chaotic thoughts, Tachibana Hina's mind was also exploding with confusion, completely unsure of how to handle the situation. The amount of information was too overwhelming, so much so that her brain directly shut down.

 Just by touching Lin Ye's hand, her own clothes ended up in his hands. What kind of situation is this?

 Tachibana Hina's heartbeat involuntarily accelerated, and her remaining rationality suppressed the scream rising in her throat.

 She knew that once she cried out, if this matter were exposed, it would not only have a serious impact on Lin Ye, potentially leading to his expulsion from school and forced return to China, but it would also have a strong impact on her own reputation, possibly leading to her being advised to leave Soubu High.

It must not be exposed,

 Tachibana Hina thought to herself.

 "Sister..."

 "Ah!"

 Tachibana Hina was startled and jumped up.

 'Clang...'

 'Thud...'

 The bowls and chopsticks clattered incessantly.

 The four of them all looked at Tachibana Hina with surprised eyes.

 The scrutinizing gaze immediately made Tachibana Hina's expression change, "S-sorry, I was lost in thought, I was rude, I'm really sorry."

 Some of the sauce had splashed onto her clothes, and Tachibana Hina sat up straight, taking a tissue to wipe herself.

 "Sister, be more careful in the future,"

 Tachibana Rui also took out a tissue to wipe the sauce stains off Tachibana Hina's clothes.

 Lin Ye also had some sauce on him, but not much, and he quickly cleaned it off.

 Hiratsuka Shizuka stared at Lin Ye until he met her gaze, and she silently mouthed her meaning Did you secretly do something to Hina?

 Back when she and Hina went to Lin Ye's apartment to wake him up, the first thing Lin Ye did upon waking was to attack Hina, and she still remembered that incident vividly.

 And now, sitting next to Hina, could Lin Ye be taking the opportunity to do something sneaky?

 She now thought this possibility was very high, otherwise, why would Hina be so flustered.

 If it weren't for Tachibana Rui, Yukinoshita, and Yuigahama, Hiratsuka Shizuka would have directly asked, but with others present, she had to be more reserved.

 Lin Ye tilted his head and gave Hiratsuka Shizuka a puzzled look,

 Which made Hiratsuka Shizuka think that maybe she was overthinking it.

 Maybe it was just a simple accident!

 Yuigahama Yui didn't think much of it, just looking worriedly at the beautiful English teacher, Tachibana Hina.

 Only Yukinoshita Yukino was slightly contemplative, her navy-blue eyes staring at Lin Ye for a while,

 Lin Ye inadvertently looked over, met the girl's gaze, and then unconsciously looked away.

 He knew Yukinoshita Yukino must be guessing what had just happened.

 But it wasn't a big problem, Yukinoshita wouldn't say anything, and the person involved, Tachibana Hina, wouldn't say anything either.

 Once this barbecue meal was over and everyone went home, this matter would temporarily pass.

 The only thing he had to face was Tachibana Hina's post-event questioning and lecturing.

 He was mentally prepared for it.

 "Sizzle..."

 New slices of meat were placed on the grill again, the charcoal burning, the oil bubbling, and the aroma of the meat once again dispelled the unpleasant atmosphere created by the earlier commotion.

 "Hina, eat more, you must have eaten too little, that's why you're so jumpy."

 Hiratsuka Shizuka used the tongs to pick up several pieces of barbecue for Tachibana Hina.

 Tachibana Hina smiled wryly, "Hiratsuka-senpai, I'm already full, I can't eat anymore."

 The biggest problem was that she felt an uncomfortable chill and was full of doubts, she just wanted to end this dinner early, put on her clothes, and ask Lin Ye to answer the questions in her heart.

 "You've only eaten a little, eat some more, there's still so much food!"

 The six of them had only eaten half of the food so far.

 "Alright then!"

 Tachibana Hina realized she wouldn't be able to leave for a while.

 She picked up a slice of meat with her chopsticks and put it into her mouth, but the once delicious barbecue now tasted bland.

 When you're in a bad mood, nothing tastes good.

 Tachibana Rui took a sip of orange juice, her eyes occasionally glancing at her sister, she keenly felt that her sister was now somewhat restrained, her reactions were a bit abnormal, and upon closer observation, she found that her sister was now closer to her, as if consciously trying to distance herself from Lin Ye.

 Could it be that when her sister picked up the chopsticks earlier, he secretly took advantage of her?

 And her sister, for the sake of her reputation, endured it and pretended nothing happened.

 The blue-haired girl's eyes lit up, but soon dimmed.

 This jerk.

 Tachibana Rui suddenly thought of something, clenched her chopsticks, and a look of disgust flashed across her eyes as she glanced at Lin Ye.

 Her sister was her closest relative, and she would never allow her sister to be bullied and have to endure it in silence.

 If this matter was true, she would definitely seek revenge for her sister and make this guy pay.

 Tachibana Rui silently thought.

 Five minutes later,

 Lin Ye put down his chopsticks, nodded to everyone, and temporarily left the private room.

 He went to the restroom,

 If Tachibana Hina understood his meaning, she would definitely come out.

 Half a minute later,

 Lin Ye saw Tachibana Hina arriving.

 "Teacher, I'll explain it to you later, I didn't mean to, the thing is in your pocket, go change into it!"

 In just a moment, Lin Ye brushed past her and headed back to the private room.

 Tachibana Hina was stunned, the thing was in her pocket?

 She put her hands in and felt the smooth, silky texture of the lace item.

 "When did this happen?"

 She had no idea.

 But Lin Ye's words 'I didn't mean to' reassured her.

 "It's good that it wasn't intentional, he's still a good student, hasn't changed."

 As for the cause and effect of this incident, she decided to find an opportunity to talk to Lin Ye alone later.

 Tachibana Hina walked into the women's restroom, went to the last stall, closed the door, and changed into the item.

 Looking at the thing in her hand, thinking that it had been touched by Lin Ye, Tachibana Hina's face couldn't help but show a faint blush.

 And when Lin Ye opened the door of the private room, he bumped into the girl who was just about to come out.

 "Tachibana-san, are you okay?"

 Lin Ye instinctively reached out his hand, but for safety's sake, he retracted it, avoiding any accidents.

 "I'm fine,"

 Tachibana Rui shook her head,

 "Please move aside, I want to wash my hands."

 "Okay,"

 Lin Ye stepped aside, Tachibana Rui walked past, and the two brushed past each other, everything seemed normal.

 Except for Yuigahama Yui, Hiratsuka Shizuka and Yukinoshita Yukino's gazes at Lin Ye carried an additional scrutinizing tone.

 Lin Ye ignored it, pretending he knew nothing and continued eating the barbecue.

 A minute later, the two sisters returned.

 Among the six, it seemed that except for Yuigahama Yui, the other five had an additional matter on their minds.

 The carefree Yuigahama Yui didn't notice the change in atmosphere at all, focusing on eating the barbecue and enjoying the delicious food.

 When the last piece of barbecue was finished, Yuigahama Yui leaned back, feeling the bloated discomfort from overeating, and couldn't help but take a deep breath to relieve the physical discomfort.

 "Gulp gulp..."

 She finally took a sip of orange juice to aid digestion.

 "It's about time, I'll take you guys back."

 "Teacher, I won't go back with you, I plan to look around nearby and buy something before heading back."

 Lin Ye decided to stay, he had an appointment with Ryou Fujibayashi, and this place was closer to Ryou Fujibayashi's residence, not to mention the matter with Tachibana Hina, he thought Tachibana Hina would also want to get answers as soon as possible.

 "Alright."

 Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't insist, "Hina, what about you sisters? Do you need me to take you back?"

 Tachibana Hina looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka, then at her sister Tachibana Rui, "Rui, do you want to look around a bit more before going back?"

 "Mm."

 Tachibana Rui nodded, "I want to look at some clothes, my old T-shirts don't fit anymore."

 "Senpai, my sister and I will go back on our own later."

 Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui.

 "Hiratsuka-sensei, I won't trouble you, I can go back by myself."

 Yukinoshita said calmly.

 She still remembered the incident at noon, and she felt that once she was alone with Hiratsuka Shizuka, there was a high probability that Hiratsuka Shizuka would bring up that matter.

 She wasn't afraid, she just didn't want to face the extreme shame of the noon incident again.

 "Your apartment is quite far, I'll feel more at ease if I take you back."

 Hiratsuka Shizuka's words were kind, but her tone was firm.

 Yukinoshita sighed inwardly, directly accepting, there was no escaping, she could only face it.

 "Thank you, teacher."

 "No trouble at all, Yuigahama-san, I'll take you back too!"

 "Ah, yes, thank you, teacher."

 The pink-haired girl nodded, her chest bouncing along with the movement.

 Allowing Lin Ye, sitting in front, to enjoy the view.

 Yukinoshita Yukino gave Lin Ye a sharp glance before withdrawing her gaze, she still maintained her aloof demeanor.

 Hiratsuka Shizuka stood up and went to the front desk to pay the bill first.

 The five of them packed up their belongings, made sure nothing was left behind, and then went outside the store to wait for Hiratsuka Shizuka.

 "Alright, be careful on your way back, if you encounter any danger, make sure to protect yourselves."

 Hiratsuka Shizuka instructed the Tachibana sisters.

 "Don't worry, senpai, I'll message you when I get home."

 Under the watchful eyes of the three, Hiratsuka Shizuka took Yukinoshita and Yuigahama into the car.

 The black business car's headlights lit up, illuminating the road ahead, and the car slowly drove onto the road and disappeared from view.

 "Tachibana-sensei, the shopping street is that way, let's go together!"

 "Okay."

 Tachibana Hina walked in the middle, but because of her sister's presence, the two of them didn't bring up the matter from the private room.

 "How are things at school? You shouldn't be late anymore, right?"

 "No,"

"Are you attending classes properly? I heard from the math teacher of Class J today that you were distracting Yukinoshita during class?"

 Tachibana Hina suddenly remembered something and smiled as she looked at Lin Ye beside her.

 "It's not good to distract a girl during class. It's fine to like someone, but you shouldn't affect their studies. High school studies are related to future university and, in a way, to one's entire future."

 She began her lecture mode, fully displaying her role as a teacher.

 "It was a misunderstanding by the teacher. I just wanted to ask Yukinoshita a question, but she ignored me."

 "Hahaha... Yukinoshita-san is a good student, and you... well, I hope you can become a disciplined and studious good student too."

 "I'll do my best."

 Lin Ye replied.

 "Just trying isn't enough, you need to give it your all."

 She smiled.

 Meanwhile, Tachibana Rui listened on the side, occasionally glancing over. However, she now felt that the relationship between her sister and Lin Ye seemed quite normal, with no issues at all.

 Could it be that she was overthinking things?

 On the wide roadside, streetlights cast bright light, and the occasional cool evening breeze brought a sense of comfort and relaxation.

 Turning the corner,

 neon lights dazzled,

 the atmosphere of the shopping street was completely different. The streets were bustling with people, and many young, beautiful girls in short skirts walked by.

 Lin Ye even spotted a cute girl in a maid outfit.

 Although maid cafes are most common in Akihabara, similar shops can be found in other Japanese cities as well.

 "Tachibana-sensei, I'll go over there to look around,"

 "Alright."

 Tachibana Hina understood Lin Ye's meaning; they would find time and opportunity to meet later.

 With her sister Rui by her side, she couldn't just leave her sister to talk to Lin Ye alone.

 "Sister, let's go over there!"

 Rui spotted a clothing store in the distance and pulled her sister's hand towards it.

 Looking at clothes was just an excuse;

 what she needed to do was create an opportunity for her sister to leave her side.

 Ten minutes later,

 Tachibana Rui suddenly clutched her stomach, her face pale, and her voice trembling slightly, "Sister, sorry, my stomach feels a bit uncomfortable. I need to go to the restroom. You... go ahead and look around. Help me check out some T-shirts, just not too bright in color. If there's nothing suitable, it's fine."

 "I understand, Rui. If it really hurts, I'll take you to the hospital."

 "It doesn't hurt, just uncomfortable... maybe I ate too much tonight."

 She slightly bent over and walked step by step down the corridor, finally disappearing around the corner from Tachibana Hina's view.

 Tachibana Hina felt lucky and immediately contacted Lin Ye to arrange a meeting spot. Then, she turned around, confirmed the direction, and walked over.

 About twenty meters away, Tachibana Rui followed carefully.

 "If sister isn't meeting him, then it's all just my imagination, I overthought it."

 But if the person her sister went out of her way to meet was Lin Ye, then her guess was almost certainly correct.

 "Sister..."

 Tachibana Rui pursed her lips,

 When she saw the figure in the distance, her heart sank.

 She was afraid she was right.

 ...

 Lin Ye received Tachibana Hina's message and hurried to the agreed meeting spot.

 Seeing Tachibana Hina's serious expression, Lin Ye knew that if he didn't give a reasonable explanation, this gentle teacher would sternly criticize and hold him accountable.

 "Tachibana-sensei, this isn't a good place to talk. Let's go somewhere quieter."

 Tachibana Hina looked at the occasional passersby and nodded in agreement.

 The two walked side by side down the street, occasionally drawing curious glances from people passing by.

 As a beautiful woman, Tachibana Hina naturally attracted the attention of men around her.

 "Let's go there!"

 Tachibana Hina suddenly pointed at something,

 It was a pedestrian bridge connecting both sides of the road. There were no pedestrians at the moment, and even if someone did pass by, the two could notice and stop sensitive topics in time.

 "Alright,"

 They reached the bridge, and Lin Ye leaned back, looking at the beautiful teacher beside him.

 "Now, can you tell me what happened? Why... why did that happen?"

 Thinking about how her intimate clothing had suddenly appeared in Lin Ye's hand, she felt more shame than shock.

 How could such a thing end up in a man's hand? Even if it were her husband or boyfriend, she felt she couldn't accept it, let alone Lin Ye, a younger guy.

 Lin Ye extended his right hand, "It's cursed."

 Hina was stunned.

 What the hell, what curse?

 "Don't joke around."

 "It's true, my hand is cursed."

 The drawback could also be called a curse, and Lin Ye felt there was no problem with that.

 "Teacher, do you remember the dangerous incident we encountered half a month ago?"

 "Yes,"

 That incident was something she could never forget, a deeply ingrained memory of her life.

 "Have you heard of the occult game?"

 Tachibana Hina thought for a moment; it sounded familiar, and soon, related information came to mind.

 She hesitantly said, "Isn't that... fake?"

 There are too many true and false messages on the internet. When she encountered that anomaly, Tachibana Hina also thought about it, but as time passed and life returned to normal without encountering anything strange again, she put the related thoughts aside and didn't pursue it further.

 "Fake,"

 "Huh!"

 "Just treat it as fake."

 A sigh made Tachibana Hina realize it was probably true.

 "Some things are better not known. What you need to know is that I gained some special abilities because of it, and one of the side effects is this..."

 He clenched his hand, "When I touch some girls, their clothes are automatically taken. I just didn't expect you to be within that range."

 Tachibana Hina fell silent,

 It sounded like a fairy tale, hard to believe, but Lin Ye's serious reaction made her want to try to believe.

 "What ability?"

 How to describe it?

 "I call it 'pickpocketing.' It's probably the ability to randomly obtain items from the person I touch. I haven't actively experimented with it, so I can't fully confirm the situation."

 But compared to X-ray vision, this superpower was more acceptable. If he told Tachibana Hina he could see through things, this female teacher would definitely cross her arms to cover herself.

 Tachibana Hina understood. She wanted to say 'try it' to Lin Ye, but the thought of her intimate clothing possibly being taken by Lin Ye made her dismiss the idea.

 Although there was no one around, what if someone suddenly came?

 "Lin-kun, are you serious? Can I trust you?"

 But she still asked for confirmation.

 Tachibana Hina stared at Lin Ye, waiting for an answer.

 "Please believe me."

 "Alright, I believe you."

 She decided to trust Lin Ye.

 And Lin Ye thought about explaining this drawback,

 "My current situation, you can think of it as me going berserk from practicing a skill. The ability sometimes goes out of control, or you can think of it as a curse. When I gained this ability, I also had to face the troubles it brought."

 Lin Ye's heavy tone soon turned light, "Teacher, you don't need to worry. This situation has nothing to do with you, so don't feel any psychological burden."

 But this only increased Tachibana Hina's guilt.

 She felt it must be because of her that Lin Ye was facing this trouble.

 Going berserk, cursed, both sounded like serious problems.

 "How to solve it?"

 "With more practice, it should get better over time!"

 "I'll help you, let's go somewhere else."

 Tachibana Hina's eyes were serious,

 "This isn't appropriate."

 "What's inappropriate? If you want to control your ability, you need more practice. You need a practice partner, and no one is more suitable than me. I'm willing to help."

 She was serious, "Or do you want to use this ability on Yukinoshita-san?"

 Tachibana Hina suddenly thought of someone.

 Putting herself in Lin Ye's shoes, if she had gained this special ability, she would indeed want to use it on the girl she liked.

 "No, no."

 He had already accidentally used it on her, and that woman was definitely guarding against him like a wolf.

 Getting Yukinoshita Yukino's agreement to help him practice was completely impossible.

 "Then how do you plan to solve it?"

 "I'll find other girls to help. I'll ask for their consent, so please rest assured, teacher."

 Tachibana Hina was silent for a while, "Pursue my sister Rui! Get her to agree to be your girlfriend, then you can ask her to help you practice and control your ability."

 She thought of a solution.

 Her sister's help could also represent her own help. Secondly, it would fulfill her previous promise to Lin Ye to introduce him to a girlfriend. And most importantly, 'pursuing my sister, not my sister pursuing,' she could win the bet with Lin Ye.

 "I'll help. You've officially met my sister Rui today. She's a lovely girl, great at cooking. If you successfully pursue her and start dating, she'll basically take care of your lunch bento every day. That's something many high school boys dream of."

 It did sound pretty good.

 Lin Ye also knew Tachibana Hina wasn't joking.

 But starting tomorrow, Yukinoshita Yukino would be preparing his bento.

 "Of course, I also know Rui has some gaps compared to Yukinoshita-san, but how should I put it..."

 Tachibana Hina pursed her lips and organized her words, "A girl like Yukinoshita-san isn't someone ordinary people can handle."

 She hoped Lin Ye could face reality a bit, although she knew making a passionate young man face social reality was quite cruel.

 In the past, she would have chosen to encourage him. Failure wasn't a big deal; it could be a small lesson and experience during his youthful years. In the future, Lin Ye might even look back and smile.

 But given the current situation, Tachibana Hina felt that persuading Lin Ye to face reality was a better choice.

"Her appearance naturally goes without saying, and her family background is excellent the prestigious Yukinoshita family of Chiba. Even if you, Lin-kun, were to successfully pursue Yukinoshita-san, how would you overcome the hurdle of her family? Would her parents truly accept you? Just your identity as a person from Xia Country alone, I think her parents would find it very hard to accept."

Japan is a country where tradition and conservatism coexist with openness. For major families, many adhere to extreme traditions and conservatism.

"Not to mention the many other obstacles standing in your way, the simplest and most important issue being income. You wouldn't want Yukinoshita-san to suffer and endure hardships with you, would you? As a young lady, her daily expenses are certainly not low."

Tachibana Hina said quite a bit, and it all made sense.

From the words of this beautiful teacher before him, Lin Ye heard genuine concern and care. She truly had his best interests at heart and wasn't simply trying to push her sister onto him.

The biggest difference between Hina and Yukinoshita Haruno was that everything Hina said today came from the heart, sincere and free of any ulterior motives. Haruno, on the other hand, no matter how well she disguised it, always had interests at the core of her concern.

But Tachibana Hina was different.

"Thank you, teacher. Thank you for your concern."

She was an excellent teacher, and Lin Ye felt fortunate to have met such a good teacher.

"My sister also has many good qualities. You'll discover them once you spend time with her. Compared to Yukinoshita, an ordinary girl like Rui is more suitable for you, really. Of course, you don't need to think that far ahead now. Just try interacting with her, and if it doesn't work out, ending things is completely fine."

Hina smiled and said, "I can't guarantee that my sister will definitely agree to be your girlfriend. That's between you two. I can't make any promises."

"Teacher, thank you for your kindness. I'll seriously consider it. However, for the practice matter, I'll seek help from other friends. I do know quite a few female friends in Chiba."

Having said this much, Tachibana Hina couldn't push further. She had already said enough.

"Alright, think about what I've said. I'm serious. Of course, there's a reason I'm promoting my sister like this. I believe my sister Rui will be happy with you. Lin-kun will definitely protect Rui well and never let her get hurt or sad. This is my selfish desire as an older sister."

Her heartfelt words felt very sincere, naturally increasing one's goodwill toward her.

"Mm."

Lin Ye responded.

"It's about time. I should head back. Be careful in the future and don't run into other girls. Other girls won't be as understanding as me. If this behavior of yours gets exposed, even if Hiratsuka-sensei and I step in, the school might not go easy on you."

"I'll be careful. Until the curse is resolved, I'll make sure to wear gloves."

"That's good."

Tachibana Hina stood up, patted her clothes, and after tidying herself, said, "I'll head back now. Rui must be looking for me."

"Teacher, take care on your way back."

"Mm."

"Tachibana-san is over there, about twenty meters away by the tree."

Tachibana Hina: ???

She was shocked!

Her sister's presence here clearly meant she had followed them from the start.

In other words, her sister had noticed something from the beginning. Could it be… that scene in the dinner private room had been seen by her sister?

In an instant, Tachibana Hina's heart trembled, and her ears burned.

"Pretend you don't know. If my sister asks, keep your mouth shut about the private room incident. Absolutely do not say anything."

If her sister found out, where would her dignity as an older sister go?

"So, for the sake of Tachibana Hina-sensei's reputation, I cannot pursue Tachibana-san, nor can I use her as a practice target."

Tachibana Hina swallowed. What Lin Ye said made sense. "Not necessarily. As long as we don't say anything, it'll be fine. I still hope you'll pursue my sister and become my future brother-in-law. I have high hopes for you."

With that, Tachibana Hina waved and walked off the overpass.

She walked slowly, giving her sister time to return first.

Lin Ye watched as the two sisters walked away, one after the other, before heading off to Ryou Fujibayashi's house.

Three minutes later,

Tachibana Hina met up with her sister Rui outside a clothing store.

"Sorry, Rui."

"Did you run into someone, sister?"

Tachibana Rui naturally asked.

"Mm, Lin-kun had something to discuss with me, so I chatted with him for a bit. Sorry, I didn't get to look at the T-shirts you wanted."

The blue-haired girl's expression flickered with surprise. She hadn't expected her sister to outright say she had met with Lin Ye.

"What did he want to talk about?"

"It's a secret!"

"…"

Hina suddenly laughed, her tone a bit embarrassed. "Actually, it's related to you."

"Huh?"

"It's not really appropriate to tell you, but I thought about it and decided to let you know."

Hina coughed twice.

"We talked a bit about you, about your good qualities and how to properly pursue you. I wonder when Lin-kun will officially start pursuing you, Rui."

Tachibana Rui: ???

Really?

"Sister, please don't joke around."

"Why would I lie? My Rui is so cute. Isn't it normal for boys to like her?"

"But I remember he likes Yukinoshita-san. He even confessed to her several times."

"That just shows how my Rui's presence has surpassed Yukinoshita-san in some boys' hearts. Doesn't that prove Rui's charm?"

This made Tachibana Rui blush slightly.

Her usually expressionless face showed a faint trace of embarrassment.

"Haha, let's go! Today, I'll pick out a beautiful outfit for you. You can wear it on your future dates."

"No need, sister."

But Rui couldn't resist and was half-pulled by Hina into the clothing section to pick out a pretty outfit.

---

On the other side,

Chiba Luxury Apartments,

After dropping Yuigahama Yui off at her home, Hiratsuka Shizuka brought Yukinoshita Yukino back to her apartment and suggested going up for a visit.

Yukinoshita Yukino knew she couldn't escape this. She accepted it expressionlessly, preparing herself for Hiratsuka's interrogation.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, please have some water."

"Thank you."

This wasn't Hiratsuka's first time here, but compared to her last visit, the apartment hadn't changed at all. It was still simple and empty, lacking any sense of liveliness.

Yukinoshita Yukino sat across from Hiratsuka, her gaze occasionally flickering toward her.

Hiratsuka sipped her tea, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "Yukinoshita, you've always been a good student in my eyes top grades, excellent character, and someone I rarely need to worry about."

At this point, Yukinoshita Yukino knew where this was going.

"Sensei, please speak directly."

"I know you've been under a lot of pressure due to your family and your sister Haruno, which has caused you to accumulate a lot of stress. But some methods of relieving stress are really not appropriate."

Hiratsuka spoke while carefully observing Yukinoshita's expression, afraid of upsetting her.

Seeing the girl's calm reaction, she continued, "There are many ways to relieve stress reading, watching movies, exercising, or even playing games."

The black-haired girl's heart twitched. She knew she had been labeled as a pervert by her teacher, someone who resorted to abnormal behavior to relieve stress.

Damn it, this was all Lin Ye's fault.

This humiliation and shame she would make Lin Ye take responsibility for it.

"Sensei, I understand."

What else could she do? She could only say she understood. Exposing Lin Ye wasn't an option.

If she dared to expose him, that man might really wave her undergarments around Soubu High.

He'd get expelled, and she'd be socially ruined, unable to stay at Soubu High or even in Chiba.

Hiratsuka, seeing the girl's response, still wasn't fully reassured.

To prevent the girl from repeating this behavior, she felt it necessary to 'scare' her, making her aware of the dangers if she were discovered.

"Have you watched… adult anime?"

Yukinoshita Yukino: ???

She was innocent but had heard of such things.

"Alright, I assume you haven't. But I think it's necessary to tell you about some of their plots."

Hiratsuka showed no embarrassment. She was an experienced woman, but even she wouldn't dare to do what Yukinoshita had done. In that regard, she was weaker than Yukinoshita.

Thus, discussing adult anime plots with Yukinoshita didn't faze her much.

"Some female protagonists are discovered by males with their shameful secrets, and the males use this to blackmail them, forcing the girls to do things."

She didn't need to elaborate. She knew Yukinoshita could guess what those things were.

"Don't think this only happens in fiction. As long as a girl has a sense of shame and doesn't want her family or others to find out, she can be successfully blackmailed. Have you heard of telecom scams? They're less common in our country, but they do happen. In Xia Country next door, it's practically a disaster zone."

Hiratsuka recalled the scams from the neighboring country.

"One of them involves 'nude chats.' Scammers use internet technology to obtain private photos and contact lists of victims, then threaten to send the photos to everyone on the list unless they pay. At first, they demand a small sum, claiming they'll delete the photos after payment."

"But the result is that after the first payment, they'll demand more, squeezing the victim dry until they either run out of money or realize the scam and stop paying."

This example made it clear to Yukinoshita Yukino that it was directed at her situation.

"As the daughter of the Yukinoshita family, if someone were to hold something over you, you'd be an even easier target than most."

Yukinoshita Yukino lowered her head. Without being able to reveal the truth about the lunch incident, she could only humbly accept Hiratsuka's lecture.

"Thank you for the reminder, sensei. I understand. Something like this won't happen again."

She had no choice but to accept it. Denying it would only make her teacher more worried.

But this humiliation and shame she would remember it. She decided she would make Lin Ye pay for it.

"I believe you."

Hiratsuka finished the water in her cup.

"If you're stressed and need to vent, find a better method. Yuigahama Yui is a good girl. Becoming friends with her and going out to have fun is also a way to relieve stress."

"I'll consider it."

"Mm, I'll head back now."

Yukinoshita Yukino escorted Hiratsuka to the apartment door.

"Goodbye, sensei. Please be careful on your way back."

"Get some rest. Lastly, having a boyfriend is also a good option."

Yukinoshita Yukino: "…"

"I understand, sensei."

Hiratsuka left and entered the elevator. Yukinoshita Yukino closed the door.

She walked back to the sofa and sat down.

She opened her hands, clenched her fists, and bit her lip.

"In front of sensei, I've lost all face."

But thankfully, it was Hiratsuka-sensei who saw it. If it had been someone else…

Yukinoshita thought of Lin Ye.

One thing was certain: that guy wouldn't use this opportunity to threaten her and act out some adult anime scenario. That guy still had a moral bottom line.

In terms of character, he was still somewhat trustworthy, right?

Recalling her interactions with Lin Ye over the semester, Yukinoshita Yukino felt that they had been far more frequent than all her previous interactions combined.

Under the influence of mystery and strangeness, she increasingly wanted to uncover the secrets Lin Ye was hiding.

"A mysterious player,"

"A mysterious game, and those incredible abilities…"

All of it was real, and it piqued her curiosity.

...

...

At the Fujibayashi household,

As the agreed-upon time approached,

Kyou Fujibayashi had already tricked her sister into taking a bath first.

"Then I'll go take a bath first today."

Ryou Fujibayashi, holding her change of clothes, said to her sister.

"Mm, go ahead. I'll take mine after you're done."

"Okay, sister. I'll be quick."

"Quick? You've been working hard all day. You should soak in the bath for a while and relax your body properly."

"I understand, sister."

Under Kyou Fujibayashi's watchful gaze, Ryou Fujibayashi entered the bathroom. Hot water began filling the bathtub as Ryou started washing herself.

Meanwhile, Kyou successfully took her sister's phone and sent a message to Lin Ye.

"Perfect."

Confirming that Lin Ye was already on his way and would arrive at the agreed location in about ten minutes,

Kyou Fujibayashi immediately returned to her room, changed into her sister's nurse uniform, tied up her long hair, and put on a nurse's cap.

"There's no way he'll recognize me like this. I'll just have to be careful with my voice."

Finally, Kyou draped a coat over herself to cover up the outfit.

She put on her shoes, opened the door, and stepped out of the house, walking step by step toward the meeting spot.