After Anna asked that question, beads of sweat began to pour down Li Wu's forehead. The surrounding students, eager for drama, even started whistling.
"You're sweating a lot. Is it because our kiss caused a physiological reaction?" Anna leaned in close and asked innocently, pulling a blue-and-white handkerchief from her bag to wipe the sweat from Li Wu's brow.
Suddenly, someone in the class shouted out an explanation: "The greeting etiquette in Shenzhou is a handshake! Kissing isn't a greeting at all! Li Wu is just taking advantage of you! You've been tricked!"
The voice faded quickly.
But immediately after, snickers and whispers erupted from all directions.
Li Wu felt the handkerchief freeze on his forehead. A chill crawled up his spine, making him shiver uncontrollably.
"So, kissing doesn't symbolize friendliness between two people meeting for the first time? It means... it means... it means..."
Anna's voice grew smaller and smaller until even she couldn't hear it.
She lowered her head. Her ears turned bright red, burning hot. The words following "it means" were stuck in her throat, impossible to say out loud due to her overwhelming embarrassment.
She looked as if she were drunk—her face flushed crimson, her pupils trembling. Her arm, still clutching the blue-and-white handkerchief, froze in mid-air, shaking uncontrollably.
[Oh ho ho! The King of Honkai Pick-up Artists is truly impressive! To think you even "trained" the robotic Anna into this state. Given her personality, simply realizing she was taken advantage of wouldn't have made her this agitated. But right before the truth was revealed, she was thanking you profusely, calling you a good person, and placing you on a moral pedestal.]
[And now look at her. She's riding a tiger she can't get off, utterly humiliated. Words spoken are like water spilled—they can't be taken back. Anna, who aspires to be an S-Rank Valkyrie and constantly reminds herself to be disciplined, persistent, and cautious, has unexpectedly stumbled right into your trap.]
[Seriously, did you do that on purpose, or was it an accident?]
[If it was an accident, that's even more interesting. With just a few gestures, you made iron rust and an iceberg melt—even if the resulting emotions are hatred and disgust, it's still impressive. You're way more effective than the manga protagonist you wrote!]
Shut up, you damn system!
I'm dying of second-hand embarrassment here, okay?!
I don't want to become the second Siegfried Kaslana! I don't want to enter St. Freya Academy in the second act only to have rumors spreading that I'm a pervert who forcibly kisses everyone he meets!
"Li Wu! I'll remember this! Just you wait! Anna Schariac, A-Rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, will ensure you receive your due punishment!!"
With a face as red as a tomato, Anna jumped out of the fourth-story window.
The teacher and students screamed in shock, but remembering her identity as a Valkyrie—and seeing her land safely before sprinting away faster than a rabbit—the heavy stone in their hearts dropped.
Almost simultaneously, everyone's gaze turned to Li Wu. The intense, burning stares felt like they were stripping him bare.
Li Wu gave an awkward but polite smile, stood up, and practically crawled toward the door. "Uh, Teacher, my stomach hurts. I'm going to the restroom!"
"I'll go with you." Raiden Mei stood up abruptly and trotted to Li Wu's side.
What?
Go to the restroom together?!
Are you two joking?! You're not even trying to hide it anymore!
Ten thousand alpacas stampeded through the homeroom teacher's heart. At least make up a decent excuse! What do you mean "I'll go with you"? Are you two going to share a toilet stall?!
Thinking the matter was settled, the teacher returned to the podium and opened his lesson plan, ready to start class. But then, Kiana stood up...
"Teacher, I... also want to go to the restroom."
"..."
"..."
Silence.
Dead silence.
If there was a place quieter than a library, it was definitely this classroom right now.
Not just the teacher—even the students were speechless, frightened by Kiana's statement.
Raiden Mei was one thing; she was a fallen heiress, so it was somewhat understandable that she would cling to Li Wu, whose background was suspected to be powerful.
Sure, her words were a bit shameless, but people could understand the sacrifices needed to curry favor with the elite. Who knew what Raiden Mei and Li Wu were doing in that small apartment every night?
But when Kiana said those words, the nature of the situation changed completely.
Whether in terms of status, background, or looks, she had no reason to lower herself for Li Wu. Especially since her own fiancée had just arrived today.
Under these circumstances, for Kiana to say something like that...
So you're saying... the three of you just happened to want to use the restroom at the exact same time? Are you sure you're not going together?
Teacher: This is a god-tier lobby. I can't play this game.
"Go ahead, go ahead... health is important..." The teacher waved his hand weakly. This time, he didn't just turn a blind eye.
He closed both eyes completely.
Having received permission, Kiana bit her lip and quickly walked out of the classroom, catching sight of Li Wu and Raiden Mei, who hadn't gone far.
She had to get answers immediately.
Only Raiden Mei in the entire class knew about her engagement. So why did Anna appear at Chiba Academy?
Anna had grown up in Schicksal, aiming to be like Cecilia Schariac. Her only goal was to become the strongest S-Rank Valkyrie. She had absolutely no social common sense. Grocery shopping, cooking, social interactions, renting an apartment, the nuances of daily life—she knew none of it. It was impossible for her to integrate into normal society!
Let alone transferring purposefully into Kiana's class and announcing their engagement in front of everyone to keep others away.
Someone had to be arranging this from the shadows...
Kiana only hoped it wasn't Schicksal's number one lapdog—Otto Apocalypse.
If it really was him, it meant the Overseer of Schicksal, Kallen, had her eyes on Kiana. Her freedom probably wouldn't last another two years.
She had to find out.
Meanwhile, Li Wu stood at the entrance to the men's restroom, unable to enter or leave.
"What's wrong, Little Li? Didn't you need to use the restroom? Why aren't you going in?" Raiden Mei held tightly onto Li Wu's arm, sticking her tongue out playfully to tease him.
Li Wu let out a long sigh, looking utterly defeated. He pulled Raiden Mei over to the hallway railing. "I just wanted to come out for some fresh air. If I stayed in there, who knows what weird rumors I'd hear next. It would ruin my mood for the whole day."
Leaning his elbows on the railing, Li Wu looked out at the people playing ball on the sports field, feeling the knots of anxiety in his chest loosen slightly.
Anna, the A-Rank Schariac Valkyrie; the engagement to the Kaslana family; the missing transfer student; the whereabouts of the Anti-Entropy cyborg...
The plot was sprinting in a direction he couldn't predict. If this continued, things might spiral completely out of his control.
Although he seemingly had infinite chances to learn from his mistakes through "Return by Death," to clear the game while maintaining his original self, he had to keep his death count within a reasonable range.
Otherwise, even if he eventually defeated the enemy and resolved the crisis, if he lost his mind in the process, it wouldn't be much different from dying.
Depersonalization...
It was a terrifying state. Thinking back on it now, Li Wu could clearly recall that he was the one acting, yet it felt so alien—like it wasn't him at all.
"This is all Little Li's fault, you know. Who told you to go around seducing other girls?" Raiden Mei poked Li Wu in the side playfully. Seeing his wince of pain, she let go with satisfaction.
"No, seriously, who knew Schicksal didn't teach their Valkyries the most basic common sense? I just wanted to test her. I'm not an idiot. An A-Rank Valkyrie suddenly shows up at our school, coincidentally lands in our class, ignores the empty seat next to her fiancée, and insists on sitting next to me? This isn't a galgame; 'girl falling from the sky' tropes don't just happen."
Li Wu shook his head continuously, his logic still functioning perfectly. "Love that feels like a home invasion doesn't exist. She's not after my money, she's not after my looks, and we've never even met... Anyone with a brain would know someone arranged this. I just didn't expect that Valkyrie named Anna to be such an airhead beauty. She practically had 'Mission in Progress' written on her face. How could I possibly fall for that?"
Li Wu paused, then shifted the topic to the engagement.
"Though, honestly, I am pretty curious about the engagement thing. I can't believe Kiana has a fiancée, and that it's Anna from the Schariac family. How did those two even get matched up? ...Anna looks good, definitely my type appearance-wise, but her personality is terrible. I can't imagine either of those two having a normal conversation with anyone."
"Yeah, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Neither of them feels like a normal human being."
The manga didn't have any yuri elements (and neither does this book, doge saves my life), so this sudden yuri plotline completely shattered Li Wu's plans.
Raiden Mei listened patiently, acting as his most loyal audience. She clapped her hands lightly. "Little Li is very smart. I've only heard of that Valkyrie; this was my first time seeing her too. But... regarding the engagement, why don't you turn around and ask the person herself?"
Herself?
Wait.
Did you just say... herself?
Li Wu's head stiffened. The joints in his neck felt rusty as he turned around mechanically.
That cold, solitary figure had been standing behind him for who knows how long, silent as a shadow cast by the moonlight. He hadn't even heard her breathing.
"Oh, it's... it's the Class Rep. Shouldn't you be in class right now? ...Why, why are you here? Ha... haha..." Li Wu squeezed out a dry, strained laugh.
Kiana's face was frosty. She took a few steps forward, stopping directly in front of Li Wu.
"I came to verify the authenticity of certain students' reasons for leaving. It seems verification is unnecessary. You're skipping class."
"What? Or do I need to prove the authenticity of my status as a 'normal human being' to you?"
After speaking, Kiana paused for a few seconds. She seemed like she wanted to say something else, but ultimately remained silent. She turned around and walked away.
She had already gotten her answer.