Chapter Sixteen

A ray of sunlight fell across Yu Xingyue’s face. Annoyed, he pulled the duvet over his head to continue sleeping—a standard part of his morning routine. Seeing the lazy boy still fast asleep, a person who had already washed up and placed breakfast on the table decided to wake him, knowing time was running short. She approached him slowly.

She took something resembling a megaphone and, placing it right by his ear, softly whispered, "Xingyue-kun, wake up! You're going to be late for school!" Though she only spoke those eleven words into the device, the sound reached Yu Xingyue at a deafening volume. He jolted awake, screaming, "Ahhh!"

Waking someone up by scaring them is a quick way to cause heart palpitations; readers should not imitate Ryū Hayariko’s behavior.

Startled awake, Yu Xingyue looked around in a panic. Spotting Ryū Hayariko by his bed, he grumbled, "Teacher, that is a terrifying way to wake someone up. You almost gave me a heart attack. Can you not do that next time?" The more he complained, the more convinced Hayariko became that it was the most effective method, though she didn’t use it every day.

"Don't you know we have class today? It is my responsibility to ensure all students are present. How much longer do you plan on sleeping? Get up, now!" With that, she grabbed his hand and hauled him out of bed. Yu Xingyue was reluctant, but since he had to attend class anyway, he decided to just endure it; once today was over, he could sleep in tomorrow.

After a flurry of activity, Yu Xingyue changed his clothes and, seeing the breakfast on the table, said, "Thank you, Teacher."

"It’s nothing, it’s my duty," Hayariko replied with a smile.

Yu Xingyue ate his breakfast first. He didn't brush his teeth beforehand because he felt it was pointless to brush only to have them get dirty again while eating—a bad habit of his. Some people get stomachaches from eating without brushing, but Yu Xingyue was used to it and had no issues.

Hayariko waited for him downstairs for quite some time. Yu Xingyue gave her a sheepish grin. The internet cafe was empty; it wasn't opening time yet. Hayariko was dressed in her usual professional attire, looking every bit the serious teacher, with no trace of the boss-like demeanor she had held the night before.

"Let’s go. I’ve already called a taxi. Get in." Outside the cafe, they saw a black sedan waiting. It hardly looked like a taxi, but they got in anyway and headed toward the school. Yu Xingyue decided to seize the opportunity to clear up his doubts. Five minutes into the drive, he asked, "Teacher, I have a question, and I need you to answer it honestly."

"Go ahead, what is it?" Hayariko asked coolly.

"That girl, Yuqin from yesterday—she’s Xiaqin Yumei, isn't she?" Yu Xingyue was fairly certain, but he wanted confirmation. Hayariko surely knew her true identity.

Hayariko looked at him in surprise. "How did you know? Did she tell you who she really is?"

Hayariko’s tone didn't sound like she was lying. Yu Xingyue continued, "No, I wasn't sure yesterday, but the name 'Yuqin' just made me think of Xiaqin Yumei from our class. Teacher, is Xiaqin Yumei working there because her family is struggling?"

"I suppose you could say that," Hayariko said, turning serious. "I was surprised when she first came to my cafe, but she didn't recognize me. I thought that if she stayed at an internet cafe, she might end up being taken advantage of, so I refused to hire her. But she knelt and begged me to let her work there. I couldn't think of any other way to drive her off, so I let her stay for now. I’ll let her go when the time is right."

"That explains it," Yu Xingyue realized. "But will she recognize me? We met yesterday, and I’m worried she might have seen through me." He remembered the encounter; in truth, neither had recognized the other. The makeup Yu Xingyue had worn was applied by Hayariko, who had also taught Xiaqin Yumei how to apply hers. Hayariko’s makeup skills were so advanced they functioned like a disguise or a transformation.

"There’s one more thing I don't understand," Yu Xingyue added. "I heard from students in other classes that there’s someone named Honda Kōun who likes to mug freshmen. Is that true?" He didn't hide his curiosity; Hayariko would certainly know about Honda Kōun, and he wanted more details.

Hayariko’s expression turned grave. "You need to be careful about that. If it were back in the day, I would have nearly died at the hands of that madman. If the police hadn't arrived, I wouldn't be here."

"When did you encounter Honda Kōun?" Yu Xingyue asked.

"That goes back a long time," Hayariko began, recalling her first encounter.

Hayariko’s memory...

Back then, I was just a freshman. There were no rumors about Honda Kōun yet, only people who wanted to investigate whether he actually existed. But those who went looking for him never returned.

When school let out, it was crowded and safe. By the time I got home, my parents were watching the news, reporting that a patient had escaped from a psychiatric hospital. He was classified as a five-star danger level, prone to attacking defenseless middle school students. I didn't pay it much mind.

It wasn't until that day that I realized how terrifying he was. On the way home from school, I was walking with a friend, but because our paths diverged, I ended up walking down the road where Honda Kōun often prowled.

Just as I reached the corner, a hand grabbed me and dragged me into the darkness. I couldn't see who it was, but I knew for certain it was Honda Kōun. I was one of his victims—I don't even know which one.

Then, someone arrived—a group of police officers. My friend had been worried about my safety and had run back to find me; when she saw me being dragged into the alley, she immediately called the police.

"Even now, I’m still terrified of running into him again," Hayariko said, her whole body trembling. Honda Kōun had left a permanent psychological scar.

Yu Xingyue patted Hayariko’s shoulder to comfort her. "That was a long time ago, let it be. I should be the one apologizing for making you revisit such painful memories."

"It’s alright. It actually feels better to talk about it. The road we're taking now doesn't pass through that area." After that incident, Hayariko had avoided that dangerous route, taking a detour that only a few knew was safe. To this day, people still walk the path where Honda Kōun haunts.

From Hayariko’s description, Yu Xingyue was certain that Honda Kōun was a mental patient who had escaped from an institution. Since Hayariko had been a freshman at the time, he wondered just how long the man had been on the loose.

Lost in these thoughts, they arrived at school. If Hayariko hadn't reminded him to get out, he would have remained sitting in the car, stunned.

Returning to the classroom as usual, his classmates stared at him in surprise, having seen him arrive with Hayariko. This fueled rumors about their relationship, but Yu Xingyue didn't care; if he lived his life worrying about what others thought, he wouldn't be himself.

Hayariko went to the podium to prepare her materials. With class still a while away, Yu Xingyue headed to the roof. The wind there was cool, blowing through his long hair and making him look elegant and dashing.

"Ah! This is the feeling. Much cooler than the air conditioning in the classroom," he said, stretching.

"Yo! You’re on the roof too. That’s perfect—let’s settle our business," a familiar voice rang out. Yu Xingyue turned to see Wang Tianqi. Seeing him gave Yu Xingyue a bad feeling; nothing good ever happened when Wang Tianqi showed up.

"What do you want? I don't want to argue with you this early in the morning. I’ve worked hard to keep my temper," Yu Xingyue said.

"Hmph!" Wang Tianqi scoffed. "You think I don't know what you did last night? Take out your phone and look at what you sent me."