“Hmm, I need to get some atmospheric candles,” Liang Sheng said as she scrolled through pictures of candles on her phone, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “That’s it! And the most important thing—a huge bouquet of fresh flowers!”
“What do you think, Kazuko?”
“I think you’re kinda cheesy.” The blow came straight from her beloved System.
But who was Liang Sheng? There was no way she’d scrap her plans just because of one comment from someone else.
“Yep! It’s decided then! Order up ninety-nine roses!”
Akino Kazuko was speechless. “You’ve already got it all figured out. Why even ask me?”
“For fun.”
“…”
That night, Liang Sheng slept soundly, while An Hua lay awake, buzzing with excitement.
The lovestruck girl couldn’t stop wondering if Liang Sheng asking her to hang out alone meant she liked her a little. Was she the one Liang Sheng liked?
An Hua tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
One moment she thought Liang Sheng probably did like her; the next, she worried Liang Sheng saw her only as a friend.
No, she had to get to sleep soon. An Hua squeezed her eyes shut. Showing up with bags under her eyes tomorrow would be a disaster.
Amid her anxiety and doubts, she finally drifted off.
The next morning bright and early, Liang Sheng dragged herself out of bed despite her fatigue and started tidying up the room she’d trashed.
Akino Kazuko rubbed her eyes. “Yo, you actually know how to clean your room? The power of a beauty must be strong!”
Liang Sheng scoffed. “I’m always this diligent.”
Akino Kazuko stifled a laugh as she eyed the snack wrappers scattered across the floor, the towering stacks of extracurricular books, and the clothes flung haphazardly over the bed, chairs, and carpet.
“Oh my god, are you really a little girl?” Akino Kazuko covered her face. “Your room doesn’t match that pretty face of yours at all!”
Liang Sheng kept cleaning while cracking wise. “Heh heh, this is what they call contrast cuteness—adorable, got it?”
Akino Kazuko burst out laughing. “Whoever ends up marrying you is gonna be cursed for eight lifetimes!”
Who could put up with mockery like that? Liang Sheng stopped what she was doing. “I don’t like hearing that.”
“What’s wrong?”
Liang Sheng tossed her hair. “In the future, whether I marry some girl or some girl marries me, she’ll treat me like a treasure. She’ll keep my hands from ever touching dirty work—no housework for me.”
“Oh ho, that confident, huh?”
Liang Sheng struck a pose like a high-quality stud. “Believe it or not, it’ll come true. How could it not, when everyone adores me so much?”
Just then, a knock came from downstairs.
“Coming!” Liang Sheng bolted down the stairs.
By now, her room was mostly sorted—no worries about An Hua judging it.
“Senior Sister An Hua, you’re here! Come on in!”
This was An Hua’s first time in Liang Sheng’s bedroom. Last time, she’d only been in the living room.
“Ah…” She sat on Liang Sheng’s bed, her face faintly flushed as she murmured softly, “This is Liang Sheng’s scent…”
“Senior Sister An Hua, just sit tight. I’ll grab some fruit for you.” Liang Sheng scurried downstairs and back up again, bustling about happily.
“Okay, Liang Sheng.” An Hua grabbed the green-haired girl’s arm. “No more running around. Sit down and chat with me.”
“Sure thing~” Liang Sheng plopped down cross-legged beside her.
For a moment, the two of them had nothing to say.
“Uh, um…”
They still hadn’t shaken off the awkwardness from soaking in the hot springs the other day.
“S-Senior Sister.” Liang Sheng forced an opening, trying to come up with something witty.
“Liang Sheng!” An Hua cut her off. “Um… what I said last time, I wasn’t thinking straight. Ahem.”
“No worries, no worries!” Liang Sheng waved her hands in a panic, blinking rapidly. “I won’t take it to heart. Besides, b-besides, I actually like you too, Senior Sister An Hua!”
“You… you mean, you kinda like me?” An Hua’s eyes widened.
“K-Kinda, yeah.” Liang Sheng gave a vague answer.
“Ding~” Favorability increased.
“An Hua’s Favorability towards Liang Sheng: 195”
Hearing even a slim-chance response like that satisfied An Hua. It wasn’t a flat rejection, which gave her plenty of confidence to pursue Liang Sheng.
“Liang Sheng, have you noticed? You’re pretty popular.”
Liang Sheng scratched the back of her head with a dopey grin. “Kinda, haha. I mean, I’m such a lovable goof.”
Well, the girl had a clear sense of herself.
“Not really… Liang Sheng, you’re beautiful and captivating.” As she spoke, An Hua couldn’t help reaching out to stroke the other’s cheek.
Liang Sheng kept grinning dopily. “Senior Sister An Hua’s beautiful and captivating too—the school’s acknowledged ice queen.”
“It’s different.” An Hua pulled her hand back. “Mine’s all an act, as you know. But yours… it’s a natural charm.”
Liang Sheng reached up and ruffled the senior’s hair. “Senior Sister An Hua, you’re so silly. Beauty and aura are innate. Look at all those people trying to copy you—they can’t pull it off. Why don’t you have more confidence in yourself?”
An Hua didn’t respond.
Suddenly.
“Liang Sheng, I’m so glad I met you.”
Liang Sheng blinked in confusion. “Huh—?”
Being told that out of the blue flustered even Liang Sheng, whose skin was usually as thick as a city wall.
While Liang Sheng sat there stunned, An Hua poured out her heart. “No one’s ever made me happy before. No one’s kept coming closer after I rejected them multiple times. And no one’s stuck around after discovering my shameful secret.”
“Someone found out your secret?”
An Hua pressed her lips together and looked down. “Yeah, my best friend in middle school. I told her myself.”
“And then…?”
“She told others. They didn’t believe her, but…” An Hua’s nose stung. “But I really…”
Oh dear. Little Liang Sheng couldn’t stand seeing a girl cry in front of her. She pulled An Hua’s head into a proper, wholesome hug. Very innocent, okay?
The soft sensation… An Hua’s face turned bright red. For a second, she wasn’t sure whether to keep sobbing with her eyes or let the tears pour from her mouth.
“I’m such a weirdo, and the things I like are weird too.” With her mouth and nose muffled by the plush embrace, An Hua’s voice came out stuffy.
“You’re not a weirdo!” Liang Sheng shot back. “So what if you’re a masochist? Everyone’s got their kinks. Being a masochist doesn’t hurt anyone—doesn’t steal their rice or damage their interests. Why should they mock you?!”
