Matcha squinted at Dina, finding the girl’s cheeks increasingly soft and plump—it was an irresistible temptation.
A powerful urge rose in her heart to reach out and pinch them. She didn’t just want to pinch them; she wanted to knead that tender flesh and twist it into a little knot.
“Let’s cuddle,” Matcha suggested.
“Sure.” Dina opened her arms and caught the petite girl as she lunged forward.
A pleasant scent—a blend of butter and milk—rushed into Matcha’s nose. she took a deep breath, finding the scent reminiscent of freshly baked butter cookies. It made her taste buds tingle.
I want to eat her up!
The cowlick atop Matcha’s head swayed back and forth. She opened her mouth and began nibbling on Dina’s shoulder, her saliva wetting the fabric of the girl’s robe.
Dina reached out her fingers to fiddle with the cowlick, curious about how the thing was actually connected to Matcha’s nervous system.
Matcha let out a shaky breath. The feeling of having her head patted reminded her of her parents, and a warm current flooded her heart. In her palm, the White Jade Slug grew scorching hot.
On the other side of the room, Lulu’anna stared fixedly at Dorothy from behind.
When she saw the little maid leaning against Wang Yue, chatting and laughing, Lulu’anna’s chest collapsed painfully inward. It felt as if a black hole had opened up, sucking her body, her flesh, and her organs—her entire being—into a void of nothingness.
Her eyes were wide, and her body trembled slightly. The bitter bile of jealousy soaked her heart, making it nearly impossible to maintain her composure.
An icy sensation radiated from her palm. At some point, her White Jade Slug had become bone-chillingly cold.
In the back row of the classroom, Cerceybe’s eyelashes lowered. Her eyes were dull, her expression somber.
It wasn’t that she was having a bad day; it was simply that she was never in a good mood.
In particular, she felt uncomfortable whenever there were too many people around. It made her irritable, timid, and hypersensitive. Theoretical lectures were manageable, but practical classes were nothing short of torture.
She was especially bad at dealing with scenes where a classroom full of girls was running around haphazardly.
Whenever she felt anxious, she would try to shrink herself down—in her imagination, of course. She would shrink until she was a tiny, insignificant sesame seed, falling into a crack where no one could ever see her.
The slug in her hand felt cold and slimy.
Disgusting.
Cerceybe desperately wanted to throw it away. With a touch of hysteria, she wanted to hurl it as far as possible.
However, she didn’t dare do anything that would make her stand out from her classmates. She could only endure the discomfort, keeping her head down in silence.
Just then, Veronica approached, cradling her own slug.
She stepped lightly, carefully avoiding the girls moving through the classroom like particles in Brownian motion. As she reached Cerceybe’s side, her slug’s temperature rose, making her palm itch with heat.
“Hah!”
Veronica exhaled happily and skipped toward Cerceybe.
Ever since the incident where the octopus disappeared, Cerceybe had grown to dislike Veronica a little.
In the past, the two of them had similar personalities—quiet, taciturn, and fond of peace. They had only come together to deal with school activities, especially classes that required pairs.
Two lonely people, sharing a tacit understanding, had clung together to make up the numbers without ever truly bothering one another. They were like two dots in a grid that never actually intersected.
Now, things had changed.
After the octopus vanished, Veronica’s personality had become increasingly lively. Cerceybe found it harder and harder to tolerate.
Worse still, Veronica no longer seemed to recognize their former “Alliance of Loners.”
Because of this, Cerceybe had decided: Veronica was no longer an invisible presence allowed in her world. She was an intruder.
“Beibei!” Veronica called out affectionately in her ear. Her pretty face was bright with a smile, and her large, grape-like purple eyes sparkled with curiosity and concern. “Is your slug heating up?”
Cerceybe hid her slug away.
Hers was ice-cold, devoid of any warmth.
She wanted to snap, What’s it to you? but fear kept her mouth shut. She didn’t dare offend anyone.
“What’s wrong? You seem a little unhappy. Are you sick? Do you feel unwell somewhere? I remember we used to be friends… I’m sorry, I lost my memory for a long time and can’t remember some things clearly, but I’ll work hard to remember!” Veronica said earnestly.
Cerceybe didn’t know what to say. Perhaps it was time to make her stance clear and part ways.
Lonely people might attract each other, but they didn’t provide warmth; they only competed to see who was colder.
“Look, they’re all hugging. The Class Rep and Plum, Matcha and Dina… let’s hug too!”
With that, Veronica impatiently lunged into her arms.
Watching the girl squirm in her embrace like a lively little animal, Cerceybe felt a strange panic. It was as if a tightly closed door deep within her soul had been pushed open a crack without her permission.
She trembled with terror, her mind going blank. Subconsciously, she shoved Veronica away and screamed:
“Don’t come near me! I don’t like you!”
Veronica fell back, sitting stunned on the floor for a moment. She turned her face away and covered her eyes with the back of her hand, but tears had already begun to fall.
“I’m sorry.”
Cerceybe felt a pang of guilt, but at the same time, she felt a sense of relief tinged with sin.
Not far from them, the sisters Prima and Mapeel were nestled together.
They truly lived for one another.
There was a profound understanding between the sisters. When they were little, they would link pinkies and play finger games. It was a secret game they had invented—fun, private, and hidden from the world.
Whenever their sleeves brushed together, their fingers would dance, and a knowing smile would grace their lips.
Later, the elder sister lost her hands and could no longer play finger games.
It didn’t matter. They could still play the “Keyword Game.”
Since the two sisters shared so many happy memories, they only had to say a specific keyword to trigger the joy of that day in both of them simultaneously.
Mapeel whispered in her sister’s ear, “Persimmon.”
Prima’s eyebrows shot up, and she let out a giggle, clearly recalling something wonderful.
The younger sister laughed too, hugging her sister’s shoulders and resting her forehead against Prima’s neck. The two of them dissolved into a fit of giggles.
***
Professor Lila gestured for the girls to return to their seats. Once the classroom settled, she spoke from the podium.
“In this lesson, we have learned the ‘One Bowl of Water Method’ and the ‘Snuggle Method.’ Please practice these often once you return home and commit them to memory. Remember to use them at critical moments.
“Although off-campus practice doesn’t begin until the third year, the first and second years will have live-environment simulations.
“Soon, you will face neutered monsters and juveniles. Take today’s Forest Sea Sphinx Moth larva eye specimen, for example; you must realize that a living insect’s Mental Pollution is ten times more intense than a specimen’s.
“Our next class will be held at The Basin Hall. Don’t go to the wrong place. At that time, I will teach you mental cultivation methods. Class dismissed!”
The girls scrambled out in a rush.
Next were two consecutive periods of Physical Education. It was Dorothy’s favorite subject, and field hockey was the sport she excelled at most.
Wang Yue had no interest in field hockey. While her classmates ran across the field chasing the ball, she sat on the sidelines, lost in thought.
Her Polyp Spider was currently syncing the scene from her dormitory, acting as a surveillance monitor.
The dorm was empty, save for Kira Yoshi-lamb.
Wang Yue always felt there was something off about that sheep.
She had asked the octopus about it, but the octopus insisted it was just an ordinary sheep.
However, her intuition told her the octopus was lying. Those two animals had likely reached some sort of agreement and were colluding behind her back.
Suddenly, Lulu’anna walked over and stood before her. She pouted and said, “Follow me.”
“What is it?”
“Something important.”
Since she had nothing better to do, Wang Yue stood up and followed her. They wound their way around the stadium and ended up behind the storage shed.
Lulu’anna turned around, staring straight at her with eyes that glowed with a terrifying intensity. As if she could no longer endure it, she rasped:
“Give Dorothy to me!”
“Huh? Watch your phrasing. That’s incredibly rude and offensive. Dorothy is a person, not an object,” Wang Yue said, displeased.
“Then why does she call you ‘Master’?”
“We have an employment relationship. That ‘Master’ isn’t what you think it is. I know what you’re planning, and even if I ‘sublet’ her to you, you can’t do those things to her. Molesting a maid is a crime,” Wang Yue said, beginning a lecture on basic legal rights.
Lulu’anna’s face instantly turned as red as an apple. Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t find the words to speak.
“Besides, I won’t be renting her to you anyway. Don’t even think about it. She’s mine!” Wang Yue declared loudly.
“Just you wait!”
Lulu’anna gnashed her teeth, spun around, and ran off at full speed.
