After calming Willow Ran down, I finally stepped out of the restroom.
Yao Star-Yan wasn’t at our table. She’d left nothing behind—not even the plates, already cleared by the staff.
Had she gotten impatient and left after waiting too long?
A terrible thought hit me—if Yao Star-Yan had come to check on me and overheard everything!
She’d easily figure out my intentions.
No, no—it couldn’t be that bad. Yao Star-Yan was the unreasonable type who’d scolded me twice before. If tricked, she’d confront me instantly, not sneak off like a lovesick teen.
Still, I felt uneasy. Yao Star-Yan always blogged about things. If she’d discovered my identity, she’d have posted it.
I pulled out my phone and checked her blog. No updates. Her latest post was from this morning.
Maybe she’d just left silently out of impatience. That fit Yao Star-Yan’s character.
For final confirmation, I stopped a waiter.
“Excuse me, about the guest at this table…”
“Oh, that young lady left already.”
“Uh… did you notice her expression when she left?”
This was the waiter who’d served Yao Star-Yan. He must remember her well.
“She seemed rushed. Paid and dashed out right after.”
“I see… Thanks.”
Perhaps she had family matters, like Willow Ran.
I returned to the restroom and told Willow Ran.
“I see…” She didn’t seem surprised. After a pause, she said, “Let’s go back then.”
Later, Willow Ran grabbed her bag from my place and left.
Without her chattering, I tried writing—but not a single word came. I cared more about Yao Star-Yan’s sudden departure than I’d thought.
“Should I just apologize?”
The idea made me imagine scenarios to avoid getting hit.
Wait—she never even gave me the clothes to return.
With no progress on my new work, the May Day holiday ended.
I arrived early at Yao Star-Yan’s classroom door.
I’d rehearsed this, but nerves hit me hard. My pacing drew stares, but my serious face kept people away.
“…What are you doing?”
“Whoa—!”
Yao Star-Yan appeared out of nowhere. Caught off guard, I looked flustered.
I forced an awkward smile.
“G-good morning!”
She stayed expressionless, like an ice queen meeting me for the first time.
“Th-that… at the family restaurant during the break, didn’t you say I should treat you…”
“Not needed!”
Yao Star-Yan glared coldly. Right there in the morning hallway, she showed no restraint.
“—From now on, no—right now, I don’t want to see you!”
Did I hear that right?
The Yao Star-Yan from the holiday wasn’t like this. What made her reject me with a Siberian-cold chill?
I’d checked her blog daily—my identity wasn’t exposed.
“…Wh-what’s wrong? Is there a misunderstanding between us?”
“No misunderstanding! I understand you better now.”
“Huh?”
“Hmph. I should’ve known sooner. You’re just that kind of person.”
What was going on? Yao Star-Yan must have misunderstood something. Her reaction left me clueless.
She bit her lip and ran out of the building.
I ignored the upcoming class and chased after her.
But a figure blocked my view.
“What’s wrong?”
Willow Ran watched Yao Star-Yan’s back, frowning at me.
“Willow Ran? What are you doing here?”
It was rare for a specially admitted student like her to be here.
“After last time, I knew a fool like you’d do something stupid. So I came… Forget that—what happened?”
“I don’t know. She suddenly said she never wants to see me again.”
“Just as I thought…”
“Stop muttering! Any idea why Yao Star-Yan’s like this?”
“A little.”
Willow Ran nodded calmly, stroking her chin like a detective.
“What should I do? This is bad—for my book and my revenge.”
“What to do…”
She pulled me away silently, stopping only when no one was around.
“Before I tell you, answer one question.”
“What question?”
Even I felt the gravity—Willow Ran looked terrifyingly serious.
“Setting aside the novel, why did you choose Xingyan?”
“Huh?”
“Let me rephrase—what do you actually like about Xingyan?”
Li…ke…?
Those two words stunned me.
—“I… what exactly… about me…”
—“…Come to think of it, Gale Splendor… what do you… feel about me…”
Yao Star-Yan’s unfinished words flashed in my mind. Willow Ran’s question matched them perfectly.
“If you’re serious about winning Xingyan over, you can’t avoid this. She’ll ask it.”
State my reasons?
I chose Yao Star-Yan as my “enemy” for revenge—but that wasn’t true. I’d chosen her even before knowing she was the sub teacher.
Setting aside the novel, what did I truly like about her?
Honestly, I didn’t know.
What made me think “she’s the heroine” back then?
She was beautiful, aloof with guys, always shooting me annoyed looks; she ate huge meals but stayed slim; she seemed like a queen, yet was a master artist who loved drawing H-scenes—what about this Yao Star-Yan did I actually like?
