Bai Ningning started to panic.

This senior, a third-year, had a killer body and an explosive temper. More importantly, she was strong.

Most importantly of all... she seemed to know her?

Bai Ningning thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Sorry. I don't remember."

"The hell," Brother Tian came up from behind. "Watch how you talk to Sister Ling."

This girl was way too arrogant. Pretty or not, it didn't matter. Even if the Jade Emperor himself came today, he was still gonna curse her out—

But Ayane slapped him across the head.

"Did I let you talk?!"

"S-Sorry." Brother Tian covered his forehead and shrank back. "You go ahead."

Ayane turned back and looked straight at the little beauty in front of her again.

Her presence was overwhelming. No one nearby even dared speak. Nana practically did a sideways shift on the Z-axis and hid herself.

Terrifying.

"You really don't remember at all?" Ayane gave a light laugh. "I remember very clearly. I think about it once every single day."

Bai Ningning stayed expressionless. "Sorry. I really don't."

Brother Tian charged forward in anger. "The hell, I—"

"Did I let you talk?!"

He got slapped again.

Ayane steadied her mood and invited her, "Want to talk outside?"

The two girls with the strongest presence in the club room left one after the other. It was like the group mute had been lifted. The room instantly exploded into noise.

"What's going on with those two?"

"No idea. I still don't even know who that pretty girl is."

"I think there's definitely something between them."

"I think it's more than just something..."

...

What do I do now?

Bai Ningning was really panicking.

What the hell was going on? There was no such person in the original owner's memories.

"Sorry," she decided to ask first, "I really can't remember very clearly..."

"When you had just enrolled, I took one look at you and wanted you in the otaku dance club. I personally went to recruit you." Ayane held up three slender fingers. "I invited you three times."

Damn. She'd really gone the extra mile.

With that reminder, Bai Ningning finally found the key memory fragment in the original owner's mind.

It was the summer when she was seventeen. A girl with a baby face and a full chest arrived at university and stunned who knew how many people.

One of them was Ayane, the fiery president of the otaku dance club. She went after Bai Ningning three whole times, from the dorms to the cafeteria, then to the edge of the track field.

Back then, Bai Ningning got curious and asked why she wanted her so badly.

"Because your looks are just too good. You look like you walked straight out of anime, you know? I really want to see whether, when you dance otaku choreo, you'll look just like an MMD model."

Bai Ningning had been so startled that she firmly turned her down on the spot. After Ayane left, she even muttered under her breath, "What's wrong with that person?"

The memory ended. Back in the present, Ayane looked at her with a smiling face and slightly cool eyes.

"That year, right after you rejected me, you joined the Tea Arts Club. I want to know—who did you use the skills you learned there on?"

Bai Ningning's delicate body trembled. "That was other club members' behavior. It had nothing to do with me."

Ayane laughed. "What, are you saying everyone else went there to learn how to act like a manipulative pick-me, and you alone were seriously there to taste tea?"

Bai Ningning's soft face flushed red. "That's the truth."

Anyway, the people were gone, and the club was gone too. There was no proof left.

"Fine. Let's not dig up old history." Ayane looked ahead. "Let's go to the side of the field and talk about what we discussed in the club room."

"...Okay."

Bai Ningning was nervous, but on this matter, she couldn't back down.

The two girls headed for the small field nearby, each with her own thoughts.

Ayane's heart was surging, yet her mind was ice-calm.

At last. After nearly half a year, she'd finally run into her again. This time, she wouldn't let her get away.

Bai Ningning. Tea Arts Club. Hmph. Train all you want, it still won't be enough against Miss Ayane here. The next conversation was crucial, but that was fine. She had already predicted everything Bai Ningning was going to say. As long as she said it first, Bai Ningning would naturally fall behind.

Come on.

Bai Ningning sat down by the field and carefully took a deep breath.

I'm screwed. What do I do now?

Back in the club room, what she'd actually been thinking was that she should act gentler and talk to the other girl in a pleading tone, see if there was room to negotiate.

Somehow, for no reason at all, it had turned into... that.

So now, facing President Ayane, who had clearly come to call her to account, what was she supposed to do?

Maybe she should soften first.

"I..."

"I know what you want to say."

Ayane cut her off and jumped right in.

"You want to say that setting attendance requirements that high is unnecessary, right?"

...Huh?

"First, the school doesn't have any hard rule about it. Second, even if I want to make the club the biggest and best on campus, demanding attendance still isn't a particularly smart move."

...Hm?

"Stacking numbers can create the appearance of prosperity, sure, but it's too inefficient. If you force everyone to attend, those who don't really want to be there will show up in body but not in heart. That won't just lower everyone else's enthusiasm. It'll also make things harder for management when it comes to organizing and scheduling."

...What?

"So instead of chasing quantity, it's better to pursue quality. Let a small group of elites lead the way first. Raise the quality of the club's activities themselves. Make them more appealing. Then more people will want to join on their own. That's the best approach." Ayane let out a soft laugh. "That's what you were planning to say, right?"

...Uh... yeah... what?

No, wait, was I planning to say that?

Am I that amazing?

Bai Ningning was a little dazed.

But her calm expression, in Ayane's eyes, only confirmed that she'd guessed right.

"Heh. How could I not know that's the best method? But if I take that path, it'll require more effort, and there's still a risk of failure." Ayane leaned closer to Bai Ningning. "Am I right?"

Bai Ningning didn't dare speak.

She didn't even know what she could say anymore. Ayane had already said it all for her.

But then Ayane suddenly changed direction.

"It's not like I can't take that path. But one condition is still missing. Only with that condition will the chance of success be high enough for me to go all in."

Bai Ningning tilted her head without thinking. "What condition?"

"Simple." Ayane moved close and whispered into her ear, her breath warm against it. "You. Join my club."

The girl's body trembled.

"That's the necessary condition. So?" Ayane lowered her voice into a tempting murmur. "Join my club, and I'll agree to keep and improve the original anime club's rule of not requiring attendance every single time. What do you say?"

There's a deal this good?

Bai Ningning pressed both hands hard against her thighs and bit her lip, as if saying it took great effort.

"It's a deal."

A double win.