Chapter 30: The Idol’s Underworld Form and a Fickle Friend

“What’s the big deal? You just didn’t want me to witness you rejecting someone, right? Why get so flustered? You made me worry for nothing.”

After Lan Xinyue’s sincere apology and explanation, I finally breathed a sigh of relief, though I couldn’t help but grumble at my friend in exasperation.

Why did she have to act so strangely over something so trivial?

“Ugh, so this person really is… hopeless, isn’t she?”

Lan Xinyue, however, looked quite distressed by my reaction, and, as usual, threw a jab my way.

[Zhao Wangqiu, Out!~(Bear Home Run)]

“I’m not interested in baseball, you know.”

And even if I know you’re trying to look both annoyed and incredibly cute, couldn’t your expression be a little more natural?

It seems there’s still a long way to go.

Still, I could somewhat understand Nina’s feelings.

If it were me, I certainly wouldn’t want my friend to witness such a scene—a scene I’d rather not experience myself, yet one where I’d have to bravely and patiently face the person confessing their feelings, only to then cruelly and decisively reject them.

After all, I’d heard it said that a confession isn’t a bugle call announcing an attack, but rather a trumpet blast celebrating a victory.

Uh… discussing something like that here, in the clubroom, feels incredibly inappropriate.

Perhaps it’s best if I slip away soon.

****

“Qiuqiu, have you… had some kind of incident with the Angelic One?”

“Watch your words. She’s probably just in a bad mood and didn’t want to bother me, that’s all.”

‘Sometimes, this guy really doesn’t know what to say.’

Considering how last time, Nina’s comment about only wearing idol outfits for me was clearly just a joke, or at most a playful remark, it wouldn’t have caused such a commotion if he hadn’t reacted so dramatically and bumped his head.

‘I hold quite a grudge when it comes to things like that.’

“Hmm, Qiuqiu, I know you usually don’t pay attention to these things, which is why you might not realize it’s a huge problem that could affect our class’s cohesion.”

“Why would it turn out this way?”

‘Could my friendship with Nina truly possess such emotional destructive power?’

“Well, you see, because she usually radiates a brighter smile whenever she’s around you, now that her mood has suddenly darkened, the entire class atmosphere has become subdued.”

“…”

‘Wow, it’s true.’

‘No wonder the murderous intent today feels much heavier than usual.’

‘But don’t any of you have anything else to do?’

I couldn’t help but observe Nina, who was currently chatting with Lan Xinyue and Makino Kaede.

Compared to her usual self, she was indeed a bit down, yet it was clear she was still smiling from the heart, not forcing a cheerful facade.

That alone was enough to put my mind at ease.

“So, what exactly happened between you two?”

“I already told you to watch your words, and I don’t know either. If you’re so curious, why don’t you go ask her yourself?”

‘I couldn’t possibly say that she was so against me seeing her reject someone’s confession that she accidentally used the wrong tone, leading her to believe I was angry, and thus kept her distance.’

‘That would sound incredibly narcissistic.’

Besides, I don’t think it’s that simple. It’s more likely that something unpleasant happened during the rejection, which then affected her mood.

Such situations are quite common, after all.

“Hmm… fine, I guess. Since both parties involved seem relatively normal, excessive interference might just backfire.”

“Don’t talk as if you’re some kind of mediator. With your current stats, you’re not qualified for such a high-level job.”

“How cutting.”

“I’d prefer ‘sharp-tongued’ as a descriptor.”

“Haha, anyway, speaking of which, I saw a lot of buzz on the Wiki forums about the new character scheduled for release next month. Why the excitement?”

As Li Pengcheng spoke, he opened the game and displayed the character silhouette that had been pre-announced.

“Oh, that. It’s because some people, based on the clothing silhouette, are speculating it’s highly likely to be the Idol’s Underworld Form (TL Note: A common concept in web novels/games where a character has an alternate, often darker or more powerful, version of themselves from a parallel world or different aspect of their being.), which is why it’s generated such a huge reaction.”

“Underworld Form?”

“Haven’t you read the lore? The game’s story is about two parallel worlds that became connected due to an unknown reason. To combat their respective formidable enemies, characters from both worlds are seeking assistance, leading to many intertwining plots. In short, it’s a very intricate story. You just need to know that many characters possess corresponding Underworld Forms, often referred to as ‘opposite’ forms.”

‘I didn’t have time to explain the entire plot to him, and besides, it involved spoilers. It was better for him to catch up on the lore himself and experience it firsthand.’

“Oh, then why is this character… the Idol, causing such a stir? Her combat rating on the Wiki isn’t even that high, not as good as the one hanging on your backpack, Yalin, right?”

He said, pointing to the acrylic charm on my bag.

“Because, according to the lore, the Idol is an exceptionally pure and resilient dreamer who works tirelessly. This means that no matter the world, she’s destined to follow the same path. Therefore, she shouldn’t have a different Underworld Form; otherwise, how could she be called the ‘Eternal Idol’?”

Although I wasn’t entirely certain myself, as in all current storylines, the Idol indeed plays a significant role in both worlds, radiating her dazzling presence and spreading overflowing passion everywhere, bringing hope to many. Yet, the Underworld Idol has never made an appearance.

But precisely because of this, I genuinely hoped she wouldn’t have a different Underworld Form.

That would imply she had endured a tragic life, one that completely shattered her inner purity and resilience, before despairing and abandoning her dreams, thus embarking on a different path.

‘…Ugh, it seems I’ve gotten too invested. No, I need to adjust.’

“Oh, I see. Now that you put it that way, I’m suddenly quite interested in this character too.”

“That’s a shame then.”

“Hm? Oh, right, you did say she wouldn’t be obtainable anytime soon. That is quite a pity.”

“More importantly, our upcoming math class is definitely going to cover new key points, so don’t you dare slack off.”

‘I hadn’t originally planned to remind him, but he did decisively speak up for my sister, so I decided to return the favor.’

“Huh? New key points?”

“Uh… do you seriously think math class is just about memorizing formulas? You don’t even bother distinguishing between common and specialized formulas?”

“Ahahaha… well, you see, math class is usually scheduled in the afternoon, isn’t it? Especially like today, after a full meal, listening to a lecture that sounds like chanting (TL Note: A humorous way to describe a boring or monotonous lecture.), and barely making it through… it’s already a victory if I don’t fall asleep in the next class, you know?”

“What do you mean ‘chanting’? That was Civics class! Civics!”

‘When this guy enters society, he’ll probably be easily tricked into taking a dangerous path, won’t he?’

‘Forget it, I’m tired. He can do whatever he wants.’

****

“Huh?”

When dismissal rolled around, I had intended to ask Nina if she wanted to head to the clubroom together, but by the time I looked up from tidying my things, she had already vanished.

Her backpack was still there, though.

Oh, right. That day, she had mentioned wanting to withdraw from the stage play because Ye Wenxuan was currently leading in votes for the male lead. However, after what happened last Saturday, if Ye Wenxuan had taken the advice, he wouldn’t have any free time anyway. So, she must have resumed campaigning for votes.

‘Hmm…’

‘Aside from the fact that as a friend, I should offer all the help I can, she’s also been almost unilaterally taking care of me lately, which makes me feel incredibly guilty. Still, I should consult her first; otherwise, my good intentions might inadvertently lead to trouble.’

“Oh, Nina? She’s probably headed to the gym, I think. I saw her go down the stairs across the way.”

Li Pengcheng pulled his head back from the window and informed me with a mischievous grin.

“…Oh, you truly are fickle, aren’t you?”

“Huh? Uh… didn’t you tell me not to call her ‘Angelic One’ all the time?”

“So unify it then. Anyway, thanks.”

“Hehe, such a tsundere.”

“Sigh, what a waste of the slight boost in my favorability.”

“Ah?! How could you say that!?”

Too lazy to humor him further, I glanced at Lan Xinyue, who was still conversing with Makino Kaede, and, confirming she wouldn’t be heading to the clubroom just yet, I grabbed my bag and quickly made my way to the gym.

I could guess Nina’s intentions. Given that our school has a large number of sports clubs and members, she certainly wouldn’t have overlooked that fact. Now that Ye Wenxuan’s non-participation was confirmed, it was clearly a very logical choice to press the advantage.

“Hello, are you looking for someone?”

Not long after, as I’d been scanning the gym entrance for a while without finding Nina, a female member of the basketball club, who had been observing a practice match nearby and seemed quite enthusiastic, proactively asked me.

“Ah…”

“Hmm?”

“May I be so bold as to ask which year you’re in first?”

“Eh? Oh, it’s fine. I’m a first-year. And you?”

“Ah, perfect, me too.”

‘Phew, thankfully she’s a classmate. That makes things a lot easier.’

“Haha, it seems you’re not very good at dealing with upperclassmen, or perhaps…”

Her gaze subtly darted back and forth between me and the court twice.

‘The girl she was specifically looking at, both her appearance and her performance on the court, were quite dazzling.’

‘In fact, that person had been seriously disrupting my progress in finding Nina earlier.’

‘Our school’s female students truly are exceptional.’

“Please don’t misunderstand, I’m looking for a girl from my class, and I was worried that upperclassmen might not know her, which is why I specifically asked.”

“I see. So, who exactly are you looking for?”

‘Huh? She actually seemed a little disappointed?’

“Oh, Nina. Nina Samino.”

‘Curious about the full name Nina had used when introducing herself to my sister, I had asked her, and she explained that the first part was her given name, while her actual name was just the latter.’

“Huh? The Angelic One?”

“Ah… haha, yes, yes, that Nina classmate, who is often called the Angelic One.”

‘While I couldn’t deny it was a form of affirmation, reaching such a universally known status, I believed Nina would inevitably find it bothersome.’

Seemingly sensing my displeasure, she narrowed her eyes slightly and scrutinized me.

“Could it be that you’re Zhao Wangqiu?”

“…Mm.”

‘It seems I’ve become famous because of her too.’

‘This situation wasn’t exactly new to me, but the fact that the reason stemmed from Nina made me feel inexplicably uncomfortable.’

“Eh?~”

She actually circled around me with keen interest.

“Um…”

“Oh, my name is Mi Xiaoli, Mi as in ‘dawn.’ My friends usually call me Xiao Mi.”

‘Who asked you that, though…’

“So, Student Xiao Mi, have you seen Na… hah, have you seen Nana?”

“Oh~ Such an intimate nickname. So the rumors are true, then.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Nana and I are just good friends.”

“Eh?~”

Mi Xiaoli scrutinized me with suspicion.

‘Seriously, if you haven’t seen her, can I just go ask someone else?’

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