Chapter 10: A Shocking Revelation and Dormitory Dilemmas

When Akuma returned to the classroom, the teacher was already standing at the front of the podium, poised to begin the lesson.

Akuma nodded to the teacher, offering an apology, before pulling out a chair and settling into their seat.

“How unusual, you’re actually late.”

Even though Akuma had just sat down, Afu’s voice materialized beside them.

Akuma propped their head with a hand, casting a sidelong glance at Comrade Afu who had leaned in close, and slowly squeezed out a few syllables from their throat.

“Hmph, shut up. No arguments.”

Akuma was consumed by anxiety. Yet, the very source of their distress remained utterly oblivious, listening intently to the lecture with a serious expression.

This made Akuma’s hair stand on end. Had this person ever studied so diligently before?

Mo Ya was indeed listening attentively to the teacher’s lecture. The mention of ‘puppet’ from Akuma had piqued his curiosity, and for the first time in a long while, a fervent excitement stirred within him.

What level did a ‘puppet’ belong to, compared to a King?

He was desperate for the answer, so much so that the adrenaline in his body surged as if he had taken a stimulant, banishing all traces of drowsiness.

With nothing else to occupy his time, Mo Ya found himself with only one path forward: to simply listen and learn.

After all, theoretical knowledge might prove useful in practical combat.

Thus, the somewhat tedious class quietly drew to a close. As the bell for dismissal rang, the teacher swiftly closed their book, and the students, looking visibly relieved, slumped onto their desks.

This was peculiar. The day’s lessons were clearly over, so why weren’t they returning to their dorms to sleep?

Mo Ya felt a surge of confusion at this phenomenon, glancing left and right, hoping to uncover the reason. However, there was no time to ponder; the question quickly vanished.

For the teacher at the podium had once again opened her mouth, commencing her performance.

“I trust you’ve all seen the notice on the bulletin board. Relevant personnel have already packed your personal belongings and transferred them to your new residences.

Naturally, any items not conforming to school regulations have been confiscated. Next is the time for dormitory allocation.”

As the teacher spoke, she cast an intentional, yet subtle, glance at Mo Ya, who merely looked utterly bewildered.

“What… what exactly is happening?”

He couldn’t accept it; everything had happened so suddenly, defying all logical principles.

Behind him, Akuma, witnessing the situation, quietly clapped a hand over their mouth, letting out a muffled chuckle.

‘It seems he forgot something important. He didn’t wash his hands earlier…’ Akuma thought.

Akuma cleared their throat, composed their expression, and then, with a renewed air of disdain, approached Mo Ya.

“Oh my, you good-for-nothing, did you not even read the bulletin board notice?”

“No.”

Mo Ya saw Akuma approaching and nodded in affirmation.

However, this seemed to displease Akuma. Until just a moment ago, Akuma had expected to see a far more amusing expression from Mo Ya, but reality had played a cruel trick. After a brief moment of surprise, Mo Ya’s face had reverted to its previous state—expressionless, like a poker face.

Akuma scoffed, turning their head away with an irritated click of their tongue.

“I swear, you’re unbelievable. Why do you think I went out just now? I went to check the bulletin board!”

“Oh, continue.”

“…You! Are you treating me like some roadside informant? Even a hawker charges for information!”

In this world, it was once said that the greatest joke was telling one to a poker face.

Today, at this very moment, Akuma profoundly understood this truth, frantically seizing Mo Ya’s neck with both hands.

Unending fury seemed to erupt from Akuma’s eyes as they violently shook Mo Ya’s body, desperately trying to elicit some sort of expression from his face.

“It hurts… I can’t breathe. Also, where’s your gentlemanly etiquette?”

Even as he was being shaken, with his neck clutched, Mo Ya managed to open his mouth, his voice trembling slightly.

Reminded by his words, Akuma snapped back to reality, swiftly withdrawing their arms and releasing Mo Ya.

“My apologies, that was rude of me.”

Akuma took a deep breath and offered an elegant bow to Mo Ya.

‘When apologizing, one must reveal their chest!’ That was a truth everyone knew! However, Akuma, disguised as a male, had no such assets to capture Mo Ya’s attention. Thus, Mo Ya merely gave a slight nod, voicing his confusion.

“What exactly was written on the bulletin board?”

“Enough… listen closely. Due to today’s chaos, several dormitories on Central Avenue were destroyed. The remaining dorms will accommodate the excess students, and rooms will change from single occupancy to double.”

“I see, then their behavior makes sense. They were just waiting for the teacher’s allocation after all.”

Mo Ya once again surveyed his surroundings. Students whose names were called shuffled out of the classroom with weary steps, looking as if their souls had been drained.

Perhaps for them, the mental pressure far outweighed the physical. The appearance of the Corroded Ones had truly ravaged these so-called ‘top students,’ leaving them utterly battered.

‘Can I really defeat these ferocious creatures? Is all this vast theoretical knowledge useful? Why am I still sitting here studying?’ These were likely the thoughts occupying most of their minds.

Psychological pressure could easily shatter a person. Mo Ya, a veteran of countless battles, had long understood this intimately.

The teacher continued to call out names, and the number of students in the classroom steadily dwindled.

“At this rate, it might just be you and me,” Mo Ya remarked calmly, awaiting the teacher’s next words.

“Ha… if I’m paired with you, a poker face, I’d rather run out of here and perform a striptease on the spot.”

“That would be incredibly unsightly. No, it would be disgusting.”

As Mo Ya spoke, a flicker of amusement crossed Akuma’s mind.

‘What a joke. If I were to reveal my true self, you absolutely wouldn’t be able to say such things. Just you wait, one day I’ll have you bowing before me, under my skirt. Wash yourself clean and be ready.’

“Akuma, Mo Ya, Building B, Room 233.”

Like a divine judgment from above, Akuma, who had been inwardly smug just moments before, instantly froze.

“That concludes the dormitory reallocation assignments. Class dismissed.”

The teacher spoke, then promptly left the classroom, leaving only Akuma and Mo Ya behind.

Mo Ya walked directly in front of Akuma and patted their shoulder.

“Alright, begin your striptease performance.”

“…”

“Start the show.”

“…Perform your balls!”