Chapter 14: Aren’t You Being a Bit Too Clingy…

At noon, the cafeteria was like a boiling steamer—the aroma of food mixed with the clamor of voices washing over Su Yuan, making her chest feel tight.

She huddled in the most secluded corner, her lunch tray half-cold in front of her, but she couldn’t bring herself to swallow a single bite.

She had chosen this spot precisely to avoid the crowd, yet her heart still clenched with unease—she kept feeling eyes on her.

Sure enough, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a familiar figure weaving through the bustling crowd.

It was Bai Shimo.

Su Yuan’s breath hitched for half a beat.

Her hand instinctively tightened around her spoon.

Why was she here again?

She had already hidden far enough away—why could Bai Shimo always find her with such precision?

“Su Yuan, want to have lunch together?”

She looked up and met Bai Shimo’s smiling eyes—and her heart instantly went into a frenzy.

Oh no.

Bai Shimo wanted to eat with her?

No way, absolutely not!

“I-I’m almost done!”

Su Yuan blurted out on pure instinct.

To make her words convincing, she grabbed her spoon and shoveled food into her mouth without a second thought, chewing so fast she nearly choked.

In no time, the bottom of the bowl was bare—not a single grain of rice left.

“Miss Bai, see you…”

Su Yuan mumbled indistinctly, grabbed her tray, and dashed out of the cafeteria, stumbling several times along the way.

She thought she heard Bai Shimo call after her, but she didn’t dare look back.

Thankfully, she hadn’t been caught up with.

She thought she had finally escaped that ordeal—but little did she know, it was only the beginning.

Bai Shimo was far more persistent with her than she had imagined.

During the ten-minute break between classes, Su Yuan was pretending to sleep on her desk when a shadow suddenly loomed over her again.

“Su Yuan, I’ve organized the key points from last class.

Would you like to take a look?”

It was Bai Shimo’s voice!

Su Yuan’s entire body stiffened.

Her shoulders instinctively hunched up, and she wished she could bury her head entirely into her arms.

“N-no thanks… I took my own notes,” she mumbled into her arms, her voice barely a whisper.

Then she shot upright. “Oh right—I need to go to the bathroom!”

Then came PE class.

Then music class.

Then dismissal time…

Bai Shimo was relentless in her pursuit!

Only after hiding inside a bathroom stall, listening to her own rapid breathing, did Su Yuan feel even slightly safe.

What on earth did that insufferable magical girl want?

With so many people in the class fawning over her every day, why did she have to single out this “gloomy little nobody” and refuse to let go?

Su Yuan simply couldn’t understand what went on inside Bai Shimo’s head.

But she gradually noticed that the whispers among her classmates were growing louder:

“Why does Bai Shimo always go after Su Yuan?

Just because they’re desk mates?”

“Su Yuan keeps avoiding her—how ungrateful can she be?”

“Maybe it’s just the magical girl’s sympathy overflow?”

Su Yuan felt her social anxiety skyrocketing to infinite levels!

Damn it—it was all Bai Shimo’s fault!

Not only had her dream of a beautiful youth like in manga failed to materialize—her once-peaceful school life was now on the verge of being completely upended!

***

Morning arrived.

Another specialized class.

Su Yuan had rushed to the lecture hall early, claiming the most secluded corner seat at the very back.

She stared nervously at the entrance, dreading that Bai Shimo would once again appear with that flawless smile, softly asking if she could sit beside her.

But this time, things took an unexpected turn.

The class bell rang crisply—and the universally admired honor student magical girl never appeared at the classroom door.

This anomaly caught her off guard.

Even the model student Bai Shimo would skip class?

Su Yuan couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity.

She repeated to herself over and over that it was really just pure curiosity—nothing more.

After enduring a distracted class, lunch break arrived.

The campus was especially quiet at noon.

Even on the main path, which was usually the busiest, only a few figures ambled by slowly, lending the school an unusually serene atmosphere.

Su Yuan wandered aimlessly around campus, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward places where Bai Shimo might appear.

The convenience store.

The study room.

The phone booths.

The grove of trees…

As she walked, she muttered to herself in justification:

“First of all, I’m not actually looking for her.

This is just a small tactic of ‘knowing your enemy’—that’s all.”

“Secondly, it’s nice and quiet at noon, perfect for a walk.

I just happen to be strolling, and incidentally, casually, I’m keeping an eye out for her presence.”

“Lastly, I don’t care at all why Bai Shimo didn’t come to class.

In fact, if she never came to class again, that would be a good thing for me.”

After silently reciting this justification three times, Su Yuan unconsciously quickened her pace and made her way to the grove behind the teaching building.

A winding stone path lay hidden among fallen blossoms, stretching gently forward.

She stepped onto the cool stone path and hadn’t gone far when, just past a thick clump of bushes, a faint sobbing sound drifted into her ears on the wind.

That voice… sounded familiar.

Su Yuan couldn’t help but creep forward a few more steps, carefully concealing herself behind the flowers, peering through the gaps in the branches toward the lake.

And then she saw a familiar figure.

It was Bai—Bai Shimo?

She nearly blurted it out and quickly clapped a hand over her mouth.

So this was why she hadn’t come to class—she had secretly come here to cry by herself!

Su Yuan was genuinely stunned.

The Bai Shimo who was so powerful even Senior Goria couldn’t withstand her.

The Bai Shimo who always wore a sunny smile, the invincible magical girl…

Right now, she was crying alone in a hidden place, just like any ordinary girl who had been wronged.

Had something particularly upsetting happened?

As Su Yuan pondered this, she reconsidered.

Well, of course.

As a Gold-rank magical girl, Bai Shimo was the reassuring pillar of everyone’s faith.

She had to maintain a smiling, strong facade at all times, so people could feel safe—so she could better protect the peace and tranquility of this city.

But humans weren’t perfect.

Even someone as strong as her had moments of fragility.

On those difficult days, with no one to confide in, Bai Shimo had to find secluded spots like this, where no one could discover her sadness and vulnerability.

Listening to the soft weeping, Su Yuan couldn’t help but lean in a little closer, wanting to see Bai Shimo’s face more clearly.

Just then, faint, fragmented murmurs came from Bai Shimo’s lips.

Carried by the gentle breeze, those broken words gradually became clear.

“Succubus… I dreamed of you again…”

“Being a magical girl is so tiring…

No matter how hard I try, there are still people who don’t like me…”

“If only you were by my side.

Why did you leave me again?

Now, even seeing you has become nothing but a longing in my dreams…”

“Succubus… I really… really miss you…”

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