Chapter 6: The Aftermath of a ‘Love Confession’

Bai Zhi and Rena walked in silence, side by side, along the corridor fronting the academic building.

This pairing drew numerous gazes, some of which, of course, were directed at Bai Zhi; after all, as of today, Bai Zhi was undeniably something of a celebrity within San High School.

However, the vast majority of the remaining attention was focused on Rena, who walked beside Bai Zhi.

More precisely, it was fixed on Rena’s ample bosom.

For high school students navigating the throes of adolescence, Rena’s figure proved perhaps too captivatingly ample.

Rena herself, however, remained utterly oblivious to the concentrated stares fixed upon her, curiously observing the building that was entirely new to her.

Thus, Bai Zhi coughed twice, exuding a chilling aura that sent the overly curious students—primarily the boys—scurrying away, before she finally broke the silence herself.

“We certainly received quite a dressing down.”

“Indeed, who would have thought that merely attending school would stir up such an uproar?” Rena spread her hands, a helpless expression on her face. “You truly give your big sister no peace of mind~”

“Sister… could we perhaps refrain from using that particular address?”

Bai Zhi’s expression was tinged with awkwardness.

“Oh my, wasn’t it you who suggested it, little sister Bai Zhi?”

“Ugh…”

Bai Zhi’s sister—this was the identity Rena now claimed when interacting with others.

Earlier, the enraged principal had demanded Bai Zhi summon her parents to address her numerous transgressions.

Naturally, Bai Zhi couldn’t possibly drag her parents, who were currently traveling abroad and had seemingly forgotten both their home and their daughter, into the fray, and so had no choice but to trouble Rena to step in.

Given that Rena and Bai Zhi were not far apart in age, this knight lady thus quite logically became Bai Zhi’s makeshift older sister when introduced to outsiders.

“But beyond this incident, Bai Zhi, tardiness, early departures, sleeping through almost every class, and even intimidating classmates… little sister Bai Zhi, you’ve secretly committed quite a few misdeeds!”

Rena extended a finger, enumerating Bai Zhi’s ‘misdeeds’ one by one.

Bai Zhi bared her teeth, her expression clearly one of barely suppressing an urge to erupt.

“Wait! When did I ever intimidate a classmate?”

“That, I wouldn’t know. The principal simply told me as much.”

Bai Zhi shot a glare at Rena, who stood beside her with a look of schadenfreude, before retracting her gaze and raising her small, pink fist in a frustrated outburst.

“They keep pinning things on me that I never even did… That old man, next time I might just shave off the few remaining hairs he has left.”

Rena let out a soft chuckle, covering her mouth.

“Don’t be like that; your principal is practically bald already. Spare his poor few strands of hair… Wait, what do you mean by ‘also’? Could it be that you previously…”

“Oh, that’s not important.”

Without a flicker of change in her expression, Bai Zhi offered no reply, instead stretching languidly.

“Anyway! The disciplinary action is merely a one-month suspension for self-reflection. To be honest, it far exceeded my expectations; I honestly thought I was certainly going to be expelled this time…”

“Ah, that.”

Rena smiled, pointing to her eyes.

“I employed a little trick, a minor enchantment capable of lowering one’s guard and fostering a sense of familiarity. It’s quite effective during interrogations.”

“No wonder… no wonder that old man’s attitude suddenly softened midway through. I thought for sure you had charmed him…”

Bai Zhi wore a look of sudden enlightenment.

“That—that incident was also your doing? The one where I fell from the sky? I thought for sure someone would ask about it, yet in the end, it was completely ignored. Was that your doing too?”

“Of course.”

Rena nodded with a smile.

“‘Group Illusion.’ It allows one to weave a false memory to replace an original one, and can affect multiple people simultaneously. I deployed it shortly after entering the school.”

Bai Zhi uttered an ‘oh,’ her eyes reflecting a hint of envy.

“I never realized you ‘Glorious Knights’ were so knowledgeable!”

“Of course!”

Rena puffed out her chest proudly.

“A knight’s duties extend far beyond mere combat. To tackle a multitude of tasks, I’ve always diligently studied various obscure spells. After all, ‘To flawlessly execute every assigned task’—such is also the teaching of the ‘Holy Light’!”

“Oh—”

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but applaud.

“In that case, what exactly did you replace their memories with, Rena?”

“Uh…”

Rena’s expression suddenly stiffened. She hesitated for a moment, weighing her words carefully, then spoke.

“While ‘Group Illusion’ is indeed potent, if a memory is too deeply ingrained, even a meticulously crafted false memory cannot entirely overwrite the original.”

Bai Zhi’s complexion abruptly shifted, a strong sense of foreboding washing over her.

“Hmm… and then?”

Her lips twitched for two seconds, her fingers nervously fumbling with her clothes.

“Uh, well… The part about you falling from the sky was manageable, as many people hadn’t actually noticed that detail at the time.

However, the subsequent image of you embracing that girl surnamed Xia proved to be overly impactful. No matter what I did, I couldn’t overwrite that particular memory.”

Bai Zhi: “……”

“Consequently, the new memories blended with the original ones, and things became a little… uncontrollable.”

Bai Zhi: “……So, what version do they remember now?”

“It’s just…”

Rena’s expression became exceptionally awkward.

“…You burst into Xia Ranxin’s classroom, delivered an impassioned declaration of love, and then, while embracing her, initiated a fervent elopement, evading the pursuit of all the school’s teachers… something to that effect.”

‘No… wait?!’

Rena watched her transition from her eyes widening and her entire body trembling slightly, to slowly regaining her composure and speaking with her usual calm.

“…So that’s how it is. I finally understand why, ever since a moment ago, people have been pointing and whispering behind my back, saying things like, ‘Lesbians are truly terrifying’ and ‘She’s already hooked another one so quickly; what a player.'”

Rena wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, her gaze involuntarily drifting elsewhere as she forced a guilty smile.

“But—but, look on the bright side, at least they’ve all forgotten about you falling from the sky! Compared to that, mere gossip will fade away after a while…”

Bai Zhi immediately refuted Rena, having witnessed firsthand the idleness of the students in this school.

“No, you entirely underestimate how bored these people in school are. With nothing but studying and exams filling their days, these students were practically bursting with idleness.

For something so thrilling to suddenly occur, they would likely remember it for a full three years. And even after I graduate, it will continue to circulate as a legend within this school…”

“Wuwuwu, my reputation, built over a lifetime, is utterly ruined~”

‘Hmm… it couldn’t be that exaggerated, could it?’

“Ah… how will I ever survive in this school now… Perhaps I should just erase this memory completely! With a month’s time, clearing memories one by one should still be feasible…”

Bai Zhi walked to a wall at the corner, gently pressed her forehead against the wall, appearing truly despairing.

Witnessing her so utterly distraught, Rena also felt that this current predicament was indeed causing Bai Zhi considerable anguish and torment.

“Bai Zhi… Please don’t say such things with such a terrifying expression…”

Bai Zhi wore an expression of utter resignation.

“This is all your fault… Wuwuwu…”

Just as Bai Zhi and Rena continued their idle chatter while making their way towards the school gate, a somewhat trembling voice called out to them.

“Th-that!”

Bai Zhi turned her head. The owner of the voice was someone she knew intimately: it was none other than Student Council President Xia Ranxin, the other protagonist of the now widely discussed elopement incident within the school.

Bai Zhi instantly panicked. She poked Rena beside her, leaning in and whispering behind her hand.

“Hey, did your ‘Group Illusion’ also affect her?”

Rena also leaned towards her, responding with the same hand-over-mouth gesture.

“It should have.”

Bai Zhi leaned closer to Rena’s ear.

“So… in her memory, haven’t I just confessed my love to her? What on earth does she want by calling out to me now?!”

Rena thought for a moment, then offered an answer.

“Hmm… she probably wants you to take responsibility for her.”

“Eek?!”

Under Bai Zhi’s alarmed gaze, Xia Ranxin seemed to have steeled her resolve, gathering her courage as she stepped towards Bai Zhi, and abruptly grasped Bai Zhi’s hand.

“Xia—Xia Ranxin?! Please, let me explain! This is truly a misunderstanding! The real situation is incredibly complex, but it’s absolutely not what you’re imagining…”

Xia Ranxin briefly closed her eyes for two seconds, then snapped them open, a flush of peach-colored crimson spreading across her delicate face.

“Bai Zhi!”

Bai Zhi instantly straightened her posture.

“Ah, yes, yes!”

“Please… help me!”