Chapter 7: An Unexpected Encounter and a Familiar Arrangement

That person… was it the iceberg senior student? What was she doing here?

‘Wait, why was she coming over? Was she heading in the same direction as me?’

Just as she drew closer, the Route 3 bus I had been waiting for finally arrived.

I paid no mind to her movements, instead rummaging through my pockets. Thankfully, I still had two coins.

Yet, just as I settled into an empty seat, the iceberg senior student also boarded the bus.

‘It seems she really is going my way.’

‘If we’re on the same route, I should have run into her before. Why do I have no recollection of her whatsoever?’

‘Hey, wait a minute. There are so many empty seats, why is she sitting right next to me?’

“Senior student, hello.”

I offered a timid greeting, then laughed awkwardly.

“Mm, good afternoon.”

Retrieving her phone from the pouch at her waist, the iceberg senior student gave me a cold reply before burying her gaze in her device.

‘Speaking of phones, where’s mine?’

Slapping my thigh abruptly, I suddenly remembered I’d left my phone at home.

‘Sigh, seriously. If it weren’t for what happened this morning, would I have forgotten my phone?’

While Mu Rong Luo Ye was still vexed by the morning’s events, the iceberg senior student beside him, whom he believed to be engrossed in her phone, was, in reality…

‘What an airhead. He can’t even tell he’s being secretly photographed at such close range.’

‘How amusing. You’re my next target.’

****

The bus ride wasn’t long. Glancing at the familiar scenery outside the window, I knew it was time to alight at this stop.

Before stepping off the bus, I glanced back at the iceberg senior student, still absorbed in her phone. Sure enough, same route, different stop. No wonder I had no impression of her.

Leaving the bus stop, I walked another hundred meters or so until I reached my residential complex.

Upon returning home, I habitually called out, “I’m back!” as usual, but only the echoing silence greeted me.

Although I had already anticipated being alone when I returned home for lunch, a faint sense of loneliness still crept in.

‘That eccentric older sister, though she’s utterly perverted, even daring to *kabedon* her own brother… now that she’s not around, I actually miss her a little.’

‘Just kidding.’

‘Who would miss that perverted older sister? It’s much better when no one’s around; I can have fun all by myself.’

Since my eccentric older sister wasn’t home, I wouldn’t have to bother with elaborate cooking. For just myself, something simple would suffice.

After casually boiling a bowl of noodles and devouring it in a flash, I tossed the bowl into the sink and retreated to my room.

‘As for the dishes, they can wait. It won’t be too late to wash them when I go back to school.’

‘Right now, it’s better to open my beloved little phone.’

As usual, I clicked on Penguin to check for any new messages, then idly chatted with some online friends about trivial matters. Just as I was about to close Penguin and log into the “Bridge” to “clean the deck,” the Penguin icon suddenly vibrated.

[System Notification: You have a new friend request.]

‘Oh, let me click and see who sent the friend request.’

After seeing who it was, I paused, slightly surprised. ‘Isn’t this my junior disciple? What made him decide to add me?’

Speaking of my junior disciple, I was reminded of that guy. We joined the sect at the same time, but he was a second slower, a step behind, which landed him below me in seniority.

Conveniently, our master wasn’t accepting any new disciples, so he’d forever remain the “little junior disciple.”

‘Bullying this junior disciple is the happiest part of every day.’

Speaking of our sect, I must mention the Pineapple Bun app. As currently the largest light novel platform in the ACG community, it naturally hosts a multitude of writers.

My sect, incidentally, was founded by a master-level big shot.

By sheer luck, I managed to join this sect. It’s just that our master is incredibly lazy and hasn’t taught us anything. Still, chatting with the senior and junior brothers and sisters allows me to learn a thing or two.

I suppose I’m quite the oddity in the sect, seeing as I’m the only one who hasn’t written anything.

‘As for writing, I’ll consider it when I’m older. Besides, I have no real interest in it, so I find more joy in just idling in the group chat.’

As for my junior disciple, he’s started a few books, but he constantly proclaims himself a “flop.” Whether he’s genuinely a flop or just pretending, I currently have no idea.

However, that guy has many accounts, so I’m not sure if the one he’s currently using is just an alternate.

‘I’ll accept it first, then see what he wants.’

‘He’s not trying to get more votes from me again, is he?’

‘Hiss, seriously, does he come begging for votes every month? Well, fine. If he wants votes, he’ll have to trade something for them.’

After clicking to accept his request, I waited for his reply.

Just as expected, his very first message was indeed about wanting votes.

[Ge Zi Yun (No. 20): Senior brother, senior brother, that, you know…]

‘You want them? It’s not that simple.’

[Luo Ye (No. 18): You want them? The usual rules apply.]

[Ding! Image sent successfully.]

‘See? Always so obedient, just like usual.’

Actually, the trade was quite simple. He wanted votes, and he’d give something in return. A perfectly normal transaction. As for what he’d give? His cross-dressing photos.

‘Hehehe, cross-dressing photos, they definitely need to be “corrupted” a bit more.’

But that guy, he always hid his face with his phone, only revealing his twin-tailed hair, the little black dress he wore, and his white stockings.

‘Seriously, couldn’t he just show his face?’

Still, that outfit of his felt incredibly familiar. It was almost as if someone had worn it in front of me before.

‘I can’t remember. Whatever, maybe it’s just a coincidence. Perhaps it’s a common style that just looks familiar.’

‘Anyway, the transaction’s done, so here are the votes you wanted.’

I glanced back at Penguin, confirming there were no new messages, and then began my enjoyable “deck-cleaning” journey. It was just a bit taxing on my liver; my liver felt a little sore.

Lunch break, neither long nor short, passed quickly nonetheless.

As usual, I boarded the necessary bus, only to encounter the iceberg senior student once more. Was it fate, or simply bad luck?

She was still the same, head bowed, engrossed in her phone.

Ignoring the iceberg senior student, I turned my gaze to the scenery outside the window. Yet, why did I faintly feel a chill creeping up my spine?

‘It must be my imagination.’