Restricted Fantasy Invasion

Chapter 18
Sakuramiya Hitomi thinks she has a bad habit.

That is hypocrisy.

Of course, everyone probably has a bit of hypocrisy, since no one wants to hear the truth all the time. That's why people put on airs and play along, to cover up their real thoughts.

It's just that Sakuramiya Hitomi knows exactly how hypocritical she can be, and she also knows how unbearable the truth hidden beneath that hypocrisy truly is.

So, for a girl who analyzes herself so deeply, thorns of rational rejection have grown beneath her gentle exterior.

That's why, when she first entered school, she publicly declared: she would absolutely never fall in love.

It looked like she was dismissing everyone, but in reality, what she meant was to prevent any close relationship from piercing through those thorns of rejection and seeing her truest, most unbearable self.

By then, any so-called affection would be scared off by the terrifying side of her inner self anyway.

Since it was destined to end that way, it was better not to start at all.

However, she seemed to overlook the fact that those thorns of rejection only kept outsiders at bay-they couldn't stop her true self from looking outward, or from yearning to get closer to someone outside.

She couldn't remember when she first started liking Yan Huan.

She only remembered that one afternoon, she invited the student council members to her rental apartment. She originally planned for everyone to eat out, but Yan Huan cooked a meal for everyone at home instead.

She remembered eating her favorite caramel pudding that day, and then, almost unconsciously, glancing at Yan Huan, who had made the dessert for that meal.

And so she saw her three cats, all behaving adorably, snuggling up to him, meowing and acting spoiled, as if they really liked him.

He was also very patient, smiling as he lowered his head to gently stroke the cats' chins.

The moment she saw that scene, the unbearable side of her inner self began to stir beneath the thorns of rejection, and she started to crave understanding him.

She wanted to know everything about him-his thoughts, his patterns, his joys and sorrows, his body.

To find out when Yan Huan would come to the student council office, she installed the first security camera here.

And after that, she just couldn't stop.

Yan Huan's class, many hallways in the school, the student council office, outside the place where he worked, and even outside the house he rented.

Do you remember that Friday when Ye Shiyu hypnotized Yan Huan, and Sakuramiya Hitomi suddenly sent a plane message?

That was because that was usually the time Yan Huan finished his part-time job and headed home, but Sakuramiya Hitomi didn't see him leave from the bar's street, nor did she see him return to his rental apartment.

So, she sent that message, and didn't even bother to wait-she just called directly, throwing Ye Shiyu into a panic on the other end.

Rationality told Sakuramiya Hitomi that this wasn't the right way to like someone; she shouldn't be pathologically monitoring or trying to control the other person's life.

But her true self could no longer be restrained; she was like a prisoner trapped within her own rationality.

That prisoner was dancing gracefully under the shackles of being the "considerate Sakuramiya Vice President"!

In fact, there weren't just a lot of secretly taken photos of Yan Huan in the laptop's folders-Sakuramiya Hitomi had even recorded the things he said.

She'd reached the point where she had to figure out the meaning behind every word Yan Huan spoke, trying to use this method to fully understand all his thoughts.

Of course, there were plenty of times when she couldn't make sense of some of Yan Huan's words at all.

[Fish, such a big fish, tiger-striped shark.]

The document included a screenshot of a plane chat page, below which Sakuramiya Hitomi had written the date, annotations, and other information.

"March 9th, plane chat log-message sent by Yan Huan after going to the aquarium."

"It doesn't seem like he's talking about a particular shark. He didn't really respond to my science facts... The meaning is unclear, so I'll just record it for now."

[I'm fighting Sukuna, for real?]

"March 6th, I'd handed over the task of reporting to the principal to the president, and then he suddenly said this to me."

"I don't know why he's comparing the principal to a mythical monster. Does he think the principal is scary? The meaning is unclear."

[Where did you get this, is this even still in the country?]

"March 4th, the president, just back from break, saw the student council office I'd cleaned up ahead of time and said this."

"Maybe it's because I made the office not look like Linmen style? But all I did was rearrange the desks and add a bunch of bookshelves."

There was a whole pile of records below, all the way from her attempts to analyze Yan Huan last semester up until now.

After more than half a year together, everyone in the student council had gotten used to the president occasionally saying things no one could understand.

Maybe it was Linmen or Longguo dialect?

But Sakuramiya Hitomi had asked plenty of people from Longguo and Linmen, and they didn't know what any of it meant either.

That was just the part she couldn't understand in words. More often, when talking with Yan Huan, he would show emotions she simply couldn't comprehend.

Sakuramiya Hitomi couldn't help but recall a scene from last semester, when she and Yan Huan took an elective together. They were preparing a group report and needed to gather information on some famous companies.

When looking at certain materials, Yan Huan suddenly murmured,

"The Golden Lion Group's staff get off work at 4:30 in the afternoon?"

"Yes, President. So it's a pain if you need to do business there-you often have to wait in line for weeks."

"I see."

It was just a normal conversation, but why did Yan Huan show such a complex, incomprehensible expression at that moment?

All these questions made her want to seek answers, but she didn't dare ask, afraid it would reveal her feelings.

She worried that would make him get closer, scrutinizing the person who liked him.

Then he'd realize that many of her questions were things she shouldn't know.

"How do you know I didn't go home?"

"How do you know what time I finish my part-time job?"

"How do you know who I talked to in class?"

Because, I'm always watching you from the shadows, monitoring you!

That's the unbearable truth, but Sakuramiya Hitomi couldn't say it out loud.

Because she knew what she was doing was morally unacceptable. If she said it, he'd probably be terrified, and she'd lose her place in this world entirely.

If only there were a place that could accept the ugliness in my heart, where even if I showed it, everyone would think it's normal.

There, I could watch him without restraint, learn everything about him, and boldly share my unbearable desires with him.

As if it were common sense, as if it were the rules.

But the moment that thought appeared, a voice suddenly rang out in her mind-

[Activate Room Barrier?]

Room Barrier?

What's that?

[Barrier Level: 1]

[Effect Description: Once per week, select a closed area (within 50 square meters) to deploy a barrier. Maximum number of barriers: 1.]

[Within the barrier, you have the following effects:]

[You can set rules that must be obeyed, and gain omnidirectional surveillance over the area. Simply imagine it in your mind, and you can see everything inside the barrier, no matter where you are.]

[You can make common sense modifications to individuals within the area, but only one modification can be added at a time. Note: The common sense rule cannot be something the individual is completely incapable of.]

[After the effect is generated, anyone who leaves the area will completely forget what they did inside the barrier, and their memories will be corrected accordingly. However, if a third party is present inside the barrier, they may notice common sense inconsistencies.]

[When you are inside an active barrier, the barrier's level will gradually increase, expanding its coverage area and strengthening its effects.]

Maybe just reading the words, she still couldn't understand what exactly a barrier meant.

But when she first deployed a barrier in the student council office, she felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

And from that day on, the barrier in the student council office was never closed again.

"Snap!"

Lost in thought, Sakuramiya Hitomi was suddenly pulled back by the sound of a finger snap, and the floating phantom text before her slowly faded away.

The fading phantom text read:

[Barrier Level: 2]

[Effect Description: Once per week, select a closed area (within 75 square meters) to deploy a barrier. Maximum number of barriers: 2.]

She blinked, pulling herself out of her thoughts, and looked at Yan Huan, who was wearing a tracksuit beside her.

"Sakuramiya, class is almost over. It's our turn for duty today."

It was Monday afternoon's elective class, and she and Yan Huan had both chosen volleyball.

At noon, after Yan Huan took Ye Shiyu for a stroll around the school, he didn't return to the student council office. Because he felt sleepy, he found a quiet spot to nap for a while, and came straight to the gym for class in the afternoon.

Sakuramiya Hitomi had very poor stamina, and basically only moved when the teacher was instructing. Whenever it was time for free activity or team matches, she'd just find a place to sit.

But she'd never had a day like today, where she spaced out and didn't move at all, even as class was ending.

"Okay, President."

Sakuramiya Hitomi blinked at Yan Huan in front of her, seeming like she wanted to ask something, but instead quietly stood up and nodded.

In the gym, most of the volleyballs had already been put away in the cart.

Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi still needed to take down the net, pack it up, and return it to the equipment room along with the volleyball cart.

"You barely moved at all today, Sakuramiya. Are you feeling unwell?"

"A little. I'll be fine after this week."

She followed Yan Huan, each of them taking down one side of the net.

This week?

Yan Huan's movements paused for a moment, then he showed a knowing expression.

He turned to look at Sakuramiya Hitomi and took the initiative to say,

"Then you go rest, Sakuramiya. I can handle this side."

"."

Sakuramiya Hitomi glanced at Yan Huan's smiling face, didn't agree, but kept packing up the net. "It's fine, let's do it together."

Actually, it wasn't that she was on her period-she just had something she wanted to ask Yan Huan.

About that matter concerning Ye Shiyu.

Usually, there are plenty of girls at school who pay attention to Yan Huan, and Sakuramiya Hitomi, after all her surveillance, seems to have gotten used to their presence and doesn't really care.

After all, Yan Huan has never shown anyone anything besides polite courtesy-in other words, it's all just formalities.

But Ye Shiyu is completely different.

Sakuramiya Hitomi had never seen such patience, such a gentle expression in Yan Huan's eyes.

On Saturday, the President suddenly called to ask why she liked cats-it must have been for her sake as well.

That expressionless, puppet-like girl?

She herself had been watching the President since last semester, even knowing all his habits by heart.

What right does she have?

Just because you're his sister?

Can that sister even be considered a good sister?

Yes, contrary to the impression with Ye Shiyu that Yan Huan is gentle to everyone, Sakuramiya Hitomi very clearly felt the stark difference in Yan Huan's attitude toward Ye Shiyu.

Only, Sakuramiya Hitomi didn't know that what drove that gentle core was actually Yan Huan's very real will to survive.

She simply comforted herself not to rush, since that night the President had clearly said those words.

He said he remembered why she liked cats.

Does that mean he might like her?

So if the feelings are mutual, then her peeping, surveillance, and control should all be justified, right?

She had to confirm the President's feelings.

However, the persona of a thoughtful, considerate person had already been laid out, and that kind of Sakuramiya Hitomi would never take the initiative to pry into someone else's private life.

In that case, she could only use other methods.

"It seems like the weather is starting to warm up. The past few days have been pretty nice, and it was really sunny over the weekend."

"Yeah, when the President went to the aquarium?"

"That's right, it was pretty sunny over there."

Sakuramiya Hitomi packed up the net, put the protective net into the small cart, and walked with Yan Huan, who was pushing the cart, toward the equipment room behind the gym.

She opened the unlocked door, revealing a very spacious, sealed space inside.

Yuanyue Academy is really rich, since the tuition is so expensive, so all the equipment inside is top-notch.

All kinds of balls, protective gear, field props, yoga mats, crash mats, and so on and so forth.

Sakuramiya Hitomi went in first, and together with Yan Huan, one pushing and one pulling, they brought the cart inside.

"Done."

"Ding ding ding~"

The bell signaling the end of class sounded outside, and Yan Huan looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi, who was already panting just from this small bit of exercise, and suddenly felt a little thirsty.

Not because of Sakuramiya Hitomi in front of him, but because he'd exercised for a whole period and hadn't had any water yet.

"I'm so thirsty. Let's go, Sakuramiya, I'm going to buy some water. Do you want anything to drink?"

"I want to go outside campus to buy some drinks, and maybe have a little dessert. President, do you want to come?"

"Dessert, huh..."

Just as Yan Huan was rubbing his chin, getting ready to leave with Sakuramiya Hitomi, the door in front of them suddenly slammed shut with a loud "bang," even though there was no wind.

Yan Huan was slightly stunned, and Sakuramiya Hitomi beside him was also startled by the loud noise, covering her ears.

"What's going on?"

Yan Huan frowned, walked to the door, and grabbed the handle to turn it.

"Ka ka ka"

The doorknob groaned under Yan Huan's strength, but no matter how hard he tried, the door was as solid as a wall, not budging an inch.

"President, what's wrong?"

"The door is locked?"

"Huh?"

Sakuramiya Hitomi frowned, then came over to the door as well, trying to turn the handle herself.

When that didn't work, she shouted outside,

"Is anyone there? Whoever it is, please stop playing this kind of joke!"

"."

However, there was no response.

Yan Huan took a deep breath, gestured for Sakuramiya Hitomi to step back a bit, and he also backed up a few steps.

Then, he suddenly sprinted forward and kicked the door hard.

"Bang!!"

A huge sound rang out, but the moment Yan Huan's foot hit the door, he felt as if he'd kicked a wall.

The door didn't move at all, and his powerful kick disappeared without a trace, like a drop of water in the ocean.

On the contrary, he himself was pushed back several steps by the massive recoil.

"President! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine."

Sakuramiya Hitomi took her hands off her ears, hurried over to Yan Huan's side, and frowned as she looked at the door.

"What exactly is going on? Did someone outside shut the door?"

"I don't know."

Although that's what he said, Yan Huan had already sensed something strange inside.

Sure enough, in the next second, from the deep darkness beyond the door crack, a small slip of paper floated in like a ghost, landing in front of Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi.

Yan Huan bent down, picked up the note, and looked at it with Sakuramiya Hitomi. They saw that the note read:

[Want to get out of here?]

[Then you two have to hold hands for ten minutes, hug for ten minutes, and kiss for ten minutes.]

Staring at the note, Yan Huan's mind went blank for a moment.

That's it, that's it.

Everything makes sense now, all the irrational things are now rational!

So, he dumbly turned his head and looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi beside him, who was covering her mouth and was just as shocked.

In that instant, he seemed to realize something deep down.

Then, he quietly activated his own ability.

Perfect Expression Management, activate!

But at the same time, as she felt Yan Huan's gaze, Sakuramiya Hitomi seemed startled and took a few steps back, trying to distance herself from Yan Huan.

Her hesitant gaze swept over Yan Huan, and for a moment she even seemed to suspect that this was all some prank Yan Huan was finally pulling in a fit of animalistic impulse.

But then she seemed to recall Yan Huan's past behavior and decided he couldn't possibly do such a thing, choosing to trust him.

Even so, she still stood a bit away from Yan Huan, not daring to get close. Compared to her usual calm, her tone now sounded forced and shaky.

"President... what... what is going on?"

Seeing her genuine, natural reaction to being alone with a boy, Yan Huan actually started to lose confidence.

She really seemed to be afraid that he had locked the two of them in here to do something improper.

"Calm down, Sakuramiya, don't panic. Let me think about what's going on here."

"Mm, it's okay, President, I just..."

Sakuramiya Hitomi pressed her lips together and decided to trust President Yan.

Could it be that it wasn't the Sakuramiya Vice President?

Besides, the Sakuramiya Vice President from before was always so measured and considerate, totally different from someone like Ye Shiyu, who looked like a born modifier host.

Did someone else do it?

But... why?

Ye Shiyu used the modifier because her possessiveness flared up, wanting to kick me out of the house.

Why use it now?

And from the looks of it, that mysterious person used the modifier to lock the two of them in here just to hide and watch them do these inappropriate things?

What kind of weird fetish is this?!

Hiss, wait, no, actually, there really are people like that.

As Yan Huan thought about it, he suddenly felt a twitch in his heart, and even his perfectly controlled facial expression almost slipped.

Watching someone you like or have feelings for with someone else...

And then secretly hiding and watching, but instead you actually feel...

Some memories that shouldn't be seen or remembered started to attack him again, giving him a bit of a headache. For the first time, he felt that knowing too much was a kind of sin.

In this moment, he understood the adage from the Cthulhu Mythos: Knowledge is a curse.

Right now, Yan Huan really felt that the human species was hopeless.

Is there really nothing too weird to watch?

But the question is, which possibility is actually true?

Was it the Sakuramiya Vice President who did it?

But what about the motive?

Yan Huan turned his head to look at the Sakuramiya Vice President, but she had already quietly moved to stand behind the equipment mat, seemingly very worried about what Yan Huan might do in this situation.

But if it wasn't the Sakuramiya Vice President who had the modifier-

Then, just who was the one using the modifier?

And what exactly was the effect?

Holding the slip of paper in his hand that described the way out, Yan Huan fell into deep thought for a moment.

(End of this chapter)