Chapter 21: I Said Thank You! Are You Deaf?!

“Tch.”

In the equipment room, Lu Yushan clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Although he did not want to get involved in other people’s business, he hated watching that disgusting scene unfold like some R-rated show right in front of him even more.

It burned his eyes.

And… that restless feeling was creeping back again.

He pulled the coin Gu Lingyue had given him earlier from his pocket and tossed it lightly twice in his palm, feeling its weight.

Magic power gathered in his hand. 

A faint, almost imperceptible silver glow flickered across the coin’s surface.

He gripped it tight, took aim…

Bang—!

A barely audible sonic boom rang out inside the cramped equipment room.

Whoosh—

In Amber Flowing Light’s despairing eyes, a silver streak shot in from afar, moving so fast it left no afterimage.

The lecherous tentacle trying to lift her skirt exploded into a shower of green droplets.

Then the one binding her arms. 

Finally the one wrapped around her ankles.

Snap— Snap snap—

Precise shots. Every last one severed.

Weightlessness hit.

Amber Flowing Light did not crash awkwardly to the ground. 

She tapped the empty air with her toes and executed a graceful mid-air flip.

A chance!

Joy surged inside her. 

She had no idea which expert was secretly helping, but this was the perfect moment to turn the tables.

With a single thought the magic staff that had been swallowed inside the slime dissolved into motes of light and instantly reformed in her grasp.

Shame transformed into towering rage.

Amber Flowing Light clenched her staff. Real flames seemed to burn in her amber eyes as she gritted her teeth.

Go wash yourself off, you disgusting creep!!

“Grand Ceremony · Bloom!!!”

Another wide-area spell, except this time every ounce of firepower focused on a single target.

Boom boom boom—!!!

The explosion sent up a massive mushroom cloud.

When the smoke finally cleared, the much-anticipated (?) slime had turned into nothing more than an irreparable puddle of sludge on the ground, dead beyond recovery.

“Pant… pant…”

Amber Flowing Light gasped for air, dizzy and light-headed.

The side effects of mana overexertion and the wild emotional roller coaster made it hard for her to even stand.

Still, the dignity of an idol magical girl forced her to rally her strength. 

She struck a cool finishing pose toward the school building, ready to accept the audience’s belated cheers.

Amid the roaring applause that filled the field.

She tilted her head slightly. 

Those amber eyes carried a trace of doubt as they turned toward the equipment room in the corner of the sports field.

The silver streak from earlier… seemed to have come from that direction.

Was someone there?

“So cool! Master!”

Inside the equipment room.

Bai Ning had watched everything unfold, her eyes blazing so brightly they could have emitted light.

Tossing the coin lightly twice, then aiming and firing—all in one smooth motion.

Then he casually dusted off his hands like he had just squashed an ant.

This was exactly the kind of shadowy mastermind from fantasy stories, hiding his power and pulling strings from behind the scenes!

The more Lu Yushan displayed that powerful, indifferent side, the hotter the chuunibyou flame burned inside her.

“Let’s go.”

Lu Yushan pushed open the door and stepped out. His voice was low. He was a little unhappy.

He had just tried sensing the area. 

Among the scattered monster remains blown everywhere, there was no magic reaction that resembled a core at all.

Most likely Amber Flowing Light’s ultimate move had obliterated it completely.

Which meant this whole trip had been a waste, and he had even spent a few bucks.

Lost big time.

Lu Yushan cursed inwardly, already planning to slip away from school quietly once the chaos started.

With something this big happening, classes would definitely be canceled. 

He needed to hurry and find another way to make money and cut his losses.

“Yes, Master! I swear to follow in your footsteps until death!”

Bai Ning hurried forward and hooked her arm tightly around Lu Yushan’s, pressing herself almost completely against him.

Lu Yushan’s body stiffened.

Oh no.

Sure enough.

Sure enough, the moment Bai Ning’s crisp “Master” rang out it dropped like a stone into boiling water, instantly drawing every eye on the field.

“What?! Did I hear that right? The class beauty from Class Three just called him Master?!”

“That’s Lu Yushan from Class Two! I heard he’s a real tough guy. Zhang Yang tried to mess with him before and got put in his place.”

“I heard the same thing, and even Young Miss Gu seems to have a thing for him…”

“Wow, what’s this guy’s background? Having beauties on both arms is way too outrageous.”

The chatter rose and fell. 

Dense gazes shot in from every direction—curious, shocked, and filled with jealousy so hot it felt like needles stabbing into Lu Yushan.

Damn it…

Lu Yushan’s head buzzed. He just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Just as he was about to do something—shake Bai Ning off or bolt from the scene—

An orange figure blocked his path.

Amber Flowing Light descended slowly from the air, skirt fluttering lightly with the airflow, landing a few steps in front of Lu Yushan.

The entire area fell silent. 

Everyone held their breath, watching the scene that felt like an emotional battlefield.

“Was that you just now?”

Amber Flowing Light breathed a little heavily, her amber eyes fixed in Lu Yushan’s direction.

Though it was a question, she was already seventy percent certain in her heart.

“I don’t know what you’re talk—”

Lu Yushan started to deny it.

Before he could finish, Bai Ning beside him puffed out her chest and spoke first, pride written all over her face.

“That’s right! It was us who— mmph!!!”

Lu Yushan moved like lightning. He clapped a hand over her mouth and smothered the rest of the dangerous sentence.

From the corner of his eye he saw the surrounding gazes. His mind raced. 

Remembering the story he had fed Bai Ning earlier, he quickly leaned close to her ear and whispered through gritted teeth in a voice only the two of them could hear.

“Have you forgotten our contract!”

Bai Ning’s eyes widened. A look of sudden realization crossed her face and she nodded frantically.

“Hehe~”

Amber Flowing Light was amused by the ridiculous scene. 

The corners of her mouth curved into a faint smile and the tension from earlier eased a lot.

She glanced at Lu Yushan, whose whole face screamed “stay away,” and grew even more certain of her guess.

This boy was definitely not simple.

“Um…”

Amber Flowing Light’s gaze suddenly turned evasive. 

She tapped her two index fingers together awkwardly, cheeks flushing, voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.

“Th… thank you.”

“What?”

The surroundings were too noisy and her voice was too quiet. 

Lu Yushan genuinely had not heard clearly. He frowned and asked again.

“I said… thank you…”

Amber Flowing Light’s face grew even redder. She raised her voice a fraction, but it was still soft.

“What exactly are you saying?”

Lu Yushan leaned forward a little, still unable to catch it.

That seemingly arrogant attitude instantly lit the fuse on Amber Flowing Light’s shame.

She was the magical girl idol admired by thousands! She had already lowered herself this much, and he was still pretending he could not hear?!

She suddenly stepped forward aggressively, her whole face almost pressing against the tip of Lu Yushan’s nose. 

Her cheeks burned tomato-red. 

Eyes squeezed shut, she shouted at the top of her lungs.

“I said— thank you!!! Did you hear that! You idiot!!!”

Having roared the words, she seemed to have used up every ounce of courage. 

She did not dare look at Lu Yushan’s reaction. 

She spun around, leaped into the air, and flew off like she was escaping for her life.

Leaving behind a dumbfounded Lu Yushan and a crowd that instantly exploded.

“Holy shit?! Did I mishear? The idol thanked him face-to-face? And called him an idiot?!”

“This is totally tsundere! It has to be tsundere!”

“No way! What the hell did this guy do to deserve that?!”