Chapter 51 : Chapter 51

Chapter 51 : Watching the Fun

“Calm down, I’m not that senior sister. I won’t hurt you,” I said quickly, trying to soothe her.

I didn’t want her lumping me in with those creepy senior sisters.

I wasn’t like that.

I was just here for fun.

“I don’t believe you! I don’t trust anyone from Witch Academy!”

Though she said that, my words seemed to offer a bit of comfort.

At least she knew I wasn’t the one who’d done this to her.

Her tone wasn’t as furious as before, though it was still thick with wariness.

“Don’t say that. I’m a freshman too, just enrolled a couple of days ago. Don’t be scared, I'm like you. I won’t hurt you.”

I kept talking, cautiously stepping closer.

Seeing she didn’t have a mental breakdown over something small, I relaxed a bit.

She still had some rationality.

“You… you’re a freshman too?”

After hearing my explanation, she quieted down, though she confirmed again, her guarded eyes looking at me like I was a wild beast.

“Yup, of course.”

“Then… you’re also…”

“Also what?”

I asked with a hint of amusement and curiosity, noticing her avoiding my gaze.

This was too much fun!

“N-nothing…”

She quickly dropped the topic.

“Since it’s nothing, can I ask…”

I crouched down, looking at her disheveled state, pressing further.

I knew what she’d wanted to ask, and I wasn’t about to let this chance slip.

“Ask what?”

She looked at me warily, her unease and fear plain on her face.

That anxiety, that fear, mixed with her current humiliated appearance despite clinging to her convictions, the contradiction was driving me wild with excitement!

“You’re… a boy, right?”

I spoke slowly, watching her dodge my gaze, her eyes occasionally meeting mine before flitting away in panic.

I just wanted to fan the flames.

“I…”

“Shh” I put a finger to my lips, cutting her off.

Whatever she wanted to say didn’t matter.

Keeping secrets was something everyone did instinctively.

I’d called out the thing she cared about most.

Though it was obvious, I didn’t let her say it aloud.

Whether she said it or not was like whether the final veil was lifted two entirely different concepts.

This was a hint.

If she understood and had even a sliver of acceptance, she’d follow my lead and set this aside for now.

What happened next wouldn’t be up to her.

Without that initial resistance, the seeds of retreat and acceptance would slowly force her to adapt to the academy.

That process of “falling” was so fascinating, and I was at the critical juncture of the fiercest battle between her resistance and acceptance.

Looking at her expression, I knew I needed to add more fuel.

I wanted her to internalize this as a “secret.”

Once that concept took hold, her resistance would stay buried, not openly expressed.

Self-suppression was as terrifying as self-rationalization.

The secret wasn’t the main reason, but it was the final straw that could break the camel’s back.

What was wrong with adding a few weights to the plot I wanted to unfold?

“Witch Academy is an all-girls school. Do you want others to know your original gender and look at you differently for the rest of your life?”

“This life will last a long time, and you don’t have the power to escape the Witch Academy’s cage…”

I spoke quickly, locking eyes with her.

If she had time to argue back, my control would slip, so my tone was urgent, as if I was worried for her.

I saw her try to speak several times but stop.

The fun was still in my grasp.

Guess she wasn’t the stubborn type after all.

I’d been worried for nothing.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret. Let’s call it our little secret.”

I said, standing up, satisfied with the results of my verbal barrage.

The effect was decent.

I felt my approach could use some polish.

My words were a bit clumsy but it worked, so all was well.

I took off my Witch Cape and handed it to her.

Her clothes were in tatters.

If she kept going like this, they might give out entirely.

Like me, her chest hadn’t changed much after witchification, no tempting curves to speak of.

But those exposed pale legs were quite… ahem, the scrapes were a bit of a buzzkill.

Anyway, that’s the gist.

Her long hair was a bit excessive.

She clearly wasn’t used to it, trying to brush it aside to clear her vision, but it still looked messy.

“Thanks…”

She spoke softly to me.

Hearing her gratitude felt like I’d ascended.

The contrast was just too good.

I was here for fun, maybe threw in a bit of manipulation, and after some simple comforting, I got her thanks.

Was there anything more entertaining than this?

Probably, but it didn’t stop me from being thrilled.

“No problem. Can you stand?”

I asked with a touch of concern, keeping a deliberate distance in my tone with just enough care, just enough detachment, perfectly balanced for what I could accept in this scenario.

She seemed to be doing alright.

Getting too close might overwhelm her, given her sensitive state.

After all, I hadn’t told her I was once a boy too.

Sharing that might build camaraderie misery loves company but it could also make her think I was a creep and distance herself.

Best to say nothing.

I held the upper hand.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

She took my cape but didn’t put it on.

From her perspective, she was accepting help from another girl.

Her male mindset was probably wrestling with whether to wear a girl’s clothing, even if it was just a cape.

“No need for thanks, that's too formal. Put it on. You don’t think your current clothes are fit for walking out, do you?”

I continued, trying to strengthen our bond.

With the “secret” in play, it was easy to build closeness and favor.

This was the reality I’d crafted.

She was the one feeling our relationship grow.

I didn’t know what she was thinking, but her behavior so far matched my expectations.

“Mm…”

“By the way, I’m Yang Yuehan. What’s your name?”

I asked directly.

It was just a name.

I wasn’t about to make up a fake one to trick her.

“I’m… Quan Xiuzhu.”

Caught off guard, she paused but still told me her name.

“Quan Xiuzhu… nice name. Want to keep using it? If there’s anyone you know in the academy, be careful they might recognize you.”

“No, no need. I think this name’s fine. And… Witch Academy… how could there be anyone I know?”

Her tone was laced with despondency, as if recalling painful memories.

“Don’t be sad. What’s done is done. Make peace with it. If you have any problems, you can come to me,” I said with a slight smile.

After all, I wanted to keep tabs on this bit of fun.

Since meeting her here was fate, I wasn’t going to hold back.