After Dematero had vented his anger so intensely, Xanthia was genuinely concerned that he might not let it go and could end up disrupting her original pns.

  To ensure things didn’t escate further, she took the time to calm him down.

  Xanthia had a principle: she only pyed tricks on those who harbored ill intentions toward her. For someone like Dematero, who genuinely stood up to defend her, she would never allow a major misunderstanding to linger. At most, she might indulge in a small prank just for fun.

  As for the "fake-memory-production" device she had used on him, Xanthia didn’t believe it had caused him any harm. In fact, she thought it had done him good. Without the device, Dematero might have fallen into a prolonged slump during high school, never undergoing the swift transformation he ultimately achieved. After all, he seemed particurly satisfied with the concept of “rebirth.” Who wouldn’t want to be the protagonist of a “rebirth novel”?

  In the end, after Xanthia sincerely expined her reasoning and maintained her usual cheerful demeanor, Dematero felt reassured.

  Dematero prided himself on his observational skills; his soul had weathered countless storms. He felt confident that he wouldn’t be deceived again, whether Xanthia’s happiness was genuine or just a mask.

  To him, Xanthia now seemed like a child who needed careful protection to ensure she wouldn’t meet an early demise and could grow up smoothly.

  From his perspective, Xanthia’s physical condition had notably improved compared to what he recalled from his “future memory.” Her complexion was no longer pale and sickly; she looked more energetic and vibrant.

  This improvement suggested that Xanthia had taken his advice to heart. Perhaps inspired by his own transformation, she had seemingly begun exercising after school, leading to a stable and improving health condition.

  What Dematero didn’t realize, however, was that Xanthia hadn’t actually exercised at all. Instead, she relied on accumuting happiness points and using the system to enhance her physical attributes. The effects were much faster than traditional exercise. After all, increasing physical attributes through exercise was essentially the same as allocating attribute points.

  Since both methods achieved the same result, Xanthia felt justified in her approach. She had worked hard to accumute happiness points, so in her eyes, it was all due to her effort—just not in the traditional way. As the saying goes, minor cheats don’t really count as cheating!

  Dematero was convinced that, given Xanthia’s current physical condition, even a 3000-meter run wouldn’t be too much of a challenge for her. If she couldn’t run the entire distance, she could walk to the finish line and still complete the race successfully.

  Meanwhile, Dematero’s status within the css skyrocketed after the recent commotion!

  Crissante, Jimmy, and Henry, in particur, were in awe. They felt Dematero possessed a “mystical constitution” with an intimidating aura. None of them wanted to risk any further conflict with him.

  Kenny and Hera, on the other hand, were utterly humiliated. Having experienced what could only be described as a “social death,” they were left reeling. Kenny was reduced to tears, and Hera’s uncontrolble ughter was accompanied by embarrassing bouts of ftulence. They were in complete disarray, convinced that Dematero’s “superpowers” had overwhelmed them.

  Of course, no matter how they tried to expin it, their cssmates wouldn’t believe them. Instead, everyone assumed that Kenny had been so scared that he cried and urinated, while Hera, already infamous for her ughing and farting, had only made her situation worse with her “biochemical” emissions.

  Most of the students, however, didn’t take the idea of mystical constitutions or superpowers seriously. Such things were purely fantastical. Unless they experienced it firsthand, they wouldn’t entertain such ideas.

  It was simir to how people react to supposed sightings of unidentified flying objects. Even when there’s clear photographic evidence, many remain skeptical. As the saying goes, people only believe in what they’ve personally seen or experienced.

  For most students, the focus was on Kenny and Hera’s antics. Kenny’s terrified tears and urination became a popur topic of conversation during dormitory tea parties.

  Dematero’s bold act of grabbing Kenny by the neck left a deep impression on everyone.

  Most students sympathized with Dematero this time, especially given Kenny’s history of bullying Xanthia to tears and morally coercing her into participating in the long-distance race. His actions had been disgusting.

  Xanthia, for her part, had been too easy to bully. Her gentle and kind nature, combined with her high tolerance for mistreatment, had made her an easy target. Not wanting her friends to suffer, she had resolutely agreed to participate in the grueling race.

  Her actions earned her respect from many of her cssmates, particurly the girls. They admired her courage and felt indebted to her. After all, had she not stepped up, one of them might have been forced to take her pce.

  Several girls decided that when Xanthia ran the 3000 meters, they would cheer her on with all their enthusiasm.

  In the end, Xanthia’s role as the “victim” destroyed the reputation of Kenny, the sports committee member. Everyone despised him. Dematero, on the other hand, became a hero for doing what many had secretly wished to do.

  Dematero’s actions transformed his image within the css. His bravery in standing up for Xanthia earned him newfound respect.

  Even though his previous “Synomilia confession” had been bizarre, his defense of the gentle and kind Xanthia was undeniably praiseworthy.

  Other boys in the css who admired Xanthia couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed—they hadn’t shown the same courage Dematero had.

  Kenny, meanwhile, became the css clown. He was somewhat fortunate that the video of him forcing Xanthia to tears had only circuted in a small chat group and hadn’t reached the main css group.

  With Xanthia’s excellent reputation and Dematero as her protector, no one dared risk offending her by spreading the video.

  Though Xanthia’s tearful appearance in the rain had a certain beauty, it wasn’t something she would have wanted others to see.

  In reality, Xanthia didn’t mind. While her tears had flowed, her heart had been full of joy.

  Because the video stayed contained, only a few people saw it. Those like Marcus, who weren’t interested in gossip, completely missed it.

  By the time others shared the details with Marcus, the focus had shifted to Kenny’s humiliation and Hera’s “biochemical weapon.” These juicier details overshadowed everything else.

  Those who reyed the gossip to Marcus were mostly from the back row, as they had borne the brunt of Hera’s emissions. Naturally, they emphasized that aspect.

  Hearing about the chaos, Marcus was relieved he had been out pying basketball and missed the incident. Just hearing the descriptions was enough to unsettle him—Hera’s fart had apparently defied all limits. Who could withstand that?

  In truth, the unluckiest person was Noemi, Hera’s deskmate.

  While Kenny’s urine was undoubtedly unpleasant, Hera’s “biochemical weapon” proved to be in a league of its own.

  'Pot*ng*na!'

  Noemi was overwhelmed by the foul smell. Her mind went bnk, her legs turned to jelly, and her saliva flowed uncontrolbly. She couldn’t even summon the strength to stand, let alone run away!

  Desperate, she had no choice but to cover her nose and breathe through her mouth. However, the very thought of inhaling through her mouth felt like taking big bites of the noxious air, leaving her feeling utterly sick and mentally shaken.

  Hera was completely unaware that the timid dorm head had become her unintended victim, but her foul farts had indeed left Noemi mentally scarred.

  Before the sports meet began, the commotion in Year 1, Css 3 over selecting participants for the event finally subsided. However, there was still plenty of discussion about how the css should walk in formation and what slogan to chant during the opening ceremony.

  Some students argued for a creative slogan to avoid clichés, while others believed their unique outfits were enough to stand out, making the slogan less important.

  “Since you want a creative slogan, why don’t you come up with one yourself?” said Ryan, the css monitor, addressing Sunny, who had pushed for originality.

  Sunny shook his head decisively and turned to Dematero for help. “Dematero, you’re a writer. Shouldn’t you showcase your literary skills here?”

  Dematero, who had mostly focused on writing after resolving Xanthia’s bullying issue, had not neglected his studies. He was exceptionally proactive, making use of every spare moment.

  As the sports meet approached, the css and school atmosphere grew more rexed, giving Dematero extra time to dedicate to his creative pursuits. The rebirth novel he was serializing on a web ptform called Royal Accord had recently been successfully contracted. Luckily, in this world, individuals could sign contracts independently at sixteen without a guardian’s involvement. Otherwise, he would have had to include his parents.

  This rule also applied to ptforms like Amazon Mingle and Patreon, which allowed individuals to become content creators at the same age.

  Given that his “future memory” indicated his parents would strongly oppose his writing aspirations—especially since his exam performance had recently slipped—he anticipated a fierce backsh if they discovered he was “distracted” by online writing. Their opposition would be even stronger if they knew he could earn money from it!

  Without the advantage of his rebirth, their concerns might have been valid. But now, as a bestselling author disguised as a high school student, he could achieve literary fame with his work, The Tribe of Enlightened, and truly make a name for himself!

  Of course, the most emotionally impactful of his works was his biographical novel, Peony Flower.

  For now, Dematero had no intention of revealing his earnings from writing. He preferred to quietly build his wealth, waiting until his academic performance stabilized and he recimed honor-student status before deciding whether to tell his parents.

  If any of his short stories were published in magazines, however, he’d proudly funt the achievement among his cssmates. While magazine publications paid less than online literature, they carried unmatched prestige.

  Hearing Sunny’s request, Dematero responded, “A slogan doesn’t require much literary talent. For something creative, any slogan would do.”

  “Then hurry up and tell us! Let’s give the school a Css 3 surprise!” Sunny said enthusiastically.

  “But what if Sir Emmanuel punishes us if the slogan doesn’t go well? If you end up bming me, what should I do?” Dematero replied cautiously.

  “I’ll take the bme!” Sunny decred boldly. After pying soccer with Dematero a few times, he found him retable and charming.

  “Alright, lean in and I’ll tell you. Then you can share it with everyone,” Dematero said calmly.

  Sunny quickly leaned in, and after hearing the sixteen-character slogan, his eyes lit up. “Brilliant!” he excimed.

  He shared the slogan with the group surrounding Ryan, causing all the boys to burst into ughter. The slogan was undeniably creative and perfectly targeted.

  With the slogan settled, Makarios, nicknamed “Fatty Makarios,” brought up a new topic. “What do you think Xanthia, who’s holding our css sign, will wear on opening day?”

  Makarios’s tone was serious, far from crude, as if discussing a matter of great importance.

  Since many boys were gathered around Ryan, Makarios kept the conversation respectful. If it had been just him and Sunny, he might have joked about what kind of outfit Xanthia, nicknamed “little burner,” would choose.

  The topic immediately sparked enthusiasm among the boys.

  Sunny, thinking of “soccer babes,” guessed, “Probably the JK uniform. It’s a variant of the school uniform, and Xanthia looks stunning in it. Remember how she dazzled everyone st time?”

  Benedicto agreed. “It has to be the JK uniform. She’ll definitely show off her school beauty in front of everyone.”

  Ryan made a wilder guess. “Maybe she’ll just wear the regur school uniform.”

  Makarios shook his head. “You’re all underestimating her. Xanthia loves to stand out. She wouldn’t repeat something she’s already done. Dematero, what do you think?”

  Makarios respected Dematero deeply, especially after he decisively ended his ties with Elena La Loannou to support “Fair White Xanthia.” Makarios found this admirable and saw him as a kindred spirit.

  A self-procimed connoisseur of girls, Makarios analyzed them without bias, weighing their overall charm. He quickly realized Elena was a “preliminary hero” with limited potential, while Xanthia was the true “te-stage hero,” growing stronger and more captivating over time—a true SSR+ character!

  Dematero found their specution about Xanthia’s outfit amusing. As an “older soul,” he had no intention of joining in but was surprised when Makarios sought his opinion.

  Delving into his “future memory,” Dematero realized he had no recollection of this sports meet, but he was certain Xanthia wasn’t supposed to hold the css sign. This was likely another butterfly effect caused by his rebirth.

  “Xanthia is bold and loves being unique, so I think Makarios is right,” Dematero said objectively.

  He recalled the dazzling Xanthia on stage as a lead vocalist. Her fierce charisma contrasted sharply with her delicate appearance, adding to her allure.

  Ultimately, Xanthia was free-spirited and versatile. Anyone who thought she was a simple, delicate flower would be mistaken.

  Makarios beamed at Dematero’s agreement. Indeed, Dematero was a true confidant, unlike Sunny with his “soccer babes.”

  ...

  Finally, the day of the sports meet arrived. When Xanthia entered the cssroom dressed in a white maid outfit, cospying as “Rem” from years ago, she stunned everyone!

  Originally, she had pnned to style her bck hair like Rem’s but found it too much trouble. Instead, she wore a blue wig, capturing the essence of the character perfectly. After all, Rem’s blue hair was iconic!