Having her new phone in hand, Qu Yi’s group heads back to the classroom. As they enter, Qu Yi notices quite a few students she hasn’t been introduced to yet, talking amongst themselves.

  “Whew! We cut it close!” Yan Liang lets out as their group slides in. “Qu Yi, you should sit in between me and Wen Chou!” She and Wen Chou head towards a desk in the far front corner of the room, next to one of the large windows along the side. Across from their desks are two others facing theirs. Qu Yi nods following the two.

  Wen Chou lifts the desk next to Yan Liang’s without much resistance and places it a desk width away. “Yeah Newbie, just move that unused desk in the back here.” She shows a friendly smile to Qu Yi.

  Qu Yi turns around to see an unoccupied desk in the corner of the room. “O-Oh, all right.” She heads over and grabs the desk ready to move it with all her strength. She puts all her force into lifting it and, nothing. “WHAT” She thinks to herself. “This isn’t like any desk I’ve ever moved! And,” she looks to Wen Chou, “she picked it up no problem!”

  Wen Chou stares at Qu Yi for a few moments before raising an eyebrow.

  Yan Liang looks to Qu Yi, then to Wen Chou before nudging her with her elbow.

  Wen Chou catches the hint. “Oh! Newbie, need some help?” She heads over.

  Qu Yi blushes and looks down nodding, slightly embarrassed.

  “Don’t worry!” She smiles as she takes it from Qu Yi with no issue, “These desks are pretty heavy. Prez just thought they looked nice without thinking about the weight.” She begins to move it into the empty spot between their desks.

  Yan Liang nods. “Y-Yeah! I can’t even move them, see?” Yan Liang puts her hand on the desk then accidentally slips, pushing the desk with ease. Yan Liang looks at her desk with a horrified expression, her head slowly raises to look to Wen Chou and Qu Yi.

  Qu Yi is looking even more embarrassed, rubbing her left arm with her right hand. Wen Chou stares in confusion at Yan Liang’s face. “I thought we were trying to make her feel better?”

  Yan Liang holds up her hands defensively. “W-Well Qu Yi, honestly, I-I have something to tell you. It’s not that you’re weak it’s that…” She looks down ashamed, “I’m strong…”

  What is this girl doing, trying to praise herself after embarrassing the new kid? Qu Yi is just as confused, “U-Uh?” she manages to speak through her embarrassment. “What do you mean?”

  Yan Liang twiddles her fingers, averting her eyes. “Well… you see…”

  A loud sound is heard as Wen Chou drops the new desk in place. She puts her arm around Yan Liang’s shoulders. “She’s powerhouse and she’s shy about it!” she finishes with a smile showing her teeth.

  Yan Liang jumps up at Wen Chou’s bluntness. “W-Wen Chou!” Before turning back to Qu Yi, “S-So, I am actually one of the power hitters in our class’s baseball team.” She looks down ashamed.

  A look of confusion rises on Qu Yi’s face. “Um? But isn’t that good? Being good at something is really-”

  “No it isn’t!” Yan Liang blurts out. “A lot of boys really aren’t into a girl who’s stronger than them! They feel intimidated!”

  “I cannot bear the thought of one of my beautiful classmates hating part of their own beauty!” The androgynous voice of Zhang He lets out as she gracefully approaches the three, “Dearest Liang! You mustn’t be so hard on yourself! For even if no boys out there will love you, you can find love without them, for all you need to do is see someone who will recognize your beauty, someone such as I!” She closes her eyes and grins.

  However, when Yan Liang hears “no boys out there will love you,” her face freezes up, appearing to have her soul broken three times over. Zhang He continues rambling on in a similar manner. Wen Chou walks toward her, an annoyed expression painting her face. After Wen Chou passes her, she grabs the back of Zhang He’s collar with her right hand, sliding Zhang He out of the classroom behind her. Zhang He, being oblivious to the whole thing, continues her speech.

  Qu Yi looks to the doorway, then back to Yan Liang. “Well, I really don’t think boys are going to feel intimidated.” She sits in her new seat.

  Yan Liang shakes her head moving her desk back and sitting down at the chair to the left of Qu Yi. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes. We were playing baseball, and when I hit the ball, all the boys hated it and called me names!”

  Qu Yi frowns. “Huh? You were playing baseball with boys and girls on the same team?” Qu Yi tries to think for a moment wondering what circumstances allowed them to play together like that. “When did that happen?”

  Yan Liang begins shivering at the thought. “When I was five. W-Well I think it was when I was five? I can’t remember exactly, point being, when I was young!”

  Qu Yi almost stands up at her comment. “S-So long ago? They probably were just acting like little kids then??” she exclaims.

  “And it was girls vs boys.”

  “So then they really were just salty kindergarteners???” Qu Yi jumps up.

  Yan Liang frowns as she lays her chin on her desk. “You don’t understand Qu Yi. You’re cute, meek, shy, and pretty.” With each word an imaginary arrow strikes Qu Yi’s masculine pride. Qu Yi lays her head on her desk over the comments, pride left in tatters.

  After a brief respite, Qu Yi sits up and shakes her head, trying to regather her thoughts. To her it doesn’t matter what situation she was in. This was someone else who dealt with problems like her own, and she wants to be there for them. “Look, you might not believe it, but I was bullied quite a bit at my old school.”

  Yan Liang looks at her confused. “Wha? How could anyone bully you? You’re adorable.”

  Another quick arrow strikes through Qu Yi’s back. “U-Uh, y-yeah. T-Thanks.” She sighs. “Sometimes some people are jerks. You shouldn’t let it affect your view of everyone who shares physical traits with them.”

  Yan Liang frowns and averts her eyes. “I suppose…” She doesn’t seem too convinced.

  The thought of earlier in the day when Yan Liang asks about boys returns to Qu Yi’s mind. “H-Hey, remember, I was in a co-ed school.” She smiles to Yan Liang, “I have more experience, right?”

  Yan Liang’s body begins to relax a little. “Yeah.” She peeks at Qu Yi’s face.

  “I can guarantee you 100% that many guys don’t care that you are strong. If anything, I think a lot might find that attractive.” She gives Yan Liang a thumbs up, blushing at how corny she thinks she sounds.

  A blush grows on Yan Liang’s face as she sits up, facing Qu Yi. “R-Really?”

  “Yeah!” Qu Yi perks up, gaining confidence. “In fact, there’s this guy I know that would find someone as kind and pretty as you really attractive.”

  Yan Liang perks up. “Really?? You’re sure he wouldn’t mind my- my strength?”

  “If anything, I think he would find that attractive.” Qu Yi grins. Suddenly her face turns as red as a tomato. She shuts her mouth as her thoughts begin to cycle through rapidly. “I’m talking about myself! I just spurted it out without reason! She’s going to realize I’m talking about myself! I already screwed this friendship up and made it awkwa-”

  “You have to introduce me to him someday maybe!” She blushes a shy smile on her face, before she turns away twiddling with her fingers. “W-Well, maybe! I don’t know. When I have the courage. You’re going to have to help me practice a lot though.”

  Qu Yi’s mind blanks hearing that. “Oh yeah.” She thinks to herself looking down, “I’m a girl right now.”

  A few moments later, Wen Chou returns to the classroom whistling, Zhang He nowhere in sight. She sits in her seat on the right of Qu Yi’s looking at the two. “Did I miss anything?”

  Qu Yi blushes, holding up her hand defensively. “A-Ah, nothing at all!” She quickly looks to Yan Liang for backup.

  Yan Liang sees her panicked expression and catches on. “Yep! Nothing of interest here.” She winks to Qu Yi.

  “Cool.” Wen Chou responds, her mind in other places. “We’re not going to see Zhang He for the rest of the day.”

  Qu Yi looks to her, not sure what she means by that, but part of her is afraid to ask. Yan Liang just giggles slightly as she closes her eyes happily at Wen Chou. “Thanks Chou.” Qu Yi just gathers this must have been a normal occurrence with how nonchalant both her roommates are about it.

  “Ohohohoho!” A familiar laughter can be heard coming down the hall, causing all the students standing up to find their desks. Both Lu sisters hurry to sit in the desks across from Qu Yi and her roommates. Lu Xiang waves to Qu Yi as she takes her seat. The laughter continues until it fills the room. Announcing Yuan Shao is walking in, a girl with dark blue hair tied into a long braid that sits on her left shoulder walks in with her. She has glasses and wears the same uniform, another member of the classroom Qu Yi gathers.

  Yuan Shao has her long blonde hair in her regular large ringlets. She wears her uniform that is similar to the classroom’s, but with a puffier skirt, a large bow on the back and shoes that have a somewhat elevated heel. She walks to the lectern at the front of the classroom, turning to view the class from the front. The girl who came in with her stands next to her and sets a piece of paper on the lectern. “Sorry for my tardiness, but you know the price we must pay for beauty!” She fluffs her voluminous hair for emphasis. “Now, onto class business. As most of you remember from yesterday, we have our lovely new student that we will mold into a model of elegant royalty!” She uses her hand to direct the class’s attention to Qu Yi. “I would introduce her with a proper speech, but that halfwit teacher interrupted the one yesterday, and I feel it would pale in comparison now. And us Yuans never do anything that is pale!” A few snickers could be heard from some of the students.

  “Now,” Yuan Shao continues, “we still have our new packets we worked on yesterday. Be sure to have them finished promptly and written with the most elegant of handwriting! Remember our classroom does nothing subpar! It would spoil the name of the precious Yuan family!”

  Yuan Shao keeps going, loving to hear the sound of her own voice. “Onto further announcements, we have some baseball games coming up in a month. Be sure to practice on your own time until team practice next week. We cannot let our name be sullied facing the opposing rabble!” She looks at the paper on the lectern. “I suppose that will do for now. Oh and, Qu Yi, please come with me and Shen Pei.”

  Qu Yi freezes. She sees Yuan Shao and the girl that she gathered was Shen Pei walking to the door. As they approach it, they stop and look back to her, waiting. She slowly stands up, making sure to grab her new phone, anxiety beginning to take hold as she slowly approaches the two girls alone. The sound from the rest of the classroom discussing their packets is drowned out by the beating in her own head. It has only been one day, but she has already begun to rely on her two new friends so much. Being without them feels infinitely harder.

  The lack of control begins to emphasize other aspects of this change. Her mind begins to flood rapidly, the thought of being judged and looked at piercing her senses. She wants to stop moving, but her body disobeys her, knowing that if she stops it would only make things harder. The enigma of the unknown infiltrates every one of her thoughts. The idea of reaching the two has her mind at a loss, thinking of the abstract idea that her mind cannot currently comprehend. These feelings cause everything different with her body to amplify inside her, the hair she isn’t used to in the ponytail on top of her head, the new feelings of her undergarments, the lack of bifurcation in her bottoms.

  Both Wen Chou and Yan Liang catch wind of her anxiety just by watching her movements. “We should go with her.” Yan Liang whispers to Wen Chou. Wen Chou nods in agreement, but another whisper interrupts.

  “You can’t!” Lu Kuang whisper-shouts across from them. “Who’s going to help us with our work packet?”

  Lu Xiang nods, a frown on her face, holding hers up. “I got one problem done yesterday, and I think it’s wrong.”

  Yan Liang sighs, “Hm, all right, Wen Chou. You stay. I’ll go.”

  “No way.” Wen Chou folds her arms, a stubborn frown plastered on her face. “I’m not going to let Newbie go without me.”

  “If you go you might say something that will make Yuan Shao mad!”

  Lu Xiang shakes her head. “Noooo. Wen Chou is even worse at packets than us.”

  Lu Kuang nods in agreement. “We need your help, Yan Liang!” The two twins fold their fingers in between each other, praying for Yan Liang to stay.

  Yan Liang looks between the two and lets out a sigh. “Fine.” She turns back to Wen Chou. “Whatever you do, don’t get in trouble!”

  Wen Chou smirks as she stands up from her seat, quickly catching up to Qu Yi, proud that her stupidity went in her favor for once. She put her arm around Qu Yi’s shoulders, causing her to jump. After swiftly turning only to see Wen Chou looking at her and smiling, her body eases up instantly. While contact with someone normally causes her to be uncomfortable, she felt a warmth the moment Wen Chou put her arm around her shoulders in the usual way.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  Shen Pei looks confused as Wen Chou comes with Qu Yi. “We only need the new girl, Wen Chou, you can return to your seat.”

  Wen Chou’s mind thinks quickly. If there’s one thing she is good at, it is excuses. “Well, since Qu Yi is going to be the next, well, noble and elegant student of yours and all, I figured I could guard to make sure no one, um, unnoble could hear your secrets you plan to, well, impart.”

  Yuan Shao claps, buying the excuse. “Wen Chou, sometimes I wonder why I keep you around. Ideas like that are why! Ohohohoho!” She lets out her laugh, the back of her left hand going to her right cheek as per usual. After her laugh, she heads out of the room, Shen Pei signaling for the two to follow. As they do, she grabs Qu Yi and moves her up next to Yuan Shao.

  “Well, Qu Yi, while it is true, I did spend hours getting my graceful and elegant self ready for class, that is not the true reason why I was late. I was discussing ideas with my right hand, Shen Pei.” She signals to the girl with blue hair walking behind the two.

  “Really, er, ma’am?” Qu Yi responds, adding the ma’am as she feels she is talking with someone of authority. At least that’s the aura Yuan Shao gives off.

  “You see we’ve never had a new student mid semester in the history of our great classroom. We have decided to do some tests or at least, some exercises. We will put your studies on hold until we make sure you are showing off the Yuan family’s grace and elegance first and foremost!”

  Qu Yi’s mind races. She understands, at least according to her roommates, her new body is supposedly cute, but she isn’t sure how she could be graceful and elegant without feeling embarrassed and dying on the inside. “I-I can try my best?”

  Yuan Shao lets out her hearty “Ohohohoho!” before continuing, “Dear, I think there’s not much trying, you either are or you aren’t elegant. It is something you are born with!” As the group walks, Qu Yi notices they are heading out of the school, taking the route to their dorm. “Let me ask you. Your hair, I’m glad to see it is styled today, how much time did it take you to do it?”

  Qu Yi touches her ponytail unsure of what to say, “Um, well, Yan Liang did it for me. I’m not used to styling my hair at all…” Qu Yi admits, ready to be admonished.

  “Ah! A girl after my very own heart!” Yuan Shao responds to Qu Yi’s surprise. “Perhaps you do have what it takes to be an elegant student of my class! Leave that work to your lessers!” She looks at Qu Yi with a smile. “I’ve never had to style my hair myself. Even now Shen Pei is a loyal enough aide that does it all herself!”

  Shen Pei nods, proud of her own work, seemingly to ignore or not care about the fact Yuan Shao referred to her as her “lesser.” Wen Chou looks to her with a raised eyebrow, but smiles seeing that Qu Yi is being accepted by Yuan Shao.

  “So here is what we’re going to do.” As Yuan Shao says this, Shen Pei pulls out an electronic tablet and stylus, then begins writing every word Yuan Shao says on it. “While you have already passed the nobility of most of your classmates with your proper hair conduct alone, it is not enough to simply have the hair styling necessary to be a distinguished member of the glorious Yuan class. We must make sure your outfits can muster the necessary level of natural grace that lies deep within every woman!” Cue another pompous “Ohohoho!”

  To Qu Yi, she can’t make much sense of the words coming out of Yuan Shao’s mouth. She understands the words individually, but the way Yuan Shao talks makes it hard to keep up. “I-I’ll trust your opinion on it,” she responds, a safe reply from what she has gathered.

  Yuan Shao nods. “Indeed, for very few opinions match my own in terms of importance. For even though we have our elegant uniforms to be displayed on the school grounds each weekday, we must keep our same poise and demeaner on the weekends and holidays. Thus, I will judging your fashion from your personal wardrobe!”

  Qu Yi’s face freezes as her thoughts start to overthink in her head. “My… wardrobe?” At this point Yuan Shao’s voice becomes only a mumble compared to her own mind. She thinks of the standard and mostly casual clothes she packed and brought with her in her suitcase. No way are any of those going to be accepted. “Wait, no, my suitcase got replaced.” She thinks of the contents of her backpack changing. “So my clothes in there must have been changed as well.” With a sigh of relief, the pressure flushes out of her, only to be replaced by a new kind. “Wait, what kind of clothes are in there that I’ll have to wear?” Her mind begins racing again, although this time it is interrupted by a sudden poke to her side.

  Qu Yi turns briefly to see Wen Chou has her index finger out that had delivered the poke, bringing her back to reality. Yuan Shao’s voice comes back into her ears. “-with what royal experience provides it is hard for my noble mind to understand why so many of the common rabble are unwilling to be graceful receiving the desired benefits that could be bestowed upon them!” Yuan Shao turns her head to Qu Yi. “Don’t you agree?”

  Qu Yi blinks a few times before nodding. “Yes?”

  Yuan Shao lets out her regular “Ohohoho!” before turning her head to Shen Pei, “You see Shen Pei, I told you I expected good things from this budding pupil. Very soon she will bloom into the noble and graceful flower she was always supposed to be!”

  Shen Pei adjusts her glasses as she bows slightly and gives a nod. “Of course, Madame President. Your insight and preplanning are something all presidents should be ashamed for lacking.”

  The group enters the dorm as Yuan Shao leads them to the elevator, “As a future face of nobility, I assume you are against taking the stairs with all the common rabble!”

  Qu Yi frowns slightly, wanting to be honest. “W-Well, I wouldn’t call them, ‘common rabble.’ Personally, if I was looking on the bright side, I’d prefer to see them as friends I haven’t made yet?” She smiles shyly, trying her best to stand up for her beliefs while dealing with someone as eccentric and demanding as Yuan Shao.

  Shen Pei and Wen Chou follow in the elevator as Shen Pei hits the button to the fifth floor. The door closes, the room falling silent for three dings of the elevator.

  Qu Yi begins to worry as she takes a peek at Yuan Shao, trying to gauge her reaction. Her mind overthinking every muscle movement. Yuan Shao stares at Qu Yi with curiosity, but then she snaps her fingers. “Ah! I understand what you mean!”

  Qu Yi perks up. “Y-You do?”

  “Yes! You and I truly are kindred spirits! You wish to spread the grace and nobility of the Yuan family to all those who haven’t experienced it! As a way to both improve the overall nobility of the world while keeping them indebted to the source!” She refers to herself with her hand, “The Yuan Family!” She lets out her standard, “Ohohoho!”

  Qu Yi smiles. It wasn’t exactly what she meant but at least it pleases Yuan Shao.

  As the elevator opens, Shen Pei proceeds out to the right turning around bowing, awaiting Yuan Shao. Wen Chou simply moves out of the way in the elevator to allow both Qu Yi and Yuan Shao to walk past.

  “Now, I know you share a room with Wen Chou, and Yan Liang, I believe it as room…” She snaps her fingers as if trying to remember, however Shen Pei pulls it up on her tablet for her.

  “Room 513.”

  “Why yes, that one.” She notices the sign that has the matching number and stands in front of it, giving a look to Wen Chou. Wen Chou is in the process of sniffing her own uniform, in her own little world. Yuan Shao’s face hardens, “A-hem.” Wen Chou jumps.

  “Oh, right, sorry.” Wen Chou scratches the back of her head pulling out her key and letting the four into their room.

  Qu Yi looks around at the somewhat familiar place. While it is called her room, she was only awake in it for about an hour so far.

  “Qu Yi, we will be looking through your stuff. I assume the pink bags are yours near the bed?”

  Qu Yi jumps as her thoughts were intruded by Yuan Shao’s demands. “O-Oh, um, right, yeah.”

  “The color suits you, although your taste in baggage, I must say, is on the simple side.”

  Qu Yi sighs, hearing pink suits her, something that appears to be a common sentiment with her roommates as well. “Um, thanks?” She sees Shen Pei looking through her backpack, pulling out things for Yuan Shao to examine. Yuan Shao is looking while Shen Pei does most of the work. Qu Yi can tell this may take a bit, she looks around, pulling up one of the spare chairs, setting it next to Yan Liang’s bed that sits near the front door. It was a decent angle to see their reactions.

  “You’re doing a great job by the way,” Wen Chou’s voice speaks up. Qu Yi turns to see she’s sitting on Yan Liang’s neatly made bed.

  “Huh?” Qu Yi peeks over at Wen Chou, with a confused expression.

  “I don’t know why you’re so scared of going off on your own. But I don’t even think I was needed here.” She stretches her arms trying to get her shoulders to pop. “I was just silent in the back. You’re the one who had Yuan Shao eating out of your hands.”

  “I-I really don’t know what I was saying? I was just trying not to displease her. She’s a bit scary…” Qu Yi turns to see how the two are going through her stuff. Shen Pei is pulling out the clothes and neatly folding them into piles, while Yuan Shao is examining in depth some of Qu Yi’s new underwear. “Uhhhhhh…” Qu Yi blushes, not sure what to make of that, but she finds multiple issues with that sight. She turns back to look at Wen Chou, trying to resist the urge to look over.

  Wen Chou smiles as she lays on Yan Liang’s bed, her neck laying on both her hands. “Well, I think you impressed her. I don’t remember seeing her that happy talking to someone in a long time. You need to have more confidence in yourself. Why were you so scared to go with them?”

  Qu Yi sighs, “I don’t know… I just got so used to having you two with me, and, it was a good feeling.” She smiles, looking down at her hands in her lap. “I’ve never had friends before, and having two that are so protective of me… I felt like if I left, you guys wouldn’t come back…”

  Wen Chou sits up and puts her arm on Qu Yi’s shoulder. “Newbie, I can assure you, I’m not going anywhere, and with how much Liang, the ‘afraid of doing anything wrong girl,’ is with you, I don’t think she’s going to give you up without a fight either. You got our phone numbers, right?”

  Qu Yi slowly nods as she pulls out her phone, going to the contacts, Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, Rival, Wen Chou, Yan Liang. “Mmhmm…”

  “If you so much as get separated from either of us, send one of us a message and your location and we’ll be there like flies on crap.” Wen Chou grins ear to ear with a dumb smile across her face.

  Qu Yi chuckles at the analogy.

  Wen Chou laughs. “You have the cutest laugh you know that?”

  Qu Yi blushes as she averts her eyes, “I-I’m still not used to hearing stuff like that.”

  “Hm?”

  Qu Yi looks down,at Wen Chou. She is looking in self-doubt, when in reality she is staring at her own body. “Well, I never really got called cute before I came here. Now, it feels like I’m being overwhelmed with it.”

  Wen Chou frowns for a second before she playfully nudges Qu Yi with her elbow, “Hey. You never told me you went to a school for the blind.”

  Qu Yi looks to Wen Chou confused, before Wen Chou’s grin grows again. “Because you’d have to be blind to not call you cute when someone sees you.”

  Qu Yi blushes brighter and turns her head. “T-Thanks...”

  Wen Chou’s smile stops as she peeks back to Yuan Shao. “So when you say that no one called you cute, you, don’t hate it right?”

  Qu Yi blushes looking at her hands It’s true, it is embarrassing, but boys can be called cute, right? “Well, not so much…” she mutters to Wen Chou.

  Yuan Shao let out a large sigh that interrupts the two’s playful conversation. “I’m afraid there’s nothing that can be done.” She turns to Qu Yi with a look of frustration on her face. “Your outfits are cute, and match a girl like yourself; however, they are all too simple.”

  Qu Yi blinks a few times at Yuan Shao before her nerves begin to tense up, “W-What does that mean for me? Am I in trouble?”

  “Not to worry! Not to worry!” Yuan Shao’s face brightens up. “This simply means you are ignorant, which is good! You have been blessed without the knowledge of the wrong things! You are like molding clay to my hands.” Yuan Shao moves her fingers back and forth for emphasis. “I’m not going to give up on you yet!” She turns away from Qu Yi, “I can understand that many girls have suffered sadness that is, such a grave lack of elegance in their life.” She puts her arm to her forehead, dramatically turning back to Qu Yi, giving her a look of pity. She then suddenly grabs both Qu Yi’s hands in between her own. “I understand you may be afraid. But you’re among someone who understands! Some of us are born noble in heart but lack the proper upbringing we deserve! I implore you! I understand! We only had thirty attendants for myself and my younger sister growing up.”

  While I know some of you may think the thought is nice, but tone deaf, but for once I am going to have to side with Yuan Shao here. If you’ve met her younger sister, you would understand that it is a miracle they managed to supply them both with only thirty people.

  “So, I have decided,” Yuan Shao continues, “the price of an improved wardrobe is a small price to pay to have someone of your mental noble upbringing in my class!” She lets out her classic “Ohohohoho!” as she places the back of her right hand to her left cheek.

  Qu Yi stares blankly, trying to understand everything she said. “Um, so does that mean I am good?”

  “Better than that! You will have lessons in nobility from me personally!” She proudly puts her hand to her chest. “I will call up my parents and get the limo driver ready by this weekend. I will be taking you personally to get an improved wardrobe when you represent the grace that is the Yuan family!”

  Qu Yi’s expression changes to one of worry. “Um, is that really necessar-”

  “There’s no need to thank me. It will simply only cost a fifth of my monthly allowance.”

  Qu Yi is trying to put her thoughts in place. While being accepted by Yuan Shao is nice, the sound of having to try on a lot of outfits in her new body sounds like the opposite of a reward. Her embarrassment would never recover. She tries to think of any excuse out of it. “I-I actually like my wardrobe simple,”

  Yuan Shao nods. It seems she is becoming more and more excited about the idea. “I understand! And I will still permit you to wear your simple clothes, but having the option never hurts, and simply knowing the knowledge will be enough for me!” She folds her arms proudly as she continues nodding to herself, convincing herself more and more.

  Qu Yi can sense the chance to get out of this is becoming smaller and smaller. She looks to Wen Chou for help, before realizing she might be able to get some. “Well, um, would it be fine if I have a friend come with me?”

  Yuan Shao perks up. “I will allow it! Having someone else confirm your elegance levels will make it much easier for you to grow accustomed to it.”

  Wen Chou looks to Qu Yi then to Yuan Shao, as her eyes widen and her smile fades, “Wellll, Qu Yi, I know I may have just talked about always being there for you and never abandoning you, buuuut I actually have intense baseball training planned for that day.” She wipes her forehead. “Whew, just thinking about it is already tiring me out. There’s no way I can afford to do that and this trip at the same time. You should ask Liang instead!”

  Qu Yi looks to Wen Chou horrified. “B-But, we haven’t even talked about what day exactly it would be-“

  “I’m doing it all the days.” Wen Chou interrupts still having a sympathetic smile to Qu Yi. “But don’t worry! Yan Liang is really into that girly stuff! I’m sure she would like to go! I’m sure she’s willing to take one for the team- Er, I mean, love to go shopping with you and Yuan Shao.”

  Yuan Shao scoffs. “Nonsense, Wen Chou! If anything, you need a lesson in this also! I’ve seen what you wear over the weekends, but as you say, I’m sure Yan Liang wouldn’t mind joining! Why not, I’ll take all three of you! If that will allow Qu Yi to feel most comfortable, it is worth it!”

  Qu Yi lets out a sigh of relief as Wen Chou falls to her knees defeated. The matter apparently is settled.

  I let out a sigh of relief sitting in my office, I take a drink from my special water bottle. Glad the kid’s making friends, or well, what appear to be friends. Gives us extended time for our inevitable false existence to go on. With the sounds of things, seems like she has plans for this weekend. While I can’t say it’s my cup of tea, or cup of “special water.” Speaking of, I take another swig of it. Who knows, maybe she’ll actually enjoy it. I let out another sigh. Honestly, things feel like they are going well, too well. Knowing my luck, this is going to lead to something inevitable being introduced that may tamper-

  I hear shrieking coming from the front of the school. Crap. I was enjoying too much from my special water. I forgot it is inevitable. I kept the kid away from her as long as I could. I hear screaming and anger, as stomping is coming, the so called “Hall monitors” of Dong Zhuo’s class even avoiding her. The one thing I could use Corrupt Baby’s help on. The noise is growing louder as the sound of footsteps grows closer. I let out a long sigh as I take a large swig of my special water. Guess we all must face our troubles eventually. I stand up as I slowly step out of my office, keeping every last second holy before I step into the classroom connected to my office. I see her step into the classroom the same time I do, her blonde high pigtails in ringlets tied together with two pink bows. Her black piercing eyes glare right at me. She can’t be taller than four feet. She wears a pink dress that pours onto the ground, a foot around her each direction, yellow bows spread all throughout.

  “Mr. Lei!” Her shrill voice lets out. “Why was there no breakfast being served in the cafeteria?!”

  I sigh. “Because It’s 12:30 and the cafeteria stops serving breakfast at 10:30.”

  “WHY DIDN’T YOU WAKE ME UP FOR STRAWBERRY PANCAKES?!”

  I take a quick swig as she says that, going to need a lot more of this to make it through the day. “Because you told me to not wake you up for any reason because you had such an awful day yesterday.”

  “I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING OF THE SORT!” The shrill demon shouts. “I WOULD NEVER SAY SUCH A THING AND MISS OUT ON STRAWBERRY PANCAKE DAY!”

  After another predictable sigh from me, I nod and turn around. “Whatever you say. I’ll wake you up next time.”

  “NEXT TIME?! What about this time?!”

  I peek towards her. “What about it?”

  “I NEED MY STRAWBERRY PANCAKES! AND I WANT THEM NOW!” She is jumping up and down, stomping on the ground.

  I close my eyes as I take a deep breath in. “I’ll be right on it, Yuan Shu.”