The sports meet started at 8:30, the same time as the first class on a regular day.
Wen Yang was holding the attendance sheet, checking off the names of the students present. If anyone was absent, it would still count as skipping class.
"Lily!"
He glanced around but didn't spot the quiet succubus. Without a second thought, he checked her name off anyway.
Though the counselor stood nearby, Wen Yang wasn't keen on upsetting Ning Chu's friend—it wasn't worth risking badmouthing later.
"Counselor, everyone's here," he reported.
The new counselor always wore heavy makeup, carried a strong perfume, and had a fiery temper that made her hard to deal with. Most of the students in the class didn't have a favorable impression of her.
The previous counselor, a predator who harassed female students, had been replaced by this short-tempered, middle-aged woman.
Still, when she interacted with Wen Yang, she always wore a pleasant smile. "Alright, don't let the students sneak back to the dorms. Take attendance every hour."
"Got it."
"And good luck with your events."
"Thanks."
Wen Yang gave a half-hearted reply, his attention already drifting to Ning Chu and Yan Xinya, who were sitting on the grass in the distance playing with their phones.
Though he knew Ning Chu and Yan Xinya were both girls and close friends, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
Ning Chu's personality leaned more masculine—who knew if she might have a bit of a thing for girls?
Striding over, Wen Yang said, "Ning Chu, my event is coming up soon."
"Oh." Ning Chu casually placed Yan Xinya's tail over her stomach, her eyes glued to her phone. Without even looking up, she responded, "What event?"
"The 400 meters."
"Alright, go for it."
"..."
Not hearing a reply, she finally looked up, puzzled to see Wen Yang still standing in front of her. "Don't tell me you want me to cheer for you?"
At most, she thought, she'd watch from a distance to ensure Wen Yang didn't get swarmed by fangirls.
"Of course he does!" Yan Xinya pushed her lightly on the back. "Go on, go on!"
"..."
Ning Chu's expression turned conflicted as she scanned the surroundings. The field was bustling with noise, nearly the entire school—thousands of students—gathered near the track.
The thought of enthusiastically cheering for a guy in front of all these people made her a bit self-conscious.
Besides, Wen Yang's goal was only fourth place. What was there to cheer for?
Seeing Ning Chu hesitate, Wen Yang didn't push her. He simply nodded and walked to the starting line to report to the referee.
"Look at Wen Yang—he's so disappointed," Yan Xinya teased.
"I don't see it."
Ning Chu shot the wolf girl a glare, then turned to glance at Wen Yang's retreating figure. Her eyes drifted to the crowd of girls gathered along the track, including Lin Li and her cheerleading squad, already in formation. Ning Chu sighed in frustration.
Cheering for a friend was normal, right?
Those gaudy flirts were already prepared! She couldn't fall behind!
Springing to her feet, she declared, "Let's go! Sitting here doing nothing is boring anyway. Let's watch Wen Yang's event."
Over the loudspeaker, the school leader was delivering a long-winded speech about "showing sportsmanship" and "putting friendship first." But none of the students were paying attention, busy with their own activities and only finding the principal's voice annoying.
"Wen Yang! Wen Yang! Go! Go!"
The cheerleading squad led by Lin Li consisted of over a dozen girls, all dressed in short sleeves and skirts, flaunting their slender waists and long legs. They waved pom-poms enthusiastically as they chanted cheers.
"Don't they feel embarrassed…" Ning Chu muttered, her face turning green with discomfort.
"Cheering for someone you like is pretty normal, don't you think?" Yan Xinya nudged her shoulder. "Why don't you put on that outfit he gave you and cheer too?"
"No way. That'd be the death of me."
Rubbing her temples in exasperation, Ning Chu crossed her arms and watched Wen Yang. With the appearance of the cheerleaders, her guard was already up to full alert.
"When Wen Yang finishes his run, just grab him and leave, like last time," she instructed.
"I'm worried he might not make it out... This time it's an actual competition."
"Then..."
"Here."
Suddenly, something was shoved into Ning Chu's hands. She glanced down at the bottle of mineral water and the towel in confusion, then back at Yan Xinya.
"Just step up! You'll definitely outshine the rest!" Yan Xinya said earnestly, nodding. "When the leading lady takes the stage, those other women don't stand a chance!"
"Leading lady… Don't say nonsense like that."
Ning Chu's mouth twitched, but she couldn't bring herself to laugh.
Bang!
The starting pistol fired, and a wave of cheers erupted. Ning Chu quickly craned her neck to see the starting line, spotting Wen Yang taking the lead right from the start.
"Go, go, go!" the wolf girl cheered excitedly from the side.
"It's just the beginning..."
"You've got to follow him! Otherwise, you won't make it in time later! Hurry up!"
Caught off guard, Ning Chu stumbled forward as Yan Xinya gave her a firm push. She happened to lock eyes with Wen Yang as he passed her.
Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the water bottle and towel and quickened her pace to run alongside him.
"G-Good luck…"
Wen Yang suddenly felt an extra burst of energy, and his legs pumped even harder as he raced ahead.
Ning Chu glanced behind and noticed a significant gap between Wen Yang and the second-place runner. She panicked. "Wait! You promised not to show off!"
By now, they were almost halfway through the race, and Wen Yang was still leading.
Ease up already!
If Wen Yang truly became famous at school, a flood of secondary characters would swarm around, triggering countless harem-like subplots. In that case, she'd either have to give up on Wen Yang or deal with becoming a full-blown succubus and enduring endless drama. Who could handle that?!
Realizing her frustration, Wen Yang slowed down slightly, allowing the second-place runner to close the gap.
The cheerleading squad groaned in disappointment, but their chants grew even louder, shouting Wen Yang's name in unison. Their voices echoed across the entire field.
Ning Chu's face darkened. With a squad like that, even if Wen Yang came in last, the whole school would still recognize him.
She let out a defeated sigh, her pace gradually slowing as she struggled to keep up. Just as she was about to stop altogether, Wen Yang suddenly stumbled and fell hard onto the track.
"What the heck?!"
As gasps of shock rippled through the crowd, Ning Chu felt her heart skip a beat. Without thinking, she sprinted forward.
She hadn't seen that coming at all!
Rushing to Wen Yang's side, she crouched down in a panic. "Are you okay? What happened? Why'd you suddenly fall?!"
"It's nothing, just a cramp. I'll be fine in a bit."
Wen Yang grimaced, clutching his cramped leg. His expression twisted with pain as he glanced at his scraped knee, flushed with embarrassment. He couldn't bring himself to look up. The humiliation of falling in front of almost the entire school—and worse, in front of the girl he liked—was unbearable.
"It's bleeding!" Ning Chu knelt anxiously beside him, flustered and unsure of what to do. Her voice even stammered. "We should—should we go to the nurse?"
She hastily offered him the bottle of water. "Drink some first? Is the cramp easing up? Can you stand?"
Wen Yang let out a quiet sigh and attempted to stand. "Let's head to the nurse's office…"
"I'll help you!" Ning Chu immediately grabbed his arm to support him.
Lowering his head, Wen Yang looked at Ning Chu's face—tight with worry and flushed with tension. Her eyes were filled with concern, her flustered expression so earnest it seemed she was about to cry.