This Japanese Monogatari Isn't Lame
Chapter 323 - 237: Beichuan Si’s Little Tricks (4000 words)_2

Chapter 323: Chapter 237: Beichuan Si’s Little Tricks (4000 words)_2

"From the look on your face, I can tell what’s going on," Mirai said with a grin. "You must have been unsure about how to approach me, considering you knew about my relationship with Mr. Temple. Plus, Mr. Temple already mentioned you’re a friend of Hui Li’s sister. Given Hui Li’s recent struggles, it’s easy for one to assume that’s why you’re here, right?"

Mirai answered cheerily.

But to Otomoto Ai, the careless smile on the senior’s face was chilling to the core.

This senior was just too clever—deducing so much from Ai’s few words... Should she have expected as much from a girl who could chat with Beichuan Si during lunch break?

Moreover—

"From Senior Sister Shen Gu’s tone... Does Brother Temple already know about Hui Li’s situation?" Otomoto Ai asked tentatively.

Facing Ai’s question, Beichuan Si nodded affirmatively.

"Then why not help Hui Li out...?" Ai opened her mouth to speak.

Beichuan Si didn’t seem like someone who wouldn’t dote on Beichuan Huili. The last time they faced danger, he rushed to their aid swiftly. He was incredibly reliable and settled everything in no time. They, on the other hand, felt like idlers, merely cheering him on from behind.

"I’ll do what needs to be done, but the most important thing is to respect Hui Li’s own wishes," Beichuan Si said, softening his expression. "Likewise, I thank you for caring so much about Hui Li."

"...I... after all, Hui Li and I are friends." Otomoto Ai’s cold facade started to crack.

She was the classic case of a cold exterior but warm heart, easily swayed by others’ kindness, a young girl with thin skin.

Those who had been good to her, she would always remember. Those who had done her wrong, she wouldn’t forget either.

Taking a deep breath, Otomoto Ai regained her respectful and distant demeanor:

"Since Brother Temple is aware, then I won’t disturb your lunch break with Senior Sister Shen Gu."

After leaving these words, Otomoto Ai bowed and turned to leave.

Watching Otomoto Ai’s retreating figure, Mirai couldn’t help but chuckle softly, "This junior sure has a way with words."

"She is quite articulate," Beichuan Si nodded in agreement beside her.

Only, it was unclear whether what he agreed with was the same thing Mirai had appreciated.

...

Two days flashed by in the blink of an eye, and it was now three hours before the voting deadline.

These two days felt unbearably long for Ando Fuyu.

From the start at the tenth position to spending money to buy votes online, Ando Fuyu poured all her allowance into it, not to mention using part of her tutoring fees.

She was determined to make Beichuan Huili taste the humiliation of being trampled upon.

"That person actually dared to defy me," Ando Fuyu gnashed her teeth with hatred.

It was when Beichuan Huili had just joined the art club. Her little group was making jokes about Beichuan Si—

"Oh my... so, it’s really serious. The ’Beichuan Demon King’... I even heard some people claim he has drunk human blood and eaten human flesh."

Fuyu said this playfully.

"Stop it, that would be too horrible if it were true."

A girl beside her covered her mouth and giggled gleefully.

"I also heard that because of the threats from the ’Beichuan Demon King,’ Senior Shen Gu Mirai was forced to become his desk mate. Poor Senior Shen Gu."

A girl with short hair spoke in a pitiful tone as if Mirai were herself.

"That Mr. Temple is known to be a delinquent anyway. I heard he even cheated on his exams..."

Clang!!!!

A sudden sound interrupted.

Beichuan Huili, dressed in a dark blue school uniform, stood up sharply, those clear, bright eyes gazing their way:

"I won’t allow you to speak ill of Brother Temple!"

Though she was on the shorter side, she exuded an inexplicable commanding presence.

This unexpected oppressive aura made Fuyu’s group halt their teasing laughter.

And then...

The argument began.

Fortunately, the art instructor, Qianye Yuki, arrived in time, or else Huili would have surely come to blows with them.

One person against a whole group...

That time, the unbending, defiant look in Huili’s eyes as she held her head high left a profound impression on Fuyu.

And now... such a person was about to lose at her own hands.

Ando Fuyu blissfully opened the voting web page and checked the rankings between herself and Huili once more.

Tokyo Bunkyo District Jingbei High School, Beichuan Huili, artwork: "Asuka", first place: 2130 votes.

Tokyo Bunkyo District Jingbei High School, Ando Fuyu, artwork: "Untitled", second place: 2115 votes.

...

"Huh? How come it’s still fifteen votes short?" Ando Fuyu glanced at the transfer notification on her phone, puzzled.

But with things having gone this far, she wouldn’t be stingy with that little bit of money anymore.

She bought some more votes.

Then continued to refresh the page.

Ando Fuyu, second place: 2286 votes.

Beichuan Huili, first place: 2300 votes.

"What’s going on?!" Ando Fuyu stood up, unable to believe it.

How had Beichuan Huili suddenly gained over a hundred votes?! What on earth had happened?

But...

"Just fourteen more votes... just fourteen more votes..."

She was getting closer and closer to her goal, there was no way she could give up now. She could no longer maintain her composure and once again took out her phone to buy more votes.

The page refreshed again.

After five minutes, the leaderboard appeared once more.

Ando Fuyu, second place: 2460 votes.

Beichuan Huili, first place: 2476 votes.

"What’s going on?! Is there a problem with the backend?"

How could Beichuan Huili have gained so many votes in just five minutes?

Having just come out of the shower with her hair still damp, Ando Fuyu couldn’t help but call the organizers.

But the response she got was that there were absolutely no problems with the backend.

"Damn it!"

Ando Fuyu clenched her phone, her eyes turning green as she stared at the rankings on the web page.

If that was the case, then keep voting! She refused to believe that Beichuan Huili could still create such a wave in these last three hours!

Click on the page, refresh—

Second place, 2650 votes.

Buy more votes! Refresh again!

Second place, 2761!

Buy votes.

Refresh.

Buy votes.

Refresh.

Towards the end, Ando Fuyu was just mechanically lifting her hand to click, repeating these actions over and over.

But—

Second place!

Second place!

Second place!

Why was this happening?!

That glaring ’second place’ along with Beichuan Huili leading by just a few votes each time made Ando Fuyu grind her teeth, her face turning pale as she kept clicking to buy votes.

But on the page above, she was always just second place.

Yes, she was always just second place.

The votes had reached over three thousand, but Beichuan Huili always led by a dozen or so votes, just enough to stay ahead of her.

"This is impossible!"

The bold ’Insufficient Balance’ on her phone seemed to be mocking Ando Fuyu.

She grabbed her hair and let out a scream, standing up from the chair.

She had thrown all her money into this, how could she possibly not be better than Beichuan Huili!

In Japan, were there still problems that couldn’t be solved with money?!

She stomped on the floor, but perhaps because she had just showered and hadn’t dried her hair, there was an inexplicable puddle of water on the floor, and she slipped, her head hurtling towards the ground!

Ando Fuyu fell in a mess, her chest heaving with anger as she continued to mutter unconsciously:

"This is impossible..."

Yes...

This was simply impossible.

But—

"Hello? Mr. Beichuan, I’ve done everything you asked me to do, how about it? Should we continue?"

On the other end of the phone, Qiuxiao Yunai’s curious voice came through.

Beichuan Si had suddenly called her, saying he needed her help with something.

But she had never expected the favor would be something like this...

’It’s kind of like bullying, isn’t it?’

Qiuxiao Yunai looked at the first and second places that were just a dozen or so votes apart and twitched her mouth, thinking to herself.

"No need, thanks for your help this time."

Beichuan Si’s voice came from the other side.