Volume 1 / Chapter 63: Huā Yínyín’s Quick Sketch

The first day of military training had come to an end. Dinner that evening was, by all appearances, slightly more generous—meaning each person got an extra portion of braised yellow croaker.

For Mò Xuěyáo, who wasn’t fond of fish to begin with, it was a complete disaster.

So many tiny bones—she had no idea how to pick them out…

“Still prefer perch…” she muttered quietly.

Maybe it was because girls found spitting out fish bones unladylike, or maybe they just weren’t good at eating such bony fish.

Either way, most of the girls just nibbled at their croaker and gave up halfway through.

And so, unsatisfied from missing a meat dish, many girls ran to the campus shop afterward to buy snacks.

Some were simply preparing for the inevitable midnight hunger pangs, since dinner had been served unusually early.

Compared to the girls who each seemed to have over a hundred yuan in their pockets, the boys appeared noticeably shabby.

While the girls bought bread, cookies, and milk—relatively pricey snacks—the boys were grabbing crispy noodles and spicy sticks, the dirt-cheap kind that cost only fifty cents a bag.

And even then, several boys would share just one bag between them.

Still, they seemed to be enjoying it quite a lot, with no hint of bitterness or shame.

Like they say, a man’s happiness is really simple.

---

“Xuěyáo, want a cookie?” Wáng Jiālè walked over holding a pack of Oreos—those black chocolate cookies with white cream filling. In those days, any student eating these would inevitably be teased as a “rich kid.”

They weren’t outrageously expensive, but they did cost significantly more than those nameless local brands filled with synthetic flavors.

But they tasted far better too—delicate and creamy rather than overly sweet or artificial.

Now, with Wáng Jiālè sharing them among her closest friends, it came off as downright luxurious.

Seeing the others each take one, Mò Xuěyáo didn’t want to refuse her goodwill and accepted a piece, nibbling slowly.

The sweet flavor carried a faint bitterness from the chocolate, a curious blend that somehow even soothed her aching stomach.

“I heard Xiaoyao’s having period cramps—eating something sweet might help a little,” Wáng Jiālè said with a sincere smile, which left Mò Xuěyáo unexpectedly touched.

They hadn’t known each other long, but Wáng Jiālè had been consistently kind to her.

Of course, Huā Yínyín wasn’t bad either—just that she often did some pretty questionable things.

The kindness from the people around her was slowly allowing Mò Xuěyáo to lower her guard.

Maybe real life was always the opposite of dreams.

In that strange dream after her surgery, everyone around her had been cruel and full of malice. But here in the real world, things couldn’t be more different.

---

Back at the villa, she rushed straight into the bathroom.

Thankfully, the weather was cool, so she didn’t need a full shower, but she still wanted to wipe herself down.

That thing… needed changing too.

Even though she’d already swapped a pad during their midday break, after half a day of activity it was once again damp and sticky.

It made her seriously doubt if that tiny pack would be enough—there were barely seven or eight pieces inside.

After wiping her body, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, then cleaned her underwear. After changing into fresh clothes, she hung her laundry out on the balcony before stepping back into the room.

Being a Girl really is a hassle. If she were still a boy, all she’d need was a fresh pair of boxers a day.

Even sleeping bare-chested was fine—after all, the blankets were warm enough. That’s how she’d done it throughout middle school.

But now that she was a girl, it clearly wasn’t that simple anymore.

When you’re part of a certain group, you have to abide by that group’s rules.

And following the rules isn’t necessarily a bad thing—sometimes it’s actually a way to protect yourself.

A normal person wouldn’t stubbornly rebel just because they wanted to be a boy but were born a girl. Going around proclaiming “I’m really a boy inside!”—that’s clearly some kind of mental issue…

Huā Yínyín came back from the campus store with some snacks, then spent half an hour in the shower before slipping into Mò Xuěyáo’s bed.

It really seemed like she wanted to shower longer, but the others had started protesting that she was hogging the bathroom, so her blissful bath time finally ended and Wáng Jiālè was released.

—That last part was the real highlight.

Yesterday it was Mò Xuěyáo who got teased. Tonight, it was Wáng Jiālè’s turn.

When Mò Xuěyáo looked over, she saw Wáng Jiālè’s face flushed red, her gaze toward Huā Yínyín a strange mix of fear and reluctant affection. Who knew what had gone on between them in that bathroom?

Whatever it was… it definitely couldn’t have been anything wholesome.

“Hehehe~ Xiǎo Lèlè’s flat chest is just like Xiǎo Yáoyáo’s~” Huā Yínyín whispered right into Mò Xuěyáo’s ear.

“...That’s enough.” Mò Xuěyáo rolled her eyes. She had no interest in hearing any of her dirty jokes.

“That braised croaker tonight was impossible to eat—all bones. If it had been fried, maybe we could’ve eaten the whole thing. But with braised fish? No way.” Huā Yínyín pouted, propping up her cheeks. She placed her snack bag behind Mò Xuěyáo’s head. “So I bought some snacks~ If you want any, help yourself.”

“Oh…” Mò Xuěyáo turned and glanced at the bag. It was full of bulk-packaged snacks—affordable and convenient. Just enough to eat a little at a time without overdoing it.

But she didn’t feel like taking any.

She already owed too many favors. Best to cut back.

After all, if you keep accepting things from others without giving anything in return, people will eventually see you as someone who mooches off others.

And girls, especially, were sensitive to that sort of thing.

Mò Xuěyáo didn’t want things to get awkward, so she had to walk a very fine line.

Tonight wasn’t as lively as the night before. After a full day of military training, everyone was exhausted. Once they’d showered, they slipped into bed and lazily chatted while waiting for lights out.

Some were so tired they fell asleep within minutes of lying down.

Like the class monitor, Lǐ Wǎnyán.

Who would've thought she’d be so worn out?

Or maybe… she’d been exhausted for a long time, and it was only here, at training camp, that she could finally get some real rest?

If that were true, then her regular life must be terribly rough.

Mò Xuěyáo had already finished reading her book of urban legends.

She had two others, but they were… unreadable. So now she was just plain bored.

Chat with the other girls?

The stuff she liked didn’t interest them at all.

Even among boys her age, few still talked about tokusatsu shows.

“Xiǎo Yáoyáo, do you have any hobbies?”

“Hobbies?” Mò Xuěyáo pushed away Huā Yínyín’s face, which was far too close. “What kind of hobbies are you asking about?”

“Anything really—whatever you’re into.” As she spoke, Huā Yínyín pulled out a sketchpad filled with white paper and took out a pencil that Mò Xuěyáo didn’t recognize.

“Uh… I guess tokusatsu?” Mò Xuěyáo hesitated, but decided to be honest.

If she made something up and Huā Yínyín started asking questions, she wouldn’t know how to answer—how awkward would that be?

So honesty really was the best policy.

“Tokusatsu? Hmm… Tokusatsu…?” Huā Yínyín began thinking.

“It’s…” Mò Xuěyáo started to explain, but Huā Yínyín gently placed a finger on her lips.

“Don’t tell me—I want to guess. I think I’ve got it. Is it like sci-fi movies or something?”

“Kinda…” Mò Xuěyáo nodded hesitantly, unsure whether to explain in more detail.

“So sci-fi?”

“No, there’s a difference.” She finally decided to clarify. After all, she didn’t want something she truly loved to be misunderstood. “Tokusatsu refers to filming techniques used to depict things that don’t exist in real life.”

“Sounds like sci-fi still?”

“Well… tokusatsu is about practical effects—like monster suits and miniature buildings. Sci-fi films usually use digital effects. That’s the main difference.”

“Ohh… Then what’s your favorite tokusatsu show?”

“Um… Ultraman, I guess—cough, cough!” Mò Xuěyáo cleared her throat, bracing for teasing. But none came. Instead, she looked up and saw Huā Yínyín seriously thinking.

“I also like a lot of anime too,” she added.

“Ultraman, huh? Is it like this?” Huā Yínyín’s pencil moved swiftly, sketching out a simple outline. Though not very detailed, the essence was there.

“Is this right?”

“Yeah… that’s the original Ultraman. A classic look.”

“And the transformation device—what does it look like again? I can’t quite remember.” Huā Yínyín asked.

“It’s like a rod. You press it and it pops open—it’s called the Beta Capsule.” Mò Xuěyáo’s eyes lit up as she spoke, unable to hold back. “I loved it when I was a kid. Wanted one so bad, but it was too expensive. The first time I saw Ultraman, I thought… ‘If only I could transform like that.’”

“Oh~ You really do love this stuff, huh? How’s this look?” Huā Yínyín kept sketching.

“Not bad, not bad—but wait, that chest crest is from Jack. You drew it wrong—should look like this…” Mò Xuěyáo gestured with her hands.

Eventually, the original Ultraman took full shape on the page. Huā Yínyín even added some crumbling buildings in the background.

A quick sketch—complete.

“Amazing!” Mò Xuěyáo praised her sincerely.

“Like it? It’s yours~” Huā Yínyín casually tore it out and handed it over.

“Really?” Mò Xuěyáo asked, a little excited.

“Of course! Hmph~ If you come over to my house and pose for me, I’ll draw you as many pictures as you want. How about it—tempted?”

“…” Mò Xuěyáo gave her a tired look. Huā Yínyín never stayed serious for more than five seconds.

“Tempted yet? My house is huge! And the bed’s big too~”

Why emphasize the bed?!

Mò Xuěyáo instinctively scooted half a body’s length away.