Popularity is everything; I play a super genius

"Huh?"

Huo Mu never imagined that he would receive such an answer from someone else.

He stood there dumbfounded for a long time.

In my heart, the world that had been swallowed by darkness seemed to be suddenly illuminated by a sliver of light.

"You mean...you believe me?"

"This is not a matter of belief or disbelief. To hurt someone based solely on speculation and one-sided statements is something only an idiot would do."

Saki's tone sounded somewhat impatient, but after hearing this, some life returned to Hōki's eyes.

"……Thanks."

"Why are you thanking me? I never said I believed you."

"I don't know either..." Huo Mu raised his hand and wiped his eyes hard. His voice had become choked up without him realizing it. "I... I just wanted to thank you."

Meanwhile, in the main live stream, flashbacks of Huomu's childhood flashed by one after another—

Countless times I've been unjustly accused, isolated, and ridiculed...

A cold gaze, jarring whispers, the indelible mark of being the "son of a sinner"...

In his entire life before, not a single person had ever said a single word for him.

Until this moment.

He finally realized that he was being treated as an ordinary person, and was being viewed in an ordinary way.

……

"Holy crap, finally someone normal!"

"Huomu is so pitiful. I feel sorry for the poor thing."

"Masked Guy, your values ​​are so upright! I'm a fan now!"

"She's still a tsundere, like before when we were 'stop arguing,' and now she's giving me advice on the rooftop (laughs)."

"Guys, I'm saying these two have great chemistry, who agrees and who disagrees!"

"The Muji/Ji couple is locked in!"

"This place isn't fucking gay, is it?!"

"Saki is clearly Ruri's, okay? Some of the comments are just too much!"

"Get lost! Bad women don't deserve you!"

"Alright, don't disturb my sleep," Qi Ji said, closing his eyes on his own.

Huo Mu silently walked to the side and sat down against the wall.

The thought of jumping off the building gradually faded away.

Ultimately, he wasn't a particularly fragile person; otherwise, he would have given up long ago.

He attributed his irrational thought to a momentary impulse, felt a wave of fear, and was even more grateful to Qi Ji.

In the distance, the glass, shrouded in shadow, took in all of this.

"It's really... in the way."

The next moment, a bright golden light shone in her eyes, and the phantom butterfly at her fingertips flapped its wings violently!

She exerted a stronger influence on the Firewood.

Almost simultaneously, Huo Mu, who had finally managed to calm himself down, stiffened and his eyes suddenly became unfocused.

He stood up blankly, swaying like a puppet pulled by invisible threads, and walked back to the edge of the rooftop.

Then, under the horrified gazes of countless viewers in the live stream, he leaned forward and jumped!

On Liuli's face, that clean and obedient smile bloomed again, as if she had completed some sacred mission.

However, the smile froze on the girl's face the next second.

It was because Saki, who should have been fast asleep, had somehow appeared on the edge of the rooftop.

He braced himself against the railing with one hand, flipped over, and grabbed Huo Mu by the back of his collar in mid-air, lifting him back down like a chick.

Her figure drew a short, clean arc in mid-air, and when she landed back on the rooftop, her trench coat was still flapping in the wind.

At the same time, he tilted his head slightly, and his gaze beneath the mask seemed to pierce through space, looking towards the direction where Liuli was.

……

……

Chapter Six: Reputation Damaged

Saki casually tossed the firewood onto the ground.

The latter collapsed to the ground, still in shock, panting heavily.

The shock of weightlessness during the fall allowed Huomu to break free from Liuli's control and regain consciousness in an instant.

Then, recalling everything that had just happened, Huo Mu's back was soaked with cold sweat, and his heart was pounding wildly.

"Thank you... thank you for saving me."

Huo Mu's voice trembled; this was the second time in a short period of time that he had thanked Qi Ji.

"If you really want to thank me, then please go somewhere else next time you're feeling down."

Saki's voice came through the mask, still cold.

"I don't want to sleep in a place where people have died."

Huo Mu quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I don't know what came over me, I just felt like I was possessed..."

He held his head, feeling both frightened and bewildered by his actions.

Saki seemed unable to bear his cowardly and bewildered state, and said with disdain:

"Hey, you don't really think that jumping off here will prove your innocence, do you?"

Huo Mu raised his head and looked at him blankly.

"Using suicide to prove you didn't steal anything?"

Saki chuckled, his tone undisguisedly sarcastic.

"Don't be silly. If you die, they'll just say, 'See, he really stole it and committed suicide out of guilt.'"

"Doing this will only turn you from a suspected thief into a confirmed coward and thief, and will serve no other purpose!"

Huo Mu was stunned. His rationality gradually returned as Qi Ji delivered his merciless speech.

Yes, you'd know that if you thought about it for a moment...

Death is never proof, but merely an escape, and confirms all the stigma.

"I...I won't make that mistake again."

Huo Mu smacked his head hard.

"My afternoon nap mood has been completely ruined."

Qi Ji shook his head, seemingly feeling that there was no point in staying there any longer, and turned to leave the rooftop.

Seeing that Saki was about to leave, the comments section immediately became anxious:

"Ji-ge, where are you going? You can't leave Huomu alone!"

"That's right, Brother Ji! Without you, how are we supposed to fight off those bad women?"

"Some of the comments are just ridiculous. Masked Guy isn't Huomu's father. Saving him once or twice isn't enough; do you expect him to save him every time?"

"Exactly! As the male lead, he has to stand up for himself!"

"Given the current start, it's definitely a bit frustrating to put yourself in the male lead's shoes."

"Brothers who feel frustrated, jump to Brother Ji's live stream!"

……

In the teaching building, in the shade of the connecting corridor.

Seeing her good fortune being ruined one after another by Saki, Ruri bit her lower lip.

"It's really... in the way."

That's why she wanted to get rid of Saki from the rooftop from the very beginning.

Fortunately, that troublesome guy is finally gone.

Liuli quickly seized the opportunity and activated the Echo once more—

This time, she will weave an even stronger "despair" and destroy Huo Mu in one fell swoop while he is in a vulnerable state of mind!

However, the anticipated psychological erosion failed to materialize.

The echoing threads seemed to have struck an invisible barrier and were gently bounced away.

"?!"

Her glassy pupils contracted slightly.

It's broken?

How can it be?

She refused to believe it and immediately mobilized more of her inner energy, causing the butterfly wings on her fingertips to flap faster and faster, almost as if they were about to spark.

However, her response was still blocked by Huo Mu's mind.

"This guy... can actually resist my echo?"

Liuli was startled, finding it unbelievable.

"How is that possible? Only twice, and it's already completely adapted... even developed resistance to my responses?"

"This guy is clearly just a bottom-of-the-class student with an F-rank qualification!"

Liuli mobilized her inner energy once again, this time intending to unleash her full power.

However, just as she made a move, a slender hand gently rested on her shoulder without her noticing.

“I’m saying—”

A lazy voice, as if just waking up, rang in her ear.

"Shouldn't you stop already?"

!!!

Liuli's body stiffened instantly.

That sound...

Is it Saki?

No...not possible!

When did this guy...?

She was clearly using the power of echo to cover her surroundings, keeping watch on anything that might approach.

How could someone have gotten so close to her without her noticing?!

Liuli suddenly turned around—

Sure enough, what came into view was that iconic mask, right up close.

The mask reflected a cold light in the sunlight, as if silently mocking her.

"Saki...Saki Yu-san...?"

The harmless smile that never changed on Liuli's face could no longer be maintained.

"Saki-kun...you...how did you get here?"

"Because you're here, Ruri-san," Saki replied matter-of-factly. "I came to find you."