In a crossover anime, do you believe that a machine spirit can defeat a fake human?

He slung his violin case over his shoulder and walked out of the classroom, slowly making his way back while pondering his options.

If he doesn't go back... Hiratsuka Shizuka will probably come after him; but if he does go back... how do he explain carrying that huge violin case on his back?

Could it be the loot obtained from defeating the pink Night Hammer Serpent that randomly spawns in the roadside lawn?

Oh, you could also leave the violin case near the activity room; people passing by won't really notice anyway, and you can just walk in empty-handed, like that...

"What are you doing standing at the door?" Hiratsuka Shizuka's question interrupted his reverie.

How did I end up at the door?! Chen Yi snapped out of his daze and looked up at his surroundings.

"Didn't you say you were going to the restroom? What's behind you?" Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed as she glanced at the violin case.

This little rascal is no pushover either...

"So you made a special trip back here just to tell me you want to join the music club?"

"No, no, no, that's not it." Chen Yi waved his hand and smiled awkwardly. "Actually, I'm not very good at communicating, so I wouldn't feel very comfortable joining the music club."

Of course, that's not the main reason.

He can indeed play the guitar, but the problem is that the guitar he's carrying on his back isn't a real guitar.

"Now that you're back... does that mean you're quite interested in Yukinoshita's club?"

“Uh…” Chen Yi was about to answer when he suddenly caught a glimpse of Hikigaya behind Hiratsuka Shizuka out of the corner of his eye.

His DHA-rich eyes gleamed with an eerie light.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, Chen is an international student, right?" Hikigaya's voice suddenly rang out, with a hint of...calculation in his tone.

"Since he's an international student, why don't we let Chen join the club for a 'transformation' to help him integrate into campus life? What do you think?"

“...Alright, Chen, what’s your opinion?” Hiratsuka Shizuka thought for a moment, then looked at Chen Yi and Hikigaya.

"I have no objection... Joining a club requires an application form, right? I'll come to participate in club activities tomorrow." Chen Yi looked up at Hachiman Hikigaya, and after realizing that the other party was trying to drag him into it, a smile appeared on his lips.

Hachiman, huh? You're planning to screw me over, aren't you? You just wait.

New Students: Chapter Thirteen - Home Visit

"Alright, I'll let you off the hook for today, Hachiman. Chen, come out and let's talk?" Watching Hachiman disappear in a flash as if he had been granted a pardon, Hiratsuka Shizuka smiled and turned to look at Chen Yi.

"What is it?" Chen Yi followed Hiratsuka Shizuka leisurely, closing the door to the activity room behind him as he left.

"Not planning to tell the truth?" Hiratsuka Shizuka stared at the injury on his hand, then turned to look at him with a half-smile.

"What truth?" Chen Yi chose to play dumb.

"You really don't plan to tell?"

"It's no use telling me, it's just that I ran into a fake person again during the night shift." Chen Yi couldn't persuade Hiratsuka Shizuka, so he had to slowly explain.

"Hey...you kid, how should I put it?" Hiratsuka Shizuka said, sounding a bit troubled. "I really don't know how your family could bear to let you come to Japan to study abroad alone. It's not as safe here as near the University of Tokyo..."

Can I say that I don't even know if I have any family left?

He mentally grumbled as he recalled the empty contact list on his old phone.

"It's decided! I'll visit your home today, let's go!" Hiratsuka Shizuka, who was in front of Chen Yi, suddenly grabbed Chen Yi and pushed him away.

"No, I have no one at home, so who would I visit..." Chen Yi's weak protest was ignored by Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"Alright, alright, wait for me at the school gate for a bit, I'll go get the car." Patting Chen Yi on the shoulder, Hiratsuka Shizuka waved her 'Shizuka Iron Fist the size of a sandbag' in front of him before taking three steps at a time towards the parking lot.

"Am I the kind of person who looks dishonest...?" Chen Yi muttered under his breath, leaning against the wall by the school gate.

......

"Teacher, what's this...?" Chen Yi touched Hiratsuka Shizuka's Aston Martin, pondering for a moment.

"..."

Haha, I don't know it, but it probably won't be cheap.

"Get in the car, what are you standing there for?" Hiratsuka Shizuka rolled down the window and glanced at Chen Yi. "Now that things have come to this, are you planning to back out?"

"No, that's not it." Chen Yi obediently put the violin case into the trunk and sat in the passenger seat.

"However, I have two things to do before I go home."

"what's up?"

"I'll buy a new phone and check how much savings I have." Chen Yi made up his mind that if he didn't have enough money, he couldn't touch the dubious US dollars at home. Who knew if it fell from the sky or was a trap set by someone?

"Alright." Hiratsuka Shizuka started the engine.

......

"..."

Silence. Although the atmosphere in the car wasn't heavy, the quiet brat next to me was a bit too calm.

He's been silent ever since he checked his bank account balance. Is he worried about living expenses?

Chen Yi... doesn't have the energy one would expect for his age. Looks like he's a Stand of the same type as Hikigaya.

Hiratsuka glanced at Chen Yi, who was fiddling with his new phone, and struck up a conversation.

What do you think of this car?

"Uh... very expensive? very handsome?" Chen Yi came back to his senses, thought for a moment, and decided to just give a perfunctory answer.

"What's wrong? Don't you guys all like sports cars?" Hiratsuka Shizuka was not satisfied with his overly indifferent reaction.

"Yeah, I'm thinking about something. Besides, not everyone likes sports cars."

“A freak just like Hachiman…” Hiratsuka Shizuka said with some disdain, but still refused to give up and tried to strike up a conversation.

"By the way, what happened to you? Have you called home?"

"We've already fought... huh?" Chen Yi blurted out, then realized something was wrong.

"..." Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't speak, but glanced at him.

"Okay, I've never beaten them."

"Sigh." Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed heavily again; she was completely exasperated by this guy.

"You're even worse than that brat Hachiman."

"You didn't even call home when you were in danger. What were you thinking? And why did you abandon the safe environment there and come all the way to Japan...?"

"Uh, my phone is broken..." Chen Yi tried to make excuses.

"How do you selectively answer questions? What about the other one?"

"..." This question was not easy to answer. Chen Yi knew that the more he said, the more mistakes he would make, so he chose to remain silent.

After that, Hiratsuka Shizuka stopped trying to get any more information out of him.

“…Eh.” Hiratsuka Shizuka stopped the car and opened the door. “We’re here.”

She looked up at the apartment building where Chen Yi lived. It was a bit old, and there were still some plants clinging to the exterior walls.

"Do you want to go upstairs first, or come with me to the nearby convenience store to buy something?" Hiratsuka Shizuka looked around at the street and asked Chen Yi.

"...I'll go back and put the guitar down first."

......

"Ding-dong-"

Even though he was prepared, Chen Yi's hand still trembled slightly when he heard the doorbell.

"Damn post-traumatic stress disorder..." Chen Yi sighed and went to open the door.

"...Hiratsuka-sensei, why did you buy so much alcohol?" Chen Yi's eyelids twitched when he saw the person behind the door carrying a large bag of canned beer.

What kind of crazy idea are they planning to come up with for him this time?

"An interrogation tool." Hiratsuka Shizuka said with a smug look.

This was purely a whim—although strictly speaking, a 16-year-old high school student is far from the age to drink alcohol, and this practice also seems to be detrimental to teachers' ethics.

Who cares? — Hiratsuka Shizuka tries to use the 'talk-no-jutsu' common in shonen manga to influence this pretentious brat.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, how are you planning to get back later?" She brought out two cups of tea from the living room, turned her head and saw that Hiratsuka Shizuka had already chug down a whole can. She wanted to say something, but in the end she sighed.

"Huh?" Hiratsuka Shizuka's hand froze in mid-air. After a long while, she murmured, "Hiss...right."

"Let's get this straight." Chen Yi put down two glasses of water and pointed to himself. "I'm a 16-year-old high school student, not old enough to drive. If I get really drunk, you'll have to figure out how to get home yourself."

"Ugh, so heartless... I won't trouble you, I'll find a way back myself." Hiratsuka Shizuka waved her hand, then decided to put the beer down after thinking for a moment.

"Alright, let's get down to business." Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression hardened, and she sat up straight, looking at him.

"...I'll speak my mind." Chen Yi knew he couldn't avoid this hurdle today, so he sat down at the other end of the sofa.

"Where are your family members?" Hiratsuka Shizuka picked up her teacup, took a slow sip, and immediately threw out a weighty question.

“I am an orphan,” Chen Yi replied.

No problem, anyway, the 'invisible hand' arranged for the phone to have no contacts from the beginning. In the end, it's just a legal identity without social connections, which is no different from being a piece of driftwood.

"..." Hiratsuka Shizuka fell silent, unsure of what to say for a moment.

"...So how have you been these past few days?" This was a completely pointless question, but Hiratsuka Shizuka needed some time to think it over.

"It wasn't much better; we were attacked by fakes twice in four days."

“That unlucky kid…” Hiratsuka Shizuka shook her head helplessly.

"Never mind, I can't think of anything to ask right now. How about I take you out for a meal?" Hiratsuka Shizuka was somewhat helpless and ultimately chose to avoid the fight for now.

"You just drank a can of beer, and you're still driving? I'll cook at home." Chen Yi's lips twitched.

Just don't ask. If you ask again, you might reveal some secrets.

"Although I'm really looking forward to the authentic Chinese cuisine from the University of Tokyo, I can't bring myself to have a sick person cook." Hiratsuka Shizuka stood up and patted Chen Yi on the shoulder.

"Huh?" Chen Yi thought to himself, "In the original work, Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't seem to know how to cook, right?"

"What do you want to eat?" Hiratsuka Shizuka took out her phone.

"Hurry up while the food delivery service is still open."

Oh, I see.

P.S.: Two updates today! Dear readers, could you please leave a comment? A few votes would be even better!

New Students: Chapter Fourteen - Heart-to-Heart Talk

"I'm going to the balcony for a smoke." Hiratsuka Shizuka waved the cigarette pack in her hand.

"...Why did you come out with me?" Looking at the clear night sky, Hiratsuka Shizuka asked the boy beside her.

"Chiba doesn't seem as bustling as I imagined," Chen Yi remarked inexplicably, without answering.

"呲-"

That's the sound of a beer can being opened.

"What kind of person do you think Chiba should be?" Hiratsuka Shizuka asked, turning a beer can and skipping over the previous question.

"...Should there be more neon lights?" Chen Yi asked, somewhat uncertain.

"No one will look at the neon lights anymore, since fake people won't buy products." Hiratsuka Shizuka casually stubbed out her cigarette and threw it downstairs.

"Wow, that's so rude. Never mind, as your student, I'll keep it a secret for you." Chen Yi said expressionlessly.

"Stop being so long-winded!"

"..."

"...Do you think it's safe here in Japan?" Hiratsuka Shizuka asked again after taking two big gulps of sake.

"Mr. Hiratsuka, it's a bit funny that you're asking this unlucky guy like me this question." Chen Yi said with a forced smile.

"Okay, let me rephrase the question... Do you think Japan is dangerous?"

"To be honest, it's quite dangerous."

"It's been less than a week since I got off the plane and I've already been attacked twice. There must be as many monsters in the dark as cockroaches." Chen Yi turned around and leaned against the railing, feeling a bit thirsty.