The sincere admiration swirling around them did not bring Shu the slightest bit of comfort. Instead, it made the scalps of both "Stelles" tingle.
Because these fans weren't just talking, they were even "promoting" and "debating" with each other.
"Join our [Dawn Support Club]! We have regular analyses of Lord Shu's combat data, psychological profiles, and sharing of rare video materials!"
"Come to the [Kiana Energy Station]! We have the most complete collection of Lord Kiana's memes!"
"The Lord Durandal Global Support Club is recruiting! True strength doesn't need frills. We focus on recording every one of our lord's actual combat data and heroic postures!"
"You guys are all too hardcore! The 'Homu Covenant' is the way to go! We firmly believe that Lord Shu is a Homu fan in private! Evidence? Uh... intuition!"
This was all just child's play.
When the topic focused back on "Shu," some even more "horrifying" remarks appeared:
"I dreamed last night that Lord Shu smiled at me! He even patted my head! This must be a sign!"
"I wrote a short fanfic about Lord Shu actually having a long-lost twin brother. They secretly fight against each other due to differing ideals, and in the end, the brothers join hands to save the world... How's that? Cool, right?"
"Twins? Too cliché! I think Lord Shu might have multiple personalities! The calm one is the main personality, and the wild one in battle is the sub-personality!"
"Do you guys think... that Lord Shu and Overseer Otto might have... something going on? That kind of frenemy relationship, plotting against each other but also relying on each other..."
"Shut up! Don't blaspheme my god! Lord Shu is perfect on his own!"
The faces of the two "Stelles" had already turned from twisted to ashen, and from ashen to a pale white.
A strong sense of discomfort was coming from their stomachs.
They lowered their heads in unison, trying to hide their expressions with their hoodie caps, their bodies slightly curled up, wishing they could disappear on the spot.
What the hell was all this?!
Long-lost twin brother?
Multiple personalities?
Him and Otto...??!!
Were these people even human anymore?
Shu felt that he had been offended.
No.
Shu felt that he had been violated!
However, the synchronized expressions of disgust on the two Shu-disguised "Stelles," as if they had swallowed flies, finally caught the attention of several young girls who were chatting excitedly nearby.
"Hey? Look at those two young ladies over there..." A girl with twin ponytails nudged her companion, looking curiously at the two "Stelles" huddled in the line.
"They look so alike! Are they twins? Wait, why do their expressions look so... uncomfortable."
"Did they also hear us talking about the 'Fire-Chaser Star'?" another short-haired girl guessed. "Could it be... they're from another support club? Unhappy because they heard us praise our own idol?"
"Possibly! Look at what they're wearing, it looks like clothes from that new Homu shop in the living area? Could they be the owners of Hmoe Random Play?" The third girl, wearing a headband, had her eyes light up.
"Hey! You two! Are you from the 'Homu Covenant'? Do you also support the theory that Lord Shu is a Homu fan in private?"
Several girls suddenly surrounded them, their eyes shining with the excitement of finding a "fellow fan" or a "rival debater."
The other people in the line were also attracted by the commotion, and their gazes turned towards them.
Shu subconsciously tried to step back, but bumped into [Shu] who was also trying to avoid them.
The bumped [Shu] also staggered, and when he looked up, he saw that everyone's attention had shifted to him along with the other "Stelle."
What a vicious ploy!
A vivid, wry smile appeared on [Shu]'s iconic "Stelle" deadpan face.
"W-We're not..." [Shu] said dryly, his voice a little tight.
"Just here to eat..." Shu added, trying to keep his tone calm.
But the girls clearly had no intention of letting this pair of twins with strange expressions, suspected to be "insiders," off the hook so easily.
"Don't be shy! Which 'Fire-Chaser Star' do you like? Let's talk about it!"
"Exactly! The fourth support conference is about to start. Now is the crucial time to canvass for votes and prepare materials!"
"Since you run a shop, can you also make some support merchandise? We can cooperate!"
"By the way, do you have any hidden-style Homu related to Lord Shu... or Lord Kiana in your shop? We'll pay a high price!"
The questions came like a barrage of cannonballs, carrying the terrifying... unique enthusiasm of fans.
The two were trapped between the front and back of the line, unable to advance or retreat. It wasn't right to explain, but it wasn't right not to explain either. The expression management on their faces had completely failed, leaving only embarrassment and a sense of "save me" helplessness.
The clamor of the cafeteria seemed to focus on them at this moment.
Faced with the fans' barrage of questions and sparkling, expectant eyes, the two Shus' brains successfully overloaded.
Run?
What a damn tempting thought!
Turn around, squeeze through the crowd, and in just a few steps, they could escape this suffocating "fandom" atmosphere.
But...
For some people, running away was a more terrifying thing than facing the problem.
Maybe they should just give a perfunctory answer and slip away... but that would be too easy to expose a flaw.
"Oh, it's nice," "Just looking," "I don't really know"...
These all-purpose answers were laughably pale in front of rabid fans and could even be interpreted as indifference, disrespect, or even being labeled as "haters sent by the rival camp."
What if these emotional girls felt slighted and went to "complain" in the living area or on the base's internal network, labeling "Homu Random Play" with tags like "rude shopkeepers" or "disrespectful to the Fire-Chaser Stars"...
Then the shop they had worked so hard and suffered so much to run would probably really be deserted—in the way they least wanted.
They couldn't be perfunctory.
At least, they couldn't appear to be perfunctory.
In that moment of panic and high-speed thinking, the main Shu's mind captured a seemingly "safe" option.
Go with the flow, admit to being a "fan of Shu."
After all, in the previous discussions, the topic of "Shu being a hidden Homu fan" had been mentioned repeatedly, and they were currently running a Homu-themed shop.
Logically, it seemed to make sense... because they admired Shu and believed he was a Homu fan, they opened the Homu shop.
This could explain the shop's theme, and by using the largest fan group at the moment, they could make themselves less conspicuous. Perhaps they could even use the "fellow fan" identity to get these girls to relax their questioning a bit.
With the idea set, Shu, almost on instinct, opened his mouth as another question was thrown at him, trying to use his "best" skill of agreeing.
"We... actually..."
And at the same time, the question that was thrown came at the same time.
"If you ask me, Lord Kiana's spirit of never giving up and always infecting everyone with her smile is the most precious thing!"
The scene suddenly fell silent.
The two "Stelles" looked ready to pop a blood vessel.