"Classmate Chen Yao, don't try to escape! Soldiers, throw the nets!"
However, on the ground, The Red Queen Yukinoshita Yukino, dressed in a gorgeous red empress gown and wearing a beautiful golden crown, looked particularly stunning. She raised her head, glaring fiercely at Chen Yao, who seemed about to escape, and commanded the soldiers to shoot fishing nets to capture him.
"..."
Chen Yao looked down at The Red Queen. How should he put it? Rose Crystal said she created a world that made him happy, but subconsciously, did he enjoy being restrained by Yukinoshita Yukino?
But the nets were immediately sliced apart by countless petals, like sharp blades, raised by Shinku's right hand.
Ultimately, with the assistance of the two dolls, Chen Yao finally reached the exit of that world and successfully escaped with Shinku. However, Rose Crystal, who was in his arms, fell out because she had no physical form in the real world. She closed her eyes and plummeted back into that lonely and cold world. This innocent doll girl ultimately chose to believe in her Father...~·~·~·~·~·~
At three in the morning, the second doll box was finally dragged out from under the bed by Chen Yao. After opening it, he began assembling the doll.
Under the desk lamp, he assembled her eyes, then her limbs, then her hair, dressed her in white medieval underwear, and finally put on the purple dress.
Starting from three in the morning when he woke up, he meticulously studied the instructions while assembling her, until 11 PM that night, when a perfect doll, [Rose Crystal], was fully assembled.
"You seem to really enjoy the process of assembling dolls, Yao-kun."
Shinku, who had been accompanying Chen Yao and reading a German novel, finally saw that Chen Yao had spent the entire day assembling the doll, and she offered a compliment.
A complete doll girl, wearing a Rose Eye Patch over her left eye, sat quietly on a chair.
"I just enjoy researching things I'm passionate about."
Chen Yao sighed in relief after spending considerable effort to finish assembling the doll.
He held Rose Crystal and began winding the key on her back.
The moment the doll was wound up for the first time meant she was endowed with life, and the person winding the key was undoubtedly her creator.
[Click-clack-clack...]
The sound of gears turning came from inside the girl's body; she seemed to be starting to operate.
The doll girl leaned back on the chair, her eyes tightly closed without any movement, but her body began to tremble slightly, like a newborn child.
"You should teach her the initial things."
Shinku, who was looking at her novel, reminded him.
Chen Yao squatted on the floor, still observing Rose Crystal. After hearing Shinku's suggestion, he thought for a moment and said, "Rose Crystal, try to stand up."
The doll girl sat on the chair, trembling. She mechanically climbed down the chair, like a toddler learning to walk. It was still very difficult, but she could barely stand.
"If possible, you could try giving her the first gift upon her arrival in this world."
Shinku reminded him again, smiling.
"A gift? But I haven't prepared a gift," Chen Yao asked, slightly startled.
"It's entirely up to your will. You are Father, and whatever you give her, she will treasure it greatly. When a Rose doll is born, the Father usually gives a rose, so you can give her what you believe is the most valuable thing."
Shinku took a sip of black tea and prompted him.
Chen Yao fell silent. He looked around the various items in his white room. There were no flowers, nor anything that looked like a gift, but there was a bottle of orange juice on the table—his favorite drink. So he picked up the orange juice and said to Rose Crystal, "Rose Crystal, come and take this bottle of drink."
"Sigh." Shinku couldn't help but sigh. Rose Crystal's birth item was a bottle of orange juice.
But just as Shinku had said, Rose Crystal, with her eyes closed, began walking toward Chen Yao step by step, hands constantly searching, like a newborn.
Finally, Rose Crystal's eyes slowly opened. Her beautiful, dazzling amber pupils saw before her a young, rather handsome seventeen-year-old boy with short black hair, and the item in his hand that told her of the most beautiful things. Her vacant face seemed to gain a soul, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly with a smile of appreciation for beauty.
In that instant, like the first ray of sunlight entering the darkness or the first flower blooming on dry earth, the doll's face was utterly beautiful, like an angel.
~·~·~·~·~·~
The one-month summer vacation quickly ended. On the first day of the new semester, Chen Yao drove to Chiba Prefecture Sobu High School as usual.
Students returning to school walked in chatting and laughing, discussing their interesting summer vacation experiences. Only Chen Yao, suffering from lack of sleep, sat absentmindedly in his seat.
"Didn't sleep well?"
Yukinoshita Yukino, sitting at the adjacent desk, glanced at him and, rarely for her, spoke to a Classmate.
"How should I explain..."
Chen Yao, feeling tired, explained, "Two relative kids came to stay at my house this summer vacation. Because they don't get along, they couldn't both stay at my place at the same time, and they fought many times over the right to stay. I spent a lot of effort just trying to stop them..."
"I see, so that's it."
After understanding the situation, Yukinoshita Yukino didn't ask further and began preparing for class.
[Beep beep beep...]
Just then, Chen Yao's phone rang. He answered groggily, accidentally pressing the speakerphone button in his confusion.
"Hello, who is this?"
——[Father, I heard you don't like eating cold food at school, so I asked Miss Sophie to cook a meal. Can I deliver it for you to enjoy at noon?]
The pleasant yet subdued voice of Rose Crystal came through the phone.
"!!?"
As a result, Rose Crystal's voice was heard by the entire Class. Even the usually unflappable Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Chen Yao's phone with some concern. Chen Yao jolted awake from his sleepy daze and immediately turned off the speakerphone, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Starting from the second semester, rumors spread rapidly throughout the school that the exchange student Chen Yao was acting as a 'Father' in a Male Dancer establishment.
However, when the call ended, Chen Yao didn't realize that Rose Crystal was secretly watching over him from a corner outside a third-floor window... Chapter 068 Alliance with Yukinoshita
One week after the start of the semester, Sobu High School, Second Year Class J.
Recently, Yukinoshita Yukino had been acting strangely. She usually paid close attention in class but occasionally zoned out, and during lunch, she seemed distracted, sitting there deep in thought, which drew the attention of the surrounding Classmates.
Although the surrounding Classmates wanted to show concern, because they had never spoken to her, no one dared to ask.
Finally, on the third day, Yukinoshita Yukino turned her head to look at Chen Yao and said, "Come with me for a moment. I have something I need to discuss with you."
Chen Yao was still eating the hot lunch the Rozen Maiden had given him. Hearing Yukinoshita's words, he was momentarily stunned and asked, "Is something the matter?"
"In any case, after you finish eating, come with me to the corridor. I have something important to tell you."
After Yukinoshita Yukino finished speaking, she continued sitting in her seat, deep in thought.
Ever since the seating arrangements changed for the second semester and Yukinoshita Yukino sat next to him, Chen Yao felt like every day was a year.
After he finished eating, the two walked to an empty corridor. Yukinoshita Yukino looked at him and said, "A few days ago, the Service Club received a request from the Student Council President. The content of the request was to ensure that Isshiki student, who is in the first year, loses the Student Council election gracefully."
"Lose the Student Council election gracefully? And then?"
Chen Yao asked, recalling that something like this had happened.
Since the start of the second semester, because third-year students were entering the exam preparation phase, the school's Student Council needed to elect a new Student Council President. This news was circulating quietly throughout the school.
"I want to become the Student Council President and defeat Isshiki student, but Yuihama student and Hachiman student both seem to disagree with me doing this, and they have both participated in the election using different methods. So, I want to cooperate with you, Classmate Chen Yao. Can you help me campaign?"
Yukinoshita Yukino asked with a serious expression.
This sentence stunned Chen Yao for a while. This was almost unprecedented, as Yukinoshita Yukino, who was always a loner, was asking him to help her campaign. Judging by her expression, she had thought about it for a long time and made the request very seriously.
"Although I really want to help you, you know that my scandal is currently spreading widely everywhere, and my image at school isn't exactly..."
Chen Yao explained his situation helplessly. The nickname of his Male Dancer father had been circulating for almost a week now, with no sign of stopping.
"Hmph, you don't need to worry. Although I don't know why a girl would call you 'Father,' and it's true that your reputation is skewed, please don't underestimate yourself. You are the top student in the second year and also the baseball ace. You still have a lot of influence at school."
Yukinoshita Yukino sighed and said.
Chen Yao was momentarily stunned. He had a lot of influence—was that true or false?
In reality, the most famous celebrities among the entire student body were naturally Hayato Hayama, Yukinoshita Yukino, Miura Yumiko, Yui Yuigahama, and Tobe Sho. Meanwhile, the transfer student Chen Yao was known even to freshmen who had just enrolled. Although opinions were mixed, everyone was still very curious about this absolutely neutral honor student.
Yukinoshita Yukino understood this about him, and after several days of deliberation, she asked for his help.
"So why did you suddenly decide to run for Student Council President? How are you planning to manage the Service Club?"
Chen Yao ignored his reputation for the moment, looked at Yukinoshita Yukino, and asked curiously.
"I will try my best to make time for club activities; it won't be affected."
Yukinoshita Yukino replied.
She could see that Chen Yao seemed to still be thinking about whether to help her, and continued: "Besides, if I am elected Student Council President, maybe some people's free time will increase significantly."
"Considering how long we've known each other, I've decided to help you."
After hearing this, Chen Yao finally made up his mind to help her.
Seeing Chen Yao agree, the frown that had darkened Yukinoshita Yukino's brow for several days finally lifted considerably.
Because of her candidacy for Student Council President, she had major disagreements with Hachiman student and Yuihama student from the Service Club. Yui Yuigahama even ran herself to prevent her from leaving the Service Club, while Hikitani seemed to be secretly helping Isshiki Iroha garner votes.
They didn't realize the immense pressure she was under. The day before yesterday, her mother, as the President of the Parents' Association, came to the school and specifically asked why she, who had been first place from elementary school through middle school, was now consistently second place. Although the school praised her highly, she could feel that her mother was even more disappointed in her.
Therefore, these various factors prompted her to firmly decide to run for Student Council President.
At least Chen Yao was the person she knew best outside of the Service Club, and having him on her side reassured her greatly.
"So how are you planning to run for Student Council President? Distributing flyers at school, or giving a speech on stage?"
Chen Yao immediately asked for Yukinoshita Yukino's plan.
"I've considered both. I decided to first help the Student Council organize the Sports Festival the day after tomorrow, so that students will trust that I can handle any school affairs seriously and effectively."
Yukinoshita Yukino seriously explained her strategy.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yao took out his phone and started searching the school forum. In fact, all kinds of school opinions could be found there. After briefly scrolling through comments about the Student Council election, he said: "Classmate Yukinoshita, your approval rating seems a bit low."
"Yes, after all, I'm hated and envied because I'm too cute. And Classmate Yuihama's popularity is indeed very high. Plus, recently, for some unknown reason, Isshiki student's approval rating has also increased quite a bit..."
Yukinoshita Yukino had to admit this after hearing it, as she had also heard the news from the Student Council side.
Chen Yao listened helplessly to Yukinoshita's narcissistic remark. After a quick scan, he soon found the secret, saying: "I think I understand why the popularity of that junior, Isshiki, has risen so quickly. It seems someone put her campaign link on the blogs of school celebrities Hayato Hayama and Miura Yumiko. Many students believe Hayama and Miura are both supporting this junior's candidacy."
!
Upon hearing about this tactic, Yukinoshita Yukino quickly guessed who was behind the manipulation, and her beautiful face immediately darkened slightly.
But ultimately, she understood that person's intentions. She sighed softly, thinking: "Sure enough, he doesn't understand me either..."
"Although I have thought of many methods, I can't find a way to win, Classmate Chen Yao... If you were running, what method would you use?"
Yukinoshita Yukino had thought of many methods in recent days, but being unfamiliar with the internet, she was ultimately one step behind. She was indeed not very good at promotion. After being influenced by Koudo Ikusei High School, she finally chose to team up with Chen Yao to compensate for her weakness.
"The method of counterattack is simple: I post a clarification, stating that Isshiki student misused the link, and her evaluation will drop immediately. But there's another problem: Classmate Yuihama's approval rating is genuine. She has the support of famous second-year students like Miura and Tobe, so her popularity is very high. Therefore, I also think you need someone with equally high popularity to support you."
Chen Yao analyzed the situation and said to Yukinoshita Yukino.
"But once we clarify, won't Isshiki student's reputation..."
Yukinoshita Yukino became a little worried. If it backfired and caused the junior to be condemned by public opinion, that would feel very bad.
"Actually, you don't have to worry about that. Hayama will definitely agree, as he's such a nice guy. And the reason I judge Miura didn't know is that Classmate Miura Yumiko is famously cliquish; she wouldn't lend her popularity to someone outside her circle. So, in this half-truth, half-false situation, not many people will blame her, though she will certainly lose some support."
Chen Yao analyzed the severity of the public opinion for Yukinoshita Yukino, concluding it wouldn't be serious.
"Mhm, that's good. Then which celebrity do you think could support me to boost my approval rating?"
Yukinoshita Yukino said, then looked at him and asked.
"...Although it's not entirely guaranteed, I will try a certain method, hoping it won't drag down your approval rating."
Chen Yao was still unsure about his actual influence at Sobu High School. He planned to try voicing his support to see how much backing he could provide Yukinoshita Yukino.
"It's fine if you don't use your name. I will keep thinking of methods. In any case, there is still time. Thank you for your trouble."
Yukinoshita Yukino gave him a meaningful smile, looked at him, and said.
~·~·~·~·~·~·
In the afternoon, a post titled "Isshiki Iroha Steals Hayato Hayama and Miura Yumiko's Links" appeared on the school forum, immediately sparking widespread discussion among the entire student body.
Obviously, this significantly dragged down Isshiki Iroha's approval rating, dropping her from first place to third.
After several posts and verification attempts, it seemed that whenever second-year Chen Yao was mentioned, there would be a flood of replies. It appeared that, just as Yukinoshita Yukino had said, his influence was surprisingly high, albeit somewhat negative.
Soon, using his own name, he publicly supported Yukinoshita Yukino on the forum. The content listed Yukinoshita Yukino's contributions to the Student Council and her deeds of helping others through Service Club activities. As a safe measure, the post concluded with: [Although she doesn't quite approve of me, I believe she is a responsible and capable student. While her personality is cool and aloof, she is an incredibly gentle girl in many aspects, and truly the best candidate for Student Council President.]
Chen Yao, the top student in the school, rarely posted a message of support, and the effect was surprisingly significant. In just half an hour, there were over a hundred replies. Many were greetings from younger students, but there was also a reprimand from Teacher Yoshida Taku, and even Teacher Shizuka Hiratsuka commented on the post to support Yukinoshita Yukino. Based on the comments, Yukinoshita Yukino had an 80% approval rating.