Chapter 2 – What Does She Want?!
Stick!
An anonymous philosopher once said:
I stick, therefore I am!
This bit of “philosophy” was now the true portrayal of Lin Xi’s life. To stay alive, she had no choice but to stick to someone.
Sorry, my good friend!
Lin Xi grasped Zhao Xinning’s hand.
Her heart instantly transformed into a roaring engine.
Nervous!
Beyond nervous!
“Xi?” Zhao Xinning turned her head to look at Lin Xi, who was hanging her head. “You…”
Lin Xi braced herself for a lecture. The ship of friendship was about to capsize…
“Walking to school hand-in-hand… it feels like when we were kids!” Zhao Xinning said, her voice a mix of surprise and joy.
Her eyes were sparkling.
So dazzling… Lin Xi felt like she was about to disintegrate into ash under the radiant glow of this bright, cheerful girl.
At the same time, a notification appeared in Lin Xi’s mind.
[Hand-holding with Zhao Xinning successful.]
Her lifespan would be extended for as long as they held hands.
Ah, this-
Hold hands for one minute, live for one more minute.
Isn’t that a bit stingy?
It should at least be something like: hold hands for five minutes, live for two more hours!
Dammit!-
Don’t act like holding hands isn’t a form of sticking!
Despite her internal grumbling, Lin Xi had a second thought: she could exploit this bug.
As long as she held Zhao Xinning’s hand, she would live longer and longer.
However, a new notification appeared.
The “one minute for one minute” exchange rate was temporary. Inflation would occur soon.
The value of holding hands would gradually decrease. Eventually, one minute of hand-holding might only grant one extra second of life.
To combat this inflation, Lin Xi would have to work harder and take her “sticking” with Zhao Xinning to the next level.
After reading the new notification with a string of mental curses, Lin Xi and Zhao Xinning headed for the bus stop, still hand-in-hand.
Along the way, Lin Xi tried to speak as little as possible to avoid revealing that she wasn’t the same person she used to be.
In any case, the Cuddle Witch was originally a quiet introvert.
But there was one question she had to ask Zhao Xinning.
“Xinning, did you hear any strange noises or see any strange people this morning?”
The Cuddle Witch had been taken out, and Zhao Xinning lived nearby. Perhaps she had heard the gunshot or witnessed the culprit.
“No,” Zhao Xinning shook her head. “Why, Xi? Did something happen?”
“No, it’s nothing. I’m just a bit groggy from sleep…” Lin Xi deduced the situation.
The culprit must have used a silencer and fled quickly after firing.
Who could the killer be?…
Before long, the bus arrived.
Lin Xi and Zhao Xinning boarded one after the other.
It was five stops to the school.
It was the morning rush hour, and by the time they got on, only one seat remained.
To show her gratitude for Zhao Xinning helping her extend her life by nearly half an hour, Lin Xi, who had boarded first, offered the seat to her.
But Zhao Xinning said, “You should sit, Xi. You look like you’re still half-asleep.”
Lin Xi was determined to show her gratitude and refused to sit.
“Alright then.” After Zhao Xinning sat down, she patted her lap for Lin Xi to sit on.
An angel… Lin Xi thought.
Crossing over into this world had been a rough start, but meeting an angelic girl… Lin Xi felt a small sense of comfort.
Just then, the bus’s television began broadcasting the morning news.
Lin Xi watched, dumbfounded.
The news report stated:
The Magical Girl Xia Xun, known by the prestigious title of “Ice Sprite,” single-handedly slew a Shape-shifting Witch last night.
According to information released by the Dark Realm Disaster Countermeasures Bureau, the Shape-shifting Witch had arrived in Z City from the Dark Realm nearly a month ago and had committed ten brutal murders.
Magical Girl Xia Xun has once again protected the peace and tranquility of Z City!
Lin Xi stared blankly at the news broadcast.
So, this world really did have all those bizarre creatures!
Magical Girl Xia Xun was also on the Cuddle Witch’s Last Wish List.
Talk about guts!
She was a witch herself, yet she dared to try and get close to a Magical Girl who specialized in exterminating witches?!
Lin Xi decided she would stay as far away from Xia Xun as possible.
She heard Zhao Xinning’s exclamation of admiration. “Miss Xia Xun is truly amazing. She’s beautiful and powerful. The school is going to be so lively today.”
Lin Xi saw Xia Xun appear on the news.
At this moment, she was wearing the same school uniform as Lin Xi, looking every bit the bright and lovely young girl. However, her expression was somewhat cold and aloof, as if she wasn’t particularly interested in being interviewed.
At the bottom of the screen, the scrolling captions displayed Xia Xun’s name.
Lin Xi felt relieved. Although they were in the same grade, at least they weren’t in the same class.
When they reached their stop and got off the bus, the two girls had to part ways after entering the school gates. Zhao Xinning wasn’t in the same class as Lin Xi either; she was in Class 3.
“Xi, how about we grab lunch together?” Zhao Xinning invited.
“Sure,” Lin Xi agreed.
She could use this opportunity to learn more about the school through Zhao Xinning.
Lin Xi found her classroom by checking the labels on the doors. Then, using the seating chart on the teacher’s podium, she confirmed that her seat was in the back row by the window.
The problem ahead wasn’t that she wouldn’t understand the lessons-after all, the high school curriculum in this world was similar to her original world. The real source of distress was that she didn’t recognize any of her classmates!
Heaven help me, Lin Xi prayed silently. Please let no one come over to talk to me.
Thinking about it, she was just a lowly Otaku; there was a high probability she didn’t have any friends in class anyway!
“Good morning, Miss Lin Xi.”
A sweet voice drifted over from behind her.
Of course, the very thing she feared happened. Lin Xi broke into a cold sweat.
Did the Otaku Cuddle Witch actually have friends in class?
Lin Xi turned around.
This person… she recognized her!
She was on the photo wall in her bedroom!
Wasn’t she the one on the Last Wish List-the one with the large, watery eyes-Miss Shi Yu?!
So, she was her classmate!
“Good morning, Miss Shi Yu,” Lin Xi replied with a smile, feigning composure.
“Teacher Wang asked me to find you. We need to go to her office together,” Shi Yu said.
“Oh, okay.” Lin Xi felt a headache coming on. It was just one thing after another.
She would just have to deal with it as it came.
She followed Shi Yu out of the classroom. Walking beside her, she caught a whiff of a fresh citrus scent.
What am I thinking?! Lin Xi brushed aside her stray thoughts. Instead of daydreaming, she needed to figure out how to face the teacher.
She followed Shi Yu into Teacher Wang’s office.
Wait… the office was empty. Had Teacher Wang stepped out for something?!
Startled, Lin Xi turned to look at Shi Yu.
Thud!
Shi Yu reached back and shut the door, then began approaching Lin Xi step by step.
Lin Xi retreated nervously. “Miss Shi Yu, didn’t you say Teacher Wang wanted to see me?”
“Bingo!” Shi Yu flashed a chilling smile. “Actually, I’m the one looking for you, Miss Lin Xi. Or rather, I should call you ‘Miss Witch.'”
Lin Xi’s heart instantly fell into a state of chaos.
She was exposed!
How did she know her true identity?!
Lin Xi backed up until she hit the wall, with nowhere left to run.
She forced herself to stay calm, squeezing out a smile as she said, “Miss Shi Yu, you sure know how to joke.”
Shi Yu said flatly, “Let me see the real you.”
“Huh?!” Lin Xi felt as if she had been struck by a bolt from the blue.
What did she want to do?!
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Discord:
Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.
It helps the website and helps people find this novel!
Advance Chapters:
If you'd like to support our translations with a one-time donation, you can do so via Ko-fi. For early access to chapters, 10 days in advance, consider subscribing to our Patreon.
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/hoxionia
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