I'll Be Your (Boy)friend

"Deal. Just don't act like a creep and make sure your sister will like me, Da Ge."

Hu Chuntian shook his hand, took the letter, and got out without another word.

Mo Aini looked at his hand. A handshake. That's progress!

Everyone just stared at him smiling like crazy and he just gave an equally deadly stare as Hu Chuntian. "What are you looking at, classmates?"

Everyone went back to their business, no longer wanting to aggravate any of these crazy men.

Mo Aini didn't listen to the lecture and focused on strategizing again like he always does. He scribbled some notes on how to deal with Hu Chuntian, and the things that made him remember his past self.

First, it was the cherry blossom tree. The significance was obvious. That's where their last encounter was, where the system revealed its true colors.

Second was Hu-Hu. Hu Chuntian said it was given by an Uncle who told him it has powers. Could this just be a coincidence? Maybe it's because he touched Hu-Hu when he painted Hu Chuntian.

So.... What would be the third 'save point'? Is there any guarantee that the album would be the next object that will make him remember?

And if it isn't, what then?

What makes these objects so special that they can make a glitch in these worlds controlled by the system and merge souls?

[You shouldn't get too caught up too much on that. Don't forget that you still have to help Mo Jiagei in her choice-making if you don't want to get Ma Jianyu's Bad Ending. We advise the User to focus his thoughts on things that matter the most.]

(Speaking of things that matter... What's the purpose of this whole thing anyway?) He finally asked the system directly. (You have the power to transmigrate people. Even if you say that technology is not yet developed, it can be used in even more useful things than this and earn you a lot of money and fame for the company.)

(Why an otome of all things? And why choose me as a Cupid?)

[We are not obliged to answer that. And we would like to give you a fair warning:

Don't even attempt to get involved in things that do not involve you. Stop dwelling in these matters for your own sake.]

There was a change in the system's tone when it said that. There was actual worry and anxiety on it, like it truly want to keep Mo Aini from danger.

Mo Aini just narrowed his eyes, not caring for these precautions. (I see that you guys are just shady as usual on your evil schemes. Fine. As long as it's not related to me or Hu Chuntian, even if it's world domination that you are planning, I don't care."

[Really? You don't? Even if it's for the sake of mankind itself?]

(I don't have a heroic syndrome like Ma Jianyu. I'm not a good person, you probably know that by now.) Mo Aini drew the Shuaige logo being set on fire. (I'm neutral at best, and only care for the things that matter to me and nothing else. Some people may think that's selfish but I'm just being reasonable.)

(Being a hero wouldn't get you anywhere. It's just setting yourself for more pain while getting nothing in return. And I'm already through enough shit, I don't plan on being a savior anytime soon.)

At this, the man behind the screen frowned. This is something he did not expect from Mo Aini, something that doesn't fit his..... expectations.

But it wasn't enough to make him dislike him completely.

[We don't judge any ideology of our Cupids. All we ask is for them to do their jobs properly and be obedient. Then all will be well.]

Mo Aini rolled his eyes, and the pesky system didn't speak to him again.

".....Don't forget to submit your official requests from the schools that you will go to in college so that Nushen High can supply you with the required papers. Class dismissed."

(Oh, right. After graduation means college.)

There's no need for Mo Aini to worry about college all over again because he would disappear from this world before that happens. His own experience when choosing a college degree and university was... More than awful.

It was very stressful. There were fighting, a lot of hurtful words being thrown at him..... Yet he still pursued graphic design anyway.

His parents refused to give him any funds unless he chose the career they wanted for him.

He cannot get any scholarship because he's not smart, and he isn't that lucky enough to come upon a benefactor for his 'talents'. So he ended up working part-time jobs to pay for his tuition, going into several loans, and barely sleeping more than 3 hours at night.

And in the end, it's not even worth it.

But then again, if he didn't suffer all that, would he even meet Hu Chuntian?

Fate works in weird ways. Sometimes you'll feel extremely unlucky, down in the dumps..... Then you'll hit the jackpot, and meet the one who will completely change your life.

(Hmmm.... I wonder what college Hu Chuntian will attend to, and what degree he'll get.) Mo Aini took his bag and went outside the classroom to look for his favorite blondie in the cafeteria. (He'll probably where Mo Jiagei's character is going.)

He saw Hu Chuntian with a bowl of spicy noodle soup standing by the line, looking at something.

"Hello, A-Tian. What are you looking at?"

"How do I get all those people away from her?" Hu Chuntian did not even spare him a glance and remained focused on staring at a certain table of friends.

Everyone Mo Aini ever knew was there, laughing and talking. On the right side of the table, there were three. Shu Chuanli, who puffed his cheeks with food with his signature tsundere pout. Gou Manchu, who took a bite at Shu Chuanli's mantou, then quickly made a gesture of apologizing. And Wang Jing, who crossed her arms and observed them judgingly.

On complete opposite to her was her girlfriend Li Youman, who offered to also feed her dumplings using her chopsticks. Ma Jianyu copied her and offered some egg rolls to Mo Jiagei, who politely declined with a very annoyed face, choosing the Bad Ending option.

And there was She Haoran, who was out of place with these couples and could only focus himself in flipping through paperwork that he had brought with him to distract himself from the lovey-dovey aura of the table.

"There's too many people around her, I should be the only one who's there by her side." Hu Chuntian frowned, bringing his tray to a table that has a good view of Mo Jiagei's table. "She doesn't need that many friends when she has me."

Mo Aini sat beside him. "I know. But hey, but you can't just rush up and spoil their fun by pulling her away from them. You need to take it slow. Girls don't like it when their friendships are being threatened by their romantic relationships. It gives them too much stress."

He popped a dumpling in his mouth. "And stress gives them pimples, which they really hate! So much that they start to be grouchy and hateful towards you if you were the cause of it. So you shouldn't mess with meimei's friends for now, you can approach her some other time."

"Are you not her friend? You said you weren't that close anymore, what caused it?" Hu Chuntian asked.

Mo Aini thought: (A fucking system. But even before then..... Yeah, meimei and I are not that close anymore. Not to be considered 'friends'.)

"I guess it's just that I'm older, and experienced things she can't relate to." Mo Aini said. "Mo Jiagei isn't really the most mindful person of what she says. She can sometimes say the most hurtful things without meaning to. But that's because she's young, and doesn't know any better, so I just forgive her."

Hu Chuntian frowned. "Mo Jiagei can be mean too?"

"Yeah, she's not a perfect high school goddess like you all guys think. No one is. We all have flaws." Mo Aini munched on his food. "That's why I think forming a group of friends is some sort of miracle, especially if they are genuine and last long. You managed to find people who can relate to you and like you even with all your differences."

"It's so cool to think about, how someone can match you out all the people in this world." He continued. "The same goes for romantic partners. And if it's a romantic partner who you were also friends with, that's twice as magical. I didn't even think that was possible at first, because we grew up to believe that friendship and love are separate."

"Boy meets girl. One of them has a crush. They fall in love. But they weren't friends, they just get together because of attraction. That kind of stuff." Mo Aini sighed. "Dating had become so physical too, instead of emotional. You like her dress one time, you ask her out. She says yes. It doesn't work out, you break up. Then find another one. A lot of people live like that nowadays."

Mo Aini realized he was rambling, then chuckled. "Sorry, I sound like some old guy ranting about young people. I'm just 24 years old, and have been in a relationship once, so I'm basically just all talk. I only based this on what I see from other people."

Hu Chuntian still listened to all of this and nodded, then at the last part where Mo Aini apologized he shook his head. "No, it's fine. I found you weird at first but I think I can actually learn a lot from you, Da Ge."

(Oh, not really. I ended up learning more from you.) Mo Aini thought fondly, recalling all his lovely memories with the man in front of him.

He had the urge to hold Hu Chuntian's hand. It was so close, and he held that hand so many times already.

But he can't, and he controlled himself for now.

They ate in silence when Hu Chuntian suddenly said: "I never had any friends."

"Hm?" Mo Aini out his chopsticks down once he's finished.

"I didn't get what you were saying at first because I didn't really have any friends." Hu Chuntian said. "Or maybe I did. I used to spar with someone and they stayed at my house."

Mo Aini's heart stopped. He immediately turned to Hu Chuntian. "Who was it?"

"I don't really remember. But there's two sets of toothbrushes in my house, two sets of boxing gloves, and two sets of other things. I'm pretty sure it doesn't belong to any of my servants." Hu Chuntian knitted his eyebrows. "They're just suddenly there..... Oh, Mo Jiagei is leaving!"

"Wait, A-Tian! Don't go yet, tell me more!" Mo Aini pulled on his sleeves, but Hu Chuntian stood up and completely forgot about what he was saying, dashing off to his sister.

"I'm going to befriend her like you advised! Ms. Mo, wait for me!"

Mo Aini was left at the table, feeling both ecstatic about this development and disappointed as well that Hu Chuntian left.

(Fuck, the alternate universe really does just parallelize each other! This would make it easier to convince Hu Chuntian that he knew me before!)

But he still has to stop Hu Chuntian from being so blindly in love with his sister that he wouldn't notice these things.

How does he do that?

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