Soul Convergence

"Why did you forcibly separate the bait from the hook, sir? Our data says it's as high as 60%!"

"60% is not enough..... And the bait keeps on malfunctioning. We need to investigate further to see if we can continue this program after all."

"Yes, sir!"

The boss leaned on his desk, only the lower half of his face lit by the green light from the screen. He took the microphone and placed it near his thin lips, smirking to himself a bit for reasons only known by him.

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[Approaching the next world in 3.... 2.... 1.....]

"Hey, what was that about!? How did Hu Chuntian remember the memories from the first route!?" Mo Aini hold on tight to the handlebars of the bus as it made a sharp halt after basically flying at a few lightyears per hour.

The system just beamed and open the doors of the bus, its holographic screen shining so mockingly.

[Welcome to Campus Goddess: She Haoran's Route. Please do your best as a Cupid to help the MC and the LI receive a Good Ending—]

"Answer my fucking question first!!!" Mo Aini shouted to the holographic screen. "What is going on!? How did I retrieve the memories that you erased!? And why did you separate me from Hu Chuntian before he can explain anything!?"

[Because those matters do not benefit Shuaige whatsoever.]

"I'm not leaving this damn bus until you explain everything! Just fucking control my body all you want, I don't care anymore!" Mo Aini crossed his arms and sat on one of the chairs.

The system sighed with its robotic, unfeeling voice. [ We can't explain either because we don't know what going on, User Mo Aini. There must be a bug or some external issue that doesn't involve the technology we are using to manipulate multiverses. What happened to you and Hu Chuntian may even be beyond science.]

Mo Aini narrowed his eyes suspiciously since he will be damned if he would trust this system and the people working behind it anytime soon. But his instincts are saying that they're telling the truth. They also have no idea what's going on.

So Mo Aini relented for now, and think about the possibilities for himself. "Alright, say it wasn't your doing. I've read transmigration novels before. Could it be.... soul convergence?"

[Perhaps. You mean that two or more souls merging into one, right?]

"Yes, it's quite common in BL QTs...." Mo Aini rubbed his chin. "Hu Chuntian 1.0 and Hu Chuntian 2.0 merged for some reason. And I need to find out how that happens."

[Well, we won't stop you.]

Mo Aini's eyes widened. "You won't?"

[If you want to merge all the Hu Chuntians you encounter, that's alright. As long as you hold your end of the deal of being a Cupid, we will not be interfering with your personal matters. It would be a problem if you become attached to one of the unfavored LIs, but since it's the one your sister favors, we can let it slide.]

"I don't like your passive-aggressive tone, like I should be fucking grateful for you letting me figure out Hu Chuntian's soul convergence...." Mo Aini stood up. "But I'm a little relieved. I hate it when you monsters try to take control of my body."

[We will try on our end not to resolve to that kind of punishment as long as the user cooperate.]

Mo Aini glared at the word 'punishment' and stepped out of the bus. He was back to the gates of Nushen again, and it was now the beginning of winter, with light snow fluttering to the ground. He hugged himself and made a mental note to buy a scarf and other winter clothes since his wardrobe is very limited.

[By the way, User Mo Aini. Just a reminder.]

The holographic screen popped up in front of him with a warning sign before he can enter the gate.

[If you do manage to converge the souls of the former Hu Chuntian with the current host here, remember that you can only spend time with him for the duration of the route. When it is time to leave, you must leave no matter what. Even if he begs, you can't stay.]

"I know this." Mo Aini brushed the screen aside. "I've already prepared an explanation for him when I leave again. And...."

"I plan to make it clear that we could only be friends. I feel bad for all the waiting he did for me, but for his sake, it's better if we don't go any further from that."

[Oh? What made you come to that decision?]

Mo Aini looked down. "Because it's unfair to him. I'm just passing by in his life.....er, 'lives', and I will come back to my world eventually. Once I explain the situation, I will leave it up to him if he still wants me to converge him in the next route."

------------------------

"Hello, Ai! How was your visit to your family?" Gou Manchu greeted him as he entered their dorm room. The redhead jock was wearing an apron with a beagle puppy logo on it and cooking himself some hotpot to warm himself on the chillingly cold morning.

"So-so." Mo Aini took off his shoes and sprawled on the couch. "Don't call me Ai. Call me Mo-gongzi from now on."

"Oh.... ok." Gou Manchu was weirded out by this request but just shrugged. "Have you eaten already?"

"Not yet." Mo Aini sat up as Gou Manchu delivered him a bowl of soup. "Thanks."

Gou Manchu suddenly took out a whole polaroid camera and took a snap of him eating!

Mo Aini blinked. "Why did you do that?"

"Didn't Mo-gongzi say yesterday that we should practice taking photographs and videos even outside the club from now on?" Gou Manchu was equally confused and shook the photo that came out instantly.

"I did? For what?"

"For next semester's big project? Film and photography?" Gou Manchu found it ironic that his friend who had no amnesia would be more forgetful than him.

When Mo Aini still showed no signs of remembering it, he explained: "The Theater Club is collaborating with the Journalism Club to make a documentary about the life here in Nushen as a promotion to future students."

"Ah..... I see." Mo Aini shrugged. "It's just gone out of my mind after visiting my family, you know. And it's so annoying that they would give us such a big project when the holidays are coming soon."

"Well, they're just asking us to prepare anyway, since the deadline is in March. We still have a whole lot of holidays and festivals ahead of us until then!" Gou Manchu ate his own bowl cheerily. "You'll be spending your holidays with your family, aren't you? That's why you took the bus so early in the morning to visit them?"

"Yeah....." Mo Aini lied.

"Me too! My family lives in Fuzhou so I would have to travel away to visit them as well! I'm so excited, I miss my mother's mantou! I wonder what my dad's New Year present for me will be!"

"Ah, I remember your family is quite well-off." Mo Aini set out his bowl. "Do you get presents like new cars and bikes?"

"Hehe, no." Gou Manchu set down his own bowl and scratched his head. "Nobody allows me to drive because of..... health-related reasons."

Mo Aini remembered that he was an amnesiac after all, and he got his head injury from a crash. That was his 'Bad End'. Shu Chuanli's is his anxiety and agoraphobia resulted in him having intrusive thoughts.

All of these 'LIs' seem to have been picked carefully to make sure there will be a 'Bad End' that could happen relating to their past. So he couldn't help but wonder....

What would Hu Chuntian's route be like? What is his 'Bad End'?

-----------------

The next day of school was the lowest temperature they had in December, and Mo Aini walked under the snow hugging himself and wearing two of his only available design of hoodies, one on top of the other. It looked ridiculous, but he had thick skin. He wished his actual skin is as thick because that would mean that cold wouldn't bother him anyway.

He looked at the posters hanging on the walls and boards. He picked up one of the school's weekly magazine and newspaper issues. She Haoran won the elections again, but he wasn't around to see it. As well as Wang Jing, and every other member from before. There's really no point in campaigning and voting every year, the same people win anyway.

He saw one picture with She Haoran shaking hands with Mo Jiagei, a smile different from his business-like one plastered on his face. He rolled his eyes and returned the newspaper and magazine on the rack. (Meimei doesn't know how lucky she is, thinking that all of this is just a game. Ignorance is a bliss, as they say.)

He would have lesser opportunities to interfere with her choices once the winter break comes, but they probably won't make many major choices during the winter break anyway. So in real-time, She Haoran would have one of the longest routes, but the game would just use time skips to make them feel like they are of the same length.

That means he has a lot more time with the Hu Chuntian in this world.

And he figured it out. The cherry blossom tree is probably the trigger for the soul convergence. Though he doesn't know what exactly about the cherry blossom tree triggered it, he decided to visit it nonetheless.

On the snow-covered gardens, the tree stood alone, dead and flowerless for a moment in this harsh season. He wiped away the snow to reveal the poem and the scratches. He also uncovered the seven-day cigarette hole marks that Hu Chuntian 2.0 made. Sighing, he pressed his hand on the bark, and left after a minute or so.

"Whether I like it or not, Mr. Cherry Blossom Tree, you are now an important part of my life as a transmigrated character here." Mo Aini said to the tree and turned to go to his classes.

But as he took a step on a mound on the ground, he thought he heard a groan in pain

Mo Aini blinked and stepped on it again to make sure.

"Ahhhhhhh....." The mound said.

"Fuck, it's a person!" Mo Aini swooped down to help the person up. "Bro, are you okay? What are you doing here?"

"Damn..... tiger....." The man covered in snow said, and did not move or speak again.

Mo Aini looked around and saw that there was not only one mound in here. There were a dozen others, fully coated with the thick white fluff falling from the sky and must have been freezing in the cold winter since last night. They were probably dying or close to having hypothermia.

In the distance, he saw a figure crouching to pick up these fallen bodies, carrying them and tossing them to the back of a fancy white van.

Mo Aini's imagination went wild. (A serial killer!? A human trafficker!? How can they just kill this many people in the middle of the fucking school!?)

The figure turned around and went in his direction, making Mo Aini froze. He met eyes with him, and he saw its menacing face for the first time.

"Oh." Hu Chuntian said without any emotion whatsoever. "It seems I have another one to add to the pile."

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