Chapter 88: Educating the New Roommate
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: Educating the New Roommate
I watched Dongli Yiren’s behavior. From the moment the Senior Sister brought her here, she had gone from being painfully shy to lacking even basic manners when meeting me, a fellow freshman.
Perhaps there were extenuating circumstances—for instance, the fact that she had been gender-swapped. That was a massive life event, and she clearly needed time to process it. But that didn't mean I had to spend my time revolving around her, did it?
She gave off a different vibe than Quan Xiuzhu. At the very least, up until now, she hadn't even said "thank you" once!
Though, I suppose she did say "sorry" at one point.
Regardless, if she didn't realize this and kept acting this way, it would look like I was throwing myself at her just to see her reaction. That simply wouldn't do.
"Are you asking me? If so, could you try asking again with a 'please'? Usually, a Senior Sister is supposed to take you to get those things."
"This... Could you please tell me where I can collect them?" Clearly, after a second of hesitation, the allure of free items triumphed over her reserve.
Whatever it was that made her say "please," it seemed this roommate was at least somewhat reasonable... probably.
"Of course. Let's head out now. Do you know how to use the phone? I mean the one the academy issued."
"I do."
Dongli Yiren nodded. It made sense; we lived in a modern society, after all. No matter how much a phone changed, a young person could figure it out after a bit of tinkering.
"You don't need to come with me. Just tell me where it is, and I'll go by myself... Uh... I mean, I don't want to trouble you."
"But I'm free anyway. Are you sure? Do you even know how to get there? It’s not exactly close."
"I'll take the bus. The Senior Sister who brought me here took the bus; I know it's free." Dongli Yiren nodded again, offering a polite but firm rejection.
"I see. Well then, I hope you don't run into any Perverted Senior Sisters on the way."
I said it with a smile, though I was surprised that the Senior Sister had brought her here by bus. I’d seen that Senior Sister fly off on a broom, so I assumed they’d arrived the same way.
But that was none of my business. If she didn't want me following her, then I wouldn't. Forcing myself on her would only be awkward. Maybe she felt there was still a "men and women should keep their distance" issue?
Whatever the reason, I had to let her be. The excitement of having a new roommate had almost been drained away by this brief interaction. It seemed I really was a failure at making friends, even when I took the initiative.
"P-Perverted... Perverted Senior Sisters?"
Suddenly, Dongli Yiren cried out, nearly jumping out of her skin. I hadn't expected such a reaction; she genuinely startled me.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
I looked at her. She looked like she was having a PTSD flashback. Had she actually encountered a Perverted Senior Sister?
No, she definitely had. Probably the one who delivered her here.
"No... It's... It's nothing... I just wanted to ask, are there many Perverted Senior Sisters in the academy?" Dongli Yiren denied it reflexively, but her voice was trembling as she spoke.
"Oh? Probably quite a few."
Seeing her like this, I could tell she wasn't faking it. Although I hadn't personally encountered any "perverts" yet—well, that’s not entirely true, but none had tried anything on me—that didn't stop me from trying to bluff her a bit.
"Besides, a lot of the Senior Sisters in the academy are very interested in freshmen who have been gender-swapped from male to female. Anyway, you should be careful. You’re very easy to spot, and those Perverted Senior Sisters have very sharp eyes."
Thinking about this made me think of Senior Sister Ying Shiqian and her group. I thought I’d hidden myself quite well, yet they’d seen through me instantly.
"Um... maybe I won't go out after all..." After much deliberation, Dongli Yiren stopped in her tracks.
"What? Are you that afraid of Perverted Senior Sisters? If you don't mind me asking, did you..."
"No! I wasn't... anyway, I wasn't!" Before I could finish, Dongli Yiren cut me off.
The sudden outburst made things incredibly awkward for both of us. She also realized she had overreacted.
Wasn't this basically a self-confession?
So she had already been messed with by some Senior Sister... I wonder if she’d been "tested" yet? She was still a freshman, so surely they wouldn't go that far?
"Alright, look, you can't just pass up free stuff. I'll go with you." I stood up from the sofa, smoothed out the wrinkles in my clothes, and smiled.
"If you come with me, we won't run into any perverts?" Dongli Yiren asked, still worried.
"There will be two of us. Besides, I know spells."
As I spoke, I tugged at the Medal pinned to my chest. Was it my imagination, or was my chest starting to show some actual curves?
It seemed the changes weren't slow at all. It had only been a few days, and the transformation was already visible to the naked eye. But now wasn't the time for that.
"This is the Medal from the Four-Piece Set. It has a Solidification Spell on it. You haven't collected yours yet, so you wouldn't know, but I have mine. With an offensive spell, other Senior Sisters will be a bit more wary. Don't worry." I said reassuringly.
I knew perfectly well that the older Senior Sisters definitely possessed much more powerful spells and protection barriers. The power of my solidified spell might not even be enough to scratch them, and I hadn't even tested its strength yet.
But it was enough to comfort Dongli Yiren.
At that moment, Dongli Yiren was staring intently at the Medal on my chest. I instinctively covered my chest with my hand; her gaze was a bit too intense.
"Ah... S-sorry, I was just looking at the Medal..." Dongli Yiren realized her behavior was rude and quickly apologized, a blush creeping onto her face.
She had just been desperate to get her hands on that power. Once she got the Four-Piece Set, she would be able to use spells. With spells, she could protect herself.
Maybe... maybe even get revenge? Was that possible?
"You can't do that, it's very rude! Even if it's a misunderstanding!" I scolded her immediately. Then, I let my gaze drift toward her chest. Since she was a girl now anyway, I might as well look back.
Still flat as a board, though. Once she grows, I’ll have to get a feel for them myself! I kept that thought buried deep for now; there would be plenty of time for "revenge" later.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please, take me there." Dongli Yiren continued to apologize profusely. If she had only valued the Four-Piece Set because it was free before, she now had a mandatory reason to get it!
It was the first taste of Transcendent power she could access before starting classes, and her only means of self-preservation. She didn't want to miss this chance over a small misunderstanding.
"Sigh... I really can't do anything with you. You were just saying you didn't want me to take you." I crossed my arms and spoke in a teasing tone. Since she was the one begging me now, I could afford to be a little playful.
I could see her thirst for the Medal. After all, having it meant possessing Transcendent means. Combined with her reaction to "Perverted Senior Sisters," I had a rough idea of what she was going through.
"I'm sorry, I was being immature. Um... shall we go?"