Chapter Nine: The Pink Triangle
The crotch? Standing tall? Geng Haoshi’s eyes furtively glanced downward... Good heavens! It was indeed standing proud! The lightweight track pants he’d bought in high school and never worn had betrayed him!
Yang Mimi noticed Geng Haoshi’s gaze and curiously looked down as well...
In a flash, Geng Haoshi hastily crouched, clutching his stomach. “My stomach hurts!”
“Second Brother, are you alright?” Seeing his pained expression, Yang Mimi asked with concern.
“Maybe I caught a chill... I’ll go to the restroom first.”
Clutching his stomach, bent over, Geng Haoshi swiftly made his way toward the nearest restroom.
Only when Yang Mimi’s caring gaze had faded behind him, and he entered the restroom, did Geng Haoshi dare to straighten up.
He found a stall in the men’s restroom, locked the door behind him, and began to calm his mind, taking deep breaths...
“...Master, with such deep breaths, aren’t you inhaling the stench of urine and feces?”
“...Shut up!”
“...Master, you still have five hundred sit-ups and five hundred squat jumps to complete...”
“...Shut! Up!”
After about five minutes, Geng Haoshi finally felt calm, and the little troublemaker settled down as well.
He left the restroom, washed his hands, tidied his hair in the mirror, and hurried back toward Yang Mimi.
She was still waiting in the same spot.
When she saw him approach, her face was full of concern again. “Second Brother, are you feeling better?”
“Heh, yes, much better.” Looking at Yang Mimi’s caring eyes, Geng Haoshi thought that besides his mother back home, she was the only other person to show him such concern.
“Second Brother, you must be hungry too, right? Let me treat you to dinner.” Yang Mimi smiled sweetly.
Geng Haoshi almost agreed, but then reconsidered. No, how could he let a girl pay?
“How could I let a girl treat me? I should treat you to dinner.”
“Oh? Do you look down on girls?” Yang Mimi feigned anger and turned her face away, but soon turned back with a smile. “I still haven’t properly thanked you for saving my life.”
Seeing her resolute expression, Geng Haoshi could only follow her to the sixth cafeteria, which was closest to the sports field.
At this hour, the place was crowded with people eating dinner. With trays in hand, Geng Haoshi and Yang Mimi stood in the long queue amidst the throng.
He vaguely heard whispers behind him... One boy nudged another, “Hey, look, a beauty! An absolute stunner!” As he said “stunner,” he gestured with his hands before the other boy’s eyes. The other replied, “Yeah! A real beauty! But she doesn’t seem to be from our school.”
That reminded Geng Haoshi he should ask Yang Mimi about it over dinner.
After finally getting their food, and under the curious stares of many, Geng Haoshi and Yang Mimi sat at an empty table together.
“Who’s that pig-headed guy?! How could such a beauty sit and eat with him?!”
“Maybe she’s being forced—some kind of brute force!”
“Doesn’t look like it... That beauty’s chatting and laughing with that pig-head.”
“That pig-head must be a rich kid!”
“Exactly! A super rich kid! Otherwise, there’s no way a goddess like her would share a table with him!”
“Ah, all the good dishes end up with the pigs!”
“That’s just how society works! Get used to it!”
...The whispers came loud and clear, unfiltered, to Geng Haoshi’s ears.
He tried to maintain composure amid those murderous stares, and said to Yang Mimi, “Mimi, you’re not from our school, are you? Our classmates are quite lively, don’t mind their chatter.”
Yang Mimi smiled sweetly, her dimples like two tiny black holes, drawing every gaze into their depths.
She continued, “My school’s right next door to yours.”
“Next door?”
Usually a recluse in his dorm, playing games or watching shows, Geng Haoshi hardly ever left campus. Now he recalled that his school was indeed adjacent to a university called Huayu Design Academy.
“So close... No wonder you sleepwalked into our school...” Realizing he’d said something inappropriate, Geng Haoshi hurriedly stuffed a mouthful of rice.
“Hehe... Second Brother, you’re nervous. But it’s alright, sleepwalking is a fact.”
“Mimi, remember to lock your dorm door at night.” He’d wanted to say this earlier but hadn’t dared. Now, with Mimi so open-hearted, he found the courage.
“Got it.” Yang Mimi replied obediently, and even placed a fried chicken drumstick in his bowl!
Seeing this, the boys who envied Geng Haoshi and lusted after Yang Mimi’s beauty dropped their trays in shock... Instantly, a metallic “concerto” echoed through the sixth cafeteria.
Geng Haoshi was unfazed. After all, Mimi had just wiped his sweat for him! With that thought, he gave the crowd of murderous or lovestruck guys a proud, defiant look.
In that instant, hatred in the cafeteria soared, all directed at his plump, round face!
He didn’t mind. Usually, nobody liked him anyway; now, with so many hating him, perhaps he’d be “infamous for ages.” Being remembered was better than being invisible... This was the life philosophy he’d cultivated through years of unnoticed survival, where even if someone stepped on his toes, people would think they’d stepped in something unpleasant.
“By the way, Second Brother. Are you going to the sports field tonight? I’ll be rehearsing with the cheerleaders on your school’s field.”
Is the goddess inviting me? Geng Haoshi nodded vigorously, “I’ll be there, definitely!”
...After dinner, Yang Mimi returned to her school, while Geng Haoshi headed early to the sports field.
“Later, Mimi will be rehearsing with the cheerleaders—does that mean I’ll see her in a super short mini skirt?!” He fantasized about the beautiful scene to come.
“...Master, you still have five hundred sit-ups and five hundred squat jumps unfinished, and also—”
“Alright, alright. I’ll start now, okay?” He thought, finish early and enjoy watching Mimi’s cheer routine in peace.
“...” 9527 had actually meant to tell him something important...
Thinking of the goddess, the mini skirt, the cheer routine, Geng Haoshi felt his strength surge! He managed to finish five hundred sit-ups alone within half an hour, despite no one holding his feet... Of course, his large belly meant each sit-up was only half-done...
Then, lost in warm fantasies of being with his goddess, he finished five hundred squat jumps in twenty minutes... Though his squats looked suspiciously like he was relieving himself...
Geng Haoshi lay flat on the grass at the center of the sports field, gasping for breath.
“I’ve finally done it!” he shouted.
“...Master, actually...”
“No more ‘actually’! What I need most now is to recover and be at my best, so I can fully appreciate the goddess’s invitation.” With that, he fell into a deep sleep...
“Second Brother?”
A familiar voice, a familiar delicate fragrance... It was Mimi! Geng Haoshi jolted upright, grinning foolishly at Yang Mimi.
“Second Brother, how did you fall asleep here? You’ll catch a cold.”
The goddess cares for me again...
“No, no. I’m very strong, never get sick.” He tried to show off his arm muscles... But no matter how hard he flexed, all he showed was fat.
Seeing his awkwardness, Yang Mimi stood up, smiled, and said, “Bread will come, milk will come, and muscles will come too! I have to go rehearse—see you later.”
With a turn, she departed... Her delicate fragrance wafted everywhere... As the skirt twirled, Geng Haoshi glimpsed a hint of pale pink... Could it be?! His nose began bleeding uncontrollably...
On a nearby patch of grass, Yang Mimi and several other girls in ultra-short mini skirts leaped, bent forward, swayed... Drawing cheers from the surrounding boys, while Geng Haoshi sat aside, quietly bleeding...
“...Master, after a full scan of your body, your internal heat is excessive, and your blood loss is ongoing... According to big data, if this continues for another half hour, you might expire.”
Seeing no reaction, 9527 continued, “Master, I meant to tell you... You’ve only completed half your tasks today...”
“Only half?!” Geng Haoshi snapped back, “I ran five thousand meters, did five hundred pull-ups, five hundred sit-ups, and five hundred squat jumps!”
“...Master, because you challenged a higher level, you must complete the original tasks twice to finish.”
“...” The familiar silence.
“...” That all-too-familiar silence.
“You! Everything is your fault! Why am I the one suffering?!” Geng Haoshi roared.
“...Master, complaining is useless. You’d best accept your fate and start again...”
Before 9527 could finish, Geng Haoshi, face twisted in resentment, began sprinting madly around the rubber track! His only thought now was to finish these damned tasks quickly and wander the campus with Mimi.
He ran furiously, his anger burning... Wait, that delicate fragrance again... He turned his head and saw Yang Mimi waving cheer pom-poms in the field, shouting, “Second Brother, keep going! Second Brother, keep going!...”
Watching the goddess cheer, leap, and occasionally reveal glimpses of that pale pink... As if blossoming just for him...
“I’ll give it my all!”