“T-Tendo-kun… c-can you come out for a moment?”

During the afternoon break, Tendo, who was hunched over his desk calculating popularity value earnings and planning his spending for the next few days, was suddenly interrupted by a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

He lifted his head in the direction of the voice, his sunglasses sliding down to the tip of his nose, revealing a sliver of his azure blue pupils.

Hm?

Looking at the female classmate who had appeared beside his seat, someone he hadn’t spoken much to, Tendo’s face was filled with confusion. He didn’t understand why she was suddenly looking for him; they hadn’t had much interaction before.

Seeing Tendo gazing at her with a puzzled expression, the girl’s cheeks immediately flushed red like a ripe apple, and an exaggerated amount of white steam billowed from the top of her head, clearly indicating she was overheating.

This sudden scene instantly dumbfounded Tendo.

What’s wrong with her?

And what was her name again?

After rummaging through the labyrinth of his memories, Tendo finally recalled her name.

“Chun Xia-san, just say whatever it is here. It feels like too much trouble to go outside.”

Upon hearing Tendo’s words, the girl’s cheeks grew even redder. Then, under the curious and spectating gazes of the other classmates, the girl abruptly shoved a gift box into Tendo’s arms, and like a startled rabbit, she covered her face and darted out of the classroom.

Tendo looked at the girl’s retreating back, then at the gift in his hands. He finally understood what was going on.

No, so it was a confession!

However, before Tendo could decide whether to open the unfamiliar gift box now or wait until he was alone, Chun Xia’s actions seemed to act like a fuse. Instantly, many female classmates in the class who had been hesitating immediately sprang into action.

“Tendo-kun, this is the bento I made!”

“Tendo, want to go see the Star Beast exhibition this weekend?”

“Tendo…”

Looking at the students who, as if on cue, suddenly swarmed him in a rush, Tendo instinctively wanted to back away. His sunglasses completely slipped off his nose, and a large amount of sweat beaded on his forehead.

No, are you guys ganging up to farm a BOSS?!

Before Tendo could come up with a countermeasure, the fierce human tide completely engulfed him. Soon, the classroom, which had been very quiet moments before, suddenly became noisy.

At the same time, Chen Kong, holding two lunch boxes, just entered from the back door. He looked at his table and chair, which had been accidentally pushed to the corner of the classroom by the crowd, and then at Tendo, who was surrounded by several female classmates. He couldn’t help but say, “W-what’s going on?”

“What else could it be? Of course, it’s because some people, knowing you’re leaving soon, felt that if they didn’t do something now, they wouldn’t have another chance, right?”

Chen Kong turned his head and found that Isabella had appeared beside him at some point. Unlike the initial distance and politeness Isabella showed towards Chen Kong when he first arrived, she now genuinely regarded Chen Kong and his friends as her good friends. Because after the incident at the resort hotel some time ago, Isabella had learned that Tendo and the other transfer students were bodyguards hired by her father, Dorian.

However, even though they were technically bodyguards, Isabella never actually viewed Chen Kong and the others that way. After all, they were not only the same age but had also experienced some things together. Their relationship was naturally much better than that of ordinary classmates.

Upon hearing Isabella’s explanation, Chen Kong immediately understood the situation Tendo was currently facing. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but say, “As expected of Brother Tendo, he’s so popular wherever he goes.”

“So… is Tendo’s situation back where you’re from similar to how it is here in Trilane?”

Chen Kong turned to look at Isabella, who was full of curiosity. After a moment of thought, he gave a rather reasonable explanation.

“Hmm, it’s pretty similar, except the people on our side are a bit more troublesome. Because gaining their approval isn’t an easy feat.”

“Is that so…”

Although Isabella wasn’t entirely clear what “approval” Chen Kong was referring to, given that they were all Star Messengers, it seemed likely that Tendo and Chen Kong’s previous location had many Star Messengers like them. If these Star Messengers were all around their age, then gaining their approval would indeed be quite difficult. After all, Isabella, as the daughter of the wealthiest man, knew exactly how proud the Star Messenger group could be.

Thinking of this, a scene immediately flashed in Isabella’s mind: Tendo defeating those people one by one, then completely subduing them all. The image was so amusing that she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Kong, I don’t know what Tendo was like in the past, but according to you, I guess he wasn’t as easygoing there as he is here, right?”

Chen Kong tilted his head, thinking. He realized Isabella’s words seemed to make sense! Although Tendo had never bullied him at the base, he certainly hadn’t been shy about bullying others. Not to mention anyone else, his own sister, Chen Xing, was essentially beaten by Tendo every three days, and a major beating every five. Although this had nothing to do with Tendo himself—it was all his sister actively seeking abuse…

But all in all, Tendo’s situation at the base could indeed be described as “crabs crossing the street—walking sideways and dominating.” He was the type to go up and hit anyone he disliked a couple of times, guaranteed to make them obedient and compliant.

Thus, faced with Isabella’s question, the naive Chen Kong answered without thinking, completely oblivious to Isabella’s mischievous eyes, which seemed to have dug a small trap for him.

“Yes, in a sense, Brother Tendo… really is like that!”

“What is ‘really like that’?”

No sooner had Chen Kong finished speaking than Caroline’s voice unexpectedly echoed from behind him. Under Isabella’s half-smiling expression, Chen Kong stiffly turned his head.

“C-Caroline-jie, when did you get here?”

Ignoring Chen Kong’s unnatural expression, Caroline looked at Tendo, who was currently enthusiastically surrounded by female classmates, and said absently, “I guess I arrived when Isabella asked you what Tendo was like back home?”

It’s over, it’s all over…

Upon hearing Caroline’s reply, Chen Kong’s face instantly turned ashen, and his image in the anime screen visibly turned black and white, shattering like a statue on the spot.

Because among the Children of the Stars, there had always been a peculiar rule circulating:

[Stars’ Spooky Story: You can speak ill of Tendo in front of him, but you absolutely cannot speak ill of Tendo in front of Caroline.]

Because the former would at most get you a beating from Tendo.

The latter… could very well make your life a living hell.

And in Chen Kong’s opinion, what he had just said in response to Isabella clearly amounted to speaking ill of Tendo!

So, has my life truly ended?

Real World, Station 13.

Watching Chen Kong’s utterly defeated and amusing expression on the screen, the dimensional viewers certainly weren’t going to miss this opportunity to kick him while he was down!

‘Ah, poor Ah Kong, talking bad about someone else’s husband and getting caught, if you don’t die, who will.’

‘Caroline: Your phone is very interesting, so I’ve decided to share your browser history with everyone. (Demonic whisper)’

‘Facts tell us, the prettier the girl, the more dangerous she is. Ah Kong, you were clearly set up by Isabella.’

‘Give up, Ah Kong, you’re still young, you can’t outplay her!’

Although the bullet comments were full of schadenfreude for Chen Kong’s tragic future, in reality, Caroline didn’t actually care much about what he had said. Because more than that, what she was currently more concerned about was Tendo, who was surrounded by the female classmates.

Although her expression was calm at the moment, so calm that no one could detect the slightest abnormality, a terrifying undercurrent was silently gathering beneath her serene face!

Not good, killer intent!

Danger, danger, danger!

Relying on his powerful intuition, Tendo felt a large, blood-red “Danger” character appear above his head! Without any hesitation, driven by an intense survival instinct, Tendo decisively turned his head to look at the source of the danger.

And with that, he immediately saw Caroline standing by the back door, her face as cold as frost.

Thump, thump, thump—

Seeing that Tendo had noticed her, Caroline immediately knocked on the nearby doorframe with her hand. This not-so-loud knocking sound, however, instantly silenced the noisy classroom.

At the same time, Caroline, abandoning her usual coldness, suddenly spoke to Tendo not far away in a very uncharacteristic, rarely seen gentle tone, smiling, “Tendo, come out for a moment.”

Seeing Caroline’s clearly problematic expression and tone, Tendo was instantly struck by lightning, feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

Damn it, something big is happening!

Without the slightest hesitation, Tendo, who couldn’t be called out by anyone else, instantly shot to his feet.

“Oh, okay, coming right away!”

Watching Tendo walk over, Caroline nodded, turned, and headed towards the rooftop. Tendo immediately followed, not daring to hesitate for a second. Because he knew very well that if he hesitated for even a single second, what awaited him… would be an incomparably cruel living hell!

Meanwhile, watching Tendo being called away so easily by Caroline, the female classmates in the class exchanged glances, and all saw clear unwillingness in each other’s eyes.

Undoubtedly, they had wasted their efforts.

Because with Caroline around, they had no chance at all!

And after Tendo and Caroline both left, Chen Kong, who had by now recovered his senses, suddenly looked at Isabella in confusion.

“Strange, why did Caroline-jie suddenly come over today? She rarely comes to our class during lunch break.”

“Oh, you mean that? That’s because I called her over, of course.”

Isabella suddenly pulled out her phone and, smiling, showed Chen Kong her chat history with Caroline.

[Isabella: Someone’s confessing to Tendo, wanna come see?]

[Caroline: On my way.]

Seeing the chat history, Chen Kong instantly understood.

Well, well! So this is where I got caught!

However, compared to being heard by Caroline speaking “ill” of Tendo, Chen Kong felt that Tendo’s current predicament was probably worse than his own.

Because Caroline-jie’s expression just now… clearly meant she was going to devour someone.

Thinking of this, Chen Kong suddenly turned to look at Tendo’s retreating back in the corridor, his eyes filled with sympathy.

My poor Brother Tendo, I hope you make it back alive.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep