Chapter 34 Summer is here. There is only one root of human troubles...
The cicadas are chirping, and people are going crazy.
On a sweltering summer day, the activity room of the Tennis doujin circle was as hot as a sauna.
Risa slumped on the sandalwood table, her cheek pressed against the cold surface, looking like a dehydrated salted fish.
"It's so hot... I'm going to die..."
"Hold on for another half hour, the repairman said he'll be there soon."
Jieyue was busy typing on her computer, the spreadsheet in front of her filled with numbers.
"Would you like to borrow my fan to cool off?" Asuka mechanically held up the small fan in her hand.
Her expressionless face gave off an eerie chill.
Risa lifted her eyelids and glanced at Asuka and Chinatsu, who were doing handicrafts. Asuka was meticulously tidying up the balls of yarn, while Chinatsu was focused on crocheting.
The two seemed to be surrounded by a cooling barrier, completely unaffected by the heat.
"You seem to be in a bad mood lately, senpai." Chika lowered her head, her hands moving without stopping. "Are you experiencing a creative block?"
"Chika..."
Risa suddenly sat up straight as if she had risen from the dead. "There is only one root of human troubles—"
She slammed her hand on the table. "Poor!"
Asuka: "...Don't use your innocent, pretty girl face to say things that only a middle-aged drunkard would say."
Chika blinked in confusion.
In her memory, Risa-senpai received the highest monthly commission from Concept Store, plus patent fees for new product designs. How could this be...?
"You bought luxury goods?" Asuka pushed up her reflective glasses.
"I wish it were..." Risa wailed and collapsed back down.
"But I'm still struggling at the very bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, okay?"
Without looking up, Yuzuki added, "She just bought a new graphics tablet last week, and her computer broke down the next day. The money to repair the computer was enough to buy a used one, so she gritted her teeth and bought an all-in-one drawing computer, a mid-to-high-end configuration, for nearly 300,000 yen."
“…We really can’t skimp on creative tools.” Asuka nodded.
"Senior, would you like to borrow some money from me for an emergency?" Chika asked with concern.
Risa waved her hand, took out her phone to check her balance: "It hasn't come to that yet..."
Her voice stopped abruptly.
The screen clearly displays:
Account Balance: 102,345 yen
"Wait! I clearly remember there being over two hundred thousand!"
The three of them looked up at the same time.
"ah......"
Risa suddenly remembered something and guiltily looked away.
"I bought Akaya the latest Switch and a collector's edition Wii and accessories the day before yesterday..."
The activity room became eerily quiet for a moment.
“This kid…” Jieyue sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"Really..." Asuka's glasses reflected light.
"I'm so happy..." Chika sighed softly.
The silence made the cicadas' chirping outside the window even more jarring.
Looking at her phone balance, Risa suddenly realized that the broken air conditioner wasn't so bad after all.
It's much better than thinking about the 100,000 yen I impulsively swiped.
"Damn it! I work so hard to earn money every day, why am I still so poor?!" Risa pressed her forehead against the cold table and let out a desperate wail.
She angrily poked at her phone screen with her fingertips, as if that would make the pitiful numbers swell up.
In her past life, after becoming a movie queen, any advertising endorsement she did would start at seven figures. Now, looking at the mere six-figure balance in her account, which was in Japanese yen, she felt utterly devastated.
I regret it so much. I should have checked the almanac before going out that day, or I shouldn't have gone out at all.
If she hadn't gone out, she wouldn't have been hit and killed by a male celebrity's toxic fan. If she hadn't been killed, as a newly crowned Best Actress, as long as she paid her taxes on time, followed the rules for artists, and didn't cause trouble or engage in scandals, she would definitely have had no shortage of commercial endorsements.
That's real, hard-earned money, more than you could earn in several lifetimes—a continuous stream of wealth.
What is the most painful thing in life? It is to finally climb to the top, only to die before you have a chance to enjoy the glory.
Waaaaaah ┭┮﹏┭┮
Who would have thought that a former movie queen would now be struggling to earn a mere 100,000 yen?
Just as she was wallowing in self-pity, the school's public address system suddenly blared out—
[Notice: The deadline for registration for the 33rd Rikkai University "Campus Image Ambassador" competition is today at 5:00 PM. Interested students, please...]
Risa looked up blankly: "What is a campus image ambassador?"
"It's a traditional activity at Rikkai University," Asuka replied without looking up, "essentially a talent scout, a disguised way of discovering people with star potential."
Chika put down her knitting and added, "The selection criteria are extremely strict, and there aren't many people who apply each year. Last year's winner was Niou-senpai from the tennis club."
Asuka pushed up her glasses, a cold glint flashing in the lenses: "Although he received a 200,000 yen reward, the price was leaving behind precious photos of him in women's clothing."
"Two hundred thousand?!" Risa sat up abruptly, her eyes shining.
"You don't know?" Asuka raised an eyebrow.
“Risa only transferred here this year, so it’s normal that she doesn’t know.” Yuzuki chuckled and turned the computer screen, skillfully bringing up the campus network announcements. “Look, these are the competition rules and judging criteria.”
Asuka adjusted her glasses and quickly scanned the match schedule:
Campus Ambassador Selection Contest
○ First Round: First Impression on Stage
Format: TED-style talk + talent flash mob (300 seconds limited)
Round Two: Situational Challenge
Format: Assigned performance topic + impromptu performance based on randomly selected topic + audience interaction (randomly assigned scenario)
○ Round Three: Acting Battle
Format: 1v1 arena performance + judge/audience voting (custom performance)
"Still so strict." Asuka's glasses reflected the light. "Singing, dancing, acting, and improvisation are all tested. If you didn't know better, you'd think they were selecting trainees."
Chika nodded worriedly: "I heard that last year a senior student forgot her lines during an impromptu performance and burst into tears on stage..."
But Risa's gaze was completely drawn to the bold gold lettering on the poster:
[Champion Prize: JP200,000]
The number grew larger and larger in her eyes, eventually transforming into a burning fighting spirit.
"Isn't this like a windfall?" She slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly, her eyes filled with lust for money. "Jieyue, where's the registration portal?"
Asuka frowned: "Hey, did you even read the requirements carefully?"
Chinatsu: "Risa-senpai is very beautiful, but this competition isn't just about selecting the 'visual representative,' it tests overall ability..."
“It’s alright.” Risa curled her lips into a confident smile and said, “I can endure any hardship for money.”
The activity room fell silent for a second.
"...What a terrifying sense of conviction."
The three looked at each other and shivered involuntarily.
Under Yuzuki's guidance, Risa quickly filled out the electronic registration form. As the mouse hovered over the "Submit" button, she took a deep breath—
In that instant, flashbacks of my past life under the spotlight surged into my body like a tidal wave. All those professional skills etched into my bones seemed to awaken completely at that moment.
With the crisp sound of the confirmation click, Risa clenched her fist.
In his seven-year acting career, what storms haven't he weathered? Let alone a mere high school image ambassador selection competition.
She was determined to take the 200,000 yuan.
Outside the window, the setting sun sank below the horizon.
As the club activity was drawing to a close, the repairman finally arrived late, carrying a ladder.
-
The following evening, in the tennis club's locker room.
Niou Masaharu leaned lazily against the door frame, water droplets still dripping from the ends of his silver hair.
He lightly swiped his finger across the phone screen, then suddenly let out a meaningful chuckle: "Pfft~"
Liu Sheng was adjusting his tie when he heard the voice and looked up: "What are you up to now?"
Behind his glasses, his gaze fell on Niou's lit-up phone screen—the list of contestants for Rikkai University's 33rd Campus Ambassador competition, with Matsuno Risa's name marked with an asterisk.
Why is she participating too?
“Surfing is a healthy hobby~” Niou waved his phone. “But this year’s competition should be more exciting than in previous years.”
Yagyu sighed: "It's not gentlemanly to tease girls."
"Hey hey~~" Niou tilted his head, and water droplets from his hair fell onto the floor, leaving tiny water stains.
"I'm just assisting the strategist in collecting some data." He tapped the screen lightly with his fingertip.
"From being at the bottom of the class to being in the middle, from social anxiety to being completely at ease, and even being able to run a business in related fields... Don't you think this transfer student is a bit too abnormal?"
A cold glint flashed in Liu Sheng's glasses: "I suggest you don't mess with her. Have you already forgotten the lesson from last time?"
"Yagyu" refers to the wildly popular fan-made comic series on Pixiv. To this day, countless enthusiastic fans on the "Evil F-kun" account are still clamoring for more updates.
After her real IP address was discovered, Risa had to promise to stop updating, but in exchange, the tennis club had to promise not to bother her again and not to violate her privacy.
This additional clause was clearly specifically targeted at the strategist Liu Lian'er.
As her seatmate, Yagyu knew better than anyone how "special" Risa was, and also knew better than anyone how quirky and difficult she was.
Considering that she had just helped him solve a problem last week, he silently took out his phone:
[Yagyu: Campus Image Ambassador Selection Contest, beware of Niou.]
[Yagyu: Also, Kiyomizu-ken has a new product—caramel pudding. Ms. Kazuko wants you to go and try it when you have time.]
Meanwhile, at the Kirihara family villa.
After reading the message, Risa smiled and typed a reply on the keyboard:
Risa: Thanks for reminding me. But don't worry...
[Risa: (Attachment: Nioh in women's clothing photo.jpg)]
[Risa: Gentlemen, what do you think of this girl dancing to "Love Circulation" during her talent show?]
As Yagyu looked at the photo that popped up, his eyes behind his glasses widened slightly—the image of Niou dressed in a maid outfit was clearly "precious material" from last year's competition.
Where did she get it?
Niou Masaharu, who was having wicked thoughts, suddenly felt a chill.
"Strange, why do I suddenly feel a chill down my back..."
Liu Sheng remained silent and quietly put away his phone.
For a moment, he didn't know who to mourn for.
In short, Niou Masaharu was right about one thing.
This year's competition will definitely be more exciting than in previous years.
Before leaving the locker room, another message popped up on Liu Sheng's phone:
[Risa: Can I borrow a voice changer? Preferably a choker style.]
-----------------------
Author's Note: Evil F-kun: Didn't expect that, did you? I'll be making a comeback!
Evil F: One day, I will make a comeback and build a ladder to reveal the secret of data pairing to the world.
Liu Sheng: (Covering his mouth) Okay, stop talking.
Knock them unconscious and lock them in a dark room.
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Thank you so much for your comments, messages, nutrient solutions, and virtual gifts! [heart emoji] You guys are truly my lifeline! [red emoji]
There's a ranking this week, but the data isn't great. However, I'll write it carefully and ensure quality, so please rest assured!
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Bug fix_2025/8/14
The village will appear in the next chapter! [Rainbow praise] The village will definitely find out about the fake couple thing, and it'll be a huge mess, but not now, we'll have to wait a bit longer. [Let me see]
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