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It was Bianca who eventually broke the siege.
Shaking her head helplessly, she stepped forward and gently removed the amulet necklace she wore to suppress her siren song.
As the necklace left her skin, an invisible, mind-swaying ripple spread silently from her center.
She gazed at the excited schoolgirls with eyes as deep as the ocean. Her voice carried a soft yet irresistible power:
"Alright, that's enough. You can disperse now. Go on."
The girls' eyes instantly became vacant and compliant, as if their self-awareness had been siphoned away.
They nodded woodenly. Without hesitation or lingering glances, they turned and quietly disappeared into the flow of people in the courtyard, as if their earlier fanaticism had never happened.
"That was unsettling. I prefer looks of fear and hatred," Wednesday commented as she watched their retreating backs.
She disliked being gawked at like a monkey in a zoo.
Bianca put her necklace back on, sealing away the power capable of bewitching minds.
She turned to Wednesday, a smile mixing understanding and teasing on her face:
"You better get used to it, Wednesday. Ever since you guys caused that huge scene last time and saved the entire academy, you've become Nevermore celebrities. Genuine big shots."
"Especially you, Wednesday. You defeated the infamous Crackstone, that lunatic who advocated for outcast genocide."
"Why would anyone care about such things?"
Wednesday frowned slightly, her eyes full of incomprehension.
In her view, defeating a threat was a necessary means of survival, completely unrelated to something as ephemeral as "fame."
Bianca sighed lightly, her tone carrying a hint of "You are too naive."
"You really aren't one to chase fame. But popularity doesn't obey the laws of physics. Often, the more you try to dodge it or reject it, the more it snowballs."
She paused, dropping an even more impactful fact. "By the way, according to the latest statistics, you are ranked number one on the internal academy 'Popularity List.'"
"Number one?"
Vic immediately caught the keyword. His peach-blossom eyes lit up amazingly, sweeping away the frustration of being snubbed by the "Solo Stans" earlier.
He rushed up to Wednesday, a smile brighter than sunshine blooming on his face. His tone was filled with shared pride:
"Hear that? Number one! My Wednesday is the best!"
He was practically dancing with glee, as if the honor were his own.
"I knew it! My darling is cool and powerful; being popular is inevitable!"
Watching Vic act ten times more excited than she was, the corner of Wednesday's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
Expressionless, she raised a hand. With one slender but cool finger, she pressed against Vic's forehead—which was dangerously close to her nose—and pushed him away slightly. Her tone was flat:
"Such meaningless rankings only invite unnecessary trouble and foolish scrutiny."
"How is it trouble?"
Vic took the opportunity to grab the hand pressing his forehead, holding it tight in his palm. His eyes still sparkled.
"It means everyone has good taste! They recognize your strength and charm!"
He swung Wednesday's hand, starting to fantasize.
"Who knows, maybe Nevermore will release merch later? Like 'Wednesday-style dagger necklaces' or 'Gothic dresses'..."
"Number two is Enid."
Bianca continued announcing the list, looking at Enid with approval.
"Her performance in the last battle, especially that power combining wildness and precision, conquered almost every werewolf student in the academy. You could say she's now Nevermore's recognized uncrowned 'Wolf King.'"
"Hehe."
Vic turned his head immediately to look at Enid standing gracefully beside him. Her blue eyes held a trace of shyness but also unhidden pride. Vic grinned foolishly, proud by association.
"The Wolf King is my girlfriend!"
His voice was loud, wishing everyone in the courtyard could hear.
In his smugness, he puffed out his chest, pointing at himself with explosive confidence:
"Then number three must be me!"
In his view, as the core of the team with max participation, third place should be in the bag.
Bianca wore a strange expression. She shook her head, ruthlessly shattering his fantasy:
"No. Number three is Venom."
"What? Why?"
Vic was dumbfounded instantly. His eyes bulged round, completely unable to comprehend the ranking logic.
Why does Venom rank higher than me?
"Bwahahaha! You guys have good eyes! Good taste!"
Venom immediately popped out of Vic's shoulder, laughing raspily and smugly. Several black tentacles even danced excitedly.
"See that, Vic? The masses have sharp eyes! I am the cooler one!"
Bianca suppressed a laugh as she explained:
"According to the survey details, Venom won the votes of most of the male students. The reasons were highly consistent—"
"They think he has a 'domineering appearance,' 'cool abilities,' 'speaks directly,' and is 'an unpretentious manly man.' To summarize in two words: Very cool."
"What about me?" Vic pointed at his own nose in disbelief, asking unwillingly, "How is my popularity? Surely someone voted for me?"
"Your popularity is naturally very high too..."
Bianca nodded, but then her tone shifted, her expression becoming subtle.
"However... your number of negative reviews is equally astonishing. Almost double your positive reviews. Want me to read you two representative bad reviews randomly?"
"Read them!"
Vic stiffened his neck, adopting a posture of "I want to see just how bad it can be."
"No problem."
Bianca cleared her throat.
"I'll read a review from a girl first: 'Vic is so handsome, his body is so fit—'"
Hearing the beginning, Vic nodded with satisfaction, the corners of his mouth lifting. See, there are people who appreciate me.
"BUT!"
Bianca's tone took a sharp turn, carrying obvious disdain.
"'Two-timing scumbag! Negative review!'"
"..."
The smile on Vic's face froze instantly. He looked confused, opening his mouth to argue, but realized... wait, I can't really refute that?
"Next is a bad review from a guy."
Bianca didn't give him time to breathe. She immediately switched to a rougher tone.
"'Bro is a legend! Super casanova—bagging both Wednesday and Enid at the same time? My idol!'"
"Nice, nice! The bros understand me! A kindred spirit!"
Vic's eyes lit up again. Feeling like he found his people, he nodded repeatedly, even stealing a smug glance at Wednesday and Enid.
"BUT!"
This "BUT" was like a bucket of ice water, giving Vic an ominous feeling.
Bianca shouted in an even more indignant voice, seemingly burning with jealousy:
"'Shameless bastard! How dare he live in the girls' dorm! And use that proximity to hook up with the two prettiest roommates! That guy should be tied to a burning stake! Negative review! Must give negative review!'"
"..."
Vic petrified on the spot, seemingly hearing the sound of his own heart breaking.
Wearing a face of despair, he looked at Wednesday and Enid, his eyes filled with innocence and grievance:
"Am... am I getting scolded based on my actual skills?"
Wednesday glanced at him expressionlessly and delivered a flat, finishing blow:
"Accurately speaking, you are getting scolded based on the strength of your 'living environment' and 'social circle.'"
Enid couldn't help covering her mouth and laughing. Her shoulders shook, her eyes full of teasing:
"Looks like the composition of your 'popularity' is quite complex, Vic~"
Beside them, Venom was laughing so hard his tentacles trembled, his giant white eyes curved into slits.
"Hahaha! Bro, you finally see reality, right? Being popular and drawing aggro are sometimes the same thing! While I possess only pure coolness!"