Hypocrisy

"Brother, can you play that thing... you know?"

Ye Shuang was sitting quietly in his seat when Tang Keke suddenly leaned in, mysteriously pulling out her phone.

"What thing?"

"The insert song from Attack on Titan Season 2, 'Call of Silence'," Tang Keke said.

Ye Shuang still looked puzzled, but then music began playing from the girl's phone—

【YOU WILL KNOW YOU’RE REBORN TONIGHT—

Tonight, you’ll realize you’re reborn】

Ye Shuang froze for a moment before listening quietly. The short passage carried an inexplicable emotional weight—something tragic, yet filled with power.

"It’s beautiful. Who’s the artist?"

"Hiroyuki Sawano."

"Oh, no wonder." Ye Shuang was familiar with the name—an internationally renowned singer and composer, famous for using music to heighten climactic moments.

"Brother, can you play it?" Tang Keke asked eagerly.

"If there’s sheet music, I can give it a try."

"Here." Tang Keke handed him the digital score.

Ye Shuang: "..."

At that moment, the other girls in the clubroom turned their attention toward him, their expressions full of anticipation.

"Alright, I’ll try." Ye Shuang sighed.

He sat at the piano, adjusting his posture slightly.

"Brother, you just need to play the chorus part—" Before Tang Keke could finish, Ye Shuang’s fingers were already gliding across the keys—the notes flowing smoothly, without a hint of hesitation.

"Teacher Ye’s sight-reading is amazing," Zhixia couldn’t help but comment.

"Sight-reading?"

"Yeah, it’s the ability to play a new piece directly from the sheet music without prior practice," Zhixia explained. "Playing flawlessly on the first try takes both talent and hard work."

"Normally, an 80% accuracy rate is already impressive, but Teacher Ye hasn’t made a single mistake since he started."

By the time Ye Shuang finished, he seemed quite taken with the piece, lingering over the sheet music even after playing.

"Not bad, though my fingers are a bit rusty," he said, turning to smile at the girls behind him.

"Ju~st~a~bit~ru~sty~," An Shiyu mimicked in a teasing tone, her exaggerated pout practically dripping with sarcasm—her voice pitched to a freshly-turned-18 sweetness.

"Thunk." Unsurprisingly, she earned a light chop from Ye Shuang.

Bai Yuyou, meanwhile, nodded softly. "Ye Shuang... beautiful... I like it."

Still, his angelic Yuyou was the cutest.

Zhixia and Linlin exchanged a glance before Zhixia stepped forward, hands clasped behind her back. "Teacher Ye, would you perform with us?"

"What do you mean?"

"For the school festival. We’d love for you to join us on stage—please?" Zhixia made it clear—there’d be an electric piano on stage for the performance.

Petite in stature compared to Ye Shuang’s height, her upturned face and pleading eyes gave the impression of a child begging a favor from an elder.

"A joint performance, huh?" Ye Shuang thought about his role as the club advisor, but his gaze unconsciously drifted to Bai Yuyou beside him.

Would it really be appropriate for an old man like him to intrude on such a youthful, memory-making band performance?

"Maybe it’s better if I sit this one out," he said with a gentle smile.

"But Brother, your piano skills are too good to waste!" Tang Keke lamented, echoed by the disappointed looks from Zhixia and the others.

Then, a small tug at his sleeve. Bai Yuyou stood beside him, whispering, "Ye Shuang... perform together."

"You want me to join?"

"With Ye Shuang... happy."

The way she looked up at him—like an adorable, pleading little animal—made Ye Shuang cough awkwardly. "Alright."

He still couldn’t refuse her.

"Wow, Brother’s playing favorites! He only agreed because Yuyou asked," Tang Keke teased with a sly grin.

Zhixia and the others brightened at his acceptance.

An Shiyu, however, smirked from the sidelines. "Totally wrapped around her finger, huh, Tom?"

"..."

With Ye Shuang’s participation settled, his daily routine expanded slightly—swapping tea-drinking in the clubroom for music practice.

Zhixia, skilled at baking, ensured their sessions were accompanied by snacks and tea.

Before long, it was time to head home.

After parting ways with the girls, Ye Shuang drove off alone to buy groceries.

Why? Simple—his sports car couldn’t fit three, and Bai Yuyou refused to let Tang Keke walk home alone, so the two always left school together.

"Maybe I should buy a family car," Ye Shuang mused. For daily use, something around 200,000 yuan would suffice.

As he walked through the underground parking lot, he noticed a boy in a Yinshan Academy uniform standing near his car.

"Luo Che?" Ye Shuang’s expression shifted slightly. What was he doing here?

Ignoring him, Ye Shuang opened the car door—only for Luo Che to speak up abruptly.

"You won. I can’t compete with you." Luo Che continued, "But... my future achievements might surpass yours!"

Ye Shuang: "?"

What was this guy trying to say?

"Bai Yuyou chose you, but I still love her. If you ever hurt her, I won’t let you off!" Luo Che declared earnestly.

Ye Shuang: "..."

Had this kid concocted some delusional narrative?

Ye Shuang’s lips twitched. "I think you’ve misunderstood something."

"What, are you just toying with Bai Yuyou?!"

"You should consider writing fiction," Ye Shuang sighed. Ah, the drama of teenage boys...

He popped a piece of gum into his mouth. "So, what’s your point?"

"Some self-indulgent loser’s speech? You don’t even understand the situation."

"I—I was just a step behind!" Luo Che clenched his fists. "If I’d acted sooner... I wouldn’t have lost to you."

"Tch." Ye Shuang scoffed. "Then tell me—what have you actually done for Yuyou?"

"Claiming to love her so much, yet standing by while she was bullied—is that love?"

Luo Che faltered. "It’s not... it’s more complicated than that."

"When you choose to remain neutral in the face of wrongdoing, you’ve already sided with the oppressor," Ye Shuang said. "This isn’t love. Right now, you’re just drawn to Bai Yuyou because she’s pretty."

"N-no, that’s not true!"

"Then what if Bai Yuyou were ugly?"

Luo Che fell silent.

"Don’t disguise your attraction to someone’s appearance with lofty justifications," Ye Shuang said coolly. "There’s nothing wrong with being drawn to looks, but refusing to admit it? That’s hypocrisy."

"And you? You’re even less deserving."