Waking up… it’s a dream.

Sunlight, waves, palm trees, sand, shells, little crabs.
A real beach, and yet a real dream.

The salty breeze brushes my skin. I look down and see two peaks.

I’m lying on a lounger wearing a very skimpy black bikini.

“This swimsuit is way too erotic! Master did this again, didn’t she?” I scanned around for the ahoge loli — only to spot a head with white hair not far away.

Just the head.

…yikes. Horror movie moment.

On closer look, she’d buried herself in the sand — not lying flat like normal, but stuck head-up in a pit like a planted onion. When she notices I woke, her “head” twists toward me and calls out.

“Oh! Chang Kai girl, you woke up fast this time. Looks like mastering the dreamscape won’t be far off for you!”

Ignore the clowning — I ask, “Master, what did you come for this time?”

She lifts her chin and closes her eyes. “Isn’t it natural for a master to visit their apprentice even if there’s nothing urgent? Heave-ho!” With a boom she pops out of the sand in a yellow-and-blue girlish swimsuit — all dusty with sand.

“Anyway, I came to tell you — the Bishoujo Notebook has a software upgrade. New features.”

“Wait — it has software upgrades now?” I ask.

“A modern person and you don’t know that?” She feigns shock, dusting sand on her cheek as she explains: “Version upgrades optimize the system, fix bugs, add features. If the old Notebook was v1.0, then based on your use and the Notebook’s feedback, the Heavenly Principles tweaked it. Call it v1.1.”

So the Heavenly Principles is a programmer. Got it.

“What new functions?” I thought of the concert and asked, “Is one of them turning into cloth?”

“You guessed right. That’s one function. I call it “clothing transformation”: the Notebook can become whatever outfit you want.”

“But before it only turned into a small cloth though?” (That cloth saved me big time, though.)

“Changing clothes needs your intent — like shaping a dream. It requires mental power. Last time you weren’t thinking, so it only made a cloth patch.”

Nice. Actual useful cheat finally.

“Can it make a single piece or a full set?” I point to my two-piece bikini. Before I can finish, Master Halliluya’s small hand darts between my breasts and grabs the bikini.

With the familiar flash, the bikini peels off my body and — poof — collapses into the shape of the Notebook’s cover.

“Hey, wait! Don’t take that!” I’m stripped bare in an instant. I clutch my chest and shriek, “Give me some other clothes first! Waaah!”

“What a cute reaction, Chang Kai girl~ you hardly look any different from naked to bikini anyways~” she smirks.

“Wearing clothes and not wearing clothes are still not the same!” I protest.

So the Notebook had already used the new function to become my swimsuit while I was still asleep? Even if it’s a demo, that’s a mean joke. Master, you pervy old man!

“Anyway, the Notebook can make full outfits.” She tosses the Notebook back at me; it reforms into the bikini and snaps onto me. Relief — wearing actual clothes again.

“One catch,” she adds. “It only likes to become female clothing. That’s the spirit of the item — respect its will.”

Wait, it won’t become male clothes? Then after I permanently use the Avatar Bookmark on Xiao Lei this function will be less useful — I’ll be using my original body after all, and I absolutely refuse to wear women’s clothes. The pride and dignity of a man won’t allow me to.

“Does v1.1 have anything else?” I ask.

“Of course.” Master Halliluya folds her hands and paces around me. “You help that poor working teen every day, right? Writing names on time must be annoying. The Heavenly Principles liked that you helped even without getting credit for the quota, so they made things easier.”

Oh — so good deeds pay off. Nice.

“So how exactly did they make things easier ? Timed transforms?” I ask.

“No, too error-prone. It’s a better autonomous transformation system — you can give someone the right to transform on their own. Here’s how it works…” She rambles on, and I cover my mouth in shock.

“Wait, seriously? You give permission by doing what — isn’t that sexual harassment? Aren’t you worried I’ll get beaten up?” I blurt.

“Heh heh, this is the price of convenience,” she teases.

Compared to clothing changes, this feature is actually very useful. The permission only applies to people whose names are written with a pencil — i.e., the reversible-type writing — so it still doesn’t include me. Still, it’ll make things easier for the working senior Li. Old Yan should also be sensible enough; giving him permission to transform for art stuff could work.

The rite itself is a bit sketchy, though… I’m not giving Zhao Zhao autonomous transformations — he’d probably use Xiao Lei’s identity to sneak into the girls’ bath and then switch back inside. No thanks.

She’d be independent of Zhao Zhao in a bit anyways, no need to risk the trouble then.

And I’ll never give Sis Xi a chance to revert her form against her will. On that, Meow Meow and I actually agree: absolutely not.

“Is that all for v1.1?” I ask while sneaking closer to Master.

Before she can answer I suddenly grab her — hugging Master Halliluya’s small, sand-dusted body. The childlike figure pops a head out of my arms; warm cheeks press against my chest. She pushes at my breasts with tiny hands to make herself room… this move is called Chest Entrapment!

Master is irresistibly cute like this. Even if her original form is far from the petite girl now, she’s still adorable.

“Don’t be rude. I told you not to hug me suddenly. I’m not a pillow!” she scolds — but not too hard.

I had another reason to hug her. “Master, do you know Huangfu Yuehua?” I ask.

She stops struggling and takes my arm. A long, meaningful sigh.

“You don’t need to ask me. Keep finishing your divine assessment and you’ll learn the truth when the time comes. I won’t tell you anything before that.”

Predictable. I expected she wouldn’t spill anything.

“Well, I figured you wouldn’t say anything,” I answered.

“You knew and still asked?” she puffs.

“No — I wasn’t asking. I was confirming. Master, are the principal’s missing husband and my mother’s disappearance connected?”

“Won’t tell you. Really. Off you go.” With a wave she boots me out of the dream.

Her reaction proves one thing: everything’s probably connected.