The preliminary results were finally released simultaneously on the official website and the showroom’s electronic screens that afternoon.
I squeezed into the crowd, my heart pounding against my ribs. My eyes darted across the winners’ list, frantically searching for my entry number.
I found it!
Right in the middle of the bronze medal list, I saw that familiar string of digits!
Bronze! I actually got the bronze medal!
Even though it wasn’t the top prize, for someone like me—who was previously unknown and had almost given up on drawing because of the struggles of daily life—this was an incredible surprise!
My tail began to wag cheerfully and uncontrollably, and my ears stood bolt upright. I tried my best to suppress the urge to jump for joy and quickly pulled out my phone.
The first person I notified was Sister Yueran. On the other end of the line, her voice was filled with genuine happiness.
“Really? That’s wonderful, little Guiyun! I knew you could do it! You earned this! We’re going to have a proper celebration later!” The joy in her tone made my heart feel warm and fuzzy.
After a moment of hesitation, I opened the chat window for Ning Dongya and cautiously sent a message.
[President Ning, the competition results are out. I won a bronze medal.]
The reply came in seconds.
[Ning Dongya: Hm, I saw.]
Just when I thought this was going to be another cold exchange, another message popped up.
[Ning Dongya: Your foundation is solid and the concept was clever, but the execution of details is still lacking. Keep working hard. Do not become complacent.]
‘This… this counts as praise, right?’ Even though it carried her signature pickiness and strictness, she had at least acknowledged my “solid foundation” and “clever concept”! I stared at the screen, unable to stop my lips from curling into a smile.
This was great! They both… well, they both praised me!
Immersed in my small moment of joy, I was about to leave the noisy announcement area when a heated argument broke out nearby. One of the voices—crisp yet carrying a hint of bossiness—sounded exceptionally familiar.
“On what basis?! What was wrong with my drawing?! Why isn’t my name there?! Did you people make a mistake?!” The dog-girl, “Dark Howl · Blood Moon Fang,” was slamming her hand against the information desk.
Her short chestnut hair and canine ears were bristling, and her tail stood as straight as a flagpole. She looked exactly like a puppy that had just had its tail stepped on.
The staff member explained patiently, “Your work was excellent, but the final score placed you in fourth. It’s very regrettable…”
“Fourth place?! Only one spot away?!” She jumped in place out of sheer frustration, her gaze suddenly locking onto me while I still had a lingering smile on my face. It was as if she had discovered some shocking secret. Her eyes went wide, and she pointed a finger sharply at me.
“It’s her! Right?! I knew it!”
She charged at me like a little cannonball, tilting her head back to glare at me. Because of our height difference, she had to strain to lift her chin to meet my eyes, which only made her look more “fiercely adorable.”
“I saw you eating lunch with that ice-cold female president earlier! You two know each other! You definitely used the backdoor! Otherwise, how could you win a medal while I, who came in fourth, got nothing?! This is unfair!”
“I—I did not!” I snapped back immediately, reacting like a cat that had its tail trodden on. However, my voice instinctively jumped an octave because of a flicker of guilt. My tail puffed out in a circle of nervous fur. “I won based on my own drawing! My relationship with President Ning is just… just a normal superior-subordinate one!”
‘Ugh… even though she gave me those extra lessons, I drew the picture myself! It shouldn’t… it shouldn’t count as totally using the backdoor, right?’
“Superior and subordinate?” The dog-girl sneered, crossing her arms over her chest. A look of scrutiny washed over her small face. “A normal boss and subordinate sit together for lunch? And so intimately… anyway, it’s suspicious! You definitely used your connections to push me out! Your win wasn’t honorable!”
The word “honorable” felt like a little hammer tapping against my heart. Ning Dongya’s terrifyingly precise coaching… the metallic textures, the soaked fabric… if I said she didn’t know the topic beforehand, no one would believe it! My sense of guilt spiked instantly. My cheeks burned, and my ears drooped.
“You—you’re talking nonsense! I… that was… it was skill!” My defense was becoming pale and weak, and my claws subconsciously tugged at the hem of my skirt.
“Skill? I think you mean the skill of using connections!” She refused to let it go, stepping closer until our noses were almost touching.
“You’re… you’re slandering me!” Agitated and angry, I couldn’t help but take a step forward as well.
The two of us were like two provoked little animals, leaning closer and closer. Her chestnut dog ears and my silver cat ears were nearly touching as we glared at each other. The air was thick with the scent of a childish war. She waved her little fists, and I bared my claws—which weren’t very threatening. Both our tails were held high behind us in a display of defiance.
“Hmph! Just making excuses!”
“You… you’re being unreasonable!”
Just as it looked like the verbal conflict was about to escalate into physical contact, the dog-girl took a sudden, aggressive step toward me, seemingly trying to overwhelm me with her momentum.
“Mew!”
“Awooo!”
Her foot caught on something, and she suddenly slipped, letting out a cry as she tumbled forward! Her flailing arms grabbed out instinctively and ended up catching my ankle.
*Thud!*
“Ow!”
We both cried out at the same time as we lost our balance, falling to the floor and rolling into a tangled mess! I ended up pinned underneath her. Her elbow accidentally poked me in the waist, and my tail ended up smack in the middle of her face. Both of us were dazed from the fall, seeing stars.
“Why… why did you trip me! Do you want to fight?!” The dog-girl was the first to react. She scrambled off me, rubbing her bruised knee. Her eyes were red with frustration, and her dog ears slumped into a pathetic “V” shape.
“Bring it on! I already found you annoying at lunch! Let’s fight! You’re the one who slipped and dragged me down with you!” I scrambled to my feet in a frenzy. My rear end hurt from the impact, and the puffed-up fur on my tail hadn’t smoothed down yet. My ears shook with rage.
As for fighting—I still hadn’t settled the score from earlier today anyway!
“You dummy! You reckless brat!”
“Who are you calling a dummy?! You backdoor-using cat!”
“You’re the one biting people for no reason, you stupid dog!”
We both sat there on the ground, not even bothering to stand up, just bickering back and forth. My head was buzzing with anger. The joy of the bronze medal, Ning Dongya’s lessons, the stares of the people around us—everything was pushed to the back of my mind. All I could see was this unreasonable, idiotic dog-girl in front of me! How dare she slander me! How dare she say I used the backdoor!
“I—I’m going to get you!” Fuming, I reached out with my claws to grab her shoulder, but she was faster and pushed me back. As a result, our paws just flailed wildly in the air without anyone actually landing a hit. Instead, the excessive movement caused us to wobble, almost falling backward again. We both had to quickly brace ourselves with our hands on the floor, maintaining a tense, glaring equilibrium.
‘I’m so mad! This idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot!’
I could hear more and more people gathering around, and there seemed to be the sound of muffled laughter, but I didn’t care anymore! I just wanted this slanderer to apologize!
Ashamed and enraged, I looked at the dog-girl opposite me. Her cheeks were puffed out with anger, and her brown tail was thumping against the floor. I felt like the joy of the bronze medal I had worked so hard for had been completely soured by this jerk.
‘I’m definitely going to make this jerk pay today, meow!’