When the sound of Mei-Yu Wang's voice rang out, Shikime Natsu knew at once that she must have slipped and fallen inside the bathroom, so he hurriedly rose to his feet, walked to the bathroom door, and called out to ask.
"Mei-chan, are you okay?"
Shikime Natsu merely stood in front of the bathroom door; he didn't even think about pushing it open. After all, Mei-Yu Wang's current state was unknown—she might not have finished putting her clothes on or something. If the door wasn't locked and he pushed it open, things would become very awkward.
Still, Shikime Natsu was confident the door must be locked. After all, he was in the room, so there was no way Mei-Yu Wang would go in to take a shower without locking the door, right?
What if some accident were to happen?
Like one of those bathroom incidents that show up so often in anime scenes.
It was quiet inside the bathroom for a little while.
Then, Mei-Yu Wang's voice came from within.
"I-I'm fine..."
Her voice trembled a little, carrying a touch of panic and a touch of embarrassment.
"I just... I just slipped a bit..."
As she said this, she had already begun to inwardly blame herself.
How had she messed up again?
Tripping on flat ground once more...
Though this time there was a puddle of water on the floor, so it wasn't like the last time, when she had simply tripped while walking along.
But still...
But it was still so embarrassing!
Mei-Yu Wang sat on the floor, feeling as if her face were burning hot enough to catch fire.
Her mind was in chaos, her heart pounding ridiculously fast.
She lowered her head and glanced at the clothes on her body—
A large patch of her white T-shirt had been soaked through by the water on the floor, clinging tightly to her body.
Through that thin layer of fabric, one could faintly make out the straps underneath...
Seeing this, Mei-Yu Wang froze completely.
This was bad...
Her mind went blank in that instant, and she had absolutely no idea what she should do.
She had originally wanted to change into the sportswear T-shirt she had just taken off.
But that sportswear T-shirt was wet too.
If she changed into it, it would probably be even more see-through than the one she was currently wearing. Looking at the predicament before her, Mei-Yu Wang couldn't help letting out a faint, mournful whimper.
"Ngh..."
Inviting Shikime Natsu to her own dorm had been such a happy thing.
But to show such an embarrassing side of herself in front of Shikime Natsu...
It really was just too awful.
Maybe today simply wasn't a suitable day to invite Shikime Natsu over after all?
Mei-Yu Wang thought this to herself, but there was nothing else she could do now.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
Then she lifted her head, looked at the bathroom door, and spoke up somewhat bashfully.
"Um... Natsu..."
Her voice was very small, tinged with a bit of nervousness.
"Could... could you close your eyes for a little while...?"
She paused, then continued as if explaining something.
"My clothes are wet right now... I'm going to go out and grab another set..."
As she said this, her face had already turned as red as it could possibly get.
If there were a crack in the floor right now, she would have dived into it without a moment's hesitation.
"Sure."
Shikime Natsu's voice came from outside the door, his tone calm.
"I'll close my eyes."
Hearing this answer, Mei-Yu Wang felt slightly relieved.
Then she heard footsteps from outside the door, as if Shikime Natsu had walked away.
She took a deep breath, then carefully opened the bathroom door.
She poked her head out and glanced outside—Shikime Natsu was no longer sitting in that chair from before.
She couldn't see his figure anywhere in the room.
Mei-Yu Wang blinked in slight confusion.
Then she heard some faint sounds coming from over by the kitchen.
Shikime Natsu... had gone to the kitchen?
Thinking of this, a wave of warmth couldn't help but well up in Mei-Yu Wang's heart.
Shikime Natsu... he...
He had deliberately gone over to the kitchen, hadn't he?
So that she wouldn't feel so awkward, so that she wouldn't feel any psychological pressure.
If Shikime Natsu had merely sat in his original spot with his eyes closed, then when Mei-Yu Wang came out, she would still have been able to see Shikime Natsu.
And she also wouldn't have known whether Shikime Natsu might suddenly open his eyes or something.
Although she believed Shikime Natsu wouldn't do something like that.
But still...
But she would still have felt a tiny bit uneasy in her heart.
Moreover, if Shikime Natsu really did open his eyes and see her current state...
Thinking of this, Mei-Yu Wang's face flushed a few shades redder.
It wasn't that she would get angry.
It was just...
It was just a very strange feeling.
Very embarrassing.
Especially since she wasn't even Shikime Natsu's girlfriend or anything...
Their relationship hadn't reached that stage yet...
In any case, Mei-Yu Wang's head was a mess, and she couldn't sort out her own thoughts at all.
She shook her head, casting all these jumbled thoughts out of her mind.
Then she walked briskly over to the wardrobe, opened the door, and took out a fresh set of clean clothes.
This time she took out a light blue top and a white skirt.
After getting the clothes, she hurried back into the bathroom.
She closed the door and locked it, locked it tight.
Then she leaned against the door and let out a long breath.
Thank goodness...
Thank goodness nothing went wrong this time.
If she had tripped on flat ground yet again, she really wouldn't have been able to face anyone.
Mei-Yu Wang thought this to herself, then began to change clothes.
She took off the soaking-wet white T-shirt, dried her body with a towel, then put on the clean clothes.
The light blue top paired with the white skirt looked rather fresh and crisp.
She looked at herself in the mirror.
Mm, good, it seemed there were no problems.
She also fixed her hair a bit, then took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door.
"Um... Natsu..."
Her voice was still a little small, tinged with a bit of nervousness.
"I'm done now... you can come out..."
Hearing her voice, Shikime Natsu walked out of the kitchen.
His gaze fell upon Mei-Yu Wang, looking her up and down.
Mei-Yu Wang was now wearing a light blue top and a white skirt, the hem of the skirt swaying gently. The whole of her looked petite and adorable, like a delicate doll.
Shikime Natsu nodded, not saying much.
"By the way, Mei-chan."
He spoke up.
"I took a look at the groceries you bought just now and got a rough idea of what you wanted to make, so I went ahead and prepped some of the simple ingredients for you."
Hearing this, Mei-Yu Wang was stunned for a moment.
She hurried into the kitchen, her gaze landing on the counter.
The vegetables she had originally been supposed to prepare had already been washed and chopped by Shikime Natsu, arranged neatly on plates.
The potatoes had been cut into small pieces, the carrots diced, the green peppers sliced into strips, and even the onions had been minced into fine bits.
Every ingredient had been prepped quite perfectly, uniform in size and neat in shape.
Seeing this, Mei-Yu Wang was utterly dumbfounded.
"Na-Natsu..."
Her voice carried an astonishment she couldn't hide.
"You... you prepped this many ingredients in such a short time...?"
Shikime Natsu merely chuckled softly, his tone casual.
"It's nothing, not much trouble."
Looking at those neatly prepped ingredients, an indescribable feeling welled up in Mei-Yu Wang's heart.
Shikime Natsu really was too amazing. In just the time it took her to change clothes, he had actually helped her prep all these ingredients—too amazing.
"Thank you, Natsu..."
Mei-Yu Wang turned around, looked at Shikime Natsu, and earnestly expressed her thanks.
"No need to thank me."
Shikime Natsu shook his head.
"I'll leave the rest to you."
"Mm!"
Mei-Yu Wang nodded firmly, a glimmer flashing in her eyes.
She walked over to the counter, took an apron down from the wall, then slipped it on and tied the strings.
That apron was a pale pink, printed with little floral patterns, looking rather cute.
Wearing the apron, Mei-Yu Wang looked even more the part.
She took a deep breath, then began to prepare the cooking.
First was handling the meat.
Mei-Yu Wang picked up that box of chicken thigh meat, opened the packaging, and placed the chicken thighs on the cutting board.
She picked up the kitchen knife and began cutting the chicken thighs into small pieces.
Her knife skills couldn't be called particularly good, but they weren't bad either; each piece of chicken came out fairly uniform in size.
Shikime Natsu stood in the kitchen doorway, watching her diligent cooking, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve up slightly.
A girl earnestly cooking for him really was quite adorable—at the very least, Shikime Natsu was rather fond of it.
Regardless of whether these girls were good at cooking, as long as they had a heart willing to make an effort for him, Shikime Natsu found it rather nice.
Mei-Yu Wang placed the cut chicken into a bowl, then added some cooking wine, soy sauce, and starch, mixed it together by hand, and set it aside to marinate.
Next she began to handle the other ingredients.
Heat the pan, pour in oil.
Once the oil temperature rose, she poured the marinated chicken into the pan and quickly stir-fried it with the spatula.
The chicken swiftly changed color in the hot oil, giving off an enticing aroma.
Although Mei-Yu Wang's movements couldn't be called especially skilled, she did every step very earnestly, very attentively.
She didn't want to disappoint Shikime Natsu.
She wanted to make food that Shikime Natsu would like.
This thought took root in her heart, making her especially focused as she cooked.
After stir-frying for a while, she scooped out the chicken and set it aside for later.
Then she poured some more oil into the pan, tossed in the chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic, and let them release their fragrance.
Next came the green peppers, carrots, potatoes...
The various ingredients went into the pan one after another, releasing their own distinct aromas under the stir-frying in the hot oil.
Mei-Yu Wang added the various seasonings into the pan one by one, then stir-fried quickly with the spatula.
Her movements grew smoother and smoother, more and more skilled, as if her whole being had become immersed in the world of cooking.
Shikime Natsu stood off to the side, watching her focused figure, and didn't speak up to disturb her.
About a few minutes passed.
Mei-Yu Wang scooped out the stir-fried dish and arranged it on a plate.
Then she began preparing the next dish.
And so, one dish after another.
Mei-Yu Wang diligently made each dish, striving to do her very best.
Shikime Natsu, meanwhile, stood off to the side, occasionally handing her things, occasionally offering some suggestions.
The two of them worked together in rather perfect harmony.
Another roughly half an hour passed.
All the dishes were finished.
Mei-Yu Wang arranged the dishes one by one on plates, then carried them to the dining table.
There were four dishes in total.
Kung Pao Chicken, shredded pork with green peppers, mapo tofu, and a simple egg drop soup.
Each dish was plated rather exquisitely, looking pleasing in color, aroma, and flavor.
Looking at the dishes she had made, Mei-Yu Wang felt a little nervous.
At least from the outside, they looked pretty good.
She just didn't know how they tasted...
She took a deep breath, then turned around and looked at Shikime Natsu.
"Natsu... we can eat now."
Her voice carried a bit of nervousness and a bit of anticipation.
Shikime Natsu nodded, then walked to the dining table and sat down.
Mei-Yu Wang sat across from him, her hands unconsciously wringing together, her gaze fixed tightly on Shikime Natsu's movements.
Shikime Natsu picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of Kung Pao Chicken, and put it in his mouth.
He chewed slowly, no particular expression on his face.
Watching him like this, Mei-Yu Wang grew even more nervous.
"H-how is it?"
She couldn't help asking, her voice carrying a bit of trepidation.
Shikime Natsu swallowed the food in his mouth, then lifted his head and looked at Mei-Yu Wang.
He smiled and spoke up.
"Not bad, it's very tasty."
"Really?"
Mei-Yu Wang's eyes lit up at once, a happy smile appearing on her face.
"Mm."
Shikime Natsu nodded, then took another piece of the shredded pork with green peppers.
"This dish tastes great too—the heat was controlled just right."
Hearing this evaluation, the great weight on Mei-Yu Wang's heart finally settled.
Her brows and eyes curved, her smile as brilliant as a blossoming flower.
"That's wonderful then..."
She said softly, her voice carrying a sense of relief.
"I was worried you wouldn't like it, Natsu..."
"How could I."
Shikime Natsu smiled.
"I like the food Mei-chan makes very much."
Hearing this, Mei-Yu Wang's cheeks couldn't help but flush red again.
Her heartbeat quickened a few beats, and a sweet feeling welled up inside her.
"Then... then eat a little more, Natsu..."
She said softly, then picked up her chopsticks and served Shikime Natsu some food.
And so the two of them ate and chatted.
The atmosphere was rather relaxed and pleasant.
After finishing the meal, Mei-Yu Wang cleared away the dishes and chopsticks, and Shikime Natsu also helped gather the tableware and carry it to the kitchen.
After washing the dishes, Mei-Yu Wang walked out of the kitchen.
She looked at Shikime Natsu, and suddenly felt a little reluctant to part with him.
"Um... Natsu..."
She spoke up, her voice carrying a bit of hesitation.
"Next time... I'll treat you to desserts at the dessert shop..."
After saying this, she suddenly realized something, and her expression froze slightly.
Then her face began to flush red again.
"I-I don't mean I'm trying to chase you out!"
She hurriedly explained, her voice carrying a bit of panic.
"I just... I just wanted to explain... no, I wanted to say that in the future... no, that's not right either..."
Her explanation grew more and more muddled, until in the end even she herself didn't know what she was saying.
All she had wanted to express was that since Shikime Natsu had treated her to dessert before, she wanted to treat him back. But because she didn't have enough private points, Mei-Yu Wang was thinking of postponing it and waiting until she had private points to talk about it. That was the idea, but putting it into words always felt strange—especially since they had just finished eating. Wouldn't saying something like this come across as showing him the door?
Watching her panicked appearance, Shikime Natsu couldn't help letting out a soft laugh.
"I know."
He spoke up, his tone gentle.
"Mei-chan didn't mean it that way."
Hearing this, Mei-Yu Wang felt slightly relieved.
"But..."
Shikime Natsu paused, his gaze falling on the sky outside the window, which had already darkened.
"It's about that time now, so I'll head back first."
Hearing this, a wave of disappointment couldn't help but well up in Mei-Yu Wang's heart.
Her brows furrowed slightly, her lips pressing together, but she didn't say any words to make him stay.
After all, it really was getting late.
And Shikime Natsu had his own matters to attend to.
She couldn't just keep clinging to him...
Mei-Yu Wang thought this to herself, forcing herself to put on a smile.
"Then... then take care on the way, Natsu..."
Her voice carried a bit of reluctance—mm... saying that felt off too, since Shikime Natsu's dorm was just downstairs, so there was no need to take care on the way.
Mei-Yu Wang was about to cry from frustration. What on earth was she saying?
Watching her expression, a gentle light flashed through Shikime Natsu's pale golden eyes.
He thought for a moment, then spoke up to ask.
"By the way, Mei-chan."
"Hmm?"
Mei-Yu Wang lifted her head and looked at Shikime Natsu.
"Tomorrow is the weekend."
Shikime Natsu smiled, his tone casual.
"Would you be willing to go out and have some fun with me?"
Hearing this, Mei-Yu Wang was utterly stunned.
She widened those purplish-red eyes, looking at Shikime Natsu, her face written all over with disbelief.
Shikime Natsu... going out with her...?
But... but didn't Shikime Natsu have a lot of girlfriends? Didn't he need to keep them company on the weekend?
Why would he... why would he choose to go out with her?
Countless thoughts flashed through Mei-Yu Wang's mind, and every single one made her feel it was unbelievable.
But still...
No matter what, this was a happy thing, wasn't it?
"I-I'd be willing!"
Mei-Yu Wang hurriedly answered, her voice carrying an excitement she couldn't hide.
A brilliant smile appeared on her face, her brows and eyes curving, her whole being radiating an aura of happiness.
"All right then."
Shikime Natsu nodded.
"See you tomorrow."
"Mm! See you tomorrow!"
Mei-Yu Wang nodded firmly, then watched as Shikime Natsu walked out of her dorm.
The door closed.
The room returned to quiet once more.
Mei-Yu Wang stood at the doorway, looking at that closed door, an indescribable joy welling up in her heart.
She turned around, leaned against the door, cupped her burning cheeks with both hands, and simply couldn't press down the corners of her mouth.
Tomorrow...
Tomorrow she was going out with Shikime Natsu...
Mei-Yu Wang thought this to herself, and her whole being became filled with anticipation.
She walked to the window, gazing at the pitch-black night sky outside, her heart brimming with longing for tomorrow.
She didn't know where Shikime Natsu would take her.
Nor did she know what would happen tomorrow.
But still...
As long as she could be together with Shikime Natsu, no matter where they went, no matter what they did, she would surely be very happy.
Mei-Yu Wang thought this, and a sweet smile couldn't help but surface at the corners of her mouth.
She took a deep breath, then began to tidy up the room, getting ready to welcome the arrival of tomorrow. Mm... should she invite Kushida Kikyou along?
Mei-Yu Wang recalled that whenever she had spent time with Shikime Natsu before, she had basically always been together with Kushida Kikyou.
Mm... she'd better not, after all.
____
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