Admittedly, Bronya was prepared to sacrifice her reputation, but she wasn't ready for a complete "social death" in front of Mei. If Mei saw her in her current state, she feared she would never have the courage to look her in the eye again.
Faced with this threat, she was forced to change her tune.
"That guy... has indeed h-helped us a lot." She bit her lip, trying to prevent any extra sounds from escaping. "It's just that Bronya has a prejudice against h-his identity as a male."
The transition in her words was jarring, but it fit the profile of a "bratty girl" (Mesugaki) finally reforming; a bit of stuttering seemed reasonable enough.
"I see..." Mei nodded, accepting the explanation. "I know Bronya is a kind child. You just lacked male presence growing up, so you're instinctively wary of men. It's understandable. But you shouldn't generalize; at the very least, Mr. Luo Hong is a gentleman worthy of respect."
However—
"Ugh... Mmm!"
After letting out a short gasp, Bronya hurriedly nodded to cover up the strange sound. The person Mei hailed as "worthy of respect" was currently working hard right behind her, a reality that filled Bronya with a sense of profound tragedy.
"Bronya, are you okay?" It wasn't that the gasp caught her attention, but Mei hadn't expected Bronya to get so emotional.
"I-I'm fine." Bronya shook her head weakly, forcing another explanation. "Bronya... Bronya just feels like... s-speaking her mind... feels m-much better!"
"Is that so?" Mei frowned slightly and walked over to Bronya. She asked with a confused look, "Bronya... have you grown taller?"
Now, she didn't have to look down as much to meet Bronya's eyes; in fact, it felt like she almost had to... look up? But when she looked closer, everything seemed back to "normal."
Strange, why did I have that illusion?
"M-Maybe a little..." Facing the close-up Mei, Bronya turned her face away. "Bronya is in a growth spurt, after all."
"True," Mei said, enlightened. "Let's go out and eat then. The best thing about this place is that you can eat whatever you want without getting fat. You should eat more later, Bronya."
With that, she began placing the dishes onto a trolley and pushed it out. Because Bronya had "admitted her mistake," Mei's mood was jubilant, and her steps were light.
Once Mei had left the kitchen, Bronya whipped her head around and tried to bite Luo Hong's shoulder. "You're a villain!"
"Heh!" Luo Hong chuckled, letting her bite him. He knew that as long as he put in some effort, she would soon have to let go.
"Actually," he smirked playfully, "I didn't just distort what Mei sees; I distorted what she hears as well. So, you can actually cry out as much as you want. However, you should still be careful when talking normally to her. If your tone shifts too much, she might still notice."
"What?" Bronya's eyes widened, and she bit down even harder. She knew she couldn't actually hurt him, but it was the only way to vent her frustration!
Soon, however—
"W-Waa!"
With a muffled groan, she could only roll her eyes and stick her tongue out as a final protest against the scoundrel Luo Hong.
"We can't keep Mei waiting for too long."
Without waiting for Bronya to recover, he picked her up, intending to carry her out of the kitchen. But even in this state, Bronya knew she couldn't let Mei see her expression.
"Oh?"
Feeling her "tightness," Luo Hong smiled and whispered, "Seeing how hard you're trying, I'll grant you a temporary 'Refresh Buff.' As long as you can hold out for three minutes, you'll be fully restored."
With a snap of his fingers, the Bronya in his arms was instantly refreshed.
"D-Demon!" Bronya's expression was one of despair. Three minutes didn't sound long, but she knew Luo Hong's "strength" all too well. More importantly, Mei was sitting right across from her—the psychological pressure was a massive "multiplier" to her sensations.
Before she could say anything, Mei's voice called out from the kitchen doorway. "Bronya, is there anything else to prepare?"
"N-No." Bronya bit her lip. She realized a trial was waiting for her, and only by breaking through it could she become a better version of herself. Life is a trial!
With a look of resolve, she shouted back, "Bronya is coming!"
"It seems you're ready," Luo Hong smirked as he looked at her determined eyes. "Then let the game begin!"
They walked out to the dining area where Mei had already found a table.
"Bronya, look who's here!"
"!?!?" Bronya's gray eyes widened in a massive "pupil earthquake." It was a relief the person wasn't Seele, or she wouldn't know what face to make.
"Even though she's an NPC—" Mei continued happily, "I invited her to eat, and she actually sat down!"
Mei had just "captured" Theresa, who had been slinking around the cafeteria. To be honest, Theresa was suffering too. After finding out she couldn't eavesdrop on the kitchen, she wanted to leave and change clothes before meeting her students. But to her horror, she couldn't leave the cafeteria. Just as she was looking for a way out, Mei caught her. To maintain her dignity as the Principal, she had no choice but to play the role of the NPC Mei and Bronya were talking about.
However, she was an amateur at roleplaying. Sister Mei... NPCs don't listen to our orders! Bronya felt like the world was ending. The Theresa before them was the real-deal Principal! Meanwhile, Luo Hong wasn't making things easy—he was holding her, walking toward the table step by step as if marching into an abyss. On the polished floor, a clear trail of water began to form.