Once Mei-Yu Wang had steadied herself, she hurried to stand upright and nervously smoothed out the slightly disheveled hem of her skirt with both hands.
She looked up. Her delicate face was still flushed red as a ripened apple, and those violet eyes of hers were misty at the edges — shy, a little flustered — as she glanced at Shikime Natsu.
"Th-Thank you... Natsu..."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, soft and grateful.
"Good thing you're okay."
Shikime Natsu released his hand from her waist and gave her a quick once-over with a look of genuine concern.
"You're not hurt, are you? Did you twist your ankle?"
Mei-Yu Wang gently rotated her ankle, then shook her head.
"No... I'm fine."
"That's a relief."
Shikime Natsu smiled. Then, with a smooth pivot in tone, his voice turned light and teasing.
"If you'd actually gotten hurt because you were too busy singing my praises, I'd never have forgiven myself."
At that, Mei-Yu Wang's face turned even redder, the shyness in her eyes deepening considerably. She couldn't bring herself to look at him directly.
The two continued their leisurely stroll along the path beside the lake.
A gentle breeze drifted across the water's surface, sending soft ripples spreading outward. Sunlight sparkled on the lake, glittering like scattered diamonds.
Shikime Natsu glanced at the girl walking beside him and asked, seemingly on a whim:
"By the way — what made you choose Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School in the first place, Mei-chan?"
The question caught her slightly off-guard. Mei-Yu Wang paused her steps and looked out at the shimmering lake, a small, somewhat self-conscious smile crossing her face.
"Well... actually..."
She scratched the side of her hair, a little bashful.
"I came because of the school's advertised 'one-hundred-percent employment rate' and 'one-hundred-percent university advancement rate.'"
"Because... like I mentioned earlier, I didn't really make any friends in middle school — partly because of the language barrier, partly because of my personality. I ended up seeming like a loner. So I started thinking... maybe someone like me just isn't that capable.
"If I went to a regular school, just finding a job after graduation would be uncertain enough. But if a school like this actually guaranteed a hundred-percent employment rate..."
She trailed off, then picked back up softly.
"Maybe that could help me smoothly enter the industry I wanted to work in."
She laughed a little at herself as she said it.
"When I first heard about it, I assumed the entrance exam would be incredibly, impossibly difficult. After all — this was a 'privilege' that guaranteed your future, so I figured there'd be an enormous number of people fighting tooth and nail to get in, right?"
"But when I actually sat the entrance exam... the questions weren't nearly as hard as I'd imagined."
"The moment I received my acceptance letter, I was absolutely overjoyed. I felt so incredibly lucky to have gotten into this school I'd been dreaming about."
"But..."
The light in her eyes dimmed slightly. A faintly bitter smile touched her lips.
"Once I got here, I found out the truth. That 'one-hundred-percent' only applies to students who graduate from Class A. For those of us in Class D... if we don't work hard and climb our way up, we might end up with nothing in the end."
But quickly, as though reassuring herself, a smile returned to her face.
"Still... there's no tuition here, and we get a monthly allowance of points, so daily life is actually a lot easier than before."
Then, as if something suddenly occurred to her, a flicker of alarm crossed her expression. She turned to face Shikime Natsu in a mild panic and rushed to explain herself:
"Th-That is — Natsu!"
"I didn't mean anything by that!"
"I was just... just talking! I wasn't trying to complain or act pitiful in front of someone from your class, I promise — I really didn't mean anything by it!"
Watching her wave her hands in frantic explanation, Shikime Natsu smiled and said gently:
"Relax, Mei-chan. I didn't misunderstand you."
"And besides..."
He looked into her eyes, his tone sincere.
"No matter which class either of us is in. No matter what our positions might be. The fact that you and I are friends — that will never change."
"I'm not the type to let go of a friend like you that easily."
Hearing that, the tension that had gripped Mei-Yu Wang just moments ago melted away. A lighter, relieved smile settled on her face — though, now that she thought about it, the way he'd said it so plainly, so directly — I'm not the type to let go of a friend like you — really was a little embarrassing. The blush on her cute cheeks showed no signs of fading.
"Mm!"
"Even though our class standings are different... I don't want to lose you as a friend either, Natsu!"
Shikime Natsu smiled, then continued naturally from where the conversation had been heading.
"Right — you mentioned earlier that the reason you came to this school was because you wanted to enter a certain industry."
"So... what field is it, Mei-chan? If you don't mind sharing?"
At the question, Mei-Yu Wang dipped her head a little shyly, fidgeting with the hem of her cardigan as she said quietly:
"Um... actually..."
"I want to become a translator."
"I want... to help people who speak different languages understand each other."
"It's like — when I first came here and couldn't speak the language and felt so alone because of it... I thought, at the very least, maybe I could help people who have that same barrier. So they don't misunderstand each other, so they don't feel isolated the way I did."
"But..."
She let out a quiet sigh, a note of dejection in her voice.
"The me right now is still a very long way from that goal."
"How can you say that?"
Shikime Natsu raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.
"You already speak three languages — Mandarin, English, and Japanese. That's a massive advantage right there."
"That's true, I suppose..."
Mei-Yu Wang nodded, but the self-doubt in her eyes remained.
"But just that alone isn't enough. I want to strengthen my English conversational ability, and I've been working on it recently. But..."
She lifted her head and looked at him with a troubled expression.
"Even when you know the vocabulary and grammar... actually trying to translate fluidly in real conversation always feels a little harder than it should be. Especially when it's with a stranger."
"I get so nervous. My mind goes blank, and everything I've studied just... disappears."
"But being a translator means constantly communicating with all kinds of people you've never met before."
Shikime Natsu found himself thinking back to the first time he had met Mei-Yu Wang.
She had been noticeably tense and reserved. The entire conversation that day had essentially been between him and Kushida Kikyou — Mei-Yu Wang had only spoken up in brief responses when directly addressed, otherwise staying as quiet and unobtrusive as a shadow.
Even now. Even though their relationship had grown considerably closer, he could still clearly sense that tightly wound quality about her, that persistent shyness that surfaced whenever they talked.
For someone who aspired to be a professional translator, that was no small obstacle.
Shikime Natsu was quiet for a moment, and then he stopped walking. He turned to face her.
"In that case..."
He looked into her eyes and proposed with a smile:
"How about you use me as your practice partner?"
"...?"
Mei-Yu Wang blinked.
"A... practice partner?"
"Exactly." Shikime Natsu nodded. "A training partner for practicing conversation. Since talking to strangers makes you nervous, why not start with someone you already know? We're friends — you should be able to relax a little more around me, right?"
"That is..."
Mei-Yu Wang hesitated.
"That wouldn't be too much trouble for you? You're already so busy all the time..."
"Not in the slightest."
Shikime Natsu cut off her worries before they could fully form, his tone both firm and warm.
"Being able to help you is my pleasure."
"And besides..."
He smiled with easy confidence.
"My Mandarin, Japanese, and English are all pretty decent, if I do say so myself. Whatever language you want to practice, I can help."
That was, if anything, an understatement on his part. With the [Language Mastery] skill at his disposal, it wasn't just those three languages. He could hold a conversation with an isolated tribal community deep in the Amazon rainforest, or even attempt a cross-species exchange with the ants on the pavement, and he'd manage just fine.
At his words, Mei-Yu Wang's violet eyes went wide.
"...?!"
"Natsu... you speak Mandarin?"
The thought had genuinely never crossed her mind. Kushida Kikyou and the others had asked her to teach them a few phrases here and there, but that was different — that was just a handful of words, not actually knowing the language.
Shikime Natsu smiled without answering directly.
Instead, he switched languages entirely and spoke — in perfectly standard, fluent, impeccably enunciated Mandarin:
"Of course I do."
"And honestly... I'd say my Mandarin is pretty passable, wouldn't you? Can you follow me alright, Mei-chan?"
Hearing those completely familiar tones flowing so naturally from his mouth — sounds that resonated with everything she'd left behind — Mei-Yu Wang froze completely.
The language hit her somewhere deep. Since moving to Japan, her family had made a conscious effort to use Japanese at home as much as possible, to help everyone adjust to the people and environment around them. Hearing her mother tongue again, spoken this naturally, this fluently, by him of all people — it struck right at the softest part of her heart.
Her eyes grew just slightly warm. The corners of her lips curved upward on their own, and she answered in Mandarin:
"Y-Yes! I can follow you perfectly!"
"Your Mandarin is amazing, Natsu!"
"Haha, you flatter me."
Shikime Natsu laughed in Mandarin, thinking to himself that it would be strange if he weren't fluent.
"So then..."
He looked at the girl who was still visibly delighted, and asked with a grin:
"Do I qualify now? As Mei-chan's practice partner?"
Mei-Yu Wang came back to herself. She looked at the boy in front of her — this boy who had just given her such a wonderful surprise — and her cheeks flushed pink.
She nodded hard.
"Yes!"
"Then... I'm counting on you, Natsu!"
From that point on, the two of them strolled slowly along the edge of the artificial lake, chatting freely in a fluid blend of all three languages.
Afterward, they wandered over to Keyaki Mall together to browse around.
Before either of them noticed, it was already noon.
"It's that late already."
Shikime Natsu checked the time on his phone, then looked over at Mei-Yu Wang beside him.
"About time for lunch. Do you have a preference? Japanese food, or would you rather have something Chinese?"
Mei-Yu Wang thought for a moment, and a somewhat nostalgic note entered her voice.
"Honestly... I prefer Chinese food. Back home, my mom always used to make all kinds of home-cooked dishes..."
"But..."
She let out a wistful little sigh.
"Since coming to this school, while the cafeteria and the commercial district do have a few Chinese restaurants... I tried them and found they're all kind of Japanified Chinese food. The flavor is fine, but it always feels like something's missing — it's not quite the real thing."
Hearing that, something stirred in Shikime Natsu.
He looked at the expression on her face — that of someone craving something she couldn't quite have — and smiled as he extended an invitation.
"In that case..."
"How about coming by my dorm?"
"...?"
Mei-Yu Wang blinked.
"Your... dorm?"
"That's right." Shikime Natsu nodded with easy confidence. "If you don't mind, I can cook something for you — authentic Chinese home cooking. And then I'll need you, as the expert, to pass judgment on whether my technique is the real deal."
"So — what do you say? Care to grace me with your presence?"
Faced with that sudden invitation, Mei-Yu Wang's brain hadn't quite caught up to the implications of a boy and a girl, alone in a room together before her body honestly answered for her, nodding along.
"Th-Then... I'll impose on you!"
And so, before she quite knew what was happening, she found herself wandering after Shikime Natsu in a bit of a daze, all the way to the boys' dormitory building.
It wasn't until she was standing in front of Shikime Natsu's door, looking at the room number on the placard, that it fully hit her.
She had actually come to a boy's dormitory.
Just the two of them. Alone.
Her face went red in an instant, and her heart started pounding completely out of her control.
Click.
Shikime Natsu opened the door and stepped to one side, smiling.
"Come on in, don't be shy."
"I-I'll impose on you then..."
Mei-Yu Wang lowered her head and stepped carefully into the room.
Once inside, she instinctively raised her eyes and let her gaze drift around the space.
Contrary to all the rumors she'd heard about boys' dorms being messy, dirty disasters, there was no chaos here. No strange smells, either.
Quite the opposite.
The room was exceptionally clean and tidy. A faint, pleasant fragrance hung in the air. The bed was made without a single crease, the blanket folded with perfect precision. The desk was completely free of clutter, every object arranged with care.
The most eye-catching feature was the bookshelf lined with books. Mei-Yu Wang gave it a quick glance and noticed most of them seemed to be mystery and detective novels.
First impression — very good. Even tidier than some girls' rooms she'd seen, honestly.
"Take a seat wherever you like."
Shikime Natsu pointed at the chair, then rolled up his sleeves and headed toward the kitchen.
"Wait just a bit — the food won't take long. Oh, and Mei-chan — where in China are you from?"
He was thinking ahead; he didn't want to just go ahead and make something like Mapo Tofu without checking first, since some regions weren't big on spicy food.
"Taiwan."
"Perfect, I have exactly the right ingredients for that."
Mei-Yu Wang sat obediently in the chair, hands resting on her knees, watching with quiet curiosity as Shikime Natsu moved around the kitchen.
Chopping, igniting the burner, stir-frying — each motion flowing smoothly into the next, practiced and effortless.
Before long, a rich, distinctive savory aroma drifted out from the kitchen, filling the room.
That smell...
Mei-Yu Wang's nose twitched slightly. An expression of disbelief began to creep onto her face.
"All done — sorry for the wait."
Shikime Natsu carried two plates of steaming food over and set them down on the dining table.
A bowl of braised pork rice — Lu Rou Fan — glistening and deeply fragrant with sauce, topped with a halved soy-braised egg, its yolk still soft and runny at the center.
Besides it, a plate of Three-Cup Chicken, the meat richly colored and drenched in that signature bold aroma of fresh Thai basil.
"Give it a try?"
Shikime Natsu handed her a pair of chopsticks, watching her with anticipation.
"See if it suits your taste."
"This..."
Mei-Yu Wang stared at the food in front of her, those violet eyes wide with disbelief. She picked up a piece of chicken and brought it to her mouth.
The instant it touched her tongue — the savory depth of the soy sauce, the gentle sweetness of the rice wine, the rich nuttiness of the sesame oil, and the bold, unmistakable fragrance of basil coming through as the finishing stroke — all of it melded together in perfect harmony.
"This..."
"This is genuinely incredible!"
"Better than anything I've had at any of those restaurants!"
She scooped up a spoonful of the Lu Rou Fan — the braised pork, perfectly balanced between fat and lean, melting the moment it hit her tongue, the rice having soaked up every drop of that deeply savory broth — and it was just bliss.
That familiar salty-sweet warmth bloomed across her taste buds, the richness lingering without ever feeling heavy. Her eyes went wide. Her whole face lit up.
"Natsu — you are amazing!"
"Not only do you speak Mandarin, you can cook authentic Taiwanese food this well too!"
Eating food that tasted like home, listening to Shikime Natsu slip in a few phrases of Mandarin every now and then — Mei-Yu Wang felt the distance between herself and this boy shrink considerably.
Lunch ended.
She would have gladly stayed longer, but Mei-Yu Wang glanced at the time and stood up with a touch of reluctance.
"Um... Natsu."
"I made plans with Kikyou to meet up this afternoon, so..."
"Go ahead, don't worry about it."
Shikime Natsu smiled and nodded, making no move to keep her.
"Don't keep Kikyou waiting."
"Mm!"
Mei-Yu Wang reached the doorway, turned around, and gave Shikime Natsu a deep, sincere bow.
"Today... I really am so grateful, Natsu!"
"You kept me company, you listened to me, and you cooked me such an amazing lunch... I had a wonderful time!"
"I had a great time talking with you too, Mei-chan. Take care on your way."
"Mm! Next time — next time, let's chat again. And I'll take you up on the practice partner offer then, too."
As she looked at him, Mei-Yu Wang made a quiet mental note: next time we meet, I have to bring him something. Accepting all of this from him without giving anything back... it was starting to weigh on her.
"Sure."
After seeing Mei-Yu Wang off, Shikime Natsu tidied up the dishes at a leisurely pace.
He wasn't in any rush to sit around in his dorm with nothing to do. So he headed back out and made his way to Keyaki Mall to wander around and see whether he might run into anyone he knew.
He was drifting through the crowds without any particular destination in mind when his gaze caught on a familiar figure.
A delicate face, completely blank of all expression — those signature dead-fish eyes of hers giving absolutely nothing away. The moment she noticed him looking, the meaning on her face was unmistakable:
Great. Of all the people to run into.
"Oh!"
Shikime Natsu raised a hand in greeting.
____
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