"Hey, Snowpeak, the boss wants us to lock down a rookie driver in the advancement race. What do you think?"
On a bustling street packed with pedestrians, a fair-skinned, delicate-featured young man dressed in black techwear stopped and stared at his phone.
Beside him was a very small Mecha Girl—silver eyes, ash-gray hair, an icy temperament—like an exquisite doll straight out of a dark fairy tale.
"Master, as seniors, we shouldn't do something that underhanded," the Mecha Girl named Snowpeak said flatly.
"But we have to carry out the boss's orders." Leon Li's usually blank face showed a trace of hesitation.
"Master, you could tell him in advance. That would make it fair and just."
"That's true. We'll tell him exactly how we plan to target him so he can prepare ahead of time. Snowpeak, you're a genius!"
"Oh, Master, you're a genius too."
One human and one Mecha Girl held hands, both wearing the same deadpan expressions as they looked at each other, sharing a subtle sense of mutual understanding.
Leon Li nodded.
"Then it's settled."
"Hey, Master, look." Snowpeak raised her hand and pointed to a nearby establishment. Pink decorations exuded a seductive atmosphere—it was a couples-themed hotel. She turned her head, tugged on Leon Li's hand, and said, "I want to."
"But didn't we just—this morning?"
"I want to." Snowpeak gazed up at Leon Li blankly, her small mouth pouting. Just a few words. "Can we?"
"No problem."
Leon Li skillfully pulled out a packet of Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pills and dumped them into his mouth, then took Snowpeak by the hand and walked into the hotel.
To fulfill the requests of one's own Mecha Girl to the utmost—wasn't that a driver's responsibility and duty?
Naturally. Without hesitation.
...
A week had passed since the match between Stella and Jade-786.
During this time, Derek Su took Stella to Lumina every day for lessons, following the physical training plan set by Zane. He also squeezed in a training race and earned 15 MP points. With 19 MP points left, he still hadn't decided which of Stella's attributes to enhance.
At present, all of Stella's attributes had exceeded 50 even without Module bonuses.
It took 5 MP points to raise a single attribute by one point. No matter where the three points from those 19 MP went, the improvement felt negligible.
"Whew… I'm exhausted."
Derek Su watched Stella's running figure ahead of him. In the end, he couldn't hold on any longer and stopped, bracing his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
Waking up at six every morning to run—at first, five kilometers felt easy. Then he added five kilometers day by day. Now he had to run fifteen kilometers in the morning and finish within an hour. Who the hell could handle that? Even One Punch Man didn't train that hard!
"Oh? Master, you're already done?"
Hearing the noise behind her, Stella slowed, then jogged backward to him, looking at Derek Su with a teasing grin.
"Tsk tsk, could it be that Master is the kind of trash pilot who can't even outrun his own Mecha Girl? Tired after running for such a short while—no endurance at all~"
Derek Su's vision darkened, the corner of his mouth twitching.
How was a normal human supposed to outrun a Mecha Girl?
Back when Stella offered to run with him, he'd actually been excited. It was summer, after all—tank tops and shorts. Those tight tank tops would cling to skin once soaked with sweat, and Stella had that petite yet very well-endowed figure. The mental image alone had been his motivation to run.
And the result?
No matter how much Stella ran, she didn't sweat at all.
What kind of absurd physique was this? She felt just like a normal girl to the touch—soft, smooth, and fragrant.
Derek Su still couldn't understand these miraculous Mecha Girls.
"I'm not running anymore. Let me rest."
He dropped onto the ground.
The weather was getting hotter and hotter. Even doing nothing, sweat poured down his face like a waterfall.
"Haste makes waste! Even fitness training needs to be gradual!"
He found a reason for himself, thinking he should switch his runs to nighttime. Otherwise, he'd die of dehydration sooner or later.
"Master, want some pineapple?"
Stella, as usual, cracked open a pineapple with her forehead and handed him the biggest, plumpest piece.
"No, I already had some this morning." Derek Su turned his head away.
Pineapple was tasty, but too much of it was cloying—far too sweet. Only Stella could treat it like a staple food. What was strange was that no matter how much she ate, there was barely any smell on her body or breath. Maybe Mecha Girls had some kind of automatic odor-purifying function?
"Then, Master, would you like something to drink? I can go buy it for you."
Stella crouched beside Derek Su, quietly studying his profile.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering specks of light across Derek Su's face.
Stella pressed her lips together, her pretty face faintly flushed.
The sulking "Master" lacked his usual seriousness and somehow looked even cuter.
I like it~
But how was she supposed to express these feelings to "Master"?
Racing skills could be learned—but who could teach this kind of thing?
What if she confessed and Derek Su rejected her?
What if he said things like: "I only see you as my Mecha Girl," or "Ah, I've never thought about it that way—it's too sudden," or "Mecha Girls and humans are impossible. How could you think that? Stella, I really misjudged you!" Or even, "I treated you as my starting Mecha Girl, and you're lusting after my body"…
Just imagining these possibilities filled Stella with turmoil. Any courage she managed to gather instantly turned into timidity.
If she said nothing, at least they could maintain their current relationship.
She could barge into Derek Su's room without restraint, secretly slip into his blanket at night, or grab a napkin after meals to wipe his mouth for him… Perhaps this was the safest approach.
Neither of them spoke. On the forest trail, only the breeze and cicadas remained.
Derek Su had no idea what Stella was thinking as she frowned slightly. Maybe even Mecha Girls had their own worries.
"Master."
"Mm?"
"Mr. Young said that after training today, everyone's going to the hot springs. Are you going?"
In his previous life, Derek Su had been a genuine social recluse.
His first reaction to any kind of gathering was always to refuse. He wanted to say no again now—but suddenly, a string in his mind snapped.
Hot springs?!
Stella is going too?!
Hot springs = swimsuits = Stella in a cute swimsuit = he gets to see it!
What if it's a private bath?
Derek Su wiped the sweat from the corner of his mouth, an evil grin spreading across his face.
Pure and innocent Stella probably wouldn't understand a thing. Then… hehehe.
"Master, your smile is really lecherous." Stella poked Derek Su's cheek.
"Ahem—w-what? No way! You must be seeing things. I'm a very proper person!"
"So, Master, are we going or not?"
Stella waved her phone.
"Lumina is still waiting for my reply~"
"Of course we're going. Why wouldn't we?" Derek Su agreed without hesitation.
"But, Master, what about your training…?"
Derek Su sprang up from the ground in one smooth motion.
"I'm running right now!"
"Didn't you say haste makes waste?" Stella blinked her big eyes.
"Heh. Haste makes waste? That's all bullshit." Derek Su sneered, pointing at the tree-lined path ahead. "It's just fifteen kilometers. Anyone with hands can do it. Anyone who can't finish is a scrawny weakling!"
At this moment, his body was overflowing with strength. Without another word, he charged forward.
Stella looked at Derek Su's retreating back and burst out laughing before chasing after him.
"Master, wait for me!"
…
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser