Shi-Han's foolish questions only made Jun-Yu's mood worsen even more. It seemed as if Jun-Yu's "wire" was about to snap at any moment. Taking a long breath with great annoyance, Jun-Yu patiently calmed himself down, folded his hands in front of Shi-Han, and said—
Jun-Yu: Sorry! Since you always call me a snapped wire, let me apologize with folded hands first. Tell me, do you know every single person that I know?
Shi-Han (muttering): No.
Jun-Yu: My senior, Wan-Qing, whom I respect like my own elder sister—do you know how rare she is among all the people in the world?
Shi-Han (closing one eye): No.
Jun-Yu: My senior's blood type exists in only 1% or 2% of the world's population. Do you have any idea how much risk she is taking with her own life by donating blood to save my friend's life?
Shi-Han (muttering): Am I a doctor or a scientist? How would I know?
Shi-Han merely moved her lips and muttered in response to Jun-Yu's question. However, perhaps her muttering never reached Jun-Yu's ears.
Jun-Yu: Have you even thought about it? After giving blood to Shu-Yang, what if Senior falls sick afterward, or develops a blood deficiency? Do you have any idea how much trouble I would be in then? Two of the people closest to me would be pushed toward death at the same time. Don't I have any responsibilities toward my senior?
Shi-Han (nodding her head): You do.
Jun-Yu: What kind of absurd things are you saying, Shi-Han? In a situation like this, should I go home and sleep peacefully? Besides, Shu-Yang's colleagues are police officers, while I am Shu-Yang's childhood friend—more than a friend, practically his brother. How can you even compare us? Have you ever thought about how hurt Shu-Yang would feel if he ever found out about this?
After saying everything in one breath, Jun-Yu finally stopped. After listening to all of it, Shi-Han frowned and covered her ears with her fingers—
Shi-Han: Alright, alright, sorry! My mistake. Stop already. I was only saying it because I was worried about your physical condition.
Jun-Yu (softly): I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm just extremely hungry.
Shi-Han: Serves you right, zombie. Yesterday afternoon I told you to go see a doctor with me. What did you say? Then you went and drank a whole bunch of pure wine at lightning speed and vomited like a crazy drunkard. Of course you're hungry now—you haven't eaten anything all night.
Hearing Shi-Han's emotional scolding, Jun-Yu scratched his head and said—
"Thank you, Shi-Han. I gained a lot of strength because you stayed by my side yesterday. But right now, please get me something to eat quickly. A lion is roaring inside my stomach from hunger."
While Jun-Yu was speaking, Shi-Han stood up and started removing the watch from his wrist. She said—
"You don't eat outside food anyway. I'll go home and return within thirty minutes after cooking. Until then, keep that lion in your stomach under control."
Jun-Yu was surprised, wondering why Shi-Han was suddenly taking off his watch. He asked—
Jun-Yu: W-What are you doing? M-My watch...!
Before Jun-Yu could continue, Shi-Han interrupted him—
"I'm robbing your watch right in front of you. Those thugs chased you because of this watch, and you insist on keeping your bodyguards 500 meters away from you. So, for your safety, I'm taking it with me. When I go to bring your clothes, I'll leave it in your drawer."
Wow, what authority Shi-Han seemed to have over Jun-Yu. Without the slightest fear, she casually removed the watch worth 3.4 billion yuan from the hand of the hot-tempered bull known as Jun-Yu. Seeing this, Xiao-Tong smiled faintly. At this moment, Jun-Yu chose not to argue and simply accepted whatever Shi-Han was doing.
Jun-Yu: Alright. Here, take the key. And take this credit card too. You haven't eaten all night either. On your way back, take Sis to a restaurant and eat whatever you both like. The password is the formula of falling velocity.
After Jun-Yu regained consciousness, the hospital had returned all of his belongings and clothes to him. Jun-Yu didn't know whether Shi-Han had any money with her or not, nor did he feel the need to ask. Taking out his card and giving her the password, Jun-Yu walked out of Xiao-Tong's cabin. Shi-Han stared in surprise and thought to herself—
Shi-Han: How strange. Who uses a scientific formula as a credit card password? Doesn't the bank have any rules about this? Am I a science student that I would know these things?
Thinking this, Shi-Han loudly called out,
"Jun-Yu! Jun-Yu! Wait!"
Perhaps she intended to return the card, but Jun-Yu had already left before hearing her call. Holding the card in her hand like a fool, Shi-Han once again thought to herself—
"I may not know the password to Jun-Yu's card, but Jun-Yu is never irresponsible. Even if he cannot personally stand there and fulfill his duties, he will always try his best. Jun-Yu, if only a caring boy like you could..."
"Stop it, Shi-Han. Jun-Yu could never date an ordinary person like you."
Shi-Han had always had a soft spot for Jun-Yu. Perhaps at first it was because of his appearance, but the more she got to know him, the more she found herself drawn to everything about him—his way of speaking, the way he walked, his sense of responsibility and duty. Little by little, she was becoming more and more vulnerable to his charm. She did not know what future awaited this friendship. But she could not understand why her shameless heart kept wanting to reveal itself to Jun-Yu again and again.
As romantic thoughts about Jun-Yu filled her mind, Shi-Han suddenly remembered what had happened between them last night. Within moments, memories of both the good and bad times she had spent with him surfaced. His warm breath crashing against her chest as she leaned against his open chest, the two of them standing on a deserted balcony at sunset watching the cherry blossoms, riding a bicycle while resting her head close to his heart within the shelter of his arms, feeling his warm breath brush against her lips, and finally, last night, when she had hugged him tightly and cried.
Shi-Han (thinking): Why did I act like that yesterday? Jun-Yu isn't my boyfriend. Then why did I cling to him like that? Why does it feel like he's the closest person to me? What right did I have to hug him in public? Why do I always want him by my side whenever I'm in trouble? Why does my shameless heart keep searching for him all the time? And why do I become so shaken whenever something happens to him? Why does it feel as if my very life is about to leave my body? Could it be... that I've fallen in love with Jun-Yu? Am I feeling love?
Shi-Han silently questioned herself. As she thought about Jun-Yu, she unconsciously drifted into a daydream. A shy, gentle smile bloomed at the corner of her pink lips. Seeing her lost in thought, Xiao-Tong cleared her throat and said—
Xiao-Tong: Shi-Han, just like that day, Jun-Yu has left again today. Lower your gaze already. What are you thinking about so deeply?
All this time, Shi-Han had been staring absentmindedly in the direction Jun-Yu had gone. When Xiao-Tong called her, she snapped out of her thoughts and replied—
Shi-Han: It's nothing. I'm just really hungry. Xiao-Tong, do you know what the formula for falling velocity is?
Xiao-Tong smiled and frowned slightly.
Xiao-Tong: You and your arts and painting brain versus Scientist Jun-Yu's brain, you idiot. If you have money, go buy something to eat. Or just eat the hospital food.
Shi-Han said with an irritated expression—
Shi-Han: Stop joking around. I seriously can't understand what Jun-Yu was trying to do.
Xiao-Tong: Forget it. I don't know the formula for falling velocity either. And even if the password really is the formula for falling velocity, then the bank code must be hidden within that formula. In other words, you'd have to solve the formula to figure out the code. Only Jun-Yu knows it, and he obviously didn't tell you.
Shi-Han stared blankly and said—
Shi-Han: Then what did Jun-Yu even do? Was it like giving away a cow after hitting someone with a shoe? Honestly, what should this kind of behavior even be called?
★★★
"Jun-Yu's Room"!
**Inside Jun-Yu's room, Shi-Han stood in front of Jun-Yu's wardrobe. Xiao-Tong was leaning against the wall beside the room's door. Deep down, Xiao-Tong was very happy. She had already assumed that Shi-Han and Jun-Yu lived in the same apartment building, only one floor apart.
**Being able to casually exercise authority over Jun-Yu and freely come and go in his room.
**Such things couldn't possibly exist between ordinary friends or neighbors. Even if it was a secret, Shi-Han was definitely dating Jun-Yu. While Xiao-Tong was lost in those thoughts, Shi-Han opened Jun-Yu's wardrobe.
**The moment she did, Xiao-Tong noticed that Shi-Han had been buried under a flood of clothes. As soon as the wardrobe doors opened, a mountain of Jun-Yu's messy clothes came tumbling down onto Shi-Han. Unable to handle the sudden attack of clothing, the girl was nearly buried beneath them. Shi-Han hurriedly started removing the clothes one by one from herself.
Shi-Han (angrily): "You zombie daddy's childddddd! No wonder I call you a zombie, Jun-Yuuuuuuuuu!"
**For a moment, Shi-Han forgot that Jun-Yu was currently in the hospital and that Xiao-Tong was standing right in front of her. The moment she cursed Jun-Yu, Xiao-Tong's teeth-gritting laughter rang in her ears.
Shi-Han (seriously): "Why are you laughing? Do you know that I cleaned Jun-Yu's room that day? Hmph. Jun-Yu is only handsome on the outside. He's completely heartless. The whole room was scattered with science gadgets and children's toys. The guy is so messy that the name Zombie suits him perfectly. But how was I supposed to know his wardrobe was like this too?"
**Hearing Shi-Han's words, Xiao-Tong laughed even harder and said between breaths—
Xiao-Tong: "Stop, Shi-Han! I can't take it anymore. My stomach hurts from laughing. Please give me a glass of water."
**Xiao-Tong had only just returned from the hospital and was still recovering. Hearing such ridiculous words from her made Shi-Han panic. She wondered if Xiao-Tong was feeling unwell again.
Shi-Han said somewhat seriously—
"What's so funny? Why are you laughing like that? And what do you mean give you water? We just had soft drinks a little while ago."
Xiao-Tong (laughing): "This is probably why every girl who sees Jun-Yu ends up having a crush on him."
Shi-Han (frowning): "W-What? What are you trying to say?"
Xiao-Tong (laughing): "Look at what's in your hand. You're holding Jun-Yu's glitter underwear, and written on it in huge letters is 'SUPER BOY'."
The moment she heard that, Shi-Han nearly jumped out of her skin—
"Whaaaaat?!"
**While pushing away the pile of clothes, she hadn't even noticed when she picked it up. Startled by Xiao-Tong's words, Shi-Han immediately looked at her hand and realized Xiao-Tong was indeed telling the truth.
Xiao-Tong: "Not 'what,' but 'yes.' Look, there are even cartoon prints on it—like a lion and Jerry. Tell me, what do you think the lion and Jerry print symbolizes?"
Shi-Han (laughing): "Shut up, you naughty girl. Don't you know about lions? Among animals, lions are the only creatures that can spend the longest time mating. And compared to a lion, Jerry is just a mouse."
Xiao-Tong (laughing loudly): "Hahaha! Wow, Shi-Han, Jun-Yu has taught you biology quite well. But the lion and mouse print could also represent that story where the lion wanted to eat the mouse, and the mouse begged for its life with folded hands. The lion felt pity and let it go. Later, the lion got trapped in a hunter's net, and the mouse came and gnawed through the ropes to free him. Since then, the lion and the mouse became friends."
**Hearing Xiao-Tong's words, Shi-Han realized how foolishly she had exposed herself. Trying to cover it up awkwardly—
Shi-Han: "Y-Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. But would boys really have moral stories on their shorts? Anyway, forget this research. Jun-Yu may be a little childish, but glitter underwear? And cartoon prints too? I never imagined even in my dreams that Jun-Yu was messy at the 'glitter underwear' level."
Xiao-Tong (with a gentle smile): "So you dream about Jun-Yu too? How long has all this been going on?"
Shi-Han: "All this? What are you talking about?"
**Xiao-Tong turned on her phone's camera—
Xiao-Tong: "Nothing. Wait, let me take a picture of the underwear. We can blackmail Jun-Yu with it later."
**Hearing that, Shi-Han instantly imagined Jun-Yu's 'wire-snapped' mode. In a split second, she placed a hand on her cheek and hurriedly reached for Xiao-Tong's phone—
Shi-Han: "Hey! Hey! No, no, no! Not that! Zombie's ultimate rage! Yesterday that twelve-thousand-megawatt broken wire slapped me really hard. He even said I should never appear in front of him again. If you do this, that zombie will throw me out of the apartment today itself. Please don't do it. You can't do such a huge thing to your own friend, Xiao-Tong."
**Xiao-Tong turned off the camera and lowered her hand—
Xiao-Tong: "So that's probably why there's a bruise shaped like five fingers on your face and your cheek is swollen. But why did your zombie hit you? Whose fault was it?"
Shi-Han: "Yours."
Xiao-Tong: "Mine? Jun-Yu hit you because of me? How did an innocent person like me end up between the Conch Witch and the Zombie?"
Shi-Han: "I was worried about you, and what that girl said messed up my head. Combined with everything else, I made a lot of awful comments about Jun-Yu yesterday. And do you know? That girl threw wine in Jun-Yu's face and even called him 'Honeyyy.' I beat her up so badly that she won't be able to get out of a hospital bed for seven days."
Xiao-Tong: "Fine, tell me the rest later. You're getting late. Go to the hospital and calm your zombie's lion stomach. Wait a second, take these socks with you."
**While talking, Shi-Han had already organized Jun-Yu's messy wardrobe. As Xiao-Tong pushed Shi-Han out of the room, she thought to herself—
"At last, love's rain has fallen upon my friend's dry desert. A slap means discipline, and Shi-Han got jealous because someone called Jun-Yu 'Honey,' so she beat that girl up. She also shows so much authority over him without even realizing it. And their sweet little arguments... Ahhhh, I feel like writing a romantic love story about them right now. No, seriously, these two need to become a couple as soon as possible. Xiao-Tong, your mission now is to bring together the Conch Witch and the Zombie."