Hearing Lin Zhi's voice, the owner paused slightly, as if trying to confirm what she had heard. Soon, her eyes lit up and she bowed deeply toward him.
"You must be the customer who ordered takeout earlier, right? I'm so sorry for the trouble we caused you. This meal will be on the house."
"As for Nanami…"
She glanced at the girl beside her and hesitated for a moment.
The others in the room turned their attention toward her. After a short silence, the owner shook her head.
"That's her private matter. I shouldn't say more."
"Anyway, thank you all so much for your help tonight!"
She bowed once again, full of gratitude.
"Well, I didn't really do much," Kobayashi said sheepishly, scratching her head. "It was Lin Zhi who carried her all the way here."
"You're quite the gentleman, young man," Doctor Akiyama said with a smile.
Even Lin Zhi felt a bit embarrassed being praised so openly. He glanced at the girl again before saying, "Since she's fine now, I'll head back. She should probably take a day off tomorrow."
"I'll make sure she does!" the owner said quickly.
Seeing Lin Zhi leave, Kobayashi hurried to follow. "I'll get going too."
On the way back to the apartment.
Lin Zhi and Kobayashi chatted as they walked. They'd seen each other a few times in the same apartment building but never really talked—this was their first real conversation.
"Huh? So you came here all alone for school? That's amazing!"
"It's really not that big of a deal," Lin Zhi said helplessly. To him, it was pretty normal.
Noticing his expression, Kobayashi scratched her head with a laugh and looked up at the night sky.
"Well, everyone's different. To me, that's impressive. I'd never even left my hometown before college, let alone lived alone in another city during high school."
"When I first left home for college, I was nervous for weeks."
Lin Zhi gave her a curious look and smiled. "I didn't really feel that way."
"Yeah, I guess so," she said, chuckling. "You were scouted as an honor student, after all. That private academy you went to sends tons of students to Tokyo University every year. Maybe you'll end up there too."
"I'm so jealous. Tokyo U grads are the cream of the crop—real elites. Meanwhile, I'm just a poor corporate drone!"
Kobayashi looked so pitiful it was almost comical.
Being a corporate worker—especially a female one—in Japan really was rough.
"I actually respect that about you," Lin Zhi said. "It's not easy for a woman to live independently here. Most still end up as housewives after graduation."
"Ha… you think so?" Kobayashi said, a little embarrassed, scratching her cheek. Then she sighed. "Still, strong women don't have much of a market, do they?"
Her face turned gloomy.
Hmm… that got awkward fast.
It was true, though. Japan—and honestly, most countries—had that strange double standard.
At the apartment.
Back home, Lin Zhi touched the ramen container. It was still warm.
He quickly scarfed it down, checked the new messages on LINE, then got up to take out the trash.
"What a pain…" he muttered, looking at the neatly sorted garbage bags.
Stretching lazily, he headed into the bathroom, soaked in the tub until he felt human again, then changed into his pajamas and stepped out onto the balcony.
The cool night air brushed past him.
Almost instinctively, he glanced upward.
Everything looked quiet on the floor above, and he let out a small sigh of relief. Leaning on the railing, he gazed out at the city lights in the distance.
Rustle... rustle...
Not long after, a faintly familiar sound came from above.
Huh?
Lin Zhi froze mid-thought. That sound… no way…!
Sure enough, a rope suddenly dropped down from above, swaying right in front of him. His face twisted into a strange expression.
Creak… creak…
Like a horror movie zombie, he stiffly raised his head.
Under the starlit sky, a pair of small feet dangled and kicked frantically. The figure above wobbled—and started to slip.
"Oh, come on…" Lin Zhi muttered, his expression stiffening.
Then his eyes widened.
"Hey! Hey!"
He waved his arms, shouting up at the girl. When she finally looked down in confusion, he pointed frantically at the rope.
Wait—why is it shorter now?!
This was the third floor! If she fell, she'd break something for sure.
"Eh?!"
With a startled yelp, Rikka Takanashi's legs flailed wildly. She tried to climb back up the rope, but panic made her slip even faster.
Lin Zhi just stared blankly for a beat. Then, as she dropped, he lunged forward and caught hold of her small kicking feet, giving her something to brace against.
He could hear her let out a shaky sigh of relief as she steadied herself.
Bathed in pale moonlight, her figure looked almost ethereal.
Behind her, the night sky was vast and filled with stars. A soft wind swept through the courtyard, scattering cherry blossom petals like falling rain.
The girl's right eye was covered with a white eyepatch; her uncovered left eye gleamed like polished jade.
She looked at him with grave seriousness and said softly—
"Answer me…"
"…Are you my Servant?"
"…Huh?"
Lin Zhi's eye twitched. "Are you seriously a chuunibyou?"
"Eh?"
Rikka blinked in surprise, letting out a small, startled squeak. Then Lin Zhi felt the soft foot in his hands twitch—
—and slip.
Whoosh!
Her body dropped suddenly.
"Hey!" Lin Zhi shouted, grabbing her just in time and pulling her into his arms. Rikka clung desperately to the rope, trembling, her face pale as paper.
He held her under the arms, and she stared at him wide-eyed, chest rising and falling from the scare.
"N-not bad… my Servant," she stammered.
Lin Zhi: "…"
"Seriously? You're still in character right now?!"
He let out an exasperated shout, braced his legs, and with a sudden burst of strength, pulled her cleanly over the railing.
"Get up here already!"
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T/N:
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