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"Oh? You don't understand?"
Ruan Mei leaned in further, boldly pressing her ear against Hiroshi's chest. Her eyes drifted shut as she focused on the rapid, rhythmic thrumming of his heart.
"But your body isn't telling me that. Your heartbeat—thump-thump—it's so intense. Like a beautifully tuned instrument," she whispered.
Deep down, she was marveled. Just being this close to him felt like holding a block of ice in the middle of a scorching desert. The vitality radiating from him was a biological anomaly she craved to dissect. I must study this power, she thought. But I have to be careful. If I break Herta's favorite toy, she'll certainly come for my head.
Hiroshi stood with his hands awkwardly in the air, his mind racing. Is she actually insane? "As long as Section Chief Hiroshi is willing to cooperate with my research," Ruan Mei purred, "the rumors about you and Herta will stay just that—rumors. Otherwise... Herta might find it easier to eject you into the vacuum just to prove her innocence."
"Heh, don't joke, Madam Ruan Mei," Hiroshi replied, forcing a calm tone. "Madam Herta and I have a strictly professional relationship. If you spread baseless gossip, she's the one who will be angry, not me."
He wasn't easily intimidated. Knowing the lore, he knew Ruan Mei and Herta were close enough that Ruan Mei wouldn't actually sabotage her friend's reputation over a petty threat. It was a bluff, and he called it.
Ruan Mei straightened up, tapping her chin with a slender finger. A sharp light of genuine curiosity flashed in her eyes. He's cleverer than I imagined. He didn't eat the pastries laced with the Obedience Agent, and he saw through my bluff. A cold determination settled over her features. It seems I'll have to use more... direct methods. Herta won't leave us alone forever. Fluorescent white energy began to gather in her palm as she stepped toward him, the "click-clack" of her high heels echoing like a countdown.
"It's a pity, dear. We didn't have to make this unpleasant. Now, I'll have to be a bit less gentle."
Hiroshi took a wary step back. She's actually going to do it? Right here?! I need to teleport—now!
"Don't worry," Ruan Mei said, her voice devoid of emotion. "It's just a simple sleep. When you wake up, you'll forget all of this."
"Brother Hiroshi! Oh? Madam Ruan Mei is here too!"
A sweet, lively voice broke the tension. Asta stood at the entrance of the corridor, looking at the pair with a bright, oblivious smile.
"Station Master Asta!" Hiroshi exhaled, his lungs finally remembering how to breathe.
Ruan Mei's hand lowered, the energy dissipating. A flicker of regret crossed her face. Dealing with the Station Master—and the daughter of a powerful IPC family—on top of Herta was more friction than she wanted today.
"I'll be seeing you, dear," Ruan Mei whispered, leaning into Hiroshi one last time so only he could hear. "I won't give up until you are completely in my hands. I have plenty of time, and more importantly, plenty of patience."
She turned and glided past Asta, disappearing into the shadows of the sector.
A Station Master's Dream
Hiroshi wiped a layer of cold sweat from his forehead. "Saved by the Station Master... I was one second away from being a science project."
Asta walked over, looking at him curiously. "Brother Hiroshi, what was Madam Ruan Mei talking about? She looked... intense."
"Nothing much," Hiroshi lied quickly. "Just some questions about my work and Madam Herta. Did you need something, Station Master?"
"Actually, I wanted to show you the ropes of the Department of Applications! But," she looked at her watch, "it's already lunchtime. Why don't we talk over a meal? My treat!"
Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed his hand and led him toward her private dining area. This wasn't the synthetic, questionable meat served to the common staff; it was the 'Station Master's Exclusive Supreme Set'—gourmet food imported from the wealthiest worlds in the galaxy.
As they sat across from each other, Asta picked up a choice piece of food and placed it in Hiroshi's bowl. "Try this, it's delicious~"
Hiroshi ate, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster. Asta rested her chin on her hands, staring at him with a dreamy, unfocused gaze. He's so cute... and so handsome...
"Um... Station Master? Is there something on my face?"
"Ah!" Asta snapped out of it, her face turning pink. "I... uh..."
She noticed a single grain of rice at the corner of his mouth. Seizing the opportunity, she leaned in close, her slender finger gently picking it off and—to Hiroshi's shock—popping it into her own mouth.
"Ahem. Just a grain of rice. I've got it," she said, looking away.
Trying to shift the focus, Hiroshi asked, "By the way, Asta... with your family's status, why do you spend all your time here working for Herta?"
Asta's expression softened, a hint of loneliness flickering in her eyes. "I wanted to get away from the noise at home. Ever since I was a child, I've wanted to be a super amazing astronomer. My dream is to discover a new star and name it after myself."
She clenched her fists, her voice tinged with indignation. "But my family thinks it's 'meaningless.' They told me if I wanted a star, I could just buy one. They don't understand the joy of the search."
She looked out at the artificial stars of the space station. "But managing this place takes up every second. I'm afraid... I'll never have the time to look for my star."
Hiroshi looked at her, then thought about his Teleportation ability. A location "seen by the eyes" didn't necessarily mean standing right in front of it.
Discovering a star... Hiroshi thought, a small smile forming. I think I can actually make that happen.
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