"Speaking of which, I don't know anything about your family situation," Lu Chen asked. If Noshiro hadn't volunteered that she had two sisters, Lu Chen wouldn't have known anything about her background.
"No father, no mother. I rely on my two sisters, and besides them, I can only rely on you," Noshiro secretly moved her arm, gently letting her hand brush against Lu Chen's. It touched, then instantly separated.
"Like me. Hmm, you have two sisters, and they don't mind you staying overnight at a man's house."
Noshiro was slightly helpless, a little angry, and mostly amused. "Why are you always hung up on the overnight issue? Is it really that unacceptable for unmarried boyfriends and girlfriends to sleep together for one night?"
"I'm not that conservative, but I said this is my first day meeting you. You know, I feel like this is some kind of… one-night stand?"
Noshiro froze for a second, then her pretty face immediately flushed pink. She shouted with her eyes squeezed shut, "Y-You! Where did your mind go! You must write a self-reflection essay—a thorough self-reflection!"
"Can't standing outside the classroom calm you two down?" Teacher Langley's roar came from inside the classroom. "You two, right now, immediately, get out of here, no matter where you go!"
"Good news! We can legally skip school now," Lu Chen smiled. "Oh, to answer your previous question, I've never skipped school before. I was a model student. But for some reason, I feel impulsive now—maybe because I've never done it."
Noshiro pursed her lips. "I'll go grab the bags. Wait for me."
With that, she walked into the classroom, to Lu Chen's astonished gaze, apologized to Teacher Langley on the podium, returned to her seat, and retrieved both her and Lu Chen's backpacks.
"You're right. Breaking the rules once in a while feels good," Noshiro tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear and handed Lu Chen his backpack. "Why are you standing there stunned? You don't expect me to carry your bag, do you?"
Lu Chen snapped out of it and took his backpack. "No need for that. Give me yours too."
Noshiro didn't refuse. She took her phone out of her backpack and handed the backpack to Lu Chen. "Let's go."
"You brought a phone?"
"Of course. Otherwise, many things would become very troublesome," Noshiro said. "But I don't use my phone during class."
Lu Chen thought of something. "Where's my phone? Since I live alone, I must have gotten one for myself."
"Hmm, if you didn't bring it, it should be at home," Noshiro lowered her head and opened her phone. Seeing a message pop up, she smiled helplessly. "It looks like we don't need to go to the mall for groceries. Dinner is taken care of tonight."
Everyone is starting to take action, but thankfully I got the head start.
"What's going on?"
"I'll tell you on the way back."
In the classroom next door, Taihou rested her cheek on her hand, looking out the window. She hadn't paid any attention to what was being taught. Her mind was entirely focused on Lu Chen in the next class.
Commander, my Commander, so handsome, so firm. Hee-hee-hee...
No, Taihou, you must maintain your image. You are not just the armored carrier of the Sakura Empire; you are the Port's Commander's wife. Yes, the Commander's wife. I am the Commander's wife, and I need to be magnanimous toward the other Ship Girls.
All she had to do was wait for dismissal. The moment the bell rang, she would rush to the Commander. Even if he had a prior date, since she was standing right in front of him, how could her deeply loving Commander bear to abandon her?
Just as Taihou was daydreaming about the After-School Honor Student story, Noshiro and Lu Chen appeared in her line of sight, walking side-by-side and chatting happily. They went down the stairs without looking back. Judging by the backpacks they were carrying, they clearly looked like they were going home after school.
Taihou watched the scene in shock, muttering, "Foul! That's a foul! So despicable!"
...
"My female neighbor?" Lu Chen asked. "Who is that?"
Lu Chen felt like he was playing a game where a new plot and character unlocked every time he reached a new point in time.
"Hmm, you have a good relationship with her. She is one of the high-ranking figures in this academy, and her younger sister also attends school here. However, we don't need to wait for her. That's all I know."
Having a good relationship with the single female neighbor next door. Either she was older than his mother, or she was exceptionally ugly; otherwise, it was illogical for his girlfriend not to be nervous at all.
Oh, Noshiro is already a little off, so never mind.
To be honest, if Lu Chen could recover his memory, he hoped his relationship with the girl was real. Even though it had only been half a day, he was starting to like this girl—of course, her attractive appearance played a major role.
Lu Chen liked to examine himself in his mind from a third-person perspective. He knew his liking for Noshiro was a craving for beauty—or, in a more refined phrase, admiration of youth and beauty but he couldn't control his instincts. After all, the girl was simply too outstanding.
A pretty face, a perfectly slender figure, a thin waist, long legs, plus a pair of alluring black stockings, an excellent cook, and a gentle, earnest, almost ideal wife and loving mother personality… Her virtues were endless, and this perfect girl claimed to be his girlfriend.
No matter how absurd, Lu Chen inwardly hoped it was true. He knew the girl was deceiving him or hiding things from him in some respects. His rational mind told him not to trust her too much, as everything was just Noshiro's side of the story, but the emotional part of his inner self was telling him that the girl in front of him was worth entrusting everything to.
Am I having these strange thoughts about Noshiro because I have no dating experience? What was that term used to describe it? 'Lickspittle'? Yes, 'lickspittle'.
But, up until now, wasn't the girl the one unilaterally giving everything? So is she the simp? And I seem to be quite popular? Did she finally 'simp' her way into getting me?
No, this question is too profound.
Lu Chen stopped thinking. If he continued, major problems would arise. He looked up at the streets on both sides: a very ordinary four-lane road, and the two of them were walking on a flagstone path lined with greenery.
"It feels really quiet. There aren't many pedestrians on the road. Hmm? Why does that sentence feel strangely familiar?" Lu Chen asked a question. "Why is it so deserted here? It doesn't look like a bustling city at all."
Noshiro paused. This was a difficult question to answer. Hundreds of Ship Girls in the Port was certainly a lot, but if they were spread across a city, it wouldn't even fill an academy, let alone a city.
"Hmm, perhaps it's because it's during work hours?"
Lu Chen thought about it. "True. Everyone is probably working long hours. No one is just wandering around near the school."
"Alright, we're here," Noshiro pointed to the apartment building ahead. "Your home is here."
Lu Chen couldn't maintain his composure. "A house in a school district too?!"