"This is a secret between the two of us. You'd better not tell anyone. If you want to tell, that's fine, just consider the consequences," Hutten was fixing her slightly messy hair, her back to Lu Chen, speaking without turning around.
Lu Chen's face was complicated. "Why are you doing this?"
Day one of amnesia: having a beautiful girlfriend, and behind her back, engaging in some unspeakable activity with another delinquent girl. Things seemed to have gotten worse.
Moreover, during the recent "accident," he had discovered something that greatly surprised him: the girl had never had intimate contact with a man before. No, not just intimate contact; she hadn't even seen what a man's body looked like.
This completely contradicted her persona as a delinquent girl wearing suggestive clothing, but for Lu Chen, his heart felt a little secretly pleased.
Men have possessiveness, and he was no exception.
"I wanted to," Hutten snorted. She didn't explain her reasons for doing so. "As agreed, you can come to me anytime and anywhere to do similar things in the future. Even more excessive things are fine."
"There won't be a next time!" Lu Chen's voice was loud. "This was just an accident! We can't continue down this wrong path."
"An accident? Didn't you enjoy it too?" Hutten smiled carelessly. "Fine. The choice is yours. Do it or don't do it, but I've stated my position."
Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then said, "I will tell Friedrich, and I will tell… Noshiro, no matter the consequences."
"As you wish," Hutten replied calmly.
Lu Chen gave Hutten a deep look and left her bedroom.
He didn't know that Hutten, with her back to him, wore a satisfied smile on her face.
Noshiro was too lucky, having claimed a very advantageous position. To catch up or even surpass her, she had to use unusual tactics, such as launching a physical attack first, appealing to the body before the heart.
She was the Commander's Oath Ship, and being intimate with him was only natural. So, she chose to act as a delinquent girl, making certain actions more convenient. Combined with her strong alliance with Friedrich, she was confident she could win the Commander's heart.
Commander, immerse yourself completely and accept all of this. Just as you cast a curse upon me, I now curse you as well—come with me and be eroded by this poison called love.
...
Lu Chen hesitated, standing outside the kitchen door.
If he told Noshiro what just happened, based on his common sense, both a breakup and a slap would be forthcoming. The only question was the order in which they would occur.
He admitted he had some unique feelings for Noshiro. Even though it had only been half a day, he had developed a lot of goodwill toward her and didn't want to give her up easily.
Hutten's attitude was bizarre, but she stated she wouldn't publicize the incident. As long as he didn't say anything, Noshiro would never know, and he could treat the experience as if it never happened.
But could he really treat it as if it never happened?
Lu Chen felt he couldn't. If he concealed things from his girlfriend today, what would he do tomorrow or the day after? Ethical standards were susceptible to the slippery slope effect, and he didn't want to become the person he loathed.
Just then, the kitchen door opened. Noshiro and Friedrich were emerging, smiling and carrying a dish. Seeing Lu Chen standing at the door, Noshiro paused and asked, "What are you doing standing there? Are you hungry? Dinner will be ready soon, just hold on a little longer."
Hearing Noshiro's gentle words, Lu Chen made up his mind. He took a deep breath and said, "I have something I want to tell you."
"What is it? Hmm, can we talk after dinner?" Noshiro asked as she placed the plate on the dining table. "I still have two dishes to prepare."
"I want to tell you now," Lu Chen said resolutely. "I'm afraid I won't have the courage to tell you later."
Noshiro looked at Friedrich and apologized, "Sorry, I think I need to step away for a moment."
"It's alright," Friedrich smiled softly. "Dinner preparations are nearly finished; I can manage alone."
"Let's talk over here," Noshiro led Lu Chen to the balcony, looked around, and asked softly, "What happened?"
Looking at Noshiro's pretty face, Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Hutten and I engaged in some intimate behavior."
Hearing this, Noshiro's face instantly changed. She asked, "You kissed?!"
"No, it was more intense than kissing." Lu Chen didn't dare to look into Noshiro's eyes; meeting her pure gaze filled him with a deep sense of guilt.
"No kissing?" Noshiro asked again.
Lu Chen, like a child who had done something wrong, whispered, "No kissing, but the extent was more intense than kissing."
"No kissing is good, no kissing is good…" Noshiro visibly relaxed, her expression softening a few degrees. "I thought it was something serious. You scared me."
"I'm sorry. I admit I didn't want to refuse at the time. I was overcome by lust. Whatever you do to me… Huh?" Lu Chen could barely believe his ears. He felt like he was hallucinating.
Noshiro noticed that Lu Chen's clothes were slightly disheveled. Being smart, she didn't need much explanation to figure out what had happened. She had only left Lu Chen's sight for a moment, and Hutten had already taken advantage of the situation. Just like Taihou at noon, everyone was trying very hard to capture the Commander.
Since she had already gained the advantage, she naturally couldn't place restrictions on the other Ship Girls; that would be too unfair to them.
Thinking this, Noshiro reached out and smoothed the corner of Lu Chen's shirt. "In the future, you don't need to specifically tell me about small things like this. You can do whatever you want. I only have one request: you are not allowed to kiss any other girl before you kiss me."
The implication was that after kissing Noshiro, he could do anything he wanted with other girls? And for now, he could do anything except kissing? Lu Chen felt dizzy. He completely failed to understand the girl in front of him. Loving him deeply yet having no possessiveness was, in itself, incredible.
For example, toward Hutten, he currently only had physical desire, yet he still felt possessiveness. Not to mention what he would be like if he truly fell in love with someone.
"Why are you looking at me so surprised?" Noshiro touched her cheek. She genuinely didn't realize how bizarre she appeared to Lu Chen; the Ship Girls' worldview was something humans couldn't comprehend. "Alright, let's go eat. I made a few of my specialty dishes. See how you like them."
Lu Chen was silent. He didn't know what to say. Since things had come to this, he might as well eat first.