Noshiro brought the two plates of breakfast to the dining table and found Lu Chen staring intently at the two bottles of milk as if they contained the ultimate secret of the universe. He didn't even notice Noshiro had untied her apron.
"What are you looking at so intently?"
Lu Chen murmured, "I'm studying the components of these two bottles of milk."
"Well, have you figured it out?" Noshiro propped her face up with one hand, looking at Lu Chen's face.
My Commander is so handsome. He's so handsome when he's deep in thought. Noshiro subtly wiped the corner of her mouth with her left hand. To Lu Chen, the girl in front of him was the embodiment of beauty, and the feeling was mutual for Noshiro.
Regardless of Lu Chen's looks in the public eye, to the Ship Girls, he was at 200% above the maximum score—a walking Male Succubus.
"No. I'm mainly unsure if this was squeezed from a cow, but I found I have no way to prove it," Lu Chen pushed one bottle of milk toward Noshiro in defeat. "Forget it. Anyway, there won't be any problem drinking it."
"Kashino is a good girl, and her family's milk is very good," Noshiro smiled. "She was the one who delivered the milk just now, right?"
"It was her." Lu Chen looked at Noshiro, his gaze involuntarily dropping. Although Noshiro was beautiful, this had nothing to do with lust this time. He thought for a moment and pushed the other bottle of milk toward Noshiro. "Drink more. You're still growing."
"What?" Noshiro lowered her head in confusion, following Lu Chen's gaze. Two streaks of red rushed across her cheeks. She covered her chest and chided, "What are you thinking!"
"Why not try it? I think you still have some room for development," Lu Chen advised. Although only a day had passed, he had shared some physical intimacy with Noshiro. He felt that saying this wasn't too much. After all, he had already handled her; surely, he was allowed to say a couple of things, right?
Noshiro said with shame and annoyance, "I have passed the age of physical development! My body won't grow anymore unless there's an unexpected event!"
Ship Girls are not human; they have infinite lifespans, and their appearance is fixed at their most beautiful age, such as a young girl, an older sister, or a loli—and even younger ones, which he wouldn't mention for now.
Unless a special event called 'Retrofit' occurs, a Ship Girl's appearance remains eternally unchanged. Therefore, for many Ship Girls, dressing and makeup became a matter of considerable importance, as it could change their usual image in the eyes of others.
"That makes sense," Lu Chen nodded. Noshiro's figure was already quite tall. Compared to girls her age (excluding the nearly 1.9-meter-tall older sister next door), her figure was in a well-proportioned category and didn't need any further development.
Noshiro opened the milk and took two sips. After a while, she asked softly, "Do you think I'm a little small?"
"Huh?" Lu Chen didn't hear clearly. The milk had a hint of sweetness. He suspected something else was added, but the taste was good, and he liked it. "What did you just say?"
Noshiro glared at Lu Chen resentfully and said word for word, "I asked if you think I'm too small—not age, not height."
"No, not at all. You have a great figure. That's the truth," Lu Chen said without hesitation.
Noshiro hesitated for a moment and continued to ask, "Then why did you want me to drink a double serving of milk?"
"Well, don't get angry after I tell you," Lu Chen said seriously. "I personally have no prejudice against your figure, but I'm afraid you might feel insecure. After all, having spent the day with you, I noticed you are on the smaller side compared to your peers, so I wanted you to… you understand."
Lu Chen was mentally prepared for Noshiro to glare fiercely at him, but she didn't react with the anger or shyness Lu Chen expected. Instead, she patted her chest and sighed in relief.
?
That's not the right reaction, is it?
"You scared me. I thought you didn't like it; that would have been troublesome," Noshiro chuckled softly, her words hitting Lu Chen with critical, true damage.
Lu Chen didn't know how long he could hold out, but with Noshiro's firepower, it was only a matter of time before she won him over. He couldn't imagine how much of a steel-straight man someone would have to be not to be moved by the girl in front of him.
After breakfast, Noshiro cleared the dishes, worked in the kitchen for a while, and brought out two bento boxes. "Time's almost up. We should go to school."
"Before we go, I suggest you change your clothes," Lu Chen said.
Noshiro walked toward the balcony. "Of course. Only my boyfriend is qualified to see my body. No one else is… Hmm, well, maybe not entirely. No other member of the opposite sex, definitely not! Yes, that's more accurate."
Lu Chen didn't react much to the statement. It should be perfectly normal for people of the same sex to see each other's bodies. He completely missed Noshiro's true meaning.
Pulling her black tights up to her waist and putting on her skirt, the classic black-stocking JK Noshiro was back. Lu Chen liked Noshiro's look the most. For no other reason than that it would be a waste not to complement her long, straight, beautiful legs with black stockings.
The two left with their school bags. The door across the hall opened, and Hutten walked out wearing a black hooded sweater. She stepped into her black platform sneakers, wiggled her feet, hooked the heels with her hands, and slid her small feet, wrapped in black ankle socks, inside.
Seeing Lu Chen and Noshiro, Hutten showed little expression, only flicked out her pink tongue to lick her lips, put on the red headphones around her neck, and walked away.
"I remember her horns were just headwear, right?" Lu Chen remembered something. "Speaking of which, Kashino had horns and a tail on her head. Are they real or fake?"
Noshiro touched the two horns on her head and replied, "Do you think the horns on my head are real or fake?"
"They're real, of course," Lu Chen said. When they were lying on the sofa last night, he had specifically observed them. Noshiro's horns smoothly connected to her smooth forehead and felt warm and jade-like to the touch.
"Hers are real too."
Lu Chen asked in disbelief, "Is she really a cow spirit that became human?"
"Why would you think that?" Noshiro was surprised by Lu Chen's imagination. "Although there are some non-human aspects, Kashino and I are fundamentally the same. Many girls in the Sakura Empire have some non-human features, such as my oni horns and Kashino's cow horns, but there are exceptions, like Taihou, who looks like a normal girl."
Beast-eared girls everywhere! This place is too blessed—uh, no, too ridiculous.
"You have oni horns?" Lu Chen asked. "So your whole family has horns?"
Noshiro shook her head. "No, it's innate and random. I have oni horns, but my older sister, Agano, has no non-human features. My younger sister, Sakawa, has two small horns growing sideways. Conversely, a girl named Ryuuhou has similar oni horns to mine."