Lunch break, the rooftop.
Lu Chen had previously thought Taihou's personality was like a cute puppy, clinging to him and refusing to let go. Now, he felt Taihou was more like a cat because she was currently lying on his lap, gently rubbing her body against his as he softly stroked her smooth, black, shiny long hair.
They had already eaten, and Taihou insisted that Lu Chen feed her. Lu Chen couldn't refuse and also wanted to test Noshiro's reaction to seeing him engage in intimate behavior with another girl.
Noshiro's reaction, in a sense, didn't surprise Lu Chen. She smiled, shook her head, and soon silently approached Lu Chen with her own bento box, looking at him with the same hopeful eyes as Taihou.
In the end, he satisfied both girls' wishes and intently watched Noshiro's reaction, concluding that regarding himself, Noshiro only reacted to things that made her happy. For example, when Lu Chen fed her, the girl's cheeks were faintly red, and her eyes were full of shyness and happiness.
When he fed Taihou, Noshiro was still immersed in her happiness. Seeing his intimate interaction with Taihou, Noshiro only recalled what he had just done to her and did not show any signs of jealousy or envy.
Conversely, Taihou's eyes were filled with mostly anticipation. Perhaps because Lu Chen would do the same thing to her, the girl showed little jealousy, and after being fed, it all turned into satisfaction.
Truth be told, Noshiro was the perfect girlfriend he dreamed of. Lu Chen decided that even if he recovered his memory and found out the girl had lied to him, as long as it wasn't a matter of principle that was harmful to him, he would use all his strength to solidify her status as his girlfriend.
"Huuuuu~ Taihou feels so comfortable," Taihou said happily. "Being held in Lu Chen-sama's arms and gently caressed is what Taihou dreams of doing."
"It's uncomfortable to lie down immediately after eating, isn't it?" Lu Chen suddenly thought of this. "You don't have any abnormal feelings, right?"
"I do," Taihou rolled over, lying on her back on Lu Chen's lap. She placed one hand on her chest, her large, watery eyes looking at Lu Chen's face. "Taihou's heart is beating so fast, and my body feels hot, like I'm melting. Does Lu Chen-sama want to feel it?"
"No, that would hurt your health."
Noshiro routinely packed up the dishes. This time, she had one more set from Taihou. She smiled. "The wind is strong on the rooftop. Lying here for too long will make you catch a cold. Let's go back and rest."
"No! Taihou wants to lie in Lu Chen-sama's arms! Hmm, or Lu Chen-sama can lie in Taihou's arms." Having said this, Taihou suddenly sat up and patted her black-stockinged long legs. "Try Taihou's lap pillow. I guarantee it'll be comfortable."
Noshiro said helplessly, "But that will make Lu Chen… Alright, I thought of a good place for the lunch break."
Lu Chen asked, "Where?"
Noshiro said, "Weren't you uncomfortable after your rest yesterday noon? The academy really falls short there. However, there is a place where you can lie down on a bed and rest well."
"Taihou knows! The infirmary, right?" Taihou quickly answered. "Hmm, that is indeed a good place. It has a bed and cover. Even if Lu Chen-sama gets handsy with Taihou, it won't be easily discovered. Let's go quickly."
"I won't do anything strange to you, so don't worry," Lu Chen took advantage of Taihou sitting up to stand as well. "You can only go to the infirmary when you're sick, right? Are you suggesting I pretend to be sick? That's not what a good student does."
Noshiro explained, "Hardly anyone goes to the infirmary. The beds are just sitting empty. No one will care about such a small matter."
"Oh, nobody will mind! Lu Chen-sama, you'll understand once you go yourself," Taihou tugged on Lu Chen's arm as she walked out. Lying on the same bed as Lu Chen was clearly an immense attraction for her.
Lu Chen really didn't want to sleep sprawled across his desk; he always woke up feeling stiff and uncomfortable, which wasn't the intended result of rest and relaxation. "Then let's go. By the way, Taihou, could you change the way you address me? All this 'Lu Chen-sama' stuff—I'm not very used to being called that."
"Then, what does Lu Chen-sama want Taihou to call you?" Taihou tilted her head and asked. "'Darling'? 'Husband'? Or… 'Master'?"
What are all these ridiculous titles? Lu Chen sighed helplessly. "Lu Chen. Just call me by my name."
"Lu Chen, Lu Chen. Hmm, I feel even closer to Lu Chen-sama now," Taihou smiled, her eyes squinting. "No, wait—Lu Chen~"
Lu Chen realized that as long as he didn't explicitly show annoyance towards Taihou, the girl would automatically interpret his every behavior as an expression of further intimacy. The worst part was that he was thinking that way; he truly had no good solution for such a clingy and enthusiastic girl.
More importantly, she was not only good-looking but also very well-endowed—truly large. Lu Chen's logic told him he wasn't shallow, but his desire begged to differ.
"Taihou knows where the infirmary is, right? I won't be going," Noshiro suddenly said as they reached the corridor corner. "I have to give my boyfriend some private space. I can't be by your side all the time, can I?"
The private space you're giving your boyfriend is for him to mess around freely, isn't it? However, since Noshiro didn't care about this, discussing abstinence was somewhat a moot point. Taihou's arm was currently linked with his, after all.
The infirmary was at the end of the first-floor hallway. Few people went there, so if someone was feeling unwell, they could rest in a quiet environment.
"The infirmary has a few nurses or doctors who rotate shifts. We won't know who it is until we get there today," Taihou said, introducing the situation to Lu Chen as they walked. "Taihou hopes it's Nicholas."
"Why? Is there something specific about her?"
Taihou giggled, saying, "Nicholas is a slacker. If she's on duty, she'll definitely sneak off somewhere to sleep, so no one will interrupt Taihou and Lu Chen."
"I'm reiterating: we are only resting for a while. We are not doing anything weird," Lu Chen insisted. Even if Noshiro didn't care, he didn't want to appear promiscuous. Cheating with Hutten on day one, Taihou on day two—who would be next on day three? The delinquent and the disciplinary committee member? Was the next step teachers?
However, his careful thoughts did not escape the eyes of the Ship Girls. With hundreds of eyes watching Lu Chen's every move, it was easy to guess his true intentions. What Noshiro and the others were doing now was trying to help Lu Chen relax his attitude, a kind of "fall" in a sense.
"Yes, yes, Taihou knows. I promise we won't do anything weird—only what Taihou should do."
Taihou is an Oath Ship, after all. Doing what an Oath Ship should do is perfectly reasonable. Now, she just needed to pray that the nurse on duty at the infirmary was Nicholas.