Chapter 36: Shuyan’s Dormitory

Right after class ended, Ryu Yu caught up with me from behind as I stepped out into the hallway.

"Boss, why are you walking so fast?"

"Heading back to the dorm. Are you staying on campus or living at home?" I asked with a smile.

"I’m staying in the dorms—living at home is a bit of a distance from campus, plus the school dorms have so many people, it’s way more fun! Which dorm are you staying in, Boss? I’ll come hang out with you tonight!" Ryu Yu asked.

"I don’t live in the student dorms."

"So you’re living off-campus? That’s even better! That means no matter how crazy we get at night, nobody will bother us. Can I come over to your place sometime?" Ryu Yu said excitedly.

"Haha, I don’t have that kind of money to rent an apartment outside. I live in the faculty housing area—single room, private bathroom with a shower, and it even has its own telephone line!"

"Whoa, Boss, you’re living like a king! Are you joining military training tomorrow?" Ryu Yu asked, looking at me.

"Of course I am. I have no intention of playing truant."

"Haha, then it’s a deal! Give me your number so I can call you out to have fun later!" As he spoke, Ryu Yu whipped out a small notepad from who-knows-where and handed it to me.

Writing my phone number in the notepad, I said to him, "Ryu Yu, when should we go out and hang out together?"

From the bottom of my heart, I really wanted to make friends with him. In the past, no one had ever proactively talked to me or treated me with such genuine warmth, so I truly valued this friendship. As I said this, I tried my best to hide my nervousness, pretending to ask casually.

"Awesome! Why don’t we go out today? I’ll take you to try the best food here in Kyoto!" Ryu Yu replied without the slightest hesitation.

"Haha, not today—after all, military training starts tomorrow, so we need to save our energy! Let’s get together after training ends. It’s only about a week anyway, what do you think?" I said happily.

"Deal! I’ll follow your lead, Big Bro. When the time comes, I’m definitely drinking you under the table!" Ryu Yu threw a punch at my shoulder and laughed out loud. Our brotherly bond officially started right then and there.

After parting ways with Ryu Yu, I returned to the housing complex. Just as I reached the stairwell, I saw Shuyan leaning against her door, staring off into space. Looking up, my eyes happened to catch a glimpse of a pair of white panties beneath her denim short skirt.

Swear to God, I didn’t mean to look! It was mostly because the position she was standing in aligned a little too perfectly with my line of sight. But hey, at least I got a little payback!

Checking my composure, I let out a fake cough.

Shuyan finally snapped out of her daze and glared down at me: "Why did you only get back just now? Were you off fooling around somewhere?"

"Do I need to report my whereabouts to you?" I asked, annoyed.

"You...! I am your professor, of course I have the right to know!" Shuyan forced up an authoritative posture as a professor and yelled at me.

"Fine. Tomorrow I’ll go straight to President Takahashi and request a class transfer!"

"No, you can’t...!" Hearing me say this, Shuyan instantly panicked.

"Why not? Just because you say no means I can’t transfer?" Without giving her another glance, I unlocked my dorm door and stepped inside.

Shuyan hurried in right behind me into my room: "Please don’t! Just pretend I’m begging you, alright?!"

I looked at her in confusion and asked, "What did you come in for? And why are you so insistent that I stay in Class 5? Are you still planning to mess with me?"

"I just wanted to climb across your balcony to open my dorm door! I’m already begging you so humbly, how can you still be like this?" Shuyan said, looking toward the balcony.

I said crossly, "As long as you don’t make trouble for me out of nowhere, we’re fine. Why do you insist on having me stay in Class 5?"

"Who do you think you are? Are you even worth my time making trouble for? If my grandfather hadn’t specifically told me to look after you, I wouldn’t care whether you were dead or alive!"

That immediately reminded me of Professor Shuyan whom Secretary Kindaichi had mentioned to me that day. I quickly asked, "Is your grandfather Professor Shuyan?"

"Who else could it be? I really don’t know what’s so great about you that he calls me every day to ask about how you’re doing. Even I, his own granddaughter, am getting jealous!"

So that was it. That explained everything.

Walking out to the balcony, I saw that the window of the adjacent room was wide open, with a gap of about half a meter between the two balconies. Shuyan tried to climb over right away, but I grabbed her back.

"A girl shouldn’t be doing something so dangerous—this is the fifth floor!"

"You’re such a coward. I’ve climbed over at least five times already, it’s fine!" Shuyan said nonchalantly.

"No good deed goes unpunished. You really have no sense of safety, do you?!" Without waiting to see how Shuyan would react, I climbed onto the railing and leaped right into the adjacent balcony in a single fluid motion.

Landing on the balcony, a drying rack immediately presented itself before my eyes—tiny white panties no bigger than a palm and bras of various colors swayed right in front of me, making me swallow my saliva hard.

Stepping into the room, a gentle scent of osmanthus drifted into my nose. Shuyan’s room featured a large bed covered with a plain white sheet, upon which an assortment of oversized plush toys was messily scattered. Her pink comforter wasn’t even folded. What a messy girl. Still, I really hadn’t expected someone with such a fierce personality to actually like these childish toys.

Walking into her small living room, I discovered that her quarters were even equipped with kitchenware. A square table held a few leftover dishes that had already gone sour, while a key lay quietly in a corner. Unlocking the front door, Shuyan lowered her head and whispered a faint "thank you"—a sound even quieter than a mosquito’s buzz.

I asked deliberately, "What did you just say? Can’t you speak a little louder?"

"You win! Thank you!" This time, the volume was loud enough to burst eardrums.

Covering my ears, I grumbled in annoyance: "Are you doing that on purpose?! One second you’re so quiet nobody can hear you, and the next you’re deafening me!"

A flash of vengeful satisfaction sparkled in Shuyan’s eyes. I muttered under my breath, "You must be suffering from neurasthenia!"

Hearing me say that, Shuyan’s eyes flared up, and she was about to charge at me for another beatdown. I quickly held up my hands to stop her: "Hey, we agreed—no more fighting! I really didn’t expect a wild woman like you would actually wear that kind of simple white panties!"

The moment the words left my mouth, Shuyan’s face turned beet red, and with a loud scream, she lunged at me. Having guessed she would react like this, I bolted out of her dorm room before she could even reach me, slamming the door shut hard behind me. A split second later, a furious roar echoed from behind the closed door.

Laughing out loud as I returned to my room, I realized I hadn’t called Shin Garei in two days. Checking the time, she should be at the TV station right now, so I picked up the phone and dialed her number.

The phone rang twice before being picked up on the other end.

"Hello? Is that Fuitsu-kun?" A slightly weary voice came through the receiver.

"It’s me, Garei-san. What’s wrong? You sound so exhausted!"

"You still dare to ask? You didn’t call me for two whole days! Do you have any idea how worried I was? If you didn’t call today, I was almost ready to head to the school to look for you!" Shin Garei made no effort to hide how much she missed me, her voice even quivering slightly.

"I’m sorry, I’ve been busy out of my mind these past two days. I even gave a speech today at the entrance ceremony on behalf of the freshmen—stole the whole spotlight!"

"Mm, I knew my Fuitsu-kun was amazing. Did any girls try to chase you?"

"What are you talking about? School just started, how could that happen? Garei-san, I don’t even have to attend regular classes here—I can study any major I want! Plus, I’m staying in faculty housing with a private bathroom, balcony, and everything, all to myself!"

"Haha, sounds very cozy. But don’t skip classes just because of that—after all, what you learn in lectures is different from what’s in textbooks!"

"I know! Garei-san, this number is the direct line to my dorm, so we can talk on the phone every day from now on!"

"Really? That’s wonderful! Fuitsu-kun, I miss you... I can’t talk right now, I have to go record a show. I’ll call you later!" Before she could finish her sentence, a background voice urging her could be heard.

"Mm, I miss you too. I’ll call you every day from now on. I’ll hang up first!"

"Mm. Bye-bye!"