Just as Lu Jue expected.
On her way back, Special Week ran into Gold Ship, Daiwa Scarlet, and Vodka, those three bandit leaders.
But this time, Silence Suzuka was also there, so it wasn't so easy for the three of them to succeed.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Special Week pulled Silence Suzuka back a step.
Seeing their plan fail, the three of them could only take off their masks.
"Special Week, is that right? Can we invite you to the lounge?" Gold Ship asked.
"Invite?"
Special Week looked at the large sack in Gold Ship's hand. The latter noticed and quickly hid it behind her back.
Daiwa Scarlet tried to cover up, "This is for... uh, for miscellaneous items."
Gold Ship and Vodka quickly nodded.
Special Week was speechless for a moment. Was she really that stupid!?
It would be such a waste to use a bag like that for miscellaneous items; it should be used for carrots.
"So why do you want to invite me to the lounge?"
"The Trainer is looking for you." Gold Ship directly pulled out Nishizaki Ryu's photo. "It's this guy."
"Pervert..." Special Week subconsciously wanted to say the word "pervert," but remembering Lu Jue's words, she stopped.
Although she didn't say it, the three of them, Gold Ship, Daiwa Scarlet, and Vodka, seemed to have a tacit understanding and knew what she wanted to say.
"Not a pervert, not a pervert."
"Mm-hmm, the Trainer just looks sleazy."
"Maybe he also has some M tendencies..."
"Maybe he actually is a little bit of a pervert? Just a little bit, though..."
"Maybe a little sleazy too?"
"Why don't you just not go?"
"Why don't we leave?"
...
The unreliable trio spoke one after another.
They were originally defending Nishizaki Ryu, but as they defended him, they gradually deviated from the original topic.
Special Week finally managed to interject, "What are you talking about?"
"Ahem." Gold Ship cleared her throat twice. "In short, we want to invite you to join 'Spica'."
Daiwa Scarlet chimed in, "Suzuka-chan, we also invite you again."
Special Week didn't answer immediately but looked at Silence Suzuka. The little fan wanted to be on the same team as her idol.
"Sorry, I already have a team I want to join."
Silence Suzuka checked the time, thinking that Lu Jue should have arrived at the infirmary by now.
She wanted to finish things here quickly and go over there.
"Alright, as expected~" Daiwa Scarlet knew that Silence Suzuka had already rejected Nishizaki Ryu once, so she wasn't discouraged. "Then what about you, Special Week?"
"I'm sorry, I want to be with Silence Suzuka."
"Alright, that's a shame then."
...
After saying goodbye to the trio, Silence Suzuka and Special Week walked to the school gate.
"Xiao Te, you go back first. I... seem to have left something in the classroom." Silence Suzuka was not good at lying, so her made-up words sounded very unnatural.
She also didn't know why she was lying.
She was just going to the infirmary for a massage... It wasn't a secret rendezvous, nor was she doing anything scandalous.
Fortunately, it was Special Week, who didn't suspect anything. "Then I'll go back with you."
"Eh, no need, Xiao Te. You must be very hungry, right?"
"Hehe, I can sacrifice a little for Silence Suzuka."
Silence Suzuka indicated that she didn't need this kind of sacrifice. "Xiao Te, you go eat quickly, otherwise I'll feel bad too."
"Alright then~" Special Week gave up when she saw Silence Suzuka was so insistent.
...
Watching Special Week's figure walk away, Silence Suzuka finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, there were still some Uma Musume coming out of the campus, so Silence Suzuka's returning figure wasn't particularly noticeable.
But she still went to the infirmary stealthily, as if she had a guilty conscience.
Lu Jue heard the sound and looked towards the door. "You're here, Silence Suzuka."
Silence Suzuka nodded and came in. "Are there no other people?"
"There were some earlier, but they all left later."
"Oh."
Although it was after school, Silence Suzuka was still afraid that someone would come to the infirmary.
The infirmary door was unlocked, which made it feel especially "unsafe" to her.
Is there a safe place?
Silence Suzuka thought of Lu Jue's home, and her face flushed accordingly.
"Silence Suzuka, take it off."
Silence Suzuka was still wearing her jacket, so she naturally needed to take it off.
"Oh."
"Silence Suzuka, lie down. Lie on your stomach, with your back facing me."
She was also afraid that Lu Jue would use too much force. She was afraid of pain. "Understood... You, you need to be gentle."
...
Today's massage was exceptionally comfortable for Silence Suzuka; she even almost fell asleep.
Her exposed skin already showed traces of Lu Jue's massage everywhere.
"Silence Suzuka, wake up."
"Mm... What time is it now?" Silence Suzuka felt like she had been half-asleep for a long time.
During this time, her body felt as if it didn't belong to her.
"It's almost an hour past dismissal time."
"The time you promised me isn't up yet, is it?"
"Then you also have to look at the curfew time. You can't expect me to massage you all night at school, can you?"
"Hmph, then how do we account for the time that's not up?"
Silence Suzuka, haggling over every little detail, was no different from a customer bargaining at a market.
But in Lu Jue's eyes, Silence Suzuka looked very cute like this.
Lu Jue indulged her, "How do you want to account for it?"
Isn't this an opportunity to suggest continuing at Lu Jue's house? But how could Silence Suzuka bring herself to say it?
"Make it up next time, make it all up to me together."
"No problem."
"Then when is next time? You can't expect me to remind you every time," Silence Suzuka muttered softly.
"Tomorrow is definitely not possible. Tomorrow I have to submit the Trainer's evaluation materials. If all goes well, I'll then have to look for a lounge."
Lu Jue thought for a moment, "How about this weekend? I'll treat you all to a meal."
"You all?"
"You, Special Week, Uralala."
"Are we eating out?" She didn't bring it up, but the opportunity presented itself.
"Can an outside restaurant taste as good as what I cook? Or are you saying you want to eat out?" Lu Jue stared at Silence Suzuka.
Questioning his Trainer skills was fine, but questioning his cooking skills? He would genuinely get upset with you.
"I didn't say I wanted to eat out. Why are you looking at me so fiercely?"
"Oh, sorry~" Lu Jue's brows relaxed. "Then let me ask you, do you want to eat out, or do you want to eat what I cook?"
"I don't know." Silence Suzuka turned her head away.
"It seems what I made last time didn't get your approval. Alright, if that's the case, then let's eat out~"
Lu Jue was naturally confident in his cooking, after all, the feedback was written all over everyone's faces. So he was just playing hard to get.
"Wait, don't eat out." After she said that, she turned her head and met Lu Jue's half-smiling eyes. She dodged as if electrified, lowered her head, bit her delicate lip, and shyly and with difficulty, uttered the words, "I want to eat what you cook..."
