Meimei: "Mmm, it's been so long since as I had a day off without having to pretend to be Mei Ling!"

(But what should I do about today...)

Mei Ling: "Meimei!"

Meimei: "Oh jeez! What is it!?"

I turn around when I hear my name and something is sprayed at me.

Mei Ling: "Haha, Baba and the other guys took me to Harajuku yesterday!"

Mei Ling: "I found some nice perfume for you!"

Meimei: "Oh, thanks. Hey, wait a second! You went to Harajuku!?"

Meimei: "As in, you left the hotel??"

Mei Ling: "Yeah! Baba and Ota took me sightseeing!"

Meimei: "Hey, that's not good!"

Meimei: "Remember the other day when you almost got attacked? Cause my two friends and I protected you."

Meimei: "And Baba, if Soryu finds out you took her out the hotel, you're going to get in trouble!"

Baba: "Don't worry, don't worry. He won't find out."

Ota: "Yeah!"

(Maybe I should tell Soryu before she gets attacked again.)

Mei Ling: "Hey, don't you have the day off today, Meimei?"

Mei Ling: "What do you usually do on your days off?"

Meimei: "Huh?"

Mei Ling: "I mean, I'm finally free! I want to do what normal girls do, too."

Meimei: "Umm... I catch up on laundry... do some cleaning, cook some food for the week..."

Ota: "Sounds pretty domestic."

Baba: "I love girls like that."

Baba: "They're usually really considerate on dates."

Eisuke: "You're talking about women again? You never get sick of that, huh?"

Baba: "Men love the thrill of the chase more than anyone."

Eisuke: "I wish you could give some of that energy to somebody else I know."

Mamoru: "It's better to conserve energy. More eco-friendly."

Ryosuke: "Oh, you're all here!"

Ryosuke and Soryu both come into the room together.

Ryosuke: "What are you talking about?"

Baba: "About how great girls are who can cook and clean. Don't you think so. Sor?"

Soryu: "Talking about women again?"

Soryu: "You never get it..."

Baba: "Oh, hang on."

Baba: "I just heard the same thing, so can you say something else?"

Soryu: "...Tch."

Soryu: "I've got my hands full with that woman over there."

Soryu: "I don't have time to think about that."

Meimei: "Hey, why me!?"

(What does that mean?)

Baba: "Whoa, sounds pretty steamy. Why don't you marry her?"

Meimei: "What the!?"

Soryu: "I meant I have my hands full taking care of her."

Ota: "Oh?"

Mamoru: "Hmph."

Eisuke: "You've finally taken an interest in her, huh?"

As irritated by everyone grinning at him, Soryu pulls his gun out, but I grab Soryu's arm.

Meimei: "Don't even think about it..."

Ota: "Will you stop that? It's scary!"

Ryosuke: "Speaking of women who can cook...!"

Ryosuke: "The other day, Miss Lee made a really yummy omelette for you, right sir?"

Baba: "Oh, I'd like to try one."

Mei Ling: "Me tooo!"

Mei Ling: "I'm sick of the hotel food."

Mei Ling: "And you can serve it on the plate Ota made for me the other day!:

Ota: "Huh? I was just practicing. It was my first time trying pottery."

Mei Ling: "Didn't Daddy pester you into making it for me?"

Mei Ling: "He's a huge fan of yours, Ota. I'm sure he'll love it!"

Mei Ling: "So..."

Mei Ling: "Will you make us omelettes tonight, Mei Ling?"

Meimei: "Huh?"

(Oh, that's right. Since Ryosuke's here, because she's calling me "Mei Ling".)

Meimei: "Well I don't mind... but doesn't everyone have things to do?"

Mamoru: "I'll pass."

Eisuke: "Me, too. I have something to do."

Ota: "And judging by the look on your face, it's something bad. I'm coming with you!"

Eisuke: "Go ahead."

Meimei: "No food for you!?"

Eisuke: "..."

Ota: "..."

Mamoru: "..."

Meimei: "You three will stop being slacker!?"

Mei Ling: "Anyway!"

Mei Ling claps her hands to get everyone to be quiet.

Mei Ling: "First we need to go shopping for ingredients!"
______________________________________________________

Soryu: "Why am I the one running errands?"

Soryu: "Isn't this Inui's job?"

Meimei: "Now, now, Soryu."

Ryosuke said he'd go with me, but Baba pulls him away with a mischievous look on his face. So Soryu and I end up going shopping alone.

(Hehe... it feel so weird going to the grocery store with him.)

Soryu: "Something funny?"

Meimei: "Nope!"

I chuckle as I pick up a shopping basket.

Meimei: "Maybe I'll make omelettes with a demi glance sauce."

Soryu: "Whatever you want."

Meimei: "That might not be enough food, so I can make a salad, too."

I head over towards the vegetables and Soryu silently follows me.

Meimei: "Hm, lettuce, tomatoes..."

Soryu: "Hey, what's that?"

Meimei: "Hm? Oh, it looks like they're giving away samples."

Meimei: "It says organic vegetables..."

Soryu: "If they just leave food out like that anybody could come and poison it."

Meimei: "Hey, nobody's going to put poison in it."

Soryu: "I know, but..."

Soryu: "...What's this?"

Meimei: "Bitter melon."

Soryu: "So that's what it looks like whole..."

Meimei: "Do you think it's strange?"

Soryu: "I've never gone shopping like this."

Soryu: "So I've never seen vegetables whole like this before."

Meimei: "Really?"

(It's kind of nice to be able to show Soryu something he doesn't know...)

He looks a little suspicious as we walk around and I explain the various things to him.

Woman 1: "Hey, isn't that..."

Woman 2: "One of the people who always goes into the Ice Dragon's office..."

Woman 3: "How scary!"

I hear some women whispering as they look at Soryu. I glare at women when I yelled.

Meimei: "Leave him alone and get out!"

Women: "!?"

They fleed when I sighed.

(I used to think Soryu was scary, too...)

(So I know how they feel, but they shouldn't be so blunt about it.)

(That's not very nice.)

Soryu: "Don't worry about it. I'm used to it."

Soryu says calmly as he notices where I'm looking.

Meimei: "But then..."

Meimei: "That's sad..."

Meimei: "Isn't it better to be liked instead of hated?"

Soryu: "Normal people might think that."

Soryu: "But for someone like me, it's easier to be hated."

Meimei: "No matter what kind of lifestyle of you have, you're still a person."

Meimei: "But you still feel sadness..."

Soryu: "You..."

Soryu: "Tch... being with you is so confusing."

Meimei: "What?"

Soryu: "No one's ever said anything like that to me."

Meimei: "Sorry... but I have no idea."

Soryu: "It's alright."

Soryu: "I can understand why you might think that."

(Before, Soryu said Mei Ling was wrong to expect happiness.)

(But is that really true?)

(But it's just too sad to give up right from the start...)
________________________________________________________

Meimei: "Oh, it's raining..."

We finish the shopping, and the moment we step outside, we step outside, we're caught in an evening rain shower.

Soryu: "It's quite a ways to the hotel, too."

Soryu: "I'll go back and buy an umbrella. Wait here."

Meimei: "Oh okay."

Soryu shields himself from the rain with his hands and he goes back the way we came.
___________________________________

(He's sure taking a long time...)

I stand alone as the rain intensifies, and suddenly I feel someone standing behind me.

Meimei: "Thanks for the umbrella, Sor-"

Man: "Hm? Are you talking to me?"

Meimei: "Oh. I'm sorry, but I thought you were someone else?"

(Just what am I thinking... about talking to someone I don't know...)

Man: "Hey, you're pretty cute. Like, really beautiful."

Meimei: "Excuse me?"

Man: "You're waiting for a guy? Why don't you forget about him and come with me?"

Man: "We can go to that hotel right around the corner to get out of the rain."

Meimei: "Hey, knock it off!"

Meimei: "Keep your hand off me!"

Man: "C'mon, let's g- ahh!?"

Soryu: "..."

The man freezes the moment he sees Soryu, who's looking on from behind.

Man: "W-W-What, your boyfriend is that guy with all the muscles!?"

Man: "You shouldn't be dressed like that, then!"

Meimei: "Kyaaaah!"

*THUD*

The guy who hit on me pushes me away and he starts running.

Meimei: "Owww..."

Soryu: "Tch... what the hell are you doing?"

Meimei: "Don't you know what I was waiting for you, Soryu!"

Meimei: "Ow..."

Soryu: "...Hey."

Soryu pulls me up from the ground and he put his jacket around my shoulders.

Soryu: "Wear this."

Meimei: "Huh? Why... oh my god!?"

(I can see right through my shirt!!!)

(So that's why the guy meant when he said I shouldn't be dressed like this...)

(My god! I'm so embarrassed!)

Meimei: "Th-Thanks..."

I hide my red face with my sleeve and I stagger as I try to stand up.

(Damn... I think I twisted my ankle when I fell...)

Soryu: "...You're really a pain, you know that?"

Soryu says, then he turns his back to me and he crouches down.

Meimei: "....Huh?"

Soryu: "Hurry up and get on before I leave you behind."
___________________________________________________

Soryu carries me on his back down the quiet, misty road.

(He lifted me up so easily...)

I feel his warm body against my wet shirt and I feel my pulse start to race.

(But why is my heart beating so fast!?)

(Could it be... did he hear it?)

(I want to cover up the sound by talking... but what should I say?)

Meimei: "..."

Meimei: "Thanks...."

Meimei: "For lending me your jacket and for carrying me."

Soryu: "You better work hard to repay me."

Meimei: "..."

(His words are harsh, but his voice is gentle...)

Soryu: "...You smell different."

Meimei: "Huh? Who, me? Oh. Mei Ling sprayed perfume on me earlier."

(...Oh, that's right! Soryu doesn't like women because he hates the smell of perfume!)

Meimei: "I'm sorry! But you don't like perfume, right?"

Soryu: "..."

(I'll take that silence as a yes, then...)

(Why did I have to wear perfume today, of all days...)

Soryu: "...No. I don't hate how you smell, Meimei."

Meimei: "What?"

(Am I imagining things, or he just he didn't hate it?)

(And then he said my name...!)

Meimei: "Wait... did you just say my name for the first time?"

Soryu: "..."

Meimei: "So you remembered my name."

Soryu: "You're gonna end up biting your tongue if you keep talking."

Meimei: "!!"

Meimei: "Just hurry up and take me to the hotel!"

After he urges me to be quiet, I'm even more aware of the sound of my pounding heart.

(It's strange...)

(We're not talking, but it doesn't feel awkward at all.)

(I'm actually very comfortable...)

Soryu: "We're almost there."

Meimei: "...Okay."

I respond, wishing that of this moment could last even one second longer...
_________________________________________________

Meimei: "Excuse me... you called?"

A few days later, I'm at work when the penthouse pager goes off... and I'm called up to the executive lounge. Mr. Ichinomiya, Soryu and Ota are here. They look slightly surprised to see me.

Soryu: "Meimei? I didn't call you here?"

Meimei: "But the pager buzzed."

Ota: "Maybe it malfunctioned?"

Eisuke: "No, I called her here."

Mr. Ichinomiya beckons me towards him and he tosses something at me when I catch it with my arms.

Meimei: "A cheongsam? But why...?"

He sits back down on the sofa and the corners of his lips pull up into a grin.

(Oh god no!)

Eisuke: "Change into that. You have another arranged marriage meeting."

Meimei: "What the? But nothing was scheduled for today."

Soryu: "What's going on? I didn't set anything up."

Eisuke: "I know. I did."

Eisuke: "An acquaintance of mine wants to form connections with the Bell Crickets."

Eisuke: "I've already spoken to Simon about it."

Meimei: "What? But Mei Ling doesn't want to get married."

Meimei: "So isn't kind of pointless...?"

Eisuke: "..."

Soryu: "You..."

(What the hell!? Why's Mr. Ichinomiya grinning!?)

Ota: "I get it. So this is what you were plotting before."

Eisuke: "Good way to kill time, don't you think?"

Ota: "This is the first time I've seen an arranged marriage meeting!"

Meimei: "Seriously..."

Soryu gives a sigh of annoyance at the other two, who are laughing.

Soryu: "So you're trying to get your kicks from watching an arranged marriage meeting?"

Soryu: "You've got plenty of time on your hands, as usual..."

Meimei: "What!?"

(These guys...)

(I really am nothing but a toy to them!)

~End of Chapter 7~

TO BE CONTINUED...