Oliver was waiting for her by the gate by the time she was finally released from her class. He wasn't actually waiting for her outside (thank God), but she knew he was sitting inside the fancy black car that was parked in the corner.
When she entered the car, Oliver was reading a book with his seatbelt on.
"No fanclub members to hide from this time?"
Mai blushed, "You're really gonna go there?"
"You were the one who brought it up."
"It wasn't me, " Mai sighed. "Fine, it was me, but you know…"
He didn't comment.
"It was Masako!" She whispered-screamed, as if it was the most obvious thing on Earth and that it was ridiculous how Oliver didn't connect the dots. "How can you say no to her?"
Masako, true to her title, was the epitome of lady and grace; her hair was pitch black and it fell down to her neck, straight and soft, like water. Her skin was white as milk, fair and spotless. She even laughed with her mouth behind her hand, never too loud and just the right amount of volume, if that made sense.
A lot of students compare her to Snow White, but well, Japanese.
He looked at her, "Do you take me as a hypocrite?"
"...No?"
"Did you think I was going to say yes after proposing to you?"
Mai bit her lips, "Well, no, but—"
"Then that's it." Oliver said, leaving no more room for excuses.
She murmured a soft apology to which he only replied with a hum. The ride back to Oliver's house was quiet.
—
"So, why didn't Yasuhara and Eugene just stay here?" Mai asked as she unpacked her bags.
"To avoid contingencies."
"Right, contingencies... Like what?"
"Like switching partners," Oliver said. "Eugene and I are twins."
"And?" Mai asked. "Oh… right."
"Dinner will be in an hour, Lin will come get you in case you get lost."
"Why can't you come get me?" She asked before she could think. She turned around and saw the unbothered look on Oliver's face. Blushing, she explained, "You're the only person I know here."
"I'll be next door when you're done," he said.
Mai smiled gratefully and resumed unpacking. Less than an hour later, she knocked on Oliver's door then turned the knob when she got a reply.
Poking her head inside, she peeked over to see Oliver hunched over his desk, working on something.
"Oliver?"
"You can come in," he said.
She did, closing the door, she walked over to stand behind to peek at what he was doing.
Some difficult numerical equations.
"It's just physics," he said as if he could hear her wondering.
"Did we have an assignment?"
"No," he said. "It's for my research, I'm planning to have it published."
Mai hummed, hovering over his shoulders. Close enough to see what he was working on but far enough, so they were far from touching.
"How far along are you?"
Oliver closed the notebook he was writing on and turned his chair around. Now he was looking up at Mai, who blinked at him waiting for an answer.
"Dinner," Oliver said.
Mai understood and took a step back. She watched as he cleaned up his desk before making his way out his room. She followed him out and he slowed his pace down to match hers.
"Is Mr. Lin going to eat with us?" Mai asked Oliver.
"No, he eats with his fiance," he answered. "She's on a business trip but Madoka was explicit in telling him that she wanted him to call her every meal."
He must have noticed Mai's confusion, so he added, "Lin forgets to eat when he's distracted."
"That's so sweet!" she said, "So is it just going to be us and Luella?"
"My mother will be eating with us if she's home."