Qian sluggishly patted her hair with a fluffy towel, staring at herself in the mirror. She dazedly took in her rosy cheeks, her eyes inadvertently traveling to her lips, still reddened from… recent events. The roughness of his hands on her, his tongue licking every sensitive part of her mouth… on her neck.

"I think I feel the same."

Her blush darkened, thinking back to Satoru's last words… their last conversation. To think… that it was even possible…

She glanced at the bathroom door, swallowing nervously as she recalled what happened afterwards. After they left the pool, he rummaged through the lockers, helping himself to a couple of towels. He handed one over to her.

"T-Thank you…" She whispered, grabbing it with one hand and raising her other to open the folded fabric, having the notion to dry her hair. However, her hand didn't budge, and she looked down at their intertwined fingers.

"U-Um…" Her face grew even hotter and she tugged at it once more as she raised her eyes to Satoru, who was drying his face with his own towel. "I-I n-n-need to d-dry off-"

The man opened one eye and gave her a cheeky grin, shifting the cloth to rake it through his soaked hair. "You can figure out how to do it with one hand." He advised cheekily.

"W-W-Well, I-I-It would be more convenient if y-you just let me go." She squeaked in protest, her cheeks inflamed as she continued to pull her hand.

However, he tightened his grip. "Let you go?" Satoru's smile softened as he tossed his towel over his shoulder, moving to grasp hers and cover her head with it, caressing her with the fabric. "Never, Qian."

Her throat tightened and she had since lost any steady feeling in her legs. He then brought her to her room, where he finally released his hold. However, as she opened the door, he helped himself inside, nimbly sliding past her, trudging over and plopping himself onto the desk chair.

Her wide eyes followed his movement, confusion raked across her features. "U-Um-"

"Go shower first." He simply stated, taking the moment to untie the laces of his boots.

"B-B-But… u-um…" She looked behind her back down the hallway before glancing back at him. The girl knit her fingers together.

Satoru paused, turning to look up at her from his seat. "What's up?"

"W-W-Well… I-" She pointed out the door. Upon seeing him remain in place, she took a breath. "U-Um… Y-You can go home now- I-I'm not going to ask Adalaine-san to forget you anymore."

"Good." The corner of his lips quirked upwards and he turned back down, continuing his task.

G-G-G-Good? T-T-That's it?! What does that mean-! She stood there for several more minutes, wringing her fingers nervously. Her eyes flickered to the bed and she gulped anxiously, placing her palms against her cheeks.

Relax Qian, nothing's going to happen. She took another breath, patting herself. She can do this, she can be calm around him. It's not like their relationship is going to be any different.

"I-Is t-there a-a p-particular side of the bed that you want?" She asked, cursing the slight tremor in her voice.

Satoru paused his movement, raising his head eerily slowly. "You… want me on the bed with you?"

Qian swallowed the lump in her throat, forcing her expression to remain calm, though her owlishly wide eyes were a dead giveaway. "I-I mean, where else will you sleep, right?"

A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes right before he averted his gaze to finish taking off his shoes. "Qian, what do you think we would be doing on the bed?"

"S-S-Sleep!" She squeaked a bit too loudly as he stood up from his seat, facing her fully. "R-Right…?"

"Qian." She took an instinctive step backwards, her spine pressing up against the door as he towered over her, his grin widening like the Cheshire Cat. He leaned down, his lips tracing the bruise that had begun to form at the base of her neck. "After what we did together, do I really look like the kind of guy that only wants to 'sleep' next to you?"

Her heart rate skyrocketed, his words sinking into her mind and causing her core to blossom with overwhelming heat. "I-I-I-I-u-u-uh-uh-um-"

"Now, how about you go shower first, like a good girl?" His lips traveled up to outline the shell of her ear. "I'll go ask Adalaine for an extra futon and I'll take the floor."

And so she couldn't help nod jerkily, and he pressed a kiss against her temple. "That's my girl." He breathed into her hair before he pulled back, causing her to stumble towards the bathroom, fumbling with the door to shut it behind her, and turning on the shower.

G-G-Good girl? M-M-My girl? She banged her head against the tile wall as she gasped for breath. There was no way this was reality. She wanted to ask why he stayed. It wasn't that she didn't want him here, but… she practically began hyperventilating so she turned on the faucet, dousing herself in hot water to calm her nerves. They seemed to finally be on the same page, finally! But she still needed to wrap her head around it all.

And here she was, just staring at herself in the mirror after a nice, not-so-relaxing shower. It all seemed too good to be true. Finally, there were no more misunderstandings, no more miscommunications. Her heart was fluttering upon remembering the look in his eyes.

But, what if he realizes this was a mistake? What if he changes his mind and gets tired of me? What if-

"Qian!" She snapped out of her daze, jerking her head towards the door. "Can you come here for a sec?"

"Y-Yes, give me a moment!" She yelled back, quickly slapping her cheeks and throwing a sweater over her head.

She opened the door timidly to see Satoru seated at the foot of the bed, rubbing his eyes. "Hey, could you come and check on my eye real quick?"

She immediately grew concerned. "W-Why, what's wrong?" She took several steps forward.

"I don't know, it suddenly started hurting for some reason." He turned his chin up to face her. "It's like something's in there."

"O-Okay, let me take a look." She stood right before him, leaning down to inspect.

However, he suddenly took her face gently in both hands, drawing her down into a sweet, slow kiss. She instinctively stumbled back, though his grip was firm, supporting her balance. As he dragged his teeth across her lower lip, she allowed herself to fall forward, returning his kiss shyly.

When he pulled away, she blinked her eyes open to see him smirking. She gaped. "Y-You did that on purpose."

"Obviously." He pecked her on the nose, his grin widening. "Who knows what sort of scenarios you were putting in your own head? Showering does that to people."

She pouted. Bullseye. "I-I was fine, just… thinking of stuff."

"Right, let me guess. 'Oh this is too good to be true', 'what if he gets tired of me'?"

She puffed her cheeks. "W-Well, not those words exactly."

He chuckled. "Right, okay, well. To answer those questions: no." He gently tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Now, get some rest. My turn for the shower." Kissing her forehead once more, he pushed himself to his feet.

She watched him disappear into the bathroom and she covered her face in her hands, rolling onto her side to hug a pillow tightly to her chest. She then flopped on her back, eyes glossed over in a daze as she raised her fingers to her tingling lips. She shook her head, placing them on her forearm, giving herself a hard pinch. As she recoiled in pain, she blinked once. Twice. This isn't a dream.

She held her burning cheeks with her palms, squeezing her eyes shut. How is this even possible? All those other women he's been with: Adalaine, Vivian… they were absolutely stunning. She paled in comparison for sure, right? What did she have to offer that they didn't-

She shook her head vehemently. Come on, Qi! Get a grip. You know you're awesome. She could practically feel her best friend tugging on her ear, reprimanding her for her insecurity as she always would in the past. She took a deep breath. I'm not that weak anymore. Miyano's right, I need to get a grip.

Her mind traveled back to him, truly ruminating over their memories together.

The way he was looking at her tonight… his words… he was saying so many things. He seemed so earnest… especially his eyes- she remembers their cold glow from when they first met. But tonight, they emitted a different light, shortly before they dimmed as his gaze would darken.

She rested her hand on the base of her heart. They have gone through so much together. Even though it has been painful at times, the happiness she feels being around him is… insurmountable. So…She opened her eyes slowly, brows furrowing in resolution. I will trust him. Her heart and gut felt like they were resonating with his being, so she will allow herself to trust him, one more time.

Suddenly, her phone started buzzing and she glanced at the screen, recognizing her father's name as the caller ID, before pressing the green button. "H-Hey Dad, sorry I haven't called in a while- things have been-"

"Do not utter another word, and listen carefully to what I tell you." Her blood ran cold as a foreign voice came from the other end. "36.592329, 139.204360. You are to come to these coordinates alone, or else, your father dies."

Her lips trembled as she tried to summon her voice; however, she then heard a rustling sound, then labored breathing.

"Qian…" She blanched upon recognizing her father's voice. "Don't come, I'll be fine-"

There was a sudden crunch, and a grunt of pain. "DAD-" She yelped before slapping a hand over her own mouth, knowing a loud outburst would alert the man in the bathroom.

"You are not to contact anyone about this or where you are going. Don't try to pull anything, you are being watched. You have two hours."

The line suddenly went dead. She slowly lowered her hand, staring at the screen in shock.

Her vision grew blurry, her heart was palpitating as panic rose in the back of her throat. With trembling fingers, she put the coordinates into Google Maps. What do I do? She immediately pushed herself off the bed, her mind numbing as she reached for her clothes in the closet. Dad…

He was the "gentle giant"... all of their relatives and friends dubbed him as such. While her mom was a bit more overbearing, her father was the calming force in her life. He doted on her, taught her to be kind. How did this happen?! As per his nickname, he was huge, powerful even… how did they take him?

She turned to the bathroom, taking a step forward. She had to tell Satoru, her father needs help, he-

But she faltered.

"You are being watched."

Her throat constricted, and she turned around.

"Qian?" She practically leapt into the air upon hearing his voice, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Satoru standing at the doorway of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was still dripping, leaving droplets on the hard panes of his exposed chest. "Where are you going? Is everything alright?"

How unfair. Her throat constricted as tears pricked the corner of her eyes. Finally… finally they were on the same page. After everything that happened, she wanted nothing more than to run back into those arms, where she felt safe. Her breathing quickened as a cry for help rested at the tip of her tongue, but…

"You are being watched." She was frozen in place, her mind battling for a solution. She was cornered. She had to lie, but… she knew that even if she obeyed, there was practically no chance she or her father would make it out of this alive. Her thoughts flashed to her family, are they alright? Her mother must be beside herself-

She blinked as a memory suddenly came to mind. It was so long ago, but they were all watching TV. Her brother was flipping through the channels.

"Zeng! Stop doing that, it's giving me a headache." Her brother jerked his head at his mother, holding his hands up as if he was being arrested.

"Sorry, ma, there's nothing to watch." He leaned back in the couch, placing his arms behind his head to settle into the cushions.

The channel happened to rest on what appeared to be a commercial. The police were on the screen, standing on the front porch of a house. They knock on the door, and a woman answers.

"Is everything alright, ma'am?" The first officer asks.

A man approaches from behind her, opening the door wider to show himself. "Yeah, why?"

"We received a call regarding some noise complaints. Someone heard the sound of breaking glass, some yelling?" The lead officer responds. She glances to the woman, noticing how scared she seemed, her shoulders slumped, her eyes flickering to the man behind her.

"Oh that?" The man places his arm around the woman, causing her to flinch. "Sorry about that, my wife and I were watching a movie."

"I see…" The policewoman glances back and forth between them, her eyes lingering on the woman a few seconds longer.

"Well, if that's all. We better get back to it." He lets out a grin, squeezing his wife's shoulder before lifting his arm to place it on the edge of the door. "Take care, everyone. Have a good day."

He begins to push it shut, and the woman raises her hand in what initially appears to be a sign of farewell. However, right before it closes, the officer notices her thumb tucking into her palm, revealing four fingers, before they enclose on top of the thumb, her hand now balled into a fist.

The officer narrows her eyes in recognition on the motion, and she immediately stomps her foot against the frame, preventing the door from closing all the way. "I'm sorry, on second thought, we need to investigate this matter further. Would the two of you please come with us?"

The scene then fades away to black. "Protect yourself, others will help. Sponsored by the Canadian Women's Foundation" appears on the screen.

"Mom? What does that mean?" Qian turned to her mother, who's back straightened upon hearing her daughter's inquiry.

"Well, sweetie." She sighed, crossing her legs together as she turned to face her. "Sometimes, people get in trouble, and they are too scared to call anyone and tell them. So, this foundation came together to develop this hand signal that will alert authorities that they need help."

"Do people actually do that though?" Zeng remarked, sitting up and resting his chin in his palm. "Like, how do people know what it means?"

Yi-lang placed a gentle hand on each of their heads, rubbing their hair softly. "Well, that's why there's these commercials. And let's hope more and more people know about it, so we can all help each other when the time comes."

"Qian?"

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, her attention reverting back to Satoru's inquisitive gaze. She forced a smile on her face. "Y-Yes! Everything is fine! I-I just need to head back to the lab- I just thought of something that could help my research and… y-you know me, I-I can't wait till tomorrow!"

Satoru released a soft grin, and Qian's heart leapt in her chest.

This man… he really does care… "I know. Here, I'll come with you-"

"N-N-No need!" She waved her hands vehemently before her as she took a few steps towards the door. No, I can't pretend everything is fine. The neurons in her brain were firing at high speeds. Her brother… was he alright? Another memory flashed in her mind, and connections began to spark in formation. "I-I-I won't be gone too long, I just have 3 things I need to do. Oh sorry, 6 actually… but the point is, I want to get 5 done before 9."

Satoru glanced at the clock, it read 9:30pm. "Well, I sure hope you mean 9am. Are you sure? It's getting late."

She nodded her head. "Y-Yes, thank you! Oh um… could I ask just 1 thing?"

Satoru headed over to the closet, grabbing one of the spare robes. "Sure, what's up?"

"A-About those 3 things-" Qian tapped her chin thoughtfully, feigning the motion of deep thinking. "Could you let Principal Yaga know that I'll be able to get them to him by 9 on the dot? I feel bad keeping him waiting 2 extra days for this."

"Yeah, no problem." Satoru headed back towards the bathroom before turning back to face her, raising a hand in farewell. "Be careful, okay?"

"I-I will." Qian gave a faint nod, turning the knob on the front door with one hand. "A-And sensei?"

He turned back to her, quirking a brow curiously. She gave a forced smile, raising her other hand. "I-I'll be back in f-forty minutes or so." She had her thumb over her palm, which was facing Satoru. The four remaining fingers were held up in front of her.

Forty minutes? Satoru furrowed his brow. It took over four hours by train to get here from Tokyo…

There was also something about the way she was holding up her fingers, but Satoru simply nodded. "Alright, sounds good."

But then she slowly closed her fingers over her thumb, and Satoru's eyes narrowed as she turned away. "S-See you."

The door closed behind her with a soft click. She briskly walked down the hall, rounding the corner to jam the button to the elevator.

As the doors slid open, she stepped in and pressed the 'close' button. She felt something land on her shoulder and she turned her chin, yelping in shock upon seeing a small, plant-like spirit in the shape of a dragonfly perched on her.

It opened its mandibles, and the familiar foreign voice from before began to speak. "You dawdled too long."

She swallowed nervously. "I-I had to come up with a good reason for leaving, otherwise, he'd get suspicious."

The dragonfly fluttered its wings once, twice, before it opened its mandibles once more. "Stop wasting time, you have until morning."

And when the elevator doors opened, it zipped out of sight.