Space station 24: Ominous Signs

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******

The start of the semester fell in early spring, with winter's chill still lingering, making the weather rather cold.

At the beginning of her studies, Himeko's life was hectic and rushed. It took about a week or two before she settled down.

As each course found its rhythm, she gradually adjusted to the university environment.

"A study salon?" Himeko examined a flyer in her hand.

"Yep, it's an event organized by the campus café," her roommate explained.

This technical university admitted students based primarily on their academic excellence, financial means, or often both. Consequently, the dormitory accommodations were excellent, featuring tasteful decor, and most rooms housed only two occupants.

Himeko's roommate was outgoing and vivacious. "I heard this café hosts various events every year when new students arrive—it's always packed with people." She pointed at the flyer. "This salon is happening tomorrow afternoon, but I have class and can't make it. Are you going?"

"I don't have any classes then, so sure, let's check it out." Himeko put down the flyer; she had genuine interest in study-related gatherings.

The next day, inside the café...

Himeko ordered a coffee and some pastries, finding a seat slightly tucked away in a corner.

Contrary to her expectations, this wasn't a scholarly discussion group... It seemed more like a freshman mixer.

Students from various majors attended, both male and female.

Most were busy chatting and making new friends, creating a lively atmosphere filled with conversations about nearby eateries and fun spots.

Only Himeko, foolishly naive, had actually brought along several books...

With her right hand stirring her coffee, Himeko rested her forehead gently on her left palm.

If only...

If only she hadn't been even sillier by bringing specialized textbooks, she might have found something to chat about with others...

[Stelle: Enjoying it.]

[Firefly: Now you can be just as goofy-looking as Silver Wolf and me ~]

[Silver Wolf: I've said it before, don't include me in this!]

[March 7th: Ha ha, even young Sister Himeko had her moments of folly.]

[March 7th: Oh, not implying you're no longer young now. You're still incredibly wise and elegant, looking even more beautiful!]

[Silver Wolf: Quick damage control there.]

[Himeko: (laughs)]

Despite Himeko's calm demeanor and sharp intellect, at that moment, she was merely a freshman entering university for the first time. In such circumstances, feeling awkward was inevitable.

Amidst the lively atmosphere, Himeko opened one of her books. Half-heartedly reading, she contemplated whether it might be better to simply leave.

Suddenly, a breeze blew by, causing several sheets of paper tucked within the book to flutter out. Just as she was about to bend down to retrieve them, someone else picked them up instead.

"Su Qing?" Himeko looked up, slightly surprised.

It had been over a week since school started, and although they both sat in the front row during classes, their interactions were minimal, limited to occasional brief exchanges.

Su Qing handed her the documents. "Why are you sitting here all alone?"

"Thank you." Himeko accepted them, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I thought this was a genuine study group, so..."

"...Me too," Su Qing replied.

Himeko then noticed that he also held several books in his hands.

Having reached this point in their conversation, Su Qing decided to sit down across from her and continue chatting. "The author of the book you're reading seems to be one of the contributors to our course materials."

Himeko's eyes widened slightly as she flipped to the title page. "Really? I hadn't paid attention to that before."

"Our class mentor, Professor Xu, is also among the contributors."

"I knew that; Professor Xu used to be quite remarkable, publishing numerous articles on the feasibility of interstellar aviation."

"Just wonder why he suddenly changed his research focus later..."

"Perhaps he hit a dead-end..."

Following this topic, they naturally began exchanging the books they had brought along. As students in the same field, there were many subjects they could discuss.

Amidst a lively crowd, one person alone can appear particularly solitary.

However, when two individuals engage enthusiastically in conversation, it seems as if they create their own isolated world from the rest.

Su Qing and Himeko sat in a corner of the café. Despite the bustling atmosphere around them, their small space felt like a secluded bubble.

After some time, the others decided to move on to another venue.

Noticing the pair in the corner, someone planned to invite them along.

"Let's not bother them; they're deep in conversation. They probably won't join us."

The central figure among the group, displaying keen observation skills, stopped the others. With enthusiasm, he raised his hand high and called out, "Alright, those who want to go for dinner together next, raise your hands!"

"Yes! I'm in!" "Me, me, me!" "Is it at the place we talked about earlier?" "Count me in too!"

The lively group departed from the café, leaving with satisfied expressions as the owner settled their bill.

[Tingyun: This owner has quite the business acumen!]

Naturally, Su Qing and Himeko noticed the commotion, but they only glanced briefly before turning their attention back to their work.

In front of them lay several sheets of draft paper.

Su Qing tapped his pen. "Haven't we already tried your method? We've calculated it twice, and it doesn't yield any conclusion."

Himeko furrowed her elegant brows, pointing at the drafts. "That's because there seems to be an issue here. Look at these numbers..."

"Then let's recalculate it," Su Qing suggested.

Himeko picked up her pen. "Wait a moment, I'll check this part first..."

[Seele: Wow, looks like you're having quite an intense discussion over there too.]

[Unnoticeably, time has flown by.]

[Himeko initially felt uneasy, as if sitting on pins and needles, but when Su Qing joined, she suddenly realized the sky had grown dark outside.]

[Although in the end, both of you remained steadfast on opposite sides of a certain issue, causing the server to nearly think you were about to argue.]

[But upon leaving the café and bidding farewell, each of you felt fulfilled, having spent a delightful afternoon together.]

Back at the dormitory:

"How was the study salon?" Himeko's roommate asked, rocking her chair backward and turning to face her.

Himeko put down her book. "It wasn't really a salon; it should have been called a social gathering."

"A social gathering, so how was it?"

"I didn't participate in the main event, just chatted with some classmates I encountered."

"Ah, chatting for 'a while' means an entire afternoon?!" The roommate sounded surprised. "Isn't that essentially the same as attending a social gathering?"

[Stelle: Indeed, quite true.]

[Silver Wolf: Correct and insightful.]

"Erm, well..." Himeko found herself momentarily speechless.

People often romanticize their unique memories and strive to assert their distinctiveness.

After pondering, Himeko replied, "The whole time, neither of us spoke to anyone else. So I guess we can't truly count it as participating in a social gathering..."

Roommate laughed.

[Bullet Chat: Laughed.]

Roommate: "Ha ha ha, you make it sound so tragic!"

***

The next day.

In the classroom, Himeko sat in a front-row seat near the middle, reviewing her textbook and recalling the topic they had discussed yesterday.

With the class ongoing, it wasn't suitable to speak aloud. Himeko wrote a few lines on her notebook and pushed it towards the right.

Su Qing sat next to Himeko, one seat away.

Feeling slightly puzzled, he turned his head to see Himeko's pen waving, indicating him to look at the notebook.

He picked it up, noticing rows of neatly penned notes in Himeko's elegant handwriting. His eyes quickly caught the pencil-written addition: "For yesterday's problem, I think we missed adding one condition..."

After pondering for a moment, Su Qing responded by writing: "Oh! It seems you're right, could it be that..." He then handed the notebook back.

Himeko read his reply, which aligned perfectly with her thoughts, impressed by how swiftly Su Qing understood.

She added to the notebook: "You must have figured it out after going home too, right?" After finishing this line, she paused briefly before appending a friendly smiley face symbol.

Su Qing took the notebook, reviewed her message, and with a broad stroke, drew a checkmark signifying agreement.

Himeko retrieved her notebook, noticing the checkmark akin to grading a response, and smiled slightly.

After this brief exchange, both focused on their class without further conversation—a subtle understanding between them.

From that day forward,

during breaks while solving practice problems or waiting for the teacher to switch PowerPoint slides, Su Qing and Himeko occasionally communicated through written notes.

Initially, their conversations revolved around topics related to the classroom.

Himeko: Oh no, I can't understand the dialect the teacher is using... (sighing emoticon)

Su Qing: Even if not fluent, he's definitely at least intermediate level in dialect proficiency.

Himeko: (smiling emoticon)

***

Su Qing: This teacher just reads straight from the PowerPoint slides all the time. (speechless emoticon)

Himeko: It's better than yesterday's teacher; she kept digressing about her own glorious past.

Su Qing: Actually, those stories were quite interesting, made me more attentive.

Himeko: Still hoping for content directly related to our studies...

***

One morning, the class was held in a large lecture hall.

As Himeko approached the rear entrance, she unexpectedly spotted Su Qing hastily eating breakfast.

Racing against time, Su Qing gobbled down his food with voracious speed, devouring it like a ravenous beast.

When Himeko greeted him, he even choked momentarily, coughing uncontrollably.

Himeko took a step closer, concern etched on her face, "Are you okay?"

"It's alright, no problem."

Su Qing took out his water bottle, drank a sip, and sighed in relief. "Just helping me secure a seat is enough trouble already."

"Sure thing."

Eating in the hallway was acceptable, but doing so inside the classroom would indeed be impolite.

However, with large classes having many students, arriving late often meant missing out on front-row seats.

So Himeko went ahead to the front row, placed her book beside her, reserving a spot for Su Qing.

It was evident that she rarely did this; she frequently looked back. As class approached, seeing Su Qing enter the classroom finally eased her tension.

Himeko moved her book aside, allowing Su Qing to sit next to her.

The teacher had already taken the stage, and the classroom quietened down.

Since they were seated together today, Su Qing opened his notebook, wrote "Thank you" on the left page, and subtly pushed it towards Himeko.

Himeko responded with "You're welcome," initially intending to add a period.

But then, recalling Su Qing's hurried eating at the door, her curiosity piqued, and she added another line: "Where did you buy your breakfast from? Was it good?"

Seeing this, Su Qing picked up his pen and wrote: "From the cafeteria west of our college, but I'd only give it two stars. The taste is average, and the prices are quite high..."

[Stelle: hhh, professional habits strike again.]

From that moment forward, as a result of this initial interaction...

Su Qing and Himeko also touched upon topics beyond their academics.

Himeko: Have you formed your project group yet? (questioning expression)

Su Qing: Still looking for members, what about you?

Himeko: I asked two friends, but they both said they're already in groups.

After a moment of hesitation, Himeko added two more lines: They mentioned being in my group might be too stressful...

Himeko: Do I come across as difficult to get along with?

Taking over, Su Qing glanced at the question and then looked at Himeko, noting her evident concern.

[You consider your options carefully:]

[A. Answer honestly, giving your true opinion.]

[B. Respond positively, praising Himeko's character.]

[C. Respond negatively, criticizing Himeko's character.]

[D. "No worries, I thrive under pressure."]

[Silver Wolf: 6.]

[Silver Wolf: Option D has some interesting potential.]

[Seele: Asta's favorite episode coming up.]

Su Qing examined option D, feeling somewhat conflicted.

The simulations often provided outrageous choices, and oddly enough, he always felt an urge to tempt fate by selecting them.

[Stelle: Ha ha ha, then go ahead and choose it!]

[Stelle: Maybe picking this option will shift the world line, and Sister Himeko could become equally emotionally intense!]

[Himeko: ...I still hope he doesn't choose recklessly.]

[Silver Wolf: One Asta is already overwhelming for Su Qing; two of them? That might just split him apart.]

Su Qing responded honestly: I think it's possibly because you're always engrossed in your books. Even after class, you rush straight to the library without much interaction with classmates.

And on top of that, you're very beautiful...

Initially, Su Qing wanted to write, "And on top of that, you're very beautiful, making it even harder for people to approach you."

However, his pen paused, feeling slightly intrusive with such wording. He then scribbled over those words, crossing them out.

Instead, he wrote: Plus, you're incredibly diligent and have excellent grades. It's understandable that some classmates may feel intimidated or distant as a result.

Don't worry, it's only the start of the semester. Once everyone gets more familiar with each other, things will improve.

After finishing, Su Qing handed the notebook back.

Himeko accepted it, reading his comforting words which eased her somewhat.

It was true that since the beginning of the semester, she had been deeply immersed in her studies, interacting minimally with others beyond her roommates.

Even with Su Qing, their conversations mainly occurred during classes. Outside of class, aside from occasional café meetings, they hadn't talked much.

Himeko noticed a section of text that had been scratched out. Unconsciously, she tried to carefully decipher it.

The more obscured content often piqued curiosity the most, as what was originally written might reveal true feelings...

As Himeko faintly deciphered it, her hand paused, and her heartbeat quickened slightly.

It wasn't due to any romantic flutter but rather a typical reaction after receiving praise from someone of the opposite gender.

She responded with her pen: Your grades are excellent too, and you get along well with everyone. I truly admire your ability to balance both academics and social interactions; it's quite impressive.

Su Qing replied: Oh no, not at all, you're even more remarkable. (Shaking head emoji)

Himeko countered: No, no, you're definitely superior. (Bow emoji)

[March 7th: It begins! The ritual of mutual flattery!]

[March 7th: A legendary exchange where they keep praising each other, possibly never stopping!]

[Stelle: @March 7th, try complimenting me then.]

[March 7th: Eh? Sure, let me think...]

[March 7th: Stelle, you're tall and skilled, very impressive! Even though you're female, you exude a cool demeanor!]

[Stelle: Thank you, I agree.]

[March 7th: (Waiting for a moment) And now?...]

[Stelle: What do you mean "then"?]

[March 7th: It's your turn to compliment me now.]

[Stelle: I never said I would compliment you.]

[March 7th: Ah?! You...! (realizing she fell for it) Ugh, you're so annoying!]

[Sparkle: LOL.]

[Qingque: LOL.]

[Seele: ROFLMAO!]

[Himeko: (laughs) Gotcha good there, little March.]

[March 7th: Argh, infuriating! (waves fists) Just wait till I visit your room later—you'll see what this girl is capable of!]

[Stelle: No revealing personal info outside the chat!]

On his notebook,

Su Qing looked at Himeko's amusing drawing of a bowing figure and couldn't help but smile.

He wrote below it: If everyone knew you could draw such entertaining expressions, interacting with you would definitely be less intimidating.

[Himeko: Let's, uh, forget about that... feels a bit embarrassing. (blushing emoji)]

After class...

Previously, they had always sat one seat apart from each other. But today, since they were seated next to each other, when Su Qing lifted his backpack onto the table, the charm hanging from it came right into Himeko's view.

It was a star-shaped pendant with an astronaut leaning against it.

Himeko glanced at it and felt a sense of familiarity.

As Su Qing packed her books into her backpack, the pendant swayed, revealing its backside.

A small inscription on the bottom read: "XX Year, Summer Science Fair."

"...Hmm?" Himeko murmured, intrigued.

In their dormitory...

Noticing Himeko's prolonged daze, her roommate approached and asked, "What's on your mind?"

Himeko turned around. "Say, if you suddenly discover that someone you know had actually met you long ago, what could it mean?"

Her roommate's eyes lit up. "Well, isn't it obvious? It must be fate!"

"What happened? Did you encounter such serendipity, Himeko?" The roommate's curiosity was piqued instantly.

[Stelle: @March 7th, this person's interest in romance reminds me so much of you.]

[March 7th: Hmph! I'm not talking to you!]

[Stelle: Uh... (awkward)]

[Seele: Amused.]

[Bronya: Amused.]

[Sparkle: A double dose of amusement—once from one side, once from the flip!]

Himeko shook her head. "Nothing, just a random thought."

Himeko's roommate didn't press further upon seeing her silence.

Instead, she moved to the window. "Should I open it for some fresh air?"

"Sure," replied Himeko.

Destiny... perhaps...

Lost in thought, Himeko took out her phone and sent a message:

Himeko: Have you found a group for the project yet? If not, would you like to team up with me?

With a tap of the send button, Himeko felt slightly anxious.

Fortunately, a reply arrived shortly after.

Su Qing: Not yet. Sure, let's be partners.

Relieved, Himeko responded:

Himeko: Great.

Su Qing: Let's work hard together!

Himeko: You bet! (Emoji of a fist pump)

Setting her phone down, Himeko rested her chin on her hand and gazed outside the window.

It was unclear whether she was pondering the pendant or the project at hand.

The open window allowed a refreshing breeze to flow in, caressing both the tall trees outside—now budding with new life—and the room within. The wind seemed infused with the essence of spring.

Although the weather remained chilly, as winter had not fully transitioned into spring, there were already subtle signs of its approach.

***

***

[Kafka: Stay tuned for the next episode: The Beginning and Demise of Himeko's Romance.]

[Himeko: ?]

[March 7th: Huh?? Wait! (realizing the situation) Kafka, don't make such bizarre announcements!]

[Firefly: ?]

[Firefly: Without checking who posted it, I almost believed that.]

[Silver Wolf: Almost burst out laughing, huh?]

[March 7th: But getting back to the topic...]

[March 7th: The atmosphere between Su Qing and Sister Himeko seems really cozy, especially since they've been assigned to the same group.]

[March 7th: Could their romance actually be starting now?]

[Firefly: ...]

[Firefly: Tune in next time for "The Shattering of Romance!" ]

[March 7th: It hasn't even had a chance to begin?!]