"Huh?" Nanako seemed to be lost in thought. Only after Lin Yu asked again did she snap back to reality, though clearly still somewhat absentminded.
Although the three of them had been chatting and laughing earlier, once Yoko Nakamura left, only Lin Yu and she remained in the room. Ordinarily, this was perfectly normal; Nanako usually spent time with Lin Yu just like this. But after the recent "coffee incident," being alone with him now filled Nanako with an inexplicable shyness, leaving her somewhat unsure how to face Lin Yu.
Certainly, Nanako's upbringing and demeanor were that of Japan's most traditional "Yamato Nadeshiko" – a graceful, ideal Japanese woman. And this Yamato Nadeshiko was indeed usually poised and generous. However, this didn't change the fact that Nanako was a very proper and traditional young lady. At twenty years old and already in university, she had never even been in a romantic relationship. If one were to exclude Shinchan, she had very few male friends. During her time at university, she hadn't had any intimate contact with members of the opposite sex either.
What happened today was truly a first for Nanako, like a maiden stepping into her wedding sedan for the first time. But what unsettled Nanako the most was that even after such an ambiguously intimate incident with Lin Yu, she felt no sense of revulsion. Instead, there was an inexplicable, small flicker of joy. This feeling was utterly new and baffling to Nanako, and she had no idea how to process it.
"What's wrong, Nanako? Did something happen? Is something on your mind?" Lin Yu asked, curious about Nanako's strange behavior.
"N-nothing... Um, I think I'll skip dinner tonight. I should head back now..." Nanako said, a hint of panic in her expression. After a hasty goodbye, she hurried away.
Lin Yu, who had intended to walk Nanako part of the way, watched her retreating figure, completely bewildered. He had no idea what had just happened.
"Nanako seemed a bit off today..." Lin Yu muttered to himself, not dwelling on it too much. He just figured that sometimes, girls have those few days a month when they're a bit different.
"Indeed, women will only slow down my drawing speed..." Shaking his head, Lin Yu turned and headed towards his room. No matter what, manuscripts had to be drawn. If he worked a little harder now to build up a good stockpile, he would have plenty of free time later. Whether he wanted to travel or just relax, it would be easy, unlike certain people's fathers who constantly fretted over their manuscripts. Anyway, he was earning money now; it was time to relax and reward himself properly.
"Dad, I'm home."
"Nanako, you're back! Have you eaten? Want Dad to whip something up for you?" Ohara Shijuro heard Nanako's voice and hurried over, his face wreathed in smiles, his eyes filled with affection. Yet, mixed with this affection, there seemed to be a hint of something else, a subtle anticipation.
"No need, I'm going to my room first..." Nanako's mind was currently consumed by what had happened at Lin Yu's house; she was in no mood to chat with her father. She hastily pulled the five chapters Lin Yu had given her today from her small bag and handed them to Ohara Shijuro. "Make sure you don't wrinkle the manuscript."
With that, Nanako hurried to her room, leaving Ohara Shijuro with only a view of her back.
Ohara Shijuro held the manuscript, gazing at Nanako's departing figure with a puzzled look. He knew that the editorial department required Nanako to report to Lin Yu's place every day, which effectively meant she was looking after his daily needs. Though he felt a tiny bit jealous, he understood. It was like his own editor, who had practically become his nanny; Nanako clearly hadn't reached that stage yet and was just fulfilling the basic scope of her job. Besides, for Ohara Shijuro, Nanako bringing back Lin Yu's latest manuscript every day was, as an avid manga reader himself, a very attractive perk.
But Nanako's reaction today couldn't help but make Ohara Shijuro a little concerned. She had never been like this before. As an experienced man, Ohara Shijuro could tell something was amiss with his daughter.
'Could it be that brat bullied Nanako?!' This possibility suddenly flashed through Ohara Shijuro's mind, and his heart grew uneasy. Otherwise, Nanako had never reacted like this in all her years. She had always been gentle and polite in her interactions, and everyone who met her adored her. Having such an outstanding, Yamato Nadeshiko-like daughter was something Ohara Shijuro had always been immensely proud of. Knowing Nanako as he did, this seemed like the only plausible explanation.
"That bastard! I knew he had ill intentions towards Nanako!" The thought sent a surge of anger through Ohara Shijuro. Nanako was the apple of his eye; he couldn't bear to let her suffer even the slightest grievance, and now some brat had apparently bullied her. So what if that kid's manga was a bit interesting and his achievements impressive? That didn't give him the right to bully his daughter!
Ohara Shijuro looked at the manuscript in his hands, anger welling up inside him. Yet, gazing at the exquisite artwork, he couldn't bring himself to wrinkle it or use it to vent his frustration. He carefully put the manuscript away, then turned and hurried towards Nanako's room. (Yes, he definitely wasn't sparing it because he wanted to read it later; it was purely because, as a fellow creator, he couldn't bring himself to ruin someone else's hard work.)
Having successfully convinced himself, Ohara Shijuro arrived at Nanako's door and began to knock persistently. "Nanako! Nanako..."
"Are you okay?"
"Were you bullied by that damned brat?! Tell Dad! Dad will go demand an explanation and teach that kid a good lesson!"
Nanako, lying on her bed, heard her father's voice. Her face, which had just calmed down, flushed crimson again as images from the afternoon resurfaced in her mind. She buried her face in her pillow and mumbled indistinctly, "It's nothing, Dad. Don't worry about it."