May thought that life was full of mysteries.
Like now, the night before the Level Six exam, she was being dragged by Serena to go shopping.
Okay, even though she said it first, that they should relax and not study right before the exam. But Serena didn't have to react so quickly and, with eyes shining, pull her and race straight for the clothing store......
Dawn and Chloe also found it strange.
After dinner, they found out that May and Serena were not back at the dorms. The books were all on the table, so they couldn't have gone for more self-study. Dawn was bored and sent a text message to May asking for their location.
Very quickly, May replied to the text –– Buying clothes with Serena.
Dawn was very surprised and asked for the specific store. She took Chloe with her to go spectate. Running to the store and opening the door, they saw Serena just walking out from the changing room.
Dawn and Chloe suddenly stopped at the doorway.
They hadn't seen such an eye-catching Serena before.
The usLumiose Techl ponytail was gone and her hair was left to flow naturally. At the end, the strands slightly curled and fell onto pale-white shoulders. She was wearing a crimson thigh-length dress. The v-cut design in the front displaying delicate collarbones. The thin material of the dress draping closely as it fell down the body, showing off the waist which tempted others to believe they could circle with one hand. A slight movement sent the dress into countless waves. Under the dress, perfectly proportioned and pale legs were displayed, entrancing all to be unable to remove their gaze. On the feet were thin crystal heels, exhibiting the delicate nature of the appendages. The entire person seemed to be shining, the whole effect intimidating and majestic. The inside of the store seemed to light up.
The store became very quiet. May was blown away. After a while she saw Dawn and Chloe and immediately started showing off: "How is it, I helped Serena pick it out. Pretty good taste, huh?"
Definitely good taste, Dawn was going to say. But in front of the mirror Serena was complaining dejectedly: "May, couldn't you help me pick something more innocent looking?"
May: "......"
Dawn: "......"
Chloe: "......"
The salesperson rolled her eyes inside. No part of that dress wasn't innocent! You are the one with too much of a hot body and too many curves. It has nothing to do with our innocent and pure dress!!
After that moment of silent, May speechlessly turned and started picking out clothes again. Dawn walked into the store and asked Serena: "Why did you think of buying clothes now?"
Serena: "Because I found that the clothes from last year had lint balls >o<"
Dawn stayed silent. I told you that already, but weren't you pretty happy a few days ago wearing them?
Chloe said: "But you didn't have to come out now to buy clothes, it's exams tomorrow."
"Uh ......" Serena didn't know what to say. She didn't want to tell anybody yet that she was meeting with Satoshi, so she tried to cover it up: "That ...... tomorrow I have an interview!"
This wasn't lying. Tomorrow's interview, that was the interview of a lifetime!
Dawn thought that it was strange: "You are going to work over the summer? What type of maniac employer would schedule an interview on Saturday night? We don't even finish our exam until five twenty."
Serena cringed.
That "maniac"...... seemed to be her......
In the afternoon when Satoshi had proposed meeting up, Serena feel like ...... how to describe it. Like she just realized that she was hungry and then from the sky fell a whole heap of chicken wings.
There was shock.
There was surprise.
There was not knowing what to do.
There was definitely nervousness.
She almost started overthinking. Satoshi might not be proposing a meeting for the video. Maybe, it was an excuse? But this thought was too narcissistic and Serena threw it back into the depth of her mind.
A million thoughts roiling in her mind resulted in Serena's brain freezing ––. When she replied to Satoshi, half a minute had passed and only with a simple "Okay."
Satoshi didn't seem to mind her slowness. After receiving a positive answer, he straightforwardly sent over his contact information.
"My cell, 13xxxxxxxxx"
Serena looked at that line of numbers and her heart started beating furiously. Even more excited than when Satoshi had proposed meeting up.
Satoshi's phone number.
Finally, finally, they had a connection in real life.
Serena hurriedly wrote down the number and thought that she should probably respond with her own phone number. But, she had no phone right now ==
Her cell phone had been stolen last year, and then Serena found that life without a cellphone was too easy and too comfortable so she didn't buy a new one. Really, a student didn't have much that they needed a cell phone for. In the dorm, it was students from the same department. Any matters only required passing it on.
But now, if she didn't give a phone number, Satoshi might think she was insincere. Serena reluctantly typed: "My phone was stolen and I haven't bought a new one >o<"
To show her sincerity in meeting, Serena took initiative and asked: "Where should we meet? I'm at Lumiose University, outside the 4th Ring Road. You're probably in Lumiose City too."
Even they hadn't asked for details from each other but there were always hints from conversation. Satoshi surely had guessed she was at Lumiose City so he had invited her to meet.
"En, I'm here." Satoshi indifferently responded, "I'll go pick you up at Lumiose Tech, what time are you free?"
Serena was startled by the "pick up" and her head was dazed so she said what was on her mind: "My exam is tomorrow, I'm free after five thirty."
"Six o'clock I'll wait for you at the Eastern Door of Lumiose Tech?"
"Five thirty." Otherwise she had to wait a half hour. It seemed that Satoshi seemed pretty familiar with Lumiose Tech, her mind dazedly computed. Serena didn't think before sending the message and stopped in show. She, she ,she seems to be too eager. *cry*
The more she thought, the worse the embarrassment. She quickly confirmed the time and left behind a "Tomorrow when it's time, I'll call your cell. I have something so I'll leave first" before quickly escaping. And then she just sat there staring at the computer, and then stared at her wardrobe
......
"The pure and innocent type, go try."
Serena Yvonne was still deep in her thoughts. May impatiently thrust what she had into Serena's hands. Really, she was doing the hard work and Serena was still picky, humph!
Serena was flustered as she took the clothes back into the changing rooms. It only took a short while to come out. May nodded in her head.
This time, it wasn't a dress. A short shirt with mid-length sleeves and a tailor waist, paired with a light-blue skirt with printed flowers. The workmanship and tailoring of the clothes were very normal but on Serena's body, it had a feeling of refinement. And the blue and white recalled clear skies and did cover up some of the bold beauty that was set into Serena's bones.
Using Dawn's words, it was successful in pretending to be pure and innocent. Serena >o<
Serena was very satisfied herself. Even though she wasn't very used to the skirt as it came down to a few centimeters above her knees, but the skirt didn't move when she was wearing it. She stood proudly in front of the mirror.
Chloe looked at Serena in the mirror and teased her: "Serena, don't put such importance on that. It's just an interview. Don't you usually think that what's on the inside matters?"
Wei We sighed heavily, "Meeting for the first time, anything inside is just meaningless at the beginning. This type of heavy weaponry, it's better to be saved for fatal strikes.
Dawn: "...... You're strong!"
After playing with her friends, Serena looked at herself in the mirror. She kept feeling that something wasn't right. "Ah, shoes."
She was still wearing that pair of crystal heels that May helped pick.
May said: "This pair is very pretty. With a skirt, you should wear those heels."
Serena shook her head: "Too high."
She was already 169 centimeters tall. This pair of shoes is another seven or eight centimeters. Added together, she would be around 175 centimers.
If Satoshi...... wasn't that tall then......
>o<
This time, she didn't burden May. Serena chose a pair of flat white sandals with a bit of a heel and received recognition from her friends. Serena then started bargaining with the salesperson.
Behind her, Dawn quietly said: "That shirt, it's very conservative......"
The collar had two lines of little buttons that were tightly closed. Nothing was showing.
May nodded: "Very clean and pure, perfect for Serena. For an interview, a bit of the student aura is good."
Dawn remained silent. Inside she was screaming. Was it only her along that thought that this shirt with the buttons was so tight that it was even more tempting? What was called a forbidden temptation? This was it!
Dawn cried silently.
At last, Serena used two hundred to buy the three items. On the second day, she wore it directly to the exam as there was no time to change since they were meeting at five thirty.
As a result ......
The exam room descended into shock.
In reality, what Serena was wearing was pretty normal. But Serena didn't usually wear skirts. It wasn't that she didn't like them, but classes took place far away from the dorms. Wearing skirts made it hard to bike.
So today when she changed her attire, countless eyeballs dropped in surprise. Serena was used to being the center of attention but today even she started getting self-conscious. Luckily the exam started quickly and released her from that kind of embarrassment.
The Level Six exam went abnormally smoothly. In the middle there was one reading comprehension passage that was the same as what Serena had read recently on an English newspaper. It helped save Serena a lot of time. Completely finishing and double-checking included, only fifty minutes had passed.
So Serena started daydreaming. Her heart, which had calmed because of the exam, started to move again. After ruminating for a few minutes, Serena decisively stood up and handed in her exam early.
Coming out of the location, Serena took a deep breath.
The time was getting closer. It was almost five thirty. Satoshi was probably on the road to Lumiose Tech. Right now, was he also...... also this nervous?
Walking along the unpopulated university roads, Serena sped up and slowed down erratically, mirroring her emotions, which were uplifted one moment and apprehensive the next. In her hand, she tightly grasped the card that had Satoshi's phone number. She had memorized the number, but she was afraid her memory was faulty and then she wouldn't be able to find Satoshi.
Serena's exam building was pretty close to the eastern entrance. After walking about ten minutes, she could see the Eastern Door. Knowing that Satoshi most likely hadn't come this early, Serena still stared searching from very far away.
Exams hadn't ended so there were not many people near the Eastern Doors. Only a few people were passing through. Serena didn't see anybody like Satoshi but at first glance saw somebody from the legends.
Ash?
Wasn't hat person beside the doors underneath the willow Ash?
Serena couldn't help but take a few more glances.
Outside the Eastern Doors, the willow trees had matured very well. Each of the branches full of greenery, gently sway underneath the sun. That person wore a simple white shirt and calmly stood under the tree. From far away, Serena could only see his inky black hair.
It really was Ash.
Why was he here?
It looked like he was waiting? Who had that power, to let Master Ash wait.
Thinking about it, Serena automatically walked towards the other side of the door. She didn't have the courage to stand together with Ash. But after a few steps, she found that on the other side of the Eastern Doors there was a large tour bus parked there.
Ugh......
Nothing to do about it, she had to change direction and walked towards Ash. At this time, Ash seemed to sense her and looked up.
Serena's steps paused as her gaze met his clear stare.
Serena couldn't remember who had said a phrase –– whatever place Ash stood, that place will magically become scenery, it was not the appearance, but the personality that made it so.
This moment was like that. Ash was not doing anything but standing there. That part of space seemed unlike the surroundings, almost holding a type of supernaturally indifferent grace.
Under a daze, Serena felt that this scene was very familiar.
A willow tree waving in the wind.
A man as nonchalant and elegant like bamboo.
A calm and waiting attitude.
Where did she see it before? Serena dizzily thought, awkwardly shifting her eyes. She lowered her head and kept walking, but still felt......
Couldn't help but raise her head.
And as result, meet Ash's stare.
He was still quietly looking, the gaze clear and focuses. It seemed to give Serena a misconception –– he was waiting for her to come closer.
But that wasn't possible? Serena didn't think that highly of herself.
But why did he keep on looking at her? Has Master Ash seen her before? Knew that she was in his faculty? So he looked at her a bit more?
En, this seemed more reasonable. Then...... should she go up and greet him, especially since they were in the same faculty?
But...... would it be misconsidered as flirting >o<
Serena's steps involuntarily slowed down. But slowly, very slowly, she still went closer......
At the end, she still bowed down under the pressure of holding the stare for so long, prepared to be asked "Who are you?". Serena stopped, gathered her courage and greeted him: "Senior Ash, how coincidental."
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
......
No response.
Serena dejectedly lowered her head, feeling very awkward. She was vexed at herself for being agitated. Walking past him was fine, she didn't have to greet him. Now she was being ignored.
How about, quietly floating past?
Thinking wildly, Serena couldn't resist raising her head again. She found that he started walking slowly, then past her, the corner of Ash's mouth had curved up slightly and in the eyes that were looking at here, there seemed to be a hint of laughter.
And then Serena heard his voice.
"It's not a coincidence." A slightly cold voice passed gently into her ears, "I was waiting for you."