Capítulo 35: Chapter 35- The Talk. Take 3.
To KO's surprise, Mei didn't choose a restaurant for their dinner. Instead, once work was finished for the day, he dragged him to several road side stalls. Without talking to KO, he loaded the man up with sweet potatoes, egg waffles, fried squid, and dumplings, and then led the way back to his hotel. The thunderclouds on Mei's face made KO decide silence was the better part of valour, and he didn't complain as he followed blindly along.
Even when he was laying the food out on the coffee table while Mei raised the bar fridge for something to drink, KO kept silent. He knew Mei would eventually crack, and he was good at silence.
He was right. A third of the way through their dinner, Mei did finally speak up... it just, wasn't what KO was expecting. Rather than address his irritation over the in-game marriage, Mei jumped to something else. "You knew I was E-Mei before yesterday... when? How? And why didn't you let me know?"
He waved a squid skewer around as he spoke, punctuating his words with fried seafood.
"Uh..." KO looked down, concentrating on peeling a sweet potato. He wasn't sure what Hao Mei wanted to know so said nothing.
Mei scowled at him from across the table. "Don't think that the stoic and silent act will get you out of this. I've heard you talk like a normal human being... I know you can do it."
"Uh..." inexplicably tongue tied, KO offered Mei the peeled sweet potato. The man took it with an adorable pout. "Fine. Maintain radio silence while we eat. But don't forget... I know how to get you talking...."
The rest of the meal was finished in silence. Normally reticent himself, KO found it difficult to sit still while he ate, shifting on the lounge and scratching his head or his knee or an elbow... even for KO, the silence felt oppressive; the air heavy with nervous anticipation. After Laoda's heads up this afternoon, KO thought he knew why Mei was angry but he was at a loss as to how to fix the situation.
Finally, he could draw it out no longer, packing the containers into a plastic garbage bag and wiping the table down while Mei disappeared into the bed room. When the man came back out, he was carrying a basket of clean washing ready to be folded.
"Sit," he looked from KO to the couch and the hacker took the hint. "Because you only seem to get chatty during sex, or talking about sex... We're going to play a game..." Mei dumped the basket of clothes on the floor and sat himself down next to it, opposite KO who was glued to the couch in confusion. "I'm going to ask a question. Your answer determines what I do next."
KO nodded to show that he was following along.
"Answer quickly, truthfully, and with a response I like... and I take a piece of clothing off." KO's eyebrow rose. This was not what he'd been expecting but so far he thought he might like this game. Mei wasn't finished explaining the rules though.
"Hesitate, and I'm going to assume you're trying to work out what I want to hear. And I'll put something else on."
And.... there was the catch.
"Tell me something I don't like, and I'll put something on. Tell me a lie, and I'll put something on." Mei rattled the washing basket. "If I empty this basket... we're done."
"Then what?"
"No. Not done for the game. Done. Completely." A clear coldness settled on Mei's face and KO felt his heart clench. All of a sudden, he really didn't want to play this game... he sighed. All Mei was really asking for was honesty, and he'd only resorted to these measures because he'd been too chickenshit to speak openly.
KO nodded. "Let's play."
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