บท 27: Peng
Liu made his way up the winding path that led to the boy's dormitories, no longer saying anything to the talkative young boy that kept rambling on and on in his ears.
His clothes were dirty and damp with sweat, and he was certain he stank, yet Cucao kept drawing close to him as if everything was well.
'What a weirdo.' Liu sighed. 'I can probably outrun him if I choose to, but…'
For some reason, he allowed himself to listen to Cucao's meaningless words. Walking beside each other, the both of them found their way to Liu's destination—the Boy's dormitory.
The dormitory consisted of about three buildings within a compound, each made of a fine mix of wood and stone. The buildings were nestled among the trees and surrounded by a courtyard where the boys could practice their martial arts or play as they wished.
The three buildings were massive, a representation of the space they harbored within them.
"I'm off, Cucao. See you later."
"H-huh? Wait, I'm not done—!"
Before the talkative Cucao could say any more, Liu picked up his pace and entered the first building, which was where his room was.
Inside, the dormitory presented a very narrow hallway, with various doors leading to individual rooms hanging around. The floors were made of polished wood, the same as the ceiling and distant walls.
Liu easily navigated his way through the identical wooden constructs until he got to his own. Once he got in, he was greeted by the sparse furniture he possessed. Other than his simple bed, wardrobe, and a bucket in the corner, nothing else could be seen within the room.
"Alright!"
In a flash, Liu took off his dirty and soiled uniform, leaving only his undergarment. He stared at it, feeling a little awkward watching the piece of clothing covering his nether regions.
"I really want to grow up quickly…" Muttering to himself, he grabbed the bucket and made his way outside his room.
He zoomed to the furthest room at the end of the hallway, meeting the general boy's bathroom there. He swiftly scooped water from the huge drum that stood in the corner, and shut the door to the public facility.
'Everyone knows this is the time I bathe, so no one disturbs me.' He heaved.
He didn't particularly mind bathing with the others. He seldom bathed in his previous life, and when he did, it was with many others. Even in this new world, that didn't change—though the children in his town often avoided him, so he bathed alone then as well.
Perhaps it was much better this way, since he had time for himself.
***
After he concluded his bathing session, Liu returned to the hallway with several droplets of water clinging to his juvenile body.
The air inside the dormitory now felt cool and refreshing, with a hint of incense lingering in the air. Perhaps he hadn't noticed it before thanks to how badly he smelled.
Upon returning to his room, he reached for a clean set of clothes from his wardrobe. He dressed quickly, already used the process of putting on his sect uniform. Once again, as white as sheep, Liu was transformed.
His only concern was to get his dirty clothes washed as soon as possible.
"Let's get this over with quickly…" He picked up his clothes and made his way to the laundry site. "Let's hope she doesn't give me too much trouble."
***
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
How could he have dreamed of the impossible? Liu could not help but take back his earlier wish as he covered his ears in response to Peng's loud voice.
"LOOK AT HOW MESSED UP THIS IS! IT'S NOT JUST DIRTY, BUT EVEN TATTERED HERE! AFTER LAUNDRY, I'LL HAVE TO SEW THESE PARTS TOO!" She was practically shoving his dirty laundry to his face while complaining about it.
"Mmmph! Yeah, I get it. I get it." He could only mutter while taking a few steps back to avoid smelling the horrid stench any longer.
"IS THAT ALL YOU'RE GOING TO SAY?!"
"A-and… sorry…" He added, though hesitantly.
"Haa… seriously, though. Why are you always like this?" At this point, he glanced at the nagging ten-year-old that stood in front of him.
She had brown hair, made into two pigtails. Her face was smooth, and she had relatively big eyes. Not as big as Liu's, though.
'She honestly doesn't look anything like how she sounds…' Liu found himself thinking as she grumbled while dropping his uniform in a bucket.
Peng was the same age as him, but not only was she taller than he was, but she was also very assertive. Despite how cute her face was—almost as if she was a baby—her loud voice and brazen personality created a dissonance.
"You should really calm yourself someti—"
"What did you say?"
"Nothing…"
Unlike Cucao, Peng wasn't someone who would simply allow him to quip in whatever he liked. He honestly had no idea why people would think they liked each other or anything of the sort.
If anything, he felt she hated his guts.
'She only does the laundry because its her job.'
Liu had heard from Cucao, who heard from his crush, Lia, that the people in the Laundry Unit could always choose to apply for a change in those they washed for. He often wondered why Peng didn't simply complain if she hated doing his clothes so much.
'I heard she personally fixes my clothes whenever they tear or anything. That's why she complains so much about it. But why can't she just let those in that department do their jobs?'
Maybe Cucao and the others were right about Peng's behavior being a little suspicious. Could she actually…
"HEY, LIU, ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!" Her voice shook him out of his thoughts, causing him to honestly doubt the line of reasoning he had just been trailing in.
'Peng and me? No way!'
"I'll be more careful next time. Bye. Gotta go. Thank you. You're the best." Liu rapidly fired those words before finally running off.
"Y-you, where are you—?!"
"Sorry, Peng. My Master requires my presence!" He yelled, rushing in the direction of the tallest mountain.
"T-this guy…" Liu could hear Peng's bone-chilling whisper behind him, causing him to quicken his pace.
He had to hurry before it was too late.
"LIIIIIUUUUUU, YOU IDIOT!"
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