"Oh! What's up?" Shawn Young felt a secret thrill in his heart. Seeing Sylvia Snow hesitating, he thought she was about to invite him to stay the night...
"Are you heading back to campus tonight?" Sylvia asked. From their earlier chat, she already knew Shawn was a history major at Southern University.
Shawn perked up instantly, but pretended to hesitate, saying, "That was my plan... but if you're scared to be alone, I might consider sticking around to keep you company!"
"Oh, no, you've got it all wrong! You're overthinking it... I just want you to change into these clothes before you leave. What you're wearing now really doesn't suit you! These are my dad's—your build is about the same as his, so they should fit. Take them, shower up, and change!" Sylvia handed Shawn the bundle of clothes.
"Uh... okay!" Shawn's little flame of hope was snuffed out. He glanced at his own wannabe-gangster outfit—definitely out of place on him—so he reached for Sylvia's offered clothes.
Shawn took a hot shower in the bathroom, feeling totally refreshed. He changed into Sylvia’s dad’s clothes—they fit surprisingly well. Thanks to the Divine Remedy’s recent overhaul of his body, Shawn was starting to notice some obvious changes, especially around his waist, which was now way more toned. Even his face was shifting a bit, but since the Divine Remedy’s full effects hadn’t kicked in yet, the changes weren’t too dramatic. Which was a relief—he didn’t want to look so different that his family wouldn’t recognize him when he went home for the holidays!
Sylvia’s eyes widened in surprise when Shawn stepped out of the bathroom. She hadn’t expected him to look so much more handsome after just a shower and a change of clothes. If he fixed that weird shovel-shaped haircut and ditched his winter-quail vibe, he’d almost be her dream Prince Charming...
But Sylvia quickly composed herself, walked over to Shawn, and said, "Not bad! Way better than before. Seriously though, what’s up with your midnight skinny-dipping habit...?"
"Uh... Miss Snow, you’ve got it wrong. That’s actually my special way of training inner energy. Even if I explained, you wouldn’t get it..." Shawn hurried to explain. He’d said it so many times, he was starting to believe it himself.
"Okay, okay! You’re the hero! You’re a master! Your skills are totally next level! So, Mr. Hero, do you have time next Saturday?" Sylvia changed the subject.
"Huh? Next Saturday? Wait, what day is it today?" Shawn felt totally lost.
"Today is Saturday, silly! Are you confused? Next Saturday is a whole week away!" Sylvia said, a bit exasperated.
"What?! Saturday?! How... it’s been three days already? Oh man..." Shawn exclaimed. He suddenly realized that the night he went “interning” for wild game with Xu Xi and the others was Tuesday, and after getting trapped in the Spirit Cavern, three days had flown by without him noticing!
"Wait, three whole days? You mean you’ve been wandering around in those ratty red boxers for three days straight? You can’t be that hardcore, right?" Sylvia broke out in a sweat—if Shawn was really that intense, she’d better keep her distance! His level was just too high, she could only look up to him, not get close.
"Uh... no, I mean, my campus pager hasn’t been charged for three days. I—I gotta get back and plug it in, or my folks won’t be able to reach me." Shawn quickly lied.
Sylvia rolled her eyes. "You’re so full of it! But, whatever. Next Saturday, my parents are going out, so I’ll be home alone. If you’re free, come over and help me clean up. I’ll even make you some food!"
"Whoa, really? You want me to come over and help out?" Shawn’s heart skipped a beat, but he tried to play it cool.
"Of course! Don’t get any weird ideas though! You’re coming over to help clean, not to mess around!" Sylvia warned, wagging her finger at him.
"Hey, I’m not some kind of perv! I’m just a regular guy!" Shawn protested, grinning.
Sylvia couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re definitely not normal! But that’s okay—I like weird guys!"
Shawn felt his cheeks flush. "You’re just saying that to mess with me!"
Sylvia gave him a sly wink. "Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. You’ll just have to wait and see!"
The two of them joked around for a bit longer before Shawn finally said goodbye and left. Sylvia watched him go, her heart fluttering just a little.
As soon as Shawn stepped outside, he took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling like he’d just come back from a wild adventure. If every day was this exciting, he might just get used to it!
He checked his pockets—no money, no phone, not even a bus card. "Guess I’ll just walk back to campus. Good thing Southern University isn’t too far away!" Shawn muttered, resigned to his fate.
He started walking, humming a little tune as he went, already daydreaming about what next Saturday might bring.