Inside Pardo's dorm room, Fu Li looked on helplessly at Pardo, who was lying on the sofa, wagging her tail and casually rummaging through her treasure chest.
Noticing his gaze, Pardo buried her head in the treasure chest, leaving only a pair of bright, gem-like eyes exposed, watching him warily.
"No peeking! Meow!"
"Yes, yes, I know."
Fu Li was arguably the person in the world who understood Pardo the best, and the one who had spent the most time with her.
Even so, whenever he wanted to take a look at what was inside her treasure chest, she would always become alert and put it away immediately.
Like a greedy little kitten. No, wait, she was a simple-minded, greedy cat to begin with.
Withdrawing his gaze in resignation, Fu Li looked at the report he had modified, having polished some of the questionable points, and nodded with satisfaction.
To be honest, the report Pardo wrote couldn't be called bad, but it was hovering right on the edge of passing.
It would have been more than enough to fool her previous supervisor, but this time, the ones they had to fool were Mobius and Dr. MEI.
In any case... this should be enough to get by...
Putting the file away, Fu Li decided he would submit the report tomorrow when he went to the research institute for work.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was getting late, so Fu Li packed up his documents and said to Pardo:
"Pardo, I'm heading back. You should get some rest too."
"Oh, okay. You too."
After Fu Li left, Pardo stopped organizing her treasure chest and looked at the things she had collected with a hint of melancholy.
Just as she was feeling bored, a voice that was identical to hers, but tinged with a morbid charm, spoke up.
"What's wrong? You clearly wanted Li to hold you while you sleep, but when the words reached your lips, you were too shy to say them?"
"Eek! It's you."
Startled by the sudden voice, Pardo's fur stood on end for a moment. Only after seeing who it was did she relax.
Feeling the slightly cool sensation of arms wrapping around her neck, Pardo said earnestly:
"Er... other me, don't talk nonsense. We're all grown up now; it's not appropriate for us to sleep together anymore."
"Hm? Is that so?" Black Pardo swished her tail, burying her face near Pardo's ear.
A cool breath tickled the tip of Pardo's ear. Before she could react, the next words made her ears flush red.
"Pardo, I am an extension of your heart's desires. I know all of your thoughts."
"I know very well that you want to be like me. You want to wrap your arms around Li's neck, lightly bite his earlobe, let your tail linger on his body~ until you bind his hands with your tail, and then..."
"W-Wha! What kind of nonsense are you spouting now!"
Before Black Pardo could finish, Pardo shot up, her face beet red, and grabbed a nearby pillow to swat at her.
"Haha, alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you."
Dodging the blows, Black Pardo raised her hands in surrender, though she felt helpless on the inside.
She wasn't lying. She could feel all of Pardo's desires, including her possessiveness and love for Li.
Therefore, what she had just described was a scene Pardo had fantasized about in her heart. It's just that Pardo herself wasn't forceful or bold enough to act on it.
If she were in control of the main body, hmph hmph...
After a bout of playful fighting, Pardo and Black Pardo called a truce and started discussing other matters.
"By the way, in three days, Li has invited a lot of friends to go skiing in the Alps. You're coming too, right? Do you need me to prepare a new set of clothes for you?"
Pardo sat cross-legged on the sofa, hugging a small kitten she had brought from Twilight Street, and posed the question.
After all, she and Black Pardo were one and the same, so it was only natural to bring her along.
"Of course! It's a rare date, after all," Black Pardo said, her ears twitching as she gave a wicked smile.
As expected, Pardo's face turned red again. She quickly argued that it wasn't a date, and besides, it wasn't just the two of them going on vacation.
"Sigh, anyway, just don't think about pulling any stunts. Can't we just have fun?"
When it came to her other self, Pardo felt a bit mentally exhausted. She was a person who disliked trouble, but this was a piece of trouble she couldn't possibly get rid of.
After all, she was fed up with the feeling of being unable to help.
"Mhmm~ If you want me to behave, that's fine. But you have to promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
Seeing Pardo take the bait, Black Pardo curled her lips, revealing her cute little canine teeth.
"Before we get to the snowy mountain, don't tell Li that I've woken up. I want to prepare a surprise for him."
"This... alright, fine."
Pardo hesitated, but after thinking about it, she figured it wasn't a big deal and nodded in agreement.
It was only for a few days. And with her watching, she probably couldn't cause too much trouble anyway.
"Then, it's a promise."
"Fine, fine, it's a promise. I'm going to sleep. Just don't leave the room."
With a yawn, Pardo put down the kitten in her lap and buried herself under the soft, familiar covers, letting out a satisfied smile.
She was just that kind of person. Small joys could make her happy for a long time, especially after a major battle.
"Well, goodnight, other me."
"Mm... goodnight..."
Not long after lying down, Pardo's voice was already starting to sound mumbled.
Seeing this, the newly awakened Black Pardo could only purse her lips, gently close the bedroom door, and retreat to the living room.
She glanced at the cat's nest on the balcony, then at the computer in front of the sofa. Black Pardo skillfully walked over to the sofa and pressed the power button.
The computer booted up, and its cold white light illuminated the wicked smile on Black Pardo's face.
"Hmm... according to the main body's memories, I remember how to use a computer. But she's probably never looked at that section before."
She opened the online shopping site and clicked on a certain unspeakable section.
Looking at the dazzling array of products before her, Black Pardo's pupils dilated slightly, and her mouth fell open, as if the door to a new world had just been opened.
"This is really..."
"Mm, this one's not bad. It looks pretty sturdy. Yes, yes..."
"And this one... hsss, even for me, it's a bit bold. But... I'll buy it anyway."
The mouse moved rapidly as Black Pardo added her favored items to the shopping cart one by one.
If Pardo misses her chance because she's too shy, even I would feel the sting of regret for her. So, it's fine if my methods are a little... intense, right?
This is all for our own good, other me.
A wicked smile curled on Black Pardo's lips. Deep within her red and white eyes, unconcealed excitement began to spread.
(Author's Note: Awoo, this arc is ending soon. Let me see, do you guys want to see V2V or Kevin next? (Don't stuff the ballot box, ballot stuffing won't count.))
Vill-V
Kevin