QT: Scum Gong System: I Became the Male Leads I Hated!? - Chapter 58

Stein slept better than he had ever had upon arriving at Haus Storitz. His heart is at ease, and he felt that he had Franklin’s bond had become even stronger as they have both declared their trust for each other.

He felt his creator’s lips press over his forehead, and this strengthen his resolve to have a good, dreamless sleep without any memories of others haunting him.

Seeing Stein sleep so peacefully, ‘Franklin’ sat up and lit the lamp beside him. He left the room, the apricot seeds in his pocket jiggling a little as he walked.

He proceeded to knock lightly at the door.

It opened slightly, as Daoist Panda hissed. “What!?”

“Stein is sleeping soundly tonight. I don’t think he will wake up any time soon.” Zhe Chouhen looked very pleased about it. “May I come in?”

Panda considered it, and did recall that Stein slept better the next few days after resolving the Andres arc. And so, he slowly opened the door. “Fine. Don’t stay too long. And don’t be too loud.”

“Yes!” Zhe Chouhen pumped his fist in the air, then quickly covered his mouth. “Right, right. Yes….”

Panda rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him.

They sat on the bed again.

“What are you here for?” Daoist Panda asked.

Zhe Chouhen scratched his head. “Nothing, hehe. I just want to talk to you before going to bed. And to congratulate your acting skills for the scene earlier, I almost believed that you were truly mad at me. Bro, that was Oscar levels of acting—”

“I really am mad at you.”

The book hater blinked. “Eh? What did I do?”

“You fucking stole my apricot!” Panda exclaimed, like Zhe Chouhen just broke his greatest limited-edition figurine. “There’s so many of them in the orchard, why do you have to steal mine!?”

“Hah, you were mad about that!?” Zhe Chouhen just laughed like an idiot. “I just wanted to tease you a little, I didn’t know stealing your food is such a big deal!”

“It’s because you did it to tease me that I’m mad at you! Scum!” Daoist Panda hit him in the shoulders.

“Ow! Fine, fine, I’m sorry! I should have known you’d get so cranky about food.”

‘It’s not food that’s the problem, it’s you! Always playing tricks, not being careful!” Panda exclaimed. “Zhe Chouhen, do you think this is a joke!? Your life is on the line here! If the brotherhood—”

“What brotherhood?”

Panda caught himself at the last minute. “The third party….. I shouldn’t say much. Gah… you’re just so frustrating, you know that!?”

“Heh, I know, I know. I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t know that would worry you so much.” Zhe Chouhen said in a coaxing manner. “I’ll be more careful, I promise. Don’t be mad, Panda-laoshi~ Don’t be mad at me, kay?~”

Zhe Chouhen found Panda in this form getting mad really adorable. Captain Clerval is so chill and self-assured, and yet with Panda wearing his face, he gets pouty and prickly as a cactus. Nothing can beat his cuteness as a 2D panda, but there’s a certain charm in this grown man form too. He then had the urge to give this moody man a head pat—

“Stop speaking in that babying tone, it’s not improving my mood just one bit.” Panda smack his hand away that was trying to reach out to pat his head.

“Ah, force of habit. It’s difficult not to do so when you’re acting so cute!”

Panda smacked him again, this time on the forehead. “I’m not acting cute!”

“Ow! Yes, yes, you’re not, I was wrong, I was wrong! Panda-laoshi is not cute, this lowly one apologizes!!!” He clasped both hands together both to appear like he was praying for mercy at to avoid getting hit again.

“Hmph.” Panda-laoshi crossed his arms. “What are those seeds for?”

“Hmm?” Zhe Chouhen with a red spot on his forehead tilted his head to the side.

“You carried the seeds with you. I can also sense them in your pockets. What are they for?”

Zhe Chouhen remembered, and nodded. “Ah, I was going to plant them! Before going back to my room, I’ll plant them in the garden outside since I don’t think the garden in the roof will be suitable for them. Want to join me?”

“Why are you planting apricots?”

“For you, of course!” Zhe Chouhen said proudly. “You said you are fond of them, and to make up for stealing yours as well. They do taste delicious. Or maybe that just because it came from Panda-laoshi that I enjoyed it more than I should have, hehe!”

Panda was flustered at the thoughtfulness of his hater. He did not appreciate the last part, but he was still moved by the thought and so was not annoyed. He did not show it in his face, however, and just said, “I’m not really fond of apricots in real life, that was just Captain Clerval’s line.”

“Oh, is that so? You don’t like apricots?”

“No, I think they’re fine. But they’re not my favorite fruit or something.”

“Ohhhh….. So what’s your favorite fruit, then?”

Panda furrowed his eyebrows. “Why are you asking?”

Zhe Chouhen shrugged. “Just curious. Since I thought pandas only eat bamboos.”

“Again, I’m not a panda!” Daoist Panda snapped back. “And I won’t tell you, you might do something stupid with it…..”

“Something stupid?” Zhe Chouhen chuckled. “Like what? It’s just your favorite fruit, bro. I’m not asking for your greatest secret or something.”

“Well…” Panda looked away, mumbling in a voice that faltered more and more until it can be barely heard. “You might buy it for me or plant it or something… And I might think that’s very sweet of you…..”

“Hmm?” Zhe Chouhen perked up his ears. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Panda glared at him. “Just…. Just go plant the apricot seeds. I want to sleep. Good night.”

He took the blanket and hid inside it, turning in the opposite direction with a scoff.

“Oh, come on! Don’t be like that, Panda-laoshi! I really want to know!” Zhe Chouhen tried to pull the blanket away. “I’ll even tell you about my favorite fruit, we could talk about something else! Just don’t sleep yet!”

“Grrrr… Are you really trying to test my patience, Zhe Chouhen!?” Panda glared as the blanket was taken off him, and this idiot is on top of him! “I want to sleep! Get off me!”

“What’s your favorite fruit, first? Then, I’ll leave.” Zhe Chouhen said with a mischievous grin, his green eyes glinting.

“Why does it matter to you!?” Panda-laoshi asked, feeling his face become increasingly warm the longer he looked at Zhe Chouhen in this position. “I don’t believe you….. Even if I tell you, you would still bother me.”

“I won’t.” The man promised. “It’s getting late after all. I just need to know what it is, then I’ll leave you be.”

“Hnn….” Panda grumbled, and eventually relented. “Fine. But you… you tell me what’s yours first.”

“My favorite fruit? Hmm, I like eating anything, really. I’m more of a meat person too.” Zhe Chouhen said. “But if I had to choose…. I guess bananas are nice.”

Panda made a deadpan face. “Why do I have a feeling the reasoning behind that is perverted again?”

“It’s not! I just like the taste!” Zhe Chouhen chuckled. “Now, a deal’s a deal. You tell me yours.”

“It’s… ” Daoist Panda looked away. “It’s strawberries…”

“Strawberries?” Zhe Chouhen double-checked if he heard right.

“Yes… And I know you think that’s cute again, but it’s not, okay! I just like them because they’re sweet and easy to eat…” Panda took hold of the white blanket and hid inside it again. “Now, get lost.”

Zhe Chouhen got out of the bed, satisfied. “I see. Panda-laoshi likes strawberries.”

Before going out to the door, Panda last heard him say:

“I kinda like them now too.”

—————————-

The next day, Captain Clerval and Stein opened the door at the same time. Their eyes met…

And the latter immediately gave a cold glare, before looking away and walking to the staircase without a word. He had slept too well and woken too well for another banter with this brute. It’s not worth it, he’d rather look for his master, his creator.

Yet Captain Clerval did not take the hint and instead walk alongside him down the stairs!

“Guten Morgen, Snedronningen.”

“My name is Stein.” He said with gritted teeth, quickening his pace.

“Last name?”

“…..Evans.” Stein answered, remembering his surname in his forged certificate.

“Stein Evans….” The Captain repeated. “And who give you that name, I wonder? You did say you were an orphan.”

“…. The head of the orphanage.”

“Is that individual’s last name also Evans? You were not adopted?”

“Mr. Clerval. I thought my master had already made this clear to you, but I shall repeat it again lest it has been lost in your memory.” Stein turned to him, trying to impose his large figure to intimidate him. “I am my master’s servant, not yours. I am not subjected to catering to your commands and demands. That includes answering your questions or wasting my time having idle chitchat with you. Please remember that.”

The captain was quiet, and so Stein believed that he finally had the upper ground. He haughtily moved forward, when he heard the man behind him say:

“I am only a concerned citizen. Especially if there is something that may be against the law, I am bound to be conscientious about it.”

Stein narrowed his eyes. “What are you insinuating?”

“Your master is a renowned scientist. The field of science is uncharted waters for me, I know nothing besides the basics and from experience. Weathers change, tides too… That is all I need. When it comes to the specifics of what makes a human heart beat, or how snow comes to be… I do not need such knowledge, nor do I want to explore them further.” He said gravely. “But intellectuals are a dangerous lot indeed. They do not know the boundaries of knowledge. They keep on moving forward towards the forbidden areas…. and I will not be surprised if your master is the same.”

“…”

Stein did not say anything for a while, carefully weighing his words. It was like they are locked in a verbal game of chess.

He then grinned. “Mr. Clerval, what exactly do you think my master is doing that is against the law?”

“You.”

“And what about me?”

“That hand of yours…. It’s that Colombian’s, isn’t it? The one who perished years ago, and yet, you are now using it.”

He figured it out, but Stein is not alarmed at all.

Because he has no proof. He doesn’t even know about the Toro tattoo. He doesn’t know anything.

All he has to do is feign ignorance.

And yet….. Stein also felt like feigning ignorance will be an easy win. Too easy. And so, he replied with a bluff.

“Do you know that my master has created prosthetic legs made of steel, and yet functions completely like a human leg? The knees can kick if you want to, the toes could curl… It is very advanced.” He said. “Not only that, but it is covered in a material that is like human skin. No one can tell the difference between them besides that it is slightly heavier.”

Captain Clerval merely gave a disinterested, “So?”

“So…. It will be easy for him to have someone with an amputated arm be given a prosthetic one that resembles a dead man’s.”

The captain’s eyes widened, and then narrowed again.

“Hah!” Captain Clerval is unconvinced. “Why would he give you an arm that is like his friend, instead of something that matches your skin?”

“That is not my business, it is my master’s. I am already thankful for being given another chance to have my right arm again, to write with it, use it to carry his bags….. I do not need an explanation. For as you said, there are certain boundaries that must be respected when it comes to knowledge.” Stein declared triumphantly. “Unless, of course, you’re a hypocrite who does not follow your own dogma? Mr. Clerval.”

Captain Clerval gritted his teeth. “That does not explain your neck—”

“I had a grievous injury, my Master stitched it up.” Stein said. “That is all you need to know. Are you satisfied, Mr. Clerval?”

The captain growled, but relented. “…..That sounds reasonable. For now.”

“Hm. Then I do not expect any more questions from you. And if you did ask them, I will no longer be patient to answer them, as I have already indulged you enough.”

The frost giant left behind the captain to the living room, and headed to the kitchen to look for his master. He found Franklin happily preparing breakfast, and it seems to be some sort of pastry he is baking himself through a cookbook.

“Oh, good morning, Stein.” His creator turned slightly to him, still stirring a pinkish mixture. “I’m sorry that I could not wake you, I left early to buy the ingredients for our breakfast outside.”

“It smells wonderful, Frank….” Stein hugged him from behind. “What is it?”

‘Franklin’ grinned.. “Strawberry shortcakes.”