Chapter Text
The rest of the party passed by in a blur.
After the whole courtship announcement, Mei had eventually blown out her birthday candles while the guests gathered around cheering for her. A few more songs and conversations later, the party finally came to an close, and guests gradually began leaving the Dragon residence.
Mk and the gang stood near the front gates to say their goodbyes to Mei before heading home themselves.
Mei looked noticeably more tired now compared to earlier. The excitement from the party had faded and the sword hilt Kui gifted her was still resting carefully in her hands.
Pigsy glanced toward Mei one last time before speaking up.
“So…” he started, a little concerned. “What do you think about this whole proposal thing?”
“Huh?” Mei asked seeming a little out of it.
“The snake guy,” Tang clarified immediately. “Y’know. Mr ‘I brought a whole dowry to the party’.”
“Oh.” Mei looked down awkwardly at the sword hilt in her hand. “I… don’t know honestly. Everything just happened really fast.”
Pigsy hummed quietly but didn’t push further.
“I mean, Kui seems nice and all…” Mei trailed off, struggling to find the words and Mk suddenly didn’t want to hear the rest.
“ANYWAY!” he blurted out, way too loudly. “It’s getting super late, we should probably head home before Pigsy falls asleep or something.”
Pigsy gave him a flat look. “…I’m not THAT old!”
“Mo seems pretty exhausted,” Sandy added while dramatically holding Mo like a baby.
“Meow.” Mo sleepily cried.
“He says it’s past his bedtime.” Sandy translated and Pigsy whipped around toward the cat.
“He definitely did not say that!”
Thankfully, the awkward tension broke just enough for Mei to laugh a little and Mk relaxed slightly at the sound.
“Well… thanks again for coming,” Mei said softly. “Even if things got kinda weird.”
Tang immediately perked up. “The food made up for it.”
Mei giggled again before looking toward Mk. “And thanks for the dance.”
Mk felt his face warm instantly. “R-Right. Yeah. Of course.”
For a brief moment, neither of them moved. Then Mei smiled softly at him. “See you later, Mk.”
“…Yeah,” Mk replied quietly. “See you later.”
--°✿°--
The ride back from the Dragon residence felt much quieter than the ride there. Sandy hummed softly to himself from the back seat while Mo rested peacefully in his lap, completely unaware of the heavy mood hanging inside the van.
Mei stood at the entrance gates waving goodbye as the delivery van slowly pulled away from the estate. The golden lights from the mansion reflected softly in her eyes as she did.
Mk watched until she disappeared completely and only then did the heaviness in his chest settle back in again. He tried not to think about what happened tonight. Tried not to think about the way the entire hall had celebrated.
Tried not to think about Kui standing beside Mei.
His hand unconsciously slipped into his jacket pocket, fingers brushing against the small bracelet box still hidden inside.
He never even got the chance to give it to her.
Tang glanced toward Mk from the passenger seat, noticing how unusually quiet he’d been the entire drive home. Normally after a fancy party, Mk would’ve been talking nonstop by now.
Pigsy noticed too.
“…Kid, you good?” Pigsy finally asked while keeping his eyes on the road.
“Hm?” Mk answered faintly. “Oh. Yeah, totally.”
Tang immediately narrowed his eyes. “That was the fakest ‘totally’ I’ve ever heard.”
“I’m serious,” Mk insisted.
Sandy tilted his head a little. “You do seem pretty down, little buddy.” Even Mo looked up and gave a small questioning meow. Mk immediately avoided all eye contact.
“I’m fine.” he said and the three of them exchanged a look. They knew him too well to believe that.
--°✿°--
By the time they returned to the noodle shop, the strange mood still hadn’t lifted. Pigsy headed into the kitchen to start cleaning up while Sandy rested a sleepy Mo on a table.
Mk had already collapsed face-first onto one of the tables, still holding the unopened bracelet box. Tang, however, sat exactly where Mk was and stared at him for a moment.
“…Okay,” he finally said. “Something’s definitely going on with you. What exactly is it?”
Mk groaned loudly into the table.
Pigsy walked back out from the kitchen drying his hands. “Are ya still moping kid?”
“I am NOT moping,” Mk muttered without lifting his head.
Tang pointed immediately. “See? That right there? That’s advanced level moping.”
Pigsy sighed before sitting across from him. “Kid… is this about the courtship thing?”
Mk finally went still. The silence alone answered the question. Tang and Pigsy exchanged a quick glance. After a long moment, Mk slowly sat up, rubbing his face tiredly.
“Yes…” he started quietly before stopping himself.
Pigsy and the others waited patiently. Mk looked down at the bracelet box in his hands. Then he finally just blurted it out.
“I’m in love with Mei.”
The shop fell silent, even the kitchen fan suddenly seemed too loud. Pigsy nearly fell from the stool he was sitting on. “Wait- WHAT?”
Meanwhile Tang just sat there, looking far less shocked than the others.
“…Yeah,” he admitted after a moment. “I kinda figured.”
Pigsy whipped toward him. “YOU FIGURED THIS OUT BEFORE ME?!”
“Mk is not subtle,” Tang replied simply.
“I-I am subtle!” Mk immediately defended.
“You literally sculpted a dragon cake because, and I quote, ‘it had to look beautiful like Mei,’” Tang pointed out and the moment the words left his mouth, Mk wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
Sandy on the other hand, sniffed loudly from the side. Everyone turned toward him and he already looking seconds away from tears.
“Little buddy…” he said with a lot of emotion. “Who would’ve thought you’d fall into the painful trap of a tragic one-sided romance.”
“It’s not tragic!” Mk sprang up to defend himself again but he quickly deflated. “…I think.”
Sandy placed a hand over his chest. “To be in love with your best friend while another man courts her publicly. This is just like one of my tragic romance dramas.”
Tang nodded in agreement. “This does have strong season finale energy.”
Pigsy leaned closer to Mk. “Kid… how long have you even felt this way?”
Mk hesitated a little before answering. “I dunno,” he admitted quietly. “I only figured it out recently.”
Tang leaned forward too. “I think you should still tell her.”
“Still tell her?!” Mk looked at him like he’d just suggested jumping into a volcano. “Even though that Kui guy already beat me to it.”
“Mk… you don’t actually know how Mei feels about that Kui fellow yet,” Sandy smiled softly at him. “Just because he asked her first doesn’t mean her heart already belongs to him.”
Mk quietly processed Sandy’s words. He was actually right. He’d been so focused on Kui’s proposal that he’d never really stopped to think about what Mei actually wanted.
Nothing had been decided yet.
“Yeah,” Tang said while munching on some snacks he’d secretly stashed from Mei’s party. “As the great monk Tang Xuanzang once said: ‘To leave true love unspoken is the quickest route to a heavy heart.’”
For a split second, Mk thought Tang was having one of his surprisingly insightful moments. Then Tang glanced down at the fortune cookie slip in his hand.
“And your lucky numbers are six, thirty, twenty-five, and eighty-three.”
Everyone’s expression flattened immediately. Pigsy wasted no time before jabbing Tang in the ribs with his elbow.
“Ow! I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Tang laughed, then his expression softened. “But seriously though, you love Mei and she obviously cares about you a lot too. So who knows? Maybe you’ve still got a chance.”
“Besides,” Pigsy added with a sigh before roughly ruffling Mk’s hair, “You’ll never know how she feels if you keep overthinking yourself into misery all the time.”
Mk opened his mouth to protest but Pigsy cut him off first.
“We’re rooting for you, kid,” he said more softly this time. “So stop doubting yourself so much.”
Mk let out a long groan before laughing softly.
“...Thanks, guys,” he said with a small smile. He then took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and nodded. “Okay. I’Il give it a shot.”
Sandy and Tang smiled warmly while Pigsy grinned proudly. “That’s my boy-”
But then Pigsy suddenly sat upright in alarm.
“WAIT.” He pointed at Mk dramatically. “Hold on- If you’re already talking about confessing and relationships, doesn’t that mean I’m supposed to have some kinda parental talk with you first?!”
Mk immediately recoiled in horror. “PIGSY NO-”
“I’m serious!” Pigsy immediately started panicking. “Nobody gave me a handbook for this stuff! What if I skipped an important guardian step?!”
“Pigsy,” Tang said weakly, already laughing.
“Do I need to explain dating? Boundaries? The birds and the bees?!”
“PIGSY I AM EIGHTEEN.” Mk practically shrieked, his face turning bright red instantly. “THAT WILL NOT BE NECESSARY.”
Sandy gently covered Mo’s ears, sniffling again. “They grow up so fast,”
--°✿°--
The next morning, Mk woke up with one very important mission in mind.
He was going to try and woo Mei.
Or well… at least that’s what Pigsy and the gang kept calling it after he practically admitted his feelings the night before.
But anyway, he had the best idea. Since Mei’s “official” birthday party had been stressful, awkward and filled with way too many unwanted guests, then Mk was going to give her a real birthday instead.
One he’d actually promised her.
Which was exactly how the two of them ended up standing outside one of Megapolis’ newest arcade centers later that afternoon.
“This place is HUGE!” Mei said excitedly as colorful lights reflected in her eyes. Mk on the other hand smiled proudly. “Right? I heard they even have retro games upstairs.”
Mei gasped. “Now you’re speaking my language.” Before they could head inside, Mei’s phone suddenly started ringing.
She stared at the screen for a second before simply switching the phone off completely. She slipped it back into her pocket then took Mk’s hand and they both headed inside.
The next few hours passed by quickly.
One moment they were competing against each other in old fighting games, the next they were screaming through racing simulators and laughing so hard during a zombie shooter that Mei nearly dropped her controller twice.
At some point Mk became convinced he could beat Mei at dance games. But he was very wrong.
“You practice this?!” Mk wheezed while trying not to collapse.
Mei flipped her hair. “I’m a natural talent.”
Afterward, they stopped for lunch at a small food court connected to the arcade. The waitress took one look at them sitting together and smiled.
“What can I get for you two lovebirds today?”
As usual, Mk immediately turned red. “W-WE’RE NOT-” he cut himself off before mumbling under his breath, “I mean… not yet…”
“Hm?” the waitress asked, not quite catching that last part.
“We’ll just take two lunch specials please,” Mei answered quickly, trying not to laugh while the waitress walked away. “You panic way too easily, Mk.”
Mk slowly lowered his menu, still red-faced but more confused by how calm Mei seemed about the whole thing.
“Doesn’t that bother you?” he asked carefully. “That lady literally thought we were a couple.”
“Not really,” Mei said with a shrug before taking a sip of her drink. “People say stuff like that all the time when they see two close friends together.”
Mk played with the straw of his drink. “We’re just best friends hanging out though.”
Mei hummed.
“I don’t really blame them,” she said with a small laugh. “Best friends do make pretty good couples.”
The words had barely left her mouth before Mk nearly inhaled his drink. “H-Huh... really?”
Mei absentmindedly traced the rim of her cup. “Yeah, I mean...” she murmured. “If anyone’s gonna date someone, shouldn’t it be someone they’re already friends with?”
Mk stared at Mei in disbelief. If she thought that way… does that mean he actually has a chance?
“R-Right,” Mk said quickly, trying not to sound too excited. “Yeah. Totally. That makes complete sense.”
Mei smiled a little at his reaction but didn’t say anything further.
Not long after, the waitress returned with their food and the two of them spent most of lunch with Mk listening to Mei ramble about random stories while they ate.
Eventually, Mei suddenly paused mid-sentence as her eyes drifted toward a giant claw machine near the back wall.
“…Oh my gosh,” she gasped, immediately sitting upright. “Mk look! They have plushies!”
Twenty minutes later, Mei stood proudly hugging a green dragon plush against her chest while Mk held onto a monkey one.
Mk glanced at the dragon plush in Mei’s arms and immediately decided it was the cutest thing ever. Mostly because it kinda reminded him of her.
Then he noticed Mei staring a little too long at the monkey plush in his hands. Mk slowly held it out toward her.
“...Do you wanna switch?”
Mei’s eyes lit up instantly. “Really?! You’ll take the dragon?”
Mk nodded, trying very hard not to look too happy about it. Mei, meanwhile, didn’t even bother hiding her excitement.
She quickly traded plushies with him before immediately hugging the monkey plush tightly against herself like she’d just won a prize far more important than an arcade toy. That alone was enough to make Mk start smiling like an idiot.
“Yay!” Mei grinned while lifting the monkey plush proudly. “I’m gonna call this one Mk.”
Mk snorted before raising the dragon plush in return. “Then this one’s definitely Mei.”
Before they knew it, the arcade’s dance floor section had opened for the afternoon rush. Flashing lights swept across the room while loud music blasted from the speakers.
Within moments, the crowd became thicker as people rushed toward the center.
Mk instinctively grabbed Mei’s hand while weaving through the crowd and It wasn’t until a few steps later that he realized what he was doing.
“Um... we’ll get separated otherwise,” he said quickly.
Mei stared at him for a second before tightening her hold around his hand. “…Right.”
A strange ticklish feeling fluttered through her chest. She frowned slightly. It wasn’t like holding Mk’s hand was anything new.
So why did this one feel different?
Neither of them let go after that. But unfortunately, the peaceful moment didn’t stay peaceful for long. A scream echoed from across the arcade and both of them turned immediately.
Near some token machines, several dark shadowy figures had appeared out of nowhere. They moved unnaturally through the crowd, sending people stumbling back in panic as the room filled with confusion.
“Uh... those definitely aren’t arcade mascots,” Mk said in shock.
The shadows lunged toward a group of frightened kids and Mk and Mei quickly moved in front of them. “Stay behind us!” Mk called as he summoned his staff.
The fight itself was surprisingly strange. Every time Mk struck one of the creatures, it dissolved into black smoke, only to pull itself back together moments later.
“Why won’t these things stay down?” he complained. Then something changed.
The creatures suddenly stopped paying attention to everyone else. One by one, their heads turned toward Mei and without warning, they all charged at her at once.
“Mei, watch out!” Mk yelled.
“Don’t worry,” Mei replied as she reached for her sword. “I’ve got it.”
Mei didn’t waste any time, she quickly drew the sword hilt Kui had given her and she summoned the blade. The sword flashed with purple light as she cut through the nearest shadow.
Unlike Mk’s attacks, the creature disappeared instantly. A second slash, a third and within moments the remaining shadows scattered and vanished.
The arcade slowly settled as people began reassuring one another that everything was okay.
Mk let out a relieved breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something small and white retreat into the darkness but before he could focus on it, Mei suddenly swayed beside him.
She lowered the sword and for a brief second, the glowing blade flickered.
“Mei-”
Mei quickly retracted the weapon before he could question it. “I’m fine,” she insisted before he could speak.
Mk frowned. “Mei… are you sure you’re really okay?”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “Just tired again. Like last time.”
But she still looked exhausted. Her face had gone pale and the excitement she’d had all day seemed to have drained away completely.
“Okay,” Mk said slowly. “That’s it. Arcade’s over.”
Before Mei could protest, golden light flashed around Mk as he shifted into his monkey form. His tail swayed proudly behind him as he crouched down in front of her.
“C’mon. Monkey Kid Express Service,” Mk declared, trying and failing to sound cool. “One free ride to Pigsy’s noodle shop for birthday girls only.”
Mei laughed tiredly. “That is a terrible name.” Even so, she climbed onto his back.
“And yet you’re still using the service,” Mk shot back with a smile.
He adjusted his grip around her legs before taking off. Once outside, they leaped from rooftop to rooftop as they made their way back toward Pigsy’s.
--°✿°--
By the time they finally reached the noodle shop, the sky had already darkened completely. Mk quickly set Mei down at one of the tables before suddenly placing both his hands on her shoulders.
“Okay! Really important mission.” he started. “I need you to wait downstairs for like… ten minutes.”
Mei blinked at him. “…Why?”
“No questions!” Mk said immediately while already backing toward the stairs. “Just trust me!”
And before Mei could stop him, Mk bolted upstairs at full speed. A few minutes later Mk came back down, stepped in front of her and covered her eyes with both hands.
“Mk!”
“No peeking.”
Despite her complaints, Mei allowed herself to be guided through the shop and up the stairs. She could hear muffled whispers and shuffling somewhere ahead before Mk finally stopped.
“Okay,” he said. “Ready?”
Before Mei could answer, Mk removed his hands.
“Surprise!”
A burst of confetti exploded into the air.
Mei’s eyes widened. Around her, the rooftop had been decorated with lanterns, streamers and fairy lights. A table filled with snacks sat nearby while Pigsy, Tang, Sandy and even Mo stood waiting for her.
For a second she simply stared. Then a smile slowly spread across her face. “You guys did all this?”
“Happy birthday part two!” Sandy and Tang announced proudly. Mo meowed loudly in agreement.
Mk excused himself again, claiming he needed to grab something from the fridge. Then the second he disappeared downstairs, Tang immediately spoke up. “By the way, sorry I got into your cake.”
Mei looked at him confused. “My cake?”
“Yeah.” Pigsy snorted. “The birthday cake Mk stayed up all night making for you.”
“He what?” Mei asked, shocked.
Tang nodded.“He was in the kitchen for hours.”
“He spent all night planning this whole thing,” Sandy said with a warm smile. “He really wanted you to have a proper birthday.”
Mei glanced toward the staircase Mk left from and something warm settled in her chest.
A few minutes later, Mk returned carrying a plate with a carefully cut slice of cake. Sitting on top were two fondant figures. A dragon and a puppy.
Mei stared at it for a moment before looking up at him. “You really made this for me?”
Mk stood still for a second, then he slowly turned toward Pigsy and Tang.
“Okay,” he said suspiciously. “Who ratted me out?”
Tang immediately pointed at Pigsy and Pigsy pointed back. Neither looked remotely guilty.
Mk sighed before handing Mei the plate. “Well... I hope it doesn’t taste like the fridge.”
Mei laughed. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
The rest of the party passed quickly after that. Before long the food was gone, the decorations were beginning to come down and the city lights glittered below the rooftop.
Mk and Mei sat together on a blanket surrounded by pillows and their arcade plushies in the center of the rooftop, quietly chatting like they were in their own little world.
Pigsy suddenly stood up from his chair. “Well. Somebody should probably take the trash out.”
Tang waved him off immediately munching on a few treats. “Not me. I don’t have the energy.”
Pigsy elbowed him for the hundredth time. Tang stared at him for a second before realization slowly dawned on his face.
“Ohhh.” He quickly stood up. “Right. Trash. Important trash.”
Sandy smiled knowingly as he picked up Mo. “I shall assist.”
Within moments all three of them had disappeared downstairs, leaving only Mk and Mei behind on the rooftop. Mk noticed the sudden silence and saw that they were alone.
Taking the opportunity, Mk cleared his throat and reached into his jacket pocket.
“Actually...” he began, suddenly finding a nearby pillow very interesting to look at. “I, uh... got you something for your birthday.”
Mei looked at him in surprise as he carefully handed her a small box.
“Really? You shouldn’t have.” she said before carefully opening it. Inside, she found a pair of matching bracelets with golden dragon charms.
Mk rubbed the back of his neck.
“I-It’s a friendship bracelet,” he explained quickly. “Well... friendship bracelets. One for you and one for me.”
Mei stared at them for a moment before her expression softened. “Mk...”
Without hesitation, she slipped the green one onto her wrist while Mk quickly put the other one on his own. They held their hands side by side and the matching bracelets gleamed under the rooftop lights.
“I love it, thank you,” Mei said quietly with a smile then she rested her head against his shoulder. “This is officially the best day ever.”
That alone was enough to make Mk’s heart nearly stop.
Mei admired the bracelet some more, then all the things Mk had done began to surface in her mind one after another.
Mk staying up all night to make a cake for her. Planning an entire surprise party. The arcade outing. Giving her his monkey plush. This birthday gift.
Carrying her all the way here when she was tired...
Mei’s face warmed slightly at the memory. Since when had Mk’s back gotten so... broad? The warm flutter in her chest returned again. A lot stronger than before.
But then her phone buzzed.
At some point during the evening, Mei had turned it back on. Her smile faded slightly as she glanced down at it. The screen was filled with missed calls, most of them from her parents.
Suddenly, everything she’d managed to avoid thinking about all day came rushing back. From Kui, to his proposal and the decision waiting for her at home.
Mei stared at the screen for a moment before quietly lowering the phone.
“Mk...” she said softly catching Mk’s attention. “Can I ask you something?”
“Um... Sure.” Mk replied a little nervous.
Mei was quiet for a moment, then she spoke. “How do you know if you’re making the right decision?”
The question caught Mk off guard.
Was this about her answer to Kui’s proposal?
The possibility made his chest tighten, but he did his best not to dwell on it. Instead, he pushed the feeling aside and thought carefully about how to answer.
“Uh, I think...” he said slowly, “I’d just go with whatever feels right.”
“Even if you’re not completely sure?” Mei asked.
Mk shyly laughed. “I’m never completely sure.”
That earned a small smile from Mei.
“I just think... if you’re gonna be scared either way,” Mk continued, “You might as well choose the thing you actually want.”
Mei fell silent. Her fingers unconsciously brushed against the bracelet on her wrist as she thought about his words.
“Choose the thing you actually want.”
She picked up the monkey plush and hugged it before glancing over at Mk. The weight in her chest hadn’t disappeared, but somehow it didn’t feel quite as heavy anymore.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
For a while, neither of them said anything, just the distant sounds of traffic drifted through the night air. Then Mk took a nervous breath.
“But Mei...” Something about his tone was different and now Mk was suddenly refusing to meet her eyes.
“I just want you to know that you’re amazing. You’re brave, funny...” His ears were starting to turn red. “Honestly I think anyone would be lucky to be with you.”
The words hit Mei harder than he realized. Her face immediately warmed.
“Actually, what I’m trying to say is...” Mk cleared his throat again and straightened his back. His hands were also fidgeting.
“I... I like you, Mei.”
The words were finally out and it hung in the air between them.
“And I don’t mean as a friend.” Mk clarified before he could lose his nerve. “I mean... I like you in a ‘I wanna be more than best friends’ kind of way.”
For a moment, she just stared, barely processing the words that came out of Mk’s mouth.
Mk... likes me?
Suddenly, all the little things she’d dismissed as Mk simply being Mk didn’t seem so meaningless anymore. The blushing and awkward stammering. The way he always seemed to be looking at her when he thought she wasn’t paying attention.
Oh...
Mei hadn’t even realized she’d stopped responding. At some point, Mk had leaned a little closer, concern written all over his face.
“...Mei?”
Her face immediately turned red.
“W-Wait!” Mei drew back so fast it was almost impressive.
“I-I Uh-” she squeaked, nearly hugging the monkey plush to death. “I need time!”
Mk looked completely lost. “...Time for what?”
“YOU JUST DROPPED A ‘C’ BOMB ON ME! SO I NEED TIME TO THINK!” The words came out much louder than she’d intended.
Both of them stared at each other.
“Sorry, I mean-” Mei flailed for words. “It’s not because I don’t- I mean, that’s not-” She immediately buried her face in the plush from embarrassment.
Mei then stood up so quickly she nearly tripped over a pillow.
“I really had fun today! And the party was amazing! And I really love the bracelet too! So... thank you!” she blurted out all at once.
“Okay! Bye!” Mei turned to leave, but before she could take more than a step, Mk reached out and caught her hand.
“Mei, wait.”
She looked back, cheeks still burning and Mk looked just as nervous. “I’ll give you all the time you need.”
Then he smiled, loosening his grip slightly. “But I’m not gonna stop liking you.”
Now it was Mei’s turn for her heart to skip.
Before Mk could say anything else, green light suddenly swirled around her. “I-I’ll give you an answer.” she stuttered, then the next second, a jade dragon shot into the sky.
“I PROMISE!”
And before Mk knew it, Mei started to disappear into the night. For a while, he just stood there, watching the faint green glow of her dragon form in the distance as she left.
His gaze eventually dropped to the bracelet around his wrist and a small smile tried to tug at his lips before quickly fading again.
He honestly had no idea what he was supposed to make of what just happened.
And even though he’d promised to give Mei more time. He already realized that waiting for an answer was probably going to be the hardest part of it all.