Separated by a Wall

Gu Xue didn't know if the other woman had a fever, but Mihara Chisa's condition was truly dire. Considering what she had just been attempting to do, calling it a breakdown wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Gu Xue also didn't know exactly what she had been through, but she could vaguely guess the reason she had ended up in this state.

It was nothing more than a problem arising in the animation process. It wasn't that someone else had messed up, but rather that she had hit a wall herself—a problem she likely couldn't solve on her own. Within the company, she had always maintained a strong, unyielding facade; she had no close friends, the episode directors had already left, and there was no one she could consult. The production team she belonged to was newly formed, and she didn't even have a single superior to turn to.

As for Gu Xue, the only person with the ability to help her, she had once publicly questioned her competence.

Pride, embarrassment, and self-loathing born from the gaze of others.

Add to that the fact that she was drenched from the rain, hadn't changed into dry clothes upon returning to the company, and was now being chilled by the air conditioning...

And all the things from the past...

A thousand-mile embankment is destroyed by an ant hole; when small things pile up one after another, it really isn't a joke.

Gu Xue didn't know if her guesses were correct, but she could understand why the formidable Ms. Mihara had become like this, because she understood one truth.

Strength and fragility are truly separated by only a single wall.

And that wall is the paper-thin kind.

She had experienced this state herself back on Earth. On New Year's Eve, one minute she was watching the gala and forcing a laugh, and the next, she had smashed her 4K television, which had been very expensive for her.

At the time, a sketch was playing on screen, showing a family enjoying a happy reunion at the end.

Yet she was all alone in a foreign land, without a single person to call and check on her, because the island nation didn't celebrate the Lunar New Year, and she had a mountain of work on her plate. Pressure, resentment, anger.

A heart full of bitterness.

But after it passed, she really did let it go.

Gu Xue felt that Ms. Mihara was the same; she was just muddled for a moment. Even if she ignored her, this Ms. Mihara before her would be bouncing around again tomorrow. She would consult with the episode director, find a way to solve the problem, coordinate with other departments, and perfectly weather the storm.

Yes, Gu Xue truly didn't doubt Ms. Mihara's ability at all.

But just because she would be bouncing around tomorrow didn't mean tonight hadn't happened. If this incident were just left as is, perhaps Ms. Mihara's cold expression would truly become a permanent fixture.

This was also the reason for Gu Xue's anger when she saw Mihara Chisa in such a pathetic, drowned-rat state, walking all the way here without a single person showing concern or even asking a question.

Perhaps the other woman would say she was fine with a cold face, but there is a massive difference between being indifferent and actually stepping forward to ask if someone is alright.

At the very least, at the very least, don't make her feel like everyone is the same kind of bird as that "Great Director."

"What do you need me to do?" Gu Xue crouched on the floor, supporting the other woman's burning knees, and while confirming that her physical state was indeed dire, she asked in a soft voice.

"Cuts 291 through 296." Mihara Chisa sniffled. Her voice was very small and thick with congestion, but Gu Xue was leaning in close.

"No problem. Please come to check and collect the key animation tomorrow."

The task was heavy, but Gu Xue didn't hesitate for a second.

Then, she paused slightly and continued, "For now, go home and get some rest. You absolutely must change your clothes. Don't worry, you've been tracking my progress for almost a month now; you should know my capabilities. It will definitely be fine. Now, please go home and get a good sleep. I'll call a car for you."

The trains had long since stopped running, and looking at her state, letting her drive would be dangerous, let alone walking. So, Gu Xue planned to help her call a taxi. If she wasn't too resistant, Gu Xue intended to see her home before returning to draw the six cuts of key animation she had just mentioned.

However, just as she stood up to reach for her phone, her wrist was grabbed by Mihara Chisa. The other woman gripped it with extreme force; if not for Gu Xue's decent tolerance for pain, she probably would have cried out on the spot.

"I'm fine."

Mihara Chisa said softly. Holding onto her arm, she stood up slowly, her steps unsteady and swaying. She gave up her seat, and her other hand didn't forget to pull a large wad of tissues from the box to wipe the damp chair until no water stains remained, only then standing to the side.

Throughout this process, she never let go of Gu Xue's arm, though her grip was less forceful. She kept her head down the entire time, letting her bangs block her eyes, as if she didn't want Gu Xue to see her.

"You want to stay with me?" Gu Xue asked softly. "Then your clothes..."

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

She repeated it twice.

No matter how dire Ms. Mihara's state was, it seemed her stubbornness would never change.

Gu Xue was silent for a moment, then said cautiously, "...Then please let go of my hand first, and let me make some preparations? I can't draw while you're holding me like this."

"..." Mihara Chisa still didn't let go, as if she were clutching the last straw of hope.

Gu Xue stopped speaking and waited quietly.

After a long while, finally, Mihara Chisa loosened her fingers and slowly released Gu Xue's arm. Then, with her head still bowed, she saw the water stains on Gu Xue's arm where she had been holding her, and her other hand pulled another tissue from the box to gently wipe it away.

Gu Xue couldn't be bothered to stop her from doing these meaningless things anymore. The top priority now was to find Mihara Chisa some clean clothes; otherwise, forget about going home or staying with her, she might just faint on the spot.

Gu Xue was wearing a skirt and a T-shirt, so of course, she didn't have spare clothes. The other male key animators present might have had some, but Gu Xue was afraid Mihara Chisa would mind, so she didn't even consider it.

There was only one place left that might have clean clothes.

"Wait for me." Gu Xue turned around, preparing to check the Coloring Department.

Mihara Chisa seemed to want to reach out and grab her again.

But Gu Xue's next sentence made her lower her raised hand.

"Don't worry, I won't run away. For the sake of the milk."

Perhaps, even at a time like this, an equivalent exchange was easier for Ms. Mihara to accept than so-called kindness.

Thanks to the "blessing" of animation production becoming more rushed toward the end, there were indeed people still in the Coloring Department working to meet the deadline. Many were even planning to sleep in the sleeping bags provided by the company. Thanks to the fact that this department was mostly made up of girls, many of them had indeed brought spare clothes. Their reasoning was simple: although there was no place to shower, they could at least change into a clean set of clothes.

This was a huge help to Gu Xue.

Although there were some twists and turns while borrowing the clothes.

By the time Gu Xue trotted back to her seat clutching the borrowed outfit, Mihara Chisa was still standing there blankly, not even sitting down despite the chair right next to her.

"Come with me." Gu Xue held the clothes in one arm, grabbed Mihara Chisa's hand with the other, and dragged her toward the restroom.

They arrived at the restroom.

Gu Xue opened a stall door, shoved the clean clothes into Mihara Chisa's hands, and said, "Go change."

"..." Mihara Chisa slowly hugged the clothes to her chest without moving.

"Hey... don't get these wet too." Gu Xue snatched the clothes back from her arms, held them in one hand, and used the other to push her into the stall before closing the door, leaving only a small gap.

"Tell me when you're ready, and I'll pass them to you," Gu Xue whispered through the door.

Inside the stall, there was complete silence; it took four or five minutes before the sound of rustling began.

Gu Xue let out a sigh of relief. If there had been no movement, she would have been ready to break the door down—who knew if she might have fainted in there? When she grabbed the clothes earlier, Gu Xue had brushed against Mihara Chisa's exposed skin, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was burning hot.

The rustling inside the stall stopped, so Gu Xue opened the door gap slightly and pushed the clothes inside.

After the other girl took them, Gu Xue suddenly thought of something else. Afraid she might try to tough it out, she said anxiously, "Right... don't wear the wet underwear. The clothes I borrowed have good coverage, so you shouldn't have to worry about anything showing. As for the bottom... wait a second."

Gu Xue stepped into another stall herself, came back out quickly, and somewhat bashfully handed another garment to Mihara Chisa.

"It's a pair of safety shorts. They shouldn't count as intimate apparel, but if you mind, just forget it. You can go back and change immediately, but please, whatever you do, don't keep wearing wet clothes. You really will catch a cold."

The stall where Mihara Chisa was located went quiet for a moment, then the sound of rustling started up again.

Gu Xue gave a wry smile.

Sure enough, if she hadn't said anything, this stubborn Miss Mihara might have really kept her wet underwear on under the clean clothes, which would have been absolutely terrible.