"I love you, blue sky, I love you, ocean, I love you, beach." Sonoko spread her arms wide, breathing in the fresh air. "Ah, so this is southern weather."
"Yeah, it's already autumn, but we still need short sleeves here."
"Ran, let's go swimming."
"Sonoko, we're staying for two days, no need to rush. I still want to check out other places."
"Is it because Shinichi can't see you in a swimsuit that you're upset?" Sonoko teased. "Don't worry, I'll take photos of you in your swimsuit. Shinichi will see them anyway." She patted her camera. "By the way, should we go diving? My sister told me she found a really good dive shop on Koumi Island. Full service, and they even take tourists to see underwater ruins. She said I must try it."
"Sure, diving does sound fun."
"Great! My sister already gave me the shop's membership card. Let's go check it out first."
"Okay!"
Once they arrived at the destination, everyone was free to do their own activities. Sonoko and Ran naturally stuck together. Others grouped up too, most of them heading straight for the beach.
"Hey, it's A'dou," Sonoko stopped Ran. They had already told Liu A'dou everything they found out about Ada's hobbies. Now it was time for him to act.
"He's going to Ada-sensei's room," Ran said.
The two girls tensed up. They knew Liu A'dou was finally making his move. Even though neither of them thought he stood much chance, they still felt nervous for him. Once you accept someone's gift, it's hard not to feel involved. Without realizing it, they were already on his side.
"What if he messes up?" Sonoko whispered nervously.
"I don't know. One's a teacher, the other's a student. Who knows." Ran didn't think it would work, but in her heart she still cheered for Liu A'dou. She understood the feeling of liking someone.
Other students also peeked at Liu A'dou, curious what he was going to do.
Even though they were husband and wife, Liu A'dou still felt nervous. He had no idea how Ada would play along with this game. If she turned down his invitation, he wasn't sure he could take it.
Wait, he hadn't even prepared flowers. Liu A'dou suddenly realized he had forgotten the most important thing.
All he had were roses from his magic props. Pretty shabby, but at least they were still flowers. He pulled one out and knocked on the door.
The door opened, and Sonoko and Ran held their breath. They hid at the end of the corridor, secretly watching, waiting to see what would happen.
"Go for it, Liu A'dou!"
From Ada's eyes, Liu A'dou saw mischief. He regretted suggesting this game in the first place. What was he doing, setting himself up like this? He really just wanted to strengthen his bond with Ada, but now his heart pounded, filled with nervousness, like someone just stepping into love, afraid to gain and afraid to lose.
"Something you need, Liu A'dou~?" Ada's tone was strange. She thought maybe Liu A'dou had some peculiar fetish, wanting to play out a forbidden teacher–student romance, to satisfy some twisted desire.
Still, even though Ada found the idea of a teacher–student relationship awkward, it was also interesting. She was willing to try. Why not? A forbidden love was like bitter chocolate, sharp bitterness laced with sweetness, a temptation that stirred the heart with dangerous allure.
Handing over the flower—cliché, yes, but that's exactly why it's classic.
"Quick, invite Ada-sensei already," Ran and Sonoko were even more eager than Liu A'dou. "Go for it!"
Liu A'dou looked serious and spoke solemnly. "Ada, will you go on a date with me?"
Thump, thump.
His heartbeat raced. The first step was taken, and his face heated up. Truth was, he was just afraid of rejection. Even with a face as thick as a city wall, he couldn't help it.
"Why not?" Ada accepted the rose into her hand.
Then she mouthed words without a sound, knowing A'dou could read lips: No bouquet, just a single rose? So shabby.
Liu A'dou's face turned red. At the final moment, he had made a huge mistake. But it didn't matter—the result was still a date. "Then let's start by having dinner at the hotel restaurant."
"How old-fashioned, starting from dinner."
Faced with Ada's teasing, Liu A'dou could only smile bitterly. No life-and-death crises, no dramatic rescues, no desperate moments to lean on each other—just an ordinary date. Dinner, a movie, walking through shops. Compared to firefights and traversing galaxies, this was child's play. Calm, ordinary, uneventful.
"Wow, look! The transfer student actually invited Ada-sensei out!" The boys were practically burning with jealousy.
Ran and Sonoko exchanged looks, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes. "So was it just an illusion that Ada-sensei was hard to approach?" He really managed to ask her out.
Sonoko quickly grinned. "If their date goes well, we'll get credit too. We're the ones who investigated Ada's hobbies and told Liu A'dou."
Ran nodded.
Liu A'dou had carefully prepared a full plan, wanting Ada to enjoy the most detailed, thoughtful date.
Ada could feel his effort, and she was touched. "You had Sonoko and Ran ask about my hobbies just for today's date, right?"
"If I asked you directly, you wouldn't have told me. So I had to get their help. They almost misunderstood me as some toad lusting after a swan."
Ada giggled. "Since you tried so hard, here's a reward." She leaned over and kissed his cheek lightly.
Liu A'dou instantly felt countless invisible blades of jealousy stabbing into him, cutting him to pieces. Let them be jealous. Ada was his wife. Hahaha, being envied like this actually felt amazing.
After dinner, instead of going to the beach, they strolled through the island. Behind the hotel, away from the shore, lay the quiet homes of the locals.
"This feeling isn't bad. Not as husband and wife, but as lovers—it's like being young again."
Ada replied to his silly musing. "I only agreed to the date. I haven't confirmed a lover's relationship with you."
"Ada-jie, you're just making it harder for me to win you back."
"Then do you want to keep going? You know I'm very popular."
Liu A'dou knew she was joking, but he also admitted he hadn't gone all out yet. "No matter how hard it is, Ada-jie, I'll make you fall in love with me again. A proud wild goose needs the autumn wind to carry it. A bright flower needs nutrients to bloom. A beautiful story needs words to embellish it. You and I are a perfect pair, like the wind and the goose, the nutrients and the flower, the words and the story."
Ada blinked, realizing he was actually good at sweet talk. "If you keep talking like that, maybe I'll lower the difficulty. Then our family could reunite sooner." She teased him playfully.