Chapter Twenty-Seven The First Date
They were headed to the nearest aquarium.
First, they had to take the tram to “Qinglan City,” the coastal city closest to Chuan Ye City.
This was also the place where everyone would board the cruise for their upcoming school trip a few days later.
Although today was a holiday, there weren’t many people traveling in this remote little city of Chuan Ye.
Therefore, on the tram, Nagi and Kanade were able to find seats and sit next to each other.
Inside the carriage, there were quite a few couples playing and cuddling.
What a lively scene! Nagi thought to herself.
But upon realizing that she was also in a similar position, she felt a bit embarrassed to say much.
During a first date, uncertain about how couples should interact, she decided to follow their example.
Nagi shifted slightly, leaning her body against Kanade, mimicking the other girls among the couples by gently resting her head on his shoulder.
From the sensation of leaning against Kanade, she could feel him straightening his back involuntarily due to her actions.
At the same time, she could vaguely hear the sound of his heart racing.
This was an entirely new experience for her.
In the past, she had taken the initiative to tease him under the starlight.
Now, approaching him in this way and observing his various reactions to her actions was unexpectedly interesting.
Any guy would surely be happy to be approached by a girl he liked, right? Nagi thought.
However, at this moment, she couldn’t truly feel that happiness.
All she could sense was the faint warmth emanating from him.
…..
After taking the tram to Qinglan City, the two of them then needed to transfer to a bus to reach the aquarium near the bay.
On the way, Kanade stole glances at Nagi sitting beside him from time to time.
Today, Nagi felt somewhat different from her usual self.
Although she still lacked an understanding of boundaries between genders and would occasionally lean her soft, fragrant body against him, there were moments when she would blankly gaze out the window, lost in thought.
The usually cheerful and energetic girl now seemed rather like a little girl hiding her feelings.
Was it because she realized Kanade was looking at her?
Nagi turned her head, and her bright, clear eyes mirrored Kanade’s worried expression.
“Kanade-kun, what’s wrong?”
“Ah, no, it’s just that it’s my first time at the aquarium, and I’m a bit excited…”
For Kanade, who grew up in Chuan Ye City, both the sea and the aquarium were very thrilling things.
After all, in Chuan Ye City, it was hard to even see a living fish.
“Really? That makes sense, considering that the surrounding area of Chuan Ye City is all mountains and there aren’t many fish around.”
“What about you, Nagi? Have you been to an aquarium before?”
“An aquarium… I think I went with my mother.” Nagi looked up as if recalling something, her face breaking into a nostalgic smile.
“Is that so? That’s surprising. I thought your mom didn’t like the seaside…”
“….. What about you, Kanade? Do you like the seaside?”
At those words, Kanade glanced out the bus window.
Before him lay the azure sea, sparkling under the bright sunlight, dotted with what looked like countless gems.
It was stunning.
But what truly captured Kanade’s attention wasn’t the sea itself but the girl framed within the view of the sea.
Without her, the beautiful scenery would lose its color.
“Yeah, I like it.”
……
The aquarium in Qinglan City, although not large, had a complete array of areas.
There were tropical fish sections, coral reef exhibits, jellyfish displays, and more.
The exterior design of the aquarium was inspired by ocean waves, primarily adorned in large amounts of blue with touches of white.
The Qinglan City aquarium was a popular date spot for couples from nearby cities.
At the entrance, many couples could be seen affectionately linking arms.
A giant marine life sculpture at the entrance caught attention, seemingly designed to provide visitors with an immersive experience before entering the aquarium.
Yet, more eye-catching than the sculpture was Nagi’s outstanding appearance.
Her extraordinarily beautiful face and alluring figure drew glances from many boys among the couples.
In turn, the girlfriends beside them would display expressions akin to that of a great white shark.
Nagi felt as if she had already caught a glimpse of the ocean’s top predator, even before entering the aquarium.
In order to evade those gazes, Nagi, as if declaring her ownership, tightly wrapped her arms around Kanade’s arm, mimicking what she had seen other couples do.
For Kanade himself, the soft sensation from her arm was a torment to his reason.
But thinking about Nagi being eyed by other men in an odd way made him want to pull her closer, shielding her from others’ gazes.
This jealousy ultimately kept him from reminding Nagi to let go.
Under the envious or hostile stares of others, Kanade and Nagi walked into the aquarium together.
……
……
Chuan Ye City was currently shrouded in thick dark clouds.
Not long ago, the sky had been clear and sunny.
Now, a torrential rain had begun to pour.
The rain seemed like white silk threads connecting the sky and the earth.
This kept the hunters lurking in Chuan Ye City from daring to venture out.
It also left the staff of Tehuan SEMA in a quandary.
If the hunters didn’t act, they wouldn’t know where their mysterious employer was.
In this heavy rain, Tehuan SEMA felt utterly clueless.
The only entity in the entire Chuan Ye City that could observe every movement was a white shadow hovering over the city.
It had locked onto several suspicious targets.
This employer was unusually cautious.
He had sent several cars into Chuan Ye City to confuse his actual location.
Clearly, if any of those cars were attacked, he would notice immediately and flee.
Jialuoluo didn’t know what kind of abilities or extraordinary items the other party possessed; if there was a spatial ability, then it couldn’t be trapped in his domain.
Fortunately, the other side seemed to have taken the initiative.
The unexpected visitor revealed their location the moment they stepped into the curtain of rain.
Jialuoluo cooperatively descended from the air to a rooftop of a building.
A black figure stood on the other side of the roof.
It had crimson red eyes, gazing at Jialuoluo’s calm descent.
……
……
The entrance hall of the aquarium was spacious and bright.
Light poured through the tall skylight, reflecting off the deep blue tiled floor, creating shimmering patterns like sunlight passing through water onto a sandy ocean bed.
The aquarium staff handed Nagi and Kanade a guide map of the venue while enthusiastically introducing them to the theme of the aquarium and recommended routes.
Kanade had prepared a lot for today’s aquarium date.
He had researched which areas were popular in the aquarium, which parts were loved by girls, and even some tidbits about popular aquatic animals.
He knew it all by heart, eager to showcase the fruits of his efforts to Nagi.
Just as he was excitedly about to share what he had learned, a “grumble” sound came from beside him.
He couldn’t help but turn to look in the direction of the sound.
There stood Nagi, her face flushed with embarrassment, covering her stomach with her hand.
This caused the staff nearby to smile wryly.
“Excuse me, our restaurant is in this area, just follow this path, and it’s on the right.”
“Ah, yes, it’s already noon, and I’m feeling a bit hungry. Let’s go eat something first,” Kanade suggested, pretending he hadn’t heard the sound from Nagi’s stomach.
……
……
[Time Until the Stars Fall]
[4 Hours Left]
