(Ps: Daily life is also an important part of pushing the plot forward, I really am not just padding it out. And, Aida Yayoi and Sendoh's romance shouldn't be bound by age. After all, what matters most in a relationship is never numbers, but how close two hearts are – it's the light she can't hide in her eyes when she looks at him, it's him getting distracted from fishing to pay attention to her movements, these are the most tangible things, aren't they? Also, I'm ready to step on the gas at any moment, the current data is too dismal!)
Aida Hikoichi, with his backpack on, tiptoed back and forth at the exit, his gaze sweeping through the bustling crowd, a thin layer of sweat beading on his forehead.
"Hikoichi, let's go." Gu Jin's voice came from behind him, carrying the unique languidness of the afternoon.
Aida Hikoichi spun around, saw Gu Jin standing there safe and sound, and instantly breathed a sigh of relief, hurrying over: "Gu Jin! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Gu Jin patted his shoulder, "Let's go back to Kanagawa."
"I was so worried!" Aida Hikoichi was still uneasy, pulling his arm and looking him up and down, "Those two from Toyotama didn't give you any trouble, did they? My heart was in my throat while I was waiting here."
Gu Jin smiled, his tone relaxed: "What's there to worry about? I just went over and reasoned with them."
"Reasoned?" Aida Hikoichi frowned, recalling Kishimoto's bristling appearance and Nan Lie's sinister gaze. He felt there was something indescribably incongruous about those three words, but seeing that Gu Jin indeed seemed fine, he could only suppress his doubts and follow him towards the station.
Meanwhile, by the sea in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The salty sea breeze, carrying the warmth of the sun, swept past, rolling up white waves that crashed against the shore rocks, splashing tiny water droplets that, with their refracted light, made one squint slightly.
Sendoh sat in a folding chair, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a fishing rod in his hand, the line gently dangling into the rippling seawater. He looked as leisurely as a painting embedded in the azure sea and sky.
Aida Yayoi sat barefoot on the shallow sand by the rocks, her fair feet occasionally dipping into the curling waves. When the cool seawater washed over her insteps, she would instinctively curl her toes.
She wore a goose-yellow dress today, its hem gently swaying in the sea breeze, making the calves exposed by the skirt appear even fairer. The neat ends of her hair were damp with the afternoon's humidity, sweeping a subtle itch against her neck as she turned her head.
"Sendoh, didn't you invite Sakuragi and Fujii to the beach? Why aren't they here yet?" She gazed at the sparkling sea in the distance, her fingertips unconsciously drawing circles in the soft, wet sand. It wasn't until the third circle that she realized she was drawing the first letter of his name again.
Speaking of which, this was already their fifth time going out alone.
Sometimes he would say, "The fish will definitely be extra active today," and sometimes she would make an excuse, "I have new photos on my camera I want to show you." But each time, in the end, the words lingering on her tongue seemed to be swept away by the waves, not a single one remaining.
She had no real interest in fishing. No matter how beautiful the wood grain of the fishing rod was, it couldn't compare to the curve of his wrist as he held it; no matter how clean the trajectory of the fishing line when cast, it couldn't compare to the sunlight in his eyes when he turned his head—she only ever cared about him.
Sendoh had just reeled in his fishing rod a bit, and hearing her, turned his head to look at her.
Sunlight filtered through the brim of his hat, falling on his crescent-shaped eyes: "Sakuragi is habitually late." He paused, then suddenly put down his fishing rod, his deliberately lowered voice carrying a hint of a smile, "Besides, he and Fujii might have 'slept' in."
Only Sendoh himself knew that he hadn't invited Sakuragi and Fujii at all!
Aida Yayoi's eyes curved with amusement at his teasing, and the tiny mole at the corner of her eye seemed to light up with it.
She walked over to Sendoh, reaching out and gently pushing him: "Always making fun of others."
The edge of the rock was covered with slippery moss, and her push didn't stop her momentum. Her body suddenly swayed, and she was about to fall into the sea.
Sendoh, quick as a flash, grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
Aida Yayoi, losing her balance, tumbled straight into his arms.
"Oh!" she gasped, instinctively clutching the front of his shirt. Instantly, the faint scent of sea breeze from him, mixed with a hint of sun-baked soap, enveloped her nostrils.
The afternoon sun fell perfectly on the two of them. Sendoh's hand was still gently resting on her waist, and Aida Yayoi's cheek was pressed against his chest. She could clearly hear his steady, strong heartbeat, which strangely coincided with the rhythm of the waves crashing on the shore nearby.
The surroundings seemed to quiet down all at once, leaving only the whooshing of the wind through her ears and the occasional cry of a distant seagull.
Her face flushed instantly, like a sun-warmed seashell. As her fingertips touched the fine sand clinging to his shirt, a moment of daze washed over her!
"It's too slippery here!" Sendoh said, and then, taking advantage of the situation, he picked Aida Yayoi up and carried her to the sandy beach.
He carried me?!
She didn't dare to look up, only seeing the red string on his wrist swaying gently with his movement—at this moment, that red string was right before her eyes, so close.
It wasn't until Sendoh put her down that she reluctantly left his embrace.
"Sendoh," she suddenly spoke, her voice lighter than the waves, yet carrying the courage of a desperate gamble, "Actually..."
Sendoh looked down at her flushed ear tips, the smile on his lips slowly softening into a gentle curve, but his hand steadied, not letting her slip further: "Hmm?"
Aida Yayoi's voice was as light as fine sand blown away by the wind. Her bare feet unconsciously scuffed, creating delicate patterns on the originally smooth sand.
She didn't dare to look into Sendoh's eyes, her heart pounded like it was being repeatedly struck by the rising tide, terribly chaotic.
The wind suddenly grew very still, even the sound of the waves seemed to recede a bit, leaving only her own drum-like heartbeat, making her eardrums ache.
"How wicked..." She cursed herself fiercely in her heart, her toes curling, digging into the warm sand.
He was still a high school student, a boy as pure as morning dew.
But... her gaze uncontrollably slid over his sun-brightened hair tips, over the slightly upturned corners of his mouth when he smiled, over the red string swaying on his wrist when he had just supported her.
The affection hidden deep in her heart, like the wild-growing vines by the sea, had long since choked her.
She heard her voice speak again, clearer than before, but with a trembling lilt at the end: "I mean... can we be... something more than friends?"
After saying this, she almost held her breath, her bare feet subtly shrinking back, as if ready to turn and run into the sea if rejected.