"Lately there have been a lot more foreigners. Should I take you back?"

"The marathon is about to start, it's probably because of that."

Leaving the flower shop, the two walked on the path to Kiyono Lin's apartment.

"A marathon?" Dubian Che asked, puzzled.

"The Tokyo Marathon, one of the six World Marathon Majors," Kiyono Lin explained, then turned to look at him. "You don't even know about this?"

A gentle breeze wafted by, mingling her long black hair hanging down her cheeks with the spring air.

"No wonder there's been an increase in people jogging in the morning," Dubian Che nodded.

He suddenly remembered something. "Kiyono, do you know how many meters it is around the Shengong Outer Garden?"

"I don't."

"You don't even know that? I thought you knew everything," sighed Dubian Che with a mix of pride and teasing.

"Mr. Dubian," Kiyono Lin's voice was like meltwater from thawing ice, cold and clear, "may I ask if you know Chris Botti? Are you familiar with Mariza Risu? What about 'Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, Fourth Movement'?"

"I don't care about your trumpet. I only care for your legs. So when will I finally get to touch them, R-san?"

Kiyono Lin laughed.

That smile, if one had to describe it, could only be summed up as: Cruel.

The so-called cruelty implied ruthlessly hurting or torturing someone.

"Mr. Dubian, if you want to be stepped on, I'm always ready to fulfill that wish."

Dubian Che took a few steps back, putting on a serious expression of refusal: "Let's not engage in such erotic play. I just wanted to touch them, that's all."

Kiyono Lin glared at him fiercely.

Looking at her charming face, it seemed she wasn't really angry.

As things stood, Kiyono Lin had unconsciously grown accustomed to his "leg" jokes.

But on closer thought, it seemed he only made such cheeky jokes with Kiyono Lin.

After seeing Kiyono Lin home, Dubian Che returned to Shinano Town.

Taking a rest for a while, he contemplated how to spend his time when Saito Keisuke suggested in the gaming Line group to go fishing in Daiba with him and Kunii Shuichi tomorrow.

"Recommend a store to buy fishing gear."

"Shinbashi and Nakano. Both places have a whole street dedicated to fishing gear."

Dubian Che chatted in the group while changing into his usual clothes, preparing to go to Shinbashi to buy fishing gear and to drop by a bookstore.

He entered the elevator and pressed for the first floor.

"Tomorrow Kunii and I will go by bicycle."

"I don't have a bicycle."

"By the way, why don't the three of us take advantage of spring break to get our motorcycle licenses?"

"I don't have a problem with that."

"Why learn to ride a motorcycle? It's too dangerous!"

Following that, Dubian Che and Kunii Shuichi spent a while persuading Saito Keisuke to learn to ride motorcycles with them.

Unbeknownst to him, the elevator reached the first floor while he was walking with his head down, typing on his phone.

As he walked out, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of familiar lower limbs; Dubian Che looked up and saw a middle-aged woman in a suit followed by a young girl.

He continued typing, head down, then realized something was off and looked up again.

Then, hurriedly turning back, he managed to stop the closing elevator doors at the last second, entering the elevator he had just left.

After pressing for the fifth floor, he stood behind the middle-aged businesswoman and the girl.

This was Dubian Che's first encounter with Mayi Asuka in the Shinano Town apartment.

At the time, Dubian Che was preparing to go to Shinbashi to buy fishing gear, while Mayi Asuka and her mother were setting up furniture.

They bumped into each other at the first-floor elevator entrance; he walked out as she walked in.

Right before the elevator doors closed, the piercing sound of a sports car's revving engine came from outside the apartment.

"Mayi, I'm sorry about today. Rika also happened to graduate," Mayi's mother said with a small hint of apology in her tone.

"...It's okay."

Mayi's mother nodded, said no more, and watched the floor numbers jump.

In the blurred reflection of the elevator, Mayi Asuka and Dubian Che behind her locked gazes.

From the moment he rushed into the elevator, a vague sense of happiness swelled in her heart.

She took out her phone and sent an emoji of 'a body pierced by an arrow, with hearts popping out' to Dubian Che behind her.

Then, through the reflection in the elevator's wall, she watched Dubian Che read the Line message and then emotionally closed his eyes, placing his right fist over his heart.

A gentle smile crept across Mayi Asuka's face unknowingly.

Her eyes were as beautiful as a handful of clear summer stream water.

"Che, where are you headed? I'll come find you after Mother leaves."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll wait for you."

"Room 602."

"Are you in a good mood today?" Mayi's mother suddenly asked.

"I'm living alone now," replied Mayi Asuka.

Mayi's mother's eyes flickered; she lifted her hand as if wanting to pat her daughter's head, but ultimately decided against it.

"You need to live well even on your own," she sighed and said just that.

"Yep."

The elevator reached the fifth floor; Dubian Che returned to his room.

He crashed on the sofa and stared at the ceiling.

Mayi Asuka's room was 602, directly above 502. At that moment, she might also be walking right over his head.

If the ceiling were transparent, he could see the wondrous world beneath her school uniform's pleated skirt.

The thought alone made images of the nights spent with Mayi Asuka naturally float into Dubian Che's mind.

Sitting on the sofa for less than a minute, he found himself compelled to stand up, wandering meaninglessly around the living room, finally stepping onto the balcony.

In the afternoon sunlight, every leaf in the Shengong Outer Garden reflected the light, looking like a shimmering ocean.

Twenty minutes later, Mayi Asuka sent a message.

Dubian Che rode the elevator to the sixth floor; as the elevator doors closed, he thought he should have taken the chance to shower.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.