Xiaoquan Aonai and Miyazaki Mieko burst out laughing as they observed her exaggerated tasting pose.
"Mmm! Yum! Delicious! You guys should try some too!"
The three of them ate happily, chatting about children's names, their appearances, and where to go after the meal among other boundless topics.
"Buzz~" The cellphone lying nearby vibrated, and its screen lit up.
Xiaoquan Aonai tilted her head slightly to look at it; it was a message from Dubian Che.
She quickly set down her chopsticks, wiped her hands with a wet wipe, and unlocked the screen.
It was a photo of sunny weather and clean streets with a Shiba Inu smiling its unique smile at the camera.
After replying, she sent back a photo of a red snapper.
"Ten thousand yen red snapper, delicious!"
Dubian Che then sent another photo, this time of himself, holding a partially eaten egg.
"A hundred yen hot spring egg, turns out it's quite tasty after seeing the ten thousand yen red snapper."
Xiaoquan Aonai laughed and quickly typed a reply.
"Why are you giggling so dorkily by yourself?" Akiko looked over.
"It's nothing." Xiaoquan Aonai quickly hid her smile and pretended as if nothing had happened.
"Must be a message from a boy." Miyazaki Mieko said nonchalantly.
"I see." Akiko's tone was teasing.
Xiaoquan Aonai struggled to keep a straight face and not speak, but within seconds, thinking about her recent chat with Dubian Che, she couldn't help but burst into laughter again.
Once she started laughing, she couldn't stop, and ended up laughing so hard she had to put down her chopsticks and bury her face in her arms.
Akiko and Miyazaki Mieko didn't know why, but they were also inexplicably infected and began laughing too.
"What's so funny?" Miyazaki Mieko asked.
"Nothing, nothing." Xiaoquan Aonai tried to control her laughter.
"Then why are you laughing?" Akiko teased while laughing.
"I'm not laughing anymore, not laughing anymore." Xiaoquan Aonai took a deep breath and lifted her head, but upon seeing the other two laughing, she couldn't help but laugh again.
Her laughter triggered theirs once more.
"Don't you start, then I won't either!"
"Hahaha!" The three young women, faces buried in their arms, laughed uncontrollably.
Other patrons in the restaurant either looked at them strangely or joined in the laughter.
"Okay, okay, no more laughing." Akiko held her stomach, "My belly hurts."
The three took deep breaths, finally shaking off the contagious laughter.
Xiaoquan Aonai composed herself and looked at her phone again.
"Teacher seems really happy," the text read.
"Huh?!" Xiaoquan Aonai exclaimed.
"What now?" Akiko asked.
"It's nothing." Xiaoquan Aonai replied while quickly typing on her phone. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by NoveIꜰire.net
"Saw you, the three surrounding a red snapper, laughing for a long time."
Xiaoquan Aonai swiftly scanned the restaurant and peered out of the window, but she didn't spot Dubian Che.
"Aonai, hurry up with your food, we still have to visit Yumemai Shrine." Akiko urged.
Xiaoquan Aonai kept pondering until their meal was over, whether Dubian Che was just guessing or if he had really come to Atami.
Leaving the seaside restaurant, they left the coast and walked towards the city.
On a small uphill road, she looked back after a short walk, only seeing the sea behind her; she looked back again after walking a bit further, still only seeing the sea.
So it was just a guess after all, Xiaoquan Aonai felt a bit let down.
"Aonai! Aonai!" Akiko shook her arm.
"What's up?" She came back to her senses.
"What's there?" Xiaoquan Aonai looked up the slope.
Under the bright sunlight and a clear blue sky, at the corner of the uphill, a person was slowly walking downhill, gradually appearing before the three women.
He was dressed in a thin, summer-like red and black baseball jacket with a short-sleeved shirt inside, carrying nothing in his hands.
He stood on the hill, hands in his jacket pockets, smiling and saying,
"What a coincidence."
The sunny youth, with his beautiful and delicate face, a melodious voice, affectionate and playful eyes, and his radiant, charming smile made the three female teachers hold their breath.
The heart of Xiaoquan Aonai was thoroughly punctured.
PS: A special thanks to the fourth and fifth Alliance Hierarchs, Arima Kaname, much appreciated.