"Culture Day, do you have any plans?" Dubian Che asked again.

Culture Day is the day the Island Country commemorates the promulgation of the Constitution, with a day off added to the weekend, making a total of three days.

"I don't have any plans yet," Xiaoquan Aonai thought for a moment, "I might travel around Tokyo, or I might just stay home and sleep."

"How about traveling to Kobe? I'll go too." Dubian Che turned his head towards Xiaoquan Aonai.

Xiaoquan Aonai also turned her head, looking at him with surprise and delight.

Since Akiko was holding a chip, she could only nudge Dubian Che's shoulder with her elbow and chastised him, "Do you even know what Kobe is?"

"Miss Aonai's hometown." Dubian Che's voice carried a laugh.

"Huh?!" Akiko was startled, then looked back and forth between Xiaoquan Aonai and Dubian Che.

She mockingly "Ha—" and suddenly realized, "So you plan to go back and visit your parents."

Dubian Che nodded and said, "Visit Kobe on Culture Day, and then how about you and I go back to Iwate Prefecture for New Year's?"

"What do you think?" he asked Xiaoquan Aonai.

"…We'll talk about it when we go back." Xiaoquan Aonai feigned composure.

The following work could no longer be done with full concentration.

Dubian Che's willingness to go back with her to meet her parents and to take her to meet his parents excited her, filling her heart with sweetness.

Then worry crept in.

Could Dubian really pass as a twenty-five or twenty-six-year-old? What if they were found out?

Teachers and parents are contemporaries, and a girlfriend who is a generation younger than her parents, going to Iwate Prefecture for New Year, what should she do?

She didn't hear a word of Dubian Che and Akiko's conversation nearby, and work made no progress.

That evening, back at the apartment, everyone discussed the matter while eating.

"Che," Mayi Asuka looked at Dubian Che, "I want to go too."

"Iwate Prefecture is definitely fine, but as for Kobe..." Dubian Che hesitated.

He was most heartbroken over Mayi Asuka. Every time he thought of her alone with child, his heart felt uneasy.

But as a boyfriend going back with Xiaoquan Aonai to Kobe, bringing Mayi Asuka along wasn't appropriate.

Someday in the future, Dubian Che would surely take Mayi Asuka to meet her estranged parents, and he wouldn't bring anyone else then.

"Dubian," Xiaoquan Aonai hesitantly began, "let's wait until you graduate."

After speaking, she quickly explained:

"It's not that I don't want to, it's just... because this is very, very important, so I want to wait a bit longer, even until you graduate from university, just to make sure my parents won't see through us. I don't want our relationship to be affected by my parents."

"Ahh—" Akiko shuddered as if she felt cold.

"Of course, that's fine. Miss Aonai, whenever you decide," Dubian Che had no objections.

He didn't have worries like 'Could it be that the teacher is just playing around with me, not really planning anything serious?'

Xiaoquan Aonai had forgotten him, yet still managed to strive for ten years to make it to Tokyo.

He couldn't even assure himself that he could do the same for Jiutiao Mei and Kiyono Lin.

How could he doubt this relationship?

Xiaoquan Aonai breathed a sigh of relief; the suspense and worries that had been bugging her were completely swept away.

"That's not bad either," Miyazaki Miyuki said, "but I understand why a young man would want to prove his love for Aonai and give her a sense of security."

"What nonsense!" Xiaoquan Aonai said shyly.

"What sense of security is there in meeting parents? There are also those who divorce after marriage! Giving money, that's the real security!" Akiko said.

These words were harsh and could be disliked, but that was how Akiko showed her care for Xiaoquan Aonai.

How many people are willing to say unpopular things for someone else? Even if it's a friend.

Hearing Akiko's words, Dubian Che could only be happier.

"How much then?" he said with a smile.

"Dubian!" Xiaoquan Aonai shouted, "Don't listen to her nonsense. I have a job, why would I need your money?"

After saying this, she quickly apologized to Mayi Asuka, not meaning to imply it was bad to take Dubian Che's money. She'd take it too in the future, but now she was a teacher and so on.

Mayi Asuka wasn't concerned about this at all.

She ate, occasionally looking at Dubian Che with her calm, clear eyes; to Mayi Asuka, that was more important than anything.

"Miss Aonai, don't talk anymore," Dubian Che interrupted her, "You don't want to take my money because you trust that I won't let you down. Since that's the case, accepting my money shouldn't be a problem either."

"That sounds nice," Akiko nodded.

"Aonai, since the young man insists, take a little, just to hold onto it for him," Miyazaki Miyuki also joined in persuading.

Xiaoquan Aonai pursed her lips, pondering for a while before reluctantly nodding, "Alright then."

"How much?" Dubian Che said with a laugh.

"Mayi, how much has Dubian given you?" Akiko immediately asked Mayi Asuka.

Mayi Asuka tilted her head, thought for a moment, "...500 million."

"What else?" Akiko hinted with a blink.

"Akiko—" Xiaoquan Aonai shyly tried to lower her head completely.

They were four who had been together for several months; what Dubian Che had given Mayi Asuka, how could they not know.

"...Apartment 602, an oboe, furniture, clothes..."

"It's enough, enough!" Akiko was truly afraid Mayi Asuka would even mention their contraception.

She turned her head to Dubian Che. She didn't speak, but the meaning was clear to everyone—don't treat them unequally.

"How about 500 million yen, buying apartment 501 and a car?" asked Dubian Che.

"No!" It was Akiko who objected, "Don't buy that one, I won't live in your place. Buy the place where you're living now and give it to Aonai, then you two can just live there together in the future."

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