CHAPTER 52: LINES AND LITTLE GAMES

As they stepped down into the lobby, Bianca noticed the women around quietly watching them, especially Adrian.

Seeing this, Bianca unconsciously stopped in her tracks. Her good mood soured a little. She blamed Adrian for being too handsome, making all those women swoon.

Adrian, who had already gone ahead, realized Bianca wasn’t following and was just standing there, lost in thought. He sighed softly and came back to her.

"What’s wrong? Why are you just standing there? Come on..." Adrian said, gently grabbing Bianca’s hand and pulling her along.

The touch made Bianca’s lips, which had been tightly pressed, curve into a small smile. She didn’t realize that what she was feeling just now was called jealousy.

Feeling a little happier, Bianca matched her pace to Adrian’s, looked at him for a moment, and smiled softly.

The clock showed 9 a.m. when they left their hotel. Adrian and Bianca quickly got into the taxi they had booked earlier through the hotel staff. All of their activities for the day had been planned by Adrian. Bianca had absolutely no idea what he had in store for them, which only made her more eager to find out.

"We’re having breakfast—sushi," Adrian announced as they fastened their seat belts. "This place is famous for it."

Bianca blinked. "Sushi... again?" A faint crease formed between her brows, her polite voice didn’t quite match her expression.

Adrian glanced sideways at her, a smirk tugging at his lips. "What? You’re tired of sushi already?"

She almost said yes. The word was right there, sitting on the tip of her tongue. But she swallowed it back. Adrian had clearly put effort into today’s itinerary, and she wasn’t about to throw cold water on it just because her taste buds wanted a change.

"I like sushi," she said instead, her tone light but not exactly enthusiastic.

"Mm-hm," Adrian replied, clearly unconvinced. "Because if you are tired of it, we can change the plan."

Bianca shook her head quickly. "No, really. You said this place is famous, right? That means it must be different from the sushi we’ve been having all week. I want to know if it’s as good as people say."

A faint smile softened his features. "Alright then. After breakfast, we’ll head to Tokyo Tower."

Bianca only nodded, but inside, she couldn’t help wondering if this famous sushi was truly worth the hype.

The sushi place they were heading to was famous among tourists, often recommended as one of the best spots to enjoy fresh sushi in Japan. It took them nineteen minutes to get there.

Adrian frowned slightly when he saw the long line in front of the restaurant. Since it was still morning, he had assumed the queue wouldn’t be too bad. But he was wrong. The line was so long it formed an L-shape.

"This is the place?" Bianca asked curiously, eyeing the crowd in front.

"Mm. This is it."

"Wow... that’s a really long line. Are all these people here just to eat sushi?" Bianca said in amazement.

"Looks like it. You okay with waiting in line?"

"I’m fine. A long line like this usually means the food’s worth it. For something good, I don’t mind waiting," Bianca replied, her earlier hesitation quickly replaced by anticipation.

"Okay..."

But Adrian was already starting to regret it. He actually hated waiting, and lining up meant exactly that—waiting. But having breakfast here was part of his plan, and he wasn’t about to change it now that they were already standing in front of the place, especially when he was with Bianca. If they left for another spot, she might think he was an impatient man.

What’s the harm in waiting, Ad? At least Bianca’s here.

Ten minutes into the line, Adrian was already questioning this choice. This was his first time queueing for anything like this, and so far, only three people ahead of them had gone inside. In front of him stretched a crowd that seemed to go on forever.

What was I thinking picking this place?

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, grimacing. "What do you think—should we just go somewhere else?" he asked, his voice low, almost hopeful.

Bianca turned to him with a small frown. "Why? I’m sure it’ll be our turn soon."

Adrian bit back a laugh. Is she serious? Does she not see the line? He glanced again at the endless snake of people in front of them and almost sighed out loud.

"Your legs aren’t sore from standing this long?" he asked.

"Nope," she said brightly. "I’m used to waiting in line."

"My legs are stiff," he admitted.

Bianca chuckled. "Where did all your muscles go? It’s only been ten minutes and your legs are already stiff?" she teased.

It wasn’t just the stiffness. Adrian wasn’t used to standing still like this, especially not waiting in line for food he wasn’t even sure would be worth it. For him, time was valuable, and wasting it felt no different from throwing money away.

But this is your honeymoon, he reminded himself. You’re not at work.

Adrian let out a quiet sigh and decided to keep waiting. Twenty minutes later, half an hour since they first joined the queue, the line still stretched far ahead. The people going in and out took their sweet time, and the pace felt painfully slow.

He was bored out of his mind. His legs were begging for a chair, any chair. Stealing a glance at Bianca, he found her looking as calm as ever, like waiting in line was nothing more than a light stroll in the park.

When she noticed his sulking face, a small smile tugged at her lips. "How about we play a game so you don’t get bored?" she suggested.

Adrian arched a brow. "What game?"

"Let’s play Uno. There’s an app—download it, and we can play together," Bianca said, holding up her phone.

Adrian nodded right away. "Sure," he said simply. At least it would make the wait less unbearable.

He followed Bianca’s suggestion, downloaded the app, and soon they were playing while standing in line. Every now and then, a small laugh or teasing remark escaped when one of them lost.

An hour later—yes, a full hour of standing—they finally stepped inside. Adrian was ready to sink into his seat. But the first bite of fresh, melt-in-your-mouth sushi made all the waiting, the sore legs, and the quiet mental complaints disappear.

Bianca caught his eye and gave a small, knowing smile. Adrian grinned back. Okay, maybe this was worth it.

***