Soon, the grilled pork chop salad was served. Thin slices of pork tenderloin were sprinkled with a few chili flakes, beautifully arranged like a mural in an arcade.

Aozawa picked up his chopsticks, took several slices of pork tenderloin, and brought them to Chitose's mouth. "Ah, I'll feed you."

Today, Morimoto Chiyoda decided to play along nicely. She opened her cherry-red lips and chewed the pork, the smokiness of the grilled meat and a zesty tanginess simultaneously bursting on her tongue.

The flavor was good.

It was a tad inferior to dishes from high-end restaurants, but this meat had the advantage of quantity; you could pick up several slices at once, more than making up for any slight gap in deliciousness.

Perhaps even surpassing the deliciousness of high-end restaurants.

After swallowing, Morimoto Chiyoda also picked up a few pieces and brought them to Aozawa's mouth, laughing, "Ah~ Let your big sister feed you some meat~"

"Chitose, you're so cheeky, but I like it," he said.

Aozawa bit into it, earning a roll of the eyes from Morimoto Chiyoda.

Thai jasmine rice was served next.

The two of them continued to feed each other. The rich aroma of rice filled their mouths, and perhaps it tasted even better because Chitose was feeding him by hand.

It made him want to burst out of his clothes!

Aozawa hadn't had such an experience in a long time; the last time Chitose had fed him was in sixth grade, and only after his persistent pestering.

While Aozawa savored the moment, they finished most of the rice and meat. Then, the Thai hot pot was served. It was laden with pork, beef, and chicken, along with a large platter of enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, leafy greens, and other ingredients.

Aozawa put the vegetables in the pot first to create a base.

Morimoto Chiyoda, meanwhile, added the chicken, pork, and beef.

Once cooked, Morimoto Chiyoda fished out some vegetables and meat, dipped a piece in Thai chili oil, and took a bite.

She felt a fire ignite in her mouth—it was unbelievably spicy, yet invigorating.

Morimoto Chiyoda had to take a sip of beer to soothe the searing, tangy spice. She exhaled contentedly, "PHEW! Awesome. That was fiercely spicy."

"Yeah, even the air conditioning can't beat this heat. I feel like I'm about to start sweating," he said.

Morimoto Chiyoda smiled. "You're already sweating. What a helpless man you are~"

As they talked, Morimoto Chiyoda took out a tissue from her bag and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead. Her gentle gesture ignited Aozawa's competitive spirit. "How can a man admit he can't handle it? Watch me! I'll finish it all in one go!"

"Alright, just make sure you perform when it counts," she said.

Morimoto Chiyoda rolled her eyes at him. "Eating too fast is bad for your stomach. Don't be reckless just because you're young."

"Alright," Aozawa readily agreed.

He really couldn't handle spicy food very well.

「Half an hour later.」

They went to the front desk to pay the bill.

A long queue had formed at the entrance of the Thai restaurant.

As they left, the elderly manager was wondering how long he'd be busy with such a crowd.

Then he suddenly noticed the line at the door was shrinking at a visible rate.

Could this be happening?

The elderly manager was momentarily stunned. Then, looking at all the single male customers filling the restaurant, he slapped his forehead. He finally understood where his lunchtime rush had come from.

He wasn't complaining, though.

Men will be boys, even in old age.

The elderly manager found himself wishing Morimoto Chiyoda would visit a few more times.

It wasn't about hoping for good business; she was simply a feast for the eyes.

In all his long life, the elderly manager had never seen a woman of such beauty.

He figured a woman that stunning belonged in luxurious villas or restaurants so expensive ordinary folks couldn't afford a single meal there in their entire lives, not in a place like his Thai restaurant.

Although his restaurant was a bit pricier than others nearby, it still wasn't worthy of such a beautiful customer.

As this crossed his mind, the elderly manager observed the couple's expressions. They seem to be hitting it off, he thought. Hopefully, they have a chance. Assuming they don't break up. A woman like that... it didn't seem likely a man of modest means could keep her.

"Waiter, another serving of Thai rice noodles, please."

"Certainly, please wait a moment," the waiter responded.

The elderly manager shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and returned to his work.

「Kasai Rinkai Park, Edo River.」

This park was built on reclaimed land stretching two kilometers east to west between the Arakawa and Old Edo River.

Along the coast were two crescent-shaped artificial beaches. West Beach was connected to Kasai Rinkai Park by a bridge.

There, people could enjoy views of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Bay. They could also play in the sand on the beach or find small pleasures like searching for shellfish and other little marine creatures.

East Beach was a bird sanctuary, off-limits to visitors. Goby and many other seabirds could be seen in its shallows.

Aozawa and Morimoto Chiyoda arrived at West Beach at a terrible time.

Not a single tourist could be seen on the beach.

A fierce sea breeze howled, feeling like repeated slaps to the face.

Morimoto Chiyoda had to secure her hat to keep the wind from snatching it away. Her long black hair billowed, and her skirt seemed to have no mind of its own. It swayed wherever the wind blew.

The scorching sun beat down on the pale sand, and sparkling waves churned. Occasionally, a few seagulls soared overhead.

The scenery was beautiful, but the combination of strong wind and intense heat was unbearable.

Aozawa stepped onto the sand and turned his head. "Chitose, should we go somewhere else?"

"It's fine. Don't you think walking on an empty beach is romantic?" Morimoto Chiyoda shook her head. She had purposefully planned to come at this time, well aware that there wouldn't be many tourists on West Beach at this hour.

For most people, the sea breeze and scorching heat made it an unsuitable time to be on the beach.

She, however, quite enjoyed strolling on such empty beaches. It felt like she had the entire place to herself.

Since she couldn't actually afford to rent out a whole beach, her only option was to visit popular spots when no one else was around, to experience that feeling of having it all to herself.

The poor have their own ways of enjoying life.

Morimoto Chiyoda slipped off her stylish heeled sandals. Walking on the beach in heels wasn't practical.

Her delicate bare feet stepped onto the scorching sand.

Aozawa glanced at her. "Do you want to wear my sandals?"

Morimoto Chiyoda shook her head. "No, you wear them."

"Your delicate feet can't handle such hot sand. I'm fine; the skin on my feet is thick."

Aozawa crouched down, took off his sandals, patted her calf, and said, smiling, "Please lift your foot, Princess."

"You should call me Queen."

"Alright, Queen, please lift your foot."

Morimoto Chiyoda lifted her right foot.

Aozawa brushed the sand from the sole of her foot. Her skin, as white and smooth as congealed cream, gave her feet a jade-like quality. To the touch, they felt soft and yielding, a bit like mochi.

Aozawa had to admit he might have a latent talent for scientific inquiry. Looking at Chitose's feet, he had the sudden urge to bite one. Were they really as soft as mochi? Such a thirst for knowledge was surely an essential trait for any scientist.

The thought flashed through Aozawa's mind as he helped Morimoto Chiyoda slip on the sandals. He looked forward to a future opportunity to test his hypothesis.

He pinched her cute big toe.

Morimoto Chiyoda raised her hand and flicked his forehead. "Don't get any weird ideas."

"Hey! You're accusing an innocent man," Aozawa retorted, then stood up. "Let's go."

Walking along the white sand, each step they took left footprints behind.

The sea breeze toyed with her dark hair, occasionally revealing an ear or the curve of her neck.

Aozawa was mesmerized.

Morimoto Chiyoda stopped and turned. Looking at the footprints they'd left behind, she asked with a laugh, "Aozawa, what do you think when you see footprints like these?"

Aozawa glanced at them. "If they were someone else's, I'd say they belonged to a shameless couple."

"And us?"

"A golden boy and a jade girl."

"Heh," Morimoto Chiyoda chuckled, her eyes narrowing slightly. "So if anyone else saw these, we'd be that 'shameless couple' you just mentioned."

"Don't worry. When the tide comes in, all the footprints will be washed away. Even if it doesn't, this strong wind will gradually blow sand over them. No one will see them."

"You're such a killjoy! This isn't the time to be so practical. You should be thinking about forever. Maybe our footprints could fossilize here, for people to find a million years from now!"

"That's impossible." Aozawa shook his head. Her imagination is way too wild. Footprints on a beach lasting a million years? No matter how he thought about it, it just didn't seem realistic.

Morimoto Chiyoda glared at him. "That just shows how little you know! I keep telling you to read more. In Tanzania, in Africa, they found fossilized hominid footprints that are about 3.6 million years old!"

"On the beach?"

"3.6 million years ago, that place might have been a beach."

"It absolutely wasn't a beach."

Hearing Aozawa argue back repeatedly, Morimoto Chiyoda grew annoyed. She turned her head to glare at him. "You should just keep your mouth shut!"

"Alright, Chitose, I was wrong." Just as Aozawa was about to apologize, Morimoto Chiyoda cut him off. She didn't want to hear it. Instead, she stepped forward, silencing him with her lips.

A sweet fragrance wafted to him. Her softness seemed to engulf him entirely.

Aozawa's eyes widened. Snapping back to reality, his hands wrapped around Chitose's soft, slender waist, as if trying to merge their bodies into one.

His hands slid down instinctively.

Morimoto Chiyoda caught his wrists. A hint of playful mischief danced in her alluring phoenix eyes as she stopped his hands from roaming further down. She merely continued to greedily plunder the air from his mouth, their saliva mingling.

After a deep French kiss, Morimoto Chiyoda's lips trailed along his cheek to his ear. "Little boy," she whispered, her voice as soft and seductive as a breeze, "this is how adults kiss."

Her warm breath caressed his earlobe.

Aozawa shivered all over. "Chitose, you're too much," he said, his face a mask of mock complaint.

"If I'm not a little bad, how can it be a punishment? Remember that for next time: don't say things that spoil the mood." As Morimoto Chiyoda spoke, she playfully nibbled his earlobe. "Otherwise," she added with a laugh, "I really will bite you."

The volcano inside Aozawa erupted. But in the next instant, Morimoto Chiyoda swiftly pulled back, leaving his eager embrace to meet empty air. His eyes grew even more plaintive.

"HAHA!" Morimoto Chiyoda's laughter was bright, her eyes curving into crescents. Her smile was radiant as she tossed her bag onto the sand and retreated towards the sea.

She playfully kicked seawater at Aozawa. "Not happy? Then come and get me!" she challenged with a laugh.

"Chitose, I'll show you what I'm made of!!" Aozawa shouted and lunged, determined to drench her from head to toe.