Chapter Sixty-Six: A Date That Must Not Be Ruined

Early the next morning.

Chen Zi'ang left the bedroom, helped Chen Xiaozhu wash up, and got her dressed.

“Hey, little sister,” he asked, “do you want to go to the aquarium?”

Chen Xiaozhu tilted her head thoughtfully.

“The thing is,” Chen Zi'ang went on, “Suzuna Tsukimiya managed to get tickets to the aquarium and asked if we wanted to go together.”

Before his sister could respond, the door swung open from the outside.

“Senpai?” Suzuna Tsukimiya called out affectionately as she stepped into the living room in slippers after changing her shoes in the entryway.

Today, the young lady of the Tsukimiya family was dressed in a forest-inspired, sleeveless light dress that revealed her fair, smooth arms and legs, slender and flawless as jade. Her black hair was tied into two neat braids with turquoise ribbons, cascading smoothly over her chest, and she wore a sun hat, completing the look of a pure and beautiful summer girl.

Yet, Chen Zi'ang felt little surprise—mostly exasperation.

This girl’s familiarity in my home is as if it were her own.

“You’re a bit early,” he said, half reproachful, half resigned. “I haven’t even asked Xiaozhu yet. If she doesn’t want to go, you’ve made this trip for nothing.”

“That’s all right,” Suzuna replied with a bright smile. “If Senpai and your sister don’t want to go, I’ll just stay here and enjoy your food and hospitality.”

Chen Zi'ang was left speechless.

Though she never stated things outright, this girl was adept at sly hints—hard to resist, indeed.

At times, he had considered simply giving in, but reason always reminded him that their backgrounds were worlds apart, they had no real foundation of feelings, and an infatuated impulse would hardly make for a lasting relationship.

As her father had pointed out in the car last time, he hadn’t graduated from North Pole University and would have little chance for advancement within the system; becoming a senior security specialist was likely the pinnacle of his career. How could he ever be worthy of the Tsukimiya family’s heiress?

Shaking off these tangled thoughts, Chen Zi'ang turned to his sister and sighed, saying,

“In the end, the point of going to the aquarium is to see all sorts of fish up close. Xiaozhu can’t see, and if she’s only listening to the guide’s explanations, how is that different from watching a documentary on TV?”

“I want to go,” Chen Xiaozhu suddenly said.

Chen Zi'ang: ……

So what exactly does a blind girl want with an aquarium?

“Wonderful!” Suzuna clapped her hands. “Uncle Emon’s car is parked outside, so we can leave anytime!”

Although he had no confidence that a blind person could get much out of an aquarium, Chen Zi'ang was, in the end, a doting older brother, and soon decided to indulge Xiaozhu’s whim.

They changed their clothes and set out together.

As they sat in the car, Suzuna Tsukimiya’s mind raced.

When it came to the perfect date location, nothing could beat an aquarium.

First, to simulate the deep-sea environment, aquariums were generally dimly lit. That meant if she stayed a little closer to Senpai than usual, he’d be less likely to notice.

Second, this particular aquarium was located on the Thousand Islands in the middle of Hot Lake, surrounded by beautiful scenery and a mild climate. The ticket price was steep, so tourists were few and far between.

At present, it was a special time—Mie Nishikawa was causing disturbances all over North Pole City. The more crowded a public place, the higher the risk of encountering a ghoul. Given Senpai’s character, even if he didn’t have the Mandrake Law Sword on him, he would never stand by if a sudden incident occurred.

But if that happened, all her meticulous date planning would be ruined—so the venue had to be somewhere with as few people as possible.

Finally, at around two in the afternoon, there would be a group wedding at Dolphin Bay in the Thousand Islands Aquarium, attended by several newlyweds, including a friend of hers. When the time came, Uncle Emon could take Xiaozhu elsewhere, and her friend would seize the chance to invite her and Senpai to the wedding, where she’d get plenty of help from the sidelines.

Ah, she thought, not for nothing am I me—to be capable of devising such a flawless plan.

Suzuna looked down at her phone, sending her friend a final confirming message. After a moment, the reply came: “Everything’s ready.”

“By the way, Senpai, do you like fish?” she asked casually.

“Of course,” Chen Zi'ang replied absentmindedly. “Fish are highly nutritious, and Xiaozhu loves eating—”

He caught himself mid-sentence and tried to cover, “Ah, but I’ve heard the Thousand Islands Aquarium has many rare species, some even brought from distant oceanic planets by special merchant ships after a long interstellar journey.”

“That’s right,” Suzuna kept her flawless smile. “And some of them are delicious too.”

“Er, I don’t think you’re supposed to eat the aquarium’s fish,” Chen Zi'ang said, embarrassed.

“Some are edible,” Emon Gorō, the driver, spoke up from the front seat. “Certain alien species have been successfully bred in Hot Lake, so they’re also featured on the aquarium restaurant’s menu. If I may ask, Mr. Chen, which part of the fish do you prefer?”

“I don’t have a particular favorite,” Chen Zi'ang replied. “But Xiaozhu loves the belly.”

“In that case, I recommend the Huai Makari fish, which is high in fat.”

“What fish?”

“The Huai Makari, an imported species from the Federation’s Coral Sector. Its belly, swim bladder, roe, and milt are all delicious,” Emon Gorō explained after a pause. “You might want to try it at lunch in the aquarium.”

“All right, thank you, Uncle Emon,” Chen Zi'ang said politely.

“Not at all. I’m only making a suggestion; there’s no need for such formality.” Emon Gorō spoke with calm humility and caught Suzuna’s approving glance in the rearview mirror.

The Huai Makari, being the main feed for the Hot Lake dolphins, was farmed right near Dolphin Bay. That would make it perfectly natural for me to take Senpai to Dolphin Bay, and then just happen to run into my friend getting married today!

Suzuna Tsukimiya was flush with satisfaction, feeling that time, place, and people all favored her, and that nothing could possibly go wrong.

They left Gunma District on the expressway, entering Akita District beside the Hot Lake and Jin Chuan. Looking down from the overpass, they saw expanses of neatly cultivated rice paddies, the sun glittering across the flooded fields, stretching all the way to the horizon.

Following Suzuna’s gaze, Chen Zi'ang admired the breathtaking landscape and thought that an occasional trip was a pleasant change.

Emon Gorō, however, dared not relax. While driving steadily across the overpass, he kept a wary eye on the navigation system.

This car’s navigation was a special, customized version—not only did it show traffic lights and congestion, but it also displayed satellite images of the surroundings, relaying real-time updates to Emon Gorō’s polarized glasses.

He had already discreetly noticed that 2.6 kilometers ahead, there had been an accident on the overpass.

A ferocious ghoul was sprinting along the traffic, wild and uncontrolled. Two military helicopters were rapidly approaching from the sides, trying to force it off the overpass and into the rice paddies below.

Emon Gorō was silent for a moment, then pressed a button on the dashboard.

Immediately, the windows on both sides turned to frosted glass, blocking the view.

“Apologies, the sun outside is rather strong,” he explained. “To prevent the young lady from getting sunburned, I’ve activated UV filtering mode.”

“No problem,” Chen Zi'ang waved it off.

Suzuna, sensing that something must be happening outside and that Uncle Emon was trying to keep Chen Zi'ang from noticing, quickly changed the subject to distract him:

“By the way, Senpai, have you ever had a girlfriend?”