In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 15

Tears welled up as she leaned closer to the mirror to touch up her lipstick; the sneak attack had left her lips a little smudged.

"Are you imagining the three of them together...?"

"certainly not!"

In early spring, his head shook like a rattle-drum.

"I just felt that this was too much for Higashino-senpai..."

Ruiko suddenly turned around. She placed her hands on the sink on either side of Haruharu, trapping her petite friend in her arms: "Haruharu, do you remember? We promised to share everything forever."

It was a joke they made while shopping together sometime last year, but Ruiko thinks it's not so bad to take it seriously now.

"Now we're simply extending the agreement to Higashino-senpai..."

Her pupils dilated slightly in early spring. A distant memory surfaced in her mind: last summer, Ruizi held up a half-melted ice cream, stubbornly insisting that she and Ruizi share a bite of it.

When he returned to his seat, there was indeed an exquisite dessert platter in front of him. The chocolate plaque read "Proof of Love," with a clumsy heart drawn next to it.

"S-succeeded?"

Chu Chun's voice was ethereal; she hadn't expected that in the short time she'd been gone, Dongye would have already signed up.

Well, actually I'm really looking forward to it too.

Higashino smiled as he cut open the flower petal-shaped wagashi.

"What are you... expecting?"

Haru looked at Higashino nervously. She actually understood what he meant, but the idea of ​​the three of them kissing at the same time was just too embarrassing.

"Shall we give it a try?"

Higashino continued to suggest that, since the store didn't have a rule against three people participating in the challenge together, he figured it was fine.

Tears welled up as she licked the cream from her lips: "A ten-second kiss?"

"Thirty seconds."

Higashino's gaze shifted between the two.

"at the same time."

Chu Chun's thoughts paused briefly; he hadn't expected Higashino to be so unconventional.

She thought that even if she participated in the challenge, it would only be one person at a time.

When she came to her senses, she and Ruizi had already been pulled into the fire escape at the back door of the restaurant.

"No, isn't this supposed to be a challenge..."

Her early spring protest was suppressed by Higashino's fingers. His thumb brushed against her lower lip, while his other hand stroked the back of Ruiko's neck.

"Just kidding, how could I do something like that for others to see?"

Higashino has no interest in performing his kissing with his girlfriend for outsiders.

"This is a private competition, a challenge to our limits, so close your eyes."

Higashino's tone was firm, carrying an undeniable force.

Haru obediently closed her eyes. In the darkness, she first felt Ruiko's breath on her nostrils, followed by Higashino's approach, which carried the scent of mint candy. When the three of them touched at a strange angle, Haru tasted the orange blossom flavor of Ruiko's lip balm, the bitterness of coffee between Higashino's teeth, and her own rapidly secreting adrenaline.

At twenty-eight seconds, Ruiko let out a small sob. At thirty-one seconds, Haru unconsciously bit Higashino's lower lip. It wasn't until the chef's shouts came from afar that the three of them separated as if electrocuted.

"It's...it's past the time limit..."

Tears streamed down her face as she wiped her mouth, panting.

"Senior committed a foul... He actually used that sneak attack!"

In early spring, she stood still, her little hand touching her moist lips.

The experience just now felt like a dream. No, even if it was a dream, she never imagined this day would come. The impact of three people kissing at the same time was still too great for her.

"Where to go next?"

Back at the dining table, Ruiko suddenly asked.

"Game center? Karaoo Chicken? Or..."

Suddenly, Chu Chun mustered up her courage and grabbed Ruizi's hand: "I...I want to go to the aquarium."

Her voice was soft yet firm; she had actually been looking forward to this place for a long time.

"I've heard that if couples kiss in an underwater tunnel, they'll receive a mermaid's blessing."

Higashino and Ruiko both widened their eyes at the same time. Haru blushed and lowered her head, but couldn't hide the smile on her lips. This was the first time she had taken the initiative to suggest a date.

"good idea."

Higashino grasped both of their hands at the same time.

"But before that..."

He pointed to the remaining hamburger patties on the tear-stained plate.

"It's time to keep our promise to feed them."

As Ruiko fed him, Haru inexplicably offered him her own spoon.

Higashino alternated between two completely different feeding styles, thinking that this must be what paradise is all about.

Chapter 19 The Mermaid's Blessing

Inside the aquarium in District 7.

Higashino Yu stood under the sunshade at the ticket booth, squinting as he looked toward the souvenir shop.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see Shiori Haru standing on tiptoe trying on a coral-shaped headband, while Ruiko Saten is secretly gesturing with dolphin earrings behind her. Their laughter is crisp and melodious, like a string of bubbles leaping out of the water.

"Would you like a couple's ticket package?"

The ticket seller, wearing round-framed glasses, adjusted the frames on his nose.

"Includes underwater tunnel photography service, which can capture the most romantic moments."

Higashino glanced at the price list and nodded thoughtfully: "Do you have a couple's set meal for three people?"

His voice was very soft, but it made the ticket seller's fingers, which were typing on the keyboard, suddenly freeze in mid-air.

The ticket seller blinked in confusion, her gaze behind her glasses shifting back and forth between Higashino and the two girls in the distance.

After working as a ticket seller for so many years, this was the first time he had ever encountered someone ordering a three-person couple's set meal.

The company has never offered such a package.

"Um, I'm sorry, sir..."

Just as the atmosphere was about to become awkward, a barely perceptible ripple appeared deep in Higashino's pupils.

"Ah, it's a brother and sister together, right?"

The ticket seller suddenly nodded as if she had just realized something, and her fingers began to fly across the keyboard again.

"Family packages are more cost-effective and also include..."

"No, they're a couple."

Higashino's voice remained calm, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a still lake. The ticket seller's pupils dilated instantly, her fingers paused on the keyboard for a second, then continued. The printer hummed softly, and three tickets printed with heart patterns slowly slid out.

"Have a great time, all three of you."

The ticket seller stumbled a bit while offering her blessings, but quickly put on a professional smile again, though her eyes still unconsciously darted toward the souvenir shop.

Just then, Ruizi rushed over like a whirlwind, her starfish-shaped hair clip swaying merrily on her high ponytail.

“Senior, senior!”

Excitedly, she tiptoed and, without saying a word, pinned a seashell-shaped hair clip to Dongye's bangs.

"Look at this, it's perfect!"

Chu Chun followed behind, covering her mouth with her hands and giggling softly.

Higashino suddenly reached out and gently brushed away the stray hairs on her forehead, adjusting her slightly crooked headband.

This sudden intimate gesture made Chu Chun unconsciously hold her breath, and her cheeks flushed red at a visible speed.

"Where to go first?"

Higashino took the guide map with his left hand and naturally took Chu Chun's soft little hand with his right.

Ruiko pressed against him from behind, resting her chin affectionately on Higashino's shoulder, her warm breath tickling his ear: "I want to see sharks! The kind that 'whoosh' and swallow their prey whole..."

She deliberately made exaggerated hunting movements, waving her arms in the air.

"Tears!"

Chu Chun tugged at Dong Ye's sleeve in alarm, her fingers unconsciously tightening.

"Should we go to the coral reef area first? It's safer there."

Her voice grew softer and softer, the last few words almost muffled in her mouth.

As they passed through the deep blue underwater tunnel, thousands of fish swam overhead, casting dappled sunlight that shifted and changed on their faces, like a projection from another world.

Suddenly, Leizi pointed at a fluorescent tropical fish and exclaimed, "Look! Doesn't this fish's color resemble the blush of someone blushing in early spring?"

Just as Chu Chun was about to retort, a huge manta ray gracefully swam overhead, its shadow enveloping the three of them.

In that brief moment of twilight, Higashino's fingers quietly hooked around Haru's little finger. This intimate gesture, even more intimate than a formal hand-holding, made the girl's heart skip a beat.

"Your senior is biased~"

Ruiko keenly sensed the subtle atmosphere between the two, and immediately pouted in dissatisfaction, placing Higashino's other hand on her waist without saying a word.

"I also want!"

Her palm guided Higashino's hand to encircle her slender waist.

However, when Higashino placed his hand on her waist, he clearly felt her body tremble slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

The three of them moved slowly to the jellyfish exhibit in this strange yet intimate manner. Under the ever-changing colored lights, the transparent jellyfish resembled countless beating hearts, changing color with the shifting lights. Haru was so engrossed in watching that she didn't notice Ruiko had already pulled Higashino to the darkest corner of the exhibit.

As she turned to look for the two, she happened to see Ruiko tiptoeing and whispering in Higashino's ear, her eyes curving into sly crescent shapes.

"What are you talking about?"

Chu Chun leaned closer curiously, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible jealousy.

She was somewhat unhappy that her friend and Higashino had sneaked away to the side.

Ruiko mysteriously raised her index finger to her lips: "I'm asking you which type of jellyfish you prefer, senpai~"

She suddenly grabbed Chu Chun's hand and pulled her between the two of them.

"Turns out, my senior said he likes the type who turns pink when she's shy, like Hatsuharu!"

"Tears!"

Chu Chun's face instantly turned as red as the neon lights in the display tank. She frantically tried to break free, but Dong Ye took the opportunity to put his arm around her shoulder.

This intimate posture froze her completely, leaving her staring down at the tips of her shoes, her ears burning red.

Higashino skillfully shifted the topic, pointing to the wishing well in the center of the exhibition area: "It is said that couples who make a wish here will receive the blessing of the mermaid."

Ruiko immediately clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and made a sincere wish: "Then I wish that the three of us will always be together!"

She opened one eye and looked at early spring with a smile in her eyes.

"What do you wish for in early spring?"

Chu Chun looked down at the tips of her shoes, her voice barely a whisper: "I...I hope you can always be happy, senior..."

These words seemed to have exhausted all her courage; after saying them, she immediately buried her face in her hands.

Higashino was stunned. This simple and pure wish was completely outside of his pre-planned script.

He gazed at the girl's flushed earlobes and slightly trembling shoulders, and suddenly realized that Chu Chun's emotions at this moment were shockingly pure. This was not the result of any interference from her abilities, but rather a genuine emotion from the bottom of her heart.

An unprecedentedly complex emotion surged in his chest, like an undercurrent suddenly rising in the deep sea.

"Ah! The little penguin is out!"