Even though this was open-minded America, and teens tended to mature early, that kind of straightforward question still caught Luke completely off guard.
Sensing how bold she'd sounded, a flustered voice quickly followed from behind.
"No, I mean—like how guys take girls to see horror movies so they can act all heroic, right?"
"As far as I know," Luke said with a small grin, "the best hunters always appear as prey first."
"So you're saying," she replied, eyes bright with wit, "that if a girl doesn't pretend to be prey, she'd never give a guy a chance to play the hero in a horror movie?"
She was stunning and smart — the kind of girl who caught onto things instantly.
"Exactly. You can call it chemistry, intuition, or mutual understanding — whatever. But a simp will never understand the joy of a two-way connection."
"A simp?" she asked curiously.
"Uh, you probably have plenty of… admirers, right?" Luke realized belatedly that this term didn't even exist yet in 2000.
Still, Yuffie quickly caught the meaning. Every beautiful girl had experience dealing with those kinds of guys.
She smiled lightly and didn't say more.
Hand in hand, they continued walking. The scenery grew prettier the farther they went, and soon the faint sound of running water reached their ears.
Rounding a bend, a waterfall appeared before them.
Well — calling it a waterfall was generous. It was more like a small stream tumbling down a twenty-meter cliff, splashing into a clear pool below.
But it was beautiful nonetheless. The mist from the fall shimmered in the sunlight, forming a faint rainbow above the water.
The creek was crystal clear, every rock beneath the rippling surface visible.
"Look! There are fish in the water!" Yuffie exclaimed excitedly.
"Want me to catch one for you?"
She nodded eagerly. "Yes!"
Luke chuckled, shaking his head as he rolled up his pants and stepped into the stream barefoot. "Those fish are too small to catch, but I might be able to grab a few crabs."
"Crabs? Here?" she asked skeptically.
It was early autumn — crab season. The creek fed into the Hudson River, which wasn't far from the sea. Perfect for blue crabs.
"Of course. Tonight, we'll have crab for dinner. Come on, let's catch some together," Luke said, smiling invitingly.
Yuffie hesitated before shaking her head.
She was wearing a dark green plaid wool skirt, and getting into the water would mean taking off her black stockings — not exactly convenient.
"Come on," he teased, "the water's clean. No pollution here."
"But you're polluting it! Look — the fish are floating up already!" she giggled.
Luke almost laughed out loud in frustration. This girl was getting more mischievous by the minute.
He focused back on his task and soon reached into a crevice, pulling out a crab nearly half a pound in weight.
Holding up his prize, he grinned triumphantly.
"There really are crabs! And that's huge!" she said in surprise.
"Want to try catching one yourself?" he asked again, the thought of her taking off those stockings stirring something deep inside him.
"Alright," she agreed shyly. "But I need to take off my stockings first. You have to turn around — no peeking!"
Stockings were practically a girl's intimate clothing; of course she'd be embarrassed taking them off in front of him.
She stepped behind a big rock and slowly peeled them down, revealing long, fair legs that glowed softly in the light.
Luke didn't dwell on it — he tied up his catch and went back to searching for more crab holes.
Then, suddenly—
"Ah!"
Her startled cry made his heart skip a beat.
"Don't tell me it's a bear…" he muttered, rushing around the rock.
He found her sitting on the ground, stockings halfway off, still tangled around her knees.
"What happened? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said quickly, cheeks flushed. "I just slipped — the rocks are sharp."
Before she could protest, Luke slipped an arm under her knees and scooped her up princess-style.
"I—"
"Let me help. I don't want you to hurt yourself again," he said firmly.
Having lived two lives, Luke knew one thing for sure — when the timing was right, a man couldn't afford to back down.
Too early and you looked pushy.
Too late and you'd regret it forever.
Without saying more, he carried her to the stream and gently set her down on a flat rock.
Then he crouched, smoothing the edge of her skirt to make sure she was covered before lifting her leg to help remove the stockings still clinging to her knees.
Her face turned scarlet. She instinctively tried to pull her foot away, but he caught her ankle gently.
"Hold still. I just need to see if you scraped anything."
"Who's moving? You're the one grabbing my foot," she murmured in a small, embarrassed voice.
He ignored the teasing tone, carefully checking her feet.
Her skin was pale and smooth, the veins faintly visible beneath.
Her toes were perfectly shaped, her soles a healthy soft pink.
From head to toe, she really is flawless, he thought, awed. A literal goddess.
"You're fine — no cuts," he said finally, lowering her foot. He rolled up the stockings neatly and slipped them into his jacket pocket.
Seeing that, her already-red cheeks turned even redder. She looked just like the crab he'd caught earlier — bright and blushing.
"Why are you taking my stockings?" she asked, flustered.
"You're wearing a skirt without pockets, and these are long and dark — not good to leave on the ground. Bugs might crawl inside," he explained matter-of-factly.
It was such a logical excuse she couldn't argue with it.
"Okay then… My feet don't smell bad, do they?" she asked nervously.
Now that was a trap of a question.
What was he supposed to say? That even her bathwater probably smelled like flowers?
Or that, according to legend, a pretty girl's foot smell was a bonus?
Either way — creepy. Major red flag.
He couldn't seriously lean in and sniff them, right? That'd be way too much.
So he smiled instead. "I've got a bad nose. Can't smell a thing. But come on — we've been through so much already. Who's gonna care about something like that?"
Relieved, Yuffie let out a small laugh.
She stood and walked barefoot to the edge of the stream, dipping her toes in first to test the temperature.
Finding it pleasantly cool, she waded in, water rippling around her ankles.
There she was — the girl by the water.
Watching her, Luke felt breathless. She looked like a forest nymph, light and untouchable.
I really missed out on her in my past life?
Not this time. This time, he wasn't letting go.
"Come on!" she called out, smiling. "Let's catch more crabs for dinner!"
"Alright," he laughed. "Let's see who catches more!"
"You're scaring them away — go over there!"
"Hey, no stealing mine!"
Their laughter echoed through the valley, mingling with the sound of running water — pure, youthful, and full of life.
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