"Climb a tree?"
What the heck?
Climb this one—the so-called "Wishing Divine Tree"?
Luke sized up the massive tree. It towered nearly 100 feet tall, probably over a century old. Among its kind, it was a real elder statesman.
in some place, locust trees were seen as spooky—ghost trees that attracted bad vibes, with sayings like "don't plant one behind your house." But in Japan, they symbolized power and status. The elite loved planting them out front and even called their front gates "locust gates."
"Legend has it that if you tie a ribbon with your heartfelt wish to this wishing tree, the spirits will grant it. The higher you tie it, the more blessings you'll get," GAKKI-chan explained.
Ever since meeting Luke, Yui Aragaki had been digging through the internet for every scrap of info on him. She'd binge-watched all his movies and GG promo videos. When she saw the behind-the-scenes clips of him risking life and limb for action scenes—getting banged up in the process—she felt this urge to pray for him.
She couldn't do much to help, but she hoped her sincerity would move the spirits to watch over him. Keep him safe, healthy, and out of harm's way.
That was GAKKI-chan's biggest wish.
"I'll do it. That tree's way too tall—dangerous if you fall," Luke said, stepping forward.
GAKKI-chan shook her head. "The wishing tree only accepts prayers from young women. Guys aren't allowed to climb it."
Luke looked up. The branches were covered in colorful ribbons, most hanging below about 30 feet.
The highest one was around 50 feet up—not too shabby.
Thirty feet was like three stories, and fifty was five. Climbing that high bare-handed would freak out most people. For these girls to haul themselves up there just to make a wish for the guys they cared about? It showed some serious guts!
"I'm starting now! I'll give it my all! You got this!" The adorable, airheaded girl pumped her fist, hyping herself up.
Then she leaped up, scrambling with hands and feet to climb higher.
"Whoa!"
She hadn't gone far when she yelped, her foot slipping off a branch. She slid down a bit, nearly tumbling off the tree.
It was clear GAKKI-chan wasn't some tree-climbing pro—she was just gritting her teeth and pushing on.
Shakily, she inched her way up to about 30 feet.
"That's good enough! It's plenty high—tie the ribbon there!" Luke called from below.
He could tell she'd given it her all. They'd been sightseeing all day, which was exhausting. She had to be wiped out by now.
But she shook her head stubbornly and kept climbing.
Was she aiming to beat that 50-foot ribbon and claim the top spot?
Luke figured he'd nailed her mindset.
He glanced up and saw her pause, legs clamped tight around a branch. Her right hand dipped into her pocket, like she was fishing for something.
Hit her limit? Time to pull out the ribbon and tie it off?
She pulled out a handkerchief instead, carefully wiping the sweat from her forehead so it wouldn't drip into her eyes.
Then she dried her palms to avoid slipping.
With that done, she gripped the branches again and climbed on, determined as ever.
It was late afternoon now, the setting sun filtering through the thick leaves, casting a golden glow around GAKKI-chan. She looked soft and radiant, like something out of a dream.
Her feet braced on a thick trunk, hands reaching up to grab higher branches, she kept her balance with careful steps.
With a big push from her legs and a pull from her arms, she hoisted herself up another good chunk.
Rustle-rustle~
The branches swayed, like they were protesting.
Luke watched in awe as she passed the 50-foot mark—the old record—and kept going.
She was gonna tie that blessed ribbon right at the very top!
He could see she was drenched in sweat, her arms trembling, but she clenched her jaw and powered through.
GAKKI-chan moved slow, but her resolve carried her higher and higher.
Seeing her like that, Luke felt something tug at his heart. His smile softened into something warmer.
Finally, she reached about 80 feet and stopped.
Not because she wanted to—the branches up there were too spindly to climb anymore.
So she fished out the red ribbon from her pocket and solemnly tied it to the trunk.
All done, she turned back to wave at Luke.
"Whoa… it's… so… high!"
Only then did it hit the airheaded girl: she was up about as high as a 12-story building.
Looking down from there would make anyone's knees buckle.
"Come on down already!" Luke shouted from below.
"I can't!"
"What?"
"My legs are jelly, my arms too—I can't get down! What do I do?"
Perched on the trunk, the girl was on the verge of tears, panicking.
Seeing her like that, Luke almost cracked up but held it in.
They say it's easy to climb up, hard to come down.
Not just 'cause you burn a ton of energy going up, but because descending means looking down. At that height, fear kicks in, and your limbs turn to mush.
"Wahhh, I'm stuck up here…" She started crying for real.
"Just jump!" Luke yelled.
"Huh!?"
"I'll catch you!"
Honestly, it was a wild suggestion. Jumping from 12 stories? Even if someone caught you perfectly, the catcher's arms, back, knees—heck, their whole body—would probably shatter.
But Luke's superhuman strength (20 points) and constitution (17 points) gave him abilities way beyond normal. His master-level martial arts skills meant he knew all sorts of ways to absorb and redirect impact.
What'd be impossible for anyone else? Piece of cake for him.
The real question: Would GAKKI-chan dare to jump if he said he'd catch her?
"Luke-san, you can do this, right?"
"Do you trust me?"
The airheaded girl didn't hesitate. She nodded hard and shouted, "I trust you!"
"Alright, I'll count to three—then jump!"
"Okay!"
Luke bent his knees, bracing himself, and called out: "1, 2, 3—jump!"
"Here I come!"
At his command, GAKKI-chan leaped without a second thought.
It was such a beautiful moment.
In the carefree days of youth, has a boy ever stood tall and told you, "Leave it all to me—just trust me"? And in the glow of a setting sun, has a girl ever believed in you completely, jumping toward you on your word alone?
Thud!
The girl crashed right into Luke's arms.