Chapter 27: This is Love~
After renting their gear from the "Beach House," the group made their way down to the shore. Hikaru Hoshino scouted out a spot with an open view and worked up a sweat driving the massive beach umbrella deep into the sand, ensuring it stood firmly anchored. Ichigo Saitou, on the other hand, set up the lounge chairs and folding tables with practiced ease, his movements as fluid as an experienced camping veteran.
Since tourist season had already passed and regular working folks were all on the clock, even the town had been sparse; the beach itself was completely deserted. An occasional seagull could be seen circling over the ocean, emitting crisp, sharp cries. In the distance, the horizon merged flawlessly with the sky to form a clean, dividing line, enveloping the entire world in an profound serenity.
Standing on the sand, Aqua gazed out at the endless, boundless sea, drawing in a deep breath of the salty air. The sea breeze caressed his cheeks, allowing every cell in his body to entirely unwind. The early autumn weather was a bit crisp, but the sunlight was excellent, bathing his body in a soothing warmth that felt like being stroked by a gentle palm.
*Let's just purely relax today; it's not like there's anything urgent to deal with anyway.*
Although he had resolved to look into the past connection between Ai and Hikaru Hoshino, there were currently no imminent threats on the horizon, so Aqua's drive wasn't particularly urgent. Besides, it was a rare opportunity to enjoy some leisure time, and he didn't want his nagging suspicions to ruin this beautiful atmosphere.
"I want to go swim," Aqua initiated on his own.
In his past life, he had been an all-rounder, so swimming was naturally second nature to him. Even though his body was currently that of a child, he remembered the standard techniques perfectly clearly; re-learning it should be a breeze.
"I want to learn too!" Ruby immediately threw her hand up in response, her ruby-like eyes glittering with excitement.
Ruby desperately wanted to try these activities that she had never gotten to experience in her previous life. Back when she was Sarina, she couldn't even walk properly, let alone swim.
Hikaru, however, let out a lazy yawn and waved his hand dismissively. "I don't really want to get in the water. I'd rather just lie down and sunbathe."
"I'm a little scared," Ai said, watching the incoming waves with a hint of anxiety. "It looks kind of dangerous. Is there really no chance of being swept away by the undertow?"
"This is a designated tourist beach, so probably not," Hikaru replied nonchalantly.
Ichigo furrowed his brows. "Hard to say. The Japanese government is completely rotten to the core; those bureaucrats over at the Japan Tourism Agency never do their damn jobs, so the possibility of a hazard can't be completely ruled out."
Seeing that the two kids wanted to swim but the adults were dragging their feet, Miyako stepped forward of her own accord. "In that case, I'll accompany Aqua and Ruby into the sea."
She patted her chest, stating confidently, "I'm a pretty decent swimmer, so I can look after the kids just fine."
In the past, when Ai had been busy with her idol career, the twins had been taken care of by Miyako. But following the Tokyo Dome concert, Ai hadn't been nearly as busy, meaning she naturally didn't require Miyako's babysitting services as much anymore. Now that things had slowed down, she surprisingly found herself missing those old days of raising the kids.
Hearing this, Ichigo didn't feel entirely at ease and quickly pushed himself to his feet. "I'll tag along too to guarantee their safety. They're just two little toddlers after all; it wouldn't be good if something unexpected happened."
Ultimately, they split into two groups: Miyako and Ichigo taking the twins out to swim, while Hikaru and Ai rested on the shore.
---
Beneath the shade of the beach umbrella, Hikaru and Ai arranged their two lounge chairs side-by-side, maintaining a proper distance from each other. The sea breeze gently rustled the edges of the umbrella, generating a soft, fluttering sound. From time to time, the distant, excited squeals of Aqua and Ruby echoed from the water, interspersed with the shouting of the Saitou couple.
Ai slid off her white cover-up, displaying her gorgeous physical curves. Her pale purple bikini shimmered under the sunlight, her skin as white as pristine snow without a single blemish.
"Has Hikaru-kun gained weight?" Ai tilted her head, a mischievous glint dancing within her purple eyes.
Hikaru rubbed his stomach somewhat sheepishly. His abs were no longer rock-solid; though the outlines were still somewhat visible, they had clearly softened up a bit. The texture when pressing his fingers down wasn't nearly as firm as it used to be.
"It can't be helped," Hikaru offered a wry smile. "I've barely exercised lately and haven't been managing my physique. But it's not like I'm an actor, so I don't need to stress over it too much, right?"
He paused for a beat, launching a counterattack: "On the contrary, Ai, have you gained weight too?"
"No way!" Ai puffed up her cheeks in protest. "I have the kind of constitution that doesn't gain weight from eating!"
She rolled over, flattening herself against the lounge chair like a stranded sunfish. "Fine, I suppose I'll eat fewer sweets lately. I feel like singers need to maintain a good physique too; performing a whole concert must be incredibly exhausting, right?"
Hikaru recalled the sheer spectacle of a concert–singing continuously for hours beneath burning spotlights with almost zero downtime, all while actively interacting with the audience. Analyzing that level of intensity, he realized that a concert truly was a test of sheer physical endurance.
"You've got a point. I need to start working out too," Hikaru nodded, before asking curiously, "Does Ai have any favorite sports?"
"Eh? Does dancing count?" Ai blinked her eyes. "In the past, just dance practice alone was already exhausting enough. Everyone in B-Komachi has a really great figure, you know."
*I completely forgot about that aspect,* Hikaru thought to himself. An idol's daily training routine inherently involved a massive amount of physical exertion; no wonder Ai was able to preserve such a spectacular silhouette.
Hikaru shifted the topic, asking, "The latest episode of the reality show is about to air soon. In the end, you still rejected Takuya and Jin, right?"
"Of course." Ai found his question a little strange. *Wasn't that the agreed-upon arrangement to begin with?*
Hikaru subconsciously continued, "Actually, they're both pretty good guys. If it weren't for your status as an idol, would you still have rejected them, Ai?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he instantly regretted it, feeling that this was truly a terrible topic of conversation.
Hearing his question, the corners of Ai's lips dipped slightly, a touch of pettishness creeping into her tone: "Then what about you, Hikaru-kun? Koromo Shiranui is so young and a genuine high-society lady, and Emi Sai is incredibly cute too. Why did you reject them?"
Hikaru turned it over in his mind before offering an honest reply, "Probably because I just didn't feel any spark."
"Why didn't you feel a spark?" Ai rolled back over onto her back, extending her right hand and spreading her fingers wide as she stared up at the beach umbrella through the gaps. "What exactly *is* love, anyway?"
"Having someone named Ai ask me what 'Ai' is... that really breaks the fourth wall," Hikaru shook his head, trapped between tears and laughter.
He pondered the question seriously before slowly articulating, "What love is, I don't completely know either. I'm afraid there isn't a precise definition for it. Everyone's understanding is different. To me, I feel that love is more of a resonance between two souls. Although a lot of romances trigger from a purely physical attraction, the ones that are able to make it to the very end must have gone through a lot together, aligning their hearts and minds."
"A romance of the soul?" Ai found Hikaru's phrasing rather novel.
Hikaru continued explaining, "It's not that extreme; physical attraction is also a component of love in my eyes. A purely spiritual romance is what people nowadays call Platonic love, advocating for a connection that transcends physical desire."
"It sounds beautiful." Ai didn't entirely comprehend it, but she felt it sounded incredibly profound.
"Though, when the term was originally coined back in Ancient Greece, it actually described spiritual love between men," Hikaru added.
"Eh?!" Ai gasped in sheer shock.
"It seems you really want to figure out what romantic love is, Ai, but that's no easy task," Hikaru said with a smile.
"This question has vexed philosophers since the dawn of Ancient Greece. Plato stated that love is the desire for beautiful things; Aristotle categorized it into several distinct types; and modern psychology came up with the Triangular Theory of Love consisting of passion, intimacy, and commitment. People of every era try to pin a definition on love, and the result is that the more they define it, the more complicated it gets. Perhaps love itself isn't meant to be fully understood, but rather to be experienced."
"Stop, stop," Ai buried her face in her hands. "My head hurts so much, I feel like I'm about to grow a brain."
She had only fully comprehended his very last sentence.
*Love is meant to be experienced.*
Ai subconsciously recalled those words the President had told her once upon a time:
"Even if it's a lie to say 'I love you,' if you say it enough times, there's a chance it might actually become the truth."
"The President was right after all," Ai murmured softly.
In other words, there was actually no need to stress so much over the exact nature of one's feelings. Had she been overthinking things all this time, overcomplicating what it meant to love?
"What was that?" Hikaru didn't catch her words clearly.
"Nothing." Ai blinked her eyes.
A brilliant smile broke across her face. "I think I finally understand."
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LanLi: Hikaru's 2 cents on Love.
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