Excerpt

The locals smiled and walked off. Naoko and Tadashi looked at each other then turned their backs to each other at the same time. Soft snoring and the sound of clothes ruffling were the only things that broke the silence of the room.

Tadashi knew that Naoko was done changing but waited for her to tell him. 

"Let's go?" Naoko asked. 

Tadashi turned back around to face her. His jaw went a little slack. His lips were apart but he could not let out a peep. The garments were made so that movement would not be impeded. Their arms and legs were exposed. Now that she dressed like the locals, the wild image only accentuated her charm in Tadashi's eyes. His dormant desires felt tickled. As soon as the thought of having his hands roam her body appear in his mind, he coughed and quickly spoke. "Let's go."

Naoko nodded and left the room with him. Tadashi kept his eyes trained on their destination ahead of them. Unbeknownst to him, Naoko's gaze similarly stayed on anything else but him. Her face revealed a hint of blush that betrayed her honest thoughts. 

It did not take them long to find the crowd of people gathered near the center of the village where the memorial hall was at. All they had to do was follow the ruckus being made. There were piles of meat laid out on tables that were not there before. Gemstones decorated the area where there were not any before. New stands and rings. People were eating, chatting, dancing, singing, and sparring.

Naoko was naturally drawn to where the locals were sparring. Tadashi quietly tagged along behind her. They joined the circle of people that surrounded the people who were sparring. Somehow or other, they slowly squeeze their way past everyone's legs and made it to the front row. It was incredibly rowdy. Everyone cheered for the person they supported without holding back at all. For such an aggressive activity, the pair was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no angst at all. Winners did not gloat. Losers did not whine. They helped each other up and gave each other a pat on the back. It really warmed Naoko's heart to witness such warm gestures. Before she knew it, she was entranced by their matches. Her gaze turned gentle and appreciative. A small smile graced her lips. Tadashi shifted his gaze onto her and his gaze turned equally soft. He wrapped his arm around her waist, leaned his cheek against her head, then said, loud enough for her to hear above the noise, "We can stay here as long as you want."

When he felt her lean against him, his heart leapt in joy. He silently apologised to his parents for being an unfilial son. His happiness was here.

Suddenly, the pair felt something hard push them from behind. They came flying out of the circle and into the sparring area. Somehow, they landed where the local's body was falling towards. The pair looked up in horror and knew that there was no way they could get away in time. They hugged each other tight and shut their eyes, bracing themselves for a death by a giant flattening them. 

No way! Not like that! BaoBao exclaimed in her mind.

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