Mild NSFW at end of chapter 

 

The quaint wooden boathouse, no larger than a school bus, sat on tall stilts above the flowing river. The row of glass wind chimes hanging from the eave of its roof shook gently in the breeze, humming a sweet melody which welcomed their impromptu arrival. Shun’s immediate impression was that it looked like something straight out of a Ghibli movie.  

 

A wonderful aroma of cooked fish greeted them when they approached the door, instantly making their mouths water.

 

“Hey, Shun, do you smell that?” Rya said excitedly, her face lit up with a hungry smile. 

 

“Oh, yesss.” He raised his fist and pounded on the door loudly without hesitation. “Hello! Can you please open the door?” 

 

A moment of silence passed, then footsteps could be heard from inside. Shun instinctively took a step back as the door yawned open. “Thank you, kind—” 

 

“Kax ddi nge mình?!!” a man, who was wearing nothing but what appeared to be a pair of briefs, spat. He glared at him and opened his mouth to continue, but suddenly stopped upon noticing Rya. “...kep mu mên lot buop xiá mình?”

 

“Ah…ba ap dda kiên shax ndur,” she said politely while bowing her head. “Hiếu nhẫng, mình dop wa sha tươi ip nyit?” 

 

Wait, what the hell are they talking about? I can’t understand a single word??

 

“Um, Rya,” he leaned closer to her and whispered. “What are you saying?” 

 

“Oh, since he’s speaking Shangrinese, I thought it would be better to communicate with him in his native tongue.” She tilted her head in confusion. “Shun, you don’t understand Shangrinese¹Rya asks this because Shun looks Asian i.e. from Shangri-La (his dark-brown eyes)?” 

 

“O-of course not, I just haven’t spoken it for so long that I’ve forgotten how it sounds.” He managed a feeble smile before turning around and quickly opening the thick book. Oi, Goddess? Your auto-translation isn’t working!! 

 

A line of text appeared on the page. “Who do you think I am? Go*gle Translate? You’re already fluent in the Arcadian language, deal with it and learn how to pick up a new language yourself~”

 

The book had the audacity to close itself shut after he read the page. 

 

“Tóng đêi qop bop jjo wo mình ya?” The half-naked man pointed at Shun while smiling at Rya. 

 

“What did he ask?” Shun whispered. 

 

“Uh…whether you’re my boyfriend…or not?” she mumbled, fingering the hem of her dress shyly.

 

He gave the man a sideways glance. “Pfft, why does it concern him?”  

 

She let out a giggle and faced him. “Nghiên rứu bbox zze vyt vu mình ya.”

 

“W-wait, Rya, what did you just say?”

 

“Hmm? I just answered his question.”

 

“Yes, but what exactly—”

 

“Ssyp qix truyền thế gian!” the man yelled at Rya’s face. “Mình bba liầm Shangri-La, nigày! Nigày!” 

 

Shun stared at the fuming man in puzzlement and shock. “Rya, what’s happening?”

 

“He wants us to pay if we want him to take us to Shangri-La.” She looked at the man. “Though he said that he was going there too and we can hitch a ride earlier…”

 

“Oh, he wants payment?” He handed the man the thick book and tapped his finger on its ancient-looking cover. “Oi, look. This divine manuscript is all yours if you take us there. That should be more than enough, right?” 

 

“Cyp mui dvine mabảnscript?” The man opened it and gasped in shock as he flipped the pages. “Gex zhy lưu luyến về…ssap bbu sse iệ như nigày ya!” 

 

“YES!” Rya cheered happily and hastily pushed past the man into the boathouse. “Shun, let’s go! He said that we can use the bath too!” 

 

“Ah, alright, coming!” Shun gripped the man’s shoulder and smiled at him before stepping through the doorway. “Sorry, but you should look somewhere else.”

 

The interior was more spacious than he expected, with minimal furnishings and plenty of windows overlooking the river providing ventilation. In the middle of the main room was a pit on the floor where a large black pot, filled with delicious fish soup, sat above a stone stove. The tantalizing aroma rising from it reminded him that he hadn’t had any proper meals since leaving the Kingdom, and his stomach growled in response.

 

“Why are you standing there like a sad rock?” Rya took his hand and yanked him towards the bathroom. “Hurry up, Shun!” 

 

“First I was a grape, now I’m a rock?” he muttered. “A-and…why are you pulling me into the bath with you…?”

 

“Well, it’s faster this way, isn’t it?” She turned around and closed the door shut, making sure to put the bolt in place, before facing him with an enigmatic smile. 

 

They stared at each other in silence. 

 

U-um, what am I supposed to do here? This is someone else’s house, isn’t it?? Wouldn’t it be awkward to…?

 

“A-are we entering the bath like this?” Shun finally broke the silence, gesturing at the wooden bathtub which looked like it could just barely fit two people inside. 

 

“Hmm, well, do you want to keep your dirty uniform on?” she asked, her hazel eyes searching his.  

 

He raised his eyebrows. “You won’t hit me and call me a pervert, right?” 

 

“Pervert.” Rya stuck her tongue out childishly and turned her back to him. “Help me pull the zipper, will you?”

 

“Pfft, why are you being lazy all of a sudden?” Shun stepped forward and reached out for the zipper before giving it a tug. 

 

It opened all the way to her waist with ease. He felt his breath catch at the sight of her smooth vanilla skin and had to force himself to avert his eyes. “Is this okay?”

 

“Come on, help me undress as well.” She curled her long flaxen hair up high with her delicate fingers, revealing her bare neck. 

 

He couldn’t see her face from behind, but he could imagine a teasing smile forming on her lips in that instant. Heart throbbing against his chest, he pulled her dress gently off her shoulders and let it fall onto the floor. 

 

Rya gracefully stepped out of her dress and faced him. 

 

He met her demure eyes. “...you’re blushing.” 

 

“W-who wouldn’t be?” She twirled a loose strand of hair around her finger shyly. 

 

“No, I just wanted to say that it’s kind of cute…” He saw the tender ridges of her aroused nipples peeking out from her blanket of hair. “...and I’m not too sure if I can control myself here.” 

 

“Oh? What’re you thinking about right now?” She caressed his neck and ran her hand through his tousled hair in a playful manner, pushing her supple breasts against his chest.

 

“You wouldn’t want to know.” He grinned and pulled his tunic and undershirt off his body before taking her hand. “But for now, I’m itching to enter the bathtub.”