As Alister and Yumikou walked together around the corner, reaching the highest point of the steps and reaching the distant horizon, the morning sun was at its most beautiful.
At 7:05 in the morning in City A, the world was divided by the pedestrian bridge, and the fresh morning air carried the sound of athletes jogging...
Leaning on the railing, Yumikou looked down at the swaying green grass below, her white ponytail gently swaying, as ethereal as a heavenly being, her disheveled hair tucked behind her ear.
A strand of stray hair stood up, and her previous black duckbill cap was nowhere to be seen.
"You look more mature now." Yumikou smiled lightly, admiring the person beside her.
"Do I look like an old man?" Alister also leaned on the railing, turned his face, and jokingly said, "I actually feel like I look younger."
Then, Alister lifted his mouth, smoothly adjusted the cap, and said the lines he had been wanting to say:
"Pikachu, I choose you!"
At that moment, a gentle breeze brushed past, carrying a faint scent of green grass, rendering the handsome side profile of the black-haired youth with an air of mystery.
At this moment, Alister seemed like a Pokémon trainer, his acting skills flawless, ignoring the fact that he didn't have a Poké Ball or a Pikachu.
Yumikou paused for a moment and then came back to her senses, chuckling softly.
She gathered her wind-blown hair and said, "I won't watch any live-action Pokémon dramas if you're not in them."
"Well, it seems that the live-action Pokémon dramas will forever lose a beautiful audience," Alister returned to his normal self, his voice calm. "The appearance fee for this trainer is quite high."
"Well, this director has seen the potential in you," Yumikou played the role of a director, teasingly humming, "If you obediently act in the live-action Pokémon drama with me, your reward will be ten million dollars."
Seeing Yumikou's arms crossed, slightly lifting her chest, Alister couldn't help but get into character, shaking his head in a seemingly melancholic manner, refusing:
"I'm sorry, Director, I can't be fooled by empty promises. I bet your wallet doesn't have ten million dollars."
"Who says I don't..."
Once again, a breeze blew, Yumikou turned her head away, and whispered softly.
Alister seemed to hear Yumikou's whisper and tentatively asked, "Do you really have it?"
As the words fell, a ray of morning light illuminated Yumikou's fair side face, giving it a radiant glow, like melting snow in early winter.
Yumikou, like a little cat disturbed from its sleep, shifted her gaze to "Guess what," and then, as if giving up, she confessed:
"This rich girl's wallet doesn't have just ten million dollars, would you like me to take care of you?"
"That won't do." Alister placed the duckbill cap back on her head. "I am an aspiring young man who wants to rely on my own efforts."
Although it was still the same duckbill cap, it now carried a faint scent of youth from Alister's return, and Yumikou cherished the feeling of it on her head.
Her head... was feeling a little dizzy. Yumikou's earlobes slightly warmed, and she instinctively used her white hair to cover them.
Alister let out a sigh and leaned on the railing, seemingly exhausted, saying:
"But when I think about it, getting a ten million dollar allowance isn't bad. At least I would be ahead of many others in the starting line of striving..."
"This trainer, your opportunity has already passed, you know?" Yumikou laughed with a mischievous smile. "After all, there's no potion of regret in the world."
"Agreed." Alister nodded, pretending to ponder.
Then, he looked out at the bustling world, spoke with a serious tone, and said, "So, I choose to rewind."
"But there's no option for rewinding in the world," Yumikou corrected him seriously, her cold voice sounding pleasant to the ears. "Reality is not a game."
"Do you know about sequential games?" Alister's tone suddenly changed, but it still carried a hint of nonchalance.
Upon hearing this, Yumikou looked at Alister again, furrowing her delicate eyebrows, and recalled that Alister had been to the Linggu District last night.
"Sequential games? Where did you hear about that?" she asked with concern.
Alister was about to say something when he heard the sound of wings flapping in his ears. He caught a glimpse of Yumikou's slightly panicked eyes.
A white bird flew in from the southwest direction and took Yumikou's duckbill cap away.
Yumikou puffed up her cheeks like an angry child, feeling a little lost. The hat that she had just shared with Alister was taken away...
She had been thinking about Alister and sequential games.
"What are you standing there for?"
Alister said, then he picked up Yumikou, carrying her in a princess carry, took a deep breath, and quickly chased after the bird.
As she was held in his arms, Yumikou made a bewildered hum, her delicate face tinged with a blush.
Perhaps she was upset with that bird.
...
...
As if it was destiny, the white bird landed on a golden trumpet tree in the park and hung the duckbill cap on a branch before flying away.
Originally, Alister and Yumikou had come to this park to enjoy the scenery.
The intricately designed wooden pavilion, the lilac flowers next to the public benches, the crystal-clear man-made lake, the colorful ornamental fish blowing bubbles...
Under the golden trumpet tree full of yellow flowers, Alister rested his chin on his hand and turned to Yumikou beside him, asking:
"Should I climb up?"
Upon hearing this, Yumikou retracted her gaze from the trumpet tree and looked at Alister, shaking her head worriedly, and said:
"Climbing a tree is dangerous, especially when the trunk of this trumpet tree is so thin... Let's leave the hat here."
"Is that so..."
As the branches swayed and the golden flowers fell, Alister could sense the rhythm of this world.
So, Alister closed his eyes, listened to the whispers of the wind, and the movements of the fish in the lake...
The lake surface shimmered, accompanying Alister's profile, and Yumikou curiously stared at it, her cheeks unconsciously blushing.
About a minute passed...
Alister opened his black eyes, smiled on his face, and calmly walked to the other side of the golden trumpet tree, satisfied with his voice:
"I'll count to three, and your duckbill cap will be back."
"Three?" Yumikou tilted her head, cooperating and started counting.
"Two." Alister raised two fingers, changing it from three,
"One..." This time they both said it together, their voices overlapping, echoing in the park.
In the next moment, golden flower petals fell one after another, and the swaying branches above gracefully presented the duckbill cap to Alister.
The world seemed far and near, with just a golden trumpet tree separating Alister and Yumikou.
Yumikou applauded lightly, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Are you the protagonist of this world? I regret not capturing that just now," she laughed, her smile captivating.
Alister approached Yumikou confidently, gracefully, and gently pulled her fair cheek, as always.