Valentine's Day had come around, though Yasushi hadn't gone all out. Jingliu had asked for casual clothes since Hakkuin, like Ginsukimura, was covered in snow. Yasushi stood near the entrance, his black jacket zipped up, blue pants clinging to him, and white sneakers that were made to handle winter's bite. A beanie sat snug on his head to help with the cold. He waited there, watching the snow fall, while Yunxue stood beside him, eyeing his outfit.
"Eight out of ten, not bad, but you could do better, Yasushi," she said, arms crossing in front of her. The maid looked him up and down, showing some approval but not overly impressed.
"Better than his usual, since he doesn't seem to care about dressing up," Yinhaie chimed in, her eyes flicking over his jacket.
"And yet he still manages to look passable somehow. Weird, isn't it?" Layena tossed in, glancing at him with an amused grin.
Yasushi gave them a tired smile, saying nothing in response. He couldn't tell if they were mocking or praising him, and decided it wasn't worth figuring out. Better to stay quiet.
Eventually, Jingliu came down the stairs, dressed to match the winter chill. She had on a long white jacket, blue jeans, and brown boots built for the cold. A red scarf wrapped around her neck, and gloves covered her hands. She stepped over to Yasushi, giving his clothes a quick glance.
"That's all you're wearing?" she asked, her eyes flicking from his jacket to his sneakers.
"Yeah," he said. "I can change if we're going to be outside a lot."
She shook her head. "No need. We'll only be outside in short bursts. Most of the places we're headed to are indoors."
Yasushi gave a nod, turning towards the door. "We'll be back by tonight," he said, tossing a glance at the three maids. They just nodded silently as he and Jingliu stepped outside.
His bike waited just past the gate, ready for the day. He'd checked it earlier, making sure everything was set, doing any repairs needed before the ride. As they mounted up, Jingliu slid behind him, arms wrapping around his waist. She had her helmet on too, the cold air biting at them both.
"How long's the ride to town again?" she asked, leaning in a little closer, her voice muffled by the helmet but still clear enough.
Yasushi settled himself on the bike, adjusting his grip on the handlebars. "Depends on traffic and weather," he said, glancing over his shoulder. "Could be anywhere from half an hour to an hour. Let's hope for the former."
Jingliu gave a small nod, holding onto him a little tighter from behind. With that, Yasushi kicked the bike to life, easing it forward onto the snow-covered road. The tires crunched over the frost as they made their way past the gate that marked the community's edge, leaving behind the quiet of their starting point.
The city streets were mostly clear of traffic, allowing them to move quickly through the roads. After ten minutes, they hit the road leading out of the city, heading toward their destination. The open road stretched ahead of them, a steady path leading away from the busy streets.
Another twenty minutes rolled by, the sound of the bike filling the silence. Jingliu glanced around at the landscape. She hadn't been outside of Ginsukimura much — only when flying out to different countries. Even then, she never paid much attention to what was around her.
"It's emptier than I thought out here," she muttered to herself. "Just wide-open fields, a few houses scattered around."
"Yeah, Ginsukimura's always been pretty cut off from the rest," Yasushi said, keeping his eyes on the road. "There used to be a lot more houses, smaller villages scattered around. But once people realized there was snow for eight months of the year, followed by unbearable heat, they bailed. Nobody wanted to stick around and deal with all that."
Jingliu gave a small nod. It made sense. She stayed quiet after that, resting her head lightly against his back. Her arms wrapped around him, but her thoughts drifted elsewhere, getting lost in the passing scenery.
The last few months had weighed heavily on her mind. Everything that had gone down left her feeling uneasy, torn between those thoughts and a strange hope she couldn't shake. Today wasn't just about the trip — they both knew that. She had something planned, something she'd been thinking about for a while. But it brought a lot of uncertainty with it, and she wasn't sure how Yasushi would react.
Would he take it well? Or brush it off, leaving her unsure of where they stood? She knew he might not even give her an answer right away. Hell, he might not agree at all. The thought gnawed at her, a quiet worry pressing into the back of her mind. All she could do was hope that it wouldn't drive a wedge between them.
+-+
As they approached the town, it slowly came into view. The buildings weren't tall or imposing, but there was something about them that drew attention. Even from a distance, the place gave off an odd sense of warmth, though neither of them would have called it that out loud.
Yasushi steered the bike through the narrow roads, keeping an eye out for a spot. He finally found one that worked, parked, and took care of the fee. Once off the bike, they moved to a small locker nearby to stash their helmets. The key slid into his pocket after they locked everything up.
They stood there for a moment, taking in the scene. From where they stood on the hill, they had a clear view of the entire town laid out below them. It wasn't grand, but there was something about it that pulled them in, especially with the light dusting of snow still clinging to the rooftops and streets.
Yasushi checked his watch. "So, where to first, Miss Jingliu? It's about ten-thirty, so we've got some time to kill before lunch."
She smiled, "Let's take a walk through the town first. We should get a feel for it before we start hitting the spots I planned."
Yasushi shrugged, gesturing with his arm for her to take it, and she did. Linking her arm with his, they started walking.
The path led them downhill, the snow beneath their feet crunching loudly as they moved. The town was almost empty, not many people out, only trees and houses, a few decorations scattered here and there for Valentine's Day. It was strange how quiet it felt, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the stillness.
"There's more snow here than I thought there'd be," Jingliu said, glancing at Yasushi. "We're pretty far from Ginsukimura, so why does this place have so much snow?"
"Apparently, it used to hit towns closer to Ginsukimura more often," Yasushi answered. "My parents said most people didn't want to deal with that, so they left. The ones farther out, like Hakkuin, stuck it out and just got used to it."
As they wandered through the streets, they passed by small shops, cafés, and other spots decked out with Valentine's decorations. The deeper they got into the town, the number of people increased. Not crowded, but far more than what they saw earlier near the outskirts. Still quieter than Ginsukimura, but the contrast from the empty areas was obvious.
Yasushi glanced around, noticing who made up most of the crowd. "Looks like the website was right. A lot of older couples here."
Most of the couples they passed were in their fifties and sixties, some maybe even older. A few younger ones walked here and there, maybe in their twenties or thirties, but Yasushi didn't spot anyone close to their age — seventeen, almost eighteen. They seemed like the odd ones out.
"Not many people our age are into places like this," Jingliu said. "Most want to go somewhere more… lively. Clubs, loud spots, that kind of thing. But for us? This quieter, 'boring' vibe — it fits." She smiled, her eyes catching his for a second before turning back to the path ahead.
"Heh, compared to the mess we've been through, I guess we deserve a break. Especially with exams around the corner, then there's the Easter event, the Kyoto trip, and graduation looming. Not to mention whatever we do after that," Yasushi said, pressing his lips to her temple.
"Mmm…" Jingliu murmured, her eyes closing, letting the rhythm of their steps guide them around the town. The faint music playing from the town's speakers drifted through the air, snow continuing to fall in slow drifts. They walked like this for a while, the sound of snow crunching underfoot mixing with the distant chatter of couples and shopkeepers going about their day.
Soon enough, the time to grab lunch came up on them without a word being said.
+-+
They picked a small place to eat, not many people inside, mostly older couples scattered around. A waitress came over after a few moments.
"Oh, well, this is rare. Young couple like you two. What can I get you?" she asked, her tone light.
They ordered from the menu, gave her a nod when she jotted it all down, and watched her leave after throwing them a quick wink.
"This place is nice, and it's near where I wanted to go next after we finish eating," Jingliu said, her eyes moving toward the window, watching the steady stream of people passing by.
"Hmm. And where's that?" Yasushi asked, curiosity clear in his voice.
"It's near Lover's Bridge, but I don't want to say more just yet. I'll take you to a bridge too, though it's a different one. And I know the last stop before we head back home. You'll love it. The view will blow you away," she said, smiling. He nodded, not pushing for details.
They ate mostly in silence, their conversation picking up in small bursts here and there. When they finished, they paid and left, walking out into the town to continue their date. Hakkuin wasn't far, but when they arrived, Yasushi found himself puzzled. His eyes rested on a snow-covered tree, several branches weighed down by birds.
Jingliu pointed at the birds perched on the branches, her voice calm. "That's a Brown-Eared Bulbul, a Hawfinch, and there's a Daurian Redstart. Different species, but they all stick around through the winter, and yeah, they come to Japan too."
Yasushi scratched his head, trying to figure it out. "I didn't expect to see this."
"It's not exactly official, if that's what you're thinking," Jingliu replied. "These birds just started showing up every winter. People noticed, started taking pictures, talking about it, and now it's kind of like an unofficial attraction here."
Yasushi nodded slowly, his confusion fading as he stared at the birds.
Jingliu pulled out her phone, snapping shots of the birds on the branches. They barely moved, almost like they were waiting for her to capture them. Yasushi, watching her, reached for his own phone and took a few pictures too. After a moment, she grabbed his arm, and they took a couple of selfies with the snow-covered tree and the birds behind them.
Yasushi's mind wandered back to the Bird Sanctuary in Mengyinhu, where Jingliu grew up. He figured that must've been where her love for birds came from, especially with the old couple, Wei Li and Hua Li, who ran it and meant a lot to her.
"When did you get into birds? Watching them, I mean," Yasushi asked after she paused to admire one of the photos she'd just taken.
She glanced over, almost as if the question pulled her back from a memory. "When I was a kid. Wei Li and Hua Li introduced me to it whenever I'd visit them. That's how it started."
She began to talk about her visits to the sanctuary and her childhood there. Yasushi listened closely, piecing together her connection to that place. After some time, they finished and started walking again, heading toward Lover's Bridge, their first planned stop.