Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

"Hey Hey"

A series of joyful laughs came from beside him. Choi Myung turned his head and saw Asuka hugging his arm, her cheeks slightly flushed, the corners of her mouth curving into a clear arc, and even her eyes shining as if they contained stars.

"Asuka, what's going on with you?" Choi Myung couldn't help but ask. He had deliberately kept a straight face before leaving the house, pretending to be calm and saying, "It's just a normal date." But after only a few steps, he couldn't help but reveal this expression.

"Hehe, I'm so happy to be on a date with Choi." Asuka hugged Choi's arm tighter and gently nuzzled his shoulder, her joy barely concealed. Today was a rare day off, and Choi had made a point of setting aside time to be alone with her. How could she not be happy about this private time together?

Actually, everyone else in the family had their own plans for the day: Lindis was probably still in the basement organizing her monster head collection; every time she got a new "collection," she would spend most of the day classifying and labeling them, her dedication surpassing anyone else's; Misato, having drunk quite a bit last night and stayed up late with Choi Myung, was probably still catching up on sleep in her bedroom and wouldn't wake up until noon; Miyuki was tending to her flowers at home, having heard that several rare varieties had arrived, and she had specifically looked up a lot of care tutorials; Saeko and Camilla were together... They started studying the map, researching the next alien stronghold they were to raid. The two occasionally discussed tactics, their eyes filled with fighting spirit. The two ship girls weren't idle either; they went to the armory to select weapons suitable for their new equipment. After all, in the face of the alien threat, equipment updates could never lag behind. Meanwhile, Megumi was still leading the GUTS team in training. Before leaving in the morning, she mentioned to Choi Myung that she would consult with Dan Moroboshi later, wanting to know how she could do better. However, when she heard that Dan Moroboshi simply smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you've already done very well," she felt much more at ease.

Because everyone was busy with their own things, Asuka cherished this time alone with Choi Myung, and had him disguise himself early in the morning. Choi Myung was so recognizable that he had been recognized several times before when he went out without disguising himself. People would surround him asking for autographs and inquiring about his combat experience, and he had almost scared some children who were passing by. So this time, she specially changed into ordinary casual clothes and wore a baseball cap to cover half of her face.

Even so, Cui Ming's "not to be trifled with" aura couldn't be completely hidden, not to mention the weapons he concealed on his person—on the surface, it was just an ordinary jacket, but no one knew that he could pull out no less than ten ranged weapons at will, ranging from miniature energy guns to portable laser cannons, not to mention the various knives hidden in his space, short blades, military daggers, and even a custom-made alloy longsword.

Choi Myung explained this as "caution." After all, no one can predict whether they might suddenly encounter aliens or monsters, so it's always good to be prepared in advance. You can't wait until danger strikes and then scramble to find weapons. Asuka was already used to this about him, and even found Choi Myung particularly reliable. She tightened her grip on his arm and said with a smile, "Choi is just like that. No matter what happens, I'm not afraid."

Choi Myung looked at Asuka beside him, who looked so dependent on him, and smiled helplessly. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, I'm here." Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on the two of them. Pedestrians came and went on the street, and a breeze occasionally blew by, carrying a faint fragrance of flowers. Such a peaceful and warm moment was indeed worth cherishing.

Choi Myung and Asuka strolled slowly along the street, holding the ice cream they had just bought. The relaxed atmosphere subtly changed as they passed a street corner—the two of them almost simultaneously noticed a woman standing by the river not far away.

To be precise, it was Choi Myung who noticed the abnormality first. His gaze lingered on the woman for a few seconds, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. Asuka beside him followed his gaze and asked softly, "Choi, what's wrong?" "Nothing," Choi Myung shook his head, but his gaze didn't leave the woman. "I just feel like something's different."

The woman stood by the river, her back to them. She was slender, wearing a simple white dress, her hair draped over her shoulders, and looked no different from an ordinary human. Yet, Cui Ming could vaguely sense an energy fluctuation emanating from her that was not of Earth—not the repulsive, bloodthirsty, and destructive aura of an evil alien, but a very faint, even clean, fluctuation. She didn't smell of blood, nor did she possess that chilling malice.

"Is it an alien?" Asuka also keenly sensed something, and lowered her voice even further.

“Most likely,” Cui Ming nodded, but slowly withdrew his gaze while holding Asuka’s hand, “but we don’t need to worry about it. She hasn’t done anything bad, nor does she pose a threat to humans, so there’s no need to go up and question her.”

Asuka followed his lead and stopped looking, though a sliver of curiosity lingered in her mind. The two continued walking, as if they were just passing by an ordinary stranger, not wanting to meddle any further—to Choi Myung, as long as the other party didn't harm Earth or humans, even if they were aliens, they had their own way of surviving, and he didn't need to interfere in everything. He also didn't want to ruin their peaceful date or disturb a "guest" who might just be passing by because of his excessive vigilance.

The woman standing by the river, Saki, the girl from outer space, had actually noticed Choi Myung and Asuka long ago. She had just been looking up at the sky, her eyes filled with confusion and longing, secretly clutching the hem of her clothes, still wondering where the capsule that summoned Machina had fallen into. After arriving on Earth in the 19th century, she had been trapped here because the capsule fell into the sea, and had been there for two hundred years, her appearance almost unchanged, waiting every day for the chance to return to her homeland.

When the couple passed by, Saki could feel their gazes lingering on her, and she even vaguely felt that the two were a little "strange"—they looked like just an ordinary couple, yet she inexplicably felt afraid to approach them, as if facing powerful guardians in the universe. But this feeling was fleeting, and Saki quickly shook her head, thinking she was overthinking it—perhaps the couple just had a strong aura. After all, having lived on Earth for two hundred years, she had seen all sorts of people.

She looked up at the sky again, the sunlight falling on her face, but unable to dispel the desolation in her eyes. Sigh… I want to go home. She thought of the boy she had met long ago, Daigo in his youth, who had innocently asked her if she was an alien. Looking back now, that was probably one of the few warm memories she had during her long wanderings on Earth.

A gentle breeze blew across the river, causing Saki's skirt to sway slightly. She stood there, gazing at the sky, waiting for her chance to return home. Meanwhile, Choi Myung and Asuka had already gone far away, the sweet taste of ice cream still lingering on their tongues. They regained their previous ease; the little incident was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples before quickly returning to calm. (End of Chapter)