Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 178, Section 19: "A Glimpse into My Trip to Miyako Island: What Happened Along the Way"

The passenger plane landed at Miyako Airport, and after landing, the plane continued to taxi on the runway, its tires screeching against the ground.

The presence of gravity has never felt so strong as it does now.

Airplanes are truly amazing.

A sudden, rustic feeling welled up in Masumi's heart.

Flying on this planet is indeed no easy task.

Either give up a lot like a bird, or go to great lengths like an airplane.

If you refuse to do either, you'll end up like an ostrich, unable to fly even if you grow wings.

"It's like..."

"Ok?"

Kurokawa Mio tilted her head slightly like a little bird, with an expression that seemed to say, "Does Masumi have something to say?"

"nothing."

Masumi shook her head. "Even if I'm just muttering to myself, will anyone hear me? I really can't let my guard down for a moment."

"Well, let's go then."

Kurokawa Mio smiled faintly, her eyes reflecting only Masumi's image.

The cabin door opened, and the group followed the flow of people across the jet bridge, walking a long way through the airport before finally reaching the airport terminal below.

Not far away, you can see boys and girls in uniforms walking around. I didn't realize that the destination of a school trip was so far away.

Masumi was carrying a travel bag and left the airport after 2 p.m. (she had a layover in Okinawa), which happened to be the hottest time of the day.

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh-!"

"This is the air on Miyako Island! No wonder it's in the south!"

Asami clenched her fists and said excitedly.

"You're too excited, Mami-nee." Rinne sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"It's too loud! Everyone around us is looking at us," Qian'ai whispered.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just that the seasons here are completely different from those in Kobe. It's like going from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere."

"It's not that far."

“However, I understand how you feel,” Masumi said. “It feels like you’ve come to a place completely different from your usual life; it really feels like traveling.”

Travelers often seek refreshing experiences, and by that standard, Miyako Island is a very suitable travel destination for the Kobe residents.

"Yeah, as expected of Masumi-kun." Mami nodded. "By the way, it's really hot here."

She placed her palm across her brow, gazing up at the clear blue sky, the sun overhead radiating a brutal intensity.

"Miyako Island is located in the subtropics, and except for January and February, it maintains high temperature and humidity above 30 degrees Celsius for most of the year."

"Although it's easy to sweat when walking outdoors, it must be more comfortable to go swimming at the beach if it's this hot."

Qian Ai smiled broadly and proudly adjusted the red-framed swimming goggles perched on her nose.

"Hey, Chii's really diligent with her homework," Mami exclaimed, then blinked and asked, "What's with those glasses?"

“Diving masks, of course,” Chiai replied matter-of-factly. “Now that we’re on Miyako Island, doesn’t everyone want to go diving?”

"I tried diving when I was in Okinawa before, and the underwater scenery was very beautiful."

"I heard that Yae-Kise on Miyako Island is a diving paradise with clear water where you can see sea turtles."

"Diving? That sounds amazing!"

Mami was eager to try.

“Snorkeling…” Rinne hesitated.

"Huh? Is Rinne a little afraid of diving?"

"Yes, after all, it's underwater."

The heiress openly expressed her unease.

In the past, she would always be on edge, the type to exhaust herself to the point of stiffness in her shoulders and neck in order to show her loved ones that she was reliable.

Masumi realizes the subtle changes in those around her, and wonders how much responsibility she bears in this.

Thinking this, he glanced at Kurokawa Mio again without making a sound.

"I see. How about a periscope ship?" Qian'ai suggested.

"It is a semi-submersible underwater sightseeing boat, which allows you to easily appreciate the underwater world. Even people who are not good at swimming can enjoy a kind of diving-like experience."

Mami nodded repeatedly, "That sounds pretty good too."

"Well, although it's a bit of a downer to say that..."

Masumi carefully chose her words and spoke tactfully: "However, our schedule probably doesn't allow for that much flexibility."

After attracting the girls' attention, he continued talking.

"The trip is supposed to last three days and two nights, but because we have to take a plane on the morning of the first day and the evening of the third day, it is actually only two days."

"On the first day, we played in the water at the private beach near the guesthouse. On the second day, we drove around to see all the popular attractions on the island before ending our trip and heading back to Kobe."

"Ugh, this doesn't sound exciting at all."

"Miyako Island is a small island; two days should be enough."

"So, what's the itinerary for this afternoon?" Mami asked.

"First, we'll pick up the car from the rental shop we booked, find a place to eat, and then go straight back to the guesthouse... that's it," Masumi replied.

"Do you need to rent a car? Are there any sightseeing trams or anything like that? Like in Kamakura or Izu?"

"No."

Unlike Honshu, the Ryukyu Islands are a continuous but discontinuous archipelago, with a total length of about 1000 kilometers. There are no trams on the islands; it is a car-based society.

The attractions on Miyako Island are scattered and quite far apart, so renting a car is the most suitable way to get around for a group of six.

Masumi rented a silver-gray seven-seater van for the trip, and Rinne, being the only one among the six with a driver's license, naturally took on the role of driver.

"Speaking of which, it's really amazing that Rinne, who is so busy every day, still has time to take her driver's license test," Masumi exclaimed.

He had considered getting a driver's license to drive the band's equipment vehicle, but at the time, he was fully occupied with band practice and part-time jobs and had no time to spare.

"It's not that exaggerated. After graduating from high school, Mr. Jing Jian and I took two weeks off to enroll in a driving school dormitory."

After starting the car, Rinne answered slowly and deliberately.

Her qualification was ordinary exemption. This car was the same as the one in the store, a manual transmission, and the load was within the limit, so driving it was not a problem.

(Note: Ordinary driver's license is roughly equivalent to a C1 driver's license in China.)
"Isn't Masumi-nii planning to get a driver's license?"

"We have this plan, but the timing is a bit tricky, since the store needs to be open every day."

“You could consider regular driving school training, which offers more flexibility in terms of time, but the exams will be more difficult than those at a training camp,” Rinne said.

“There’s a really good driving school near my house,” Chiai said. “Sayaka attended one before; the rooms were double rooms, and there’s a hot spring nearby.”

“A double room…” Kurokawa Mio reacted to the word, “Then there shouldn’t be any restrictions on men and women living together, right? I’ll take the driving test with Masumi too.”

"STOP!"

Qian Ai crossed her two index fingers in front of her face and blushed.

"This kind of training camp is no longer a driving school training camp; it's so inadequate!"

“Exactly, exactly.” Mami nodded in agreement. “In that case, you’ll get more than just a driver’s license after the training camp.”

"whispering sound."

Kurokawa Mio turned her face away, looking bored.

"So what's Masumi-nii thinking? A training camp, or regular training sessions?"

Qian'ai threw the question back at her.

"Hmm... I'll think about it later."

Masumi resorted to stalling tactics, deciding to enjoy her island trip for now.

The car started slowly and drove easily along the lane, while a female singer's voice came from the car radio.

The shimmering, undulating waves, reflecting a spectrum of colors, cast our image upon the coastline.
Let's name the emerging scenery "Dream" once again.
That's right, neither the past nor the present should be the answer to survival.

Somewhere on the road, somewhere within the heart, will the search take us to the future.

The song reflects Asami's taste; it's said to be the theme song for an anime set in Okinawa. It doesn't have a strong otaku vibe, but surprisingly, it fits the island travel theme perfectly.

"Ah, everyone look, it's the ocean."

Chiai pointed out the window; the azure sea shimmered in the sunlight. Mami pressed her face against the window and let out a short gasp of surprise.

"Wow, so beautiful!"

"Are there jellyfish?" Haiyue asked, tilting her head.

“There should be, but we’re so far away, even if there were, we probably wouldn’t be able to see them,” Masumi replied.

"Look, the shape of the waves looks like the grain of Wagyu beef!"

"No way, Mami-nee, I think you're just hungry."

"Bingo! The airplane food was absolutely terrible."

Asami stroked her lower abdomen, and her belly made a rumbling sound in response.

"What are we having for dinner later?" she asked eagerly. "A local seafood feast from Miyako Island?"

"There was a barbecue restaurant on Google Maps with good ratings, so I made a reservation in advance."

"Barbecue? Great! I heard that Miyako Island's beef is famous before I came here."

The restaurant that Masumi booked offers authentic Miyako Wagyu beef.

Miyako beef refers to beef produced on Tarama Island, 67 kilometers west of Miyako Island. On this tiny island with only 1200 residents, 5000 black Wagyu cattle are raised.

Because of its scarcity, it's difficult to find outside the county.

The thinly sliced ​​beef curled up slightly on the grill. "Mami, that piece of meat is almost burnt!" Masumi warned.

"Ah, my little chubby one!"

In a panic, Mami used tongs to move the meat aside, placed it on her plate, dipped it in lemon juice and salt along with the oozing oil, and then picked it up with chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

"Chew~ Mmm! Delicious—but it's so hot!"

Seeing this, Qian Ai burst out laughing.

"What happened, Mami-nee? You scared me!"

"Masumi, try some pork belly. It's not so greasy when it's grilled until slightly charred."

With a smile, Kurokawa Mio picked up a slice of pork belly.

"Oh, thank you."

Masumi handed him the plate, but Kurokawa Mio showed no intention of putting it down, continuing to stare intently at him.

"Mio—um."

The moment the lips parted to form the word "mio," the chopsticks holding the pork belly slices reached in.

This was the first time Masumi had ever experienced such a rough way of feeding someone. After hurriedly swallowing the grilled meat, he quickly waved his hand to stop.

"Wait, Mio, I won't refuse. Please be gentle. I can't handle this."

"Sorry, Masumi, let's try again."

"That sounds a bit strange."

"Have it?"

Kurokawa Mio tilted her head slightly, her honey-gold hair tied in a low ponytail, and blinked as if she didn't understand.

"Is this pork dish called Agu pork?"

She easily changed the subject and asked.

"Yes, it is said to be a native black-haired pig breed from Okinawa."

The fat ratio of the grilled meat was just right, and it tasted sweet and tender in the mouth. Masumi picked up a piece of cooked meat from the edge of the grill with her chopsticks and was amazed by the taste of the pork belly.

For Masumi, today was a day of many firsts: her first time on an airplane, her first trip to Okinawa, her first road trip on an island, and her first time eating Miyako beef and Agu pork.

In terms of travel, it was a very valuable experience.

"Has Masumi ever eaten this kind of pork before?"

"No, I've never had it before."

Because of its scarcity, this ingredient is almost never seen in either Tokyo or Kobe.

"Oh, I see. Me too."

For some reason, Kurokawa Mio seemed to be in a good mood and laughed from the bottom of her heart.

Are you happy just because of this?

Or perhaps it's because she's like me, or simply because being with me makes her happy no matter what.

The questions were swallowed down along with the grilled meat. Masumi felt a bit greasy from consuming too much oil, so she reached for the dessert next to her.

The packaging says Blue Seal ice cream.

"Eating ice cream halfway through grilling can reset the temperature in your mouth and rekindle your enthusiasm for the grilled meat."

Asami said something like that before.

Masumi initially felt awkward, but after trying it once, she couldn't go back. Indeed, people influence each other; if you interfere in other people's lives, there's no reason to stay out of it.

But if Mami knew, she'd be smug and proud of herself, so he planned to take the ice cream quietly. Just then—

A slender, fair arm suddenly reached out and snatched the ice cream away with lightning speed.

Masumi turned her head and met the gaze of those clear, bluish-green eyes.

"Masumi...would you like some too?"

Haiyue blinked slowly, and as her red lips parted slightly, her pink tongue, stained with dye, was faintly visible.

"Uh, no thanks."

I never knew jellyfish could move so fast.

"Did Haiyue eat too much ice cream?" Rinne said softly, "Be careful not to get a stomachache."

"It doesn't matter..."

Haiyue responded slowly to Rinne, having already eaten half of the ice cream she was holding.

When they left the restaurant, everyone's stomachs were bulging.

The roads on Miyako Island were flat, but Rinne still drove a little slower, and after a while of swaying in the car, they arrived at the guesthouse she had booked at dusk.

It is a two-story holiday home.

The building and its exterior walls were painted white, and to avoid monotony, brightly colored hibiscus flowers adorned the walls.

Although opening the floor-to-ceiling windows of the first-floor living room allows you to walk directly to the beach through the terrace, there is also a small freshwater swimming pool in the yard facing the sea.

"It's amazing that you could find a place like this, Masumi-kun."

Qian Ai also looked around at the building and let out a soft "Oh," saying, "It feels like a villa."

Masumi explained, "The guesthouse is surrounded by private property and is a bit far from tourist attractions and markets, which is why I rented a car."

"Isn't this better?"

Asami crossed her arms, her black hair falling to her chest tinged with brown in the twilight, and nodded as she spoke.

"This is what a real private beach should be like."

The beach facing the holiday home is a secluded spot isolated by rocky terrain and forests, exuding an atmosphere of mystery. After walking a short distance, you reach the beach that is usually used by tourists.

"It feels like I'm going to have a great trip."

She nodded deeply, her face full of satisfaction.

Masumi: "I hope to have a pleasant time according to the schedule."

"Itinerary?" Mami was slightly taken aback, her beautiful eyes radiating an eerie light.

"Masumi-kun is so naive. Unexpected events are what make travel so enjoyable."

"for example?"

"For example, they might discover a small island in the sea while kayaking, then enter a cave to explore, only to be caught in a rising tide. To keep warm, the two of them had no choice but to huddle together in their swimsuits and spend the whole night there..."

Mami opened her palms, revealing a broad smile.

"Ah, that sounds really good."

Upon hearing this, Kurokawa Mio, who was standing nearby, excitedly clapped her hands together and said, "I'll go find the island and the cave right now. Masumi, come with me too."

"Well, I think it's better to just have a simple and uneventful trip." Masumi twitched the corner of her mouth.

Hopefully, nothing unexpected will happen during these three days on the island.

(End of this chapter)