I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

"...Hmm? Won't saying this cause misunderstandings...? If that's really the case...it doesn't seem so bad—Sakura couldn't help but think."

【"Eek—", just as Sakura was lost in thought, a clear and cheerful cry pulled her back to reality. Turning her gaze away, she discovered that a small group of orcas had gathered around the yacht, and you were at the stern, skillfully playing with one of the orcas.】

You introduce her to these orcas as your "friends." Although you don't know why, whenever you come to the beach, you only need to sing softly, and the orcas will come to your side soon afterward. And every time, you can see the orca you call "Skati."

This amazing thing is astonishing. When many people hear about it, their first reaction is disbelief, because how could you possibly encounter the same orca every time and recognize it at a glance? More importantly... how do the orcas hear your song from so far away and then come to your side? Could it be that the sea breeze and seawater carry your song to them?

Even Sakura reacted the same way, initially disbelieving your claims. However, she quickly let go of these questions—just as you said before, she should focus her attention on you and abandon those unnecessary and insignificant issues.

[So, following your signal, Sakura gently came to your side, maintaining a distance that was slightly close but not directly touching you. Then, with your help, she gently touched the orca that had emerged from the sea, or rather... "Skadi".]

Now, Sakura and her group of special "friends" have gotten to know each other.

[Although it's a bit hard to understand, the reason you brought Sakura to the beach this time was for this matter. Or rather, the reason you come to the beach from time to time, besides your love for the beach, is to see your "friends" and "Skadi".]

And so, Sakura saw you singing softly under the brilliant sunlight, on the azure sea, giving your song to her, to them, to the ocean, letting the gentle sea breeze carry your song far away. And they, the orcas, swam obediently and gently around the yacht, occasionally letting out light calls, each time perfectly in time with the beat, as if they understood your song, as if they were humming along with you.

[Occasionally, you might see an orca briefly leave, only to return with a manta ray in its mouth, gently waving its head in front of you as if to acknowledge the "reward"...like a polite listener who has paid a reasonable "ticket" after hearing your song.]

(Manta rays: 6)

Naturally, you didn't accept it, only gently touching them and refusing this "reward"... They seemed to understand, chirping sadly twice before eating it on their own.

(Manta Ray: ?)

As the last rays of sunset illuminated the sea, it was time to return to shore... Before leaving, you gently touched "Skadi," who had always been close to you. After a moment's thought, you had some interesting ideas.

[You take off the dark blue hunter's hat from your head and gently place it on its black head, then laugh quite happily—for some reason, you feel that this hat suits it very well, and the inspiration that was originally there is gradually being refined. Perhaps soon after returning to shore, you will be able to design a hunter's outfit related to the sea.]

【"Eek—" Whether it was because it sensed your joy or simply because it liked the hat, Skadi chirped happily several times, swam around the boat several times with the hat on, and finally returned to the stern with the seawater-covered hat in its mouth, gently poking its head out to signal to you.】

You chuckled as you picked the seawater-soaked hat from its mouth, not minding its wetness, and put it directly on your head, letting the cool seawater run through your hair, down your face, and soak your clothes.

[Then, you gently touched it again, whispered goodbye to it and to them, and watched their figures disappear into the distant sea. Only then, at Sakura's somewhat helpless urging, did you take the towel, take off your hat, and wipe the seawater off your head and body.]

Back on shore, your enthusiasm remained undiminished, and you hurriedly began sketching your inspiration. In almost no time, you designed a dark blue hunter's outfit with a deep-sea theme. Then, you rushed back to the company with Sakura, contacted the factory, and produced a set in a very short time.

You excitedly changed into the outfit and put on the hat, then immediately asked Sakura and your manager... Mr. Gunn, who were present, for their opinions.

Gunn suggested that since the theme is the deep sea, if you're going to take photos, it would be best to include some elements related to the sea, and... as a "hunter," you'll need a matching "weapon."

[That's easy. You quickly worked with the props team to design a dark blue greatsword. And whether it was intentional or not, the sword you designed... has a rather strange shape, but it unexpectedly fits your outfit very well.]

[Therefore, under Gundy's guidance, you also took a series of photos and posted them online. Of course, the physical photos will be signed by you and given away as a "gift" with the physical album to some lucky winners... as a small way of giving back.]

During this process, Sakura simply watched silently... It wasn't that she didn't want to offer any opinions, but when she saw you change into this hunter's outfit, she inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity, and even had the thought that she could snuggle in your arms and fall asleep peacefully.

She wanted to avoid his gaze, to banish this strange thought from her mind, but... she couldn't look away.

[From the moment you changed into that outfit and picked up that strange prop greatsword, her gaze was fixed on you. That feeling of being able to rely on and trust you made her feel somewhat dazed.]

[Especially when you went up to check on her, and she felt the slight dampness on you from the filming, she had an urge to hug you... But in the end, she shook her head, indicating she was fine, and then fled as if escaping.]

In her room, Sakura sorted out her emotions and, for the first time, began to confront her own feelings and reflect on her relationship with you.

And the result... was naturally as expected. Sakura felt that she probably liked you.

Perhaps it's because you gave her a stable and secure job, perhaps it's because you provided her and Ling with a peaceful and happy life, or perhaps she simply likes you as a person... In short, she probably likes you.

Logically speaking, she wouldn't act as a "third party," interfering in someone else's relationship without consent. This would be met with rejection and disgust, even from Sakura herself.

But even if she understood that, what could she do? When Sakura actually encountered such a situation... the resentment in her heart made it hard for her to breathe, preventing her from simply giving up.

[But it would be difficult for her to express her own feelings; her personality makes it hard for her to do so... Besides, Sakura can also see from everyday interactions that your relationship with Eden is much closer than that of ordinary people, making it much harder for others to interfere or intervene. Trying to take your attention away from Eden... is simply too difficult.]

As Sakura pondered, her emotions grew increasingly complex and anxious. Only after confronting her own feelings did she suddenly realize what an insurmountable mountain Eden was beside her... Compared to Eden, everything she had seemed so dim and insignificant.

As mentioned before, no matter how beautiful the cherry blossoms are, they can never compare to the shining stars... The only thing that can rival the stars and illuminate each other is another shining star.

When Sakura realized this, she became quite depressed... Her relationship was ending before it even began, ended by herself.

Meanwhile, Eden, returning from the performance, approaches Sakura, seemingly intending to have a talk with her.

--------

"Is there anything you'd like to drink, Sakura?"

As Eden rummaged through his treasures, he asked softly.

"I heard you don't like alcohol, so I can make you a non-alcoholic specialty drink... but I'm still a novice in this area, so please don't laugh at me if it doesn't taste good."

"No, how could that be... If the alcohol content isn't too high, I can still have a few drinks. Back home, I used to occasionally brew some cherry blossom wine for myself."

"Really? That would be wonderful... But cherry blossom wine... I imagine that's a beautiful flavor, isn't it?"

After a moment's thought, Eden found a bottle of low-alcohol wine from his collection, waved his hand to decline Sakura's offer of help, and simply smiled as he asked her to sit down. He then selected two exquisitely designed wine glasses and poured a small half-glass for Sakura and himself.

"Yes, it's a beautiful color, and you can smell a faint floral fragrance. Adding some peach or lemon will make it taste much better, and honey would be even better, as the sweetness will linger on your tongue longer. Adding ice will also make it taste even better."

It seemed that they were talking about something Sakura was good at, because she became a little more talkative, and her previously tense body gradually relaxed.

“If Miss Eden would like to try, I can make a small fuss about it… but compared to your treasures, my skills are rather clumsy.”

"That's not how it is, Sakura... When it comes to things like this, only the sentiment is the most important. As for whether the object itself is beautiful or rough, that's not something you need to care about too much."

Eden shook his head, took a sip of his wine, and then sat down with Sakura, looking out at the brightly lit scenery. His eyes were slightly lowered, as if he was thinking about something.

"Cherry blossom wine... Hmm, it sounds like the color and taste of cherry blossoms... Indeed, Sakura is a very unique person, no wonder Xi Wang can't forget you."

"Eh?"

Sakura froze instantly, nearly choking on the wine she hadn't yet swallowed.

"Were you a little frightened?"

Seeing Sakura's flustered state, Eden smiled apologetically.

“However, I’m not wrong, am I? Xi Wang really cares about you and likes you a lot... Compared to his other friends, you are the most conspicuous and special one among them.”

"........."

Sakura remained silent, offering no reply. Her gaze drifted unconsciously downwards, fixed on the wine glass she held in her hands, observing the glistening liquid within, and she remained silent.

Sakura knew that compared to Xi Wang's other friends, she was definitely the most special one... because she was the only one who had never helped Xi Wang, yet was helped by Xi Wang, and even received his attention and favor.

Compared to Xi Wang's other friends, Sakura seemed to always be taking something from Xi Wang without giving anything back... This made Sakura feel that she was naturally in a weak position in the relationship, and that she was not suitable to be by his side. Sometimes Sakura felt that she couldn't even stand next to him and be his foil.

This is also why Sakura feels she shouldn't like Nozomi, because their relationship is completely unequal.

Even if Xi Wang herself doesn't care, others who see this will still have some complaints... just like it is now.

Sakura instinctively gripped the wine glass in her hand, her heart beginning to race with anxiety and her thoughts becoming chaotic.

"cherry?"

However, at that moment, a cold sensation came from her cheek. The sudden chill pulled Sakura out of her complicated thoughts. Turning her head, she saw Eden holding a glass of wine with ice cubes. He gently touched her glass and gestured to her with tongs.

"Would you like some ice? A chilled drink might clear your mind... Ah, of course, if you don't drink too much."

"……Thanks."

Sakura picked up the wine glass somewhat blankly, accepted the ice cubes Eden placed there, and then mechanically took a small sip.

"You seem very nervous... Is it because of the recent online comments that are bothering or troubling you?"

Eden spoke softly.

"You don't need to care about that. Those who make those comments are only a small minority. Most people are silent and unwilling to speak. Everyone is very supportive of you. In fact, everyone is happy to see you travel with Xiwang. After all, everyone is looking for fun. If you only look at Xiwang for a long time... it will get boring."

As if he had thought of something funny, Eden's lips curled up slightly, and he took another sip of his wine, speaking softly.

"So... there's no need to pay attention to those words."

"But... what if what they're saying is true?"

"Hmm? Which aspect do you mean?"

Eden suddenly became curious, but judging from her appearance, she didn't seem nervous at all.

"It's about... what might happen between Xiwang and me... something like that..."

Sakura spoke haltingly, and unconsciously began to swirl the wine glass in her hand. Watching the liquid swirling inside, Sakura's heart began to race.

“…Oh, I see.”

Eden tilted his head and pondered for a moment, then looked at Sakura's face, which was getting redder and redder, perhaps because she was too nervous, and smiled knowingly.

"Sakura, if you discover your feelings, it's better to express them boldly, okay? If you miss the opportunity because of cowardice, you'll only have regrets for the rest of your life."

Eden whispered, casually brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"You like Xiwang, right? In that case... then go talk to him."

"……what?"

"Surprised?"

Hearing Sakura's reaction, Eden laughed happily.

"This is not something hard to understand. Rather, given Xi Wang's current situation, it's hard not to like him if you stay by his side... For girls, he is like a flower that silently attracts them, gradually intoxicating and captivating them with its fragrance, until they finally want to pluck it from the bottom of their hearts and keep it by their side."

"Therefore, it's not surprising that some people like him."

"But...Miss Eden, you..."

Sakura opened her mouth, asking somewhat awkwardly... her mind was a little slow to process what she was saying.

"Are you concerned about my attitude? No... there's no need to worry about that. If you like him, just tell him. Express your feelings in your own way and share your thoughts and feelings with him."

Eden smiled and gently swirled his wine glass.

"Like...love...these emotions are always complex. They may seem pure, but they are often mixed with all sorts of feelings. It's too difficult to find a pure and extreme liking or love."

"After all, if you want to look, you can always find flaws and imperfections in a relationship, and the reasons are often irrefutable. This is what is meant by 'nitpicking'."

"Yet it is because of this complex yet simple emotion that people can connect with each other and depend on each other... People attribute their actions to liking and loving, and take more action because of this emotion... and so on."

Eden murmured to himself, his gaze lingering on the bright lights outside the window, as if he were recalling something.

"In the end, even people themselves can hardly explain the emotions in their hearts, and can only attribute them to liking and loving, like a sigh."

"This feeling is always chaotic and complex, yet simple and clear, so... don't worry about it too much, just express this liking and love to your heart's content."

Eden smiled, downed the drink in his hand in one gulp, and then poured himself another glass.

"...Do you know what you're saying, Miss Eden?"

"I'm not drunk yet, Sakura."