Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

On Red Lotus Island at night, the sea breeze carries the unique sulfurous smell of the volcano, gently blowing in from the sea.

The hot spring street was brightly lit, and the signs of various restaurants swayed gently in the wind.

The shop Jiangchuan chose was located in the busiest part of the hot spring street.

The storefront is small, but the interior is surprisingly spacious. The wooden Japanese-style building has winding corridors, and each private room is separated by bamboo curtains, making it both open and private.

The four were led into a private room by the sea. Pushing open the paper door, they could see the sea in the night, its surface shimmering and reflecting the lights along the shore.

All the dishes on the table have been served.

Honglian Island is located by the sea and relies on the sea for its food, and it also has volcanic geothermal activity, resulting in a unique style of cuisine.

In the center is a large platter of seafood grilled on volcanic rock: lobster, scallops, abalone, and squid, sizzling with oil on a scalding black stone slab.

Next to it was a geothermal steamed egg, steamed with hot spring water, as tender as tofu pudding, and topped with a few bright red goji berries.

There was also a kelp seafood hot pot with a crystal-clear broth containing snow-white fish and emerald green seaweed.

Xiaoxia sat next to Jiang Chuan, with a grilled red snapper in front of her, which she had specially ordered.

She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of fish belly meat, and stuffed it into her mouth, her eyes immediately narrowing into crescent moons.

"Mmm, this is delicious!"

Her cheeks were puffed out as she mumbled incoherently.

Hanako sat opposite, holding Togepi in her arms, feeding it steamed egg with a small spoon. Togepi opened its little mouth and took the food bite by bite, barking "Poke Poke" twice when it was happy eating.

Pikachu and Eevee were squatting on the cushion next to them, with a small plate in front of them containing Pokémon food specially prepared for Pokémon. The two little guys were eating happily.

Miss Joy sat next to Hanako, her posture very upright, and she handled her chopsticks very elegantly.

She picked up a scallop and ate it in small bites, occasionally glancing up at Jiang Chuan and Xiao Xia across from her before quickly looking away.

Jiang Chuan sat in the main seat, with a glass of chilled juice in front of him.

He barely touched his chopsticks, but watching everyone enjoy their meal, a smile crept onto his face.

This meal took almost an hour to finish.

The fish bones in front of Xiaoxia were piled up like a small mountain. She ate two bowls of steamed eggs and devoured most of the seafood on the volcanic rocks.

Hanako ate quite a bit, and Pokopi ate until his belly was round and full, then lay on her lap and started snoring softly.

Finally, Xiaoxia put down her chopsticks.

She leaned back in her chair, placed her hands on her slightly protruding belly, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Ah... I'm so full..."

She rubbed her stomach, turned her head to look at Jiang Chuan, her face still smeared with the sauce from the grilled fish, and said with a smile.

"Jiang Chuan, you were amazing today!"

"He's the most handsome man I've ever seen!"

Jiang Chuan picked up a napkin and casually wiped the sauce from the corner of her mouth.

"You start saying nice things just because you've enjoyed the food?"

"I'm telling the truth."

Xiaoxia wrinkled her nose at him.

"You did so well today, beating the gym leader and treating me to a big meal, even ordering my favorite red snapper..."

"Let's just forget about the fact that you complained about me being sweaty during the day."

"I won't punish you with underwear tonight."

These words were spoken.

The air in the entire private room seemed to freeze for a moment.

Hanako is drinking water.

Upon hearing this, I almost spat water out of my nose.

Her eyes widened, her pupils dilated, and she quickly put down the cup, nudging Xiaoxia's side hard with her elbow.

"Xiaoxia!"

Hanako's voice was very low, but the shock in her tone was unmistakable.

"Your mouth is flying off again!"

"Miss Joey is still here!"

As she spoke, she gestured to Xia to look to the side.

Xiaoxia then realized what was happening.

She was having such a good time eating and drinking some fruit wine that she was feeling dizzy and completely forgot there was a fourth person at the table.

She turned to look at Miss Joey.

Miss Joy was looking down, holding chopsticks in her hand, the tips of which were poking at a piece of scallop in the bowl, but she couldn't pick it up no matter how hard she tried.

It's over.

Xiaoxia's heart skipped a beat.

I forgot about Miss Joey.

Such private conversations are fine when it's just her and Jiang Chuan talking, but Hanako-nee sometimes overhears them when she's around. However, Hanako-nee is an experienced person, so she just smiles and shakes her head and moves on.

But Miss Joy... she's still a virgin, and a member of the Joy family, she's never heard of such things.

Xiaoxia quickly sat up straight, her face flushed.

"Um... Miss Joey... I just..."

She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know how to explain.

Hanako was also worried for Kasumi. That girl, she has no sense of propriety; she says whatever comes to mind. Now look what's happened, she's made Miss Joey so embarrassed, who knows how awkward the atmosphere will become in a moment.

Hanako was about to speak up and smooth things over.

result.

Miss Joey's reaction surprised everyone. She didn't show any discomfort or aversion; instead, she hurriedly waved her hand.

"It's alright, it's alright!"

"I enjoy listening to Xiaoxia talk about these things."

Miss Joey was stunned when she said those words.

Hanako and Kasumi were both stunned and blinked in disbelief.

Do you like listening?

Miss Joey's face flushed bright red the moment she realized what she had said.

She said that without thinking.

That was her truest thought.

She just loved listening to Xiaoxia talk about her ambiguous relationship with Jiang Chuan.

Those private, intimate, and unreserved words.

She likes to listen.

Because she can't help but fantasize.

I fantasize about being like Xiaoxia.

I fantasize that I can say those words myself.

I fantasize that I can do that kind of thing.

But this is the thought hidden deep in my heart.

It's something that can't be said.

How could she say that?

"No, no!"

Miss Joey stood up in a panic, the chair leg scraping against the wooden floor with a jarring sound.

"What I mean is..."

"I don't mind these issues!"

"What I mean is... I don't think there's anything wrong with what Xiaoxia said..."

"Oh dear... I... you guys... that..."

She stammered for a long time, the more she explained, the more confused she became, and the more confused she became, the more anxious she became, until finally she couldn't even put together a complete sentence.

Hanako looked at Miss Joey's flustered appearance.

The corners of her mouth slowly curved into a typical auntie smile.

That smile carried a hint of knowing wisdom from someone who's been there, a touch of mischievousness in not saying what's on your mind, and a hint of...calculation.

It turned out to be the case.

Hanako knew perfectly well what was going on.

Hanako picked up her glass, took a sip of juice, and glanced at Miss Joy.

On the way to the dojo, Hanako had already noticed the look in Joey's eyes when she saw Jiang Chuan and Xiaoxia being affectionate. At that time, she was just guessing, but now that guess is basically confirmed.

Miss Joey's feelings for Jiang Chuan are definitely more than just ordinary affection.

Hanako put down her cup. If this continued, Miss Joey would be so embarrassed she'd want to crawl into a hole.

"Miss Joey..."

Hanako's voice was gentle and soft, carrying a reassuring power.

"Didn't you say you wanted to get another glass of juice?"

"Let's go, I'd like to get another drink too."

"Let's go together."

She stood up, walked over to Miss Joey, and naturally took Miss Joey's arm.

Miss Joey paused for a moment.

When did she say she wanted to get juice?

But she immediately realized what was going on.

Hanako was trying to help her out of a tight spot.

"Yes, yes... I, I wanted to get some juice."

Miss Joy lowered her head, spoke softly, and obediently let Hanako lead her outside.

Before leaving, Hanako glanced back at Xiaoxia and Jiangchuan, winked at Jiangyu, and then left the private room with Miss Joey.

………………

The bamboo curtain fell down.

Only Jiang Chuan and Xiao Xia remained in the private room.

Xiaoxia remained in that position leaning back in her chair, her face filled with disbelief.

She turned her head to look at Jiang Chuan.

"Joey... what do you mean?"

Jiang Chuan picked up the glass, took another sip of juice, and shook his head.

"Never mind~" Xiaoxia stretched and stood up from her chair.

"I'm going to sit on that swing on the open-air balcony."

"It feels so nice to have the sea breeze blowing."

Are you going or not?

Jiang Chuan shook his head.

"You go first, I'll sit for a while."

"OK."

Xiaoxia didn't ask any more questions and walked to the balcony humming a little tune.

The bamboo curtain fell, and the private room fell silent.

Jiang Chuan put down his cup, ready to collect a wave of rewards.

With a thought, the light screen that only he could see appeared before his eyes.

[Gym Sprint: Avoid any failures when challenging the Rainbow Gym, Crimson Gym, and Cinnabar Gym!]

Status: Completed!

[Invincible Badge: When a Pokémon carries this badge, it will temporarily gain a 20% boost to its battle power for each victory! It has already been added to the system inventory!]

With all three ring quests completed, the legendary item, the Invincible Badge, has been added to my system inventory.

The final upgrade quest at the Cinnabar City Gym required choosing a Fire-type Pokémon. Jiang Chuan naturally gave it Charizard without hesitation.

[Pokémon: Charizard, lv55→lv60]

Although Charizard didn't have time to level up once it entered the sea area, it accumulated a lot of experience in that exclusive legendary trial chamber. With the level increase, plus the five additional levels, Charizard directly reached the near-Elite Four level.

It became the team's second near-elite fighter, enabling the team's overall strength to achieve a qualitative leap.

As for the Undefeated Badge, we'll consider who would be the most suitable recipient after we've finished challenging the gyms.

Just as Jiang Chuan was receiving his reward and checking his lineup panel, Hanako, who was following up with Miss Joey, was also giving Miss Joey a boost.

...........................

In front of the juice bar counter.

Hanako linked arms with Miss Joey, and the two stood side by side in front of the bar.

Hanako ordered two glasses of volcanic mandarin orange juice.

When the waiter handed it over, Hanako took one glass and gave it to Miss Joey, while taking another glass for herself.

Miss Joy took the glass, held it with both hands, and sipped it slowly. The blush on her face hadn't completely faded, and her ears were still pink. Her eyes were fixed on the juice in the glass, and she didn't dare to look up at Hanako.

Hanako wasn't in a hurry; she just stood next to Miss Joey, slowly sipping her juice.

There was a moment of silence.

Hanako spoke first, not about anything important, but rather about dinner and Pokémon.

As Miss Joey gradually relaxed, the tight blush on her face also gradually faded.

Hanako led Joey to the nearby rest area.

"Joey..."

She started to get into the conversation, no longer calling him Miss Joey, and her tone became more intimate.

Are you envious of Xiaoxia?

Miss Joey's fingers tightened on the rim of the glass.

She didn't deny it, but simply lowered her head and nodded slightly.

Hanako turned her head to look at her.

"What's there to envy?"

Miss Joey pursed her lips.

"I envy her... She can do whatever she wants and say whatever she wants."

"Being so natural and bold when facing someone you like."

Hanako listened and nodded slightly.

These are all the truth.

"From a young age, my family taught me to be dignified, proper, and to be befitting the Joey family's status." Miss Joey's voice was soft, as if it would dissipate with a sea breeze. "When I was studying nursing at school, other girls could joke around with boys, but I couldn't. The teachers were very strict with me, and my classmates looked at me differently. They felt that since I was a member of the Joey family, I shouldn't do things that were against the rules."

She paused for a moment after saying this.

A very faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"But back then, I secretly read some novels at school."

"Youth novels".

"It's the kind of story... about sweet romance."

"The things described in the book, the things two people do together, the things they say, and the sweet feelings they experience."

"I've seen so many."

"Think as you watch."

"If one day, I can meet someone too."

"So that I can be like the characters in the book."

"Don't put on airs, don't be so serious."

"Laugh when you want to laugh, hug when you want to hug."

Say whatever you want.

"That would be wonderful."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke.

It was as if he was talking to himself.

It was as if he was confiding a secret he had kept hidden for a very long time to Hanako.

Hanako listened quietly, then placed her empty cup on the railing.

"You've read so many sweet novels, you know what sweetness tastes like."

"I also know what I really want."

"Have you ever thought about this question?"

"What kind of sweetness do you desire most?"

Miss Joy looked up at Hanako and opened her mouth.

A scene flashed through my mind.

On the way to the dojo.

Xiaoxia was hanging on Jiangchuan's back.

She was covered in sweat but still wanted to stick to him.

It's sticky and gooey.

Yet it was so sweet it made your heart flutter.

She bit her lip.

His voice trembled slightly.

"I want...to be like Xiaoxia."

As soon as she said those words, she felt something inside her loosen up.

Seeing her like this, Hanako pulled her closer to her, making them stand even closer together.

The sea breeze blew by, ruffling the stray hairs on Miss Joey's forehead. Hanako reached out and tucked them behind her ear, the movement so natural, like that of sisters who had known each other for a long time.

"Joey, let me tell you something from my own experience."

"The taste of sweetness has a limited time."

"It's not that if you miss it once, you'll never meet it again."

"Instead, it means..."

"The same kind of sweetness is placed in front of you, but you don't taste it."

"When you want to try it."

"It may already be expired."

"After it expires."

No matter how much you think back, feel regret, or feel remorse.

"The taste won't be the same sweetness it used to have."

"It might be bitter."

"It might be astringent."

"It might not taste like anything at all."

Hanako's voice was gentle, but every word was like a small hammer, gently tapping on Miss Joey's heart.

As Miss Joey listened, her fingers unconsciously tightened.

There was still half a glass of juice left in the glass, but she didn't drink any more.

Sometimes, you find your own sweetness.

"Be bold and try it!"

Hanako continued.

"I only truly understood this principle when I got older."

When you're young, you always feel like there's plenty of time, that there are still opportunities, and that you can wait a little longer.

"By the end, some things will be gone."

Miss Joy looked up at Hanako, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Hanako-nee..."

"I also want to taste this sweetness."

"But...but I really have no way."

"I have no experience."

"I don't know what to do."

"It's so awkward to face... "

She became more and more anxious and aggrieved as she spoke.

"Look at Xiaoxia, she says whatever she wants and does whatever she wants, so naturally and so generously."

"But I... I could never do that."

"My legs went weak as soon as I walked over."

"As soon as I open my mouth, my tongue gets tied in knots."

"All the words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat."

"He couldn't utter a single word."

"What should I do... what can I do..."

Hearing this, Hanako felt a huge weight lifted from her heart.

Miss Joey has finally told the truth.

She clearly had a very strong liking for Jiang Chuan.

Since that's the case, then I won't hold back!

Hanako's lips curved into a smile, and a shrewd glint flashed in her eyes.