Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

Jiang Chuan sprang out of bed with a somersault.

He walked to the door, placed his hand on the doorknob, and turned it open.

As soon as the door opened, the light from the hallway shone through the crack, cutting a bright yellow rectangle across the floor.

Then he saw clearly the person standing at the door.

Cherry blossoms.

She stood in the corridor, the warm yellow light of the corridor lamp shining down from above, casting a soft glow on her.

She carried a bottle of red wine in one hand and two stemmed glasses between her fingers in the other, the stems of the glasses wedged between her fingers, the glass bodies gleaming transparently under the light.

But what truly startled Jiang Chuan was not the wine in her hand.

It was the clothes she was wearing.

That garter belt set.

Jiang Chuan recognized him at a glance.

That day in the warehouse dressing room, Sakura changed into several outfits and asked him to critique them. This was one of the last few outfits she wore, and it was also the one he rated the highest at the time.

The main color is black, and the material is a high-end fabric that looks excessively soft and smooth.

She wore a fitted jacket, left open, revealing a deep V-neck silk top underneath. The neckline wasn't low, but because she was slightly turned to the side, the edge of the neckline landed exactly two inches below her collarbone.

The skin below the neckline appeared exceptionally white against the black fabric.

The lingerie below is partially visible, featuring black lace with intricate and delicate patterns, and fine lace trim.

The lower half is a black bodycon skirt, made of the same fabric as the jacket.

The skirt hem is about a hand's width above the knee, not too tight, but the cut at the waist and hips is just right, beautifully shaping the hips.

The skirt has a very thin slit on the side, just enough to show the edge of the stockings.

Garter stockings.

Black lace trim peeked out from the edge of the slit in the skirt.

The buttons on the halter top were hidden under the hem of the skirt, but the direction of the straps was vaguely visible, extending upwards along the front of the thigh and finally disappearing into the shadows hidden by the hem of the skirt.

She was wearing a pair of high heels, stiletto heels, nude in color, with a thin strap across the instep.

Jiang Chuan's gaze traveled down her face and finally landed on her high heels.

This process took only a little over a second.

But he had seen everything clearly.

All the styles you can see are the ones he commented on that day as "suitable for a special audience."

Aside from the inner layer, judging from the completeness of the outfit that day, the style of the inner layer was most likely also from the same series.

Jiang Chuan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

With his extensive experience, he understood almost instantly why Sakura had been pacing back and forth at the door.

But he didn't expose it.

He simply leaned against the doorframe, looking at the cherry blossoms with a natural expression, and asked politely, "Is there something you need?"

Sakura shook the wine bottle in her hand.

The bottle is dark green with a label printed in French, and it doesn't look cheap.

"I haven't had enough to drink tonight."

"You seemed to have a pretty good alcohol tolerance at the banquet. Would you like to have a few more drinks with me?"

Jiang Chuan looked down at her face.

Under the warm yellow light, the blush on her cheeks had not yet faded.

The two rosy hues that appeared at the dinner party, stretching from her cheekbones to her ears, still stubbornly linger.

Her lips were also redder than usual; I don't know if it was because she had been drinking or because she had applied lip gloss.

He looked at the bottle of red wine in her hand, then at the two wine glasses.

He then recalled what Xiaoxia had told him before—"Sakura-jie always likes to control the amount of alcohol at gatherings, and she tells everyone to stop when they've had enough."

Cherry blossoms under strict control of alcohol consumption.

Cherry blossoms knocked on his door in the middle of the night, carrying red wine.

Jiang Chuan chuckled inwardly and began to tease him.

Haven't you had enough to drink yet? Xia said that Sister Sakura always controls the amount of alcohol consumed, didn't she?

Are you planning to have a good drink tonight, or something else?

Of course, he wouldn't say these things out loud.

He simply nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "Sure. Why not drink with a beauty like Sakura-nee?"

After saying that, he stepped aside to make way for the doorway.

Cherry blossoms stepped in.

The high heels clicked twice on the wooden floor.

As she walked past Jiang Chuan, the scent of her shampoo wafted over, mingling with the faint oak aroma emanating from the wine bottle cork.

Jiang Chuan did not close the door immediately.

He turned his head and looked towards the bed.

Pikachu was nestled next to the pillow, its ears perked up, its round eyes fixed on the cherry blossoms by the door, its head tilted to one side, its face full of confusion as if to say, "Why is this human here at this time?"

Jiang Chuan mobilized the waveguide power within his body and transmitted an invisible thought.

"Pikachu, go find Eevee. Let's rest with Eevee tonight."

Pikachu's ears twitched.

It glanced at Jiang Chuan, then at the cherry blossoms, and then slowly got out of bed.

"Pikachu..."

It let out a cry, its tone carrying a hint of helplessness and a sense of "okay, okay, I get it."

Then it jumped off the bed, took small steps past Cherry Blossom's feet, and when it reached the door, it looked back at Jiang Chuan and wagged its tail.

After Pikachu left, the sound of its footsteps fading into the distance could be heard in the corridor.

Jiang Chuan reached out and closed the door.

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

After entering the room, Sakura did not go to the bed to sit down, but stopped at the table.

She placed the wine bottle and two wine glasses on the table, then picked up the corkscrew and began to remove the foil seal from the bottle.

The movements were very practiced; the fingers held the corkscrew of the bottle opener, aligned it with the center of the cork, and slowly twisted it in.

Jiang Chuan walked over to her and watched what she was doing with her hands.

"Do you need my help?"

"No need, I can do it myself."

Sakura's voice was steady, but Jiang Chuan noticed that her fingers trembled slightly when she unscrewed the bottle open.

She pulled the cork out with a dull "pop".

Then I picked up the bottle and poured about a third of the contents into each of the two glasses.

The deep red wine slowly slid down the side of the glass, gathering into a rich, ruby-red pool at the bottom.

"I've had this bottle of red wine in my possession for quite a while."

Sakura pushed one of the cups towards Jiangchuan and picked up the other cup for herself.

"I originally planned to reopen it only after the Cerulean Dojo really turned things around, but today's performance was a success, so I think it's good enough."

"Besides..."

She paused, not finishing her sentence.

She simply picked up her glass and clinked it against Jiang Chuan's.

The sound of glass colliding was very soft, like a whisper.

Jiang Chuan took a sip of wine.

The red wine is full-bodied on the palate, with very light tannins, rich fruit aromas, and hints of blackberry and vanilla.

"good."

"Of course it's good. This was left to me by my mom. She brought it back when she was an exchange trainer in the Kalos region."

Sakura also took a sip, then put the cup back on the table.

The two stood and chatted for a while.

We started by talking about the performance.

Then we started talking about the next steps.

"After Xiaoxia went on her trip with you, the Cerulean Dojo has been relying on me and Mudan Ayame to keep it afloat. We plan to reinstate a few basic training courses to at least maintain the dojo's daily operations."

"The basic courses should be fine, and Peony and Iris are enough to teach newcomers. We can start advanced courses after Xiaoxia comes back."

"That's what I think too."

As we chatted, the topic gradually veered off course.

"Did you stay at a Pokémon Center along the way?"

"Most of the time, we camp in the wild if we can't make it in time."

"Two people sleeping in one tent?"

"There are different tents, after all, there's Hanako-nee too."

As Sakura spoke, her eyes curved into a smile, revealing something indescribable.

Does Xiaoxia snore when she sleeps?

"I won't fight."

"Are you talking in your sleep?"

"Sometimes, I can't quite hear what they're saying."

"Did they call your name while talking in your sleep?"

Jiang Chuan glanced at her sideways: "Sister Sakura, don't you know anything about Xia?"

Sakura was holding a wine glass, her lips pressed against the rim, her eyes looking at him from the other side of the glass: "That brat of a girl is so proud, she's been sleeping alone for ages~"

"Oh, I see." Jiang Chuan nodded.

Sakura put down her glass and licked the red wine off her lips.

"When you were sleeping in the tent, did you ever have any wild thoughts?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"think……"

She dragged out the last syllable, as if carefully choosing her words.

"I wonder... if anyone would share a sleeping bag with me?"

This question is no longer subtle.

Jiang Chuan picked up his glass and took a sip of wine, not answering immediately, gradually revealing Sakura's intentions in the conversation.

Sakura wasn't in a hurry. She just looked at him, bent one leg, and the heel of her high heel tapped lightly twice on the wooden floor.

The atmosphere in the room began to subtly shift.

It's like a pot of water slowly heating up; you can't see any bubbles on the surface yet, but the heat has already been conducted through the pot walls.

Just then.

The bottle opener on the table was knocked off the edge of the table and fell to the ground.

"oops."

Sakura looked down, put the wine glass on the table, and bent down to pick it up.

The bending motion pulled the bodycon skirt up, causing the hem to rise several inches.

Jiang Chuan subconsciously activated his Divine Eye. He then intended to politely withdraw it, but he suddenly noticed that Sakura's posture of picking up things seemed to be delayed.

Then he suddenly realized that Sakura-nee was doing it on purpose!

Five seconds later, Sakura finally reached out and picked up the bottle opener.

She straightened up and put the bottle opener back on the table.

Then he turned around.

The blush on her face was even more intense than before.

I don't know if it was because I drank alcohol, or because my blood flowed backward when I bent over, or for some other reason.

She noticed Jiang Chuan's gaze, then leaned against the edge of the table, placed her hands on the edge of the table behind her, and looked up at Jiang Chuan slightly.

The alcohol made her eyes watery, as if a thin layer of mist covered her eye sockets.

The corners of her mouth slowly turned up, forming an arc that carried a hint of teasing, a touch of mischief, and something indescribable.

"Is my sister pretty?"

Her voice was half a tone lower than usual, with a slight upward slant at the end, like a hook tugging at the air.

Jiang Chuan didn't pretend to be stupid.

He held his wine glass, leaned against the wall, and a smile played on his lips.

"Is this the outfit Sakura-san is wearing, the one I commented the other day that wasn't suitable for wearing to a performance?"

Sakura's smile deepened when he pointed it out so directly.

"yes."

"You said it's suitable to wear for a special audience."

She raised her eyes and looked straight at Jiang Chuan.

"So... I'm wearing it tonight."

Jiang Chuan swirled the wine glass in his hand, and a thin layer of red liquid clung to the glass.

He pretended not to understand and asked, "Sakura-nee, what do you mean by that?"

Sakura did not answer immediately upon hearing this.

She took a deep breath, and then her expression changed.

He went from joking, complaining, and half-smiling to looking very serious.

I have a few questions for you.

Her voice was somewhat broken and even hoarseer than before. It was hard to tell whether she was genuinely drunk or using alcohol as a cover to bolster her courage.

You must answer using this.

She raised her hand, extended her index finger, and tapped Jiang Chuan's chest.

Jiang Chuan looked down at the fingers she was pressing against his chest, then looked up at her.

"Alright, Sakura, ask away. I'll tell you everything I know."

Sakura didn't pull her hand away; it remained pressed against his chest.

She asked the first question.

"No matter what happens in the future, can you guarantee that you will always keep Cerulean Dojo in your heart?"

The question came out of nowhere, but Jiang Chuan did not hesitate.

"Xiaoxia and I are of one mind, and we will never forget Cerulean Dojo in the future."

"it is good."

Sakura nodded and gently pressed her finger on his chest.

Then she asked a second question.

"Do you think that with your joining, our Cerulean Gym still has a chance to rise again in Kanto?"

Jiang Chuan didn't answer directly, but smiled first.

"Let's not talk about me. Xiaoxia is actually a very powerful Water-type Trainer. I just need to do some simple training with her and have her come with me on this trip, and she will undergo a complete transformation. With her, Cerulean Gym will be able to stand up."

Cherry Blossom shook her head.

Her fingers were still pressed on Jiang Chuan's chest, and she added a little more pressure at this moment.

"No, I'm asking about the presence of you."

She emphasized those words very much.

"Can Cerulean Gym rise again in Kanto?"

Jiang Chuan roughly understood what she meant.

She didn't ask, "Can Cerulean Dojo get better?"

She asked, "Will you always be here?"

Jiang Chuan took a breath, his tone becoming very deep and steady.

"Don't worry, Sakura-nee. With me here, Cerulean Gym will definitely regain its glory and once again become a top-tier city gym."

He paused for a moment, then added another sentence.

"I mean what I say."

After hearing those words, Sakura paused for a few seconds on his chest with her fingers.

Then it slowly withdrew.

Her expression relaxed.

His tense shoulders slumped, and the lines of his lips softened.

The corners of her mouth turned up again, and a smile slowly spread across her face, like a flower gently unfolding its petals in warm water.

Her body swayed slightly.

Jiang Chuan reacted quickly and reached out to support her arm.

Sakura looked up at him, her face flushed, her eyes moist, and her lips full and glossy.

"I am very satisfied with your answer."

"I, Sakura, the eldest sister of the Cerulean Gym, on behalf of the Cerulean Gym, extend my deepest acceptance of you, our incredibly strong pillar."

She slightly turned her arm in Jiang Chuan's palm, flipped her wrist over, and placed her fingers on the inside of Jiang Chuan's wrist.

"Now, you are the only man in our Cerulean Dojo."

She paused for a moment after saying that.

Then the curve of his lips deepened.

"Now, as the eldest sister, I need to take the lead."

As she spoke, she pulled her hand out of Jiang Chuan's palm.

Then he turned around and walked directly towards Jiang Chuan's bed.

The high heels clicked crisply on the wooden floor with each step.

When she reached the bedside, she turned around to face Jiang Chuan.

He raised both hands and began to unbutton his jacket.

Jiang Chuan leaned against the wall, holding a glass of red wine, watching her movements.

"Sakura-nee, what are you doing?"

Sakura continued moving without stopping and naturally spoke up.

"Turn off the lights."

"You and Xiaoxia are taking too long."

The inner garment was pulled over her head, taken off, and casually left on the floor beside the bed.

"Your older sister is going to teach you something new."

She stretched out her finger and beckoned to Jiang Chuan.

"what?"

Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow.

I won't say much about the cherry blossoms.

"What?!"

She kicked off her high heels, lifted one foot, and used her toe to press the switch for the bedside lamp.

The room was plunged into darkness, with only a sliver of moonlight filtering in from the window, casting a thin, silvery-white layer on the floor.

Before Jiang Chuan's eyes could adjust to the darkness, he felt a force pulling on his collar.

Following the force, Jiang Chuan fell onto the bed.

In the darkness, only the sounds of breathing and the rustling of fabric could be heard.

There was also a sentence that the cherry blossoms whispered.

"Jiangchuan... Welcome to the Cerulean Gym..."