Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

As Nanami led Jiangchuan to the gathering place, the last vestiges of dark red on the horizon were being swallowed by the mountains.

The campfire was already lit, its orange-red light dancing in the center of the camp, casting flickering light on the surrounding tents and rocks.

Three or five researchers sat around the fire, some strumming a guitar and playing a few off-key chords, others chatting and laughing while holding beer cans. The air was filled with the smells of charcoal and roasted meat, mixed with the dry, dusty scent unique to the wilderness.

Nanami pulled Jiang Chuan's wrist to the edge of the camp before letting go of his fingers.

"Let's do it here. It's close to the fire, but not too smoky."

She bent down and rummaged through the insulated box next to her, pulling out two cans of beer. She handed one to Jiang Chuan and opened the other herself. As the foam rose, she lowered her head and took a sip, a little white foam getting on the corner of her mouth, which she licked away with her tongue.

Jiang Chuan took the beer and sat down next to her. The gravel ground, warmed by the daytime sun, still retained a little warmth.

The two sat side by side, watching the group of researchers making a ruckus in the distance. A young scholar wearing glasses was pushed forward to dance, his movements as stiff as a newly hatched clam, causing the surrounding people to laugh uproariously. Nanami laughed along, her shoulders shaking, almost tipping the beer can in her hand.

"I've never seen them this crazy when we were at the research institute," Jiang Chuan said.

"They were just getting restless." Nanami put the beer can on her lap and wrapped her arms around it. "These guys usually sit in the lab all day long, they're practically hallucinating from the microscope. And then they've been digging for days on end in the field. Today they finally have a harvest, so they have to let loose and have some fun."

As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Chuan.

The firelight illuminated his profile, making his features exceptionally clear. He was looking at the group of people in the distance, his lips slightly curved, not quite a smile, but very relaxed.

He was completely different from the serious Jiang Chuan during the day.

Nanami looked away and took a sip of her drink.

Just then, a night wind swept in from the direction of the hills.

The wind wasn't strong, but it carried the chill of the night, seeping in from the edge of the camp. Nanami was only wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt, and the wind immediately raised goosebumps on her skin. She instinctively shrank to the side, her shoulder tilting, and her whole body unconsciously pressed against Jiang Chuan's.

His body temperature emanated through the thin fabric of his clothes.

The warmth was thick and solid, like an impenetrable wall. Nanami felt her back press against his chest, her lower back brush against his arm, and further down, her hips were perfectly positioned...

A tingling sensation shot up from my tailbone.

Nanami froze for half a second.

The tingling sensation spread from the point of contact, climbing up the spine, like someone gently brushing a feather under the skin.

She was shocked.

Nanami, wake up!

She mentally slapped herself hard. "It's only been a few days, when did you become like this?"

At the research institute, she was always Nanami, the one who wore a pencil skirt, walked with a confident stride, and spoke crisply and decisively. Her colleagues always described her as "professional," "calm," and "efficient." She herself was used to this image, even a little proud of it—a woman engaged in academia cannot be swayed by emotions.

But these past few days, she's felt like a frame with its base removed, swaying violently.

Was it because after Jiang Chuan came to the quarry and started working seriously that the ambiguous relationship suddenly ended?

Is it because everyone is busy with their own things during the day and doesn't even have a chance to say a few words, so they react negatively when they meet at night?

Or was it because those unintentional touches in the research institute corridor earlier had already flipped a switch in her body?

She couldn't figure it out.

But she also knew that she didn't want to get rid of Jiang Chuan.

It felt so good. His body heat seeped through the fabric, like putting your hand into a sun-warmed quilt in winter. The wind was still blowing, but the side touching him no longer felt cold at all.

Nanami did not move.

She even leaned back slightly, increasing the contact area by just a tiny bit, but that tiny bit was enough to make her heart skip a beat.

Jiang Chuan didn't move either.

The two sat close together for a while. The guitar music in the distance changed to a slower song, the crackling of the campfire mingled with the sound of the wind, and someone was turning meat skewers on the grill, grease dripping onto the charcoal with a sizzling sound.

"Are you cold?" Jiang Chuan finally noticed Nanami's constant closeness.

"It's alright." Nanami's voice was a half-tone softer than usual. "It's a bit windy."

Jiang Chuan didn't speak, but Nanami felt him slightly turn to the side, his shoulder shrug slightly, as if he were shielding her from the wind. The movement was so natural that he probably didn't even realize it himself.

Nanami tightened her grip on the beer can.

The lively singing and dancing in the prelude lasted for almost an hour. Someone got drunk and started reciting his archaeological notes over the campfire, only to be laughed off by those around him. Someone broke a guitar string and grumbled as they went to find a spare. Another person carried a whole plate of grilled meat skewers through the crowd, stuffing a couple of skewers into the hands of everyone they met.

The atmosphere became even more relaxed once free time arrived.

Nanami got up to get the wine, and as soon as she reached the insulated box, she was surrounded by three or four female colleagues with whom she had a good relationship at the research institute.

One of the girls, a short-haired woman with round-framed glasses, nudged her with her elbow, lowering her voice but her tone full of undisguised teasing: "Oh, Nanami's got some alcohol, huh? Can your young guy even hold his liquor? Or are you planning to get him drunk and then devour him?"

"Yes, yes, yes," another woman with long, flowing hair chimed in, holding a half-empty glass of red wine, her eyes crinkling with laughter. "Nanami, I remember you usually have great teeth, so why are you picking out such juicy and tender grass to eat? This isn't like you."

Nanami was so choked that she almost slammed the lid of the insulated box onto her foot.

"What are you saying?" She glared at the group, but the tips of her ears were already red, which couldn't be hidden in the firelight. "I'm here to help me with my research. What's with all this talk about food? You guys... Oh dear, I'm coming over."

"Hurry up and go, stop saying those shameful and crazy things, or people will misunderstand me!"

She waved and hurried out as she spoke, her movements so hurried they were almost endearing.

The group of sisters laughed and backed away, not forgetting to turn back and say, "Let's go, let's not disturb Nanami's tasting time..."

"Get out!" Nanami muttered in a low voice, but a smirk played on her lips.

Just as the sisters walked away, Jiang Chuan came over from the campfire. He was carrying an iron plate with seven or eight skewers of grilled meat on it. Each skewer was a bit thicker than a normal skewer, the meat pieces were cut into neat squares, grilled until golden brown and shiny, and still sizzling with oil.

"What were you guys talking about eating?" Jiang Chuan casually picked up on the topic he'd overheard and asked, "Were you having that much fun?"

Nanami was momentarily speechless.

"Eat, eat..." she stammered, her mind still replaying the crazy things her sisters had said earlier. Her gaze swept around frantically before finally settling on the plate of meat skewers in Jiang Chuan's hand.

"Ah, I said I want to eat...your big meat...skewers!"

She quickly fixed her gaze on the skewer of meat, pretending nothing had happened, and exclaimed, "Wow, Jiang Chuan, your skewer of meat... how come it's so big!"

Jiang Chuan shook the iron plate in his hand, a hint of pride in his voice: "I skewered these myself, adding extra pieces of meat. I think the more meat skewers you have, the bigger they are, the more satisfying it is to eat them. Here, try some, these are mine."

He handed her a skewer, which Nanami took and took a bite.

The meat was grilled to perfection, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Each bite burst with flavor, releasing a delightful aroma of charcoal and cumin. Nanami chewed a couple of times, her eyes lighting up.

"Mmm~ Jiang Chuan, your big meat skewer is so delicious~" she mumbled, her mouth still stuffed with meat. "I love it so much!"

"Don't rush, don't rush," Jiang Chuan handed over another string of skewers, a smile playing on his lips. "Here, there's more, there's more."

The two stood by the campfire, each holding a plate of meat skewers, eating and chatting.

Nanami asked Jiangchuan how he cooked it, and Jiangchuan said that cooking outdoors is a basic skill, which he learned when he was out and about.

Nanami then asked him where he usually went, and Jiang Chuan named several places, some of which Nanami had only seen in his papers.

"You've been to so many places?" Nanami took a bite of meat, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Hmm, find Pokémon, find items, find some places where nobody goes."

Nanami listened, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment.

There was a quality about this person that was completely unfamiliar to her.

The male colleagues at the research institute always talked about papers, data, and published journals.

Jiang Chuan is different; he talks about the wind, the stones, and the Pokémon he encounters on the road.

His world was much bigger and wilder than hers.

"So, how about some drinks?" Nanami finished the last skewer of meat, tossed the bamboo stick into the bucket next to her, and casually grabbed two cans of beer. "Want some drinks on the trip?"

Jiang Chuan took a can, opened it, tilted his head back, and took a sip.

"Of course I'll drink," he said. "A journey is incomplete without fine wine. But I can't drink too much, or I'll make a mistake."

"And today?" Nanami lifted her jar and nudged his. "Today wasn't a trip, it was more of a relaxation."

With a "clink," the aluminum cans gently collided.

They both laughed.

By the time everyone was slightly tipsy, the campfire had passed its peak; the flames had dimmed, leaving only a layer of glowing red embers underneath. The laughter and chatter in the camp had also subsided considerably; some had already retreated to their tents, while a few remained by the fire, engaging in casual conversation.

Nanami sat next to Jiangchuan, even closer than before.

She didn't know when things had turned out this way. Maybe it was when she finished the third can of beer, maybe it was when Jiang Chuan said something that made her laugh so hard she bent over, maybe it was when that gust of wind blew by again—in any case, by the time she realized it, her shoulder was already pressed against his arm, the outside of her arm tightly against his, with almost no gap between their bodies.

She felt her chest brush against the outside of his arm.

Even through the thin short-sleeved shirt, the sensation was so clear it sent shivers down her spine. She didn't move away, and neither did Jiang Chuan.

Then, she moved slightly.

In that instant, she felt her hip brush against a spot.

Nanami's breath hitched.

It was so unexpected, it only lasted a moment. Her body instinctively jerked to the side, then she sat up straight again, pretending nothing had happened.

But that feeling is etched into my memory.

Her face was burning. Luckily, the light from the campfire was so bright it made her face appear red, so it wasn't noticeable.

She picked up her beer and took a swig, her fingers trembling slightly. Her heart was pounding as if she had just run 800 meters.

Jiang Chuan didn't react. He just sat quietly, the beer can in his hand resting on his knee, his eyes fixed on the last flickering flames in the campfire.

Nanami glanced at him secretly.

His profile was serene in the firelight. He didn't look at her, made no unnecessary movements, and even his breathing was steady. It was as if nothing had happened just a moment ago.

Did he sense it?

Nanami didn't know, and didn't dare to ask.

All she knew was that a certain part of her body had now fully awakened.

She thought she could control herself and that focusing on her research would drive away those messy thoughts.

But now she knows.

What is suppressed will not disappear, but will only accumulate.

Once it accumulates to a certain point, a gust of wind or a careless touch will cause it all to explode.

The campfire went out completely. The last embers of red light faded in the night wind, leaving only a few sparks flickering in the ashes.

The campsite darkened. Someone called out, "Time to sleep," and the lights in several tents flickered on and off.

Nanami stood up and dusted off her pants.

"It's getting late," she said, her voice lower than usual as she finished speaking.

"Okay." Jiang Chuan also stood up and threw the empty can into the recycling bag.

The two stood facing each other for a while. The night wind was still blowing, ruffling Nanami's ponytail and Jiang Chuan's collar. Only one camping lamp remained, hanging at the entrance of the small tent, its light dim enough to just illuminate their silhouettes.

"Good night."

"Good night."

She turned and walked towards her tent. After a few steps, she looked back again.

Jiang Chuan remained standing, his back to the extinguished campfire, facing her. Her expression was obscured, but his figure was steady.

Nanami crawled into the tent and zipped it up.

Jiang Chuan returned to his tent and scanned the surroundings with his Aura. The quarry was quiet, and the wild Pokémon underground were all huddled in the rock strata, with nothing unusual.

After confirming the safety buckle, Jiang Chuan slowly closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually calmed down.

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

Jiang Chuan rested peacefully, while Nanami's tent presented a completely different scene.

She lay in her sleeping bag, her eyes wide open, staring at the tent ceiling. The slight wind outside couldn't drown out the thoughts running through her mind.

All the thoughts that had been suppressed during the day resurfaced at this moment.

Moreover, it is more specific, clearer, and more illogical than during the day.

The image of Jiang Chuan's close touch to her chest as he handed her a book in the research institute corridor, his breath on her ear as he stood behind her in the data room, his arm over her shoulder in front of the bookshelf—these images jumped out one after another, each one carrying a sense of touch and warmth.

And then it's tonight.

The warmth of his body emanated from the campfire through his clothes, revealing the contours of his shoulders and the firmness of his arms.

And for that brief moment, her hip brushed against him...

Nanami rolled over and squeezed the blanket tightly between her legs.

She felt her body getting hot...

Her mind was filled with a jumble of images. They were too fragmented to form a complete scene, but each frame made her heart race.

Nanami buried her face in the pillow and sighed softly.

Nanami, you~

She wanted to scold herself to wake up, but she stopped halfway through.

Because the feeling was so good, so good that she didn't want to stop.

"Sleep, sleep," she muttered softly, "Take it slow, take it slow..."

She lifted her face from the pillow, took a deep breath, and then buried it back in.

"Fine herbs must be savored slowly and carefully; they cannot be swallowed whole!"

These words swirled in her mind like a mantra. She repeated them over and over, trying to suppress the burning heat with this absurd self-suggestion.

After tossing and turning countless times, she finally drifted off to sleep in the sweltering heat.

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

Outside the tent, the night wind was still blowing. The ashes of the campfire had completely cooled, leaving only a ring of charred marks.

After the camp fell completely silent, the surface of the excavation site in the distance suddenly began to slowly rise up…