They all have hidden attributes!

"24-hour instant noodle corner, come and eat tonight."

"An open-air bath, ah, too bad I didn't bring a swimsuit."

"Let's go to the arcade first!"

Although there were many people on the boat, it was not noisy, and a mature atmosphere permeated the air, making the air around Nekoya Hina seem particularly lively.

Breathing in the damp sea breeze, Makoto Takahashi slowly followed her into the arcade.

Two minutes later, he pulled out the excited Nekoya Hina.

Let's go to a karaoke bar.

"Oh, so why does everyone only play cards in the ship's arcade?"

That's called Texas Hold'em.

"Huh? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."

After spending time at a karaoke bar with Nekoya Haruna, the two returned to their suite after dinner, where it was her turn to tire out Takahashi Makoto.

As night fell, the air finally quieted down.

The suite was dark, with moonlight streaming through the window and falling on the snow-white sheets, creating a pristine white glow. The clear, soothing sound of the waves filled the air with a unique, intertwined atmosphere.

"Ah Cheng, are you a wild beast?"

Hina Nekoya lay on the bed, burying her face in the pillow, and mumbled a complaint indistinctly, "I really should have dragged Reiko-nee along."

Her tone betrayed an uncontrollable resentment, yet the soft touch of her skin clung to her body, as if it were an irresistible temptation.

Makoto Takahashi stroked her messy chestnut hair, gazing intently at her profile: "Still want to go to the 24-hour instant noodle corner?"

"Never mind, I'm too tired."

Hina Nekoya shook her head, turned to look at the sea outside the window for a while, then turned back to look at him: "I can't sleep on the ship, it's been rocking so much, let's go outside for some fresh air."

"I have a thick bathrobe; it seems quite cold outside."

Makoto Takahashi brought her a bathrobe, which she casually draped over herself. She got out of bed and walked towards the private terrace, her snow-white thighs appearing and disappearing with each step, looking particularly alluring in the moonlight.

As soon as she opened the door to the terrace, Nekoya Hina shivered.

While Tokyo is already experiencing warm spring, Hokkaido is still in late winter with temperatures as low as 3°C, and the sea temperature at night is even below zero.

Makoto Takahashi took the blanket from the bed and draped it over her. He went to the edge of the terrace, where the view was beyond the ordinary and full of fantasy.

The night sky is dotted with stars, the sea stretches to the horizon, and the interplay of light and shadow, tranquility and hustle is just right.

"It's so beautiful."

Hina Nekoya gazed at the sea and sighed, then scratched her cheek: "Makoto, we should be able to reach Otaru by tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yes."

"4:30 a.m.? Taking a boat is actually quite fast."

"You can stay on the boat until 6 o'clock, and then go to the Triangle Market for a fresh breakfast after you get off the boat."

"It's currently the season for primrose fishing."

The two discussed the arrangements after the ferry docked in a relaxed tone.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and Nekoya Hina wrapped herself tighter in her blanket. Suddenly, she stammered, "Um, Makoto, have you thought about what to do?"

“[Please hand over your daughter to me], something like that.” Takahashi Makoto turned to look at her, their eyes meeting.

Hina Nekoya gazed at him, her chestnut eyes gleaming with a dazzling, intense emotion.

"If Acheng is rejected, I will cut ties with them and run away from home."

"..."

Makoto Takahashi smiled and raised the corners of his mouth, his attitude gentle: "I will try my best to prevent that kind of thing from happening."

Chapter 245 At the Cat House

Ring ring—

The phone screen, lying on the pristine white sheets, lit up and emitted a piercing ringtone.

Hina Nekoya slightly opened her eyes, her nose twitched, and she smelled the salty, damp scent of the sea breeze. She paused for a moment before recalling that she and Makoto Takahashi had taken a boat back to Otaru.

Have we reached the shore yet?

The next second, she jumped out of bed, looked around, and saw Takahashi Makoto sitting on a single sofa by the window, holding a book and reading.

A loose-fitting black thin sweater and casual pants give off an elegant and appropriate feel.

The soft morning light gilded him, and a steaming cup of coffee sat on the round table beside him. His calm and focused gaze captivated Hina Nekoya.

"morning."

Makoto Takahashi looked up from his book and greeted her casually. Hina Nekoya then snapped out of her reverie and hurriedly got out of bed.

"Good morning, Acheng, are we disembarking?"

Makoto Takahashi raised his wrist and glanced at his watch: "No rush, we've just docked, there's still more than an hour."

"Oh, I talked to my mom about Otaru first."

Under his gentle gaze, Nekoya Hina grabbed her phone, slipped on her slippers, and ran into the bathroom. While brushing her teeth, she quickly sent messages on her phone.

A little while later, she rushed out again, her mouth full of toothpaste foam, and mumbled, "Acheng, Mom and Dad said they're coming to pick us up."

"okay."

Seeing that Makoto Takahashi nodded nonchalantly, Hina Nekoya went back to the bathroom, spat out the foam in her mouth, rinsed her mouth, and ran out, putting on a "the sky is falling" expression and asking, "Then how are we supposed to go out and have fun?"

Makoto Takahashi picked up his coffee and took a sip, using the bitterness to ease his tension: "I plan to stay in Hokkaido for a few more days. Otaru and Hakodate seem to be not far apart. I'll stay at your place tonight. Is that alright?"

"Oh, okay, I'm fine." Nekoya Hina yawned and went back to the bathroom to continue washing up.

A short while later, she ran out and found a change of clothes and a hair tie in her simple luggage, and tied up her chestnut-colored long hair. Because she was always in a hurry, she gave people a feeling of chaos and turmoil.

However, Makoto Takahashi doesn't dislike her energy; the house is lively from the morning onwards, which is also a kind of enjoyment.

Once Nekoya Hina was ready to disembark, Takahashi Makoto finished his coffee in one gulp, closed his book, and walked out of the suite with her.

A cool sea breeze brushed against my cheeks, mixed with the cries of seabirds. Looking down from the upper deck of the ship towards the coast, the area in the direction of the Triangle Market had become bustling.

"When are you and your aunt coming?" Makoto Takahashi asked in a calm tone.

"It will take at least two hours, right? My home is quite remote, so it takes a long time to drive there."

Nekoya Hina flashed a bright smile, but she was probably even more nervous than him inside, her fingers gripping Takahashi Makoto's arm unconsciously tightening.

"Acheng, what book are you reading?" To distract herself, she looked at the cover of the book in Takahashi Makoto's hand.

"You're interested in books too?" Takahashi Makoto teased.

"No, no, is that possible?!"

"No, I'm just a little surprised."

"What? I still chose humanities, no matter what." Nekoya Hina pouted unconvinced.

"Strictly speaking, you're an athletic type, right? Stop pretending to be an artsy type, Haruna."

Makoto Takahashi helped her down the stairs, raising the book in his other hand: "Kirishima Travel Guide, Aya's new book, which should be officially released in the next couple of days."

"Mayo's book? I always thought she was amazing. This book will probably become a question on my worst subject, modern Chinese, sooner or later."

Nekoya Hina looked dejected, as if she had lost to her. Takahashi Makoto comforted her, saying, "You're not bad either. You're already a key player on the national team. Yoru even said he'd prepare a congratulatory gift for you when you join Team A."

"Oh right, I had forgotten. It doesn't feel like I suddenly became that good after joining Team A. I always thought it was unattainable."

"Hanaori is hoping that after entering university, she will suddenly become an adult overnight."

"Huh? Isn't that right? I thought I was just left behind."

Nekoya Hina lowered her head, looking at her chest with a self-pitying gaze. Takahashi Makoto coughed lightly and patted her shoulder:

"Of course not. It would be too strange for someone to grow up overnight. This is good, at least it won't affect your badminton playing."

"That's true. Amamiya-senpai must have ended up losing the national tournament because of that!" Nekoya Hina's mental resilience was better than he had imagined.

It takes less than 10 minutes to walk from the port where you disembark to the Triangle Market.

After eating a large bowl of fresh seafood rice, Nekoya Haruna finally woke up completely. Not only did her steps become lighter, but her complexion also became radiant.

She seemed to be in a hurry while washing up in the morning, but her appearance was perfectly neat.

Makoto Takahashi accompanied her to a nearby shopping street to buy snacks and two souvenirs. He also temporarily noted down the gifts he wanted to bring back to Tokyo in his phone's memo app.

For example, the ice cream that Hanakawa Kaori wanted, and the Hokkaido-exclusive cream puffs and cakes.

After getting tired of walking around the Otaru Canal, the two of them carried various paper bags to the park opposite Otaru Station, sat on a bench, and waited for Nekoya's parents to pick them up by car.

After a moment of silent snuggling, Hina Nekoya's warm voice rang in my ears:

"Acheng, although I don't know if I really did something wrong, I won't run away this time."

"What do you mean by 'escape'?" Takahashi Makoto asked.

"It was the time I quit the badminton club."

Hina Nekoya's voice unconsciously softened. Makoto Takahashi looked at her expression with amusement and reached out to hold her hand: "It's different, Hina. We were just friends back then."

"right."

"So it's okay to hide this time."

Makoto Takahashi paused briefly, thought for a moment, put down the book in his other hand, and reached into his pants pocket: "Originally, I was hoping that you would want to make a change yourself."

Hina Nekoya watched him silently, while Makoto Takahashi wore a slight smile.

"After we started dating, I changed my mind. I should be the one to take that step."

"I never intended to give up on you from the very beginning."

After saying that, he took out something he had prepared from his pocket and handed it to Nekoya Hina.

"Ah Cheng really is a scumbag."

Hina Nekoya took it with her free hand. It was a white box, just the right size to be easily held in her hand, decorated with a red ribbon.