Chapter 116 Joke Of Destiny!
Chapter 116 Joke Of Destiny!
Instead of answering her. From his mana bracket, Luis took out a glass jar full of paper slips.
Alicia's curious eyes were fixed on that glass jar, as she asked, "What is this for?"
Luis smiled and said, "In these paper slips, I've written down my wishes about the things I wanna try out with you on our dates."
Hearing him say that, Alicia's eyes widened in surprise. "So many?!"
"No, it's not," Luis shook his head and continued, "This jar is not big enough for me to write down all my wishes. So I'll keep adding more once it starts getting empty."
Alicia looked at him incredulously and mumbled, "Just how many dates will it take for us to complete all your wishes?"
"There's no hurry," Luis said with a shrug and then continued with a handsome smile, "We are going to experience a lot of things together and for that, we have our entire lives ahead of us. You should also write down the things you wanna try. We will do it together."
Then, raising the jar in his hand, he said, "Now why don't we start already? Try picking out a few, so we can decide on today's date itinerary."
Alicia nodded and inserted her hand inside the jar. After picking a few paper slips, she unfolded them one by one.
[Underwater Restaurant Dinner]
[Surfing]
[Mermaids Dive]
[Beach Sunset]
[Botanical Park]
[Arcade]
[Movie]
[Shark Racing]
"Well, your choices are pretty niche, Alicia," Luis uttered, reading the paper slips she picked. Then, turning his head to look at her, he suggested, "We have already watched a movie on our last date. Why don't we leave that one out for today?"
Putting away the jar back inside the mana bracelet, Luis got close to her. Then, like a natural movement, he smoothly held her hand and started walking in a certain direction.
Alicia nodded, agreeing to his words, then with a slight smile, she said. "You were the one going to take the lead on today's date, so everything is up to you."
When Luis heard Alicia's statement, he grinned.
"Then, don't mind me!"
Putting away the jar back inside the mana bracelet, Luis got close to her. Then, like a natural movement, he smoothly held her hand and started walking in a certain direction.
Alicia took a moment to react to Luis' casual and natural behaviour. He did it like it was their usual thing, which made her blush. However, she didn't pull away, as she liked it this way.
"Where are we going first?" She asked, trying not to focus on her hand that was held by him tightly.
Luis smiled, locked their fingers together and said, "Let's go to the Botanical Park first."
Alicia nodded, trying her best to ignore his small actions. Otherwise, she might once again end up blushing from his intimate behaviour. Seconds later, the two of them took a hover car and left.
---
Two old men who had been observing Luis and Alicia's actions from the start chuckled.
An old man with a white beard said. "Kids these days really know how to make their lives fun."
The old companion of his nodded and said with a laugh. "Haha, when I was younger, I also went on many dates."
"You are lucky, the majority of my dates have always ended up in shopping and my loose wallet."
"Haha, same here."
...
A guy wearing a tracksuit seemed to be resting on the side from his morning run, said with a snort, "Childish."
His name is Olav Norris, a second-year student at the Oracle Academy.
'Are those two new students joining the academy this year?'
'Whatever, it doesn't matter!'
'From how their brains are full of love. I can tell that they won't get anywhere in the future.'
With a disdainful look on his face and some disappointment for his juniors in his heart, Olav stopped resting and continued his run.
'Instead of wasting time on things like love and relationships. It's better to train hard and get stronger. Only then will you have any value in this world.'
'I hope the other juniors won't be like this stupid love brain couple.'
*Sigh* n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Sighing, Olav disappeared from that area within a few steps. His speed was so fast that it only left a gust of wind for normal people to feel.
If Luis knew about Olav's disdain for him and Alicia. He would have really liked to complain. After all, he was a hard worker and after being busy for months. Now they were finally going on a date in their free time. Is that still wasting time?
As for being called childish? Although the two of them knew that what they were doing seemed kind of childish, they didn't care. It's their happiness that matters, and as long as they are happy even while doing these small things together, does it matter if others think of them as childish?
***
On the east of the academy city and quite a distance away from the Malia pier is the stunning botanical garden that sprawled at the foot of the Moon Candle lighthouse. That is also Luis and Alicia's first destination for today.
"Luis, are we going to that lighthouse later?" Alicia asked while pointing towards the Moon Candle lighthouse.
Luis turned his head toward the lighthouse and nodded after a moment of thought.
"Sure, let's visit it after taking a look around the botanical garden."
"Okay," Alicia nodded with a crescent smile on her face.
Still holding each other's hands, the two of them made their way towards the entrance of the botanical garden.
On their way, Luis had already let Lily purchase the tickets online, so they didn't line up at the counter.
While they were getting the visitor's pass from the man standing near the entrance. Another person holding a book came forward and asked. "Do you two need a guide?"
When Alicia heard this, she thought that having a guide might be a good idea. But she still waited for Luis's decision.
Luis looked at him and replied bluntly, "No need." Then, holding Alicia's hands, he immediately left.
Seeing the look of confusion on Alicia's face. Luis took out a pair of small earpieces and said, "We can just let Lily be our guide. She will explain in much detail."
Though he said that, inwardly, his thoughts were different.
'Yeah, like hell, I will let a guide follow us! It's a romantic date, not a study tour! Why will I let a guide interrupt us in our alone time?'
Alicia nodded and didn't think much about it. Taking the small earpiece from him, she wore it. She also felt that it was better to let Lily be their guide than to let a stranger follow them.
With that, their tour around the botanical garden finally began.
---
They started checking all the sections one by one and Lily introduced all the herbs, plants, and trees to them.
What kind of use do they have? What are their specialities? How are they bred? And many other interesting things.
Alicia and Luis listened to everything carefully, as they admired the beauty of nature.
But then Lily's introduction about the next plant made Luis' steps halt.
{The pollen of these Hercowl flowers is used to create the medicine for Malignant Tumour. It can easily cure patients even in their later stages.}
"Luis?" Alicia called out in confusion, wondering why he stopped.
Luis, on the other hand, didn't reply to her and was in a trance-like state, looking at the whitish-pink flower in front of him. 'This flower… can cure cancer?'
His lips trembled for a moment and a bitter smile appeared on his face.
'From this same disease, I died in my previous life after suffering for years.'
'Now, in this world, it is something easily curable.'
Shaking his head, Luis ignored that flower and started walking together with Alicia.
After a few steps, he chuckled. "Hehe~"
"Why are you laughing?" Alicia asked, not understanding why Luis suddenly laughed.
Luis glanced at her and said, "Just thought of a funny thing."
Alicia's eyes brightened as she asked. "Oh, tell me?"
Exhaling a deep breath, Luis looked ahead and said, "Then I'll tell you a story."
"There was a boy who wanted something. The thing he wanted wasn't just his desire, it was also his hope. If you had asked him to choose between that thing he wanted and all the money in the world, without hesitation, he would choose that thing. It was that important for him. He dreamt about getting it countless times. But he couldn't obtain it and in the end, he lost all his hopes."
"Then, when everything was over for him and he did not need that thing anymore, he found that thing lying on the roadside in his casual stroll."
Turning his head to look at Alicia. Luis asked, "What do you think his reaction would have been?"
Alicia was thoughtful for a moment, then she said, "He must have felt like crying."
Luis smiled at her and said, "Hmm, maybe that could have been the reaction, too. But he didn't feel anything. He just glanced at it for a moment and then went his way."
Alicia pondered about this story for a moment, then a frown appeared on her face. "Where's the humour in it? I don't understand."
Luis looked at her cute reaction and chuckled softly.
"Of course you won't. And neither do I. After all, it's a joke made by destiny."