The afternoon sun had mellowed as a lone bicycle creaked down the downtown pedestrian street. Its rear wheel groaned with every rotation—a broken axle bearing the weight of me and the seemingly relaxed passenger on the back seat.

"Yuzuru Sensei," I said, "could you not cling so tightly?"

Nan Dongye’s arms, wrapped around my waist, jerked away. "D-Does it bother you?" she whispered.

Bother me? Not at all. Her embrace was far softer and fuller than Jiang Xiaoyu’s washboard-flat chest that jabbed painfully whenever she hugged me. If not for my instinctive tension—bracing for impact—I’d have asked her to hold on tighter.

"Nah. Just reflexes. When Xiaoyu does this, my neck usually meets concrete at a ninety-degree angle. You know, the classic *German suplex*."

"I have no idea what you’re talking about. What about… this?" Nan Dongye shifted to sit sideways like a proper lady, her left hand lightly hooking my waist while her right rested on my chest. My heart skipped a beat. "D-Don’t get any ideas! It’s just… unsafe if I slip!"

*Ideas?* Please. I wasn’t some lovesick schoolboy who’d swoon over a shared eraser—Ouyang Lian called those types "public baboons." A true Saint Seiya never falls for the same trick twice!

"Too naive, Sensei. Jiang Wuque’s a flag remover with a built-in silence aura. If this flustered me, how could I be the protagonist?"

"Idiot!" she hissed under her breath. "And stop calling me that in public!"

"So you *do* have shame? Your deadline’s tomorrow. What are you even doing?"

"I told you—it’s *research*! Research!"

"What’s there to research in Crescent City? Just couples shamelessly violating birth control policies. Anyway—we’re here." I gestured at the bustling mall entrance, steering the bike into a quiet alley beside a side door. No one would bother stealing this rusty relic.

Nan Dongye hopped off, brushing rust flakes from her pants. "Exactly *because* there are couples! And you owe me for lunch, so you’re stuck with me!"

"Fine, fine." I shrugged. Honestly, girls’ logic baffled me. With half a day left to meet her deadline, she’d spent thirty minutes primping—then dragged me through a wardrobe change too.

Crescent City swarmed with weekend shoppers, mostly couples. Women lingered in gift shops while their male companions stared blankly ahead. Nan Dongye glanced back at me in her little boots, seemingly pleased with her handiwork. A faint blush colored her cheeks. "C-Could you… stand closer? I need inspiration. We can’t look like strangers."

"Sure." I shuffled forward, feeling more like a Bronze Saint guarding Athena than a date.

"Not like *that*, dummy! I-I mean… holding hands. Just for today, I’ll allow… couple stuff. *Only* today!" Yuzuru Sensei—the poised magazine writer—avoided eye contact, fidgeting so hard *I* felt awkward. If I hadn’t seen her room plastered with photos of shirtless men amid roses, I might’ve actually blushed.

My swept-up bangs and long ponytail probably made me look like some brooding performance artist—but at least unmistakably male. *Was that her goal?*

*Fake dating for research? Feels more like the FFF Brigade infiltrating enemy territory.*

I smirked. "Couple stuff like… hourly hotel rooms?"

"W-WHAT ARE YOU BLABBERING ABOUT?!" Nan Dongye’s trembling lips gave way to a punch aimed at my chest.

I caught her tiny fist mid-swing and pulled her forward, grinning. "Relax! Teasing each other *is* couple-like, right? For research?"

She nodded mutely, head bowed, letting me hold her hand.

"Got a plan?"

"...?"

"Dongye?"

"Hmm…?"

The dazed girl let out a soft, dreamy hum.

I pinched her cheek until she yelped. Rubbing her teary eyes, she finally said, "Ah! A plan! Cafés and cinemas spark inspiration. Definitely!"

Made sense. Was the Black Prince shifting from brotherly rivalry to pure romance? I almost cared about the plot—must be Xiao Qian’s influence.

"Perfect!" Nan Dongye’s eyes sparkled as she whipped out her phone. "After the movie, we’ll hit Crescent City’s cat café. I’ve always wanted to go—their chubby-cheeked cats are adorable! Oh, and their *liulian* pudding is supposed to be amazing!"

*Whoa, slow down!* Sensei, your deadline?! The sleepy class rep had transformed into a hyper-planner. This felt less like spontaneous research and more like… something off. Something I couldn’t quite pin down.

*Eh, whatever.* I loved *liulian* pudding. And honestly? I didn’t mind playing pretend with this airhead on my day off. As long as there’s durian next time—count me in for research.