Chapter 383: Planning & Playfulness

*Tap* *Tap*

The sound of our footsteps echoed softly as we walked side by side under the evening sky. The weather was a little cold, with a gentle breeze blowing through the street, but it felt refreshing after the warm day. The streetlights had just started turning on, casting a soft orange glow on the road. I glanced at Aeri, wondering if she felt cold in her short dress.

"You are not feeling cold, are you?" I asked, glancing at her while keeping my hands inside my pockets.

"Nope. Not at all," she replied with a small smile. "The stockings provide the necessary warmth and my chest feels open, but the crop top is heavy clothing. Hehe..." She blushed softly and looked at me, her cheeks turning a light pink.

"I see... well then, that’s good to know," I said, letting out a small sigh of relief. I had been a bit worried about her outfit in the cool evening air.

"Why are you overthinking?" she asked, pouting her lips a little. "Is my dress too lewd for you?"

"Pfft... lewd?" I asked, letting out a small laugh.

"Whaa— see, now you are laughing at me," she said, making an exaggerated red face and pretending to be annoyed.

"Not at all, Aeri... this is exactly how I prefer my love to be," I said, reaching out and grabbing her by the waist. I pulled her closer to me, feeling the warmth of her body against mine.

"Ehh..." she gasped, blushing hard. She gave in to my pull, clutching her small handbag even more tightly with both hands.

"I love you," I said softly, leaning in and kissing her cheek right there in front of the people walking around us.

"Urmm..." Aeri blushed even harder, looking down at the ground as she walked. Her face felt hot, and she was sweating a little from the sudden rush of embarrassment and happiness.

"What? You didn’t like it?" I asked, placing my hand gently on her shoulder while we continued walking comfortably side by side.

"Idiot..." she said, forcing the word out while staring at me at the same time. Her eyes were full of shy affection, even though she was pretending to be upset.

I chuckled softly and kept my arm around her shoulder. The street was busy with people walking, cars passing by, and the evening lights twinkling above us. Aeri stayed close, her body warm against mine. Every now and then, she would glance up at me with that same blushing smile, her short white skirt swaying gently with her steps. The black stockings made her legs look long and elegant, and the crop top showed just enough of her smooth stomach to make my heart beat a little faster.

Even though she called me an idiot, I could tell she was happy. The way she leaned into my side and held onto my arm showed that she liked the attention. After all the stress from the hospital and the strange things that had happened, this simple walk together felt like a fresh start.

"So? Where are we going?" Aeri asked, looking up at me with curious eyes. My hand was still resting comfortably on her shoulder as we walked side by side down the street.

"Umm, I am thinking," I replied, my mind working hard to come up with a plan. "We can go to a restaurant to eat later, but before that, we should go somewhere and enjoy ourselves, right?" I looked down at her face, hoping she might have some suggestions.

Aeri just tightened her lips and stayed quiet for a moment. She didn’t seem to have any ideas. I sighed quietly inside my head and let out a small laugh.

"There’s an amusement park nearby. You wanna see that?" I asked, watching her face for approval.

"Yeah... we can go there," she said, nodding slowly. "But didn’t we go somewhere like that two weeks ago as well?" She recalled the time we had spent together, her voice soft and thoughtful.

"Ahh yeah... right, right..." I said, remembering it clearly. "And then the next day you rejected me." I nodded with a calm-looking smile on my face, even though inside I was still burning a little from that memory.

"Aaaaaaaaaaa... can you just forget that already now?" she yelled out loudly in embarrassment, her cheeks turning bright red. She covered her face with one hand for a second, looking around to make sure no one on the street had heard.

"As if... I am gonna forget that rejection..." I said, forcing my tone to sound dramatic while still smiling at her.

"Fuck you!" she said flat, crossing her arms and pretending to be angry.

"Ahh... harder..." I replied in a sarcastic tone, raising my eyebrows at her.

"Pfft* ahahaha..." Aeri burst out laughing. She swatted my shoulder playfully with her hand, shaking her head at how silly I was being.

We kept walking down the street together. The evening lights were starting to glow brighter around us, and a cool breeze blew gently, making Aeri’s short skirt sway a little. She looked beautiful in her white crop top and mini skirt, her black stockings and boots giving her a stylish look. Even though she was laughing now, I could see a small blush still lingering on her cheeks from my teasing.

"You are really impossible sometimes," she said, still smiling as she walked closer to me. She bumped her shoulder against mine lightly, like she always did when she was in a good mood.

"I know," I replied, grinning. "But you still love me, right?"

Aeri rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. "Yeah, yeah... I do."

The street was lively with people walking, some couples holding hands, others chatting and laughing. The air smelled fresh, and the city lights made everything feel alive. I kept my hand on her shoulder, enjoying the simple comfort of having her beside me after the tough days in the hospital.

Aeri looked up at me again, her eyes sparkling under the streetlights. "So amusement park first, or somewhere else? then dinner?"