"I..."
Lin Tian looked at the family of three standing before him, the words he had practiced so many times stuck in his throat.
He had envisioned this moment countless times, yet seeing this happy family—especially that unfamiliar girl—he felt as though his presence was utterly redundant.
"Don't be nervous, child. What is it? Is there something you need?"
As if sensing Lin Tian's anxiety, the woman glanced at the middle-aged man before asking him with a gentle, kindly expression.
"No, it's nothing. I... may I give you a hug?"
Hearing the woman's warm voice, Lin Tian's emotions seemed to settle instantly. He shook his head, clearing the chaotic thoughts from his mind, and spoke his request with a smile of relief.
"Hug me?"
The woman didn't understand the reason behind his request, but seeing the flicker of hope in Lin Tian's eyes, she felt certain that this young man meant her no harm.
The woman stood up slowly. Looking at the boy who was roughly the same age as her daughter, an inexplicable feeling welled up in her heart.
She couldn't quite describe it; it was as if she had known him since he was a child. Why did a complete stranger give her such a feeling?
While the woman was still lost in her confusion, Lin Tian suddenly stepped forward. He bent his knees slightly to match her height and gently embraced her waist.
Before the woman could even process what was happening, Lin Tian had already let go.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man, who had been feeling a bit jealous, finally relaxed. It seemed the kid wasn't after his wife; he just wanted a simple hug.
However, before the man could say anything, Lin Tian turned toward him.
"Hold on, hugging and cuddling isn't really appropriate between men."
Seeing Lin Tian's gaze, the middle-aged man immediately declared his stance. He wasn't into that sort of thing.
To the man's surprise, Lin Tian didn't look disappointed. Instead, he simply extended a closed fist toward him.
The middle-aged man froze for a second, looking at Lin Tian and then at his daughter in confusion. Slowly, he reached out and balled his hand into a fist as well.
Their knuckles bumped. The man looked at the boy before him, who was the same age as his daughter, feeling completely baffled by the situation.
"Then... do I need to do it too?"
Seeing the interactions Lin Tian had with her parents, the girl felt a bit lost, wondering if she should offer a fist bump as well.
At the sound of the girl's voice, Lin Tian shifted his gaze to her.
However, after staring at her for a long time, Lin Tian eventually shook his head.
"No. Perhaps it is better if we do not touch."
The girl: ?
Ignoring the girl's bewildered and speechless expression, Lin Tian bid his final farewell to the woman and the middle-aged man before turning to leave.
Watching his retreating back, the girl was utterly confused. This person was so strange—he came over as if he had something important to say, but in the end, he only gave her parents a hug and a fist bump.
What the girl didn't notice was that as they turned away, several specks of light, nearly invisible to the naked eye, flickered from Lin Tian's hand and merged into the bodies of the family of three.
...
By the time Lin Tian returned to Shinobu Kocho's side, he found the other girls looking at him with worried expressions.
Lin Tian smiled. "Let's go eat, everyone. Mitsuri must be starving by now."
The End.
Author's Closing Statement
The End.
Lately, I've been running in circles, incredibly busy with my exams, and I simply haven't had the time to write. I managed to find a little bit of time today to write an ending; I suppose you could call it a way of giving everyone an account of the story (though it doesn't really count as one). Yeah... it's a "rotten tail" ending...
Regarding the next book, we'll have to see. This book has many unfilled "holes" (plot points), many "poison points," and many promises I wasn't able to keep... Hehe, it's definitely not great. Maybe we'll see each other again when my interest returns next time.
Farewell, everyone. Until we meet again.