Bixlow kicked open the guild door, looking like he had just been fished out of water. His clothes were soaked through with sweat, clinging tightly to his body.
He used his hand as a fan, fanning himself frantically while complaining at the top of his lungs.
"Wow, I fell down while dancing outside just now and almost got cooked! You guys didn't see it, but when I pressed my palm against the ground, I actually heard a'sizzle' sound!"
Macao slumped in his chair, tilted his head back, and chugged half a glass of water, letting out a long sigh that was so hot you could see white mist.
"I was thinking of coming to the guild to swim, but the pool was like boiling water. I pulled my foot back the moment I stuck it in."
Wakaba was sprawled across the table, his cheek pressed against the surface, weakly pointing a finger at Gray in the corner.
"Gray, go cool down the pool."
Gray was shirtless, sprawled on another table like a puddle of melted ice cream. His limbs hung limply over the edge of the table; he didn't even have the strength to lift his head.
His lips moved, producing an unintelligible syllable; it was unclear whether he had agreed or refused.
Juvia had become the most popular person in the guild among the girls.
Levy, Lucy, and Cana were clinging to her like koalas on a tree, each occupying a spot, their faces showing expressions of cozy relief after surviving a disaster.
Juvia herself sat upright in the middle, a smug smile on her lips, clearly quite satisfied with her status as a 'human air conditioner.'
In the healing room at the end of the guild corridor, Riyao was enjoying a world completely different from the outside.
He had applied an Enchantment Magic: Cold Air to each of the four corners of the room, making it as cool as a late autumn morning.
He leaned back on a soft lounge chair, while Mirajane lay comfortably in his arms like a lazy cat, her eyes half-closed and a satisfied curve on her lips.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Lisanna knocked on the door and pushed it open without waiting for a response.
A wave of cool air hit her, and she froze in the doorway, her eyes instantly widening.
"Wow, Big Sister, Brother-in-law, it's actually so cool in here!"
Lisanna put her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed out.
"That's too much! You guys were hiding this from your cute little sister!"
Her voice wasn't loud, but on this hot afternoon, everyone in the guild hall seemed to have radar-equipped ears.
Before her voice had even faded, the people in the hall moved at the sound, rushing over like a group of desert travelers who had discovered a water source.
In less than ten seconds, the healing room was packed full, with no space left to even turn around.
Riyao looked at these idiots sprawled all over his healing room, his forehead covered in black lines, his mouth twitching several times before he finally rolled his eyes in silence.
He lowered his head, leaned in close to Mirajane's ear, and lowered his voice.
"Mira, let's go on a trip. I heard recently that there's a resort island that's really fun."
Mirajane's eyes lit up, she lifted her head slightly, and also lowered her voice.
"Okay. It's been a while since we went out to play. Let's bring Lisanna and Elfman too."
The two looked at each other and nodded in tacit agreement, then stood up as if nothing had happened and quietly squeezed out of the crowd one after the other.
Riyao and Mirajane slipped out of the guild and rushed back to the manor to pack their luggage.
They moved efficiently, packing everything up in no time.
However, as soon as they arrived at the pier, they stopped in their tracks simultaneously, the smiles on their faces freezing at the same time.
On the pier, led by Makarov, a large crowd of people stood there.
Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Happy, Carla, Wendy, Levy, Cana, Juvia, Gajeel... a rough count showed that half the guild was there, with luggage of all sizes at everyone's feet.
Lisanna shrank her neck and stuck out her tongue, whispering: "The Master kept crying..."
Riyao's mouth twitched, and the image of Makarov rolling on the ground and throwing a tantrum automatically popped into his mind.
Originally, he and Mira had planned it perfectly: go back, pack their things, then take Lisanna and Elfman and quietly run away to enjoy a cozy family trip.
Now, half the guild was here, and the family trip had directly upgraded to a guild team-building event.
Makarov stood at the front of the line, hands on his hips, not a trace of having cried left on his face; instead, he wore a look of triumphant satisfaction.
He waved his large hand and shouted with full vigor: "Let's go!"
He had chartered a medium-sized passenger ship, and everyone carried their luggage and boarded one after another.
Natsu lay on the edge of the pier, his face pale, his hands gripping the cracks in the ground tightly, refusing to let go.
Erza walked over expressionlessly, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and dragged him onto the ship like a disobedient cat.
Natsu's legs left two long drag marks on the ground, and he let out a miserable wail.
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"Stop it!"
Back at the guild, Nab stood in front of the request board, flipping through the request slips one by one until his eyes were sore.
He rubbed the corners of his eyes and subconsciously turned his head to look into the hall.
The hall was empty, not a single person in sight.
A gust of hot wind blew a few fallen leaves past the door.
"Where is everyone?"
Nab blinked blankly.
Sea breezes blew gently, and the sun was bright.
On the deck of the passenger ship, everyone had changed into various swimsuits, the colorful fabric looking particularly vibrant in the sunlight.
Riyao and Mirajane lay side by side on lounge chairs at the bow of the ship, both wearing sunglasses, enjoying the sun comfortably.
Riyao grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth that shone in the sunlight.
"After we get a tan, we'll just walk around flashing our big teeth tonight."
Mirajane imagined that scene and laughed until her shoulders shook.
"Hahaha... it's funny just thinking about it."
Also joining the vacation were the three members of the Thunder God Tribe.
Freed stood in the center of the deck, his fingers tracing green Runes in the air, thoughtfully carving a sun-protection spell for everyone.
A pale green light flashed over everyone, forming a thin protective film.
Evergreen leaned against the ship's railing, her gaze behind her sunglasses locked firmly onto Elfman.
To be precise, it was locked onto Elfman's solid pectoral muscles.
The corners of her mouth opened slightly, and she was so entranced by the sight that she didn't even notice the drink in her hand tilting.
Riyao and Mirajane noticed this scene at the same time; the two looked at each other with tacit understanding, the corners of their mouths curving into the exact same arc, revealing a standard 'auntie smile.'
Riyao leaned closer to Mirajane and whispered in her ear: "I think Freed is a good guy too. If he and Lisanna got together, that would be pretty nice, hehe."
Mirajane tilted her head and thought about it. Freed was indeed reliable and attentive; if he stood with Lisanna, the picture did seem quite harmonious.
The two chatted more and more enthusiastically, starting to whisper and analyze various potential CP combinations in the guild, from Natsu and Lucy to Gray and Juvia, and even Elfman and Evergreen—they didn't miss a single one.
The sight of them whispering together was like two aunties haggling in a vegetable market, occasionally letting out meaningful, low laughs.
This commotion attracted Cana. She walked over with a beer in hand, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinized the two.
"What are you two talking about? You're laughing so pervertedly."
Riyao and Mirajane rolled their eyes in sync, their movements so uniform it was as if they had rehearsed.
Then, both of their gazes landed on Cana at the same time, and they started staring at her unceasingly, their eyes filled with a probing desire that made people's hair stand on end.
Cana felt uncomfortable being stared at, subconsciously taking half a step back and guardedly clutching her beer mug.
"What kind of weird things are you thinking?!"
Riyao chuckled, reached out to grab Cana's wrist, and pulled her over to sit by the lounge chair.
Mirajane took the opportunity to wrap her arm around Cana's shoulder from the other side. The two clamped Cana firmly in the middle, left and right, forming a perfect 'interrogation' formation.
Riyao leaned in closer, smiling sneakily, looking just like a gossiping reporter trying to fish for information.
"Cana, what kind of person do you like?"
Mirajane's arm tightened by half, not giving Cana any chance to escape.
"You've dated so many boyfriends, has there never been one you wanted to spend your whole life with?"
Cana had thought it was something serious, but hearing this, she breathed a sigh of relief and shrugged nonchalantly.
"Nope, I don't even know what kind I want."
She paused, then suddenly a crafty arc appeared on her lips. She leaned into Mirajane's ear and whispered something while covering her mouth with her hand.
After saying it, she straightened up and looked at Riyao with a playful gaze, one filled with three parts teasing, three parts smugness, and four parts anticipation of watching a good show.
Riyao's mouth twitched, and a bad premonition shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
After hearing it, Mirajane was stunned for a moment, then burst into undisguised laughter, laughing until she was bent double, tears almost coming out.
Riyao sat on the side, looking at Mirajane and then at Cana, completely unable to figure out what had happened.
Mirajane finally laughed enough, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, reached out to pull Riyao over, and leaned into his ear, lowering her voice.
"Cana said you tricked her when she was little, making her call you 'Brother'... 'Brother Riyao'..."
For the last four words, Mirajane deliberately softened her voice, calling it out in a sweet, sticky tone.
Riyao was completely reduced to a fetal state; if he had a tail right now, the speed at which it would be wagging could definitely propel this ship forward.
(σ ≧ ︎ ▽ ︎ ≦ ︎ ) σ.
Seeing Riyao in this state, Cana finally couldn't take it anymore, held her laughing stomach, and hurriedly ran away, her laughter drifting far away on the deck.
Problemati