Dating sim loading: My girlfriend is a cunning young lady
Chapter 307 - 159. School Trip (8)

Chapter 307: 159. School Trip (8)

There’s an old saying about Capital City: "To jump off the stage at Kiyomizu."

Kiyomizu Temple is built upon a mountain, and surviving a jump off its precipice signifies future blessings and the fulfillment of one’s desires. Even should one die, they’d be taken by the Bodhisattva to the Western Paradise, which isn’t such a bad thing.

It is said that in the span of a hundred and fifty years, roughly two to three hundred people have tried this, mostly men, and quite a few have lived to tell the tale.

On the bus to Kiyomizu Temple, Dubian Che finished telling the story and said to Kunii Shuichi, who was incessantly admiring his phone screen, "Want to give it a try?"

"Think I’m an idiot?" On Kunii Shuichi’s phone screen was a group photo they had just taken at Kyoto Station.

In the front row, Kunimi, Saito;

bending over with their fingertips touching, they struck the fusion pose of Kakarot and Vegeta.

In the second row, Kiyono, Dubian, Mayi, Ichiki Aoi;

from their postures, one could vaguely sense the awkwardness at the time, standing an arm’s length apart from each other.

"That leads us to another old saying: ’In love, everyone’s a fool,’" Dubian Che continued, "The location is still Capital City, but it’s Kiyomizu Shrine. During the Heian Era, the poetess Izumi Shikibu, famous for her Wakayama, secretly had an affair with a prince of the imperial family after she was married..."

"Where did you get all these stories?" Kunii Shuichi, his head cloudy from love, interrupted him impatiently.

"Never mind him, Dubian, keep talking," Saito Keisuke turned his head, half-standing, resting on the back of his seat, "What did Izumi Shikibu and the prince do? And what about her husband?"

The class president sitting next to Dubian Che pushed up his glasses and also looked attentive to the story.

...

Upon arriving at Kiyomizu Temple, they took another group photo in front of the majestic red Nio Gate.

After the class photo was done, Dubian Che hurried away.

"Mr. Xiaoquan, let me take your picture!"

Dubian Che was clearly addressing Xiaoquan Aonai, but Akiko eagerly handed him the camera first.

The two young female teachers, under Dubian Che’s lens, transformed into teenage girls, each striking an even cuter pose than the last.

"How did they turn out?" Akiko took the camera to check the photos.

"Definitely no issues," Dubian Che replied confidently, "I’ve studied video editing and researched lighting to prepare for the Cultural Festival."

"What did you take?!" Akiko complained, "Aonai, look at this."

"What’s wrong?" Dubian Che took the camera, pointed at the photo, and said, "Look at this lighting, this composition, this color. It’s morning now, and for landscape shots, you want to use side backlighting to get a better sense of dimension and layering. Look here, the main subject of the frame—the Nio Gate—is beautifully and attractively depicted."

"But, Dubian," Xiaoquan Aonai reached out, swiped twice on the camera, her body brushing against Dubian Che’s arm, her faint fragrance suddenly intensifying, "if you don’t zoom in, you can’t even see our faces."

"But look at this lighting, this composition, this..."

"Alright, alright, enough with the lighting and composition," Akiko patted Dubian Che on the shoulder, "Just make sure we look good, got it?"

"...Understood."

After taking satisfactory photos of the two female teachers, everyone entered Kiyomizu Temple.

The first popular spot they reached was the Kiyomizu Stage that Dubian Che had mentioned.

This was the temple’s most popular attraction, everyone wanted to take photos, students crowded around, and general tourists were also squeezed in.

Several classes overlapped with one another.

"Dubian," Kunii Shuichi called out pleadingly.

"I’m not going."

"Why?!"

"I don’t have anything I need to accomplish so badly I’d jump to my death for it."

"Eh?" Kunii Shuichi was taken aback, "Who’s talking about that, how about we go find Ichiki and take a photo?"

"Oh, that," Dubian Che replied, "you should’ve said so earlier."

"So? How about it?"

"I’m not going."

"..." Kunii Shuichi went on to coax Saito Keisuke and the class president.

Dubian Che walked a few steps forward and stood in front of the wooden railing.

The maples that dyed the hills red were a simple mix of red, yellow, and green at first glance, but each leaf, each cluster was unique, whether in color shape density or height. Arranged naturally, their beauty was indescribable.

The young green of the maple, glowing with light;

The color of red maples, like fire, like blood;

The yellow leaves seemed to mitigate the intensity of red and green, like specks of golden sunlight lighting up the canvas.

In the distance, one could see the streetscapes of Kyoto City.

The above is how Dubian Che later reminisced, carefully choosing his words to describe the scene.

"Wow, it’s so beautiful—" were the actual heartfelt words about the view at that moment.

Of course, those were Dubian Che’s thoughts, and the speaker was one of the four tourists speaking in Chinese nearby.

They were beautiful, wearing vividly rented kimonos, carrying small bags embroidered with paper cranes, walking in wooden clogs.

They took several photos facing the scenery and suddenly started whispering and giggling among themselves, then approached Dubian Che.

"Can you take a photo with us," they asked in broken Japanese.

"Sure," Dubian Che replied in Chinese.

"You speak Chinese?" The girl wearing a cherry blossom-colored dress pointed at Dubian Che, incredulous.

"I’m an exchange student."

"Really?"

"Yeah, have you ever seen an Island Country high school student who speaks Chinese so ’awesome’?" Dubian Che answered with a smile.

"He even knows ’awesome’, he must be Chinese!" A girl who turned too early and didn’t see Dubian Che’s smile excitedly concluded.

Another girl, wearing deep red kimono, coming back to her senses, looked at Dubian Che and said, "Could I ask what your name is?"

"Dubian," Dubian Che replied, smiling in the light shining down from the rooftop, "Dubian, like the ’Dubian’ of a ferry landing."