⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️
This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~
The evening is slightly chilly, with warm light coming through the frosted glass window, bringing a touch of light to the courtyard in front of us.
Lucien and I were walking on a gravel road when we see a vintage cottage in the distance.
I dug out an old key from my purse and opened the door.
MC: It’s so hard to finally get a break!
Lucien: Slow down, watch the threshold under your feet.
Lifting the cotton linen curtain, the interior of the cottage is very minimalist, with walnut furniture and earthy wooden floors highlighting the old-time aesthetic.
MC: Lucien, did you feel that the door just now was like a teleportation panel? It’s as if we go back to childhood through that door.
I flipped through the calendar hanging on the fridge and couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.
MC: Even the calendar is 20 years old!
Lucien: Twenty years ago, it would’ve been nice to spend a leisurely childhood here with you.
MC: Well, now is not too late~
I pulled Lucien’s arm over me and winked at him.
MC: But I heard from Pete that your new project is in the process of being finalized, right? Will we delay it by going on vacation?
Lucien: On the contrary, this vacation is an integral part of my research.
Lucien saw my confusion and pointed to a thin wire he had attached to the back of his neck.
It is hidden in his hair, while the other end is missing through the collar. Before, I didn’t even notice that he actually wears such gadget.
Lucien: This is a newly developed portable monitor. I plan to collect some brainwave data in a relaxed state as a sample reference, so I specially chose this place to rest for a few days.
Lucien: And then… bring a certain little friend who can give me the most peace of mind.
Lucien smiled and helped me straighten my collar. I couldn’t help but smile too.
MC: Pfft, why did you describing me as if I am a walking tranquilizer~
MC: But, how does this device collect brain waves?
Lucien: Do you want to try it out?
MC: Mmm!
I obediently sat down, Lucien took out a spare pair of devices from the suitcase and helped me put them on, then pointed to the electronic screen in his hand.
Lucien: This middle sector is MC’s brainwave data at this moment, and its current rhythm is medium speed α-wave.
MC: Since it is an α-wave, does it mean that other variations, such as β, could arise?
Lucien: Well, the brain waves may be in excited or inhibited state, depending on your behavior.
Lucien: For example, right now you are feeling relaxed, so your brain waves are dominated by the α wave; however, if you feel tense, the β wave will take back the dominance.
- (tldr; α-wave: calm and relaxed state ; β-wave: awake and alert state)
I nodded thoughtfully and turned on the TV.
MC: How about now? Did my brain waves change when I started watching TV?
Lucien: There is indeed some shift, but it is still within the range of the α wave.
I rolled my eyes, put on my slippers and hopped around the room, eventually circling back to Lucien.
MC: What about now? Does it change again now that I’m exercising?
Lucien scanned the screen, unable to restrain a smile and shook his head.
Lucien: If the mental state has not changed, it may be difficult to be visually reflected in the brain waves.
I pouted and sat back. Lucien handed me a cup of tea.
MC: Well, I never thought it would be so hard to see other brain waves, my brain doesn’t seem to cooperate.
Lucien: This shows that you are in a good mood and emotionally stable, a little trick can’t fool your brain.
Lucien: In fact, many people are trying their best to improve their α -waves because the brain at this state is often full of intuition and inspiration, which can create miracles.
MC: How powerful, then I should look for the current state more often, so that I don’t have to worry about lack of inspiration when I work!
Lucien: Each brainwave has its own value and will give meaningful feedback in different situations.
Lucien smiled faintly as if he thought of something.
Lucien: If MC wants to see other brain waves, there will be more opportunities later.
As he said that, he put away the electronic screen and ruffled my hair.
Lucien: Now this student can put aside her curiosity, it’s time to take a hot bath and relax a little.
——————————————————————————————————-
After washing away the exhaustion of the trip, it is still very early to go to bed.
I was so focused on discussing brain waves with Lucien, I didn’t even take a good look at the room.
MC: Old telephone… old stationery… wow, Lucien look! There are even childhood cartoon stickers!
I couldn’t help but look at all the details of the homeowner’s elaborate decorations and took my camera out of my bag to record them all.
The camera slowly moves from the snow-white curtains, the squeaky fan, and finally lands on the tips of Lucien’s slightly damp hair.
MC: Lucien, look here~
Hearing the soft call, Lucien lifted his eyes and looked at the camera with a smile, and I took advantage of the moment to press the continuous shot button.
MC: Very good, with perfect composition~
Lucien leisurely glanced at me, the corners of his mouth curled up with interest as if he suddenly remembered something.
Lucien: Now this idle scene reminds me of something. MC, do you want to hear about it?
MC: Of course!
Lucien nodded, and I don’t know if it was my illusion, but the depths of his pupils seemed to flicker with a hint of slyness.
Lucien: Last year, I was approached by an experimenter with psychiatric illness who told me about his experience.
Lucien: He is a photography enthusiast, and most of the content he shoots is nostalgic. That summer, as usual, he found an vintage hostel to take pictures.
Lucien: The hostel was old, but very clean and had white curtains like ours.
Lucien speaks slowly and cautiously, his fingertips rubbing over the lines on the curtains, his low voice like an electric current under the fan, I vaguely feel my heart beating faster.
MC: Wait, you’re not trying to make up a story to scare me, are you?
Lucien: Of course not, this is the real experience of that patient. However, in order to give you an idea his situation at the time, I used this narrative style.
I squinted suspiciously and motioned for him to continue.
Lucien: The man took out his camera and shot around, patted the windows and taped the tape recorder.
Lucien speaks as he walks past the window, the tape recorder, and finally stands in front of the walnut cabinet, his gaze a little somber.
Lucien: But it wasn’t until he picked up the camera and looked through it that he saw something strange in the screen.
MC: …and what was so strange?
I was a little puzzled, while Lucien smiled and placed his hand on the counter.
Lucien: He found that the photo of the window was taken several times in a row with the same shot.
Lucien: He thought he had accidentally clicked on the continuous shot button, but after flipping through a few of identical shots, the shot changed.。
Lucien: At the beginning, the cabinet in one corner of the screen is half closed, and then the cabinet door gradually opens…
MC: O-opens? And what did he see?
Lucien: A pale little boy crawled out of the cabinet, and as the camera rolled the shots, the little boy crawled closer and closer…
Lucien: He hurriedly put down the camera in fear, but right at that moment, the little boy in the photo was staring straight directly at him.
I suddenly felt a tingling in my scalp, threw down my camera and scurried to Lucien’s side.
MC: S-stop, stop talking!
A low chuckle came from above my head, and I gave Lucien’s arm a little squeeze.
MC: Didn’t you say it was a real experience? You lied to me!
Lucien: It was indeed a real experience, the man suffered from severe delusional symptoms.
MC: Then, why did he see the little boy?
Lucien: This is because he was traumatized during his childhood, so he often saw his child self in hallucinations. That is, the little boy.
Lucien: Later, after collaborative treatment by the research laboratory and the hospital, he has now returned to his normal life.
MC: Well, you’ve barely convinced me. But I still seriously suspect that Professor Lucien exaggerated the facts to scare me on purpose.
Lucien took my trembling body with one hand, while the other hand took out the electronic screen to look at it, smiled and leaned down to be at eye level with me.
Lucien: Look, you want the β-wave, don’t you have it now?
I took the electronic screen with a pouted mouth, but the β wave in the middle of the screen turned back to the α wave in front of me, Lucien laughed softly.
Lucien: I didn’t expect this student to relax so quickly, this cause deserves a good analysis.
Lucien’s gaze was tinged with a hint of puzzlement, but more than that, there was a pleasant complacency of knowing.
I realized that he was deliberately making me react with both fear and delight, I couldn’t help but blush and put on a stubborn expression.
MC: Of course because I found out you were playing a trick on me, so I wasn’t afraid!
Lucien: Sorry, you looked so cute just now, I just wanted to tease you a little.
Lucien apologized while trying to take off the device and I rushed to stop him.
MC: I’m just kidding, this device is quite interesting, I want to wear it for a few more days.
MC: Thinking that this data collection can help your research, I can make a small sacrifice.
MC: I’ll accept all of your horror stories~
Lucien: Looks like my class rep has a lot of dedication. I happen to have a spare set of this device, so I’ll wear them with you tomorrow.
Lucien: As for horror stories, in fact, over the years of research, I have indeed come into contact with many more horrifying real events. If you…
Before Lucien could finish speaking, I turned around and threw myself on the big soft bed, pulling the quilt over my whole body.
MC: …I’m ready! You can start talking now.
Lucien chuckled lowly, lifted a corner of the quilt, and also got into my “barrier”.
Lucien: Okay, I’ll stop teasing you. Rather than deliberately making β-waves, I hope you can be calm and happy all the time.
Lucien: What’s more, we have to get up early tomorrow to pick lotus flowers, so we need to take a good rest now.
In the darkness, the scent of moist white tea permeated my senses, and I fell asleep in his embrace.
————————————————————————————————–
The next day, Lucien and I got up early and went to the lotus pond to experience the village’s special lotus picking event.
The color of the pool is blue, and the lotus flowers of all sizes are in full bloom, like pink mist scattered on the water and sky.
We boarded a wooden boat. Lucien rowed the oars as the water swayed and the boat slowly made its way through the lotus pond.
There is a pot of lotus tea and a set of tea sets that have been brewed on the boat table. The tea is poured into the cup, and the curling white smoke is quickly blown away by the river breeze.
MC: You know, when I was a kid, I felt pity every time I passed by a lotus pond.
Lucien: Why?
MC: Because the lotus is pink, it looks as sweet as this cup of tea, but people just eat lotus roots and lotus seeds.
MC: So once, I secretly picked up a lotus flower that was lying on the shore and brought it home.
Lucien: And I guess, you didn’t eat the flower afterwards.
MC: It’s because the flower was so beautiful, I couldn’t bear to destroy it, so instead I kept it in the aquarium.
MC: Then I forgot about it, and by the time I remembered, the aquarium was all stinky…
Lucien and I both couldn’t help but laugh. Before we knew it, the wooden boat had reached the lotus bush.
Lucien looked at my beaming eyes, his eyes became more gentle than this pool full of ripples.
Lucien: Maybe this time, we can taste something sweeter.
With that, Lucien tipped into the water and stood still in the pond. His movements were so steady that the wooden boat didn’t even sway much.
Long fingers danced briskly, and soon Lucien had a handful of cut lotuses in his hands.
Splashes of water wet his shirt and slid down his smooth muscle lines. He turned to look at me with a laid-back, carefree smile on his lips.
Lucien: Although experiencing it alone is not bad, I would prefer to do it with you
MC: I’ll be right there! It’s a rare opportunity, so I’ll take some more photos ~
The fish startled to swim, the crisp sound of picking lotus was clear, and the lotus cast a pale pink shadow on Lucien’s body, making him look extraordinarily gentle.
The viewfinder was moving back and forth on Lucien and I couldn’t help but mutter in a small voice.
MC: The composition seems to be a bit off…
Thinking like this, I held the boat with one hand and leaned out most of my body, looking for a more suitable angle.
MC: Yes, yes that’s it… Very good!
With the sound of the shutter, the wooden boat also tilted heavily to the side I was leaning in an instant, and it was about to turn over!
Between flashes of camera, a hand had been steadily wrapped around my waist, warm and moist touch spread through my thin skirt, making my heart beat a little slower.
The wooden boat swayed, with only a faint quiver signaling the incident just now.
Lucien: Is everything alright?
MC: Yes, everything is fine. Luckily my hands are fast, otherwise the monitor would almost fall into the water.
I spread my hand, the device lay intact in my hand, there wasn’t any drop of water on it.
MC: If this is broken, the experimental data for so many days will be wasted, so I will definitely protect it.
Lucien’s gaze softened, and his eyes rippled as he looked at me. He lifted his hand to brush away the water that splashed on my hair and swept me into a slightly damp embrace.
Lucien: [chuckle] Fool…
The fresh scent of white tea spread through the lotus fragrance, I buried my face into his arms and heard the same yet solid heartbeat.
If my brain waves could speak instead of me, I think I would be a noisy summer cicada at the moment. However, I don’t say a word, letting the sound of the water fill the silent void.
Glancing at the monitor on Lucien’s body, I raised my head from Lucien’s arms and raised the corner of my mouth.
MC: Professor Lucien, do you want to come and compete with me to see who can pick more lotus in 10 minutes?
Lucien smiled and gestured to me to look at the lotus on the boat, as if he was seriously considering the fairness of the competition.
Lucien: This contest is not quite fair, and I already have some experience with this.
MC: I’m a talented player, so I won’t be afraid of you~ And I even thought about the reward for victory!
Lucien curled his lips with interest, as if wondering what I was going to do.
MC: If I win, we’ll swap identities for the rest of our vacation.
MC: It’s too unfair to have you as an observer all the time. I would also like to see, Professor Lucien’s brain waves that are created because of me.
Lucien: Okay, I promise you.
For the next 10 minutes, I struggled with the tough lotus branch as I tugged hard on the small, ineffective scissors.
I secretly glanced at Lucien out of the corner of my eye, only to find that the scissors stopped in his hands, and he was looking at me leisurely.
MC: If you keep looking at me, you will be overtaken by me.
Lucien: I’ve been cutting for so long just now, and my hands are sore and tired. Can’t I just relax?
MC: Pfft…. of course you can~
I didn’t bother expose Professor Lucien who deliberately lose the game. I also stopped working too hard.
When I put the lotus pod on the wooden boat, Lucien smiled and congratulated me.
Lucien: Well, you won.
I took the handkerchief he handed me, yet I couldn’t help but squint and trace his backlit figure.
A small rainbow created by water mist hung around him, and a frog leaped up from the lotus leaf, bringing a few drops of dew with it, as if it had also crossed the whole summer
——————————————————————————————————
The afternoon sunshine added a little warmth to the house, and I happily went back to the room while wiping my dripping hair.
Lucien was sitting comfortably with a plate of cut up watermelon on the coffee table.
MC: Professor Lucien, it’s time to cash in the reward!
Lucien: Be patient, let’s dry your hair first.
Lucien just chuckled as he plugged in the hair dryer and helped me blow my hair.
The hot air mixed with the dampness of my hair blew on my face, and I subconsciously tilted my head.
MC: It’s a little hot…
It was clearly a whisper, but it was caught by Lucien amid the noise of the hair dryer.
Lucien: There seems to be no air conditioner in the room, do you want me to get the fan?
I nodded, and while Lucien went to get the fan, I yawned and brought over the electronic screen he had placed on the table.
A soft, slightly helpless laugh rang out behind me, and I tilted my head to meet Lucien’s amused gaze.
Lucien: It’s not good for MC to act so loudly.
MC: No, I’m really feeling a little hot too~
I confidently leaned beside him, and watched Lucien’s data with great interest.
To my surprise, β -wave and γ -wave absolutely dominated during Lucien’s waking hours.
This means that Lucien rarely has time to relax, whether at the institute, at home, or even during the days he is on vacation.
Lucien: Miss Observer, have you come to any conclusion?
The sound of blowing air stopped and Lucien looked at me tenderly
MC: I was thinking that your life is far more stressful than I thought it would be.
MC: You seem to be awake, rational and focused all the time, with very little time for relaxation and sleep.
Lucien: Don’t worry, most people have both rhythms dominate when they are awake. However, I will admit that I am a little more “awake” than normal people.
MC: But this is too tiring, your brain needs a good rest too.
Lucien: You can rest assured about that, staying with you is my way of resting.
Lucien: But aren’t you curious about what circumstances that made me relax?
He said as he took the electronic screen from my hand and tapped the screen a few times.
Lucien: I had planned to collect all the data samples and then unify them for analysis, so I haven’t looked carefully at the data for the past few days either.
Lucien: But since Miss Observer is curious, we can also start the final work in advance.
He handed the electronic screen back to me. I looked down and saw that all of Lucien’s data had been pulled up over the past few days.
We quickly found the first section when the α -wave was most pronounced.
MC: This timing…
I blinked and couldn’t help but look at Lucien, his eyes flickered slightly, as if he already had the answer.
Lucien: This time is when we first arrived at the hostel.
MC: I remember, it’s when I was dragging you to look at the decoration design of the hostel, right?
Lucien nodded and pulled up my brainwave recordings, and at the same time, I was in a β-wave state.
MC: At that time, my head was full of the owner’s marketing tactics and set-ups, thinking that they could be used in the show later….
After listening to my confession, Lucien’s mouth curled up in a smile
Lucien: It was probably your focused and serious look that relaxed me.
Lucien: So, at that time, I didn’t care about what kind of design concept the owner actually had, and just followed your guidance with my instinct.
MC: The next wave is…. when you told me ghost stories, I said, you must be very happy at that time!
I ate the refreshingly sweet watermelon while excitedly recalling the scenes that made Lucien’s brain waves change.
MC: Huh, why did the wave become a β-wave again during the period before we went to sleep?
The person beside me didn’t speak, I turned my eyes away, and found his smiling eyes fell on me, and suddenly felt a hand caressed my face.
MC: Um…?
Lucien: Little greedy cat, who eats on her face.
Looking at the watermelon seeds under his fingertips, my cheeks became a little hot, I forgot to move, and just stared at him blankly.
That gentle face is close, looking at me with my figure rippling in his eyes, I can even count his distinct eyelashes.
Lucien: MC.
I heard him whispering my name, I traced the shape of his lips and couldn’t help but want to pick up that softness.
The next second, his lips had landed on mine, and his warm breath puffed on the side of my face, tickling it a little.
The sweet fruit flavor and the aftertaste of lotus tea spread lovingly between our lips and teeth, and I suddenly felt an immense peace of mind, hoping that this moment would slow down a little bit more.
It took a long time until Lucien let go of me, looking tenderly.
Lucien: It seems that your Professor Lucien is more susceptible to your influence than we thought.
Lucien’s long fingers brushed over my eyebrows, my eyes, and finally landed on my lips.
Lucien: It may be because of your gaze, your cute remark, your holding hand, or even a watermelon seed on your face-
Lucien: I would loosen up and get the urge to touch you regardless of whether I realized that I’ve already lost control or not.
MC: I knew that.
Lucien’s fingertips paused with a hint of curiosity.
MC: Mr. Lucien is a very clear-headed person, so he always believes that he can analyze himself perfectly.
MC: I’m not that clear-headed though, so I’ve always believed that there’s a lot of unintentional involuntariness in us.
I leaned into his arms, the corners of my mouth slightly curved.
MC: I have seen many scenes of you getting out of control, such as last night, and just now.
Lucien gave me a knowing smile and put a few extra strength in his grip on my hand.
Lucien: Also right now too.
I was just about to say something when I heard him start talking again in a leisurely manner.
Lucien: I haven’t answered the question you asked earlier. In fact, tension and focus is not the only thing that can cause a β-wave-
Lucien chuckled and pinned me to the floor, whispering lowly in my ear.
Lucien: There’s also…arousal.