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What should you prepare for the first time staying in a hotel with your girlfriend?
It's not about flowers or romance, not about towels or bath towels, but about a lifelong commitment.
...
The evening breeze blew gently, and the moonlight shone like snow.
Jacob lay on the bed, scrolling through the photos he had taken tonight on his camera.
Nina smiled so happily in the photos. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the sea, and also at Jacob.
No matter how beautiful the scenery captured in the photos was, it couldn't compare to even a fraction of her beauty.
Jacob silently browsed through the photos, planning to choose one as his phone wallpaper.
...
"Click."
The bathroom door opened, and Nina, already dressed in her pajamas with damp hair, walked out.
She looked like a lotus flower emerging from clear water—naturally beautiful without any adornment.
Nina, even after removing her makeup, was still extraordinarily beautiful. Facing Jacob's gaze, her face flushed with a slight shyness.
"I'm going to blow-dry my hair," she said softly.
"Okay."
...
Soon after, Nina returned with her hair dried. A faint, refreshing fragrance filled the air around her.
"Should I turn off the lights?" she asked.
"Go ahead."
After the lights went off, there was only a soft rustling sound as Nina carefully slipped under the covers.
The air suddenly became quiet.
The two of them lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Neither of them spoke.
Only their breathing, their heartbeats, and the sounds of the sea breeze and waves crashing against the shore remained.
This moment felt so warm, dispelling all the distracting thoughts in Jacob's mind. He simply cleared his mind, closed his eyes, rested his arm under his head, and enjoyed the momentary peace.
Compared to Jacob's calmness, Nina was much more nervous. Lying on the same bed as Jacob, her heart couldn't help but race, and her face grew even redder as her imagination ran wild.
This continued for several minutes. Jacob reached out, gently moving his hand close to Nina's. The moment their hands touched, he firmly held her hand, making her body tremble slightly.
"Jacob," Nina's voice trembled with nervousness. She turned slightly to look at him.
Hearing Nina's voice, Jacob also turned to look at her. He saw the bright, pure, and flawless look in her eyes under the moonlight, which made his heart feel inexplicably complex. "What's wrong?"
"I can't sleep," Nina's voice was gentle. She rested her chin on her arm, looking intently at Jacob. "Talk to me."
"What do you want to talk about?" Jacob looked at Nina, meeting her pure and flawless gaze with a hint of affection, completely free of any improper thoughts.
"I don't know," Nina thought for a moment before saying, "Tell me about yourself."
"About me? What would you like to hear?"
"Anything about you. I want to hear it all."
"About me? There isn't much to tell. My life has been very simple," Jacob said with a smile. "Before I turned eighteen, I lived a simple, ordinary life. I had loving parents and good friends I grew up with. My life followed a routine pattern—repetitive but happy."
"Originally, I thought I would continue living an ordinary life like that. But unexpectedly, by chance, I caught my first Pokémon and embarked on the path of becoming a Trainer. You already know everything that happened after that."
Although Jacob spoke simply, Nina watched him with complete attention, listening carefully to every word, afraid of missing even a single one.
"If I hadn't become a Trainer, I probably would still be studying diligently in Starlight City right now, preparing for the college entrance examination," Jacob said with self-deprecating humor. "Maybe I wouldn't have met you."
"Jacob, gold always shines. Even if you hadn't become a Trainer, I believe that with your talent in the scientific research field, you would definitely have shone brightly once you entered university," Nina said earnestly.
"It would just be a matter of time."
Listening to Nina's words, Jacob's mouth curved into a bitter smile. He had no real talent in the scientific research field—he merely benefited from knowledge from his past life.
"Jacob, what are your future plans then?" Nina's eyes became focused as she asked this, looking earnestly at Jacob. "You're the national Champion at eighteen. What are your plans for the future?"
"The future?" Meeting Nina's gaze, Jacob thought carefully, then smiled and said playfully, "Let me see. If I can live to eighty or ninety, then I still have about seventy years ahead of me."
"For these seventy years, I plan to spend thirty-five years catching powerful Pokémon and continuously training to improve my Pokémon's strength. I'll gradually work my way up to becoming a Gym Leader, then one of the Heavenly Kings, then Champion, and finally the strongest Trainer, all while contributing to this world."
"When one is poor, one cultivates oneself. When one is prosperous, one benefits the world."
"To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish a destiny for the living, to carry on the lost teachings of past sages, and to create peace for all generations." When Jacob spoke these words, there seemed to be light shining in his eyes.
Nina watched the eloquent Jacob, a hint of surprise and admiration flashing in her eyes. Jacob's answer made her feel a little ashamed of her own selfish thoughts.
Because when she had asked that question, she was hoping for a different answer—one that included whether she was part of Jacob's future plans and aspirations.
Although she felt so insignificant compared to Jacob's grand and noble ideals, she still couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment after hearing his answer.
"Then what? What do you plan to do with the rest of your life?" Nina continued to ask.
"There is no 'then,'" Jacob said, looking at Nina.
"That's only thirty-five years. Combined, you'd only be fifty-three years old. You still have several years until retirement, don't you?"
"Who said that?" Jacob countered.
"You just said it yourself—spending thirty-five years to become the strongest Trainer and contribute to this world," Nina said, looking at Jacob.
"I said thirty-five years, but I didn't say until I'm fifty-three."
"Eighteen plus thirty-five is fifty-three, isn't it?" Nina argued, pausing for a moment to wonder if she had miscalculated.
Jacob's face was full of smiles. He turned to look at Nina, his gaze deep as he looked into her eyes.
"Half of my future life plan is to achieve my lofty ideals, and the other half of my future life plan belongs to you," Jacob said, smiling as he looked at Nina in the moonlight. "So, the next thirty-five years belong to my ideals, and the remaining thirty-five years belong to you."
Listening to Jacob's words and meeting his gaze, Nina's heart pounded rapidly, and her face felt burning hot. She turned her head away, leaving only a single remark: "Smooth talker. Who would believe you?"
Although she knew that Jacob had likely said these words to make her happy, women are emotional creatures who all enjoy hearing sweet words from the men they care about.
"Nina, get some rest early. We still have to visit the Water-type secret realm tomorrow." Jacob looked at Nina's back, gently reaching out to put his arm around her shoulder.
The moment their skin touched, Jacob could feel Nina's burning skin and the slight trembling of her body. Jacob whispered softly, "Nina, I'm just holding you. I'm not doing anything else. Good night."
Hearing Jacob's words, Nina's anxious heart finally settled down. She whispered back, "Good night."
...