Under The Blossoms

After the four pairs had finished their quick lunch, they rushed back to the resort to prepare for their evening view. One factor that contributed to the sudden change in destination was the variety of hot springs that this resort had to offer. Another reason was because of the cherry blossom season.

Outside the waiting area, Alan, Lin Que, Lawrence and Lin An were sitting as they waited for their partners to finish dressing up for the cherry blossom festival. Tonight, they've specially booked the Tokyo Sakura Cherry Blossom Night Cruise on the Sumida River to get a great view of the lively blossoms under the full moon.

Lifting their watches for the fifth time, the guys decided to vote for one of them to knock on the door to ask if the ladies were almost done. Since they made a reservation, they must arrive on time to get on the cruise. As they eagerly pondered about who should knock on the closed door, a familiar youngster's voice sounded their ears.

Instantly, everyone lit up a bright smile and greeted him with spread arms. "Lucas!!! You're here! What a surprise!!"

The number of welcomes he received had stunned him, making him release an awkward chuckle. "Okay! What's going on? I was on a school trip and decided to ditch midway just to give you guys a scare. Seems like you guys expected my arrival?? Where is mom, aunty, Lily and Ginny?" He turned his head left and right to see if they were hiding in secret spots to jump on him.

"They're changing." Lin Que pointed to the closed door from behind with a scheming smile.

"Hahaha, oh. Then, I should take my leave~" Sensing something was weird in the smiles around him, Lucas quickly tossed his luggage aside and ran for the exit. Unfortunately, before he could make another step towards the entrance, he found himself surrounded.

"No! I am not going in there! The last time I did that; they put makeup on me!! No! Not going! Nah uh!" He hugged the fake plant by the entrance while shaking his head.

Crossing his arms on the side, Lin Que arched his eyebrow evilly. "You sure? Because I think mom would love to spank somebody's lower backside for ditching a school trip. Right?" His eyes wandered around the group, hinting others to confirm his words.

Lin An cleared his throat, "Your mother already said she would cut your allowance in half if you misbehave again. Let's see, I can go check up on her right now...." With his foot dangling in midway for two seconds, Lucas raised his arms to surrender to the shameless family duo.

"Alright!!! I'll do it! I'll go!! Sheesh." He mumbled complaints as he fixed his dress shirt and knocked on the door. Seconds later, chatters behind the door had paused and the door creaked open.

Before Lucas could say another word, his mouth was left agape. His eyes widened as his mother and Lily's mother stepped aside to let him see Lily and Ginny clearly. For this trip, the girls had purposely prepared matching kimonos for tonight's festival. Knowing they'll be on a cruise with seating available, the girls decided to wear kimono sandals.

The delicate contrast of the elegant hue of red paired of branches of blossoms drawn on its silky texture made a deep impression on Lucas' mind. As the girls carefully walked in slow steps towards him, the ornaments on their specially styled updo dangled in a hypnotic sway. With minimal cosmetic coverage on their luminous skin, an apricot colored blush was applied to their cheeks.

Though the colorful eye shadows looked perfectly blend out; only the ladies in the room knew how long it took them to create this attractive look. Their eyelashes fluttered in slow motion as if time had slowed to appreciate their beauty.

A simple, "wow" escaped Lucas' mouth. His low whisper caught the gentlemen's attention as they walked over to greet their partners. A linear line of five men formed in the matter of seconds as their mouths dangled open like Lucas' reaction. It wasn't until Toby cleared her throat did the guys quit their staring.

"How do I look?" Lily stretched out her arms to reach Lin Que's hand. Seeing her clumsy balance, he quickly strode to her side and circled his arm around her waist.

"Very beautiful like always." He chuckled as he carefully helped her to the exit.

Meanwhile, Alan was scratching the back of his neck as he walked over to hold Ginny's hand. He said, "You look very beautiful just like every day. But today you look phenomenal. You don't look like you're too used to walking in these sandals, so make sure to stay by my side when we are out."

Giggling at his silly remark, she intertwined her fingers with his. "Mm, then you better not lose me in the crowd. If I get lost, I might not know how to get back here."

"Heh, I won't let go of your hand. The chances of me losing my wallet are higher than me losing sight of you. Let's go?" He lowered his gaze to their connected hands as they walked out of the lobby.

Lucas and the two couples were left behind while being stuffed with dog food in their mouths. Waving his phone in the air, Lawrence turned his head to his wife. "Where are they going? Did they forget I bought the tickets? Only I have the tickets on my phone." Toby responded with a shrug.

Lin An took Lin Yao Yao's hand and gestured for everyone to follow the youngsters who just forgot about them. "Let's follow them first. Lucas, we've already bought your ticket too. Come join us."

Rubbing his stomach with a small frown, Lucas wished he could reject family time. He was the only one who was still single!!! Couldn't these couples have some mercy on him? 'Geez, having a wife or girlfriend would definitely change a man. Tsk. Tsk.' Lucas thought to himself as he randomly rolled his luggage into his parents' room and followed the couples closely.

As he watched his parents walking in linked arms, jealousy rose in his heart. Smiling, he rushed between them and connected his arms with theirs.

"Lucas, what are you doing?" Lin An grunted in displease.

"It's family time! Of course, I cannot miss out holding my parent's arms!" He laughed meaningfully with sharp words for his father to hear.

Around half an hour later, the whole group reached the cruise. Surprisingly, there weren't as many people as they thought there would be. Shrugging, Lily and Ginny focused on the grand view they were about to see up close!

Their eyes reflected petals of cherry blossoms whistling through the wind. Excitement could be seen on their faces as they pulled their partner into the cruise.