Chapter 4

"Ooh! Ooh! I got a great idea!" Lucy said, her green eyes shining like gems, which gave Nathan a really bad feeling.

"Alright, let's see it then…" Nathan was really hesitating on whether or not he should accept this idea.

"Hehe, don't worry. My method always works!" Lucy said happily.

'And that is exactly what I'm worried about.' Nathan couldn't bring himself to voice his thoughts, so he chose to sit back and watch. 

"Okay, okay, okay, here we go!"Lucy closed her eyes, looking like she was really concentrating. Then without opening her eyes, she raised her dainty finger and pointed forward, confusing Nathan of what the hell that was happening in front of him.

Suddenly, she slowly started spinning. Her dress fluttered in the wind, creating the scene of a dancing fairy. Nathan was throughly stumped, looking at her teasing him subconsciously. Still, he enjoyed the treat laid before him.

When he heard Lucy's chant, however, he nearly tripped himself while standing…

"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,

Catch a tiger by the toe.

If he hollers, let him go,

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe!"

Lucy stopped spinning the moment she finished chanting and opened her eyes and turned to Nathan,

"Hey, Nate! We should go this way! I'm absolutely sure the platform is this way!~"

Nathan looked at her speechlessly…

"What are you? 8? Is this your surefire plan!?" Nathan fought the urge to roll his eyes at her childish actions.

"What? Since we planned to leave everything up to fate, might as well go all the way, right?~" Lucy countered, acting all wise and mighty.

Nathan didn't know how to answer her anymore, even finding it a bit logical, despite not wanting to admit it, so he changed the subject.

"Riiight, we wasted enough time, so get your stuff and let's get going." There were not many people left on the platform. Many simply chose a direction and left, while most people joined big groups in hope of a better chance at survival.

Some people even returned immediately after stepping off the platform, which caused Nathan to fear the worst. 

"Yes!~" Lucy seemed really hyped to go on a new adventure, with her one and only friend no less, making her feel giddy inside. She didn't seem to mind the dangers ahead.

Nathan looked at her back as she was checking her stuff, looking very cute, or maybe that was his bias and thought, 'Well, at least, the journey won't be boring with her around, and I don't think she would try to hurt me. I doubt it has even crossed her mind with her personality.'

 Nathan also started packing his stuff, strapping the bamboo tube to his waist, then he put the jacket inside the bag to cover the breads, and he wore the bag by its strap, all geared up and ready to go.

"Alright, captain! We are ready to depart!~" Lucy called out with excitement.

"Then let's get going." Nathan said while looking at the challenge laid before them, a vast desert, filled with sand and unknown dangers, and stared walking in the direction Lucy decided on. The skies were very much clear, without a hint of clouds to provide them with a shade, so there was no way to take advantage of the environment.

"Yes!~" Lucy also followed his footsteps, determined to follow him till the end of the road.

And so they started their journey, hoping to find the right path, and change their destiny…

The moment they stepped off the platform, they truly understood how impossibly hard the trial was going to be. Their bodies didn't even get the chance to sweat, which is very important, as body uses sweat to regulate its heat. The moment sweat started to form, it would evaporate instantly, causing them to endure the uncomfortable environment in its full glory.

Wherever they looked, they could see the heat emitted by both the sand and the sun. The heat was so severe, that it was very much possible to see it with the naked eye, distorting their vision. 

"So hot! I can really use some sunscreen right now…" Lucy complained, but there was no sign of her giving up, showing unexpected tenacity, that Nathan found very surprising… and perhaps a bit attractive too.

He shook his head to get rid of these thoughts, "As I expected, we are being tested on so many front at the same time that it's scary. A test of intelligence, a test of willpower and a test of endurance among many other tests that are hidden behind the scene…"

"The test of intelligence was the resource management, and choosing teammates, and the test of endurance is traversing the desert, so the test of willpower should be taking the first step in the face of the unknown. Am I right, Nate?~" Lucy deduced from Nathan's words, her emerald green eyes shinning with intelligence.

"Wow, Lucy you are very smart. Color me impressed. But you missed a point." Nathan was getting more and more impressed with Lucy, the more time he spent with her.

Lucy was grinning from ear to ear, enjoying the complements, and she asked, not losing her smile in the slightest, "Oh? And what is that?~"

"Well, the test of willpower contains one more minor test that many might not realize." Nathan said while looking at the people around them before the turning back to look at their starting platform, "The moment you step off the platform, you have to keep pushing forward. The moment you return to the platform, you make a mental blockade for yourself that makes it almost impossible for you to step off the platform again, which requires far more willpower than simply pushing forward the first time."

Lucy couldn't contain herself anymore, and jumped to hug Nathan, catching him off guard and almost causing him to fall.

"My Nate is so smart and observant!~" Lucy called out, while hanging for his neck.

Nathan felt two soft, squishy mounds of flesh press against his back. He couldn't see or hear anymore. All his senses were overwhelmed by the heavenly feeling on his back. His mind shut down yet again, hoping to prolong the moment ever so slightly…

Seeing that he froze, Lucy smiled mischievously behind his back, 'Hehe, little ice cube, you are so cute!' She raised her head a little to look at his face without him noticing and what she saw greatly pleased her.

Nathan stood there red as a tomato, furiously blushing, while trying to avoid looking at her. Looking like he enjoyed the hug very much. 'Hehe, what a cute weakness you have…' Lucy thought evilly. 'You can't escape my teasing, now that you have exposed your weakness yourself!~.'

Nathan was caught between the heavenly sensation on his back, the dainty arms hugging his neck and the addicting cherry blossom scent that drifted of off her. He tried to take a deep breath to calm himself down, but that only caused more of her alluring smell enter his nostrils.

"Ahem. Lucy, would you let go please? We need to move…" Nathan barely controlled his voice to not crack, forcing a sentence out with much difficulty and hesitation. His body was already reacting to her presence heavily, making it all the more difficult to control himself.

"Nope.~" Lucy said without hesitation.

"You know it's inappropriate to get so close to any random man you meet right?" Nathan tried his luck again. 

"But you are not any random man. You are Nate. My one and only friend who is super smart, and a softy who is very considerate to not hurt my feelings." Lucy said cheerfully, not a hint of uncertainty in her angelic, soothing voice, which brought a certain sense of joy and accomplishment to Nathan, which puzzled him as he had no idea what was the source of these feelings.

"Eh…umm…" Nathan didn't know how to answer to her sincere feelings.

Still clinging to Nathan, Lucy came closer to Nathan, and whispered right next to his ears, "Don't leave me alone, okay? I want the both of us to win all these challenges, so you can't leave me…"

Feeling her hot breath so close to him, he should have been intoxicated, yet Nathan gained a moment of clarity and replied with confidence, "Of course. There is no room for doubt. We will complete all the trials together. There is no way I'm leaving you. Since you chose to come with me, there is no going back."

Lucy, who was hidden from Nathan's view, blushed heavily. She hugged him tighter as if she was afraid he would disappear. Too bad, Nathan lost on the unforgettable, tantalizing view of her. A pity he would never know.

As if she finished charging herself, Lucy suddenly jumped back, "Alrighty, Let's go! Let's go! Adventure awaits us!" Lucy jumped up and down like a rabbit, her excitement was palpable. She didn't even seem to notice the scorching heat, at all…

Nathan felt a certain loneliness from his back, as if it was depressed to lose that heavenly feeling… Even though the sun of the desert was literally cooking him alive, he could still feel the remnant heat of her seductive body that was in its blooming stages, just like his. 

Lucy suddenly stopped and turned to look at him with her mischievous smile, "If you continue being a good boy, you might receive extra hugs later on~~~, hehe~"

Nathan froze for a moment before retorting, "stop teasing me!"