The afternoon sun baked the beach, and the sand was a little hot to sit on.
"Why did he leave?"
Gotō Mari asked instinctively.
"Why shouldn't he leave?"
Gu Qingqiu replied, pretending not to understand.
"No, I mean, he..."
Gotō Mari couldn't finish.
Right.
Who said you had to stick around after saving someone?
He didn't take credit, didn't ask for a reward, and didn't even need her to thank him. What was that saying from the Nine Provinces?
"He came, he did what needed to be done, and he left without a trace?"
What a good person!
The more Gotō Mari thought about it, the worse she felt. She owed him such a huge debt of gratitude, and she couldn't repay it. She'd feel bad for the rest of her life.
"He's a tourist, and he's been exploring around here these past few days. You might run into him again!"
Gu Qingqiu secretly studied the Sakura Girl's expression and saw a trace of regret and embarrassment on her face.
That confirmed for Gu Qingqiu that this was a kind girl who appreciated a good deed and wanted to repay it.
Her plan had been right after all. Having Lin Baici leave now would let him earn even more goodwill when they ran into each other again.
"I'm a little hungry."
Xia Hongyao rubbed her stomach and chimed in at just the right moment. "How far is the nearest town?"
"Is there anything good to eat there?"
They'd go to town first and figure out the rest later.
"About an hour by bike."
Gotō Mari turned to gaze out at the beach.
She was a responsible girl. As a beach lifeguard, even though this was her last day on the job, she'd wanted to stay on the beach until sunset.