One year later.
Asuka set off for China. Once again, she traveled aboard a cruise ship.
Under Kyoko's concerned, reluctant gaze and amid Aika's endless reminders, Asuka dragged her luggage along and waved the hat in her hand, bidding her parents goodbye.
"Bye, Mom and Dad! I'll call you when I get to China!" Asuka cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted down to them.
Aika and Kyoko waved their arms in farewell too.
Asuka had a feeling that day, an especially strong one.
The secret behind that dream of hers would be revealed once she reached that little city in Guangdong Province, China.
With the sea breeze blowing against her, Asuka approached the railing to admire the monotonous ocean scenery.
Just as she grew bored and was about to leave, a memory suddenly flashed through her mind.
It was that Huang Zhetian!!!
He was holding her around the waist!!! Kissing her on the lips!!!
And she had willingly accepted it. She even looked like she was enjoying it!?
Oh my god!!! What on earth was going on?!
That damned Chinese boy-Huang Zhetian, right?! And Dad had gone on about how good he was, how capable, how strong. Just wait until I get to your house and see you. I'll...
Hmph! I'll get to his house first!
Asuka returned to her room and lay down on the bed, occasionally picking up the necklace around her neck to fiddle with it.
She and her father had taken the bead on that necklace to be appraised.
But the appraiser had said he couldn't make sense of the material at all. He couldn't identify it, and nothing like it had ever been seen in the jewelry industry.
The appraiser had even asked her to name a price and sell it to him.