Chapter 4: Hold Hands

570th Floor (OP):

My wife looks so beautiful hehehe. I couldn’t resist and secretly took two pictures of him picking strawberries. He didn’t notice a thing, he just thought I was playing with my phone. He even told me to stop playing and come pick with him.

My wife can still think of me when he sees strawberries. I guess my position in his heart is quite high, hehehe.

571st Floor:

? OP, are you okay?

518th Floor:

I take back what I said about OP not being a “licker”.

519th Floor:

Say it with me, OP, “simp”!

520th Floor:

OP is a simp! On another note, do you really like strawberries that much?

521st Floor:

Let me tell you from experience, it’s possible. When I see something I like, my attention gets drawn to it, and when someone talks to me, I don’t hear a thing.

522nd Floor:

Here’s some input from a foodie girlfriend, speaking from personal experience.

523rd Floor:

The people above, stop this! I came here to see the single OP, not to see a lovey-dovey show!

524th Floor:

I want strawberries.

525th Floor:

Everyone’s been saying my family grows strawberries, are you sure you don’t want to consider it?

526th Floor:

Everyone above, get back on topic!

527th Floor (OP):

My wife fed me again, hehehe… He picked a big, red strawberry and handed it to me. As soon as I crouched down beside him, he put it to my mouth. Before I even realized, I reflexively took a bite—it was so sweet.

And, the key point is, I think I really did accidentally lick his fingers!!!

Even though I’m excited—wait, I’m not excited, how could I get excited about something like this!!! I’m not a pervert! I’m not excited!! I can’t make my wife scared!!!

Forget it, forget it!

But on another note, c’s hands are really nice. His fingers are slender and long, though a bit smaller than mine. They’re soft and white, holding them feels really comfortable.

I’ve never touched a girl’s hand, and with guys, I’ve only done handshakes and high-fives when we’re just being buddies.

Comparing them to those guys, I really feel like I want c’s hands to be softer, like I want to hold them and never let go. When I hold his hand, it just perfectly fits in mine, as if it was made for me to hold.

Go ahead, criticize me, call me overly self-aware and overly confident.

I know this kind of thinking is disrespectful to c’s independent personality, but I just can’t help it, hehehe.

I’ll work on getting rid of these thoughts. C is c, he’s meant for himself, not for anyone else’s existence.

528th Floor:

I’ve lost track of where this is going, someone below, give a direction.

529th Floor:

OP: “Not Doing Things Like This”

530th Floor:

OP’s mind is quite clear, and they respect c. These thoughts are something many people might have occasionally. Isn’t there a saying? Love is about possession. Even though it’s a bit biased, if you don’t have a sense of possession for someone, if you don’t have impure thoughts, then do you really like them?

OP, don’t see yourself as abnormal. What’s wrong with men having impure thoughts about their wives!

531st Floor:

The person above is absolutely right, and besides, OP hasn’t done anything. They just had a slight thought in their head, and now they’re so disgusted with themselves. Tsk tsk tsk… innocent little boy.

532nd Floor:

Don’t just focus on the later parts and forget about the earlier ones!

OP, you held hands again??? Damn, you’re supposed to be a single dog, so why are you getting this treatment! Holding hands, hugging, and living together, cooking for you, with someone you like!!

It’s all fake! It’s all fake! Why is everyone a single dog chasing after people, and you’re getting treated like this!!!

533rd Floor:

Surprisingly I’m not that surprised. You never know, before OP even managed to pursue someone, they were already a winner in life.

534th Floor:

Wuwuwu, who’s crying? It’s me, and that’s fine. Is this what male friendship is like? I don’t get it, who does?

535th Floor:

I don’t get it either. We’re both guys, so why don’t my friend and I hold hands?

536th Floor:

Because you and your friend are both straight guys.

537th Floor (OP):

Alright, we’ve picked enough. We didn’t pick too much since we plan to stay here for two days. We can’t finish too much, so we’re picking and eating them right away. We’ll take some back when we leave.

Oh, I forgot to tell you guys earlier, this place isn’t just for strawberry picking. Their main focus is agritainment, and strawberries are just one way to attract people. The strawberries here have a high reputation, so that’s why I brought c here.

Also, we’ve been quite busy lately, and we finally have some free time. Resting for two days in this quiet and natural place is a way to relieve stress.

538th Floor:

OP, don’t ignore us!! Did you also hold c’s hand?

539th Floor:

I bet my sesame points on this, absolutely! OP hugs c while watching TV every day. You’re telling me they haven’t held hands?

…

556th Floor (OP):

You’re asking about holding hands? Yeah, I’ve held his hand. Otherwise, how would I know that c’s hand is soft and small?

Isn’t it winter now? And my wife’s body is a bit weak, his hands and feet are colder than usual.

He had a weaker body when he was a kid, and aunt, who is c’s mother, sent him to learn dance to improve his health.

Although normally people focus on martial arts for physical fitness, aunt thought that martial arts and dance are related, and dance can also help with shaping the body. The most important thing is that he knew a very skilled uncle who was excellent at dancing and had many students. So, he sent c to learn from that uncle.

So, even though my wife isn’t specifically a dancer, he still practices every day.

I’ve gone off track again. Isn’t it that my wife’s hands and feet are a bit cooler? Then when the weather got cooler, he liked to hold my hand, as my body is still warm.

Between friends, holding hands doesn’t mean much to him, but I can’t help but fantasize, it’s a sweet torture.

Actually, he had pulled me before, but it was just normal contact. If my wife wanted me to accompany him somewhere, he’d just grab my hand.

Now that it’s getting colder, he likes holding my hand more, sometimes even in public.

Although I don’t really care about other people’s gazes, I might even think darkly that it’s nice to be misunderstood as a couple by others. But I’m afraid others might misunderstand him, so I’ve mentioned this to him, but he doesn’t care at all.

So now, I often hold his hand while walking. Maybe people at school are used to our “straight guys’ act,” so not many are surprised.

557th Floor:

I can’t understand, but utterly amazed.jpg

558th Floor:

Haha, who cares if I understood or not.jpg

559th Floor:

Just straight guys’ antics.

560th Floor:

Upstairs, neither of them are straight guys, just typical male behavior.

561st Floor:

Damn it! Can you guys just get married already? Given your current situation, what’s the difference between being in love and dating!!!

562nd Floor:

I just want to know, how far have OP and c gone…

563rd Floor:

Their actions can’t be deduced based on normal thinking.

564th Floor:

No, I really don’t understand. Why doesn’t c agree to OP’s confession?

565th Floor:

Maybe there are family obstacles? He’s hesitant to make commitments?

566th Floor:

Why not just say if they can’t be together! Why string it along like this? They want to enjoy the feeling of love, yet also want to maintain the freedom of being single?

567th Floor:

Sigh, if it’s that kind of situation, I can still understand a bit. Even though I know it’s not possible for them to be together, they still fell into it. 

If OP’s description is objective (though I don’t think c’s love brain would be that objective), then it’s clear that they are both mutually attracted and reciprocating. I don’t believe for a second that c has always just treated OP as a brother. How could there be such an atmosphere between brothers?

568th Floor:

It’s possible, hearing OP’s description, c’s family should be quite well-off. OP’s family approved, but I haven’t heard about how c’s family feels.

569th Floor:

Is the innocent campus drama turning into a wealthy family’s complicated love affair?

570th Floor:

Clearly, mutual affection, yet because of societal obstacles, it feels so distant, beyond reach.

571st Floor:

Upstairs, Copper Person, don’t just casually substitute things! Grow your own food!!

572nd Floor:

Does the 570th Floor have time to reply but not to cook?

573rd Floor:

Come back! Why do you keep going off topic! I’m here to read OP’s story!!!

574th Floor:

F*ck, didn’t you notice the main point? c learned to dance!! Dance!! OP is so lucky~

575th Floor:

c must be soft all over, hehehe, phantom limb syndrome is acting up…

576th Floor:

OP is so lucky!! Wuwuwu, tears of envy are flowing from the corners of my mouth.

577th Floor (OP):

What colorful things are going on in your minds? We’re still innocent, okay?!

Seeing you discuss what c might be worried about, it’s indeed possible.

Last time we went out to play, there happened to be a Ferris wheel at the attraction. You know the legend that if a couple kisses at the highest point of the Ferris wheel, they’ll be together forever?

c and I aren’t a couple, but with ulterior motives, I just wanted to ride it with him once. So, I suggested going to play, and he agreed.

My wife is really soft and easygoing, he agrees to whatever I say.

I often worry that if I don’t win my wife over, and he ends up with someone else, will others take advantage of his agreeable nature and bully him? My wife seems like the type who wouldn’t reject anyone.

I shouldn’t be thinking about others with this mindset, but I’m really afraid my wife will be mistreated. I also really don’t want my wife to be with someone else. Just thinking about that situation drives me crazy.

Sigh, I’ve gone off on a tangent again. Ever since I started liking my wife, my thoughts have sometimes become quite dark.

Once we got on, we chatted casually. When we were about to reach the highest point, c naturally extended his hand for me to hold, saying it was a bit cold, and then leaned on my shoulder, mentioning feeling a bit sleepy.

I wasn’t able to see the view from the highest point with c, which was a bit regrettable, but after all, I dragged him along. If he’s tired, let him take a little nap. If I let my emotions get the better of me because of this, how can I pursue him?

And so, when we reached the highest point, c probably felt uncomfortable from sleeping, and he kept nuzzling into my neck. I was just about to comfort him when I felt a soft touch on my face.

At that moment, I was stunned, my hand suspended in midair. Slowly, I looked down at c. He must have found a comfortable position and settled down.

I knew that he accidentally touched me just now, but emotionally, I couldn’t control myself. I kept thinking, even after we got off, if c and I could really be together forever.

As we were descending, c naturally held my hand and got off. While rubbing his eyes, he said he was hungry and wanted something to eat.

Looking at him, still half asleep, I thought about how he unintentionally brushed his face against mine earlier. With the atmosphere around us, I couldn’t resist confessing again, asking if he could be my boyfriend.

At the time, I wasn’t sure if he was fully awake, but he vaguely answered that he couldn’t. I was quite defeated then. Usually, when I confessed, he would either remain silent or change the subject. He had never directly rejected me like he did today.

Seeing my wife unhappy at the time, I couldn’t think much about it. Now looking back, he probably understood my feelings, not just as friendship or a joke, but as a genuine liking between lovers.

I’m still not entirely sure what c thinks of me, but if he refuses, it’s definitely not due to his family. I’ve met his family, and their attitude is very open-minded. My wife also has a sister. When I visited their house, his sister talked about another same-sex couple. Their family was completely accepting.

And because those two have known each other since childhood, my wife and them are familiar. They were chatting and said they were well-matched. It seemed like that before, but it turned out to be true, quite good and all.

Then, I, feeling brave, asked them, “What if there’s a guy pursuing c? What would you do?”

At that time, they all paused for a moment. Then c’s parents looked at me and smiled, saying as long as c also likes the person, they have no objections.

Then, his sister gave me a meaningful look and said c has high standards. Anyone he likes definitely wouldn’t be lacking in any way. They are at ease.

Since that incident, I knew I had to treat c even better to make him like me.

578th Floor:

OP and c come from such nice family backgrounds. To be honest, with both families becoming in-laws, their interactions should be harmonious.

579th Floor:

That’s not necessarily the case. How many couples end up with family feuds after marriage?

580th Floor:

Before and after marriage, two different worlds…

581st Floor:

Hey! Come back! Why are you steering the conversation towards family conflicts again!!!

582nd Floor:

Why, why!!! Why have you met each other’s parents even before getting together!!! Why is it that you can pursue someone by just winning them over and not worry about dealing with their family!!! I’m not jealous, I swear I’m not jealous! Not jealous at all, wuwuwu…