It's time to give out the rings, Admiral!

After listening to what the waitress said, Su Yuchen and Guanghui exchanged glances. He looked at the unicorn sitting next to him and thought that the children should be the ones to do this. But before he could say anything, he noticed that Guanghui and the unicorn were staring straight at him.

"Of course it should be you at a time like this, darling..."

"The unicorn believes in brother... Dad..."

Seeing her two ship girls seemingly having reached a consensus, Su Yuchen, assuming they were continuing their previous family role-playing game, secretly wiped her sweat and reached into the large box used for the lottery. "Someone like me, who's unlucky enough to try and get Shimakaze hundreds or thousands of times, you actually dare to let me draw? Oh well, never mind, I didn't really expect to win anything from this kind of event anyway..."

After silently muttering to himself, the boy casually picked up a round ball that felt comfortable in his hand and pulled it out of the box. "A red ball?"

"Hmm... let me see. Oh, congratulations to this guest for winning a free voucher for a superior room at the Haven of Love Hotel..."

Volume 1, Chapter 60: Bracelet

Although Unicorn and Radiance thought the family set meal at that restaurant was pretty good, Su Yuchen couldn't taste anything special until the very end. Feeling like she was chewing wax, she couldn't help but start to doubt her life.

She increasingly felt that, apart from Illustrious, probably no one else could support her who had become so picky. She realized that she had seriously underestimated the power of a ship girl like Illustrious, who had such strong wifely qualities.

Even though I urge myself to do things myself every day, when I come to my senses, I still find myself becoming like a lazy bum, waiting for Guanghui to wake me up, to cook for me, and even to wash my clothes... This kind of life is easy and pleasant, but if it continues like this, I'll eventually become a useless piece of trash...

Feeling as if she had been poisoned by a slow-acting drug called gentleness, Su Yuchen paid for the meal, which made her feel both heartbroken and worthless. Still in high spirits, she took the tram with Radiance and Unicorn to the famous Haven Commercial District in Jinchuan City.

As its name suggests, the harbor is located in the northern part of Tsugawa City. It is a natural deep-water harbor. Because of its excellent geographical location, it can shield ships anchored here from most of the storms and waves from the sea. So over time, the harbor has been called a safe harbor by those who are busy at sea all year round.

Thanks to its excellent harbor, this area has experienced rapid development in recent years, a stark contrast to the bustling and crowded city center. In addition, the scenery here is beautiful, with cool sea breezes year-round. Standing on the pier, you can see the naval academy and the legendary ruins of the naval base on a distant island.

The clean roadside was lined with a dazzling array of shops, while the wide street was filled with the shouts of vendors selling all sorts of local delicacies. Looking at this bustling scene, Su Yuchen, who had never been here before, was genuinely surprised when he got off the tram. After all, since arriving in this world, apart from the Lunar New Year, this was the first time he had seen such a lively scene.

It's important to understand that this world is not as peaceful and developed as the world the boy was born into. In addition, it is constantly threatened by the deep-sea fleet. It is really not easy to bring so many people together.

"Wow, so many people." Hearing the two ship girls behind her exclaim in surprise, Su Yuchen turned around and looked at Illustrious, who was holding Unicorn's hand like a mother and daughter. She smiled slightly and said, "Alright, let's go in and take a look. Illustrious, Unicorn, just tell us if there's anything you want to eat or play."

As for what will happen to my wallet in the future, who cares? As long as they are happy.

Smelling the various aromas of food in the air, and having gradually learned to remain unfazed under countless gazes, Su Yuchen dragged her "family members" slowly through the countless stalls on the street.

He excitedly told Unicorn and Radiance about the foods he had tasted before, while taking skewer after skewer of snacks from the vendors. Even though he felt he no longer liked fried food as much as before, perhaps influenced by the atmosphere, the boy's mouth began to salivate involuntarily.

She handed the freshly fried rice cakes, still emitting the unique aroma of fried food, to Glorious and Unicorn respectively. Hearing them sweetly say thank you and then happily savor these novel and unique foods, Su Yuchen, also infected by the joyful expressions on their faces, smiled and turned her gaze to a stall selling small jewelry.

Looking at the dazzling array of necklaces and bracelets, someone's gaze was fixed on a pair of colorful bracelets hanging on the shelf. They were made of colorful beads and star-like ornaments. Although they were all counterfeit acrylic products, there was no denying that they were really beautiful and seemed to match the gentle and lovely personalities of their two ship girls.

The boy reached out and took the pair of bracelets off the hook, gently touching them in his palm. Under the astonished gaze of the proprietress, he handed the bracelets to Glorious and Unicorn behind him. "Glorious, Unicorn, do you think these bracelets are pretty? Why don't you try them on?"

"Yes, Admiral." "Yes, brother." Radiant and Unicorn happily responded to their Admiral's words, accepting the bracelets from the boy's hands with beaming smiles. They each slipped the bracelets onto their fair wrists, their faces showing delight as they gazed at the shimmering beads in the sunlight.

"Young man, you can't do it like this." Seeing how much his ship girls loved them, Su Yuchen grinned excitedly. But before he could even ask about the price and feel satisfied with his taste, he was surprised to hear the teasing voice of the middle-aged proprietress who had been standing in the shop.

Seeing the confused look on the young man's face, the proprietress smiled and pointed to the bracelet on Guanghui's wrist. "I'm afraid you don't know this, but here, it has a very deep meaning when a boy gives a girl a bracelet. Because the word for bracelet sounds like the word for 'love,' giving a bracelet is often used to represent love. Giving bracelets to two lovely girls at the same time is like playing the field."

"Ah? Is that so?" After hearing the shopkeeper's explanation, the boy, who had originally liked the bracelet very much, suddenly scratched his head awkwardly. As a grown man, how could he have known that there were so many twists and turns in such a small matter as giving away a bracelet?

Looking back at Glorious and Unicorn, who had also heard the landlady's words and were blushing slightly, he rubbed his hands awkwardly and chuckled, "Haha, sorry, Glorious and Unicorn, I didn't know the bracelet had so many meanings. If you don't like it, we'll get something else."

However, before the foolish boy could finish his embarrassed words, Radiant Beauty, with a captivating blush on her exquisite face, firmly shook her head. She gently stroked the bracelet on her wrist, the soft movement as if she were caressing a precious treasure. Looking at the boy's bewildered face, she said to him in a tone more charming and undeniably alluring than usual, "No, no need, Admiral. Radiant Beauty likes this bracelet very much, so there's no need to change it."

Meanwhile, the unicorn, who always followed Illusion's lead, blushed and offered her support after hearing her older sister's confident voice, "The... the unicorn also... likes it very much, brother... let's buy it..."

"Huh? But, but..." The boy was somewhat surprised by their words, but looking at Radiance and Unicorn's undeniably confident faces, he couldn't finish his sentence. Since you all like them so much, let others misunderstand. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters.

Amidst the admiring and blessing expression of the proprietress beside him, and hearing her say to him, "Young man, you're really lucky! But don't disappoint the girl, keep up the good work!"—such inexplicable words—the young man, who had bought the bracelet for twenty yuan, continued walking into the commercial street with the radiance and unicorn on his wrist, which he had been touching since the beginning.

"Well, it's still early. Why don't we go into the mall and take a look? I have some things I want to buy." With that, the boy, stroking his chin, stopped in front of a huge mall, pointed to the dazzling array of goods behind the glass windows, and then said to them.

I plan to go back and pick up Xiaorou in a few days. Considering the time, I should prepare some gifts for them now.

..............................

Volume 1, Chapter 61: The Doll

While a certain unscrupulous person was enjoying life outside the naval academy with his ship girls, a momentous event occurred inside the academy during his absence. More than ten ship girls visited the academy, which was on a day off, in the afternoon. Among them were legendary ship girls such as Lexington, Saratoga, and Washington.

Unlike the previous visit to Lexington, which was kept secret by few, the combination of several aircraft carriers, battleships, and other ship types caused an explosive reaction as soon as they entered the school gates. Countless admirals who had already gone home for vacation rushed back to the academy after hearing the news. Even some retired admirals who taught knowledge and skills at the academy dared to come and see. Several legendary ship girls gathered together, a scene that one might not see again in a lifetime.

As the dozen or so ship girls, whose combined strength was comparable to the combined strength of all the naval garrisons in a sea area, followed behind the academy principal, moving back and forth in the academy as if searching for something, the people gathered around began to speculate about the purpose of these ship girls, whose combined strength was terrifying, coming to the naval academy.

Some people speculated that they wanted to take up positions at the academy, some speculated that a powerful deep-sea fleet had been discovered nearby and the governor's office sent them to suppress it, and some speculated that they came to find a heartless man who had toyed with their feelings. Of course, this speculation was rejected by everyone before it could spread. How could anyone in this world win the favor of so many ship girls at the same time and then cruelly abandon them in the end?

While the idle onlookers were still speculating about what the girls had come for, Lexington and her friends, who had returned to the main gate of the academy, finally finished their search. Seeing their sisters, who had gone off to search separately, return dejectedly, she could probably guess the outcome of their search.

"How is it, Washington?" Lexington asked anxiously to Washington, the first person to return. Although she had already anticipated the outcome, she was not willing to give up so easily.

"No... I couldn't find anyone who looked like the admiral." Washington, dressed in a smart black naval uniform and looking rather unwell, shook his head helplessly at Lexington.

"Oh...I see..." Lexington asked her fellow ship girls for the answer, but each time she received the same response. Even with her strong will, she couldn't help but feel her eyes welling up with tears. She glanced at Yixian, who was frowning, and Saratoga, who seemed about to cry, and sighed. She stroked her sister's hair and then looked apologetically at the headmaster of the Naval Academy on the other side. "I'm sorry, I've made you go through all this trouble for nothing again..."

However, before Lexington could finish speaking, the beautiful woman with bright red hair beside her suddenly interrupted her, "Today is a rest day at the academy. A large number of students are not at the academy because they have gone home or gone out to play. Lexington, it's too early to make such a judgment..."

………………

While such a shocking event was taking place at the Naval Academy, Su Yuchen, completely unaware of what was happening, was leisurely strolling through a huge shopping mall with Glorious and Unicorn on the other side of the harbor.

Standing in front of a huge shelf displaying various health products, the boy pinched his chin and carefully examined their uses. He casually picked up a bottle of what looked like expensive calcium tablets and then seriously read the instructions on it.

Before I came to Jinchuan, Grandpa Wang would often get inexplicable leg cramps, and his back would always ache after a day's work. These must be signs of calcium deficiency... So I'll buy this for him and take it back. Uh... Next, I need to choose gifts for Xiaorou and the other girls. Gifts for girls... I don't know what to buy!

Not knowing what kind of gifts a girl of this age would like, Su Yuchen, feeling a bit lost, rubbed his temples. He turned around to ask his "wise helper" Guanghui for advice, but found that Guanghui was standing at the other end of the shelf, while his unicorn sister behind him was attracted by the many dolls on the opposite toy shelf.

"Unicorn? Do you like these plush toys?" Seeing the girl holding Yu-chan to her chest with such focused cuteness, the boy immediately forgot the questions that had been bothering him. He quietly approached the unicorn from behind, gently reached out and touched the girl's small head. Seeing her tremble as if she had been startled, the boy couldn't help but laugh.

"Brother...brother!"

The petite girl was startled. Hearing her older brother's question, she blushed as if some little secret had been discovered. Her slender arms pressed against her small yet full breasts, and after a long while, she finally let out a barely audible "Mmm..."

The girl's soft response reached the boy's ears. Su Yuchen continued to stroke the twin ponytails he had styled for the unicorn that morning, quite fond of them. He looked up at the shelf in front of him and, almost without a moment, he effortlessly guessed what was attracting the unicorn's attention so much that she hadn't even noticed him approaching.

At the top of the shelf lay a pure white unicorn plush toy. Apart from the fur on its back and tail, and its size, which was almost as big as its own body, it really looked a lot like Yu-chan, who was being held in the unicorn's arms.

The boy rubbed his slightly stubbled chin, reaching out to try and take the enormous "Yu-chan" down from the top of the shelf. He strained, but then realized, rather awkwardly, that even standing on tiptoe to reach it, he couldn't budge it. So, under the unicorn's gentle gaze, he could only chuckle awkwardly and withdraw his hand, then pointed to the large "Yu-chan."

"Does the unicorn want this large unicorn plushie? If you like it, let's buy it and take it home?"

Clearly not expecting the boy to say that to her, a hint of surprise flashed in the unicorn's clear, amethyst-like eyes upon hearing her brother's words. But before the boy could react, she unexpectedly shook her head.

"No, no need... Brother. Such a big doll... it must be very expensive... I heard from Shining Sister... we've already spent a lot of money this month... and Unicorn already has Yu-chan..."

Su Yuchen, you're such a lucky bastard to have two ship girls who care about you like this! Touched by the soft and weak voice of the unicorn, the boy sighed at his own good fortune while gently brushing the purple hair on the unicorn's forehead. He slowly stood up and then carefully checked the price of the large "Yu-chan".

Although, as Unicorn said, the price of "Yu-chan" was indeed a bit expensive, and it seemed to be a high-end plush toy produced by a well-known manufacturer, at least it wasn't so expensive that it would leave the boy helpless. Besides, he was willing to sell everything he owned to make his ship girl happy.

"It's okay, Unicorn. I'll get paid again next month anyway. If you really like it, I'll buy it for you as a gift." With that, ignoring his wallet, which was likely to be ripped off again, the boy once again expertly patted the unicorn's head.

However, this time the girl still waved her hand firmly, and feeling the warm touch from above her head, the unicorn's delicate and lovely face became even more rosy.

"Hehe... Really, it's not necessary, brother. Radiant Sister is waiting for us. She said she's going to take you somewhere later..." She stretched out her arm with the bracelet on it, took the boy's hand, and walked towards Radiant Sister, who was waiting for her and the Admiral not far away.

Of course, the unicorn, who had finally mustered the courage to hold her brother's hand, did not notice the boy's piercing gaze and thoughtful expression as he passed the spot where Glorious had just stood.

Volume 1, Chapter 62: Awakening

Before he could finish his mission of buying gifts for his family back home, he was led to the second floor of this shopping mall by Glorious and Unicorn, who seemed to have no intention of doing anything. Looking at the endless array of clothes in front of him, the young man, who was living a life of luxury but didn't appreciate it, encountered a problem that could hardly be called a problem.

As a young man, Su Yuchen was never the type to particularly enjoy dressing up. He wore the uniform issued by the academy while in school and changed into old clothes he brought from the town where he lived when he came out. Except when necessary, he rarely bought any new clothes for himself.

However, this tiny flaw was easily discovered by the observant Glorious. Even though she had repeatedly emphasized that she had enough clothes and that she could save money for other things, her two ship girls seemed to have reached a consensus and didn't listen at all. When they strolled around the mall, as long as they saw clothes that they thought were nice, she would be dragged into the fitting room by a combination of coaxing and pleading.

Pulling back the curtain of the fitting room, Su Yuchen, looking somewhat reluctant, slowly walked out after changing into a suit that Glorious had chosen for him. Seeing the young man in his new clothes, Glorious, who had been waiting outside with Unicorn, smiled with satisfaction. "While the Admiral is usually quite handsome, he seems much more energetic in a suit."

Seeing Guanghui nod approvingly at him, Su Yuchen, who had always disliked the hassle of buying clothes, sighed helplessly. Looking at Guanghui and the unicorn picking out another outfit for him, he smiled wryly and said, "Guanghui, we've already picked out two outfits, so we don't need to buy any more, right...?" The clothes here are all very expensive; if they saved the money, they could buy the unicorn her favorite doll...

However, before the man could even finish his reluctant words, Glorious, whose attitude had suddenly become surprisingly firm, rejected his suggestion without hesitation. "That won't do, Admiral. Since you're so bad at taking care of yourself, then we'll have to do it for you. Ah, what do you think of this blue coat? Glorious thinks you'll look very handsome in it..."

Once again, Su Yuchen mechanically accepted the clothes handed to him by Guanghui, who seemed to have no room for refusal. Numb, he walked back to the fitting room behind him. In the process of going back and forth, when he came to his senses again, he was holding nearly dozens of new clothes.

Turning his head to look at Guanghui, who was already waiting at the door to pay, the boy, feeling his heart bleeding, reluctantly moved towards the kind-looking old man behind the cashier.

As the young man approached the cashier, he sighed at how quickly his money was disappearing, placing his clothes one by one on the large counter. Before he could even reach for his wallet, the middle-aged gentleman standing behind the counter smiled at Su Yuchen and said to him with a hint of envy, "Young man, you're really lucky to have such a beautiful and considerate wife."

Ah... another person who mistook me and Guanghui for a couple... After listening to what the old man said, Su Yuchen, who had heard similar words countless times today and was so familiar with them that she was too lazy to complain about them anymore, sighed silently.

"You've misunderstood, sir. I don't have that kind of relationship with her. I'm not even old enough to get married yet, how could I possibly have a wife?" Su Yuchen explained to him with a helpless shrug.

“Oh! I knew it! You two are so young, how could you possibly have a daughter this big?” The boy’s explanation made the old man in front of him immediately show a look of sudden realization. He glanced at Glorious, who was standing quietly at the door with the unicorn, waiting, like a kind elder. He continued, “But it doesn’t matter. Seeing how much she likes you, you two will become that kind of relationship sooner or later.”

"You're saying Guanghui likes me? How could that be, old man? I've only known her for a few days, how could it be so fast as you say?" Somewhat surprised, the boy widened his eyes, and he waved his hand with a dry laugh, seemingly not quite believing what the old man in front of him was saying.

It's only been a few days since I built Glorious? Even if you have my secretary ship online every day in the game, your affection level couldn't possibly rise this fast, right?

But upon hearing the young man's somewhat unconfident words, the old man seemed to suddenly understand something, shaking his head with a mixture of amusement and helplessness. "So that's how it is. No wonder the young lady sometimes looks at you with such helplessness."

Amid Su Yuchen's puzzled expression, he turned to look at the faded, almost illegible photograph hanging on the wall, a nostalgic look on his face. "But old man, I'm not lying to you. That girl really does like you, because the gentle look in her eyes when she looks at you is exactly the same as the look my wife gave me when we were young."

"So, young man, I suggest you pay more attention to the people around you. Don't let your own subjective assumptions blind you... Oh dear, people tend to gossip more when they get old. Please don't mind. I'll give you a discount on these clothes because seeing you reminds me of my younger self."

"...Radiant... likes me?..."

Seeing the boy in front of him muttering to himself and lowering his head in deep thought, the old man who owned the clothing store smiled and turned around.

Clutching his now-thinner wallet and carrying several large bags, the boy walked out of the clothing store absentmindedly. He glanced subconsciously at Glorious, who was standing with the unicorn, his thoughts wandering elsewhere.

Could it really be as the old man said, that Glorious really likes me? Otherwise... why does she always act so intimately towards me? ... At noon, why did the unicorn call me "Dad"? Does that mean Glorious likes me?

Thinking about it carefully, Guanghui didn't seem angry with me at all last night. It seems like I was just scaring myself? ... Ahhh... No wonder Xiaorou always said she was as slow as a block of wood... Sigh... It seems I really haven't paid enough attention to the feelings and emotions of those around me...

"Admiral, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"... Feeling a little embarrassed by the boy's blank gaze, Glorious asked him, somewhat puzzled.

“Glory…you…”

With her exceptional hearing, the ship girl picked up the boy's faint voice. Gloriously tilting her head, she glanced at her admiral's hesitant expression and asked with a warm, spring-sun-like smile, "What's wrong, Admiral? Is there something you want to say? If you have any opinions about Glorious, please feel free to speak them. Glorious will accept anything concerning the admiral, so please tell Glorious everything you think about him..."

Even though she was as slow-witted as a teenager, after hearing Guanghui's tender words, she gradually began to understand Guanghui's feelings for her.

He let out a soft breath, secretly clenching his fist. If Glorious truly liked him, then as the admiral, he had to reciprocate. Besides… he also really liked Glorious's gentleness and virtuousness… How should he put it? It was his luck and blessing that Glorious liked him…

He mustered his courage and slowly raised his head to look at Radiant's exquisite face, a face so beautiful that it would make countless people linger. But looking at her gentle smile, the courage he had just mustered vanished in an instant for some reason.

Seeing Su Yuchen hesitate, words on the tip of her tongue, the mature and gentle Radiance probably guessed what her admiral wanted to say. Even though she was anxious, the understanding woman knew this wasn't the time to rush her admiral. She simply looked at him with an encouraging, gentle smile and softly asked, "What's wrong, Admiral?"

"Glory...I...I...No, nothing!" However, in the end, the boy's struggle failed miserably. As a miserable single man whose age equals his single history, he felt that the challenge of confessing his love to a stunningly beautiful woman in public was too difficult, and he was not mentally prepared at all.

Blushing crimson, the person lowered their head, eager to hide their embarrassment. "I... let's go, Radiance, Unicorn, there are still many shops we haven't visited..."

Watching her admiral walk past her with a flushed face and a worried expression, Glorious, who had been expecting something, was slightly disappointed. But soon, after letting out a soft sigh, a smile reappeared on her face.

Although she didn't know why the silly admiral had suddenly become so perceptive, she decided to wait for him a little longer. Anyway... there would always be one of the admiral's rings that belonged to her, hehe... Turning her head and smiling at the unicorn beside her, she gently said to the unicorn, "Let's go, little unicorn. The admiral said he'd continue taking us shopping."

“But…Radiant Sister, Brother…” As Radiant Sister’s wingman, Unicorn, who had witnessed the whole thing, showed a worried expression.

But Radiant shook her head gently at the girl's worries. "It's alright, Unicorn. The Admiral is probably just lacking a little courage. Let's give him some more time."

………………

Book 1, Chapter 63: Farce

After all, they were choosing a gift for their future "sister-in-law," and with the help of the thoughtful and considerate Guanghui, the group of teenagers quickly completed the task of choosing gifts for Xiaorou and the others in the shopping mall on the first floor.

Watching Glorious place all those pretty women's clothes and some trinkets that girls might like on the cashier's counter and skillfully pay for them, Su Yuchen led her two ship girls out of the huge shopping mall.

As they walked up the steps to the main entrance, Su Yuchen, still ashamed of her earlier behavior, walked ahead alone, head down, sighing dejectedly. Why did she suddenly back down at that moment?

If I had just mustered a little more courage, I might have been able to successfully find a partner... I'm neither a dating pro nor good at creating a romantic atmosphere, and I don't know when I'll have another chance to confess... Sigh, oh well, for now I can only take it one step at a time...

As if comforting himself, Su Yuchen let out a long sigh. He looked up at the sky, only to find that the clear blue sky he had seen before was now covered by a thick layer of dark clouds. He sighed at how unpredictable the weather was at this time of year. Watching the stall owners anxiously packing up their goods to go home and avoid the rain, the young man took out his watch and checked the time.

The clock had just struck 5 o'clock. Realizing that it was already quite late, the boy turned around and looked at the two ship girls behind him. Although it was a bit of a pity, in order not to miss the last bus back to the academy, today's itinerary had to end like this.

"Glory, it's getting late, we should get ready to go back to the academy."

Seeing that Glorious nodded gently to him, the person suddenly scratched his chin furtively. "Oh right, I suddenly remembered that I forgot to buy some things. Glorious, could you and Unicorn wait here for me for a while? I'll be right back."

"Huh? Did you forget to buy something? But we've already bought everything you wanted." Glory, who had always been the one helping the boy choose gifts, was a little surprised by his admiral's words. He had been very careful in buying things according to the admiral's instructions; surely he hadn't forgotten anything.

Faced with Guanghui's question, Su Yuchen, who was deep in thought, turned his head away as if he had something to hide. He touched his hair sheepishly, then chuckled awkwardly and said to Guanghui, "Actually...it's something Uncle Wang asked me to bring before I came to Jinchuan. I just hadn't remembered it..."