Since Heiya Island had several elements from both Chinese and Japanese culture, it was no surprise that there was a sushi restaurant as well. It was a more traditional restaurant, not the modern kind with conveyor belts. This was where the food was cooked and served at the table. It is a little misleading to think all sushi is just raw fish. There was some preparation done to make the food not cause food poisoning. Speaking of which, there were not any chefs that are yet certified to prepare pufferfish so fugu was not on the menu. Also, this was a family restaurant and there was definitely no nyataimori going on.
This restaurant is where Huoxing and Gang went for their first date. It had taken a bit longer to set this date up than Huoxing had expected. Part of it had to be because of the pandemic going on and stricter regulations in international travel. But Huoxing suspected part of the reason was because the Chinese government were not eager about such a public and popular figure like her dating a Tibetan man. There were still sore feelings about China annexing Tibet decades before and the last thing China needed right now was a firebrand getting international notice and encouraging his nation to seek independence.
But it became very obvious that Gang was hardly any kind of firebrand. As a matter of fact, he barely made eye contact with Huoxing. Not that he was staring at her body, more at his own shoes. It was sort of endearing, in a bashful kind of way. But Huoxing was finding it a little hard to hold a conversation with Gang. Talking to him about mangas didn't seem to encourage the shy otaku to really take part in the conversation. And mountaineering didn't seem to have as a pull as it had earlier.
Huoxing decided it was time for a little shock value. "So, ever been up Everest?" she asked.
"No, that's far too difficult a mountain," said Gang.
"You sure. It seems like anyone can climb Everest these days," said Huoxing.
Gang looked up sharply and said, "No they can't. Everest is the highest, hardest mountain in the world to climb. The Himalayas are no joke. The mountains will swallow whoever underestimates them."
"Well, sure, it seemed back when Hillary climbed it in '53," said Huoxing, "But nowadays..."
"It is not a day hike," said Gang, "There are many dangers up in the mountains."
"Like yetis?" asked Huoxing teasingly.
"Even if they did exist, that would be the least of their worries. There's freezing temperatures, altitude sickness, low oxygen levels, and that's just the basics. There are still many bodies still left on that mountain. Anyone who tried to summit Everest would have to a very skilled mountaineer."
"So, you think an Animalian could do it?" asked Huoxing.
"Meaning you?" asked Gang.
"Hadn't really considered it. But red pandas do live in the Himalayas. Though we're more built for tree-climbing than rock-climbing," said Huoxing, "Couldn't a bird Animalian just fly up there?"
Gang scoffed and said, "I'm pretty sure the winds would keep any bird, Animalian or not, from flying that high. Not to mention the air would be too thin for it."
A look at her phone brought up some interesting information. "Well, flying to the top isn't impossible," said Huoxing, "People have taken helicopter flights up there and paraglided down."
"Well, maybe, but that sorta defeats the purpose of climbing the mountain," said Gang.
"Perhaps, but it does offer a safer alternative," said Huoxing. That led to a spirited discussion/debate regarding aviation/mountaineering. If nothing else, it showed how passionate Gang could be when it came to mountaineering. Huoxing found this passion rather impressive compared to his earlier shyness. Some ideas lingered in the back of her head, of them being the first Animalians to summit Mount Everest. But would she be able to learn how to climb mountains to easily? Would they need some aerial assistance. Would it be possible for a bird Animalian to glide off the summit. Too bad the pandemic would keep anyone from trying for some time.