Tokyo Psychic

Page 133

"Why did Morfonica specifically invite a newly debuted band like ours? The most popular video of our street performance only has 30,000 views."

"Maybe it's because they met at a performance in Shibuya before?" Izare Nina blinked.

"You're just being presumptuous," Lai Xixiao tapped her forehead. "You think you can help us attract traffic after just one meeting?"

"Maybe..." Izare Rina said weakly, "Ms. Kurata has retweeted every single one of our band's posts and liked many related videos."

"She and Xiaoxiang used to attend the same middle school."

"Oh." Serina's mood immediately plummeted. "So it was the unseen hand of Tsukimori who orchestrated all of this."

No, it should be the invisible hand of the Toyokawa family...

Akira Kurusu covered her face and pondered. She should have realized this as early as yesterday when the first volume of "No Game No Life" sold out.

Ever since he met Toyokawa Shoko and the old man beside her at that upscale restaurant in Seijo, everything he did seemed to go exceptionally smoothly.

Even when staying at a couples' hotel, people would specially send over all sorts of little props.

Thinking of this, Akira Kurusu suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Could it be that all her messy romantic relationships had been listed by that tycoon? Was this also part of the process of choosing a son-in-law by a prestigious family in Tokyo? What a terrifying breadth of vision.

On a summer afternoon, the temperature gradually began to rise.

The air conditioner in the carriage blew out gusts of cold air, and the announcement of arrival was in the same tone that hadn't changed in over a decade, like an elder you'd known for many years reciting a farewell haiku.

Even before the evening rush hour, the waiting room felt rather deserted as I stepped out of the train carriage.

A high school student wearing a baseball cap squatted beside a vending machine, waiting for his chosen drink to drop. He looked up and saw Akira Kurusu and Nina Izare leaving together. At the same age, both naive and gradually entering society, he couldn't help but feel envious, and then began to long for love.

In the underground passage, Akira Kurusu and Nina Izare saw Shoko Toyokawa walking towards them.

Toyokawa Shoko seemed preoccupied, her expression gloomy, as if she had recently had a big argument with someone.

Jing Qinren approached with concern, "Xiao Xiang, is something wrong?"

Toyokawa Shoko bit her lip and then shook her head. "It's okay, it's just that I had a little unpleasantness with some old friends."

Then she stepped past Iori Rencai and bowed to Kurusu Akatsuki, "I'm sorry, Suze has caused you trouble... but don't worry, she won't bother you again."

Akira Kurishi reached out and touched her forehead. "You don't have a fever."

Toyokawa Shoko clenched her fist, then relaxed it. She looked intently at her boyfriend. "You can't joke about things like this!"

Akira Kurusu had no choice but to accept her apology, feeling a pang of guilt towards the "never met" Miss Nagasaki... However, what he didn't expect was that the seemingly aristocratic girl actually didn't dare to talk back at all, letting Shoko Toyokawa unilaterally reprimand her.

"Let's go, let's go train."

He took Toyokawa Shoko's small hand in his, and the girl grasped his hand in return, their fingers intertwined, and a sweet smile gradually appeared on her face. "Okay."

Seeing their flirtatious glances, Iori Rina felt a strange unease in her heart, and then she took Lai Xixiao's hand in a similar manner.

Toyokawa Shoko seemed completely oblivious to her, calmly looking towards the exit of the tram station.

......

When Momoka Kawahara, having finished her part-time job, appeared at STARRY's recording studio carrying her guitar case, it was already 4:30 PM.

"Amamiya, do you still have work at the agency today?" she asked Akira Kurusu, who was replying to Line messages on the sofa, as she opened her guitar case.

Akira Kurusu had already told the girls in the band on Line about her signing with the agency.

However, the fact that "End of the Band" is not planning to go professional is a decision that everyone has accepted, so while we were surprised, we didn't have any particular thoughts about it.

Even Izayoi, who is determined to fight against "diamond dust," is prepared to overcome their "professions" with the attitude of "interest."

Upon hearing Momoka Kawara's inquiry, Akira Kurusu was chatting with the DB Bunko staff on Line about the "signing event," then looked up and said, "That'll have to be around dinner time; we have to train for two hours next."

The two chatted idly, while the other girls in the recording studio, besides Toyokawa Shoko, huddled in a corner playing with the black cat in the cardboard box.

Morgana kept calling for help from the two Personas, Akira Kurusu and Shoko Toyokawa.

Akira Kurusu ignored it, and Shoko Toyokawa was preoccupied with her own thoughts, so neither of them paid any attention to its cries—a cat won't die from being petted a couple of times, and it might even enjoy it.

This new STARRY employee seems to be very popular.

It wasn't until Momoka Kawaharaki stepped forward and said, "It's time for training," that the girls reluctantly stuffed the disheveled black cat back into the box.

They completely failed to notice that Morgana did not actually possess the various body parts that a normal cat, or any normal living being, should have, such as excretion... It was an apostle created by Ferremon, essentially a life form of a magical spell or a world of consciousness formed by various messages, which only gained the closest cognition after descending into reality.

This understanding helped it successfully integrate into society as a "stray cat" with its plush, doll-like body.

When people around it see it, no matter how different it is, they will subconsciously think that it is a real cat, and it will therefore have some cat characteristics.

Akira Kurusu looked around at the girls who were quietly adjusting their instruments, and her gaze finally settled on Shoko Toyokawa.

As if sensing something, Toyokawa Shoko looked up at him and then slowly shook her head.

After the band's practice ended, she would accompany Akira Kurusu to the Atlus agency.

The firm is hosting a dinner party today.

Celebrity actress Minami Mori, her husband, famous comedian Takafumi Wakaba, and their daughter Mutsuki Wakaba will all be present.

......

The crimson sunset seemed to sweep across a forest of steel. The city's skyscrapers, bathed in the glow of the evening glow, appeared as a dark expanse.

In the darkness, the night escapes the hustle and bustle of day, embraces the moon and dim stars, and hides deep within the fiery sea of ​​the setting sun.

Akira Kurusu and Shoko Toyokawa entered the office.

The corridor was filled with staff hurrying by today, including many well-known idols and celebrities in the industry.

Kasumi Yoshizawa and Sumire Yoshizawa's father, Kazuhiko Yoshizawa, who once held a high position at the television station, was also present. He simply stood by the door to greet the two of them.

When Yoshizawa Kazuhiko saw Kurusu Akira and Toyokawa Shoko walking in together, he was visibly stunned for a moment, but he quickly composed himself.

Yoshizawa Kazuhiko looked at their clasped hands again and again, as if he didn't recognize Toyokawa Shoko's identity, and stared at Kurusu Akira with a serious and earnest look, "Don't you have a suit? I remember your manager Iwai gave you a suit."

"There wasn't time to put it on." Akira Kurusu pointed to the rather plain and simple clothes that Shoko Toyokawa was wearing. "None of us are wearing formal attire."

Yoshizawa Kazuhiko's gaze remained fixed on Kurusu Akira. No matter how he pointed at Toyokawa Shoko or tried to steer the conversation towards her, the middle-aged man, who already had a family, kept his gaze fixed on her, not even daring to glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

You little brat, don't even think about hurting me.

Do you really think I don't know how terrifying the size of the Toyokawa family is?!

Yoshizawa Kazuhiko cursed Kurusu Akira in his heart, but put on a business-like smile. "Well then, please come in... The banquet is arranged in the reception room to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Atlus's series of projects launched last month, so all the artists who participated in the projects have been invited."

"Don't be too reserved. You can treat this as a company dinner. After all, Amamiya, you are one of Atlus's most promising newcomers."

It was only then that Yoshizawa Kazuhiko looked at Toyokawa Shoko for the first time, and then gave a half-bow, saying, "As a family member of one of our firm's employees, you don't need to feel pressured to attend the dinner..."

Upon seeing that Toyokawa Shoko remained silent, cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

At this moment, Akira Kurusu led Shoko Toyokawa past Kazuhiko Yoshizawa and headed towards the reception room.

He could clearly feel that Toyokawa Shoko's hands were gripping tightly because of nervousness.

......

We entered the very formally decorated reception room.

The men and women chatting around the dining table all noticed the young couple at the door.

When they saw Toyokawa Shoko standing next to Kurusu Akira, their expressions hesitated for a moment, and the atmosphere in the entire reception room became slightly more solemn.

At this moment, a seemingly harmonious couple approached, followed by a girl in a white dress, dressed exceptionally beautifully, who approached as gracefully and quietly as a doll.

Upon seeing Toyokawa Shoko, the "doll's" face showed obvious emotional fluctuations, and its beautiful pale golden eyes gained a bit more brilliance.

"Mu, say hello to Xiangzi," said the man who had met Lai Xixiao once before.

Wakaba Mutsumi said to her childhood friend, "Good evening."

Toyokawa Shoko greeted her as well, but she gripped Kurusu Akira's hand even tighter, her knuckles turning slightly white, and her palm becoming faintly damp.

Then she said, "Ms. Mori and Mr. Wakaba, it's been a long time."

The beautiful woman standing next to Takafumi Wakaba is Nami Mori, a rising star in the entertainment industry.

She probably hadn't expected Toyokawa Shoko to appear here, and there was a hint of barely perceptible unease in her smile—an emotion that Kurusu Akira keenly caught.

Minami asked Toyokawa Shoko, "It has indeed been a while since we last met. Shoko has really grown more and more beautiful."

She said with a smile, "Have you been in touch with Xiaomu lately? She really wants to play with you, saying that she feels a bit lonely without Xiangzi. So, could you come over to our house to keep Xiaomu company when you have time next time?"

Shoko Toyokawa nodded politely, "I will come to visit."

Mori Minami suddenly looked at Kurusu Akira beside her with obvious surprise, "By the way... Shoko, is this guy your boyfriend? He's really handsome! You have such good taste! Sigh, I wonder when my Mutsu will find a boyfriend as good as him~"

As if suddenly realizing something, Takafumi Wakaba clapped his hands, seemingly having completely forgotten his recent embarrassment in front of Akira Kurusu. He greeted the newcomer to the agency warmly, "Hello, hello, I'm Takafumi Wakaba, currently working in variety shows. It's nice to meet you. This is my partner, Minami Mori, who is working in film and television."

Akira Kurusu humbly introduced herself, "I am 'Ren Amamiya,' a newcomer who has just started in music production. It's a pleasure to meet Mori-senpai and Wakaba-senpai."

“Oh dear, I forgot to introduce her,” Minami Mori said, as if she couldn’t wait to show off some precious collectible. She stepped aside and practically shoved Wakaba Mutsu to Akira Kurusu. “This is our daughter…” she said, looking down at Wakaba Mutsu. “Mutsu, go and introduce yourself to Amamiya-nii.”

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko, Wakaba Mutsumi slowly said, "Hello... My name is Wakaba Mutsumi, and I am... I am the daughter of Minami and Takafumi. It's nice to meet you."

At this moment, both Takafumi Wakaba and Minami Mori looked rather embarrassed.

They were about to say something more when, unexpectedly, they were treated so rudely, and Akira Kurusu actually put on a gentle and respectful smile.

Akira Kurusu looked at Mutsu Wakaba and said, "It's nice to meet you. I've seen CRYCHIC's performances, and your guitar playing is excellent."

Wakaba Mutsu's hand trembled noticeably. She slowly turned her gaze to Kurusu Akira, like a puppet desperately trying to break free from the control of the threads. Her joints rubbed against each other, producing a strange, harsh sound.

"I......"

As if she had made up her mind, Wakaba Mutsu glanced at Toyokawa Shoko, whose expression was gradually turning ugly, and then bowed halfway to Kurusu Akira.

She looked intently at Akira Kurusu, then spoke in a very low voice.

I don't like you.

The guests who had been secretly observing this area nearby immediately let out a quiet gasp.

Suddenly, the subtle gazes around them focused on this spot, and the large reception room quickly went from lively to quiet.

Someone's phone rang, vibrating in my pocket, emitting a nauseating and frightening buzzing sound like the flapping of wasps' wings.

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(It's past 6 AM, but I've been sitting here for a full twelve hours, burning out my last bit of energy in this internet cafe. And it turns out, I really can't do anything more; my typing efficiency is shockingly low. I've already spent 600 yuan on internet fees these past few days... The typing environment is awful; it's late at night and the noise around me is unbearable. I'm practically stacked with every debuff I can think of.)

(I will try my best to maintain regular updates every day from now on.)

(Anyway, please vote for me! Please give me your wrath!!)

118. Like a doll (two-in-one)

I don't like you.

The girl, as delicate as a doll, made a startling remark.

In that instant, both Akira Kurusu and Shoko Toyokawa keenly sensed the unusual emotional fluctuations in her parents...

It was just like those twisted shadows of desire that they had once seen in the Impressionist Space.

The familiar faces still gave Toyokawa Shoko a strong sense of unease. The couple who had once warmly welcomed her many times had, in a very short time, become so unfamiliar that they disgusted her.

Toyokawa Shoko immediately looked at Kurusu Akira with a questioning gaze.

Are they enemies?

Lai Xixiao subtly met her gaze, then quickly looked away.

Thanks to their mutual understanding, Toyokawa Shoko quickly grasped the phantom thief's guess:

This couple does have some problems. Perhaps they have been influenced by evil people with twisted desires, or perhaps they themselves are wicked people who commit crimes because of twisted desires.

The next moment, seeing Toyokawa Shoko quickly step forward, grab her childhood friend's right hand without saying a word, take two steps back away from Mori Minami and Wakaba Takafumi, and then look at Kurusu Akira with a smile, "I'm sorry, Mutsu isn't very good at dealing with these kinds of topics, so she couldn't express herself properly... What she actually wanted to say was, 'I hate that she disturbs our time alone.'"

Toyokawa Shoko deliberately raised her voice slightly, which made the guests who were watching breathe a sigh of relief.

If Ye Mu nodded slowly, her eyes remained fixed on Lai Xixiao, revealing a hint of curiosity and apology.

Toyokawa Shoko tightened her grip on Wakaba Mutsu's hand slightly, bringing her back to her senses. "Shoko, I'm sorry."