Tokyo Psychic

Page 176

Anwa Subaru is sharing his afternoon "King of Fighters" experience with Izayoi Nina.

"...In short, compared to games like The King of Fighters that require a lot of combos, Street Fighter is more suitable for beginners."

An and Subaru enthusiastically recommended fighting games to Izana, and their persuasive expression made Akira Kurusu suspect that she might just be looking for a cyber punching bag.

"By the way, where is Miss Momoka?" Toyokawa Shoko pulled Wakaba Mutsu along and bought some inexpensive trinkets to wear on their fingers. After playing with them for a while, she leaned over to Lai Xixiao and asked him.

Lai Qixiao pointed to the barbecue stall in front of him. The only adult in the band was there, enjoying a beer and a skewer of grilled chicken wings, but he looked inexplicably haggard and worn out.

This woman is only twenty years old, still a college student, so why does she look like a middle-aged man?

It didn't seem so out of place for her to cross her legs, pick her toes, and chat with everyone after she finished eating.

After finishing her drinks, Momoka Kawaharaki seemed to switch modes and revert to her cool and stylish professional musician persona.

She leaned lazily against the table, looking at the approaching teenagers. "Everyone, let's order some food. The food here is really good, but you have to grill it yourself."

This has stumped the girls.

Although An and Subaru pride themselves on being so virtuous that they can handle both formal occasions and domestic tasks, a kitchen is still a kitchen, and it can't be reduced to a roadside barbecue stall.

Shoko Toyokawa's understanding of "barbecue" was limited to the way fries and chicken wings were thrown into a pot and deep-fried in the kitchen of a fast food restaurant... This is not barbecue at all, and she could not bear to work in a place like a barbecue stall where she would be in the public eye.

Ichiji Nijika looked at Yamada Ryo, and Yamada Ryo looked back at her. "Why are you looking at me? You know how?"

Ichi Nijika shook her head.

The celery and water spinach are nearby.

Kawara Momoka looked at her with a strange expression, her tone full of suspicion, "You can?"

"I can."

Kurosaki Akira grabbed Iori Rencai by the back of her collar and pulled her backward.

Then the phantom thief plopped down next to the grill, slapped the table, and said, "Serve the food."

......

Sweat dripped down his neck and down his spine, and in the light of the tungsten lamp, it resembled the trajectory of a samurai sword being drawn from its sheath.

The boy sat upright in front of the barbecue grill.

With an upright posture and sharp eyes, he held the skin, flesh, bones and blood of birds and beasts, repeatedly stretching and turning them in the steel and fire.

The cool breeze that brushed past the sleeves of his yukata carried the aroma of seasonings from a barbecue stall, the Maillard reaction of beef and fish over the flames, and the red marks left by his wooden clogs were just as vivid as the bright red light cast by the lanterns on his collarbone.

A group of beautiful young girls stood eagerly by the barbecue grill until the thief handed them a perfectly grilled beef tenderloin. "Here you go, with your preferred pepper and cumin, but no chili."

Yamada Ryo took the skewer and tentatively took a bite.

"Incredible!" she exclaimed in amazement. "I never knew you had such skills."

"You still can't imagine how profound and unfathomable a single man's dedication to cooking has become in order to gain an advantage in the dating world."

"What about women who live alone?" Yamada Ryo asked, glancing meaningfully at Kawahara Momoka, who was half-drunk and half-awake.

"I guess all I can do is lie on the old sofa in my run-down rented room every day, drinking beer and reminiscing about my life, thinking about that amazing boy I met on my way to school when I was young, and then sighing and saying, 'Why didn't I just grab his face and kiss him back then?'"

*Thud.* The empty beer can smashed onto Akira Kurusu's head. Momoka Kawaharaki, her face flushed, jumped up, grabbing her non-existent sleeve, looking ready to pin him down and beat him up.

“A woman with such a bad drinking manner probably won’t be able to get married,” Akira Kurusu shook her head, ignoring Momoka Kawara’s anger, and then handed another skewer of grilled chicken wings to the hungry Iori Jincai beside her.

Wakaba Mutsu held onto Toyokawa Shoko's arm, gazing longingly at the lively scene beside the barbecue stall.

"You want to form a band?" Toyokawa Shoko immediately guessed what her other half was thinking.

"Mm." Wakaba Mutsu nodded.

“What you really yearn for right now isn’t a band,” Toyokawa Shoko said, stroking Wakaba Mutsu’s forehead, drawing a puzzled look from the girl.

Shoko Toyokawa said, "You just like being with your friends and having fun without any restraint or restrictions."

“I…I don’t think I can do it. But I don’t want to give the opportunity to Metis.”

If Ye Mu has already acknowledged the legitimacy and correctness of the existence of "Metis".

"So, what's your favorite food?" Toyokawa Shoko asked her.

After thinking for a moment, Wakaba Mutsu said, "I should like anything that Ren bakes by hand."

"You're making it easy for him to take advantage of you."

“Ah…” Wakaba Mutsu looked at Toyokawa Shoko in great surprise, “Why did you say ‘take advantage’?”

Toyokawa Shoko's gaze towards Wakaba Mutsu immediately became complicated. "The way you're saying that makes it sound like you've been married to him for over ten years."

Does that mean I've lost more than a decade of time with him out of nowhere?

Ruoye Mu quickly shook her head, "No, that's not it."

Having guessed Wakaba Mutsumi's true thoughts, Toyokawa Shoko covered her forehead speechlessly, "You're hopeless."

“Xiangzi doesn’t understand at all,” Motis suddenly appeared, pouting cutely as she complained about Xiangzi’s lack of ambition. “Even though we’re in a relationship that’s absolutely inseparable for life, he still cares about those trivial little details all the time.”

*Thud.* Another empty beer can smashed onto Akira Kurusu's forehead.

Akira Kurusu bent down to pick it up and threw it at Momoka Kawahara, who was lying drunk on the table, saying, "How come you're so tired from working?"

Nijika Ijichi quickly took off her coat and draped it over Momoka Kawaharaki, then bent down to pick up the beer can and threw it into the trash can.

"Do you think I'm inconsiderate?" Akira Kurusu asked, looking at Niji Natsumi.

“No,” Ichiji Nijika’s eyes softened as she looked at Kawaharaki Momoka, who was muttering something unintelligible. “Amamiya-san is actually a very considerate person. It’s just that if you really act that kind of considerate, it will make Kawaharaki-san feel ashamed, right?”

"As expected of Hongxia, she has such keen insight."

"Huh?" Ijichi Nijika was not used to such exaggerated praise. "I should say that everyone knows that Amamiya-san is a very nice person, right? After all, Amamiya-san always uses the most acceptable and relaxed way to find topics to talk about with us."

By this time, Jing Qinren had already run far away with her skewers.

Jingqin Rencai and Anhe Subaru stood by the railing, gazing at the dark sea, listening to Anhe Subaru boast about his gaming skills. Then, the sea breeze blew through the girls' long hair, which was still smelling of shampoo, and brought a few bursts of cheerful laughter.

Akira Kurusu looked at Nijika Ichichi and asked, "Want me to teach you how to barbecue?"

“Okay.” Ichiji Nijika paused for a moment, then smiled with her eyes crinkling, and bowed to Kurusu Akira with her hands clasped together. “Then I’ll leave it to Master Amamiya.”

Yamada Ryo hesitated several times before finally remaining silent.

She simply watched with awe as Akira Kurusu quickly closed the distance with Ichiji Nijika behind the barbecue stall.

Dude, I was just saying "Hongxia is easy to handle" casually... You actually went straight for it?

By the time the girls had eaten all the food on the table, half a bucket of charcoal had been used up.

Akira Kurusu then led her group of female students back to the hot spring inn in a grand procession.

Passersby along the way stared at the boy surrounded by beautiful women with shocked and even envious eyes.

Back at the hotel, the front desk staff looked at them with a somewhat ambiguous expression.

Tokyoites really know how to have fun...

Such wild and unfounded thoughts.

Because it was a "queue-jumping contract," she remembers that the boss, who was over sixty years old, personally came to the site to help clean every room, and then specially put all the room keys in the drawer of Laixi Xiao's room.

I remember the boss specifically instructed that after dinner, unless the guests made a special phone call to request it, all staff members were strictly prohibited from entering or leaving the guests' living area.

"Hopefully they won't go too far tonight..."

The staff picked up the walkie-talkie and notified the kitchen to start preparing cold dishes, desserts, and drinks for a late-night snack, just in case.

......

"you're awake."

Akira Kurusu's face was reflected in the noisy field of vision.

Kawara Momoka groggily opened her eyes and subconsciously said, "Give me water."

Then a glass of cold water was handed to her.

Momoka Kawahara picked up her water glass without any restraint and drank it all in one gulp, which slightly relieved her drunkenness.

She noticed that the bedroom, which could only fit two people, was now completely full.

The boy and girl sat down at the square table on the tatami mat, but they were already shoulder to shoulder and thigh to thigh.

"Would you like something else to drink? Ice water? Beer?"

Akira Kurusu took the empty glass from Momoka Kawaragi, unscrewed a can of ice-cold beer, and poured it full for her without any hesitation.

Looking at the boy's face, which appeared even more handsome in the light, Momoka Kawahara tried to stay awake. "You..." she stammered, "You should be in your girlfriend's room right now."

“They’re playing instruments at the music store nearby, and they have the key,” Akira Kurusu said frankly. “I’m already very tired, so I might have to stay at Ms. Momoka’s place tonight.”

"You should ask the receptionist..."

The sound grew fainter and fainter.

The draft beer foam kept collapsing at the rim of the glass, much like the psychological defenses of Kawara no Momoka.

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(February 22nd, ten chapters completed! Requesting monthly votes!!!)

(Book recommendation without any responsibility:)

146. I Have My Own Rhythm (Four-in-One)

(Considering the issues between different translation groups of the original work, the name of Sumire Yoshizawa's father in Persona 5, "Kazuhiko Yoshizawa," has been changed to "Shinichi Yoshizawa" in the preceding text and thereafter, and "Doku Goto" in Lonely Rock has been changed to "Ichiri Goto.")

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In the warmly lit room, a beautiful young woman sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, watching the beer foam in her glass constantly collapsing, feeling a thrill that was hard to describe.

The foam gradually dispersed, revealing the amber-colored liquid surface, reflecting Kawara Momoka's moist, light gray eyes.

She glanced up and saw Akira's profile. All the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat. She swallowed unconsciously, and the rambling words suddenly clung together, becoming a heavy force that squeezed her heart from all sides, making it beat harder.

Bang...bang bang...bang bang.

I really heard a loud sound.

Kawara Momoka looked up and saw Kurusu Akira tapping the table with her knuckles in a bored manner.

Noticing Momoka Kawahara's gaze, Akira Kurusu suddenly whistled twice in a strange voice, much like a young biker gang member from the 1970s who would ride a motorcycle and harass pretty girls on the street.

But he didn't rely on his motorcycle with its distinctive "ghost fire" color scheme, nor did he have the stereotypical flashy hair dyeing.

There was no leather jacket with a hole burned in it with a lighter, no cheap brass necklace, no... After thinking of a thousand excuses, Momoka Kawahara couldn't deceive herself in the end.

The underage boy in front of her was flirting with her.

If Momoka Kawahara were still in middle school, she would probably slap Akira Kurusu across the face without hesitation. If she hadn't graduated high school yet, she would probably stand up, blushing, and loudly reject his excessive closeness, then viciously kick Akira Kurusu...

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in this world.

Kawara Momoka dropped out of high school and wandered the streets of Tokyo with her friends from "Diamond Dust." After wasting a lot of time, in the moment of looking back at the past, that naive, innocent, passionate little girl who had plunged headlong into the steel jungle in pursuit of her dreams had lost her way. She stood under a distant overpass with congested traffic, staring at the endless red light, unable to move forward.

The word "adulthood" is complex. In many cases, adulthood does not necessarily mean growing up, but it does represent the pause in the vigorous writing of youth, the slowing down, until it stops writing, or the moment it left a light pause mark, signaling its end.

It's incredibly difficult for a beautiful girl with no one to rely on to protect herself in this huge city—Kawahara Momoka doesn't want to become anyone's appendage, nor does she want to sell her still proud soul. So even though she has countless ways to move into a high-end apartment and live a life of comfort, she chooses to refuse every "gift" that fate offers her time and time again.

Although the things she was so proud of might be worthless in the eyes of many, although they had been almost crushed into the mud by the weight of life, although...

On countless nights in her cramped rented room, lying on the sofa piled with clothes and clutter, she sometimes fantasized about what it would be like if life could be easier and dreams could be within reach.

During her long, tedious, and arduous part-time job in Tokyo, Momoka Kawaharaki was injured, bled, her underwear was soaked with sweat, and calluses formed on her hands from playing the guitar.

In this bustling yet lonely, lively yet desolate metropolis, she learned many skills she would never have had access to before: driving a manual truck, finding ways to deliver heavy packages to high-rise buildings, climbing hundreds of steps to deliver newspapers, and bowing and scraping in apology to her superiors' reprimands...

The girl who couldn't even memorize a few high school textbooks and problem-solving formulas had memorized every single promotional day at the wholesale supermarket and the expiration dates of various fast food items at the convenience store. No one knew how many times she had dejectedly left in front of empty shelves before finally memorizing all those numbers, along with the placement of various goods and the time periods they were put on the shelves.

Life and reality are the opposites of dreams.

The girl who chased her dream and jumped out of Hokkaido three years ago has been wallowing in the mud for far too long. If it weren't for seeing that stunningly beautiful face every morning when she washed up in front of the mirror, and the lingering passion in her bright eyes... perhaps she would have already begun to wallow in self-pity.

Sometimes she vaguely sensed the loneliness of life and wanted to try to hold the hand offered by others, whether it was out of kindness or malice, but she firmly believed that there was an extraordinary fire hidden deep in her heart, and then resolutely pushed it away.

Momoka Kawaharaki knew that if she were to reveal her current life online, she would be ridiculed and mocked by many people, but she still chose this difficult daily routine without hesitation.

Just like three years ago when she dropped out of school without hesitation and then ventured out to Tokyo with a few friends...