Tokyo Psychic

Page 210

As they left Akabane-cho in the Kita Ward and arrived in Chiyoda, the city's neon lights seemed to pour down like a torrential downpour, showering Akira Kurusu with light.

Congested traffic, noisy crowds... the prosperity of modern cities never rests.

Whether it's sunrise or sunset, it's just the hourglass of "Tokyo" turning over. Akira Kurusu stepped from day into night. Although his seventeen-year-old body had the potential to stay up all night, he had already begun looking for a place to rest for the night.

After all, he was going to help Toyokawa Shoko and Wakaba Mutsu move tomorrow, so he should at least show some sense of responsibility.

Even without a romantic relationship, helping his partners is one of his responsibilities as the leader of the Mind Thieves.

"Partner." This is a word that Akira Kurusu would never have thought of in her daily life a long time ago.

In the past, he would usually go to an izakaya for a couple of drinks after nightfall, and when he got tired, he would go back to his rented room, quickly wash up, and go to sleep to prepare for the next day's work.

Sometimes, when the mood strikes, he'll go to an internet cafe and randomly arrest random people for a thrilling game of Overwatch in speed mode... But that day was probably his unluckiest. He had recently gone to Egypt to investigate the legend of vampires, so he hadn't been paying attention to the news for a while. When he turned on his computer, he found that the game had already shut down.

Although time travel occurred, Overwatch was still born, and my favorite McCree was renamed Cole Cassidy... These little details are insignificant.

Akira Kurusu is more concerned about when the game will be revived.

However, given that a minor's body is clearly not allowed in legitimate izakayas these days, and even if they did, the staff probably wouldn't dare offer them drinks. Thinking about his adorable girlfriend who stays up all night playing games, he suddenly felt that going to an internet cafe alone wasn't so appealing.

Where should I stay tonight?

Akira Kurusu stopped next to a love hotel, the feeling that flashed through her mind was the warmth of Mutsuki Wakaba's body from the previous night...

The mind thief, who once insisted on facing everything alone, has unknowingly become accustomed to the company of others and thus finds it difficult to endure loneliness.

This change in mindset created a rather obvious "weakness" for him during the heavy rain in May, but he has since successfully eliminated this so-called "weakness".

Mind Thief has successfully returned to its original, flawless state.

No matter what formidable enemy they face next, even if they might encounter the betrayal of their former savior...

He... no, his entire Mind Thieves team possessed an unwavering determination and confidence to win.

That concludes the section on lofty ambitions.

Dinner at the Toyokawa family's house wasn't very satisfying—Shoko's cooking was passable, but she underestimated Akira's appetite, and the portion she made was a bit small.

Phantom thieves are human too. Although they have the power of Persona, they still need to eat, drink, and sleep.

Akira Kurusu took out her bulging wallet from her pocket, pulled out a banknote, and went to the convenience store next door to buy two skewers of oden.

The combination of kelp and shrimp is truly irresistible.

Considering there might be extra food tonight, I only had a small taste of the oden from the convenience store.

Akira put the change back into her wallet, deciding where she would stay for the night...

Let's squeeze in with Ms. Momoka.

Even the most basic rental apartment looks more like a proper dwelling than LeBron’s attic.

Of course, if you get kicked out, you can only go back to living in the attic.

The phantom thief walked down the street, with "Dioscuri" flashing behind him.

Akira Kurusu is almost at the maximum proficiency level in [Memory Save] and [Memory Load].

With just a thought, one can instantly access all memories and find the parts they need.

Back then, I carried the drunk Momoka Kawahara all the way back to her rented room next to the park, so I remembered the route perfectly.

Combining this with a map of Tokyo that he had seen before, he quickly activated the "Phantom Thief's Intracranial Navigation".

Akira Lai navigated the complex streets, turning east and west, and found the somewhat old-looking apartment building with ease.

......

The housing prices in Chiyoda are shockingly high.

With her part-time job, Kawara Momoka can't afford a decent one-bedroom apartment.

The space, consisting of eight tatami mats, a small bed, a table, a wardrobe, and a stack of ready-made food in cardboard boxes, was just the right amount of room to be filled.

After finishing his part-time job at the convenience store, the former lead singer and guitarist of "Diamond Dust" returned to his cramped apartment, but unusually, he didn't take a break.

Even though she was supposed to leave at six in the morning, Momoka Kawara took out a can of beer from the bottom drawer of her wardrobe, turned on the brand-new phone that Akira Kurusu had given her, and started a live stream.

The live stream was titled "Diamond Dust: Chiba Concert"...

As she watched the girls singing and dancing on the screen, she couldn't help but recall her feelings about the live performance she had given at STARRY that day.

Kawara Momoka recalled how Iori Jina would sit in the recording studio, grinning foolishly at the increasing number of followers on the band's account, how Yamada Ryo and Ijichi Nikka would chat about the band's future on the sofa, and how Toyokawa Shoko would discuss lyrics with Kurusu Akira while holding her newly written song...

The stage that I had once fantasized about and longed for now seems to be within reach once again.

My dormant heart began to burn, but I felt somewhat ashamed, even despicable.

Momoka Kawahara could only watch the concert livestream on her phone screen with a sense of loss.

She knew she was no longer qualified to step into that glittering realm.

After all, she was the one who abandoned her friends who had come to Tokyo with her to pursue their dreams.

She persuaded girls who should have been enjoying their youth to drop out of school and come to Tokyo to make their way in the world together. They endured a tough life in Tokyo for their dreams, made countless efforts for the development of the band, and also had to endure the doubts and setbacks from family and friends...

But they have overcome these difficulties one by one.

She produced records, gained fame in livehouses and online, garnered many fans, and even created a popular online song called "Empty Box"... But just before her debut, Momoka Kawaharaki withdrew from "Diamond Dust" despite her friends' attempts to persuade her to stay because of her own "pretentious" thoughts.

Guilt, self-blame, regret... all sorts of emotions solidified in her heart, like thick, viscous oil, tightly wrapping up that sharp-edged girl, blending into the indifference of reality and the hardships of life in a smooth form.

Kawara Momoka stared blankly at her phone screen, looking at the smiles on the girls' faces, and couldn't help but wonder, are they happy?

It must be happiness. Momoka Kawahara instantly knew the answer. After all, they were truly on the path they had always dreamed of.

And I am the one who betrayed that trust, betrayed the band, and betrayed each other's ideals.

She guessed that the "End Band" had recently been vaguely considering turning professional.

Although I was prepared to say goodbye to those young high school students, I felt extremely reluctant to part with them.

Momoka Kawahara put down her phone, listening to the "Diamond Dust" performance, and thought to herself. No matter how reluctant she was, there was nothing she could do; someone like her probably wasn't qualified to chase dreams with them.

However, when she thought of Akira Kurusu, who had successfully signed with an agency and possessed monstrous playing skills, as well as those girls who were somewhat similar to her... Momoka Kawara felt relaxed and relieved.

Perhaps leaving the band as soon as possible and ending it would have been the right choice?

Akira Kurusu could easily replace me in playing the guitar part in the band, and could even do it much better than I could.

Momoka Kawahara didn't know what she could do after leaving the band. She worked hard in Tokyo to save money so that she could continue playing someday.

But she has already given up this hard-won "place of refuge"... Toyokawa Shoko is also a superpowered person.

Momoka Kawahara has never forgotten the shock of having her worldview shattered after being taken into the "Impression Space" that day.

Why not just escape Tokyo and go to a more remote city?

She thought so.

Perhaps Kawasaki City next door would be a good option.

While I was lost in thought, there was a knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock... A rhythmic knocking sound.

Who could it be so late?!

A young, beautiful, and helpless woman in her twenties, living alone, left her bed with extreme caution. She found a utility knife for opening delivery boxes in her instant noodle box, and cautiously walked to the door, peering through the peephole at the visitor outside.

His black hair was messy, he deliberately stood in a crooked posture, wore casual clothes, and had oversized non-prescription glasses.

It is Laiqi Xiao.

"Miss Momoka, open the door."

"What are you doing here so late at night?" Although it was an accusatory tone, Momoka Kawara had already opened the door.

She didn't know what had gotten into her, but she actually took a step forward and blocked the doorway, even though the door was open, she didn't want the guests to come in.

Akira Kurusu then naturally adopted a pitiful expression, saying, "I have nowhere to go, so I have to stay at Ms. Momoka's place."

Momoka Kawaharakawa was well aware of this guy's "saying one thing to one person and another to another" nature, but she was still involuntarily influenced by Akira Kurusu's feigned expression. After hesitating a few times, she couldn't help but ask Akira Kurusu, "Even if you really are 'homeless'... can't the great writer just go to the hotel next door and make do for the night?"

"I'm not used to sleeping alone." Surprisingly, Akira Lai was quite frank about it.

After taking several deep breaths, Kawara Momoka immediately understood the meaning behind the words of the boy who was three years younger than her.

My face felt like it was on fire.

After looking around for a while, she still refused to accept Lai Qixiao's request to stay overnight, saying, "This place is too small, it's too crowded for two people."

"It's just crowded, which means that even if you squeeze in, you can still find a place to stay."

"Behave yourself! You have class tomorrow, and I have to go to work!" As she said this, Momoka Kawara's tone and expression softened slightly. "You have a girlfriend, though. If people find out you stayed overnight at my place, it will have a bad influence."

"Nobody cares."

"......ah?"

Akira Kurusu took Momoka Kawahara's hand and lifted it up, then walked into the apartment and sat on the shoe cabinet in the entryway to take off her shoes.

By the time Kawara Momoka realized what was happening, the boy in front of her had already naturally walked past her and barged into the room.

......

"Oh, it's surprisingly clean."

Akira Kurusu sat casually on Momoka Kawara's bed, fiddling with the cardboard boxes piled up beside the bed.

Then he began to comment, "I thought it would be like last time, with underwear, bras and stockings lying around everywhere."

Momoka Kawahara's face immediately flushed red, as she still vividly remembered being carried back to her apartment by Akira Kurusu when she was drunk a long time ago.

Even though she knew in her heart that she had feelings for Akira Kurusu and that their relationship was no longer just a simple one, she was, after all, a girl whose solo experience as long as her guitar solo experience was the same. She couldn't get over that hurdle and stammered as she tried to send him away, "I... I know a nice hotel nearby. I'll take you there for the night."

"Miss Momoka, I told you I'm not used to sleeping alone anymore."

"Then you..." Kawara Momoka wanted to say something more, but then she saw Kurusu Akira stand up again and walk to the door.

She immediately felt relieved, yet also vaguely reluctant to leave.

Unexpectedly, the next moment, they heard the click of the door locking from the inside from the entryway.

Kawara Momoka's whole body tensed up.

Sure enough, Akira Kurusu, showing no intention of leaving, returned to the bedroom. "We're all in the same band. Letting me stay for one night won't hurt you. Don't be so stingy."

"Go tell that to Ryo or Hongxia!"

"No, high school students definitely can't understand me. It has to be an adult like Momoka."

"Who's in your band? I'm quitting right now!" Kawara Momoka no longer cared about details like "why Kurusu Akira suddenly abandoned honorifics and called her by her real name." All she knew was that she was about to lose her virginity.

What we didn't finish at the hot spring inn last week, we can finally continue now.

-----------

(It's the last two days of March! All the monthly passes and death threats I've been giving away are about to be depleted, so please cast a few votes!!)

178. Nijika, I've helped you persuade Momoka (Minimum revisions)

(Additional updates at the end of the month: 3/10, 4/10)

-----------

"Who's in a band with you? I'm quitting right now!"

The girl's tense and flustered voice echoed in the small apartment.

......

Although she felt ashamed, Momoka Kawaharakawa knew very well that she did have romantic feelings for Akira Kurusu.

After leaving "Diamond Dust," I drifted in the vast city for a long time. It was this boy, three years younger than me, who reached out his hand without saying a word and pulled me out of my confusion.

Momoka Kawaharaki has always been grateful to Akira Kurusu for inviting her to join the "End Band".

If she hadn't met Akira Kurusu that day, she might still be living a life of driving a truck around Tokyo during the day, handing out flyers in shopping streets at noon, and doing odd jobs at a convenience store near her apartment at night... Busy from morning till night, sleeping in an eight-tatami room apartment, competing with elderly people for discounted bento boxes, and blindly saving every penny for a dream that had already faded.

As the amount of money accumulating in my wallet grows, life seems increasingly uncertain.

She didn't know where to go or what to do; she was just gradually getting tired of the city's hustle and bustle.