Tokyo Wingman King

Night falls.

Jimbocho is bathed in a retro orange hue from the streetlights.

The bookstores closed early, and the bars and izakayas were also quiet.

Although Jimbocho is located in the heart of Tokyo, surrounded by Akihabara, the Imperial Palace, the Budokan, and Tokyo Dome from the east, west, south, and north, its commercial atmosphere is extremely restrained, and it is rarely noisy unless there are unexpected events.

Even quieter and more understated than Minami-Aoyama and Azabu, this area has become a preferred urban residence for the wealthy. Some apartment buildings with unassuming facades often conceal luxury that is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Thanks to the convenience of her friend, Hououin Haruka, managing the family affairs early on, Ryuzoji Seiha was able to stay in one of the Hououin family's apartments at a very low price.

I saved more than 30 yuan in one month.

I didn't need to owe Yao a favor in the first place.
I can only blame myself for not knowing how to make money.
Ryuzoji Seiwa, who was self-aware from a young age, naturally read some books on economics and finance and knew about marginal effect, opportunity cost, leveraged buyout, reverse bidding, convexity hedging, volatility smile, and liquidity black hole. However, her financial literacy grew slowly.

She never understood how economics, a loosely defined discipline with extremely weak predictive power that can only be explained by hindsight bias, could make people make money.
This summer, she tried to participate in a family investment meeting. She listened, took notes, and researched, writing down many thoughts in one morning. Time gave her a zero score. Her ideas, or rather her understanding of the laws of wealth flow, seemed to be ineffective in an irrational market.

In terms of making money, she was not as familiar with the family business as her childhood friend, the Benzai Tenjo of the Phoenix In family, Haruka Phoenix In, who could deal with those cunning family executives and investment bank agents, and who could squeeze out time every week to read a lot of news and reports and make wise decisions.
Unlike Rize Shinazugawa, who was able to make money as an idol while dealing with the dirty side of the entertainment industry and conveying emotional values ​​to the public in a high-energy manner;
He heard from Yaojia that the astonishing operation by the prodigal son of the Togami family, who made 60 billion in a single day this month, was orchestrated by him. With Yaojia's explanation, the double blitzkrieg in the currency options market—betting on the pound/euro and the yen/dollar—was truly breathtaking.

Last semester, he also miraculously revived the nearly defunct Daigo Bookstore. Currently, dozens of top scholars and writers have endorsed it, calling Daigo Bookstore "[Japan's most comprehensive and professional vertical-themed serious bookstore]," while the industry hailes it as "[the greatest bookstore innovation of the 21st century]." With Haruka's explanation, she saw through Asama's masterful manipulation of books, circles, and philanthropy to exploit the knowledge anxiety, identity anxiety, and moral label anxiety of the social elite.

She understood what the three of them were proving to her—

Those who can change the world are also those who can change the flow of money.
To put it simply: even if you go to great lengths to demolish one casino, greedy people will simply build new ones elsewhere. Only by becoming the gambling king and making casinos unprofitable will they disappear.

Even setting aside making money.
Within the [People's Revolutionary Alliance], she remained the most useless one.

Shinazugawa is the face of the business, Haruka is the accountant, Asama is the janitor, and as the secretary, she is just copying various documents and doing the simplest work among the four of them. If she doesn't have to work overtime to make up for it, she is practically a freeloader.

In reality outside of their dreams, all three of them have made significant progress.

And what about yourself?

This summer vacation, all I did was dream; I couldn't accomplish anything else.

It just kept crawling around in circles.
It crawls slower than a worm!
Let's just call it Mushi-zao-ji!

Perhaps I have some talent in many areas such as literature, linguistics, calligraphy, reasoning, theoretical research, urban planning, and architectural design.
But these are not enough to support one's ideals. Even the ideals themselves are vague.
Complete KKIS's mission, then confront your father, and then what?
She hasn't decided yet.

Perhaps we could ask him?

When asked if the team behind "21" was still short of staff, he replied...
Ryuzoji shook his head frantically, quickly suppressing the thought.

Thinking about him makes me lose my focus at work.

I kept thinking about him, so I had no energy to work.

I'll think about it later.

Ryuzoji Chanyu knelt down, rubbed his mug, and took a sip of green tea—the green tea was bought from the dating counseling department, supposedly picked by him—his taste in real life was surprisingly good, and the experience behind this taste had earned him many admirers. He hoped she would understand that this must be the result of his many years of silent hard work.

In some aspects, they even went a bit too far.

The thought of her boyfriend trying so hard to fake his new identity made her want to laugh.

Frivolous, eccentric, and awkward—perhaps that's just his nature.

But he is still himself. When helping others, he always acts reluctant and talks about transactions so that others won't remember his kindness. Only those who know him can appreciate his gentleness.

Today's events seemed to have completely ripped away a thin film, making it impossible for her to hide her feelings for Asama Shizumizu any longer.

He is solving a problem that everyone else is deliberately ignoring all by himself.

He is excruciating the social sores created by the Kujo family.

Who knows what he sacrificed for this?

Hmm? Why am I thinking about him again?

No no no.

Ryuzoji raised two thumbs and poked his brow hard, trying to get back into his work.

I quickly processed three translation tasks and also reviewed the translated manuscript of a law graduate student's thesis from the university next to my apartment.

Send. Wait
The other party confirmed that they praised the other party and made the payment.

all the best.

Ryuzoji Chanwa breathed a sigh of relief and finished the cold green tea in the Death Samurai Band charity mug.

The work is finished.

The first three documents totaled 1 yen, and the urgent translation of the thesis brought in 5 yen, for a total of 6 yen.

For a private deal without a license or endorsement, this price is already quite good.

Her expertise is definitely superior to that of AI. AI's ability to understand complex sentence structures, legal regulations, and academic culture is far inferior to hers, which is why she is confident in making money from it.

She already had two long-term clients for translating graduate students' theses. She also knew that these two female college students who helped her find business were taking kickbacks from her.

But what can be done?

Human nature is like this.

She knew that the price for translating these kinds of papers was around 10 yen.

The two people who took kickbacks of 4 to 6 yuan, though despicable, were not exactly committing heinous crimes.

If I could get closer to those who need translated papers but are short of money, I wouldn't be in such a predicament.

She still compromised.
Do Haruka, who deals with those financial wolves, and Shinazugawa, who deals with rock-and-roll hooligans, also have this mindset? Enduring the ugliness of petty scheming for a longer-term goal.

The more she worked, the more she understood the hardships of the working class.

Where can those who don't have the opportunity to receive a good education find a job that pays 6 yen for 6 hours?

Therefore, Asama
Is this why you broke away from the elite narratives of Tigo Bookstore?
Is this why you established Infinite Society and encouraged everyone to give these young people on the brink of disaster job opportunities?
People say you rely on the resources and connections of the Konoe family, but only I know that your Infinite Society has nothing to do with the Konoe family.

Mugensha is the [People's Revolutionary Alliance] that we failed to complete.

However, I still can't see the road ahead for Infinite Society.

Just as a year's hard work as a translator may not earn as much as a day's trading, the wages of basic jobs have a ceiling, but the desires cultivated by an unfair market have no ceiling.

How do you plan to solve the problems that will arise in the next few years?
When you encounter difficulties that you cannot solve or escape, how can I save you?

Do I, who am like an insect, have the ability to save you?

We can't be so negative.
Since they are both at KKIS, they should cherish the opportunity and do their best to cooperate with him. They also shouldn't let him know that they have seen through his disguise—they had been tested too much today and their heads were a bit too hot, but it seems that he hasn't realized it yet.

That's just right.

The still water of today is not the still water of my dreams.
Even insects must transform into dragons!

A dragon that draws water to the sky, a dragon that dances with the clouds hanging from the heavens!

Isn't that too childish?
That's incredibly stupid!!!
Ryuzoji punched his forehead 20 times with his fist facing inward, checked tomorrow's translation work list, wiped the laptop keyboard with a wet wipe, closed the laptop, went into the bathroom, turned on the bathtub faucet, and cleaned the room for 20 minutes before the water was full.
The feelings of shame and self-loathing finally subsided.

She checked the time; it was already 10:30 p.m.

It seems I haven't had dinner yet.
Never mind, I don't need to eat. I've already eaten quite a lot at noon.

I felt more fulfilled than ever before, which also satisfied some of my hunger.

The tutoring arrangements have been settled, and my work has been completed.
Then,

It's okay to think about him while taking a bath, right?
Ryuzoji packed her clothes, rinsed herself for a moment, and lay down in the bathtub. The hot water covered her legs, lower abdomen, chest, and chin.

Close your eyes and feel the warmth gradually dissolve her fatigue.

Perhaps due to the long-term training over the past few months, she can now retrieve the most complete dream from the depths of her memory with almost no prompting.

They met, got to know each other, and fell in love.

Every step is real and concrete, unlike a dream.

She began to believe in fate. If it wasn't destiny, why was she the only one who fell in love with him in her dreams, and met him in such an unbelievable way outside of Eiwa, Japan?

It's impossible that the Konoe and Kujo families deliberately brought him and her together, right?
Through Yaojia, she had completely understood Asama's views on love. He completely rejected private love that inevitably leads to ruin, and threw himself into a grand love that inevitably leads to destruction.

Therefore, no matter how many girls have appeared in his life, it will not change one fact—she is the only one in the world who has seen him fall in love.

Well, I'm probably going a bit crazy to keep treating things in my dreams as reality.

However, most dreams are re-compiled versions of real-life experiences.

His rough palm lines, his dry lips, the warmth of his chest, the feel of his Adam's apple.
Where did she get these details that she had never experienced in real life?

Ryuzoji Chanba soaked in the bathroom for a full hour. She didn't get up until her face was flushed and her body felt weak.

Ryuzoji pressed the second joint of his index finger against his brow bone, using the pain to remind himself—

For the next week—no, for the next three days—I can't think about him like this anymore!

If you indulge in these things, you'll turn into a useless person.

Ryuzoji dried himself off, put on his underwear, and began to press his hair, which he had just rinsed off the hair mask, with a towel.

Hair care is an essential daily routine.

Disliking being waited on by servants, she used to simply apply some essential oils at most.

But the person in her dream always liked to cover her face with her hair, saying that it was cool and smooth, more effective than a tranquilizer, and more therapeutic than a spa treatment.

I've started paying more attention to hair care lately.

First, use a towel to press and absorb the surface moisture of your hair. Then, use a hairdryer and cushion brush to blow-dry and comb your hair from roots to ends, separating the wet strands. Once it's about 70-80% dry, apply hair oil and use a massage brush to continue combing your hair strand by strand until it's completely dry. Finally, gather your hair into a low ponytail with a ribbon and tuck it into a hair cap before bed. This whole process takes about half an hour.

Everything related to refinement in modern times requires effort. If you put too much effort into the surface, your inner self will become careless.

But what good is a rich inner world if you can't re-attract him?
Hair care, skin care, makeup
It's all his fault. He just used sweet talk to say it looked good.

Ryuzoji Seiwa blamed her shallow behavior on her boyfriend. After all, almost all of her less-than-noble actions in her life were related to him.

Whether it was the green tea or the bath, the girl was wide awake even at midnight.

I read a book for a while and browsed Twitter.

The new book I'm interested in hasn't been released yet.

Because of Asama, she has become increasingly concerned with metaphors, narratives, and shifts in discourse power in international politics. She has also begun to seriously study those speakers who have changed human history and the secrets of the magic of language.

She summarized her reasons for Roosevelt's victory in the New York gubernatorial election and posted them on Twitter:
"The secret to winning is change. Stances and values ​​are not important; the certainty of change is more important. Macro and distant changes are not important; micro and perceptible changes are more important."

She completely used this social media platform as a place to write book notes.

A quick search for "Asama Shizumizu" revealed that there wasn't much new discussion online. Despite the considerable influence of the Infinite Festival, attention was intentionally shifted to emerging idol Rise Shinazugawa and Taiki Heiwa, an Osaka native.

Ryuzoji glanced at the postcard with Asama Shizumi's eyes closed in meditation, which he had gotten from buying a drink at the Mugen Festival.

The general public doesn't appreciate him. Asama isn't handsome at first glance; only those who understand his character and conduct can truly appreciate his brilliance.

Ryuzōji Temple is located in a [5A scenic area]. I reviewed more than ten of his recent posts and glanced at the comments section. Hmm, he's becoming more and more masculine, almost like a panda. Just by appearing in front of people, he can give them confidence about tomorrow.

Think of him one more time before bed.
Just as Ryuzoji was about to turn off the lights, a video call came in.

It was added remotely.

Ryuzoji immediately snapped back to reality, sat up, and answered the phone.

"It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"Chanyu, aren't you the same? I just saw your Twitter update."

"I read for a while and was just getting ready to sleep."

"Then I won't waste any more words. Chanyu, are you going to the banquet this Friday?"

"I'm not really interested in that myself. My brother is enough to represent us in the family."

In Ryuzoji's view, social interaction is a playground for takers. If there is no clear purpose or something to exchange, then there is no need to engage in social interaction.

“If you want to go, I can go with you,” Ryuzoji added.

“I’m not really interested. But Shinazugawa’s gang invited Nijo Rena to do a charity performance at the dinner party. It’s hard to refuse, both personally and professionally.”

"I can understand her professional stance. I've looked into the welfare home she supports and donated a sum of money (almost all of her assets). But personally? Are you and Shinazugawa really that close?"

Ryuzoji concealed his disappointment at falling behind and joked with a light smile.

"It's not as bad as you think. If Rize Shinazugawa is a hypocrite, then as long as she can be hypocritical like this for the rest of her life, that would be enough to be called great. Of course, it's also because of Hachiman that I've had these kinds of interactions with her."

"Then why did you go to the banquet for Shinazugawa, not for Asama?"

"It's because Hachiman isn't going. He should know that this banquet is just a ceremony held by the Nijo family to welcome the Kujo family, or some say it's a selection ceremony held by the Nijo family for the young master of the Takatsukasa family. Anyway, you can imagine how boring it is. Right now, Hachiman is in a critical period of his studies, so naturally there's no need for him to spend his time dealing with this kind of socializing."

Did he mention where he was going to pursue further studies?

"I don't know. As far as I know, the head of the Konoe family also disappeared from the public eye for a period of time during his youth. It's already quite good that the teacher can return to Tokyo every weekend."

"That's it."

So, is the KKIS incident really a trial for the Konoe family?
Ryuzoji confirmed once again that Asama impersonating Shinichiro Kondo to go to KKIS was information that even the Love Counseling Department did not have.

"Okay, I can confirm now that you're coming to the dinner party with me this Friday?"

Phoenix Institute revealed a bright expression.

"Then let's go."

"Phew, I thought you were going to say something like, 'Don't drag me along when you guys in the relationship counseling department have activities together.'"

"It's okay if I have to suffer a little for you."

On the phone, a pretty girl wearing a white cotton striped tank top let out a series of pleasant laughs.

"By the way, Chanyu, did something good happen to you today?"

"...Do...do you?"

Ryuzoji Seiwa couldn't help but touch her face.

"I rarely see you so happy, your emotions are written all over your face. Is there any new development regarding KKIS?"

"Well, I guess so. KKIS has been closed for a long time, so I organized an offline study session for the class, and everyone was very enthusiastic."

Phoenix Inu followed Asama's example and gave a thumbs-up.

"Mmm, as expected of Cicada Feather."

Ryuzoji saw that the camera angle had changed, and Phoenix Inu was now surrounded by several drums.

Are you still practicing drums?

"Yes. Although I don't feel like I have much talent, if I practice for another six months, I should be able to perform with some difficulty."

"show?"

"At the beginning of next month, I will be replacing Teacher Da as the drummer of the department band for the school anniversary celebration."

"Isn't there only half a month left?"

"Things will work themselves out when they reach the bridge. Would you like to hear a bit of it?"

Phoenix Inu Haruka fixed her phone to a stand, put on her earpiece, turned on the speaker, and showed Ryuzoji a drum performance of the theme song from a dating movie, "The Non-Existent Him," played at 0.75x speed.

Although Ryuzoji didn't know much about drum kits, he felt that his best friend played quite well.

"How about it?"

Phoenix Institute took off his earmuffs and smiled.

"The song you chose, 'He Who Doesn't Exist,' is really fitting for the occasion."

"I was surprised you knew the song title. I thought you never listened to this kind of music."

"Didn't you dislike it in the past either?"

“In the past, I might have said, ‘To understand others, first understand what they like.’ But now I think it’s quite fun to treat it as a game to improve coordination.”

"You've really changed a lot."

Ryuzoji remarked with emotion.

"Because that's what Da Zhangwei said too. He still doesn't like rock music, but that doesn't stop him from playing the rock music that everyone likes and finding enjoyment in it."

As Phoenix Institute spoke, he twirled the drumstick in his hand.

"Have you even learned these cool moves?"

Ryuzoji was not surprised; her close friend, Hououin, was a genius in himself.

"When learning something, don't we always start with the coolest part?"

"Anything cool about investing?"

Upon hearing Ryuzoji's question, Hououin pondered for a moment.
"Investing in and participating in a person's destiny."

An unexpected answer, both concrete and abstract.

"So how many people are you planning to invest in?"

“The more the merrier.”

Ryuzoji smiled broadly, looking at Hououin with doting eyes.
"Shouldn't it be that [voting for Da Laoshi alone in this world is enough]?"

"The people I invest in are basically the same people that Teacher Da wants to invest in. So, in this respect, Teacher Da and I are on the same page."

Ryuzoji Seiha was stunned.

When did you two get into this kind of relationship?
"Isn't this just him making you give him all your money to spend?"

"Asama is so shameless!" Ryuzoji thought angrily to himself.

"No, no, before investing, Mr. Da always communicates with me thoroughly. In addition, our family also made a lot of money in the port investment cooperation between the Shishin family and our family, which he led."

"I think you should try to demystify it a bit more when it comes to business."

Phoenix Inu, with an expression that suggested he was trying not to laugh, turned his head and glanced at Ryuzoji.

Ryuzoji couldn't help but ask,

"What? Honest advice is hard to swallow?"

My best friend gave me a mischievous look.

"Although you helped me demystify Da Zhangwei, I ended up liking his fan accounts like crazy~"

How did you know? (End of Chapter)