Tokyo Sick Girlfriend

Chapter 119 Shortcut (Part 2)

"what?"

Shiratori Seiya slammed on the brakes, his brow furrowed as he looked at the girl beside him with a puzzled expression. The topic had come too suddenly, and for a moment he wondered if he had misheard.

The car suddenly stalled, and Mio Takahashi staggered forward.

She snapped out of her daze, instinctively meeting Shiratori Seiya's gaze. After a brief moment of distraction, she opened her mouth and said慌张地:
"Ah, no..."

He quickly turned his head, rested his chin on his left hand, and looked out the window.

"..."

His favorability rating dropped to 80 points. Shiratori Seiya gave her a deep look, restarted the car, and pretended not to have heard anything.

This sudden movement seemed to have sobered Takahashi Mio up considerably, and the pink on her neck gradually faded.

After driving for about ten minutes, the car was shrouded in dark clouds.

The raindrops initially fell lightly on the windshield, like dragonflies skimming the water, but gradually intensified, making the glass crackle and slap. It was barely possible to see the road ahead, so Shiratori Seiya turned on all the lights and slowed down.

After driving for two minutes, I suddenly heard Mio Takahashi's voice:
Have you ever had sex?

"..."

Having witnessed the previous surprise attack, Shiratori Seiya was less sensitive to such words again, letting out a sigh:

"Did you take some medicine you shouldn't have this morning? Why do you keep asking me this?"

"I……"

Mio Takahashi parted her red lips slightly, wanting to say that it was all because her mother had been nagging her all morning...

But as soon as he looked at Shiratori Seiya's face, he couldn't help but think of his two ex-girlfriends, and the shame he felt was once again suppressed by jealousy.

She smiled and asked, pretending not to care:

"Don't change the subject. Isn't it normal for a girlfriend to ask this kind of question?"

"unusual."

Shiratori Seiya glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and said:

"Having just resolved such a serious family matter, a normal person would feel relieved, take a breather, and calm down. They wouldn't be in the mood to ask these questions, right?"

Besides, our relationship hasn't reached the point where we can have sex yet, has it?

He wanted to say that, but when he remembered that Mio Takahashi's favorability rating had already risen to eighty, he swallowed the words back.

Perhaps it's just that for him, it hasn't reached the point where they can sleep together yet, but for Mio, it might have.

But saying such things is rather hurtful.

Before Mio Takahashi's acting skills reach a master level, Seiya Shiratori believes he needs to keep his favorability rating around 80.

This way, you can avoid being so love-struck that you neglect your career, and you can quickly increase your favorability to 100 once she reaches the master level.

Of course, this was also a buffer for him to fully accept Mio.

Although I scolded her last night and was angry that she came back alone, it would be a lie to say I wasn't moved when I saw her facing her parents, whom she used to be afraid of, all for the sake of her career and to live up to their expectations.

However, considering the interests of Shione and Saori, controlling Mio's affection level seems to be the optimal solution at present.

I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you for a bit, Mio.

"I……"

Hearing Shiratori Seiya say a long string of words, it seemed as if he meant that all he could think about was sex.

Mio Takahashi felt a surge of anger, gritted her teeth, and said frankly:
"I didn't intend to talk about these things, but it was my mother who brought it up."

"Ok?"

Shiratori Seiya was somewhat surprised.

"Did Auntie say that?"

Upon hearing this, Takahashi Mio turned her head and glared at him with her watery eyes, saying:

"if not?"

"Mom talked a lot, about things like getting married and having children in the future... Otherwise, do you think I would think about these things for no reason?"

As she spoke, she muttered:
"Honestly, she already said it, so I'm not even allowed to think about it?"

If that's the case, then it makes sense.

Thinking that she was also a girl, and suddenly being forced into a fake marriage while being pressured by her mother, it was understandable that she would feel irritable. Shiratori Seiya comforted her:

"It's okay. If your aunt and uncle keep pressuring you, just remember you're young and you should focus on your career first..."

Hearing him say this, Mio Takahashi sighed and said:

"Of course I know, but..."

Halfway through her sentence, she looked at Shiratori's profile and asked:
"And then what? How long can this excuse be used?"

Three years? So you'll break up with me after you marry Hasegawa?
Perhaps it was the rain outside, or the low temperature penetrating the transparent glass that helped her calm down, and Mio Takahashi resisted the urge to ask the question.

She knew that, given the current situation, even if she asked, she might not get the answer she wanted.

Immediately afterward, before Shiratori Seiya could even speak, she took a deep breath and said directly:
"Let me be frank, Mom can tell."

Her words seemed to come out of nowhere, so Shiratori Seiya raised an eyebrow and asked, "What did you figure out?"

"see……"

Biting her pink lips, Takahashi Mio turned her head away and whispered:
"You can tell I... haven't done it before..."

"..."

Hearing her say that, Shiratori Seiya frowned and couldn't help but say:

"How did you get it?"

Even if you ask a professional gynecologist, can they really tell who is a virgin and who is not on the street?

If someone truly possessed such miraculous abilities, they could write textbooks about it. Why would anyone need to go to the hospital for a checkup?
"how could I know."

Mio Takahashi gave him a disapproving look, then pouted and asked:

So, did you do it or not?

"..."

Shiratori Seiya remained silent, simply continuing to drive.

Seeing this, Takahashi Mio assumed he felt it was inappropriate to bring these things up in front of her, his 'girlfriend' and 'wife,' and gave him a meaningful look before smiling:
"I know, it must have been done, right?"

"Let me guess who it is?"

Before Shiratori Seiya could answer, she seemed to be guessing the murderer in a mystery novel. Her watery eyes lit up, she shifted back in her chair, straightened her back, and speculated with great interest:

"Hasegawa Saori? Ah, no, it can't be that idiot. She's not proactive enough, and she's flat-chested. She has no charm at all."

"That little brat Hojo Suzune? Probably not. You probably haven't dated her, right? Besides, she's Hojo Shione's sister, so you definitely wouldn't make a move on her."

"So, it's Hojo Shione..."

Hearing Takahashi Mio even bring up Suzune's name to guess, Shiratori Seiya couldn't help but glare at her and said coldly:
"What nonsense are you talking about? If you're going to guess, at least make a plausible guess. Besides, don't even bother guessing, I've never done it before."

"what?"

Upon hearing this answer, Mio Takahashi's beautiful eyes suddenly widened, her red lips parted slightly, and she looked at him with surprise.

Noticing her expression, Shiratori Seiya said impatiently:
"What? Is this something incredibly unbelievable?"

Upon hearing this, Takahashi Mio slowly nodded, staring at Shiratori Seiya as he struggled to utter a few words:

"It's...unbelievable."

She couldn't help but shift her gaze to his lower abdomen.

If it weren't for that time I kissed him, I wouldn't have felt something pressing against me and making me uncomfortable.

She even began to suspect that Shiratori Seiya might have some kind of health problem.

Thinking back to that time, a blush crept onto her fair cheeks as she asked:
"So, may I ask why?"

Seeing the curious look on her face, Shiratori Seiya knew that if he didn't give her an answer, she wouldn't know what she would think of him. After thinking for a moment, he said seriously:

"I'm a slow starter."

"?"

Mio Takahashi opened her mouth wide, unsure of what expression to make.

She remained silent for a long while, then lowered her gaze and sighed:

"So that's how it is. No wonder you were able to break up with Hojo Shione..."

Upon hearing this, Shiratori Seiya glanced at her and said calmly:
"Does doing this mean we won't break up?"

Mio Takahashi's eyes widened in surprise.

The answer to this question is self-evident.

No matter how beautifully people embellish love, real-life examples clearly demonstrate the answer.

She has many friends who are in relationships, some of whom have even been in one, two, three, four, five, or six relationships. For these couples, sleeping together is commonplace.

She couldn't help but recall what Haruno Reika had once said:

'Love, men, isn't that how it is? Now, after establishing a relationship, you go on the first and second dates, but by the third time, you might have to sleep with him. That's normal; it's just a matter of mutual benefit.'

'People like Mio, it's the exceptions...'

Let alone whether you'll break up after doing it, even if you get married you can get divorced.

Perhaps it is precisely because of the consideration that the other party may not belong to them in the future, out of selfishness, that most people would want to eat first and think about the consequences later.

But Shiratori Seiya has paid so much...

Let alone Saori Hasegawa and Shione Hojo. Even for herself, in the past month, she felt that apart from her parents, no one had ever been this kind to her in her entire life.

What on earth was he thinking?

'Outlier'?

For a moment, Mio Takahashi felt like she had found a kindred spirit, but then she felt something was wrong.

If it were anyone else, there's a good chance they'd break up after doing it, but Shiratori Seiya...

Intuition told Mio Takahashi: He wouldn't.

She frowned, pondered for a moment, then squinted and asked:

"Kiyoya, you...you're not afraid of taking responsibility, are you?"

Shiratori Seiya rolled his eyes at her. Hearing that made him sound like a coward, he couldn't help but explain:

"I can't be sure if we'll break up in the future, so doing it would be irresponsible, right? But it's okay if you think of me as a coward."

"..."

Upon hearing his words, Mio Takahashi's eyes revealed a thoughtful expression. She turned her head to look at her reflection in the car window, a bright smile spreading across her face.

She felt that both Hojo Shione and Hasegawa Saori were incredibly stupid.

Especially Hojo Shione, if she knew that he was thinking this way, she would probably be kicking herself.
However, that crazy woman probably never imagined that she would break up with Shiratori Seiya later, and she probably didn't know at the time that his thoughts would be so... awkward.

Otherwise, she would definitely stop at nothing to get him into her mouth, right?
However, the thought that he hadn't done it with anyone else yet suddenly made Takahashi Mio feel a surge of joy.

Unconsciously, the words that Hojo Shione had once said to her came to mind:

I've been through everything you've been through.

Indeed, his first kiss, his hug, and all his care and consideration for her were not the first time.

But what if he had taken his own virginity?

This is more important than everything else, isn't it? Given his personality, seizing his first time is equivalent to seizing the future.

That way you can get more favoritism from him...

If there's a shortcut, who wouldn't want to take it?
Without a doubt, he should be ranked at the bottom in Shiratori Seiya's heart right now.

It doesn't matter who's in front of you; what matters is that you're at the bottom.

Every time she thought about these things, she would get so angry that her chest would hurt.

Mio Takahashi subconsciously rubbed her palms, pondering what method she should use, but then she remembered the promise she made with Saori Hasegawa.

Thinking of this, her expression froze for a moment. She cleared her throat, turned to Shiratori Seiya, and asked:
"Um, I remember you told me this when we first started dating, right?"

"what?"

As the car gradually drove out of the rain, the raindrops hitting the glass became much smaller.

"You said you would fulfill your duties as a boyfriend if I needed it. Does that still hold true now?"

"..."

Shiratori Seiya remained silent for a moment, not answering directly, but instead asking:
"Aren't you afraid anymore?"

Upon hearing this, Takahashi Mio shrank her shoulders and said pitifully:

"Yes, I'm scared. I'm quite afraid of dying, so I was just asking jokingly. Seriously, why are you being so serious?"

"These kinds of questions aren't funny. You have to prepare for the audition in two days, so you'd better adjust your mindset..."

"understood."

She gave a casual reply and turned her head away from looking at Shiratori Seiya.

Although he didn't give a direct answer, the answer was already quite obvious.

What kind of bullshit agreement or previous promises are they? They're all worthless in the face of unforeseen circumstances.

This can be seen from the fact that he gave up watching Saori's match for his own sake, and from the fact that he is now considering Hojo Shione and Hasegawa Saori's rejection of his request.

Even if he is incredibly capable, he is still human and will always be subject to circumstances beyond his control.

He still has a chance, a chance to kick those people out of his heart.

I want to be number one in his heart.

As the car burst through the rain, Mio Takahashi looked at the rainbow behind her in the rearview mirror and felt the sunlight on her body. She felt an unprecedented sense of joy.

She had a vague feeling that going home this time was the second best decision she had ever made in her life.

……

By the time the car reached home, it was already 2 PM.

As soon as the two got out of the car, they saw a familiar figure carrying groceries walking into the residential area.

Even though Hojo Shione was wearing a mask and a baseball cap, you could still tell her identity just by looking at her walking posture.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw Shiratori Seiya getting off the train in the distance, blinked, and then quickened her pace as she walked toward him.

Finally, she stood gracefully before him, her bright eyes sparkling with tenderness, and whispered:

"came back?"

Before Shiratori Seiya could speak, Takahashi Mio glanced at her, yawned, and laughed:
"Oh, what a coincidence! Anyone who didn't know better would think you were here specifically to wait for someone."

Seeing her deliberately provocative attitude, Shiratori Seiya glared at her and punched her in the waist, saying:

"Didn't you say you were tired in the car? You seem quite energetic now. Didn't you take the afternoon off? Wouldn't it be better to go see Mr. Araki for another training session?"

'hiss! '

Feeling a sharp pain in her waist, Takahashi Mio gasped and pursed her lips, saying:
"Hmph, why are you so protective of her? If Hasegawa saw this, he'd probably draw his sword right away."

"hehe."

Upon hearing this, Hojo Shione removed her mask and smiled gently at her, saying:

"Compared to Ms. Takahashi, what am I? Kiyoya didn't even go to Saori's match yesterday before coming to see you. Speaking of which, Saori came back with a knife last night, which really startled me."

"..."

Although Hojo Shione's words were somewhat terrifying, Takahashi Mio felt that what she said was probably not an exaggeration.

That's just how that madman is.

She was actually a little afraid of him. She felt that even if she went out recently, she would have to call out to Shiratori Seiya, otherwise she might get killed on the spot.

She swallowed unconsciously, then raised her hand to smooth her hair and said:
"I'm going back to catch up on some sleep. I also need to work on the audition this afternoon, but I feel like everything should be fine. I'll go see Araki-sensei on Saturday. You guys can catch up while you're at it."

With an indifferent tone, Mio Takahashi gave Shione Hojo a condescending look and walked towards her home.

She started off at a leisurely pace, but then, as if a ghost were chasing her, she quickened her pace and almost jogged into the building.

Watching Takahashi Mio flee like a quail, Hojo Shione's eyes were filled with hidden emotions.

After a long pause, she turned her head and looked at Shiratori Seiya, speaking softly:
"You've worked hard, Qingzai."

Hearing her say that, Shiratori Seiya felt especially awkward, as if he had gone out to play with his mistress and was caught cheating by his wife, who then said "thank you for your hard work" to him.

Especially when he touched her eyes, he could vaguely see tears glistening within them, and an emotion called longing rushed towards him like a surging tide.

"I don't mind saying it's hard work, but it makes me feel like I'm a heartless man..."

With a wry smile, Shiratori Seiya bent down and reached for the vegetables in her hand.

Hojo Shione did not refuse.

She simply handed him the vegetables in her left hand, but as he reached for the second bag, she hesitated.

When Shiratori Seiya looked at her, she shook her head and said:
"I don't want Kiyoya to carry so much alone. Let's go together."

Hojo Shione's words were loaded with meaning, which he naturally understood. After hesitating for a moment, he still picked up the other bag of vegetables and said:
"You bought the groceries, and you've been carrying them by yourself for so long, so I should carry them too, so we can all walk together."

Hojo Shione paused, her lips moved, and a complex expression flashed in her eyes. Then, she smiled as if relieved and said:

"That's right."

Seemingly knowing he had many questions to ask, she followed him into the house without Shiratori Seiya asking.

After changing her shoes in the entryway, Hojo Shione took off her coat, revealing a white knitted turtleneck sweater underneath, paired with blue slim-fit jeans. She removed her hair tie, and her smooth, black hair cascaded down her shoulders, with steam rising from the teapot surrounding her.

The two sat facing each other on the sofa. Shiratori Seiya glanced at the girl with her long, black hair flowing down, and for a moment he actually felt a sense of virtuous wife and loving mother about her.

Noticing his gaze, Hojo Shione slowly raised her face and smiled gently at him:

"What's wrong? You haven't seen me for a day, and you don't recognize me?"

"No, it's just that I feel you... are even more beautiful than before, Xiyin."

Hojo Shione paused, a blush spreading across her fair face. Her smile deepened, and then she lowered her eyes, twirling a strand of hair behind her ear with her fingers before whispering:

"Hehe, although I'd be happy to hear Kiyoya praise me like this, the last time I saw me dressed like this must have been a year ago, right?"

"But I do think Xiyin looks better than before."

Seeing that the topic was starting to steer the conversation back to the past, Shiratori Seiya forced himself to praise it again, took a sip of tea, and said:

"Oh right, last night..."

Seeing that he was about to start asking questions, Hojo Shione suddenly interrupted him:

"Is Kiyoya worried about Hasegawa? She's fine, in good spirits, and full of energy. So, I'm more interested in how you handled things with Ms. Takahashi."

She paused, a troubled look on her face, and sighed:

"Actually, regarding what you asked me the other day, Kiyoya, I've thought of many, many solutions in private, but I feel that none of them can perfectly solve the problem. However, judging from Ms. Takahashi's expression just now, it seems that it has been completely resolved?"

"So I'm a little curious, how exactly did you guys convince her family, Kiyoya?"

……
-
(End of this chapter)