Tokyo Sick Girlfriend

Chapter 191 Presentation (Thank you everyone for your monthly votes!)
How stupid!
How could I have made such a stupid request?!
Airi Koizumi almost burst into tears. She felt as if a can of carbonated drink had been poured directly onto her chest, making her heart pound.

Her slender, soft fingers gripped the hem of the down jacket tightly, pinching creases into the soft fabric.

A silence fell over the air, and time seemed to slow to a crawl.

The tension receded like the tide, followed by a surge of helplessness.

Airi Koizumi lowered her head, her gaze unfocused as she stared at the ground.

The interview is probably a disaster.

Even if I had answered most of the questions on the test paper correctly, with my personality, making such a request would definitely make me seem like a 'quite strange' or 'somewhat mentally challenged' person...

She has heard this kind of sound countless times since she was a child.

She doesn't have very few real-life friends, but she certainly doesn't.

No one likes someone who can't get any feedback during a conversation.

Airi Koizumi is a completely different person online and in real life. In real life, she is boring, weak, and withdrawn, while online she is interesting, strong, and cheerful.

So I have many friends online, but no one cares about me in real life.

If you act strangely from the start, no one will be interested in understanding what you're really like.

These two drastically different circumstances made her understand this point particularly deeply.

However, no matter how many friends you have online, you are still alone in real life.

They don't really like themselves, let alone all of them, not even half of them.

Without realizing it, she had given up on herself in real life, feeling that there was nothing wrong with just running away and being a lifeless doll in reality.

No matter what, you should be able to support yourself, right?

Airi Koizumi had always thought this way since she entered high school, but reality seemed determined to work against her. Just when she had made up her mind and was comfortably escaping into her little nest, a cold, heavy ball called reality mercilessly smashed the window, and before she could even react, everything in the room was shattered.

Looking at her father lying unconscious in the hospital bed and her mother with swollen and exhausted eyes from crying, she finally realized that she had to face reality.

But even if you try your best, is it impossible to do it?

Overwhelmed with disappointment, Airi Koizumi stared blankly at the ground, lost in thought, suddenly unsure of what to do next.

Should we continue with the interview?
Or are you going to work at a convenience store?
But the money simply isn't enough, is it? We can't afford to treat my father's illness, we can't pay next month's rent, and even food is a problem…

I just did a great job, so why can't I do it again?
Just as I was feeling down, I suddenly heard a knocking sound in my ear.

‘Knock knock knock. ’

Are you listening, Airi Koizumi?

Airi Koizumi subconsciously looked up and saw the female interviewer's face.

She suddenly realized that she was still in an interview, and let out a gasp:

"Ah... I'm sorry..."

Seeing the girl clearly lost in thought, Iguchi Kazue pursed her lips, turned her head and looked at Shiratori Seiya with a hint of helplessness.

Airi Koizumi followed her gaze and looked at the man sitting at the long table.

Clearly, this is the person in charge of this interview; the power to decide whether or not I succeed in the interview rests in his hands.

The thought flashed through her mind, and she felt nervous again.

Shiratori Seiya looked at the girl sitting awkwardly at the table and touched the back of his ear with his finger.

Is it introversion?

And it seems to lean towards autism?

Completely different from Koizumi Ai, Shiratori Seiya found her very interesting at the moment.

Judging from the level of her answers, Airi Koizumi is definitely a seasoned anime and manga fan; she's more than just an enthusiast.

It's not hard to imagine that her behavior in real life is completely different from her online persona.

Some people are introverted and withdrawn in real life, but may be the pressure-seekers of radical opinions online; some people are extremely indifferent in real life, but may be team leaders in games online.

There are many reasons, but one important one is that the internet allows for the creation of idealized personas.

Thinking this, his interest in Airi Koizumi grew even stronger. He smiled slightly, met her gaze, and nodded, saying:

"sure."

Can?!
Airi Koizumi was taken aback, wondering if she had misheard, but when she turned around, she saw that the female interviewer in front of her also had a surprised expression on her face.

Seeing this, Shiratori Seiya pointed to the doorway in the corner of the room:

"However, covering your face isn't really appropriate. Here's what we'll do: there's a room over there. Call me in a bit. You said anything was fine, so just perform in the order of tsundere, airhead, yandere." "..."

Following Iguchi Kazue's instructions, Koizumi Airi added the other party's contact information and went into the cubicle alone.

The room wasn't large, and it contained several large boxes. It didn't look like a lounge; it was more like a storage room.

Standing in the room, Airi Koizumi was stunned for a full minute before she finally came to her senses.

She glanced at the incoming voice call request on her phone screen, looked around and saw that no one was there, which calmed her down a little.

But the atmosphere was still a bit off. The sunlight was shining on her face, and it was a little dazzling. She thought for a moment, walked to the window, and slammed the curtains shut.

The room suddenly darkened. Airi Koizumi crouched in the corner, still feeling something was wrong. She looked up and around, and her eyes lit up when she saw the box in the corner.

He strode over, lifted the cardboard box that was half his height, and put himself inside it from head to toe.

In the dimly lit, enclosed environment, with only the light coming from her phone, she finally felt at ease and pressed the answer button.

A male voice came from the phone:
"Okay, let's get started."

"it is good……"

Airi Koizumi responded tremblingly, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

First, is it tsundere?

Upon opening her eyes, her entire demeanor instantly changed. A shy look flashed across her face, and she said coquettishly:

"Huh? Date you? How could that be? Do you think I'd like an idiot like you?"

"Idiot! Stop flattering yourself! I, I, I would never fall for you!"

outside the room.

Hearing the energetic and lively voice coming from the microphone, Iguchi Kazue was taken aback. Her red lips parted slightly, her expression blank for a moment, and she subconsciously looked up at Shiratori Seiya.

Is that the person from earlier?
real or fake?

Before she could even recover from her surprise, the other person's panicked voice came through the phone again:
"Huh? You...you...why did you leave?! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!"

"Who is she? Why is she always bothering you... What?! Girlfriend? You... didn't you say you liked me?"

The girl's voice suddenly lowered, and a faint sob could even be heard:
"Didn't you say you liked me...?"

"Idiot! I hate you the most!"

The voice on the phone paused for two seconds, then a naive and innocent voice came through:

"Like, what is that?"

"If I agree to your request, can we be together forever...?"

"Sure, you can..."

"Who is she? Airi... It hurts here. Don't you like Airi anymore?"

The other person's voice stopped again, and after another two seconds, a mature, older woman's voice suddenly rang out in the air:

"Girlfriend? Sure, but... let's make a deal before I say yes."

"If you leave me, I'll kill you... Heh, why are you so nervous? I was just kidding."

"Who is she? A woman I don't recognize? Oh, I see..."

"Honey, don't be so nervous, she's not dead yet."

Why are you looking at me like that? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Airi Koizumi's voice suddenly became rapid, then became extremely affectionate:
"I love you, I'm sorry, I love you, I love you..."

"My dear, let's love each other again in the next life."

Hearing the woman's frantic, hoarse voice on the voice call, Iguchi Kazue's mouth gaped open.

She knew a little about yandere and such, and having watched a lot of anime series these days, she had a general understanding, but she didn't really feel anything about it.

But at this moment, I don't know if it's just my imagination, but listening to Airi Koizumi's voice, it feels as if I'm really facing a dangerous yandere.

Her heart involuntarily clenched.

Kazue Iguchi subconsciously turned to look at Seiya Shiratori, wanting to ask him what he thought.

But I noticed that his brows were furrowed, his hands on the table were clenched, and he was staring at his phone screen with a complicated expression.

……
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(End of this chapter)