Tokyo: Magical Girl Shatters My Dream of Going Public

Chapter 85 An Argument That Can Never Be Reconciled... (4/5)

at the same time...

Inside the furniture store, the lighting is soft, and the shelves are filled with various tableware and home decorations.

Not far away, a young newlywed couple was standing in front of the display shelf, discussing things in hushed tones.

The girl held two different mugs, comparing them side by side, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Which one should I choose? — This one has a cute pattern, but the texture is better —"

Her husband smiled and put his arm around her shoulder: "Buy them all if you like them."

"That's such a waste!" The girl playfully slapped him, but finally sighed, "Never mind, let's go look at other things first, and come back to choose later."

"Okay, whatever you say." Her husband lowered his head affectionately and kissed her cheek.

The two linked arms and turned to leave, their laughter drifting softly over.

Xun silently withdrew her gaze.

She held a plain-colored mug in her hand, her fingertips tracing the inside of the mug, but her gaze had already drifted far away.

After a while, she put the cup back on the shelf and turned to Kurokawa behind her: "President—why don't we find a place to sit down first?"

Kurokawa looked at her: "You're not choosing furniture?"

Xun shook her head, her voice softening: "Right now—I'm not in the mood."

What she didn't say was.

Ever since she learned that a disturbing vengeful spirit was lurking in the old shopping mall just one block away, she could no longer focus on these everyday objects.

The nerve is like a taut string; it will vibrate at the slightest touch.

Kurokawa glanced at her for two seconds but didn't ask any further questions.

Kurokawa knew that the girl was very sensitive. He couldn't expect her to have such a strong heart.

"Let's go to a coffee shop outside."

A corner coffee shop outside the furniture store.

The light was dim and yellow, and the air was filled with the slightly burnt aroma of roasted coffee beans.

Kaoru and Kurokawa chose a booth by the window, where the bustling crowd outside created a subtle contrast with the soothing jazz music playing inside.

From here, you can vaguely see the old shopping mall a street away.

Xun lowered her head and gently stirred the latte in her cup with a spoon, the milk foam gradually blurring.

Her gaze fell on the glass window, reflecting her somewhat absent-minded face.

She could see that the security personnel from Yagi Heavy Industries were gradually expanding the cordon area.

Everything proceeded smoothly.

This is a completely different state from her current state of tension and confusion.

She couldn't help but raise her eyes and secretly glance at Kurokawa across from her.

He ordered a black coffee, leaned back in his chair, and gazed out the window at the street. His profile looked remarkably calm in the dim light.

They seem completely unaffected by the upcoming action.

Xun sighed inwardly.

Is this the difference between professionals and amateurs?

I was so nervous my palms were sweating, but he seemed to be having afternoon tea.

As she stirred the milk foam rising in the cup, something suddenly occurred to her.

Yaqi Heavy Industries————

And there was that pretty lady in the group photo she'd seen before, named Kondo Sakurako—

"President," she said softly, slowing her stirring of the coffee, "you mentioned last time that your childhood friend—Ms. Kondo—works at Yagi Heavy Industries, right?"

Kurokawa looked up at her. "Yes, I did. What's wrong?"

"Since she works at Yagi Heavy Industries, she must know about the existence of vengeful spirits—" Kaoru carefully chose her words, "Haven't you considered—being honest with her about the company?"

Her idea is simple.

Kurokawa could tell even an "outsider" like her the truth, so why did he keep it a secret from his closest childhood friend?

She remembered that Kurokawa had previously struggled with how to keep the secret, and had even asked them to help keep it a secret.

Since the other party also knows the truth, wouldn't it be better to just be honest?

Kurokawa was silent for a few seconds, then picked up his coffee and took a sip.

My gaze shifted to the window, landing on the silhouette of the old shopping mall shrouded in scaffolding.

"—She'll be angry."

He finally spoke, his voice lower than usual.

"Just like you know Chinatsu worries when she's fighting. She knows I'm doing this—and she'll definitely worry too."

Xun understands this feeling.

But she didn't understand why Kurokawa was so certain: "Maybe—sit down and have a good talk, or even let her see it with her own eyes, just like I did when I watched my sister train."

"She won't allow it."

Kurokawa interrupted her, his tone flat yet incredibly certain, as if it had already happened.

"She's more stubborn than she seems. Once she's made up her mind, she absolutely won't change it. She's been like that since she was little. She would never allow me to do something so dangerous."

He paused, his gaze still fixed on the window, as if he could see something much more distant through that building.

"And, a long, long time ago, I tried—to mention it to her."

"I told her we should take the containment route, that I had a plan, and that it was reliable—but she still got very angry."

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, a faint smile, almost devoid of warmth.

"We grew up together — that was the first time we ever argued."

Xun held her breath and looked at him.

Kurokawa's gaze seemed somewhat vacant.

Fragments of memory surged up uncontrollably.

The argument in their past life, Sakura's reddened eyes, her slamming the door as she left, and his own "I'm sorry" stuck in his throat, which he ultimately couldn't say.

He thought there was still time.

I thought I could always find a chance to reconcile and tell her, "I actually understand everything."

But later—

There was no "later".

That argument and goodbye was forever...

The coffee cup was slightly warm in his palm.

The old shopping mall outside the window gradually blurred in the twilight, like ink stains soaked in water.

Xun saw him lower his eyes, his eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyes.

The fingers gripping the cup handle turned slightly white.

He didn't say anything more.

But Xun sensed something heavy within that silence.

She gently put down the stirring spoon and didn't ask any further questions.

He simply apologized: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought this up..."

'

"It's alright, that happened a long time ago."

Kurokawa chuckled.

He seems to have let it go.

What Xun didn't know was that one of the most important reasons he decided to take action in the downtown area was to make up for past regrets.

He clearly remembered.

For a month in her past life, Sakura said she was away from home because of work, and even when he video-called her, the call would end instantly.

When Sakura returned a month later, her hands were wrapped in bandages.

She said that she was injured when she accidentally fell down the stairs at work.

But Kurokawa knew that was just an excuse; she was actually injured during the operation.

He was reborn in this life to make up for the regrets of the past.

The first thing to do now is to prevent her from getting hurt.

The only sounds in the coffee shop were soft background music and the faint noise of traffic from the distant street.

Kurokawa looked away and drank the now-cold black coffee in his cup in one gulp.

"Let's go, it's almost time," he stood up, "we should get ready."

The voice had returned to its usual steady tone, without any noticeable fluctuations.

"Yes—!" Xun immediately finished the coffee in her cup.

He got up and followed Kurokawa out of the coffee shop.

Pitch blackness completely enveloped the street.

Alright, let's begin the operation.

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