Tokyo: My Girlfriend

Tamura Kyoko covered her mouth, her eyes scrutinizing Kitagawa Rena.

Kitagawa Rena noticed the strange looks in her two older sisters' eyes. She didn't have time to waste; she needed to find Shinichi and that woman as soon as possible. "Well, sisters, I'll be going now. I have something important to attend to."

As soon as she turned around, Haruhi Hina instinctively grabbed her small arm, making Kitagawa Rena a little scared.

But when she turned around, she found a hint of guilt and sadness in the other person's eyes, as they asked, "Little sister, your name is... Kitagawa Rena, right?"

Tamura Kyoko stared in surprise at Hina's pull. So some things just can't be avoided, huh?

But wouldn't that really cause a huge problem?

Rena Kitagawa had absolutely no recollection of her two older sisters; she was certain she had never met them before: "My name is indeed Rena Kitagawa. And you are?"

Haruhi Hina frowned, unsure how to introduce herself.

"I know about your father..."

......

The air in Tokyo never seems as refreshing as in places like Kabasaki Town. You don't notice it when you're in a good mood, but when you're in a bad mood, you find that you can't breathe even when you're standing in an open space.

The awkward atmosphere at the outdoor café table made even swallowing difficult for Kyoko Tamura.

Haruhi Hina, on the other hand, seems to believe that this might be a destined encounter.

Otherwise, it's sometimes hard to explain how two people who should be in different countries could meet so coincidentally among billions of people.

This is even more outrageous than winning the lottery.

The strange atmosphere even made the waiters lower their voices. Service industry workers are best at observing customer moods: "How many guests are there? What would you like to drink?"

Haruhi Hina asked her what she wanted to drink.

Rena Kitagawa replied, "No, thank you. I don't really want to drink it."

Haruhi Hina gently suggested, "How about a classic Americano? The Americanos here are pretty good, give it a try."

Reina Kitagawa spoke again: "Whatever you say."

I ordered three classic Americanos from the waiter.

The waiter replied, "Okay, please wait a moment, all three of you."

Just from those few simple words, Tamura Kyoko knew that this silver-haired girl was definitely not someone to be trifled with. Even though they hadn't started talking about anything yet, her polite demeanor immediately turned cold after Hina said the word "father."

As if he had guessed something, he showed obvious hostility and scrutiny towards Hina.

Haruhi Hina quietly observed the girl's face. It was delicate, cute, and her long silver hair cascaded down to her waist. She was definitely a beautiful girl that everyone loved.

But... this girl's eyes didn't seem as bright and cheerful as her appearance; they were eyes that had been ravaged by the past.

When did you come to Tokyo?

Reina Kitagawa didn't answer, but instead spoke to herself, "If I'm not mistaken, you just said you know my father, and now you're planning to invite me for coffee and giving me that look, are you... that bastard's current daughter?"

Haruhi Hina was slightly taken aback, her beautiful eyes filled with even more guilt. She didn't bother to hide it, trying her best to keep smiling: "Hmm, you're very perceptive. Your father did indeed remarry my mother."

Upon learning the truth, Kitagawa Rena wasn't as shocked as she had imagined: "That's quite a coincidence. So, is that man dead now? I think he's probably still alive and well, and living a happy life, right?"

The coffee had been served, and Haruhi Hina was holding the hem of her skirt.

Kyoko Tamura looked at her best friend with heartache. Although the girl's words were unpleasant, this was how things would definitely develop if she took the initiative to contact her.

She forced a smile to ease the tension: "That little girl, we also know about what happened back then..."

Rena Kitagawa sighed and closed her eyes: "Actually, it doesn't matter anymore. Although I really wish this man were dead or something, after so many years, I don't really care about this anymore. After all, more than ten years have passed, and I can't even remember what he looks like."

Haruhi Hina frowned, and Tamura Kyoko's words also stopped.

Rena Kitagawa opened her eyes and looked at the two of them coldly:

"I did hate him when he abandoned me and my mother, but now I have absolutely no connection with him. We're complete strangers. If I hadn't run into you by chance today, I don't think I would have ever been curious about that man's current life."

Haruhi Hina stood up and bowed deeply to Kitagawa Rena, solemnly:

"I'm so sorry! I know my father did some really terrible things back then, and the harm those things caused you is absolutely irreparable. They might even have indirectly caused your mother's accident, but..." Her eyes filled with tears:

"Even though I know you can't forgive him, I still want to sincerely apologize to you. I'm so sorry... I took away your happiness back then. If there's anything I can help you with, please let me know, and I will do my best to make it up to you."

Kyoko Tamura sighed softly, "Hina... why bother?"

Even if you say such things, it won't change anything, and it will only cause you some trouble.

Kitagawa Rena watched her tears fall, her heart completely unmoved:

"I cannot accept your apology, much less your charity. Besides, this matter has nothing to do with you, right? It's not like you made him cheat on you. So, apologizing for that kind of man just makes me feel like you're a busybody, or do you really consider that guy your biological father?"

"I'm sorry..." Hina could say nothing more and could only keep bowing.

Rena Kitagawa took out her phone to check the tracking device's location and discovered that Shinichi Kitagawa seemed to have arrived at the editorial department and stayed there for some time.

She stood up:

"That's it. Let's pretend today's events never happened. Please don't disturb my life now in the future. I don't care at all whether that man is dead or alive, happy or unhappy. As for you, I don't want to see you again in the future. I also hate your meddlesome personality."

Rena Kitagawa took out her wallet from her pocket, intending to pay for the coffee; she wouldn't owe anything to someone like that.

Kyoko Tamura observed the girl's indifferent face and thought to herself, "Thank goodness..."

It's better than I expected. If the girl had left like this, it would have been a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. Luckily, she wasn't someone blinded by hatred.

The time spent paying was short, but in Tamura Kyoko's eyes, that brief minute felt like an eternity, as she was genuinely afraid of another unexpected incident.

This is so unfair to kind-hearted Hina.

But... she really is a jinx.

Haruhi Hina's phone rang at such an inopportune moment, and Haruhi Hina didn't get up at first.

Still thinking it might be Shinichi calling, she apologized to Kitagawa Rena again and took out her phone.

Kitagawa Rena ignored her completely.

He turned to leave.

Haruhi Hina answered the phone, and Kitagawa Shinichi's voice came through: "Haruhi? Where are you now? Haven't you made your way to the editorial office yet?"

It wasn't hands-free, and the sound wasn't very clear even on a noisy street, but for Kitagawa Rena...

Even the faintest sound, if it was Shinichi Kitagawa, she could hear it clearly.

Her steps faltered, and the girl stared wide-eyed in disbelief, her empty pupils trembling as she gazed at the oppressive and gloomy Tokyo.

She listened to Haruhi Hina's brief exchange with Kitagawa Shinichi, then slowly turned around, her eyes almost as cold as a dead man's: "Who are you talking to? What's your name?"

Haruhi Hina looked up at Kitagawa Rena, who seemed like a completely different person: "My name? My name is Haru..." She had only just uttered the word "Haru".

Kyoko Tamura sensed something was wrong and quickly stood up to protect her best friend: "Hina, watch out!"

A still-warm Americano was splashed onto Haruhi Hina's face.

Fortunately, Kyoko Tamura turned to the side in time and used her handbag to block the coffee from splashing onto her best friend's face. Although this action did not cause serious consequences, it would have been a different story if the coffee had been freshly made and served.

Hina is kind, but her best friend isn't. She gritted her teeth, grabbed Kitagawa Rena's collar fiercely, and glared at her: "You bastard! What do you think you're going to do to Hina! Don't you know what would happen if the coffee were any hotter?!"

But Kitagawa Rena seemed soulless, staring blankly at the other person: "A bunch of scum... robbers who deserve to be torn to pieces..."

The coffee shop staff and other customers were stunned and speechless upon seeing this scene.

Haruhi Hina hadn't expected things to turn out this way so suddenly. Kitagawa Rena snatched her phone, and her eyes caught sight of the caller ID: Kitagawa Shinichi.

She immediately gritted her teeth, threw Haruhi Hina's phone to the ground, and roared as if she wanted to kill the woman.

His red-rimmed eyes glared menacingly, bloodshot and contorted.

"You hypocritical bastard!! You were just saying sorry, but you and your mother stole my past life, destroyed my family, and now you want to take Xin Yi away too! I'd rather die than let you get away with this! I'd rather die than let you take Xin Yi away!"

Kyoko Tamura felt that the silver-haired girl seemed to have gone mad, and pushed her away forcefully, only to find that the girl was incredibly strong: "What are you talking about! What, Shinichi? You know Hina's boyfriend?"

"Xin Yi is mine! He belongs only to me! He's no one's boyfriend!"

Seeing the two about to fight, Haruhi Hina quickly rushed over to stop them: "Kyoko!"

"Rena... Rena?" The sudden appearance of a familiar voice broke the atmosphere that was about to erupt, but instead of extinguishing it, it fueled it.

The man who appeared was a middle-aged man wearing a shirt; he was Reina's biological father and Hina's adoptive father.

The silver-haired girl clenched her teeth tightly.

With a resounding slap, Kitagawa Rena delivered a solid and merciless blow to the face of the man who had suddenly appeared.

Everyone stood there, stunned.

The man couldn't believe she was there, yet he looked at his daughter, whom he had abandoned for fifteen years, with equal guilt: "Rena..."

When Kitagawa Rena saw his disgusting face, she slapped him hard again.

One snap, two snaps, and then a third snap right after.

Haruhi Hina and Tamura Kyoko tried to stop the girl's riot, but the man raised his hand to stop them, meaning that they should leave it alone, as this was something she owed him.

The sound of slapping echoed several times, so loud that Kitagawa Rena's hand went numb and stung, and the man's entire face turned red and swollen.

She trembled and took two steps back, tears of anger streaming down her face.

"A bunch of bastards...a bunch of bastards! People like you should all find a place to get hit by a car and die! How can you still have the nerve to live in this world, leaving others with suffering while only caring about your own happy life? You're not even human!"

She turned and ran away, and none of the waiters or customers dared to intervene; they all just stared at her blankly.

When Shinichi Kitagawa rushed over, Haruhi Hina was applying medicine to her father with cotton swabs, her eyes looking downcast.

Her best friend, Kyoko Tamura, was fiddling with the broken phone and didn't say a word.

Everyone looked at Shinichi Kitagawa. When the silver-haired man with a face resembling Rena Kitagawa appeared, not only Kyoko but even the middle-aged man was shocked, staring blankly at this unbelievable scene.