Tokyo: My Girlfriend

I washed my hair, changed my clothes, grabbed an umbrella, and looked at my younger sister who was still snuggled in bed.

She spoke softly, "I'm going out."

The moment the door closed, Kitagawa Rena, lying in bed, slowly opened her eyes a little, her small hands clutching the blanket, her eyes trembling.

The rain made the city a bit gloomy, but the streets of Tokyo were bustling with people.

This gloomy atmosphere doesn't significantly affect the mood for people going out.

Shinichi Kitagawa went to the agreed-upon location, a couples' cafe called "Falling in love with you".

After a ten-minute taxi ride, we still had to cross a traffic light intersection when we got out.

While waiting at a traffic light, Shinichi Kitagawa noticed a woman next to him holding a pink umbrella taking deep breaths, as if she was nervous about something.

Out of the corner of his eye, because Kitagawa Shinichi was taller, about half a head taller than the other person, he couldn't see her face.

All you could see was that she was wearing high-heeled sandals, with light pink nail polish on her pretty toes, a light-colored skirt that went past her knees, a simple white top underneath, and a light yellow coat.

She was also wearing a star-shaped silver necklace and carrying a handbag.

Her outfit clearly suggests she's not her age; she looks more like a teacher or a recent college graduate.

"Huh?" Even though she was using the umbrella to block her view, the woman seemed to have noticed the boy beside her. She slowly turned her head, raised her chin, and tilted the umbrella back so that she could see his face.

He happened to make eye contact with Kitagawa Shinichi.

Then their eyes met, and both showed expressions of surprise.

"Kawaii..." Haruna was genuinely surprised the moment she saw the other person's face. Tall, with sparkling eyes, and silver-white hair that made the whole face look even younger.

With six parts cuteness and four parts handsomeness, she is captivating at first glance, and her first impression is that she is a famous artist or idol.

Shinichi Kitagawa was equally surprised. The moment she looked up, he was stunned by her older sister-like aura and stunning looks.

She has an oval face, lips painted with light red lipstick, and a pair of mature yet vibrant eyes; her features are almost flawless.

Her long, pale blonde hair fell over her shoulders; she was a classic beauty.

After their initial shock, the two of them inexplicably burst into laughter, seemingly amused by the absurd character model on the other side.

But after that laughter, he seemed to be lost in thought again, as if by fate.

Open at the same time.

"Miss Hina?"

"Is that Shinichi-kun?"

They folded their umbrellas and went to the cafe entrance. Haruna looked at Shinichi Kitagawa's face again, covering her mouth in surprise, speechless with excitement: "Kawaii..."

Shinichi Kitagawa was embarrassed: "Why is this the evaluation of me? It's like praising a child."

Haruhi Hina exclaimed in shock, "No, it's just that Shinichi-kun is really cute. I never expected Shinichi-kun to be so cute, especially with his silver hair."

Shinichi Kitagawa also scrutinized Hina Kasuga: "I never expected that Hina, who always says online that she's not pretty, would have such an exaggeratedly beautiful face. If this isn't considered pretty, then I really can't imagine what beauty should look like."

Haruhi Hina blushed at the compliment and waved her hand, "It's not that exaggerated, especially compared to Shinichi-kun, he's just so cute..."

That's enough.

We went into the coffee shop together, ordered two coffees, and found a corner to sit down.

Haruhi Hina put down her handbag: "I really didn't expect that. Is Shinichi-kun still a student? A university student?"

"Senior year of high school."

"What? How old are you?"

"Eighteen years old."

"Only eighteen!" Haruhi Hina counted on her fingers. "But we became friends three years ago, so Shinichi was only fifteen that year, right? Good heavens... I always thought you were the same age as me, or even a little older."

Why do you think that?

When Haruhi Hina saw the coffee arrive, she thanked the waiter and said, "Because Shinichi-kun's novel-writing techniques are so skillful, those techniques are definitely not something a student could master. Could it be..." Haruhi Hina became even more excited, putting her hand to her mouth and her eyes sparkling:

"Could it be that Mr. Xinyi comes from a family of novelists?"

Shinichi Kitagawa smiled and said, "I'm just an amateur. How old are you, Hina-san?"

Haruhi Hina looked a little embarrassed, her eyes darting around as she made a self-deprecating remark: "Twenty-two years old... I've always felt quite young, but seeing Shinichi-kun suddenly made me realize that I might already be an adult... um..."

Haruhi Hina clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Kitagawa Shinichi's silver hair: "What's with Shinichi-kun's hair color? He's not a delinquent, is he? Is it natural? Can I touch it!"

"Yeah, it's natural. Feel free to touch it if you like." He leaned forward.

"Thank you! I'm so excited!" Reaching out to gently touch her hair, Haruhi Hina's eyes crinkled with joy. "So fluffy, kawaii~"

Please stop using terms like "cute".

After a brief conversation, Shinichi Kitagawa found that Haruhi's personality was basically the same as it appeared online, but her age was a surprise to him; he had guessed that Haruhi might be a little older than him.

Because the caring tone during the chat carried a certain maturity, but the other person had already graduated and had no idea.

After briefly introducing herself and chatting about the novel, Haruhi suggested they go see a movie. There was a very popular movie showing today, and she had wanted to see it for a long time.

Shinichi Kitagawa, of course, did not refuse. After finishing their coffee, they went to the movie theater together, and with about half an hour left before the movie started, they strolled around the shops together.

Logically speaking, people who chatter incessantly online are more likely to have awkward silences in real life, because people who are successful in real life rarely make friends online. However, the two of them talked almost the entire way after meeting.

It's as if these three years of chatting didn't leave them speechless; on the contrary, they laid a good foundation and left room for interpretation, making them more curious about each other's lives and feelings during the conversation.

They quickly became friends.

The movie was surprisingly good; it told a beautiful and romantic story, with no dull moments, which greatly satisfied Haruhi Hina's high expectations for the film.

The light rain was still falling. Shinichi Kitagawa and Hina Kasuga stood at the entrance of the movie theater after watching the movie, laughing and discussing the plot of the film.

"I never expected that I would get along so well with Shinichi. It's like he's another version of me."

"I was also surprised that Hina-san and I have such similar interests today..."

"today.."

The two looked at each other, about to say something at the same time, but this time, as they exchanged glances, their words stopped abruptly.

They stopped talking and instead looked together at the street outside the movie theater.

Haruhi Hina's face was slightly flushed. Today was supposed to be a meeting between online friends, but in reality, the two of them came with the intention of meeting in person after their online romance. However, due to their age difference, they didn't talk about this topic at all along the way.

Haruhi Hina thought it was probably impossible. Although they were really compatible, the age difference was so big that even though the other person was already an adult, she was no longer a student, even if she had just graduated. She still felt a vague sense of guilt.

Especially after knowing the age difference, the other person will probably only see her as an older sister.

Having a younger brother like that isn't bad either; you don't necessarily have to be in a relationship.

To avoid awkwardness, she smiled and asked, "Does Shinichi have a girl he likes?" Haruhi Hina clasped her hands together and said, "A cute boy like Shinichi must have a lot of girls who like him, right? Do you have someone in mind? As your older sister, I can give you some advice."

Shinichi Kitagawa answered matter-of-factly, "I like Hina-san."

Haruhi Hina's eyes flickered, her face flushed instantly, and she lowered her voice:

"But... although... I also like Shinichi, is this really okay?"

"If we like each other, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Obviously, we haven't encountered any 'love at first sight' situations." Kitagawa Shinichi extended his hand and asked with a smile, "Can't we be together?"

Haruhi Hina stared at that hand, her heart racing. After a brief moment of hesitation, she gradually extended her slender palm and placed it in his.

Haruhi Hina lightly bit her red lips, her pupils shimmering: "Sure, Shinichi-kun... I also hope you'll go out with me, after all, we've been flirting online for so long..."