Tokyo: My Girlfriend

As he watched Tamura Kyoko leave, Kitagawa Shinichi recalled the few brief moments he had spent with Hina over the past week, and how Hina's complexion had indeed been rather poor.

Although I knew her personality would be affected by this incident, I never expected it would even trigger her stomach problems.

They even pretended to say so many heartless things to themselves back then.

He finished his drink and threw it away, muttering to himself, "What an idiot. Even if we broke up, I should at least care about my health. It's been more than a week."

Kyoko said that Hina would be coming to the gathering tonight...

Shinichi Kitagawa walked into the shrine, pondering whether there was anything he could do to help.

But they found that everyone had already sat down to rest, drinking tea and eating snacks.

Kitagawa Rena and Aoki, the siblings, sat in a corner of the hall, which was now filled with students who had come to help. Sato Kana brought out snacks and tea for everyone to share.

She stood next to Rena with a silly grin, saying, "Thank you so much, Rena, for your help today. You made this year's gathering several times more lively with just one sentence. Mom is full of hope for next year!"

Rena Kitagawa asked curiously, "Is it always been so quiet?"

"It's not exactly deserted, but there definitely aren't this many people." Kana Sato spotted Shinichi Kitagawa: "Shinichi-kun! Over here!"

Shinichi Kitagawa sat down next to them, and Rena Kitagawa asked directly, "Shinichi's back. Where's your friend?"

Shinichi Kitagawa picked up the tea that Kana handed him: "I've already gone back."

"Is that so?" Kitagawa Rena's eyes held a meaningful look, but she couldn't ask for details in front of so many people.

Akemi asked what kind of friend it was and why she didn't introduce them. Kitagawa Shinichi was puzzled that Rena hadn't said anything, so he just mentioned that Kyoko-nee had come, but that she had already gone to the station to catch the train.

Akemi Aoki's curious expression froze: "So it's Kyoko-nee..."

Kana Sato placed a large plate of chocolates in front of them: "Try some! These are shrine-exclusive liqueur-filled chocolates! There's actually a tiny bit of liqueur in them, quite a kick!"

Everyone was very curious and eagerly unwrapped the chocolates to taste them. The aroma of liqueur encased in the chocolate burst in their mouths.

It's sweet and crunchy, and has the aroma of alcohol.

Everyone unconsciously exclaimed, "Delicious!"

Aoki Hirano became interested and covered her mouth with her hand, asking in a low voice, "Just eating this isn't exciting enough, is it? I remember the shrine makes special sake every year, right? Can't Kana take some out to drink?"

Kana Sato said awkwardly, "Yes, we do, but we're not old enough to drink yet, so we can't."

Hirano Aoki clicked his tongue: "No way, we're all adults here. If this were abroad, we could have done it a long time ago. It's okay to secretly drink a little bit. We won't tell anyone."

After saying that, he was suddenly kicked by Aoki Akemi: "If you want to drink, figure it out yourself. Don't cause trouble for Kana, understand?"

Aoki Hirano, wincing in pain, looked speechlessly at her older sister: "I didn't cause any trouble, I just had a few drinks! They say the sake at the shrine can make your wishes come true, and I've wanted to try it for a long time."

Rena Kitagawa's interest was piqued: "A wish come true?"

Akemi Aoki warned with a forced smile, "That won't do either."

Kana Sato tried to lighten the mood by laughing, "Don't argue. Although we can't drink, there will be Kagura dances at the shrine tonight. Everyone can see my mother distributing sake then. You can still see and smell it."

"What's the point of looking..." Aoki Hirano asked, "Is Kana also performing the Kagura dance this year?"

Kana Sato scratched her head shyly: "Yes, I'll probably be the one performing on stage from now on." She glanced at Shinichi Kitagawa with a puzzled look: "I hope Shinichi-kun and Rena won't laugh when they see me dance. I might not dance as well as Mom."

Rena Kitagawa comforted her expressionlessly, "Laughing? Why are you laughing? Is that Kagura dance funny?"

Everyone: "..."

Shinichi Kitagawa apologized on her behalf: "I'm sorry, that's just how my sister talks, please don't take it to heart."

Everyone expressed their understanding.

As dusk settled, the starry night gradually replaced the blue sky amidst our casual conversation.

Kana Sato was preparing to go on stage to perform the Kagura dance, which involved many steps, so she couldn't continue chatting with everyone.

While Aunt Sato was packing her things, the several large barrels of sake were also brought out ahead of time.

Hirano Aoki and Shinichi Kitagawa helped out, and after they finished, they lay down by the wine barrel like mice guarding cheese.

Hirano's eyes lit up with delight as he looked at the sake bubbles in the barrel: "Partner, did you see that? This is shrine-exclusive sake. It's said to be made with special ingredients, with a rich and mellow taste that leaves a lingering fragrance. Plus, with the blessing of the shrine's rituals, anyone who drinks it will have their wishes fulfilled next year."

Shinichi Kitagawa wouldn't believe any of this, otherwise this sake wouldn't be something that ordinary people could afford to drink.

Although this wine does smell very good.

And where did this guy learn those two adjectives?

Aoki Hirano looked around and, finding no one nearby, said, "How about we sneak a little bit to try?"

"Okay." This "okay" wasn't answered by Shinichi Kitagawa, but by Akemi Aoki, who appeared out of nowhere.

Aoki Hirano was startled and looked at the newcomer:

"Sis, you scared me to death..." He froze after seeing something, and Kitagawa Shinichi was equally surprised.

Because of the gathering, the girls all wear kimonos, so the two girls just went back to change.

At this moment, Kitagawa Rena, wearing wooden clogs, a kimono with purple patterns, and her hair tied up with a hairpin, slowly walked over.

The fair and delicate neck is clearly visible under this hairstyle.

A completely different style from Rena's usual look emerged from this outfit, giving off a more virtuous wife and loving mother vibe.

Shinichi Kitagawa was slightly taken aback, as it was the first time he had ever seen Rena like this.

He exclaimed in surprise, "So this is what Rena looks like in a kimono?"

Rena Kitagawa was still a little shy, and said coldly, "How is it, Shinichi? Is it still presentable? I bought it before but never wore it."

Shinichi Kitagawa and Hirano Aoki both exclaimed in unison that it was beautiful.

However, Rena Kitagawa only heard her brother's praise, and with a smile, she handed Shinichi Kitagawa his clothes: "I brought your clothes too. You've been working all day and these are all dirty. Change into these."

Akemi Aoki, standing beside her, cupped her face and pouted dejectedly, saying, "Shinichi-kun, you've finished commenting on Reina, aren't you going to comment on me?"

Aoki Akemi looks just as good in a kimono, but for Kitagawa Shinichi, when she stands next to Rena, his gaze still unconsciously falls on Rena first.

Now that she'd been reminded, she re-examined the pink kimono that Aoki Akemi wore under her fox-like eyes. It was a similar outfit, but it enhanced Akemi's allure. It just goes to show how important looks are: "Akemi is pretty too."

Akemi Aoki chuckled, "Praise is easy, but just this one sentence is enough."

The younger brother, Aoki Hirano, who had just been ignored, complained, "It's so-so. I've seen enough of it. Rena is prettier."

This time, he took a heavy punch to the arm because kicking someone in a kimono is a bit troublesome.

Akemi Aoki warned, "If you don't like it, then go die! What's it to you?"

Aoki Hirano rubbed his arm in pain: "You hit me again! By the way, sis, didn't you say this afternoon that you weren't interested in the sake at the shrine? You were the one who said 'okay' just now, weren't you? Why have you changed your mind now?"

Akemi Aoki sniffed the fragrant liquor: "Who said I wasn't interested? I just said not to cause trouble for Kana. If we want to drink, we'll have to figure it out ourselves. Kana is a shrine maiden after all, and things will get messed up if it's discovered that she's involved."

Rena Kitagawa recalled what Hirano had said that afternoon, that the sake could make wishes come true, although she knew it was probably false.

But... what if?

She asked her brother, "How much does Shin-il plan to drink?"

Shinichi Kitagawa was speechless: "What, you want a drink too?"

Rena Kitagawa said coldly, "Since we're both planning to do something bad, we'll definitely do it together." She turned her head and added arrogantly, "Besides, I only agreed to drink with you because I wanted to."

"Thank you, Rena is so kind to me."

"Is that even a question?"

Seeing this, Hirano Aoki was on the verge of tears: "I also want a good younger sister who understands her brother so well, instead of an older sister who only knows how to hit people!" After saying that, he was punched again.

Afterwards, the group found a large barrel that they could hug, filled it with wine, and sneaked away to a secluded place to divide it into four portions.

Cheers!

It's just that none of them had ever drunk alcohol before and had no understanding of the properties of alcohol as a substance.

After taking a big gulp of the first drink, everyone felt that the alcohol content was just so-so, but the taste was good, so they drank a few more sips in different amounts.

Who knew that once the effects kicked in, I immediately started to feel a bit tipsy.

Hirano, in particular, blushed and let out a burp: "As expected of a shrine special, it's wonderful~ I have to go home and share this with my wives. You guys go to the fair, I'm not keeping you company. I'm going to play games all night tonight."

The three watched him stride away.

Shinichi Kitagawa was surprised that the wine was not as mild as he had imagined; the aftereffects came on faster than he had expected.

Looking at Rena beside him, he noticed a slight flush on her face after Hirano left: "Shinichi... what's this feeling? My head's a little dizzy..."

Of the group, only Aoki Akemi looked somewhat better. It seemed this wasn't the first time she'd broken the rules like this. Looking at the bottle in her hand, she said, "Is this year's liquor really that strong? Or did we drink the wrong thing? Is this undiluted? If so, this is terrible. Shinichi-kun, are you alright?"

After saying that, Rena had already linked arms with Kitagawa Shinichi and took another sip: "Shinichi...how much have you drunk? Are you feeling dizzy?"

Shinichi Kitagawa realized he couldn't drink anymore; the alcohol content was higher than he had expected, and even he was feeling a bit tipsy.

"I'm a little... you know, no, Akemi, I have to take Rena home, she can't go to the fair like this."

Akemi Aoki agreed, saying, "I'll go with you. I think Shinichi is a little drunk too." Akemi's intention was that if this gathering didn't work out, they could just go out and have fun another time.

Unexpectedly, Shinichi Kitagawa said, "No need, I'll be back after I drop Rena off. I'm going back now. You should go back too, even though you seem fine."

Akemi Aoki nodded: "Yeah, I often drink it secretly, unlike you guys."

Why did Shinichi come back? It's actually quite easy to guess the reason. Considering Shinichi's conversation with Kyoko-nee this afternoon, it seems that Hina-sensei will probably come to the gathering tonight.

Shinichi Kitagawa said goodbye to Akemi Aoki and helped Rena home. On the way, the effects of the alcohol intensified with the wind, and by the time they arrived home, Rena was completely drunk.

For someone who has never drunk alcohol before, drinking such a high-proof liquor all at once is simply too much to handle.

Shinichi Kitagawa carried her to the bed, and Rena wrapped her arms around his neck: "Shinichi...give me a kiss..."

After saying that, she took the initiative to kiss Shinichi Kitagawa's lips, even feeling a soft sensation.

He stuck out his tongue.

Shinichi Kitagawa noticed the touch of her tongue and quickly pressed her back onto the bed: "Rena, you're really drunk."

She blushed as she looked at Shinichi Kitagawa, rolled over, hugged the blanket, and pursed her lips: "I'm not drunk. I know I just kissed Shinichi. Goodnight then..."

Kitagawa Shinichi let out a long sigh, took out his phone and glanced at the time. The rally had only just begun, and he was sure he could make it back in time.

Even though I didn't drink much, the alcohol still made me a little tipsy, so even when I saw Hina...

His gaze paused slightly.

That said, why does the thought that I might actually run into Hina, or even want to run into her, pop into my head whenever Kyoko-nee mentions that Hina will be at the gathering tonight?

I was serious about the last breakup, but when I heard she wasn't feeling well, I still...

Shinichi Kitagawa sat on the steps of the courtyard, enjoying the cool summer night breeze under the moonlight.

The alcohol amplified his inner emotions. He took out his phone and saw that he hadn't contacted Hina for a week.

Simply scrolling up, past scenes unfold vividly before my eyes like a movie, presented in the form of text.

Hina's smile, her tone when she was pretending to be an adult, and her aggrieved and jealous expressions are all still vivid in my mind.

"Xin...Are you alright? I was a little worried about you, so I came to check on you. Your face is so red from the alcohol."

Suddenly, a pleasant voice came from the sky. Kitagawa Shinichi looked up at the figure in front of him and, in a daze, saw Haruhi Hina.

"Hina?" Kitagawa Shinichi asked, puzzled as to why she was at his house. "What are you doing here?"