Tokyo: My Girlfriend

On the first Monday of the new semester, before the first class, the whole class was discussing the shrine gathering that had just ended.

They chatted about interesting things that had happened, delicious food they had eaten, who confessed to whom, who broke up with whom, and said that there were so many people at this year's gathering, and that it would be great if it were this lively every year.

Shinichi Kitagawa sat by the window, listening to the chattering of the girls in his class.

He twirled the small wooden stick in his hand.

It's confirmed that Hina really didn't come. It seems that what Rena said was true; it must have been some girl who deliberately put it on me.

Similar things happened during his time living in Finland, such as people slipping love letters into unexpected places. However, this time, because of that dream, Shinichi Kitagawa overthought things.

"Shinichi-kun! I'm so sorry!" Sato Kana suddenly ran over at lightning speed without any warning and bowed deeply in apology.

Kitagawa Shinichi was completely bewildered: "What's going on? Why are you apologizing to me?"

With her hair tied in a ponytail, Kana Sato looked up pitifully, her hands clenched into fists:

"I didn't entertain Shinichi-kun well over the weekend! I was supposed to join you guys at the fair after the Kagura dance, but after it was over, everyone was gone. I messaged you guys but no one replied. I guess you're angry, aren't you? I helped the shrine during the day, but I took so long to get off the stage. I'm so sorry!"

She whispered, "Besides, I was busy at the shrine all day yesterday and didn't even have time to contact you..."

Shinichi Kitagawa blushed and recalled the drinking incident: "That's not how it happened. We didn't even go to the rally. We just had to go home early. Besides, I saw your message yesterday, but I already told you the situation in the message."

Kana Sato was still very apologetic: "I thought you were just being polite when you said you went home early. After all, everyone replies to my messages like that and is so kind to me, so I feel even more guilty towards my friends."

Kitagawa Shinichi chuckled and waved his hand: "It's not just polite talk, and there's really no need to apologize. Why insist on apologizing... Actually, we should be apologizing to you." He secretly drank some of the raw sake: "Anyway, don't worry about it."

"Are you really not angry?" she asked pitifully.

Shinichi Kitagawa repeated, "I really wasn't angry."

"Really?"

"It couldn't be more real..."

"Shinichi-kun is such a nice guy!" Sato Kana sniffed as she noticed the small wooden stick in Shinichi-kun's hand as he waved goodbye. "Huh? Isn't this mine? How did it end up in Shinichi-kun's hand?" she asked, puzzled.

"Yours? You mean this little wooden stick?" Kitagawa Shinichi perked up, he really hadn't thought it would belong to Kana.

Kana Sato nodded: "Yeah, I made this myself out of boredom..." She laughed awkwardly: "Didn't you see how rough the workmanship is? There are all sorts of little scratches."

Shinichi Kitagawa didn't really care; after all, handmade items are bound to have some imperfections. He handed it to the other person:

"So this is your stuff. I found it in my bedroom yesterday. I was wondering whose it was because I didn't remember taking it. But how did this thing end up in my bedroom?"

Kana Sato took it with both hands, blinking, "Found it in Shinichi's bedroom? Really? But I clearly remember this little stick..."

Suddenly, a fox appeared beside him, clasped her hands together beside her cheek, and grinned, "Good morning! I woke up late this morning and ended up being late for school, so I missed it. Sorry, Shin-ichi!"

The person who came was naturally Aoki Akemi, but Akemi was different from usual today.

Her hair has actually been dyed back to its original color.

Her hair was no longer pale yellow; it had been dyed back to its original black, with only a few strands of color remaining.

Her makeup was also changed, and the shade of her lipstick was changed, becoming slightly more rosy than before.

Shinichi Kitagawa and Kana Sato were both shocked to see Akemi Aoki's completely new, or rather, a return to her original style.

Shinichi Kitagawa: "Akami, why did you dye your hair again?"

Kana Sato also said, "Yeah, doesn't dyeing your hair like that all the time damage it?"

Akemi Aoki cradled her hair in her hands, a hint of heartache in her voice. "It's impossible not to feel a little heartache. Luckily, my hair is in relatively good condition. Besides, I'm a 'gyaru' (a type of stunner), and dyeing your hair is a regular occurrence for gyaru, right? So, what do you think? My old hairstyle isn't outdated yet, is it?"

The two nodded: "It is quite beautiful."

Sato Kana examined the other person's makeup and realized that there was absolutely no trace of Hina-sensei anymore:

"But it seems like not only your hair has changed, but your makeup has too. Although it's not as vibrant as it used to be, it's completely different from Hina-sensei's style. Just two weeks ago you said you wanted to imitate Hina-sensei's style."

Hearing this, Akemi Aoki suddenly grinned and chuckled, "Women are all fickle, aren't they? I was originally planning to keep imitating her, but emmm, this week I suddenly felt that I might not be a good match for Hina-sensei's style..." She said inexplicably, "I feel a little uncomfortable, so I'll switch back."

Sato Kana was confused: "Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

Akemi Aoki held up one finger and explained, "Mainly because Hina-sensei and I don't have the same vibe, right? This one suits me better."

Kana Sato nodded blankly: "That's right, Hina-sensei's style is indeed too gentle."

Akemi Aoki asked Shinichi Kitagawa, "What do you think, Shinichi-kun?"

Shinichi Kitagawa looked at Akemi as she returned to her unique style, but he didn't really feel much.

Even though he had imitated Hina before, Hina and Akemi were not the same kind of people, and their ways of speaking were very different. Except for a moment when Akemi was putting on makeup for the first time, Shinichi Kitagawa basically didn't think about Hina anymore for the next two weeks.

"I definitely feel more like Akemi now."

Aoki Akemi, her fox-like eyes adorned with red eyeshadow, looked at Kitagawa Shinichi, hesitated for a moment, then smiled and continued, "By the way, Shinichi-kun, how have you been resting at home these past few days?"

Shinichi Kitagawa: "Resting?" He thought it was about drinking and said awkwardly, "I took a long nap at home yesterday at noon. Some things are really addictive. I won't do anything like that next year."

Akemi Aoki smiled: "I've learned my lesson."

No one noticed the sadness in her eyes as she glanced sideways at the ground.

As expected, Shinichi-kun doesn't remember anything. Well, that night shouldn't have happened in the first place.

During break, Aoki Akemi went to the sink and approached Sato Kana: "Kana, could I have the wooden stick you had this morning?"

Sato Kana, washing her hands, looked at Akemi: "Akemi? You mean the wooden stick? Oh, I was about to ask you that this morning." She took out the little wooden stick meant for finding a partner from her pocket:

"I remember I was going to throw this stick away at the shrine the day before yesterday afternoon. You said you'd help me throw it away then, so how did it end up at Shinichi's house?"

With a smile, Aoki Akemi covered her lips with the back of her hand and whispered in her ear, "Actually, a few of us secretly drank some sake from the shrine that day. Shinichi and Rena both got drunk, so I helped them home..."

She briefly explained what had happened, which included some lies, and Sato Kana was greatly surprised: "You really went to steal alcohol!"

Aoki Akemi clasped her hands together and said, "I'm sorry. Also, I thought that wooden stick was quite well made, and it would be a shame to throw it away, so I kept it. It probably fell into Shinichi's house when I was helping him up."

"I see, no wonder..." Sato Kana handed the wooden stick to the other person, "But since you like it, you can keep it..."

"You delivered the letter home?" A sudden voice interrupted their conversation. The silver-haired girl, who had heard everything, walked out of the bathroom with a cold expression, looking puzzled.

"Aminmei, what did you just say? You delivered the letter home? I clearly went back alone with Shinichi, you didn't even come along, did you?"

Akemi Aoki listened intently to the voice behind her, her fox-like eyes trembling. She hadn't expected Rena to hear it.

She turned around, about to explain again.

The perceptive Rena Kitagawa had already noticed something was amiss. She snatched the small wooden stick first: "And this stick was found in my brother's bedroom. Shinichi wasn't so drunk that he couldn't even get into his bedroom. He helped me into the room."

Kitagawa Rena looked at Aoki Akemi, who was sweating profusely and had a strange expression. Her cold eyes were fixed on her, and she sensed that something must have happened: "What's wrong? Why are you lying? Are you hiding something from us?"

Akemi Aoki was now too afraid to meet Rena's gaze.

Because her previous dignified and unyielding demeanor was based on her strong confidence in what she was doing.

But this time... she couldn't even fool herself.

It was a complete and utter failure.

Even so, she would not tell anyone about this one thing, and even if the other party had already noticed something was wrong, she would use other methods to deceive them.

Akemi Aoki's eyes narrowed into crescent moons, and a smile played at the corners of her lips.

"Okay, I lied, but I really didn't go to your house. Kana said that things at the shrine have divine power, so I actually put this matchmaking stick on Shinichi at the shrine because I like Shinichi and want to be with him."

Rena Kitagawa stared at her expressionlessly.

Sato Kana, however, covered her mouth in surprise, her face flushed: "Ah? So Akemi really likes Shinichi?! I've always had that feeling! But is it something I can say now? Because..."

Akemi Aoki looked at Kana curiously: "Why can't you say it now? I have nothing to hide..." She didn't say the word "of".

However, they discovered that Shinichi Kitagawa had also passed by at some point and was standing nearby, overhearing the conversation of the group.

Akemi Aoki stared blankly at Shinichi Kitagawa, her heart skipping a few seconds. Shinichi Kitagawa also stared blankly at Akemi Aoki: "Akemi..."

Akemi Aoki bit her lip, took back the small wooden stick, and ran away with red eyes, her legs moving uncontrollably to escape the scene.