Tokyo: My Girlfriend

Seeing Aoki Akemi's happy smile, Kitagawa Shinichi couldn't help but feel happy too.

Just as Kitagawa Shinichi had predicted, Aoki Akemi's ranking was still hovering around third, fourth, or even fifth place that evening.

As a result, it firmly held the number one position this morning.

Even before the results were announced, Shinichi Kitagawa had already received a call from the talent manager of Shinsei Entertainment:

"Mr. Sora? As expected of you. I saw the data from the backstage and watched the recording. There are quite a lot of netizens supporting Akemi. The song is very well-composed, the lyrics are also very touching, and Akemi's voice is also outstanding. No wonder she is the girl chosen by Mr. Sora."

The other party was clearly very satisfied and no longer hesitated:

"I think we can start signing the contract regarding Mingmei now, just like we agreed before. As long as you can guarantee that you will be writing songs for Mingmei in the future, our company can guarantee a continuous stream of training resources for Mingmei."

After discussing some specific matters with the other party, Shinichi Kitagawa quickly went to Akemi Aoki's room to tell her the good news.

At the time, Akemi was still applying eyeliner. Upon hearing the news, she was so overjoyed that she danced with excitement and, still half-made up, threw herself into Kitagawa Shinichi's arms, exclaiming, "This is wonderful! Long live Shinichi-kun! Shinichi-kun is simply the secret to my life!"

Shinichi Kitagawa felt Akemi's passion in his arms: "Why is it me again? All of this is thanks to Akemi's hard work."

Akemi Aoki then said, "But I'm Shinichi's man! So long live Shinichi!"

After saying all that, she realized she had only done half of her makeup, so she quickly covered half of her face and stuck out her tongue: "I haven't finished my makeup yet, and I don't want Shin-ichi to see me looking bad."

Shinichi Kitagawa sighed, "Is it really possible for someone with Akemi's looks to be unattractive?"

Even though it was early morning, the air still carried a hint of summer heat, but this certainly didn't dampen the spirits of lovers going on dates.

Akemi Aoki, holding Shinichi Kitagawa's hand, began their date in Tokyo this morning, as agreed upon yesterday.

Actually, there are only so many places to go and so many things to do when you're on a date.

Stroll through the malls, wander the streets, and try out what delicious breakfasts Tokyo has to offer.

The real key is actually the conversation during the process, or the little gestures between couples.

What struck Shinichi Kitagawa most this morning was that whenever he was with Akemi, her ever-present radiant smile always infected him.

I feel really happy and relaxed when I'm with her.

However... Shinichi Kitagawa stared at Akemi Aoki feeding him.

He also had to admit that whether he was with Rena or Akemi, there was something missing between him and Hina that he couldn't quite explain.

Something is missing.

Feeling a bit tired from walking around, the two sat down to rest at an open-air cafe near the station, preparing to take the tram back to Kabasaki-cho later.

Shinichi Kitagawa, sipping his coffee and looking at his phone, said to Akemi:

"It looks like we'll be coming to Tokyo more often in the future. The manager knows our situation and says he's already developing a special training plan for us. He's already sent me the first draft. I took a quick look at it. We'll have to start making videos and increase our online popularity while also doing stage performances. As for the contract, he'll send it to us via courier in a few days."

Akemi Aoki sipped her frothy coffee through a straw, sitting opposite Shinichi Kitagawa, her fox-like eyes fixed on his earnest expression: "I see. But while I'm also interested in work, it seems there are more important things to do right now..."

Kitagawa Shinichi looked up.

Akemi Aoki removed her red lips from the straw, a tiny bit of coffee still clinging to them, and asked with a smile:

"Regarding dating, Shinichi-kun, didn't you say today's date was to test whether you had feelings for me? What was the result? Although we just played around for a while, I presented my best and most ordinary self to Shinichi-kun."

Shinichi Kitagawa remarked on how quickly time had passed. From the moment he uttered those words yesterday until now, it seemed as if the time for him to deliver the result had arrived without him even realizing it.

Shinichi Kitagawa glanced at the numerous chat interfaces on his phone, with the chat box with Hina at the top.

The messages inside are from several days ago.

On the street, couples who were getting on a bus or passing by were all sticking together affectionately.

The atmosphere between the two became somewhat silent for a moment.

Akemi Aoki observed the hesitation on Shinichi Kitagawa's face, forced herself to remain calm, let out a long sigh, cupped her face in her hands, and rested her arms on the table: "So it still doesn't work? Not even a little bit."

Let's date.

Shinichi Kitagawa recalled Akemi's enthusiasm and cheerfulness on stage yesterday, how well she matched his personality, and how perfectly she seemed to fit him. In particular, Akemi's sad expression that night truly made Shinichi Kitagawa feel sorry for her.

He turned off the screen and looked up at Akemi Aoki, whose eyes were wide with disbelief. She seemed to think she had misheard.

"Huh? What did Shinichi say?"

Shinichi Kitagawa: "Let's date Akemi. Let's officially start dating today. Although I might not like Akemi that much right now, I'm very happy when I'm with you. Just like Akemi said, feelings need to be cultivated slowly. Maybe I will really like Akemi in the future. If Akemi doesn't mind my attitude... let's be together."

Akemi Aoki was certain she was happy; her heart skipped a beat. Even though those words implied a possible breakup in the future, as long as there was a chance to be together, anything was possible in the future.

"During our relationship... will Shinichi be devoted to me?"

"Of course," Shinichi Kitagawa affirmed. "I'm not the kind of person who would have his cake and eat it too."

Aoki scrutinized the other person's expression, but after a few seconds, he took another sip of coffee, his face flushed with distress, his hands nervously clenching on his thighs, and his voice lowered:

"Am I pushing Shinichi too hard? Although I got the answer I wanted and I'm incredibly happy inside, I bet Shinichi feels like I'm rushing him, right?"

She finished her coffee in one gulp, then stared at Shinichi Kitagawa again: "Although this doesn't really seem like something I would do, because I'm not one to give others a chance, but... like this!"

Akemi Aoki took out her phone: "My parents said they're coming to Kabasaki-cho to see me and Ono tomorrow night. If Shinichi-kun is willing to visit my house after school tomorrow, I'll introduce him to my parents and tell them that he's my absolute favorite boyfriend, and that I'll marry no one but Shinichi-kun!"

She smiled and said:

"I'm giving Shin-il one last day. I hope you can say goodbye to your ex-girlfriend properly. Otherwise, if you have any contact or flirtation with her after you get together, I'll be jealous. Also, there are some things I can't wait to do after we start dating. I've said it before, right? I have a very strong sex drive and I'll be clinging to Shin-il all the time."

What was supposed to be a serious matter turned into a helpless grin from Kitagawa Shinichi after the last sentence, and he slowly hummed in agreement.

Aoki Akemi hesitated to speak:

"So I'm really looking forward to seeing Shin-il visit my home tomorrow. Although I regret saying what I just said, I believe in Shin-il, and I ask you to believe in me too. If you choose me, I will definitely make Shin-il happy."

She stood up, braced her hands on the table, and leaned down to kiss him again. This time, the kiss lasted much longer than the last, arousing the curiosity of passersby.

It's astonishing how young people these days don't seem to care at all in public.

A hint of fear appeared on Aoki Akemi's face, but her fox-like eyes were full of anticipation, her pupils trembling: "You must come, okay? I'll wait for you all night. As long as you arrive before dawn the next day, it'll count."

Kitagawa Shinichi felt the soft touch on his lips, looked closely into Akemi's eyes, and smiled: "Yes, I understand. I won't keep Akemi waiting that long."