Tokyo: To reiterate, this is not a dating system.

Nighttime always inspires endless imagination, especially in bustling Tokyo. From a distance, viewed through a small balcony, it looks like a dream.

But Genji Aoyama doesn't dream.

He stood by the window, as if trying to see something clearly, but he simply looked into the distance.

A loud, rumbling sound broke his train of thought.

[Yuuko: No way!]

Perhaps feeling that her rejection was too direct, she sent another message afterward.

[Yuuko: I'm not yet able to spend a long time alone with Aoyama-kun...]

Genji Aoyama quickly replied to her.

[Aoyama: It's not just the two of us, Minatsuki-san is going too, and Izumo-senpai will probably be going as well.]

The message was sent and marked as read a few minutes later, but there has been no reply for a long time.

With a "buzz," Genji Aoyama looked at his phone screen. Before he could even read the message, a notification appeared in the chat box:

[Yuuko retracted a message]

About ten minutes later, Asahi Yuko finally came back.

[Yuuko: I'll prepare well!]

Aoyama Genji looked at the message she sent, which was followed by an emoji of a beautiful girl clenching her fist.

It went more smoothly than I expected, but why?

He doesn't understand.

Genji Aoyama even considered being more underhanded, sending a message like, "[If Yuuko doesn't reply, I'll take it as a yes. I really want to bring Yuuko along, and if I don't, I might miss our weekly chat]".

Because Yuko Asahi could never refuse him.

Forget it, stop thinking about it.

Genji Aoyama quickly switched back to chatting with Saki Izumo. The messages he had sent earlier were still unread, so after thinking for a moment, he simply made a phone call.

chirp——

The call was answered quickly.

"Good evening, Saki," he said.

After the words were spoken, there was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by faint, uneven breathing.

"Good evening."

Saki Izumo's voice sounded quite unpleasant.

Perhaps I had some wild thoughts before?

While guessing, Aoyama Genji continued, "Sorry for the late reply, um... regarding the trip, could you let me decide the location?"

"Aoyama-kun agreed!?"

Even over the phone, Genji Aoyama could picture it in his mind—a cheerful, beautiful girl with a bright smile and a look of surprise on her face.

Then, as if she had thought of something, Izumo Saki said in a restrained and steady voice, "To be honest, I hadn't decided where to go yet. If Aoyama-kun can decide, that would be great."

The abrupt shift in his voice from joy to restraint left Aoyama Genji with mixed feelings. He took a deep breath and finally decided to speak:

"Asahi and Minatsuki will also be on this trip, which will take place in Aomori Prefecture."

silence.

The silence was so profound that only their breathing could be heard. Aoyama Genji didn't continue speaking, but patiently waited for Izumo Saki's reply.

After a short while, Izumo Saki said, "Okay, I understand. I'll go with Aoyama-kun."

Her voice held neither joy nor sadness, but rather seemed to carry a hint of unspoken hostility.

After hanging up the phone, Genji Aoyama stood by the window and began to analyze the complex parts of his emotions. First, there was the conflicting entanglement, then the guilt, and even occasional feelings of self-loathing.

The night deepened, and Tokyo seemed shrouded in a mist. The distant neon lights flickered on and off, and a gentle breeze whispered in my ears.

He began to take deep breaths.

After a while, Genji Aoyama raised his phone back to his face, switched to LINE, and opened the dialer.

He easily found Minatsuki Haruka's name in his contacts, even though there weren't many people in his address book.

In any case, Asahi Yuuko and Izumo Saki have already agreed, and now all that's needed is to tell her the answer.

He tapped her name with his fingertip, then hovered over the dial button, unable to press it.

◇

In a high-end apartment, the room was kept meticulously.

Haruka Minatsuki lay comfortably on the bed, her hands supporting her chin, her two smooth, white little feet swinging in the air and occasionally patting the bed surface.

"Hmph hmph hmph~"

"Hmph hmph hmph♡"

Accompanied by a light humming, Haruka Minatsuki freed one hand to scroll through the phone on the bed, which contained rows of nonsensical videos.

After browsing for a while, she got bored again and unconsciously clicked into her favorites, specifically Aoyama Genji's online response.

"They really are a handful."

Haruka Minatsuki poked the boy's handsome face with her finger. The video paused and then resumed playing, and she couldn't help but laugh.

One more day.

Their trip, just the two of them, began.

She felt both anticipation and joy.

"I feel like this kid is getting more and more rebellious lately, and... he's getting more and more girls around him. I need to discipline him properly this time."

After staring at Aoyama Genji on the screen for a while, Minatsuki Haruka went to check the ticket information again.

After thinking for a moment, she took a screenshot and sent it to Genji Aoyama.

[Minatsuki Haruka: Image]

"Hmph hmph hmph~"

"Hmph hmph hmph♡"

After doing all this, she planned to take a bath to maintain her good mood.

"Ring ring~"

The crisp ringtone sounded, and Minatsuki Haruka, who was holding clothes, threw them on the bed and quickly picked up her phone.

The caller ID shows Yuan Zhijun.

Take a moment to calm yourself down and answer the call.

Haruka Minatsuki tried to make her voice sound as calm as possible.

Good evening, Genji-kun~

Nevertheless, her voice still betrayed a joy she herself was unaware of.

"...Good evening, Haruka-san."

"Um?"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded hesitant. Haruka Minatsuki tilted her head slightly and smiled, "Does Genji-kun have something to say?"

"breathe--"

Then, all that could be heard was even more hesitant breathing. Haruka Minatsuki did not urge him, but patiently waited for Genji Aoyama to speak.

A while later.

"Could I take up a little of your time?" Genji Aoyama asked.

"Yes, no problem."

There are some things I want to tell you in person.

Haruka Minatsuki had a strange, uneasy feeling. Forcing herself not to think about anything worse, she took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'll come find you?"

"I'll come over there. I'll contact you when I get to your apartment building."

The phone hangs up.

Haruka Minatsuki squinted, her gaze unconsciously drifting out the window.

What could it be?

While speculating, she had already begun to take action.

Because of this phone call and Genji Aoyama's unusual attitude, Haruka Minatsuki even abandoned her usual meticulous dressing. She grabbed a piece of clothing from the closet and put it on, then slipped on her shoes and socks in the entryway.

Although Genji Aoyama said he would come over, she planned to go there on her own initiative.

The two lived not far apart, less than a kilometer as the crow flies. About ten minutes after the phone call ended, they met on the street.

The streetlights cast a yellowish glow, and thin clouds in the sky obscured the moon, making everything appear hazy. The two stood at a distance large enough for two people to stand side by side, silently gazing at each other.

Genji Aoyama looked at Haruka Minatsuki in front of him, still thinking about how to start the conversation.

During his brief moment of thought, he noticed that Haruka Minatsuki's clothes were still a bit wrinkled. It was clear that Haruka Minatsuki, who was always mindful of her appearance and elegant and proper, was not as calm as she seemed.

The words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat.

Seemingly noticing his unusual behavior, Haruka Minatsuki gave him a gentle, reassuring smile: "Genji-kun, is there something you need from me at this hour?"

"Yes, there are some things I need to say." Genji Aoyama felt his voice was a little dry.

Haruka Minatsuki simply watched him quietly, as if waiting for what would happen next.

She maintained a smile, but Aoyama Genji felt that the joy in that smile seemed to be fading.

"Have you guessed something?"

While thinking about this question, Genji Aoyama decided to speak up: "This time when I go back to Aomori, I will bring Asahi and Izumo with me."

As the words fell, silence returned, with the faint sounds of insects fluttering their wings and buzzing around the yellowed streetlights, followed by Haruka Minatsuki's seemingly restrained breathing.

Genji Aoyama withdrew his gaze and looked at Haruka Minatsuki again.

She was still smiling, but like the mask she usually wore, whether elegant or gentle, it was just an act; there was no warmth in that smile.

The light in his eyes gradually disappeared.

Even so, Haruka Minatsuki continued to look at him, her gaze so calm it was almost suffocating.

After a few breaths, she turned and walked back the way she came.

Aoyama Genji just watched her back, opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't say anything.

Haruka Minatsuki took two steps, then stopped. Without turning around, she asked calmly, "Is this your answer?"

The word "answer" was spoken very softly.

"..." Genji Aoyama took a deep breath, composed himself, and said, "I hope Ms. Haruka can come along too."

The air fell silent once more.

After a long silence, Haruka Minatsuki finally spoke: "I understand."

The sound was very soft, like a sigh, or like the moon veiled by clouds.

Then, Haruka Minatsuki moved gracefully towards the apartment as usual.

Under the warm, yellow light, her shadow kept changing, lengthening, shortening, and lengthening again...

Genji Aoyama watched her leave until the night swallowed her figure.

late at night.

Aoyama Genji lay on his bed, asking himself questions in his mind.

Why did you suddenly change your mind and tell Asahi Yuuko, Izumo Saki, and Minatsuki Haruka so directly?

答:

He wanted to figure some things out, and before that, he felt he should be honest first.

Why not choose a more direct approach, such as simply asking directly?

答:

Words can deceive, but feelings cannot.

He wanted to find the answers himself, rather than easily learn them from others.

Taking the first step is far more difficult than imagined.

But the difficulties that come with this first step are only just beginning.