People in Tokyo, the world is clear

Kawahara Taiga reached out and scratched the back of his head.

"Maybe he's suffering from the outcome of having to go home and farm." Lin Sen, who suddenly appeared, added.

"No, Xiaolin-san, please stop spreading rumors! I actually quite like life in the countryside." Qingshan Xiazhi tapped Lin Sen's arm with the hammer clutching the handkerchief. "Maybe I was suddenly infected by my emotions."

Wow.

Wait, who taught you this bad habit of punching people at every turn?

An image of a person with short hair instantly appeared in Lin Sen's mind, and he couldn't help shaking his head.

While she was criticizing, the girl started to apologize:

"It's so shameful. It shouldn't be like this."

"You can't say that, girl. How can I put it?"

Uncle Kawahara probably wanted to say something philosophical, but after scratching his head for a while, he was still constrained by his ability to express himself and could only choke on his words awkwardly.

Until one sentence recreated the situation when he saved the situation just now——

"Society's rules always require us to be strong, to silently swallow all our sadness, and if we can't do something, we're considered weak. But it's actually okay. Because facing vulnerability is inherently powerful."

"Hey! That's exactly what it sounds like! Kobayashi, a college-educated person, really does speak in a different way."

"Well, buddy, I'm a dropout."

"Huh? You mean, among the five of us in this shop, including the owner and the employees, we can't even get one person with a college degree?"

"Is such that."

"Wow."

The fighting helped to dispel the serious atmosphere.

The topic also changed from sad dreams to someone Chiba's experiences.

"Good boy! He actually knew to bring something back."

"Of course. I made some money this time in Chiba. I can invest it in my partner's dream."

Lin Sen looked up calmly and glanced at the banner hanging in the store.

"I have to add one more thing. Thank you so much, Uncle Tiger. It's been a great help."

Chapter 31: Long Brewing Takes Time

Takahashi hid in a deserted back alley.

Late at night in Tokyo, it was a strange thing. A man his age should be at the bar behind him, or even in his temporary apartment. His mouth should either be expressing admiration for fine wine or snoring in deep sleep.

But Takahashi is a little different.

As a worker in Tokyo, Takahashi knows that this city does not belong to him. It is just a springboard, a springboard for escaping after making enough money.

Therefore, he did not live comfortably in this prosperous capital where everyone should enjoy luxury.

The greatest pleasure of the day is probably to hide in a dark alley after get off work where there is no interaction, fake smiles or social engagements, and linger in this time that belongs to me.

Tobacco is harmful to health. But for office workers who are always busy, this little thing is probably the cheapest and most enjoyable indulgence.

These days, it's easy to make money, but the suffering is also not small.

Takahashi is a child from the countryside. He has finally gained a foothold in this glamorous city, so he naturally cherishes the opportunity and the present.

He has experienced the frenzied spending habits of many people today, and has seen colleagues standing at street corners waving tens of thousands of yuan in bills to hail taxis a few hundred meters away, or spending money like water on luxury goods following advertisements.

But he couldn't do such a thing. He just wanted to put the money safely in his account and return to his hometown when the time was right. That was where he belonged.

He was always pretending to fit in. He was really living a very depressed life.

Therefore, in this non-information age lacking electronic carnival, food in the mouth is the only sustenance to prevent tense nerves from collapsing.

But, in short, it is better to smoke less.

Takahashi's mind gave this instruction.

Then his hand naturally took out a lighter from his pocket, and with a snap, he brought the lit flame close to his lips that were holding a new filter.

"."

Rake chair net ⑨ 霗 彡 杞 old 垡

Takahashi, oh Takahashi! How could you have fallen so low? Where's your self-reflection? Where's your self-discipline? Without even this much self-control, how can you possibly accomplish anything?

"..."

Forget it.

He sighed and took a deep breath.

He shook his head again and glanced to the side.

Well, how should I put it? Maybe it's because I have a partner nearby, so I can't help myself.

As I was thinking about this, a woman appeared in my sight.

His job was a white-collar company, and Takahashi was used to seeing female colleagues who prided themselves on their independence, and he'd also seen them maneuvering around with their many suitors.

This is the first time I have seen such a different person of the opposite sex of the same age in Tokyo.

He seemed to be an office worker, but he exuded a slovenly and decadent air.

He was still wearing his work clothes, but after get off work, the tight buttons on the top could finally be unbuttoned, revealing the white shirt underneath.

She was casual and didn't have that strange, heart-pounding sweet smile on her face. Her makeup-free face had only a lazy expression.

more importantly...

"call..."

The same squatting posture and the white mist exhaled made Takahashi feel a sense of identification with the same kind.

I have been working with this guy to study how to light mosquito coils for more than half a month.

Luck, or perhaps more politely, fate, brought these two taciturn beings together in this alley littered with cans and household garbage, reeking of dampness and decay. In fact, to this day, they hadn't exchanged a single word.

The only accidental interaction is probably when one of them squats with his back to the wall, the other will slowly appear shortly afterwards and join in the smoking.

This is fine. In the lonely and fast-paced city, in the heyday of consumerism, Takahashi is the one who can't keep up with the pace.

During the boring evening leisure time, it is nice to meet a companion who slows down like a friend.

But curiosity and yearning are probably aroused little by little.

If he were to be honest, Takahashi had actually been curious about the other person's name and job for so long.

It wasn't that there was any evil desire. It was probably just two equally lonely and lost souls looking for some common ground.

but--

"call."

Obviously, at the same time, the man breathing out white mist was afraid.

He felt that he was being a little sentimental, and he was also worried that his sudden words would disturb the wonderful atmosphere between them, which was created by their strange yet harmonious tacit understanding.

We are about to fall into the cycle of honorifics, pleasantries and nods and fake smiles that are common in this country.

Takahashi didn't want that to happen, so he lit the lighter again while struggling.

"call."

Before I knew it, several of them had already slipped away.

what's the situation.

As usual, by this time, the person next to him had already stood up and left.

What happened today? Something went wrong? Are you in a bad mood? Or is it just... addiction?

Something was tugged at my curiosity, a restlessness that even tobacco couldn't suppress.

"call..."

But I don’t want to speak.

Or, let it be.

Ok.

I should have continued to play badly after a sudden impulse, but the sudden sound in my ears struck my fragile heart.

"Tsk."

The woman next to him spat.

"?"

For a moment, I felt like my heart had stopped, and at the same time, I was overwhelmed by surprise, uneasiness and a little fear.

what's going on?

All sorts of guesses came to mind instantly, and I was probably worried that the bad mood of the guy smoking next to me might be caused by me.

But he quickly came to his senses and tried to regain his composure.

I glanced over following the sound, but was met with a look that seemed to be expecting something.

The woman holding the mosquito coil had an unhappy expression on her face, then she raised her fist, with her only slightly curled thumb pointing at the barrier behind her.

"what."

Listening carefully, even the cement couldn't block out the noisy sound of speakers, playing the most popular and monotonous tunes in the city.

It's very good music. But no matter how wonderful the style is, if you play it day after day, you will eventually get tired of it.

The man had never felt his mind working so fast before. The last time it was nearly this intense was probably during the days of the university entrance exam.

A few seconds.

"Huh..." Takahashi exhaled again, but suddenly cleared his throat which was filled with phlegm.

"Don't you like this kind of song?"

The moment he opened his mouth, his face was calm, but his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

"call."

The woman beside him also let out a long breath, put down her hand, and nodded.

qun九5①80九零⑨

This reaction seemed to inexplicably make the two people present breathe a sigh of relief, perhaps feeling fortunate that the peaceful and comfortable atmosphere was not destroyed by the addition of human voices.

After that, there was silence, and each of them hesitated again.

But Takahashi's brainstorming continued, frantically searching his memory and knowledge, trying to come up with a solution to the current situation.

There was a flash of inspiration in that moment, and my memory flashed back to a strange, embarrassing, yet interesting scene and event that I encountered during a social gathering not long ago.

There seemed to be a figure standing in the middle of the crowd, shouting a declaration, and a girl standing up hurriedly with a guitar in her arms beside her.

Then, after a brief hesitation, he reached out, grasped the corner of his mouth, pulled out the cigarette butt and threw it away.

"I know a place where there's not much pop music."

"But, how should I put it? I don't know if you like listening to songs with an older style."

finally.

Takahashi extended the invitation.

Chapter 32: Cheer for life amidst the clinking of glasses

The night is getting darker.

Lin Sen was in the corner of the izakaya, glancing at the new customers outside the door curtain.

A man and woman stood outside the door. The man stuffed his cigarette butt into a roadside trash can, his hands in his pockets, waiting for the woman beside him to finish the last bit of cigarette between his fingers, as if preparing to enter the store.

Business at Ryuhuya was surprisingly good today. Perhaps it was the lingering inertia from Golden Week that had spurred some of those lazy people who didn't want to cook at home.