Tokyo Sick Girlfriend

Chapter 26 Focus More on Career
"Then you should come with me."

As the words reached her ears, Mio Takahashi felt as if a stone had been thrown into her heart, and she was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to say.

His tone was as bland and uninteresting as plain water, completely devoid of any emotion.

But the more sudden and uneventful the situation, the more uneasy one feels.

Although it was a statement of affirmation, the meaning of rejection was all too clear.

Mio Takahashi suddenly realized that she and Seiya Shiratori had no emotional foundation whatsoever. Not to mention his relationship with Shione Hojo, even if she was her sister, she should be closer to her than she was to him.

I'm just an outsider I've known for less than half a month.

An indescribable emotion welled up inside me.

She wasn't exactly jealous, but it certainly annoyed her.

Her hands, resting on her thighs, were clenched tightly, leaving no chance for air to slip in.

hateful.

They've already broken up...

Her sudden silence caught Shiratori Seiya's attention, and he turned to look at her face, asking:
"what happened?"

"what……"

Mio Takahashi snapped out of her daze, a bright smile returning to her face. She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, saying:

"I was just joking. Since you all made arrangements in advance, bringing an outsider like me along would be too abrupt, wouldn't it?"

Despite her careful control of her tone, the affected words were even more jarring than when she went with Hojo Suzune to see her.

Shiratori Seiya gave her a deep look and said:

"Do you really want to go?"

Having her thoughts exposed, Mio Takahashi's eyes became unfocused, her heart pounded with panic, and her clenched hands were sweating profusely.

But he still managed a stiff smile and said:
"Huh? I didn't."

However, she was met with Shiratori Seiya's silent gaze. After only a moment, she could not bear the boy's gaze and abruptly lowered her head.

She suddenly regretted saying that she shouldn't let Shiratori Seiya see Hojo Suzune.

Damn!

"I really don't recommend that you go with us to meet Hojo Suzune."

Shiratori Seiya looked at her profile and began to explain:

"That child has some personality issues; she has a bad temper, and even her sister can't stand her."

Shiratori Seiya's explanation surprised Takahashi Mio.

Her fair, lively ears twitched, and the knotted emotions within her melted away. She couldn't help but raise her head and ask:
"So she...is willing to go out with you?"

"Ah."

Shiratori Seiya nodded and said directly:
"She likes me."

"..."

Looking at the boy's calm face, Takahashi Mio didn't know what to say for a moment.

To be so honest with his girlfriend about another woman liking him makes him seem like a complete jerk.

Surprisingly, she didn't feel any aversion. Her rosy lips parted slightly, and she couldn't help but ask softly:

"Then why are you still going to see her? Aren't you afraid she'll cling to you?"

"Not afraid."

"If I really dodged it, then I would feel guilty."

"The so-called impossibility of being together is simply impossibility. Otherwise, I wouldn't have posted updates with you, and she would have seen them too."

"Oh."

Mio Takahashi responded, her previously panicked heart calming down with his words.

"You don't need to worry about your friends finding out about this. It's just a photo. They've never actually seen me. I'll change my clothes and no one will recognize me."

"Oh."

"Alright, everything's been explained." Shiratori Seiya said, zipping up his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder, staring intently into Takahashi Mio's eyes.

"However, compared to all this messy stuff, I still hope you can focus your attention on the tasks I've assigned you."

"If the standards aren't met, you won't get a single penny."

With that, Shiratori Seiya turned off the air conditioner and turned to leave the classroom with a deft gesture.

"..."

Looking at the boy's figure, Takahashi Mio's eyes showed a complicated expression, and she bit her lip.

That's really going too far.

He went on a date with another woman, yet he spoke with such a clear conscience...

Mio Takahashi thought to herself with a sense of complaint.

However, no matter what, he is still his girlfriend now.

As she pondered what Shiratori Seiya had just said to her, the more she thought about it, the happier she felt.

After a while, the feeling of pride in his heart seemed to reach its peak.

She burst out laughing.

Her bright smile was as dazzling as fireworks.
-
Noon, at the Hojo residence.

Hojo Suzune stood in front of the bedroom mirror, holding up clothes and comparing them to herself, looking at her reflection with a critical eye, and muttering to herself.

"This one's alright, but isn't it a bit too feminine? It doesn't suit my style at all..."

"This is so shiny, when did I buy it?"

"This is so ugly..."

She tried on one item and threw it away; her clothes were scattered on chairs, beds, floors, and almost everywhere in the room.

She even took out her junior high school uniform to try it on, and surprisingly, it still fit her well, even though a long time had passed.

Hojo Suzune stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, then angrily threw her school uniform into the trash can, and then took out a white dress to change into.

However, after changing into it, the fabric at the chest area was noticeably looser.

"Sis! Why did you stuff your clothes in my closet?!"

"..."

After working for an unknown amount of time, Hojo Suzune finally picked out three outfits that she was somewhat satisfied with and packed them into her suitcase. As for the kimono, she had already bought it with her mother last month.

Hojo Suzune felt sweat pouring down her back. Even when she was practicing the piano the hardest, it was about the same as this.
He raised the back of his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, then plopped down onto the bed.

Although I've mostly chosen my clothes, I'll still check out tomorrow's itinerary...

Regarding her birthday trip to Tokyo, Shiratori Seiya had asked her where she wanted to go beforehand so he could make some preparations.

However, Hojo Suzune refused outright.

How could I possibly leave it to you, Kiyoya, to arrange? Wouldn't that ruin the whole thing?

She squinted and smiled, then lay on her side, curling up her fair legs and shrinking into a small ball.

I tapped my phone's notepad to double-check my plan for any loopholes, since I was going to Tokyo with my sister tonight...

However, just as she was halfway through checking the text word by word, a notification popped up at the top of her phone.

[Shiratori Seiya: ...]

Hojo Suzune blinked, feeling somewhat surprised.

Why did he decide to post an update?

Shiratori Seiya never posts updates unless it's absolutely necessary.

Clicking on the link, a message saying "Please take care of me in the future" paired with an intimate photo of him and another woman immediately caught my eye.

?

As if her heart had been pricked by a needle, Hojo Suzune's pupils contracted sharply, and she sprang up from the bed.

He shouted as he rushed toward the living room:
"sister!"

……
-
(End of this chapter)