Chapter 17: The Arcade
The night in Shibuya was always bursting with energy, as the flashing neon lights painted the entire street into a multicolored canvas. On one corner, the massive signboard of an arcade stood out conspicuously against the night sky, with waves of young people constantly flowing in and out of the entrance.
It was already past eight in the evening, the prime golden hour after dinner. Inside the arcade, a cacophony of various electronic sound effects echoed—the heavy thuds of fighting games, the rhythmic beats of music games, and the digital tunes of slot machines intertwined to form a unique urban noise. A few youths with multi-colored hair gathered near the entrance, dangling cigarettes from their mouths and looking very much like members of a local neighborhood gang.
Standing on the sidewalk across from the arcade, Hikaru Hoshino looked at this sketchy venue, unable to help the wave of doubt rising in his heart.
*Why on earth did Koromo Shiranui choose a place like this for a date?*
He recalled the moment he received the invitation a few days ago. At the time, Koromo had used her usual dazed, spacey tone to say she wanted to go play games together. He had assumed she meant one of those cute, pink-themed arcades where the main attractions were claw machines and photo booths. He never expected it to be a hardcore arcade like this.
Taking a deep breath, Hikaru stepped forward and walked toward the entrance. Before he even reached the doors, his eyes instantly caught sight of Koromo amidst the bustling crowd.
She was standing right in the shadow of the arcade's entrance, forming a stark, vivid contrast with her surroundings.
Koromo's outfit today was exceptionally eye-catching—not because it was glamorous, but because it was entirely out of place. She was wearing the standard summer school uniform of Shuchi'in Academy: a black sleeveless dress that traced her slender silhouette, layered over a crisp, snow-white short-sleeved blouse. The collar featured the signature white square sailor-style flap, tied neatly with a vibrant red ribbon string.
Her short hair was styled in its usual familiar look, the ends slightly curled inward and straight bangs neatly covering her forehead. Most prominent was the stubborn ahoge on top of her head, swaying gently in the night breeze. The decorative tassels on either side of her head moved softly with her motions, shimmering with a gentle luster under the reflection of the neon lights.
In an environment teeming with rebellious youths and blaring electronic noise, Koromo Shiranui—dressed in a pristine school uniform—looked like an angel who had accidentally wandered into the mortal realm, so completely out of place that it was impossible to ignore her.
Hikaru stood dazed at the sight.
There was absolutely no mistake; that was one hundred thousand percent the Shuchi'in Academy uniform.
*Did she seriously come straight here without even changing out of her school uniform?* Hikaru screamed internally.
While Hikaru was frozen in a daze, a small-time thug with dyed blonde hair spotted Koromo standing by the entrance. His eyes lit up, and with an ill-intentioned smirk on his face, he sauntered over to her, swaying on his feet.
"Hey there, little sister, all by yourself? Want big brother to keep you compa—"
Before the blonde thug could even finish his sentence—in fact, before he could even get within five meters of her—a thick, muscular arm suddenly shot out from the side, clamping around his neck with pinpoint accuracy. A massive burly man standing well over 190 centimeters tall lifted the thug off the ground like a helpless little chick, his face entirely expressionless.
"Kid, this isn't a place you should be hanging around," the giant's voice rumbled, low and deep as if echoing from underground.
The blonde thug's face instantly flushed crimson as his feet kicked wildly in midair, muffled cries for mercy slipping through his lips. Entirely ignoring him, the massive man kept him locked under his arm and marched him straight toward the far end of the street.
Watching this scene unfold, Hikaru's body stiffened. Only then did he realize that while Koromo Shiranui might appear dazed and spacey, she was, after all, the pampered daughter of a powerful, prestigious family. How could she possibly go anywhere without bodyguards by her side?
*What do I do? Do I just walk over and talk to her?* Hikaru hesitated, shrinking back in fear.
*Are they really not going to throw me out too? If I get tossed away by a bodyguard right in front of the cameras, my celebrity career is basically over, right?*
Sensing the gaze of the disguised cameraman behind him, Hikaru knew he couldn't delay any longer. He composed his expression, putting on an air of nonchalance as he stepped forward.
"Good evening." Hikaru offered a polite smile, his gaze lingering on Koromo's school uniform with a look of genuine interest. "Is Koromo-chan... perhaps coming straight from school?"
Koromo lifted her head, her large eyes blinking, her tone carrying that same signature spacey vibe. "Mm. I didn't have any show schedules during the day today, so I went to school for the first time in a while."
"It's been so long since I visited, I didn't expect it to have changed *thaaat* much." Having found someone to share her thoughts with, Koromo began to roast her school with a deadpan expression. "That seemingly eternal student council has finally transitioned to a new generation. I honestly thought the President and the others would just stay in the student council for the rest of their lives. As the saying goes, when you talk about Shirogane, it's the President, and when you talk about the President, it's Shirogane..."
Suddenly snapping out of it, Koromo apologized to Hikaru: "Sorry, I accidentally talked too much."
"You don't mind, right?"
Koromo looked up at Hikaru like a small, innocent animal.
"If Koromo-chan wants someone to share daily life topics with, I'm more than happy to listen," Hikaru said gentlemanly.
In fact, he wouldn't mind if she talked a bit more, since he was actually quite curious about that crowd at Shuchi'in.
However, Koromo had already switched into filming mode. She suddenly reached out and linked her arm through Hikaru's. "Let's go, let's head inside and play games."
Before Hikaru could even react, he was pulled along into the arcade by her. The roaring blast of electronic music instantly enveloped them, multicolored lights flashed in the dim space, and the air was thick with a mixture of cigarette smoke and sweat.
Not long after the two figures disappeared into the arcade entrance, a dark silhouette quickly followed them inside.
The person wore a black baseball cap pulled down very low, with a matching black face mask that covered nearly her entire face. A loose black jacket enveloped her slender frame, paired with jeans and sneakers that made her look like any ordinary passerby.
Yet, if one were to look closely, they could still identify her from those exposed purple eyes—it was none other than Ai.
Ai hesitated at the arcade entrance for a moment, but soon, she clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and stepped inside anyway.
*Why did I even follow them here?*
As Ai asked herself this question internally, she navigated through the arcade with utmost caution, constantly maintaining a specific distance from Hikaru and Koromo. Hiding behind a row of slot machines, she peeked through the gaps between the units to spy on them.
*It's clearly just a shoot for the show...*
First, she had accidentally overheard Koromo inviting Hikaru out on a date, and immediately after, a heavy, suffocating feeling had settled in her chest, as if something precious had been snatched away from her. By the time she snapped out of her thoughts, she was already on the path of stalking them.
On the other side of the arcade, Hikaru and Koromo were standing before a rhythm game machine. The massive screen flashed with a vibrant array of musical notes, and deafening electronic music blasted from the speakers. Koromo tapped to the beat with absolute mastery, her movements light and precise, hitting every single note flawlessly.
*As expected of an active idol, her singing and dancing capabilities are just as outstanding as Ai's.* Standing on the adjacent platform, Hikaru struggled to keep up with Koromo's pace, missing quite a few notes along the way.
Holding a compact rig, the cameraman captured the contrasting performances of the two.
Amidst the grueling game, Hikaru's peripheral vision inadvertently swept across a corner of the arcade. Suddenly, a familiar figure burst into his line of sight.
Even though that person was bundled up tightly, Hikaru recognized her instantly from her silhouette and stance. His expression shifted slightly, causing him to almost miss another beat.
*Ai? What is she doing here?*
Doubt filled Hikaru's mind, but on the surface, he forced himself to stay focused on the game. Once the song ended, he pretended as though nothing was amiss and said, "Excuse me for a moment, I need to use the restroom."
"Mm, go ahead," Koromo nodded, turning back to select the next track on the machine.
Hikaru walked away quickly, but instead of heading to the restroom, he took a wide detour through the crowd, quietly slipping up right behind Ai.
"What brings Ai to a place like this?" he suddenly spoke up. "Could it be that you're just passing by?"
"Eek!" Startled, Ai flinched, nearly crying out loud. She whirled around in a panic, and upon seeing it was Hikaru, a flash of fluster darted through her purple eyes.
"Right, r-right!" Ai scrambled for an excuse, her voice stuttering slightly out of nervousness. "I was just passing by, and then I noticed Hikaru was here, so... so I just followed you in to take a look."
Looking at Ai's panicked state, Hikaru understood everything clearly, yet he went along with it and asked, "Well, now that Ai has seen us, are you going to head back next?"
"Eh?" Ai blanked out for a second before shaking her head. "Since I'm already here, I might as well play for a bit before going back. You and Koromo-chan can just carry on with your date normally, don't mind me."
*The classic 'since I'm already here,'* Hikaru laughed silently to himself. Looking at Ai's guilty conscience, he couldn't help but sigh.
This place was a bit chaotic; if he left Ai entirely on her own, something might actually go wrong. After all, even though Ai was heavily disguised, anyone could tell at a glance that she was a girl.
"Well, since you're already here..." After a moment's thought, Hikaru gently grasped Ai's wrist. "Come on, I'll take you to play something."
"Eh? But isn't Hikaru currently filming a show?" Ai was pulled along, looking entirely flustered and lost.
"There's still some time. I can just head back to her in a bit."
The two silhouettes quickly vanished into the sea of people.
Not too far away, as if sensing something, Koromo Shiranui cast a fleeting glance toward their direction, but she retracted her gaze just as quickly.
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