tokyo soulful legend

Chapter 158 A Duplicity
Shibuya District, inside Patri Cafe.

Rina Tsugumi, who was sitting in the booth by the window on the second floor, raised her eyebrows and looked at Hoshino Ai in front of her, her beautiful eyes reflected that heroic face with a rather neutral beauty.

Her best friend is still dressed in a sports style today, with short-sleeved shorts and a pair of sneakers of the same color.

If it weren't for the fact that Hoshino Ai had already grown her hair short due to work reasons, she would have tied a vibrant single ponytail today.

"So, you're not sleepy at all?"

Rina Tashisei shook her head, raised her right hand, and glanced at the time on her watch.

It's just 01:30 in the afternoon, which is the time when you are most likely to feel sleepy during the day.

When she was at school, if she had no classes, she would have been lying on her desk to rest.

"Hmm." Hoshino Ai withdrew his gaze from the window, "The nature of my work determines that I can't have the habit of taking a lunch break. It is absolutely unacceptable to be sleepy when I am out on the job."

"That's right." Rina Toshima nodded in understanding and responded rather perfunctorily, "Thank you for your hard work."

"As long as your eyes are firmer, I will believe you." Xingye Ai shook his head, but he didn't care. He smiled cheerfully and took the initiative to start the conversation, "Now, are you still having dinner with your neighbor?"

"Yes."

Tsugumi Makoto Rina nodded slightly and gave an affirmative answer.

In her opinion, this is one of the best decisions in her life so far.

At first, she could only taste the dishes of Beichuan Che and Ejima Miao. Later, with the addition of Beiyuan Linyin, the kitchen of Beichuan's family immediately became lively.

Not only can you taste all kinds of dishes with perfect fire, but you can also let the chef carry out one-to-one flavor refinement according to your own taste.

The only things that may need to be paid are probably the monthly food expenses and the need to take on the responsibility of washing the dishes.

But compared with the food that can be enjoyed, these two "additional costs" are nothing at all.

"But why haven't I heard you mention it during this time?"

Hoshino Ai raised her eyebrows, and looked thoughtfully at Rina Tsugumi in front of her.

"Because I'm afraid you'll be envious when I say it." Tsugumi Rina blinked, picked up the coffee spoon, and stirred it clockwise in her cup of coffee, "Now every meal in his family is pretty good. , from my personal feeling, it is equivalent to being able to taste dishes made by top chefs every day.”

"Really?"

Xingye Ai frowned, a little disbelieving.

She knew that Tsugumi Rina's neighbor was a man, and she knew more about the kind of admiration between Tsugumi Rina's words.

She even thought for a time that her best friend fell in love with this person of the opposite sex, just for some reasons, so it was... hard to express love or something like that.

"What if?" Rina Toshima rolled her eyes, "Or maybe I'll take a photo of every meal and send it to you, so you can be envious?"

"That's not necessary." Xingye Ai waved his hand, "Please forgive me for being insensitive."

"But why do I think there was something in your words just now?"

Thrush Chengli suddenly came back to her senses and looked at Hoshino Ai in front of her with some doubts.

"You just realized?" Hoshino Ai met Rina Tsugumi's gaze, and there was a little more teasing on his face, "I thought you had met the right one."

"……you think too much."

After a moment of silence, Rina Tsugumi smacked her mouth without caring about her image, and took a small sip of her coffee.

"What you said is very meaningful." Hoshino Ai propped up his chin with his left hand, and put his right hand casually on the table. His slender index finger tapped the glass table regularly, "After all, you just mentioned ' When he did it, he had a smile on his face."

You can't fake a smile like that.

People will naturally show that look only when they are facing someone they like, or when they are close to a place where they can relax wholeheartedly.

"Then what if?" Rina Toshima asked, "When you think of happy things, do you still have to look sad and bitter?"

"..." Hoshino Ai pursed her lips as if admitting defeat, "I surrender, this topic ends here."

If she was just skeptical just now, she is half sure now.

If it is true that she has no idea at all in that regard, with Rina Toshima's temperament, she will never answer with a rhetorical question. She will only say bluntly that there is no such thing.

However, since Rina Tori was unwilling to talk, there was no need for her to continue questioning.

Why do you have to do such a disgusting thing?

What's more, from her perspective, she could hear the implicit attitude of Rina Toshima, which was a very complicated emotion.

In other words, Rina Toshima didn't even think about it herself.

"Then change the subject." Hoshino Ai coughed lightly, then paused, "How is that little girl getting along with you?"

"It's Shiori Kashiwahara, not that little girl." Toshimaru Rina sighed and corrected her best friend, "She, like me now, is one of those who shamelessly goes to the neighbor's house to eat."

She thought for a while, and added, "A few days ago, we went to the fireworks display on the Sumida River together, and the fireworks were beautiful."

"Sumida River Fireworks Festival?" Hoshino's eyebrows lit up sadly, as if he had caught some key words, "I think it was the No. 14 of this month, almost a week ago."

"uh-huh."

Rina Toshima nodded.

"It seems that your life now is more colorful than before."

Hoshino Ai blinked, with a hint of envy in his tone.

On the day of NO.14, she was still on duty at the police station.

There are no such things as rest days.

"You're saying that as if I used to look like someone out of touch with society."

Tsugumi Rina glared at her best friend angrily, she raised her hand, her white fingers curled slightly, and flicked the other's head lightly.

"Hey, it hurts!"

Hoshino Ai showed a painful expression quite cooperatively.

The next second, the two looked at each other tacitly, and laughed in unison.

"Again, has your neighbor gone?"

Hoshino Ai picked up the coffee cup and asked a casual question.

"He's gone." Rina Toshiro thought about the scene that day, raised the corners of her mouth unconsciously, and added, "He also played and sang a nice song."

So Hoshino Ai withdrew his gaze meaningfully, lowered his eyebrows, and took a sip of coffee.

The bitter, aftertaste but sweet taste spreads slowly on the tip of the tongue.

She shook her head, sighing a little more in her heart.

Rina, Rina, when you mention him, the expression on your face should be somewhat restrained.

You keep saying no, but your subconscious expression says the opposite.

Have a clear conscience?I am ashamed!
But... see through but don't talk about it.

Putting down the coffee cup, Hoshino Ai blinked and sighed, "So, this is really enviable."

　2/2
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(End of this chapter)