Chapter 7: The Rendezvous

After Ryuichi Sugawara had memorized the general details about Yue Yamabuki, he began to state his own basic information.

For example: eighteen years old, 187 centimeters tall, birthday on April 8th (Aries), weight as a secret, and a hobby of reading and studying.

"We need to adjust the age a bit. In their impression, you are a third-year student at Waseda University, two years younger than me, which makes you twenty-one," Yue Yamabuki suggested.

"Understood. However, I still cannot drink alcohol. If I were caught, the consequences would be even more severe than a student-teacher scandal." Ryuichi Sugawara nodded slightly, accepting the suggestion while issuing a prior disclaimer.

In Japan, both men and women must be at least twenty years old to drink alcohol. Inducing a minor to drink is an illegal act.

"I understand. I'll just tell them you don't like to drink, and that you tend to spill secrets when you're intoxicated." Yue Yamabuki naturally understood the logic and the stakes involved.

"There is one more thing: how we address each other." Once they reached a consensus on the boundaries, Ryuichi Sugawara realized the final issue.

"You can just call me 'Yue-nee' (Sister Yue). They will probably be quite excited; after all, you are my younger junior." Yue Yamabuki had been prepared for this before they even met.

"Yue-nee?" Seeing that she had already planned for it, Ryuichi Sugawara tried saying it aloud.

[Yue Yamabuki feels her heart racing. Heartthrob value +1]

"May I call you Ryuichi?" Seeing him call her "sister" made Yue Yamabuki feel inexplicably excited, a sensation akin to an electric shock.

"Of course." Ryuichi Sugawara only wanted to know how he should address her; as for how others addressed him, it did not matter, provided they were not insulting nicknames.

With their conversation reaching this point, the matter of aligning their stories was effectively resolved. Since they had ample time, Yue Yamabuki gave Ryuichi a brief introduction to her close friends from high school, so he would be better prepared to handle them.

...

At 4:40 PM, in front of a refined sukiyaki restaurant in Shibuya.

Although the meeting was set for 5:00 PM, Japanese people are known for being extremely punctual and having a strong sense of time, so many people tend to arrive early.

A man and a woman had already reached the meeting spot. Both had red hair; the man was tall and handsome, and the woman was young and beautiful.

"Sister, do you think Yue-nee really has a boyfriend?"

Wearing a black jacket, long trousers, and a thin windbreaker, the man stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the storefront wall. He looked around, feeling somewhat restless.

"She really does... And Shogo, why don't you go back first? This reunion is for women only. You, a grown man, staying here might make everyone uncomfortable."

Risa Minamida was wearing a blouse and a miniskirt, carrying a handbag. Her beautiful legs were quite eye-catching as she looked at the question with helplessness.

In truth, she wasn't entirely sure if Yue Yamabuki had a boyfriend, but when she had jokingly recommended her younger brother some time ago, the "forever-single" Yue-chan suddenly had a boyfriend not long after. It wasn't hard to tell from this that Yue-chan had no interest in her brother at all.

"This isn't a women's reunion, is it? Weren't we told that Yue-nee was bringing her boyfriend?" Shogo Minamida disagreed with this assessment.

He had heard about this gathering last week: Yue-nee would be bringing her boyfriend for everyone to meet.

"Shogo, you absolutely must not start a conflict with him. Don't make things difficult for me and Yue-chan," Risa Minamida warned, feeling a bit annoyed by his words.

"I'm not trying to make things difficult for you. I just want to see Yue-nee's boyfriend."

Although he had followed them without permission, Shogo Minamida was a university student, after all, and knew how to behave. He wasn't there to cause trouble; he just wanted to know where he had fallen short.

Seeing his dejected look, Risa Minamida guessed what he was thinking. She opened her mouth but couldn't bring herself to scold him further.

Where exactly did he lose? It was simply because when a girl has no feelings for a guy, she truly has no feelings. That is a reality that no amount of time can change.

As people came and went, the time reached 4:47 PM. Two more girls arrived at the meeting spot. One of them began waving from a distance:

"Risa!"

Wakaba Miyagi had a very enthusiastic and outgoing personality. She was dressed in a super-sexy short-sleeved crop top and a pair of distressed denim hot pants.

Walking alongside her, Mai Asai was dressed more modestly in a long black dress.

"Risa, Shogo-kun," Mai Asai greeted them as she stepped closer.

"I told you Shogo would come, didn't I? With Yue-chan's boyfriend making an appearance, this kid would never miss it." Meanwhile, Wakaba Miyagi triumphantly nudged Risa's waist with her elbow, looking incredibly smug.

"Wakaba-nee, Mai-nee." Having known them since junior high, Shogo Minamida wasn't embarrassed, even though he was being teased to his face.

"Commendable courage, worthy of praise!" Wakaba Miyagi patted his shoulder and gave him a thumbs up, grateful for his arrival, which helped her win another bet.

"Where's Yue-chan?" Seeing Wakaba's playful nature, Mai Asai shook her head helplessly and looked toward Risa Minamida.

"It's 4:49 PM. She should be here soon. After all, she is never late." Risa Minamida checked her phone and didn't seem worried.

Though she was calm, Shogo Minamida grew anxious as he saw the other "sisters" arriving one by one, continuing to scan the area.

Just then, his gaze suddenly froze.

"Has she arrived? Let me see." Wakaba Miyagi had been watching his reaction. Noticing his gaze fixate, she stepped beside him, stood on tiptoes, and looked in the same direction.

Following their lead, the others all looked over as well.

In the crowd not far away, a familiar, graceful figure was approaching. Even though she was wearing a hat and a mask, they had known her for many years; even in a sea of people, they could recognize Yue Yamabuki at a glance.

What was surprising was that she was walking while holding someone's hand. Following the line of her arm, everyone saw a man with jet-black hair, styled in a long, parted fringe, wearing a black mask.

"Are you serious? That guy is so handsome!" Perhaps it was because they were too far away to see his features clearly, but even so, Wakaba Miyagi was shocked.

Because handsomeness is a vibe—his tall, slender build and minimalist, stylish outfit gave him a strong, standout presence in the crowd, even with a mask on.

"They look so well-matched," Mai Asai remarked, focusing on the big picture. Seeing them walk out of the crowd holding hands felt like watching a scene from a television drama.

"..." Risa Minamida said nothing, only looking at her brother with a sense of worry.

Under everyone's gaze, Ryuichi Sugawara and Yue Yamabuki reached them.

"Risa, Wakaba, Mai, and Shogo-kun, why are you all here? Am I late?" Yue Yamabuki scanned everyone one by one, greeting them before asking with a hint of concern.

"No, we only arrived a few minutes ago ourselves." Because her brother had tagged along and added an unexpected twist, Risa Minamida quickly shook her head to deny it.

"Hello~ I'm Yue-chan's good friend, Wakaba Miyagi." Wakaba Miyagi stepped forward to greet Ryuichi Sugawara enthusiastically, extending her hand.

In Japan, when meeting for the first time, people usually bow and exchange greetings, being very mindful of personal space; handshakes are rare. She offered her hand partly due to her bold personality, and partly because her first impression of him was excellent.

"Nice to meet you. I am Ryuichi Sugawara, Yue-nee's boyfriend. Please look after me." Facing her outstretched hand, Ryuichi Sugawara did not hesitate and introduced himself with poise.