My Tokyo Celebrity Girlfriend Is Love-Struck, What Should I Do? - Chapter 53

Everyone is Listening

The dull sound of the train running echoed in their ears, creating a slightly quiet atmosphere inside the carriage.

Apart from occasional low conversations, an inexplicable sense of silence enveloped the five members of the photography team.

In the end, after the fireworks display, they couldn’t resist lingering around for a long time.

Kimura absentmindedly stared out of the train window into the pitch-black night. The myriad lights of Tokyo continuously flashed before his eyes.

However, being a bit late had its advantages, conveniently avoiding the surging crowds just after the fireworks ended. They didn’t have to struggle to get through the throngs of people.

Moreover…

Kimura turned his head to look at Asuka, who was sitting beside him with her head lightly resting on his shoulder.

Asuka had a white mask covering her face, revealing only her closed eyes.

The faint scent of jasmine lingered around her, and it seemed like she was exhausted.

After the fireworks, Asuka had pulled him along the riverside near the venue for quite a while.

A gentle smile appeared on Kimura’s face.

When he turned back, he met the direct gazes of the five members of the photography team.

In an instant, each of them turned their heads elsewhere, feigning indifference.

This kind of situation…

Even an idiot could tell that there was something special between Kimura and Asuka, right?!

After the fireworks, Yoshida’s face had a silly grin that hardly stopped.

Despite running around with the camera all afternoon, there was no sign of fatigue on her face.

The excitement in her eyes almost overwhelmed the reflections on her glasses.

Her mind was already filled with scenes she wanted to edit, and she couldn’t wait to start editing on her computer right now.

“Koike-kouhai, send me the footage from this afternoon when you get back… and also send a copy to Yoshida-kouhai.”

Suddenly, Kimura spoke up.

“Huh? Okay,” Koike Koichi snapped back to reality, nodding a bit slowly.

“A lot of the footage we shot this afternoon was only used once… I don’t know how effective it will be…”

Due to the limited time for the fireworks display, many shots couldn’t be re-filmed. 

So, most of the footage from the afternoon was captured in a single take. 

Unless they could wait for another fireworks display soon, the shots taken today would be the final version.

“It’s really great!” Koike Koichi instinctively replied, “Kimura-senpai and Asuka-senpai really looked like a real couple…”

Hmm?

For a moment, it seemed like everyone’s gaze was focused on Koike Koichi.

The other four members of the photography team stared at him with looks as if he was an alien.

Could it be…

Is this guy really a fool?!

Sensing that he had said something wrong, Koike Koichi quickly halted his words.

“We are indeed a real couple.”

Before Koike Koichi could figure out how to recover, Kimura’s calm voice spoke up.

“Huh?!” The five members of the photography team exclaimed.

Although they had already guessed the relationship between Kimura and Asuka, Kimura had never explicitly stated it.

As members of the junior photography team, they had been pretending not to notice.

But now, Kimura’s direct admission left them a bit bewildered.

Was this something they were allowed to know?

Seeing the photography team members looking at each other, Kimura chuckled and waved his hand.

“Anyway, you guys should have noticed, so there’s no need to hide anything.”

“So… Kimura-senpai is really Asuka-senpai’s boyfriend?” Yoshida asked eagerly, as if repeatedly confirming something very important.

“Yeah.”

“Since when?”

“Probably since our freshman year, and we officially started dating in our sophomore year,” Kimura answered truthfully.

“Doesn’t that mean that Asuka-senpai was already Kimura-senpai’s girlfriend before we started shooting?” Koike Koichi was somewhat stunned.

“Indeed… that’s how it is,” Kimura nodded slightly.

“Huh!!”

Koike Koichi’s mouth opened in shock, his brain becoming a chaotic mess.

His idol and his senpai were in a romantic relationship!

He had pushed this idol, and his senpai was in a romantic relationship.

In an instant, many thoughts flashed through his mind, but most prominently…

It was the excitement of successfully shipping the couple and the sorrow of realizing that his idol had an underground love affair with his senpai.

After a while, as if he had made some major decision, Koike Koichi looked serious.

“Kimura-senpai, don’t worry! I will absolutely not spread this.”

Kimura looked at him somewhat unexpectedly; this guy surprisingly had some intelligence.

“Well, I appreciate it.”

Kimura smiled.

“While it’s not something worth hiding, if it gets exposed, it might cause a lot of trouble for Asuka… So, please don’t spread it around.”

“Yes!”

“It’s getting late. How about we have dinner together later?”

“…”

……

The crisp night breeze brushed by, and flickering lights illuminated the path ahead.

Kimura walked towards the rental house, holding Asuka in his arms.

In one hand, he carried the wooden clogs that were on the girl’s feet.

In the end, the five members of the photography team declined the invitation to have dinner together that night.

Originally, they had planned to celebrate the successful shoot…

However, whether accepting or rejecting, it would save some expenses.

Kimura walked at a leisurely pace.

“Hayata-chan, if you’re too tired, I…”

In his arms, Asuka’s arms were wrapped around Kimura’s neck, and she raised her head to express concern.

“Not tired,” Kimura interrupted her, smiling.

“Is it… heavy?”

“Very light… It seems like Asuka will have to eat more in the future, or else one day the wind might blow you away.”

Kimura joked.

Compared to unloading goods from a truck during work, Asuka’s weight felt exceptionally light.

“Do your feet still hurt?”

“Mm.”

Asuka gently pressed her cheek against Kimura’s chest. Even through the clothes, she could still feel the warmth of the young man’s chest.

In her ears…

were the muffled breaths of Kimura, repeating one after another, and the accelerating heartbeat.

It seemed like the cold winter was being blocked by his embrace.

Kimura walked slowly and steadily.

As if holding the entire world with gentleness and care.

The warm feeling surrounded Asuka, comforting her to the point of closing her eyes.

“We’re almost home. After we get back, take a bath, and you won’t feel so tired.”

Kimura’s voice reached Asuka’s ears.

“Okay.”

Asuka responded softly.

“Asuka.”

“Mm?”

“Well, how should I put it… on the train, I told Koike-kouhai and the others about… our relationship.”

Kimura hesitated as he confessed what happened on the train.

Even though Asuka was sleeping at that time, it was still necessary for her to know about such things.

“I know.”

The calm voice of the girl slightly surprised Kimura, who lowered his head to look at the girl in his arms.

“You know? Wasn’t Asuka asleep at that time?” Kimura was somewhat bewildered.

A faint curve appeared at the corner of Asuka’s mouth.

Strands of hair fell on her fair and serene cheeks.

“I’ve been listening all along, you know. Every word Hayata-chan said, I’ve been listening…”

“Eh?”