Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 119

Sharp Eye

Tuesday’s classes ended early.

At 4:15 PM, as usual, Kurosawa arrived punctually at a luxurious apartment building in the city center.

“Ding!”

With the elevator reaching its destination, a crisp and pleasant sound echoed.

As the elevator doors opened, Kurosawa walked out and saw Akai Sayaka.

She was still wearing her unchanging maid outfit, with a calm expression that seemed stern and serious.

“Good afternoon, Miss Akai.”

However, after the encounter on Sunday, Kurosawa no longer felt a sense of distance when looking at her; he smiled slightly.

Before this, being with Akai felt like being a laborer under a strict supervisor.

But now, he had come to realize that this supervisor wasn’t as strict as she appeared on the surface.

“Mr. Kurosawa seems to be in a good mood today. Your access card, please.”

Akai responded and reached out her hand for the access card.

“Seriously? Do we still need this routine check?”

Seeing her so serious, Kurosawa felt a bit annoyed but extended his hand to give her the card.

“Mr. Kurosawa, becoming friends with the young lady is beyond my authority to intervene, but please do not forget the tutoring task. If the young lady fails to get into the University of Tokyo, we will all be held accountable.”

The distance between the two was a bit close, less than half a meter. Akai took the access card, glanced at it, and whispered.

“I understand.”

“And when under surveillance, don’t act like we’re close.”

“Ok.”

Realizing that she wasn’t unfriendly but concerned about potential issues, Kurosawa nodded.

After the routine check, Akai led him to the study first and then went upstairs to call for others.

Influenced by this reminder, Kurosawa was very serious during the tutoring session.

Although Shiromiya wanted to chat with him secretly during class, she patiently focused on her studies.

It wasn’t until 6 PM, following the usual schedule, that Akai left the room to prepare dinner, giving them a bit of rest time.

“No wonder you seemed so nervous today.”

Shiromiya, holding a pen, chuckled after hearing about the situation when he entered.

“With surveillance everywhere, you’ve really had a tough time.”

Kurosawa pretended to be attentive during class but couldn’t help feeling exasperated with this heavily monitored house.

With surveillance everywhere in the house, this desire for control was too terrifying… 

If it were him, he might have become depressed long ago.

“There’s no surveillance in my room.” Shiromiya’s words carried an implication.

“That place is temporarily off-limits.” Kurosawa glanced at her and said casually.

“I should indeed focus on studying. We can take our time to play when we meet at the dojo on Sunday.”

Shiromiya nodded slightly and then expressed some anticipation.

Since they met at the Windchaser Dojo and went through so much together, she now eagerly looked forward to Sundays, even in her dreams.

“On Sunday… I might not be able to make it, as I have some things to attend to.”

Sensing her hopeful gaze, Kurosawa paused and spoke.

“You’re not going to accompany someone else, are you?”

Shiromiya, who was counting down the days until Sunday, showed a hint of jealousy in her beautiful eyes.

Although she didn’t mind him being flirtatious, she didn’t want him to neglect her either.

“It’s for my career. I want to become an entertainer,” Kurosawa didn’t deny, nodded slightly, and added.

“You want to become an entertainer? Why is this so sudden?” This revelation shattered Shiromiya’s jealous thoughts because it was too impactful.

“This happened before archery; I just didn’t mention it to you before.”

“You actually want to become an entertainer… Please don’t become an actor.” Shiromiya was quite shocked and couldn’t help but express her concern.

“Why can’t I be an actor as a pianist or singer? Why limit myself?” Kurosawa was indifferent to the idea of becoming an actor and, hearing her anticipation, couldn’t help but be curious.

“Even if you become a national-level idol as an actor, the status is still questionable. Singers and pianists are more acceptable. By the way, can you sing and play the piano? You’re too versatile, aren’t you?” Shiromiya explained while expressing her amazement.

“Your praise is too much; you’re quite versatile yourself,” although Kurosawa was open with her, he couldn’t possibly reveal that he had a system. He just smiled.

When it came to being versatile, Shiromiya was no different. 

Looking at her daily schedule with dancing, musical instruments, archery, and academic achievements, it was evident she excelled in everything.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say she was a typical model student, a paragon of excellence.

“How skilled are you?”

“In singing, I’m at an entry level, but when it comes to the piano, I consider myself proficient.”

“Give me a chance to hear you play.”

Hearing him claim proficiency again, Shiromiya didn’t underestimate him this time. 

“There’s no need for me to play the piano for you. You should be able to hear it next week. I’ll be posting videos online, so you can listen then,” explained Kurosawa.

“If you don’t play it for me, I’ll be upset.”

“If there’s a chance, I’ll definitely play it for you.”

With the conversation reaching this point, if Kurosawa still couldn’t grasp her feelings, he would be quite dense.

Clearly, she wasn’t interested in merely listening to him play the piano; she wanted to witness his performance with her own eyes.

“You can’t come this week, but next week, you absolutely must come. We’re almost on summer break,” Shiromiya expressed her delight after finalizing the plans. Then, something crossed her mind, and she offered a reminder.

There was not much time left before the summer vacation.

“During summer break, won’t I still need to give you private tutoring? What’s the difference?”

“True… You can’t just quit being my tutor just because you’re earning money as an entertainer. I’m already anticipating Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays..” 

“I’ll continue being your tutor until you get into university.”

Understanding her expectations, Kurosawa agreed willingly. There was less than a year left until her university entrance exams, and he felt committed until the very end.

“Alright, when I get into Tokyo University, I’ll be your kouhai,” she said, her eyes curving like two crescent moons, as she appreciated his dedication.

“But won’t you have to call me senpai then?” Kurosawa teased, recalling this aspect.

“Call it what you want~ Being an artist is not bad; it’ll help you become a master of archery, and your fame will grow,” she playfully said, imagining the advantages of their agreement for the upcoming Sunday and the year of tutoring ahead.

“There’s something I need to clarify in advance.”

“What is it?”

“The master of archery, Kurosawa Hikaru, and the artist Kurosawa Hikaru are two different people,” said Kurosawa seriously.

“Oh?”

“I want to become a masked artist, the kind that doesn’t show their face, so people won’t know I’m Kurosawa Hikaru.”

“You, with that handsome face, want to be a masked artist? Isn’t that a waste?”

Upon hearing this decision, Shiromiya was filled with question marks.

To say or not, Kurosawa’s was extremely good looking, and his temperament was outstanding, especially when he wore traditional Japanese clothing for archery, he looked incredibly handsome.

With such a foundation, he could probably attract many girls just with his face.

“There are many reasons.”

Kurosawa felt that explaining this matter was a bit complicated, especially since it involved other girls, and it wasn’t appropriate to bring it up.

Although they had agreed on certain terms, he still felt that bringing up other girls in front of one girl was not good behavior and wouldn’t be a pleasant topic.

This is like when your girlfriend suddenly, on a whim, asks you, “What was your ex-girlfriend like?” If you honestly answer, it’s like walking into a trap; it’s better to vaguely dodge the question.

“Could it be because you’re involved with multiple people and don’t want everyone to know?”

Shiromiya, seeing that he suddenly refused to talk, came up with a hint.

“You really have a keen eye.” Admitting the truth after being exposed, Kurosawa didn’t deny it either.

His relationship with Shiromiya was quite special. 

Although he needed to avoid mentioning other girls in front of her to avoid making her unhappy, in situations like this, he could acknowledge it.

“What does ‘keen eye’ mean?” (1)

“It means nothing can escape your eyes.” Noticing that she didn’t know the reference from Journey to the West, Kurosawa explained.

“Of course.” Hearing this compliment, Shiromiya smiled.

The half-hour break quickly came to an end. After dinner, they continued their serious studies.

Tuesday and Thursday combined, there was only one hour of break time in total, making it quite brief.

Even in such a brief period, for Shiromiya it was not easy to come by and was immensely satisfying.

Until 10:30 in the evening, a day of classes came to an end.

“Good night.”

As Akai reminded them that today’s tutoring session was over, Kurosawa looked at Shiromiya beside him, tidying up teaching materials, and whispered.

“Good night.”

Shiromiya was organizing her textbooks, and upon hearing this, she paused, her lips gently curving upward, and she whispered.

Even though they exchanged “good night” messages via text for two consecutive days starting from Sunday, saying it face to face was still more pleasing.

After finishing the tutoring session, Kurosawa left the apartment and took the subway home.

At home, just like the previous days, he first replied to Ichinose, and also did not forget to send a message to Ninomiya.

In addition, there was a message from Itsuragi.

“Get ready, tomorrow after school, I’ll come pick you up. Let’s go check out our new company together.”

“So soon?”

Kurosawa was somewhat surprised that she had prepared everything in just a few days but agreed.

Upon careful thought, Itsuragi’s initiative was quite strong.

For example, she immediately approached Ichinose, trying to understand the details about the Karaoke Song Deity.

In addition, during that date with Ninomiya, her assistance was crucial. Basically, as long as she wanted to, she could make things happen.

“Remember to invite Chizuru. I successfully persuaded her to contribute so much for the first time because I told her I was building a recording studio, which could avoid many troubles. I hinted that she could meet you at the company without worrying about being seen by others.”

Itsuragi sent a triumphant expression, followed by another message.

“Oh really now…”

Seeing this, Kurosawa was somewhat surprised.

He realized that Ninomiya’s feelings were truly restrained and concealed.

She wasn’t like Ichinose, expressing everything on the surface with obvious affection, nor was she like Shiromiya being outspoken and uninhibited due to bared emotions.

Perhaps due to considerations of her status or her personality, Ninomiya’s feelings and gestures toward him were like a gentle drizzle, subtle and silent.

For example, in terms of equity distribution, it was not an exaggeration to say that as long as the business was successful, he could bid farewell to financial troubles. 

The allocation of this matter was likely decided by Ninomiya herself, preferring to take the loss herself rather than let him suffer.

TL Notes:

1. 1. The term Kurosawa uses is “火眼金睛” (huǒ yǎn jīn jīng), a Chinese idiom derived from the classic novel “Journey to the West,” translates to keen/sharp eye in English.