Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 145

Interlocking Fingers

After having their fill and satisfying their thirst, the three individuals gathered around a laptop, engaging in conversation with laughter.

By 10 PM, as both Kurosawa and Ninomiya had to attend school the next day, it was time to head back.

“Kurosawa, after playing Croatian Rhapsody this time, are you planning to perform Flight of the Bumblebee next?”

Itsuragi remained the designated driver, pulling out of the garage and chauffeuring them home. Along the way, she continued to talk without pause.

Perhaps it had been a few hours, but her excitement showed no signs of subsiding.

It’s worth noting that today’s successful venture, despite being far from realization in terms of monetization, required many tasks ahead. Immediate financial gains were not guaranteed.

Nevertheless, a good start could ignite boundless aspirations.

Embarking on entrepreneurship with a best friend and her boyfriend, reaching the pinnacle of life together, brought her immense joy—far surpassing her previous experiences working and witnessing Fujiwara Rika’s gradual rise.

This time, she was no longer a mere employee; she had transformed into an entrepreneur and business partner.

“I’m still considering, perhaps.”

Kurosawa sat in the back seat, realizing that she was quite talkative. He shrugged.

“Why ‘perhaps’? Flight of the Bumblebee is so impressive, and didn’t you say it yourself? This piece should create a trend,” Itsuragi couldn’t quite comprehend.

“Because there might be other good pieces,” Kurosawa smiled.

These past days, he had been investigating piano-related matters.

Perhaps this world had a significant overlap with the world he lived in in his previous life, but there were still qualitative differences.

Many piano compositions that were familiar to him hadn’t appeared in this world.

“Do you have any other original piano compositions?” Itsuragi was somewhat surprised.

“Not at the moment, perhaps later,” Kurosawa would need more time to recall and recreate.

Because in his previous life, he wasn’t very familiar with the piano and wasn’t an enthusiast. 

The piano compositions he knew were those widely known, heard in every street and alley, and familiar tunes in schools.

Pieces like the Croatian Rhapsody and Flight of the Bumblebee were typical examples.

Even if you didn’t know its name, you definitely knew its melody; it was really popular, to the point of being known worldwide.

“I’ll be waiting, then. When do you plan to shoot next?” Itsuragi, recognizing her lack of expertise in this area, refrained from interference and simply inquired.

“On Wednesday.”

Kurosawa thought for a moment and scheduled the time.

“So soon?” Itsuragi was somewhat surprised.

“I have something to do next weekend.”

Kurosawa nodded slightly, glancing sideways at Ninomiya sitting in the back seat.

“Something on the weekend? What is it?” Itsuragi asked instinctively.

“A secret,” Kurosawa smiled.

With that tone, if Itsuragi still didn’t understand, she would be too obtuse. She decided not to ask further and drove in silence.

Going viral, huh…

As Itsuragi calmed down, Kurosawa sat in the back seat, right leg crossed over the left, hands folded on her knees, lost in thought.

Honestly, he could imagine that Croatian Rhapsody would gain popularity, but he never expected it to become this huge.

According to his expectations, it should take a few days for this piece to ferment and gradually reveal its explosive potential. The longer the time, the hotter it would become.

However, on the first day, it directly showed the potential to go viral, truly unexpected.

Upon careful consideration, it might be due to the era. Croatian Rhapsody, which became a hit in the early 2000s, if released in the era of explosive online traffic in 2020, might have had such an impact.

Moreover, his expert-level piano skills, possibly even stronger than Maksim’s, combined with the stroke of genius for the cover.

Given this situation, his rise would be much faster than expected, forcing him to think about the next steps, such as what piece he should play.

There were many options, but he had to make an effort to recall.

Why isn’t he holding my hand this time?

As he immersed himself in thought, Ninomiya, seated beside him, subtly tilted her head. 

Behind her frameless glasses, her beautiful eyes stole a glance, and her mind felt a bit anxious.

Because she was preoccupied with this matter, she didn’t even notice Kurosawa mentioning having plans for the weekend and keeping a secret, subtly alluding to something.

Since Wednesday, for her, riding home together, in the dim evening, with no lights, the somewhat dark back seat, and the two of them secretly holding hands, had been an incredibly exciting and anticipated small interaction.

This kind of contact was minor, considering it didn’t amount to much. Still, for her, it was a memorable and cherished moment.

Clearly, on Friday night, at a similar moment, Kurosawa had quietly held her hand in the back seat. 

It happened twice already, so why was there no movement the third time?

Moreover, this time, she intentionally placed her hand beside her, giving him the opportunity. 

But why did he seem not to notice? 

His hands were folded on his knees. 

Could it be that he decided not to hold hands this time?

Perhaps it was because she was eagerly anticipating holding hands, or maybe it was because during the evening, she saw a comment saying that Kurosawas hands looked nice. 

Since then, she had been looking forward to these small interactions on the way home.

But what’s happening now? Why is he not making a move?

What should I do? Is he thinking about piano compositions? At this rate, he might reach his house without any response.

As the car stopped and started again at traffic lights, Ninomiya waited for a while and didn’t get the response she hoped for. Her anxiety grew.

Because with each traffic light, the distance to their respective homes was getting closer.

This wouldn’t do. Tonight, in her excitement, Runa even kissed Kurosawa and hugged him. If today she couldn’t even hold hands, wouldn’t it be a letdown?

Kurosawa was in a dilemma about the selection for the second piece.

Should I choose ‘Annie’s Wonderland,’ or maybe ‘Ballade pour Adeline,’ or ‘Mariage d’amour’?

These three pieces are all classics among classics. In terms of popularity and influence, they are considered the top-tier piano compositions in the world.

Comparatively, even Croatian Rhapsody appeared somewhat overshadowed by these pieces.

To mention or not, in his past life, he couldn’t possibly recreate these compositions because the memories from his previous life were too distant. 

However, due to his expert-level piano skills, his memory of piano compositions began to clear up, recalling melodies he had heard in his previous life.

“!”

At that moment, Kurosawa felt a slight impact on his shin, startling him.

Looking down, there was nothing there, but as he searched with his eyes, he noticed a foot that hadn’t retracted yet.

It was Ninomiya’s foot, and the unexpected sensation was from her high heel.

Regaining composure, he looked over and saw Ninomiya.

Their eyes met, and Ninomiya’s gaze flickered, avoiding eye contact. Then, she fiddled with her hair and turned to look outside the window.

With her elbow resting on the windowsill, chin in hand, she seemed as if she hadn’t been the one to touch him with her foot just now.

What’s going on? 

Kurosawa, puzzled, witnessed the scene.

However, at that moment, as he withdrew his gaze, he saw a slender and fair jade arm reaching towards him. The delicate hand, petite and graceful, was about thirty centimeters away from him.

Does she want me to hold hands? 

Seeing this, Kurosawa instantly realized.

Perhaps without explicitly saying it or extending her hand flat in invitation, the meaning behind this gesture was already clear.

Sensing her intention, Kurosawa shifted his focus from contemplating piano compositions. Instead, he reached out, taking hold of her hand.

This time, it wasn’t the same as before; he slipped his fingers from below, intertwining their hands, fingers weaving through each other.

As they held hands, possibly in the dim light, Kurosawa noticed her hand was quite small, at least compared to his. 

Her skin was smooth and soft, even icy to the touch, making it irresistible.

While doing so, Kurosawa distinctly felt a slight tremor in her body. Yet, she didn’t turn around, nor did she resist or try to break free, as if letting him do as he pleased.

Seeing this, Kurosawa glanced at the driver’s seat and then lifted her hand, lowering his head to her hand’s back, giving it a gentle kiss.

What is he doing?

Suddenly, there was a warm and wet sensation on the back of her hand. 

Unable to sit still any longer, Ninomiya turned around, only to witness him kissing the back of her hand.

This left her a bit dazed, and the next moment, her gaze met a pair of eyes.

Those black eyes, still distinct and prominent in the dimness, curved slightly in a smile, as if saying to her, “Finally caught you.”

“…”

Ninomiya glanced at the driver’s seat and realized that Itsuragi hadn’t noticed this side. 

Then, she quietly placed her arm on the back seat cushion, not making a sound.

This time, she didn’t pretend to look outside the window, accepting the fact of holding hands without any resistance.

So cute.

Seeing her restrained reaction, Kurosawa sighed inwardly and didn’t continue to tease her.

Being with Ninomiya required patience because some things couldn’t be rushed.

His hands do look quite nice…

Ninomiya stole a glance at Itsuragi sitting in the driver’s seat, then discreetly looked at the hands held together beside her. Her heartbeat accelerated.

Kurosawa’s large hand spread out, cradling her palm, fingers interlocked.

This scene was beautiful, stirring emotions, exciting her, and making her content.

A hand-kissing gesture… he’s truly becoming more and more incredible.

Ninomiya recollected the recent events. 

The previous anxiety had been completely swept away, replaced by a mix of joy, surprise, and an indescribable emotion. 

Perhaps her thoughts were still a bit chaotic, but in its place were delight and a sense of wonder.

Regardless, they held hands tonight, and it went a step further than before, with fingers interlocked.

This gesture wasn’t just an ordinary hand-holding; it felt more like a confession, a proposal, a signal that they wanted to grow old together.

She wasn’t in a hurry, easily satisfied, and incredibly patient.

As long as every time they met, they moved forward little by little, accumulating with each encounter, when the time was right, each grain of sand would pile up into a tower, naturally reaching the desired outcome.