Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 35

A Mind Full of Poetry, a Demeanor Radiating Elegance

After walking for a while, Kurosawa followed them into a parking lot. The car was a Toyota, and Kurosawa wasn’t familiar with the specific model and style, but it looked quite sleek, indicating a hefty price.

As Itsuragi Runa unlocked the car with the keys and took the driver’s seat, the passenger door was also opened for Ninomiya.

“You go sit in the back,” Itsuragi immediately said, hands on the steering wheel, even before Ninomiya could settle into the seat.

“Why?” Ninomiya was a bit puzzled.

“Do you intend to let Kurosawa sit alone in the back? Take the chance to chat with him more,” Itsuragi suggested, waving her hand to signal Ninomiya to sit in the back.

Seeing Itsuragi’s determined attitude, Ninomiya had no choice but to get out of the car and head to the back seat.

“I’ve helped set you up with Chizuru if you’re interested,” seizing the moment as Ninomiya got out of the car, Itsuragi turned to Kurosawa, giving him an OK gesture and a wink.

“Well, thanks a lot,” seeing her expression and reaction, Kurosawa was somewhat astonished but nodded in response.

Undoubtedly, the assistant Ninomiya brought along was more of a hindrance than help.

Without waiting for more dialogue, Ninomiya had already opened the car door and moved to the back seat.

Though the car was a sedan, the backseat space was surprisingly spacious. Even with two people sitting, there was a gap between the seats, ensuring they weren’t too close.

“Let’s go,” Ninomiya, unexpectedly sitting beside Kurosawa, smoothed her bangs with her hand, calming the slight turbulence in her heart.

“Why are you putting on your seatbelt?” Itsuragi turned her head to stare at Ninomiya.

“To fasten the seatbelt, of course. It’s for safety,” she responded.

“Don’t you trust my driving skills?”

“You…”

Ninomiya really wanted to ask what was going on with her, but considering the presence of a student, she forcefully suppressed her impulse and gave up on insisting on the seatbelt.

Neon traffic rules only deduct points for not wearing seat belts in the back seat on highways, and there’s usually no penalty on regular roads.

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

No longer procrastinating, Itsuragi finally set off.

It takes about two hours to drive from Tokyo to the amusement park.

Although taking the high-speed train would be faster, there was still plenty of time, and Kurosawa wasn’t in a hurry.

“Miss Ninomiya.”

As the journey began, initiating the unspoken amusement park date, Kurosawa thought for a moment and decided to break the silence.

“Why don’t you call me ‘sensei’?” Ninomiya looked at him, tilting her head.

From the moment they met in the morning, this guy not only didn’t address her as ‘sensei,’ but he didn’t even use polite language.

“I feel that when we’re out, you don’t want me to address you that way… If you prefer me to call you ‘sensei,’ I can go back to that.” Kurosawa had already prepared a countermeasure for this.

In fact, he believed that to complete the mission, he had to downplay the teacher-student relationship at all costs. Besides, if they maintained the teacher-student relationship, it would be impossible to fully enjoy today’s amusement park trip.

“Let’s keep it this way. What were you saying just now?” Ninomiya thought about it and found it acceptable without pressing the issue.

“Wearing these glasses, is it just a disguise?” Kurosawa couldn’t help but ask as he looked at her profile.

“Yes.”

“It’s not for nearsightedness?”

“I’m a little nearsighted. Why do you ask?”

Ninomiya wanted to know the underlying reason for his question.

“Because I think you look great with glasses. Why didn’t you wear them before?” Kurosawa didn’t hold back and directly expressed his thoughts.

“Hey, the way you put it, does that mean Chizuru isn’t beautiful in her usual state?”

Upon hearing this, Itsuragi, who was driving ahead, immediately voiced her disagreement.

“Miss Ninomiya is always beautiful, but with glasses, it accentuates her charm. She’s like a female professor with hidden literary talents and a poetic aura.” Kurosawa defended his statement.

“This is just typical eloquence at the University of Tokyo.”

“I’m just speaking the truth.”

With this banter, Kurosawa ended up improvising all the lines he had prepared.

“I usually wear contact lenses during lectures,” Ninomiya said without changing her expression.

Although she maintained a calm exterior, she couldn’t deny feeling a bit pleased deep down.

Kurosawa’s praise wasn’t about her appearance but rather her overall demeanor.

For someone who sees herself as a talented woman, this kind of praise was quite beneficial.

“Why don’t you wear them even with contact lenses?”

“Without lipstick, it doesn’t match these glasses.”

“Miss Ninomiya, do you usually like to coordinate your outfits?”

“It’s okay. I just pay more attention to my image.”

“Pfft.” 

At this point in the conversation, Itsuragi suddenly burst into laughter.

This laughter made Kurosawa glance at her involuntarily.

“What are you laughing at?” Ninomiya’s expression turned a bit gloomy.

What is up with this friend? She came to help, but it seems more like she’s here to cause trouble.

“It’s nothing. I just remembered something funny.” Itsuragi didn’t elaborate and just brushed it off.

Ninomiya didn’t want to dwell on this topic, so she turned her head to look at Kurosawa.

“Your outfit is completely different from what you wear at school.”

If Kurosawa was a mature, stable, and polite academic achiever at school, now that he was outside the school, he was the epitome of fashion, exuding a vibrant and well-played vibe. 

He appeared to be someone who knew how to have fun and had a particularly good rapport with women, creating a striking contrast.

If not for the pre-arranged meeting place this morning, Ninomiya would have doubted whether she had mistaken the person.

In fact, she initially observed from the side and only confirmed it was her student when she heard his voice.

“I bought it specially yesterday. I didn’t dress like this before,” Kurosawa admitted without hesitation.

“You bought clothes specifically and ended up like this?” Ninomiya’s elegant eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“Do you think it doesn’t look good?” Kurosawa felt a bit uneasy seeing her frown.

His current attire had a clear purpose—he wanted to avoid looking like a student, distinguishing himself from his usual appearance. Additionally, he aimed to meet the aesthetic standards of older women.

“Not good.” Ninomiya shook her head, expressing her firm opinion.

“Kurosawa, don’t listen to her. Let me tell you, your outfit is trendy and handsome, it’s totally on point,” Itsuragi chimed in without even turning her head.

To be honest, she had a good impression of Kurosawa, mainly because he had a great sense of style.

Especially those headphones, they were simply the perfect finishing touch.

“Focus on driving.”

Seeing Itsuragi contradicting herself, Ninomiya was quite speechless.

“You look much better in regular clothes,” Ninomiya added after giving it some thought.

This was her genuine opinion. Kurosawa, who usually wore a white shirt and dress pants, was handsome enough without the need for this kind of attire.

Most importantly, in her eyes, Kurosawa was a super-achiever, and this current style didn’t suit him at all, creating a strong sense of dissonance.

“I see.” Hearing this, Kurosawa roughly sensed her preferences.

Although they were of a similar age as older women, Ninomiya was an academic overachiever with outstanding educational achievements. 

Comparing her preferences to those of ordinary older women would yield poor results.