Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 6

Welcoming Challenges

Guided by the store clerk, Kurosawa and his group entered a private room.

Kurosawa was walking at the rear. As soon as they entered the room, the sounds of three fireworks suddenly exploded.

“Clap, clap, clap!”

“Welcome, Yuki’s boyfriend.”

“Kurosawa Hikaru.”

“Your arrival wasn’t easy.” (1)

Ichinose stood facing the door, Shiina and Matsushita stood on either side, holding small fireworks in their hands, warmingly greeting Kurosawa.

The sudden fireworks and noise didn’t startle Kurosawa.

However, half of his body was now covered with colorful ribbons.

Faced with this situation, Kurosawa was also pleasantly surprised.

“Thank you, thank you, everyone is too kind.”

Akiyuki smiled lightly at the corner of her mouth and waved her hand.

“No need to thank us, don’t be too formal. Between us, there’s no need for thank-yous. Let’s all sit.”

Soon, everyone formed groups with their partners, and the four groups of eight people sat down.

The KTV room wasn’t very large, but it wasn’t crowded, and there was still plenty of space.

Akiyuki sat down and picked up the song selector on the table, manipulating the lights.

In the blink of an eye, the lighting in the room became much dimmer.

After adjusting the lights, Akiyuki handed the song selector to her partner.

“Let’s choose a song.”

At the moment, the room was very quiet, and each person’s voice could be heard clearly.

“Hum~”

At this moment, Shiina stood up and walked to the karaoke machine, picking up two microphones and adjusting the volume.

“Usually, we start singing immediately. However, before the drinks arrive, as your new friends, Kurosawa, we have a lot of questions to ask you. Are you ready?”

Shiina’s voice was cheerful and lively. Through the microphone, her voice echoed throughout the room. While speaking, she also handed another microphone to Kurosawa. 

“Please go ahead.”

Kurosawa took the microphone, glanced at Ichinose beside him, and smiled.

This girl’s personality was indeed not bad; she was the first to speak and took the initiative to liven up the atmosphere.

Shiina raised one finger with her left hand, expressively.

“First question! Yuki said you are a university student, but she never wants to say which university. Could you please tell us which university you attend?”

“Tokyo University.” It was a straightforward answer to a common question, and Kurosawa didn’t hide anything.

“Tokyo University? When you say ‘Tokyo University,’ do you mean the one I’m thinking of?” Shiina was momentarily surprised and confused, seeking confirmation.

“Yes, it’s the Tokyo University you’re thinking of.” Kurosawa nodded slightly.

With these words, everyone was stunned.

“Are you being for real?” Shiina was shocked.

“Yes, I am.” Kurosawa was pleased to see everyone’s expressions and reactions.

It seemed that attending Tokyo University still carried a lot of weight. It wasn’t in vain that he had dedicated himself to studying for many years, striving for excellence since childhood.

“So, you’re an academic genius?”

“Just getting into Tokyo University doesn’t mean I’m an academic genius.”

Shiina shook her head frantically, feeling incredulous.

“No, no, no. For us mediocre students, Tokyo University is the epitome of academic excellence; you’re the cream of the crop.”

The reason everyone was so shocked was that the group of “hot girls” typically didn’t like studying. They even took pride in poor grades, considering serious classroom participation meaningless.

In the midst of this group of mediocre students, suddenly having someone from Tokyo University was like a crane standing among chickens.

“Yuki, your boyfriend goes to Tokyo University! Why didn’t you tell us earlier? I thought he was a student from some third-rate university,” Akiyuki was also a little surprised.

Faced with everyone’s astonishment, Ichinose felt extremely pleased, experiencing a great sense of vanity.

“Even if I had told you, would you have believed me?” 

Everyone couldn’t help but agree. Unless you saw it with your own eyes, it was hard to believe that a “hot girl” like her was dating someone who went to Tokyo University.

Shiina already had her second question ready and immediately spoke up.

“Ding ding! Second question: Yuki mentioned that you’re usually busy with your studies, but you’ve already had quite a few dates together. Why, after almost two years of dating, are you only now joining us for an outing?”

In response to this question, Kurosawa glanced somewhat helplessly at Ichinose beside him.

“Because I’m indeed very busy most of the time, and whenever I have the chance to go on a date, I prefer having private dates… I came this time because Yuki-chan said that if I didn’t come, she would break up with me.”

Hearing this, Shiina was genuinely shocked. 

“Yuki, are you that determined? You’re jeopardizing your relationship for this group date!”

“It’s because I’ve invited him so many times, but he never agreed,” Ichinose pouted, accustomed to her friend’s exaggerated reactions.

Naturally, Shiina began to ask bolder questions.

“Next is the third question: Yuki said she had a hard time convincing you to come. How did she manage to do it?”

Hearing this question, Kurosawa felt a little embarrassed and asked quietly, “Can we really talk about this?”

In response to this, Ichinose chose to answer on behalf of him. 

“By relying on my eloquence.”

After saying this, her face turned red, and she shyly lowered her head.

“Oh~” As soon as this statement was made, the whole room erupted, and a few guys were cheering.

The answer, coupled with the reaction, was clear to anyone with discerning eyes.

Seeing this, Kurosawa understood the situation, feeling a sense of admiration.

Their acting was so believable, it almost felt real. They were following along with each topic nicely.

“Haha, my questioning ends here. Whose turn is it next?”

Shiina got the information she was curious about, happily smiled, and then handed over the microphone.

“Me, me, me!” Matsushita’s petite figure jumped up from her boyfriend’s lap.

“Now, the fourth question. Kurosawa, you’re busy with your studies on weekdays, but even if you go to Tokyo University, you always have time in the evening after class every day, right? What do you do with so much spare time?”

Her voice was sweet, with soft and gentle tones, but her words were full of aggression, clearly meant to provoke.

“Part-time job as a private tutor, and hanging out with friends,” replied Kurosawa calmly.

“How much is the hourly wage?” Matsushita’s speech was fast-paced, applying constant pressure.

“Twenty thousand.”

Kurosawa had blurted this out without thinking.

“Twenty thousand?”

Originally intending to use a rapid-fire approach, gradually pressuring him to enter her rhythm, Matsushita, upon hearing this answer, was instantly dumbfounded.

Among the “hot girls” and guys present, they all had part-time jobs, but their hourly wages were not high, usually ranging from one to two thousand yen.

An hourly wage of twenty thousand? Wasn’t that too high? This was echelons above everyone else.

Even Ichinose was left in disbelief.

At this moment, Shiina, sitting there with her arms crossed, spoke up.

“As far as I know, the hourly salary of a tutor at Tokyo University is generally three thousand to five thousand. Only at the Medical Department of Tokyo University can it reach 15,000. Are you from the medical department?”

Kurosawa expressed surprise and then chuckled, “Shiina knows a lot, but I’m not from the medical department.” 

Shiina, with her affluent family background, knew more about such matters than the average person.

“In other words, you’re lying?” Matsushita immediately questioned.

She couldn’t believe it—Ichinose’s boyfriend seemed so outstanding.

In response to the questioning, Kurosawa shook his head and said, “Not exactly. If you don’t believe me, you can find me on the Tokyo Tutoring app.” 

Matsushita, unwilling to concede, took out her phone and began using it.

“Then I’ll download it and check.”

Soon, Matsushita presented her phone screen to Kurosawa.

“Is it this app?” 

“Yes.” Kurosawa glanced at it and nodded.

TL Notes:

1. 1. “Your arrival wasn’t easy” is a way of expressing appreciation or acknowledgment for the effort someone has made to be present.