Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 80

Heartbreak

The day’s classes quickly came to an end.

“Remember, never count your chickens before they hatch. Until you meet someone in person, they could be scamming you. When it comes to money matters, stay vigilant, and under no circumstances should you send gifts. Understand?”

As the afternoon dismissal approached, Kurosawa picked up his bag and gave another reminder.

“Got it. Photos are all fake; only when you meet them in person is it real.”

After a considerable amount of persuasion, Miyazaki finally understood.

During break times, between classes, Kurosawa would share his wisdom and experiences with him, even providing an example of a friend who had been deceived.

“Good luck.”

Kurosawa patted his shoulder and left his seat to take action.

He didn’t explicitly say that Akari Tsumugi was the same female, and a scammer.

Some things couldn’t be conveyed through words alone; Miyazaki had to experience and see through them himself.

After all, Kurosawa had firsthand experience of just how skilled this female was at luring men.

And saying this directly would be like admitting indirectly that he’d been deceived too.

Unfortunately, his schedule for this week was almost entirely booked. Otherwise, he would have found a way to accompany Miyazaki and see if the female would show up, catching her in the act.

……

Thursday, 18:00.

“I joined the archery club.”

As the maid left, Kurosawa met the long-awaited gaze of Shiromiya and said with a smile.

“So soon?”

Shiromiya was somewhat surprised that the conversation during their break today took such a turn.

The efficiency of his actions was too fast, wasn’t it? He had only mentioned it on Tuesday night, and just one day later, it was settled?

“At the University of Tokyo’s archery club, there aren’t many members. I mentioned my previous experience, they let me try shooting some arrows, and after that, they agreed to let me join.”

Kurosawa nodded slightly, explaining his quick decision.

“Is joining the club different from registering with the association?”

“The coach invited me to register. They just took a photo, wrote my name, and that was it. They informed me during today’s break that the registration was successful.”

“Could it be that you’re actually quite skilled at archery?”

Realizing that the coach invited him to register, Shiromiya thought for a moment and asked.

Archery in high school had relatively simple requirements, emphasizing hitting the target and performing the ritual. Usually, hitting the target was considered a success (O), while missing was an error (X).

However, university-level archery was closer to a professional level, using a scoring system and being more rigorous. 

Given this context, for Kurosawa to go for a trial shoot and receive an invitation from the coach to register with the university archery association within such a short time indicated that he was not just a beginner.

In reality, beginners in archery typically needed to establish a foundation, and depending on their talent, it could take anywhere from a week to three months before they could start shooting arrows.

“I consider myself proficient in archery,” Kurosawa admitted, nodding.

“That’s really something to look forward to.”

Seeing his confidence, Shiromiya didn’t discourage him. Instead, she raised the corners of her mouth.

In terms of skill, she was among the top national archers during high school, surpassing many university students. 

Archery was a noble sport that emphasized self-cultivation, temperament development, and the nurturing of a resilient mindset. Consequently, she had been learning archery since childhood.

Compared to Kurosawa, who occasionally shot arrows when he returned to his hometown, she was undoubtedly much more skilled.

However, the importance wasn’t in who was stronger or weaker; the key was that she could meet Kurosawa outside of this house, just like friends.

With this positive start, their casual conversation became more relaxed and enjoyable.

However, their break time was short-lived. For Shiromiya, her break time on Tuesdays and Thursdays was only half an hour.

In addition to that, Kurosawa also earnestly tought her a lesson.

Balancing work and rest is good, but one should be careful not to overindulge.

“Try solving this problem.”

As the clock approached half-past ten, Kurosawa wrote something in his notebook and pushed it toward her.

“See you on Sunday.”

A sentence was written on the paper.

“See you on Sunday.”

Shiromiya’s heart raced a bit as she wrote down the same words.

Though the handwriting differed, the content and meaning were the same.

She was looking forward to the Sunday rendezvous and meeting, an experience she hadn’t had since elementary school.

……

On Friday, during lunch break, Kurosawa and Miyazaki ate together.

“Kurosawa, I think I’ve really been deceived.”

At the dining table, Miyazaki looked different from his usual self, dejected.

“What happened? Didn’t you say everything was going smoothly?”

Seeing him in this state, Kurosawa was puzzled.

It had only been a few days, and he had specifically warned him to be cautious when it comes to money. 

According to reason, he shouldn’t have been deceived, right?

“Actually, I lied yesterday. After school on Wednesday, I didn’t go shopping with her. Just as you guessed, she wanted me to buy something for her.”

“I knew you were saving face with that lie yesterday… So, what happened? Did you buy it?”

“I did, and then I helped her deliver that pair of earrings to her doorstep.”

“Did you see her?”

“She wasn’t at home at that time. She was going to return the money to me that night. I thought it was just a bit over ten thousand, and it’s a pair of earrings, so I treated it as a gift for her.”

“Sigh…”

Seeing that he had fallen into the trap, Kurosawa shook his head with some helplessness.

Sometimes, people want to be deceived, and even anti-fraud apps can’t stop them.

“Then she video-called me, looking exceptionally beautiful, just like in the photos, and her voice was so sweet… We chatted for half an hour, and then she asked me to help her make an online payment.”

“What was she planning to buy this time?”

“A handbag, priced at 46,800 yen.”

“You bought it?”

“She used a bit of aegyo on me, and I couldn’t resist.” (1)

“Sigh…”

Kurosawa sighed deeply. The tactics of this female were as consistent as ever.

Back when they first interacted, it was the same. However, in his previous life, online scams were rampant.

When chatting online about money matters, he would be wary and avoid falling into traps. In the end, he gained the reputation of being overly cautious and was sold out.

“I’m sorry. I realized it after waking up this morning.”

Miyazaki also sighed, feeling deeply sorry and gloomy.

Even though Kurosawa had warned him to be careful, Miyazaki still fell into the trap.

“Do you want to report it to the police?” Kurosawa pondered and asked.

Compared to his previous experience of being emotionally manipulated, which only caused psychological harm without any financial loss, Miyazaki had truly been deceived this time.

“Let it go. Consider it paying for a lesson… Besides, if she gets caught by the police, it would be too pitiful.”

Rejecting the suggestion, Miyazaki shook his head.

“Should we tell everyone that Akari Tsumugi is a scammer?” Noticing his concern, Kurosawa made a proposal.

“Absolutely not. If everyone knows I got scammed, it would be so embarrassing for me.”

Miyazaki quickly objected, thinking that Kurosawa might reveal the incident.

The amount of over 50,000 yen might not be substantial, but the key point was that he had been deceived through online romance. 

If this were to be known, he would become a laughing stock.

“Alright.” Understanding his decision, Kurosawa nodded.

Just like he couldn’t disclose the truth about his heartbreak, revealing that he was scammed through online romance might make sense to someone like Ichinose as the buyer, but if it reached the ears of his fellow students at the University of Tokyo, it would likely become a source of ridicule.

TL Notes:

1. 1. Aegyo: acting cute