CH 29

EP.29 The moment their eyes met

“You ended up buying both.”

“Uh, I’ll wear one, so it doesn’t matter.”

As I walked along the path surrounded by purple wisteria blossoms, I gently shook the two paper bags in my hands, and the president slightly blushed and snatched her own bag.

Eventually, the gift chosen for the Russian exchange student was the yukata.

Because that the kimono was too formal and difficult to wear alone, making it unsuitable as a gift for a foreigner.

Well, in a few months the festival season would be back, so a yukata wasn’t a bad gift.

“More than that, let’s take a walk.”

Perhaps the president wanted to change the subject of the conversation, and as she said so, she began to walk with the paper bag in her arms.

I followed the president with a slightly bigger step and asked.

“I think we are done with our business for today, what are you going to do next?”

Then the president, who was walking ahead, hesitated and looked back.

“Do you mean after the walk?”

“Yes. It would be a waste to go work on the student council during such a long holiday.”

It was only 2 p.m. because we finished picking things earlier than I thought.

Even if we took a short walk, there was quite a bit of time left until evening.

Then the president hesitated and opened her mouth.

“Then what about Nakano Broadway? I heard from Minami before that it’s perfect for young students to play there.”

“Oh, that’s nice. but it will take a long time to go from Asakusa to Nakano by subway.”

“It’s fine. We can call a car.”

She was a rich girl, and as expected, her idea was different from ordinary students.

“Then let’s go to Nakano for lunch.”

“Ohoh, good. I’m starting to get hungry, too.”

It was when we agreed and walked the rest of the trail.

Click!

‘Huh?’

When I looked back after hearing the sound of a camera, a man and a woman who seemed to be in love were taking pictures with a selfie stick.

Just a moment ago, I thought it was just the two of us, but when did they come?

“Aren’t you coming?”

As I tilted my head in wonder, I hurriedly followed the president’s walking ahead.

***

“I, I thought we’d get caught.”

“Let’s go away quickly please.”

Shinjiro Akagi and Minami Akagi had followed Kumiko and Kim Yoo-sung, and secretly took pictures.

It was to report to the lady later, but they had no idea Kim Yoo-sung would suddenly look back, so they pretended to be lovers.

“This is why I told you not to get too close.”

“But you can’t take a good picture if you don’t get this close.”

When Minami answered bluntly while checking the picture she just took, the vice-president, Shinjiro Akagi, glared at Kim Yoo-sung’s back as he was moving away.

“A blessed child. He doesn’t even know the lady likes him.”

“Oppa, I don’t care if you don’t like him personally, but you know you shouldn’t make it obvious in front of her, right?”

“…I know.”

The two had been waiting serving Saionji Kumiko for a long time.

Maybe from the moment they were born.

Therefore, they had this blind loyalty, making them do anything for her.

Because they were raised like that from the beginning.

After checking all the photos taken on the camera, she plugged the backup memory into her smartphone and folded the selfie stick she was holding in her right hand.

“Soon the lady will call the limo. Before that, I have to clean up the back seat.”

“Then we should take a taxi and move.”

“If possible, call him in advance. Because I have to go to Nakano Broadway before the lady and Kim Yoo-sung and finish the preliminary inspection.”

“Got it.”

After coordinating their opinions, the two began to act again.

It was all for their dear lady.

***

The president and I moved from Asakusa to Nakano in a limousine we called.

Originally, it would have taken about an hour to travel by subway, but it only took about 40 minutes because we moved by car.

When the elongated black limousine, which was usually only seen in movies, stopped in front of Nakano Station, the eyes of the people passing by were naturally on us.

As I got out of the car first, I put the hood on my clothes over my head and said in a strange embarrassment.

“Shall we go?”

Then, the president who got out of the car answered with a slight nod.

“I’d love to.”

As the limousine that dropped us off slid off the other side of the road, the president and I, began to walk slowly toward the red and white building seen in the distance.

***

Nakano Broadway.

It was one of the three sacred sites in the otaku1 industry, and it was one of the landmarks that comes to mind when you think of Nakano.

Since it consisted of only one building, it was different in size from the electronic shopping malls in Akihabara and Otome Road in Ikebukuro, but if you compared with the two the darkness lurking in wasn’t that bad.

In fact, I had never been here in person, but I often came to Nakano Broadway in the memory of Kim Yoo-sung, who remained in my memories.

There were quite a few rare items that could only be obtained here, so I made time to visit once a month to feel like I was doing a treasure hunt.

On the first floor of Nakano Broadway, there was the main store of Mandarake2, famous for its various stores and bookstores, DVD rental shop, and arcade.

Perhaps because it was Golden Week, it was crowded with people wherever I looked around the building.

“Wow. There are a lot of amazing things.”

The president was looking around in wonder, as if it was her first time in a place like this.

Since we first met, she seemed to still be experimenting the life of ordinary people.

“Is there any place you want to visit?”

Then, the president crossed her arms looking thoughtful, and soon expressed her opinion without hesitation.

“Let’s eat first. It’s never too late to play after that.”

Certainly, that was a clear answer.

Because we didn’t eat anything except ice cream since we met at 12 o’clock.

“Then I’ll treat you to lunch. There’s a regular restaurant that I stop by every time I come here.”

It wasn’t exactly me, but the real Kim Yoo-sung.

“Oh, that’s great. Today, I’m going to trust Kim Yoo-sung’s choice.”

I asked the president as I loaded myself on the escalator going up to the second floor.

“Do you like Ramen?”

***

The place I visited with the president was a ramen shop that Kim Yoo-sung liked.

Because it was known as a good restaurant among people, the seats in the store were already full.

When we were forced to sit in the counter seat, the employee naturally handed us the menu and water.

The president, who had never been to such an ordinary restaurant, looked around and said,

“The structure of the store is interesting.”

I answered, rummaging through the menu.

“It’s because the room is narrow. I was trying to make space but even if I seat on a different one, we will still be next to each other.”

After deciding on the menu, I handed it to the president and asked.

“What would you like to have?”

Then the president read the menu names one by one.

“Tonkotsu ramen3, miso ramen4, Shio ramen5, Tsukemen6?”

“My personal recommendation is Shio Ramen. I heard that women like it a lot because it tastes neat.”

Then the president decided after much consideration.

“Then I’ll have Shio Ramen.”

Even the president decided on the menu, so I ordered Tonkotsu ramen and Shio ramen from the employee who was passing by.

It seemed that it would take about 10 minutes for the ramen to come out, so I asked the president for her understanding and got up from my seat.

“I need to go to the bathroom for a second.”

“All right. See you later.”

After getting permission, I headed to the bathroom to do my business.

***

Growl-

‘Ugh!’

Shinjiro Akagi, who was secretly watching the lady entering the ramen shop with Kim Yoo-sung, frowned at the sudden sound.

He asked Minami, who was watching the store with him.

“Na, Can I go to the bathroom for a second?”

“What? Suddenly?”

“I think the cream bread I ate in the car was bad.”

Grooowl-

His legs naturally entangled due to the growing stomach-ache.

Minami shook her head and said to him, who looked unusual.

“Oh, yeah, be careful. Hurry up and go. I think we still have time before the lady and Kim Yoo-sung move to the next location.”

“Thank you…”

Groooowl!

“Ugh!”

There was no time for further hesitation.

Shinjiro Akagi, who received his sister’s permission, immediately headed to the bathroom on the second floor and entered the toilet.

About five minutes later.

It was when he was about to go out, after he had put out all the urgent fire.

-Shaaaa!

He heard someone washing their hands outside.

Of course, Shinjiro, who thought it would be one of the guests, poured down the toilet and came out of the toilet without much thought.

“Huh?”

However, the moment he saw the familiar back with his eyes, his body hardened like a rock.

Because Kim Yoo-sung, the target that he and his sister had to secretly monitor, was standing right in front of his nose.

Kim Yoo-sung, who was washing his hands, said with a surprised look, when he saw his reflection in the mirror,

“Vice-president?”

Shinjiro Akagi realized that the tailing was ruined.