Chapter 36. Kind of Cute
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That evening, Kiyoshi Yuuma met Tsuda Nao at a bar in Ginza called Cat's Eye.
It wasn't a formal occasion, nor were they meeting as collaborators. Tsuda Nao was dressed casually, fitting somewhere between a social outing and a casual chat between friends.
The two of them sat on high stools at the bar counter. Kiyoshi Yuuma stared gloomily down at the small glass of liquor in front of him.
And Tsuda Nao?
After hearing about Pokeni's current situation, she was laughing so hard she could barely sit upright.
"So? President Kiyoshi, what are your thoughts now?"
Seeing her laughing so heartily, Kiyoshi Yuuma felt a strong urge to punch her in the face.
"I…" he thought, What else can I think?
Tsuda Nao rested both hands on the bar and stared quietly ahead.
"President Kiyoshi, what will you do if the next game ends up like this one? Will you accept DUN's investment?"
"Ugh... could you not say something so unlucky?" Kiyoshi Yuuma felt a tightness in his chest.
Honestly, he had lost sleep the previous night over the Waterloo of Prestigious Academy.
If Onmyoji 2 ended up bombing too...
Kiyoshi Yuuma couldn't even begin to imagine the consequences.
All of Pokeni's funds had gone into developing Onmyoji 2. If it didn't make enough to fund the next project, the company could very well spiral back into bankruptcy again.
He glanced sideways at Tsuda Nao.
A bitter taste rose in his mouth.
If that happened, he'd end up back under this woman's mercy again!
Damn it!
Damn it!
"President Kiyoshi, your dark circles are looking pretty bad," Tsuda Nao commented with a smile.
"Well, that's because…"
Kiyoshi Yuuma didn't want to talk anymore. He raised two fingers to the bartender. "Check, please."
…
The two strolled along the street, carried by the night breeze.
After September, the weather had gradually turned cooler. With a bit of alcohol in his system, Kiyoshi Yuuma actually felt a little chilly.
Tsuda Nao was wearing a short women's trench coat, one hand tucked into her pocket.
Kiyoshi Yuuma glanced down and saw no room to make a move.
So he reached over and slid his hand into her coat pocket, gently taking her hand.
She only smiled faintly and didn't resist. She let him take her hand, fingers interlocking with his.
The streets were lively, lined with open shops displaying all kinds of goods.
In Ginza, it was common to see young women in maid outfits or revealing clothes trying to attract customers.
In some of the passing fuzoku (adult entertainment) shops, girls posed provocatively behind large glass windows.
In Hirokazu Kore-eda's film Shoplifters, Mayu Matsuoka had played such a role.
These girls displayed themselves in little rooms about the size of a fitting room, with one side facing the street covered in transparent glass. Customers could admire the girls through the window, though direct contact wasn't allowed.
If a customer liked a particular girl, he could step forward and inquire about the pricing.
Depending on the level of interaction desired, the price varied. After payment, the customer could enter and enjoy more personal time with the girl.
In Shoplifters, a regular customer simply wanted to rest his head on Mayu Matsuoka's lap.
Modern young people in Japan live under tremendous pressure. Sometimes, just having a small emotional haven like that is enough to bring inner peace.
Kiyoshi Yuuma turned his head, curiously observing the girl in the window.
The girl wearing bunny ears looked visibly surprised.
Not because of anything inappropriate—
But simply because she had never seen a customer bring his girlfriend along.
The real shock, though—
Was that this customer's girlfriend was absurdly beautiful.
Long legs, a perky figure—her coat couldn't hide her allure. Add to that a breathtakingly gorgeous face, and a tear-shaped beauty mark at the corner of her eye.
She was undeniably a stunning beauty.
And her entire presence radiated a sense of elegance and refinement.
"Ah~ That's too much," Tsuda Nao frowned beside him, clearly wanting to smack the back of this man's head. "You're still holding someone else's hand, and you're openly staring at sex workers like this—is that really okay?"
"So what?"
Kiyoshi Yuuma spoke casually as he tugged Tsuda Nao and moved even closer to the front.
The girl in the display window blushed slightly but still dutifully sat on the chair and twisted her body as she danced.
"Isn't DUN also in the adult film business? Don't tell me President Tsuda hasn't seen anything more explicit than this?" Kiyoshi Yuuma asked lightly.
DUN's adult films were somewhat well-known in the industry. It was said that their recent tapes had some rather interesting plots.
"You even used our Onmyoji content to shoot adult films, didn't you?" Kiyoshi Yuuma said.
Tsuda Nao rolled her eyes. Seeing the curious seriousness on his face, she couldn't help but return to her usual calm and composed demeanor.
"I don't really mind," Tsuda Nao said with a smile. "But President, when you look at them like that, it really makes you seem like someone who's never had that kind of experience before."
"…."
Kiyoshi Yuuma paused and said, "It's for research. Research. If you want to make good games, you have to observe and understand life."
He wasn't really lying.
In his previous life, he had always wanted to experience Japan's red-light districts, and now that he was here in person, he couldn't help but sigh at how imaginative the Japanese were.
And how well they understood human nature.
Things that can be seen but not touched are the most alluring.
The girls in the windows also reminded him of the anime Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai.
Ah~ maybe turning that anime into a game would also sell well?
"So~ does that mean you want to observe me too, President?" Tsuda Nao asked with a sly smile. "Come to my apartment and I'll let you see my body?"
"Eh? Cough cough—seriously?" Kiyoshi Yuuma almost choked on his own saliva.
Tsuda Nao stared at him for a moment, then let out a soft laugh and gave him a big eye-roll.
"Pervert~"
With that, Tsuda Nao yanked her hand out of his and stuffed it back into her coat pocket, walking ahead without looking back.
Leaving Kiyoshi Yuuma behind, standing there in stunned confusion.
Eh?
That woman…
Was she serious just now or not?
…
The thing Tsuda Nao mentioned about "seeing her body" didn't happen. As usual, they parted ways at the entrance of her apartment.
However, today, Tsuda Nao seemed a little angry.
As Kiyoshi Yuuma left, the corners of his lips curled up in a smug smile.
He didn't expect Tsuda Nao, who always seemed calm and flawless, to actually get angry sometimes.
He thought she could maintain her composure until the day she died.
But honestly~ Tsuda Nao's angry face was actually kind of cute.