In a corner of a café just off Tokyo H University.
Haruno Rika listened to her friend's story, stirred the coffee in her white porcelain cup, and asked with a blank face:
"So you're saying he paid off your debt—and didn't ask for anything?"
"Mm…"
"Do I look like an idiot to you, Mio?"
"Huh?"
Takahashi Mio froze, not getting what she meant.
Seeing that, Haruno Rika pressed her lips together and went on:
"Think about it. If he were a normal person—or say it was you in his place—would you do that for no reason? Do you really think he has zero designs on you?"
"Uh…"
At that, Mio opened her mouth, thought for a moment, then frowned. The hand propping her cheek slipped; she leaned forward and sighed:
"But he really didn't ask for anything… And even if he did have some agenda, I wouldn't agree to it. I'm not stupid."
"…"
Rika was quiet for a beat, took a sip of coffee, and glanced at the dark circles under Mio's eyes.
"Hard to say."
"If he plays it slow—uses money to wear you down—can you hold out over time?"
"Why you and not someone else? Probably because you're pretty, right?"
Mio wanted to argue, but couldn't find the words.
Much as she hated to admit it, she also felt Shiratori Kiyoya's intentions weren't pure. She raked a hand through her hair, swallowed her irritation, and said helplessly:
"So what do you think I should do now?"
"What else can you do?"
Rika shot her a glare. "You've got some nerve—owing that much, two million yen, rolling loans on top of loans. Can you even pay it back?"
"And he knows. He's got you by the throat. What did you expect?"
"There is a way: call your family, have them pay it off, then draw a hard line with this Shiratori guy and give him his money back."
"No!"
The moment Rika mentioned family, Mio's breath hitched and she refused without thinking.
"My dad would kill me…"
Rika cocked her head, unfazed. "Then he can go to jail. By the time he gets out he'll be close to dead anyway. A life for a life—not a bad trade."
"Don't be mean. I'm serious…"
"Then there's nothing else. That's the best option. Otherwise, pray he really does have a screw loose…"
Here, Rika seemed to think of something. She paused, squinted, and smiled meaningfully.
"Of course, maybe he really likes you. Are you sure you've never met him before?"
"Positive."
Mio nodded. She'd thought of that last night, but after combing her memories and asking high school classmates, there was no one named Shiratori Kiyoya around her.
Yesterday was definitely the first time they'd met.
"Or maybe you forgot. Maybe he's had a secret crush on you forever…"
"If that's the case, then it's not a trap. You could flip it: play the perfect girlfriend and slowly bleed him dry. How's that? Isn't that plan just your style?"
"How is that my style? Do I look like some heartless girl? I haven't even dated yet."
Mio rolled her eyes at her.
"You do. Totally. You're gorgeous, and back in high school you were great at putting on that perfect goddess act. Using your charms to reel men in should be a breeze."
At that, Mio's hand balled into a fist. Rika had been poking at her—on purpose or not—since the start. She finally snapped, glaring:
"What's that supposed to mean? That I seduced them? We've known each other for years— is that really how you see me?"
"How else?!"
Something seemed to click, and Rika suddenly flared up.
She slammed her cup onto the table; coffee splashed over her skirt.
"Didn't Watanabe dump me because he was chasing you? If you hadn't been such a tease, swanning around in front of us all the time, would he have done that?"
"Rika… I…"
Mio hadn't expected her to blow up like that. Her heart lurched; memories resurfaced, leaving her feeling complicated.
Rika's ex, Watanabe Yūki, was her childhood friend. Mio had never imagined he'd confess to her—he even broke up with Rika to prove he meant it.
Once the shock wore off, Mio just thought he was out of his mind and turned him down flat.
Even though it wasn't really her fault, she'd always felt guilty toward Rika.
She parted her lips and explained, helplessly, "I'm sorry, Rika… but I really didn't mean anything by it. I did reject him clearly."
Their commotion wasn't small; a few patrons glanced over.
Rika waved a hand, rubbed her brow, took a deep breath, and said:
"I lost it just now. You don't have to explain. Even without you, he would've dumped me sooner or later."
"Still, I am a little jealous—pretty as you are, buried in debt, with a pitch-black future—and you still run into a rich idiot to bail you out."
"…"
When Mio didn't answer, Rika asked, curious again:
"So what does he look like? How old? You really don't like him at all?"
"Same age, I think. Looks… fine. Tall—probably this much taller than me. Kind of grows on you. But you know I'm not into dating…"
Mio gestured to show how tall Shiratori Kiyoya seemed.
"Not into dating doesn't mean not into men. If he's easy on the eyes, you might end up liking him."
"So can we get back to the point? I can't read him at all. What if he's bad news? He doesn't look like he likes me—he definitely has an agenda…"
Mio bit the inside of her cheek, face full of conflict.
Rika fell silent, thinking it over seriously.
"I really couldn't find much. He probably didn't go to high school in Tokyo; otherwise, with only so many schools, someone would've overlapped with him. And if he's that capable, he should be known."
"Since that's how it is, why not ask him out? It's hard to probe him alone. Get a group together to chat—it'll be easier to ask about his past. Once you know which high school he attended, you can talk to his classmates and find out what kind of person he is."
"Sounds doable… but what's the pretext? A one-on-one date is easy enough to arrange. How do I explain a group hang?"
"You really are dense. Make something up—say your friends heard you're dating and they're curious to meet him. Simple."
Mio's eyes lit up. Rika's idea made sense.
"Good idea. I'll ask if he's free now."
"Heh."
Watching Mio reach into her bag for her phone, Rika let out a small laugh. An odd light flickered in her eyes as she silently took a drag on her cigarette.
But just as Mio opened her bag, her phone started buzzing.
She pulled it out; the screen lit up.
Incoming call: Shiratori Kiyoya.