There were plenty of famous dating spots in Tokyo. After driving to 9-chome in Beika Town, they stopped in front of a building decorated primarily in white and blue. Ritsu hadn't expected Akemi to like a place like this.
Beika Aquarium, an attraction that had only opened in the past two years, had quickly become the number one "must-visit" dating spot for women. It was the largest aquarium in Japan, and it also featured a café filled with adorable marine animal-themed designs, making it especially popular among girls.
On a day like Christmas, the aquarium was naturally packed. Knowing that a certain genius scientist was completely broke, Ritsu took the initiative to head to the ticket counter and buy two adult tickets. He had already called earlier in the car, those two had gone ahead to watch the seal show.
"Would you like Christmas hats? Today all visitors can receive one for free—"
"No, thanks."
Glancing at the person beside him, someone he still saw as a little kid, Ritsu looked toward the crowded entrance and said, "Hold onto my clothes. Don't get lost."
"I'm not a child, how would I—"
Before she could finish, several couples behind them surged forward, nearly knocking Shiho over. Fortunately, Ritsu reacted quickly, switching places with her and blocking the crowd with his back.
"Why'd you stop talking?" he asked with a sly look in his eyes.
Shiho rolled her eyes, clearly not in the mood to respond. She shot an annoyed glare at the two couples who hadn't even noticed what they'd done, then stomped ahead. She wasn't interested in aquariums, she just wanted to spend time with her sister.
And, while she was at it, she planned to meet her sister's mysterious boyfriend.
Come to think of it… this was their first time meeting.
Wait, why did this feel like meeting the family?
The "big sister complex alarm" in Shiho's heart went off at full volume. 'Was her sister introducing her boyfriend on purpose…? No. Absolutely not.'
"Shiho, Tōru, over here!"
Hearing her sister's voice, Shiho looked over and quickly spotted her, standing closely beside a tall man with long hair, his arm wrapped around her. His hair was even longer than her sister's… he looked like a black-haired version of Gin.
The thought of Gin immediately worsened Shiho's mood, and her first impression of Akai dropped straight into the negatives.
Ritsu didn't follow them over. Instead, he waved and said he was heading to the restroom, he'd been holding it in for a while during the drive. Jogging over, he discovered that even the restroom design in this aquarium was… creative. The urinals in the men's room were shaped like whales, and if you aimed at the red dot, water would spray out of the whale's blowhole at the top.
Over-the-top in all the right ways. Truly worthy of a country that loved spending money on the strangest details.
After finishing up, Ritsu went to the sink and began washing his hands thoroughly. Even without looking in the mirror, he could tell someone was approaching him and staring directly at him. The intensity of the gaze was enough to give him goosebumps.
"Excuse me, handsome, may I have a moment?"
"No."
He hadn't expected to be rejected so quickly. The middle-aged man in a dark gray suit awkwardly smiled and pulled out a business card, insisting, "Just take a look, please. I'm a talent scout from Nichiuri TV."
A talent scout?
Ritsu glanced at the card and immediately understood what he wanted. He waved him off. "Not interested."
Unfortunately, the man was persistent. He followed Ritsu out of the restroom, chattering nonstop about the benefits of entering the entertainment industry, high earnings, instant fame within a year with a face like his, and so on.
"Tōru, who is this?" Akemi asked, looking at the man standing beside Ritsu.
"An unshakable nuisance."
The talent scout adjusted his nonexistent glasses and noticed, to his delight, two beautiful women and another handsome man nearby. And not just any looks, each had a different charm. One was gentle and pure like a lily, another cold and elegant like a red rose, and even the long-haired man… impressive quality indeed!
Did attractive people just naturally gather together?
"I'm from Nichiuri TV—"
"Shut up. Get lost."
Ritsu had finally had enough. His expression dropped to freezing point as he frowned at the man. His tone was sharp, and there was even a trace of hostility in his gaze.
Gulp.
The talent scout swallowed nervously, forced a smile, and quickly turned to leave. In that instant, he felt like he'd lost five years off his life. When he glanced back again, the four of them were already gone.
Those people… definitely weren't ordinary.
"You're pretty scary, you know. That expression just now was almost on par with Gin's," Shiho teased with a slight smile. Though she was a few years younger than Ritsu, she never used honorifics with him, their dynamic was more like that of peers.
"Was it?" Ritsu reached up and touched his face. Had spending too much time with Gin rubbed off on him?
As for "intimidating expressions," Gin would gladly admit defeat. After all, he considered himself a cheerful guy, whereas Ritsu maintained a stoic expression 95% of the time, his smiles could practically be counted on one hand.
"Shiho, I just realized I haven't properly introduced Dai to you yet."
Shiho's eyes drifted to their interlocked hands, and a strange bitterness rose in her chest, like something important had been taken from her. With a cold expression, she walked over to her sister, grabbed her other hand, and said:
"Moroboshi Dai, right? Codename Rye. Currently living with Macallan. I know all that already. Now… let's go watch the dolphin show you wanted to see."
Suddenly excluded, Ritsu felt puzzled. Just moments ago, he'd been one of two single guys tagging along, now he was somehow left holding Shiho's handbag, trailing behind alone.
Wait, wasn't he technically the highest-ranking one here? Couldn't they at least give him some dignity?
But clearly, splitting into three wasn't ideal in such a crowded aquarium. After noticing how attached Shiho was to Akemi, Akai let go of her hand and said, "I'll go keep Macallan company."
"Hm? Sure~"
"?"
Looking at Akai suddenly appearing beside him, Ritsu said flatly, "What am I, a kid? I don't need company. I'm not going to get lost."
"You're younger than me, so that makes you a kid in my eyes. And… don't they only get to see each other once a month? It wouldn't be right to take that time away."
As Akai watched the Miyano sisters walking ahead, he couldn't help but wonder what things would look like someday, when he inevitably left this place. He didn't dare imagine it.
"Heh. Getting past Sherry won't be easy."
Watching Shiho holding her sister's hand and showing a rare, childlike side, Ritsu said casually, "To Sherry, Akemi is everything. So don't hurt her. If you do… I won't let you off either."
Akai glanced at Macallan in surprise. He hadn't expected him to say something like that. Lowering his head slightly, he gave a faint smile, fingers tightening around the cigarette pack in his pocket.
"…Yeah."
But even as he said it, there was hesitation in his heart.
Even he had chosen to cherish the present, instead of facing a future he couldn't see.
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