The rain was getting heavier, and it was probably difficult for LeBlanc to have any business today.
Sakura Sojiro had handed the shop over to Kurusu Akira early on and then went home to supervise Iseri Nina with her homework.
The girl had been somewhat passive about her studies recently. The painful experience of failing her entrance exams still subtly affected her to this day...
Suddenly, a car was heard driving from a slightly distant road, tearing through the puddles everywhere. The accumulated water on the road was lifted, and like a torrent, it rapidly splashed against the low walls on both sides. Water droplets splattered, leaving marks on the wall akin to splashed ink.
The clamor was brief, and soon only the urgent patter of rain could be heard on the red and white awning just beyond the door. After a long time, a figure holding an umbrella hurried past.
There were no customers in the coffee shop.
Kurusu Akira, dressed in his work uniform, was busy behind the counter. The warm light cast his wavering shadow onto the mahogany tabletop.
Soon, as a misty hot steam rose, the rich aroma of coffee filled the air.
Awa Subaru sat by the corner dining table, her long hair, dried by a hairdryer, somewhat messily draped behind her shoulders. Her wet pantyhose had been removed, crumpled into a ball, and tossed into the trash can by the table.
Beneath her black pleated skirt, two ivory-white, smooth, round, and straight legs were exposed. Below that, a faint line, as delicate and fluid as a crescent moon drawn with colored pencils, appeared, much like the mysterious and elegant smile Da Vinci painted for the Mona Lisa. Faint water marks shimmered in the light with a soft halo, like peering at the moon in water, such flawless beauty immersed in a hazy vision, making it almost impossible to look away.
Her rain-soaked tall boots were hung upside down to dry in the corner of the bathroom, dripping intermittent water droplets with a "drip-drop" sound.
Kurusu Akira brought her a pair of slippers, and now the girl had her clean white feet in the slippers under the table, her toes nervously curling due to sudden unease or shyness.
Awa Subaru repeatedly fiddled with her phone, which had little battery left, but her gaze would inadvertently lift slightly, past the screen, her dark purple eyes reflecting Kurusu Akira's busy figure.
Monochromatic chat bubbles flashed on the Line homepage, and the phone vibrated, making Awa Subaru, who had been spacing out for some time, shiver. She quickly lowered her head to respond to her parents' concerns.
The hanging television was broadcasting the popular midday program "Seeking the Truth Behind Out-of-Control Incidents," but ever since Akechi Goro, the "young master detective" touted as the show's selling point, announced his permanent suspension of activities, its viewership had continuously declined... Ultimately, the show's deliberate promotion of the "beautiful boy detective" gimmick backfired... The detective they had placed high hopes on had been lying in the intensive care unit for a month as a victim of an "out-of-control incident," with no signs of waking up even now.
A moment later, a porcelain cup with a bamboo tray was placed on the table.
With a rustling sound, Kurusu Akira took off his apron and sat inside the sofa chair opposite Awa Subaru.
"Café au lait, with two extra spoons of cream and sugar cubes, better neutralizes the coffee's bitterness while providing clearer layers. Girls should all like it."
"Thank you..." Awa Subaru said somewhat palely, then looked at the flickering flame-shaped latte art in the cup.
She tentatively picked up the cup and took a small sip. The scalding sensation touched her fingertips, releasing like an electric current, followed by a faint tingling sensation flowing from her fingers throughout her body.
Her eyes widened slightly.
This was a taste bud experience that could be called "delicious."
The warm sensation quickly fell to her stomach, then blossomed throughout her body, a tender and magnificent beauty like a blooming flower sea.
Kurusu Akira picked up his phone and checked the time. "Do you have any plans today?"
"My current plan is to find a suitable apartment near the school to rent."
Kurusu Akira scanned her overly disheveled appearance. "It's not very safe for a girl to go out alone in such heavy rain to rent a place... I'll go with you. We can also talk about the 'time reversal' on the way."
Awa Subaru was stunned, momentarily unsure what kind of emotion her sudden heart flutter stemmed from.
Kurusu Akira's impression as a Phantom Thief was too profound for her. That reliable, steady, even omnipotent image could completely override her subconscious vigilance and fear of the outside world.
The girl, who had just turned seventeen today, had witnessed an extraordinary deathmatch, encountered the terrifying truths that almost ruined her life, and then came to Tokyo alone to study—this experience filled her heart with panic, doubt, and intense confusion.
One could even say that her urgent arrival in Tokyo was to seek refuge by the Phantom Thief's side.
Now, Awa Subaru saw Kurusu Akira again, stripped of his Phantom Thief attire, looking to be of similar age to her, and almost instinctively wanted to rely on him more... This thought made her feel an unspeakable shame and embarrassment.
The Phantom Thief tapped the table with his finger, reminding Awa Subaru, who was struggling with her thoughts, "Coffee with milk tastes best when hot. It'll get greasy if it cools down."
Extracting words from his speech that could be interpreted as a "command" or "instruction," Awa Subaru felt a sense of relief. With this strange feeling of reassurance, she picked up the cup and slowly sipped the warm coffee.
The atmosphere in the coffee shop became so quiet.
Until a weather report suddenly interrupted the television broadcast. The anchor described with a worried tone the railway destroyed by the typhoon. Large sections of the road between Tokyo and Kawasaki City suffered varying degrees of damage, and strong air currents were rapidly attacking the urban area.
Kurusu Akira looked up at the satellite image on the television screen.
A massive cyclone was directly over the path of his originally planned "Kawasaki trip."
He pointed at the screen and asked Awa Subaru, "Did you experience this before the time reversal?"
"At this time... you should still be on your way to Kawasaki."
"I can't wait to get on the road. Tell me about the information before 'Time Reversal' now."
Kurusu Akira stared into Awa Subaru's eyes, letting his own reflection appear in those rose-colored, indigo eyes until a hazy mist suddenly floated up, obscuring all of the girl's shyness and panic.
"...I understand," Awa Subaru whispered, staring blankly at the coffee in the porcelain cup, not daring to meet his gaze again.
...
"Quite cunning," the Phantom Thief said, propping up his umbrella and looking at the dim sky. "They'd rather hand over an important figure who has mastered the 'Time Reversal' ability than compromise the organization's secrecy and active forces. They even went so far as to conjure a typhoon near the railway to block any potential thoughts I might have of going to Kawasaki City."
Wearing slippers and also holding an umbrella, Awa Subaru followed him out of the coffee shop, then awkwardly tugged at the hem of her pleated skirt, trying to cover her overly exposed legs.
It was strange. Before, in summer, she could openly wear shorts, short skirts, and high-heeled or low-heeled sandals when going out. Today's pleated skirt wasn't short; it barely reached her knees. Perhaps it was the absence of pantyhose, but whenever Kurusu Akira's gaze fell on her thighs below the skirt, she immediately felt an inexplicable embarrassment.
Rain poured down, and several bright flashes of lightning accompanied by thunder seemed to tear the entire sky apart with their immense power.
Kurusu Akira dragged his luggage, which had been washed countless times by the rain, as he moved forward in the downpour.
Awa Subaru tugged at the collar of her coat, trying to use it to cover her shirt, which was getting wet again. In truth, not much of her underwear details would be exposed, but she couldn't help but be conscious of Kurusu Akira's gaze… even though he wasn't peeking in her direction at all.
They finally got on the train. The carriage was empty, and the air conditioning was on, making the girl shiver from the cold.
Fortunately, the journey wasn't long, just two stops. She gritted her teeth and endured, and soon they arrived at Aoyama-Itchome.
Kurusu Akira knew a few well-decorated and conveniently located residences near Shujin.
Before he transmigrated, his past self in this world had chosen an apartment there and paid the initial deposit.
He heard that after the refund, the landlord hadn't found a suitable tenant yet, so the room had remained vacant.
It was perfect for Awa Subaru.
Kurusu Akira thought, this girl's family is quite wealthy; she should be able to rent there directly until graduation, right?
'Once my light novels sell big, I also need to move out of LeBlanc's attic and find a high-end apartment to live in.'
He imagined this with a hint of anticipation.
After some twists and turns, the two successfully moved the luggage into the high-end apartment, which was only one kilometer from Shujin, braving the heavy rain. Although it wasn't the "duplex light luxury" Awa Subaru described in Kawasaki City, it was surprisingly a spacious "three-bedroom, one-living room," and the master bedroom even had a large bed that seemed to comfortably fit four people.
The landlord said this was originally his son's wedding home, but the young couple seemed to be workaholics and decided to move into the company's employee apartment after getting married. To save more money for them in the future, he started the business of renting out the house.
"You've come a bit late," the landlord, who was about fifty years old, said with some regret from the staircase. "This room was rented by two girls today."
Kurusu Akira took two steps up, carrying the heavy suitcase. "The person I'm looking to rent for is also a girl."
"Hmm? One? I thought you two were a couple looking to rent together," the landlord said with a very surprised expression.
"Just a classmate I'm helping along the way," Kurusu Akira explained to him.
The landlord looked at the lovely and beautiful Awa Subaru, "Come to think of it, the new tenants are also very pretty girls. A three-bedroom, one-living room is indeed a bit too spacious for them. If this young lady wants to move in, there should be room for negotiation."
He stepped aside, watched Kurusu Akira carry the suitcase upstairs, and then dialed the new tenants' number.
About ten minutes later, an anti-theft door opened outwards.
"Sorry to disturb you."
Upholding the principle of helping to the end, Kurusu Akira entered the room, carrying the suitcase.
A petite girl with a cute face, sitting in the corner of the living room, immediately stared at Kurusu Akira, who had just entered, with a cold and wary gaze.
It wasn't until she saw Awa Subaru follow in behind Kurusu Akira that her tense face relaxed slightly.
The girl, with slightly tanned skin and an exotic East Asian charm, knelt on the sofa and greeted them enthusiastically, "Hehe, nice to meet you, I'm Rupa~ The girl over there is Ebizuka Tomo. Welcome very much..."
"Hey! Rupa!" The girl called "Ebizuka Tomo" quickly rushed behind Rupa to cover her mouth, then grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, desperately winking at her.
"This isn't what we just agreed on!" Ebizuka Tomo stared at Rupa with some annoyance, conveying this meaning with her eyes.
"Eh? Haven't we already decided to accept a new tenant?" Rupa blinked in confusion.
A three-bedroom, one-living room apartment was indeed excessively spacious for just the two of them. Bearing the rent of such a high-end apartment was also not an easy task.
Having one more person to help share the burden would be ideal.
Ebizuka Tomo certainly understood this principle. "But you can't just make a decision so lightly!"
Rupa blinked again.
But before she could speak to persuade, she heard a "thud" from the entrance, and the door closed heavily.
The young man who had entered with the suitcase had already left with the landlord, leaving only the idol-like beautiful girl bowing politely and reservedly towards them, "Sorry for the intrusion. Nice to meet you, I am Awa Subaru, about to attend the nearby Shujin High School."
Cold wind squeezed through the window cracks, letting out a very loud wail.
----------------
The white-haired landlord looked at Kurusu Akira's devastatingly handsome face and shook his head, "I almost thought you were an idol group secretly having an underground romance."
"Mr. Fujiki, at your age, you still understand these things?"
"When I was sitting in the audience with my glow stick, cheering for AKB48, you weren't even born yet."
After saying that, the landlord's expression became mysterious as he leaned closer to Kurusu Akira, carefully examining his face, then clicked his tongue in wonder, "With a face like that, and a much more mature personality than a high school student... you wouldn't have calculated that my apartment has a large bed that can fit four people, would you?"
Kurusu Akira was amused by his appearance, like a paparazzi reporter chasing an idol for gossip, and almost laughed, "How could I have such an excessive thought?"
Seeing Kurusu Akira's face full of righteous indignation, the landlord immediately lost interest in probing further. "He looks like a philanderer who's juggling a dozen relationships, but I never thought he'd be someone who hasn't even dated... cough cough," he lightly coughed twice, timely stopping the somewhat overstepping topic.
Kurusu Akira wasn't angry, looking at the distorted, wriggling train in the rain curtain in the distance, "At Mr. Fujiki's age, to still have such a youthful mindset, many people must envy you."
"This is a secret to staying young, those old guys who need to use canes to walk definitely envy me," Fujiki said with a matter-of-fact expression.
"Including Mrs. Fujiki?"
"Including... what did you say?!"
A white-haired old woman, leaning on a cane, stood on the steps at some point, looking down at her old partner in the corridor who was gradually losing his smile, and then slowly revealed a somewhat sinister smile.
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