Takashi: "..."
Komi Shoko: "..."
Their gazes met, each maintaining their respective stiff postures, neither saying a word.
As if whoever spoke first would lose.
The silence stretched on for a long time.
Until the announcement for "Higashi-Nakano Station" played, Takashi kept a straight face and slowly took out his phone from his pocket.
"Oh wow, almost there. Just need to turn a corner, and you keep rushing me..." Takashi pretended to be on a call, acting as if nothing had happened, and got off the train nonchalantly.
The moment he stepped off, he didn't dare to stay even a second longer—he bolted at full speed.
If he was even a second late, he feared he'd end up in a holding cell.
With behavior like his, if a girl accused him of harassment, he'd be guilty without a doubt.
And just like that, his dream of Todai would be gone.
One train ride ruined his Todai dream.
How could he not run?
After running far enough, Takashi glanced behind him, only stopping to catch his breath once he confirmed she hadn't followed.
"I should have lost her by now."
Fanning himself with his hand, he turned his head—
And locked eyes with Komi Shoko's deep, dark pupils.
At that moment, her beady eyes, glinting with a bone-chilling frost, were fixed unwaveringly on Takashi.
Takashi: "..."
Wait, what? Was she Minato Namikaze or something?
How could she teleport like that?!
Goodbye, Maki. Tonight, I flee far away~
Taking a deep breath, Takashi decided to face the storm head-on.
Stepping forward, he took out 10,000 yen from his wallet, bowed at a 90-degree angle, and handed over the money with both hands.
"Excuse me, please, can we settle this privately?"
'Why is he giving me money? Is it for laundry? He really doesn't need to give me so much… And besides, this isn't even a big deal.'
Komi Shoko's cherry-like lips parted slightly, but as soon as the words reached her throat, they got stuck.
She held it in for so long that her face started turning red, but she just couldn't say a word.
From Takashi's perspective, seeing her expression darken even further, his heart sank.
Crap.
Did she think he was insulting her?
Why did she look even angrier?!
Was 10,000 yen not enough?
Greedy woman!
Gritting his teeth, Takashi hardened his resolve and pulled out another 10,000 yen.
Komi Shoko felt like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat. After struggling for a long time, she finally mustered up the courage to squeeze out a word:
"N-No..."
She wanted to say, "No need."
But with everyone around suddenly looking at her, she lost the courage to finish the sentence.
Her body trembled from nervousness.
'Still not enough?'
Takashi's eyes widened in shock.
This was a whole 20,000 yen!
For this price, he could go to Okubo Park, find a pretty girl, and negotiate some billion-yen business deals.
And she still wasn't satisfied?!
'Do I need to keep adding more?'
Between his future and his money, Takashi hesitated for a long time.
In the end, he chose to pay his way out of trouble.
He emptied his entire wallet, his heart bleeding as he did so.
Trembling, he handed over the cash, enunciating each word through gritted teeth:
"Please. Take. This. Money!"
All the money he made off Eriri last night—gone.
Damn it, this was the most expensive shoulder pillow of his life.
Tokyo women were terrifying.
Even with his handsome face twisted in agony and his bloodshot eyes staring at her, Komi Shoko still refused to take the money.
Her expression was serious, her entire demeanor exuding an unyielding determination—she was hell-bent on taking Takashi to the police station and refusing to settle privately.
Takashi was furious.
What did she even want?!
This wasn't enough?!
That was 170,000 yen in total!
"Do we really have to go down the path of mutual destruction?" Takashi's gaze turned fierce.
It wasn't even intentional!
Did she really have to push him into a corner?
If he got a criminal record, his life would be over.
If he couldn't live, neither could she!
'Wait… did he misunderstand me?'
At this moment, as they remained completely out of sync, one of them finally connected to the other's wavelength.
A lightbulb went off in Komi Shoko's head.
After thinking for a few seconds, she took out her phone.
If she couldn't say it, she'd just type it out.
Komi Shoko silently praised her own brilliance.
Seeing her pull out her phone, Takashi breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank god, thank god—there was still room for negotiation.
She probably just thought the amount was too low and wanted to raise the price.
Thinking he had seen through everything, Takashi grabbed Komi Shoko's phone.
'D-Did he just snatch my phone?!'
Komi Shoko had never encountered such a situation before. She was so upset that tears welled up in her eyes.
Takashi didn't notice her expression. He quickly saved his phone number in her contacts.
"If you need anything, just tell me. As long as I can do it, I'll help you. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving first."
Noticing the train approaching, he shoved the phone back into her hands and rushed toward the platform.
Komi Shoko lowered her head to look at the contact name and phone number on her screen.
Then she raised her head to see Takashi's awkward, scrambling figure squeezing onto the train.
After a few seconds, she bounced on the spot.
Amazing! ✧｡٩(ˊᗜˋ)و✧*｡
This was the first time she had ever gotten someone's phone number without any help!
Now, she was only 98 friends away from her goal of 100!
She was one step closer to her dream!
She was amazing!
…
Ding-ling-ling~
The café door swung open.
A wind chime above the entrance jingled melodiously, announcing the arrival of a guest.
"Welcome!"
The staff, wiping a teacup, called out with a tone that was neither warm nor cold—just businesslike.
Takashi scanned the room, finally spotting Maki sitting by the window at a long table, impatience written all over her face.
Quickly, he walked up to her.
"Sorry, I'm late."
"You actually made me, the heart of this nation, the eldest daughter of the Shijo family, wait for this long? You're the first— the firs— the firs—"
Her mocking words abruptly stopped as something was placed in front of her.
A bouquet of vivid purple roses.
True purple roses don't exist naturally. They originated from hybridized Gallica roses and were later passed down to the Damask rose and Centifolia rose hybrids.
Purple roses symbolize melancholy, nobility, serenity, patience, and calmness. They convey a romantic longing, a cherished uniqueness, and a willingness to guard love for a lifetime.
People usually give purple roses to their loved ones to express their appreciation and deep affection, making them especially fitting for anniversaries and weddings.
They highlight the solemnity and depth of love, strengthening the bond between lovers.
"I saw these flowers on my way here and thought they suited you perfectly. I just had to buy them, which made me a bit late."
Scratching his temple, the fair-skinned boy's cheeks flushed pink. Shy and a little nervous, he stole a glance at Maki—just like a boy experiencing his first love.
Just like Tsubasa Tanuma.
"Maki, will you accept them?"
At that moment, his face and Tsubasa Tanuma's completely overlapped.
Maki couldn't tell whether the person standing before her was Takashi or Tsubasa Tanuma.
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Check out the other translations too: [Mash-Up: Anything For Money]
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