At 7:30 in the evening, inside a private dining room at the Royal Okura Hotel.
A group of people, some kneeling, others sitting cross-legged, gathered around a low table filled with exquisite dishes, engaged in lively conversation.
"I heard that Shizuka recently started dating someone. Apparently, he's a college student?"
Seated at the head of the table, a handsome middle-aged man with neatly styled wavy hair and a well-groomed stubble suddenly brought up Shizuka.
"That's right! Kentarou, you have no idea how handsome Shizuka's boyfriend is," said a woman in the group.
She had her hair in a bun, wore a simple yet elegant light blue dress, and had a wedding ring on her left ring finger.
"I always thought Shizuka would stay single for life, but I never expected her to find such a good-looking young boyfriend in secret."
"That brat sure is lucky."
"I can't even imagine how happy Shizuka must be, snuggling up to her younger boyfriend every night, burying her face in his muscular chest as she sleeps."
…
The other women in the room echoed her sentiments.
"Pfft, he's just a pretty boy, that's all. Doesn't even have a job yet, and Shizuka is the one supporting him," a man dressed in business attire scoffed in annoyance.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Almost instinctively, everyone turned to look at Umeno Kentarou.
If anyone here fit the description of a "pretty boy," it was the man sitting at the head of the table.
"Sorry, Kentarou, I wasn't talking about you," the business-dressed man quickly apologized, realizing his slip.
Even though he genuinely looked down on Umeno Kentarou, they were all adults here. With no personal grudges, he wouldn't openly insult him.
"We've known each other for so long, I know you weren't referring to me," Umeno Kentarou replied magnanimously, as if he didn't mind at all.
But beneath the table, his hand had quietly clenched into a fist.
"Hearing you all talk about him like this, I really want to meet that junior of mine and see just how handsome he is."
Just as Umeno Kentarou finished speaking, the wooden sliding door was pulled open from the outside.
"Sorry for the wait, everyone! Traffic was terrible on the way here!"
Shizuka strode into the room.
Takashi watched as Shizuka made her dramatic entrance. Sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder—was she really born the right gender?
From the moment she stepped inside, Umeno Kentarou's gaze was glued to her.
It had been a while since he'd last seen her, and he realized Shizuka was becoming more beautiful, her figure even more stunning.
They were all around the same age, yet she was in far better shape than the other women.
Some of the women here had once been just as attractive as Shizuka.
But after stepping into the workforce, the pressures of their jobs, irregular eating habits, and late-night overtime had drained them.
Their eyes showed fatigue, their figures had started to lose shape, and their skin had worsened—though for now, their youth still masked it.
In contrast, Shizuka looked like she had just graduated from university. Her eyes were still filled with excitement, looking forward to life and the future.
Simply put, her eyes still shone with light.
Right now, the gap between her and the others wasn't too obvious.
But once they crossed thirty, the difference would become striking.
This was the difference between a rich second-generation and an ordinary person.
Shizuka didn't have to worry about the daily grind of life.
She could buy whatever she wanted without checking the price, pursue her hobbies freely, and say and do whatever she pleased. All of this was made possible by her family's support.
At this moment, Umeno Kentarou truly regretted breaking up with Shizuka back then.
The entire reason he had set up this gathering tonight was to try and get back together with her.
He knew that Shizuka was a softhearted fool.
And since he was her first love, if he acted pitiful enough and said the right words of regret, she might actually agree to give him another chance.
The only unknown factor was…
Umeno Kentarou shifted his gaze toward the young man standing beside Shizuka.
"Hello, everyone!"
Takashi politely nodded to the group. As he followed Shizuka to find a seat, he realized that the only remaining empty spots were on either side of Umeno Kentarou.
If he sat there, he would be separated from Shizuka.
'So it begins, huh?'
Takashi hadn't expected that one day, he would have to compete with someone over a woman.
"It's just an old classmates' gathering. Shizuka, have your boyfriend sit wherever he likes," Umeno Kentarou said with a smile.
But looking around, it was obvious there were no other available seats.
Shizuka also noticed the odd seating arrangement. Her brows furrowed, and she was about to say something when Takashi gently squeezed her palm, signaling her to leave it to him.
Takashi walked up to one of the older women and flashed an innocent smile, waving at her. "Hi, Onee-san, we meet again."
"You… You remember me?"
The woman blinked in surprise.
If she recalled correctly, she had only met Takashi once, about a month ago.
"How could I forget? You look as youthful as a university student. It'd be impossible to forget you."
The woman giggled, covering her mouth as she playfully tapped his arm. "Oh, stop it!"
Takashi glanced around and then suddenly tilted his head in confusion as he looked at the woman. "Wait, it's just you all here? No adults around? How did they let you out so late?"
The woman was momentarily stunned before she burst into laughter.
"And what's your name, Onee-san?"
"I'm Wanmaru Yuka."
"Wanmaru Yuka? That's quite a poetic name.
Not because it's difficult to write, but because when you write it, you must dip your pen in four parts twilight, three parts moonlight, two parts tipsy warmth, and one part of your cuteness."
"You little charmer~"
…
Under the stunned gazes of everyone, including Shizuka, Takashi's honeyed words worked at full power, making the older women laugh so hard that their eyes turned into crescent moons.
'Wait, aren't I supposed to be the woman here?'
Even Shizuka didn't know how to deal with these women, yet Takashi was blending in better than she ever could.
The way he called them "Onee-san" so naturally—why was he so skilled at this?
For the first time, Shizuka felt like laughing at herself.
Why did she feel like she was just a version of Zhang Fei who happened to get period cramps?
While Shizuka was questioning her own gender, Takashi had already been pulled into the group of older women.
Naturally, he grabbed Shizuka and had her sit beside him as well.
Feeling a little crowded, the married woman next to them instinctively shifted to the side, making more space for the two.
As she moved, the man beside her had to adjust as well.
One after another, people scooted over, until finally, Takashi ended up completely surrounded by women, while Umeno Kentarou was left with nothing but a group of rough-looking men around him.
'This kid is really a college student?'
The more Umeno Kentarou observed Takashi, the less he looked like a student and more like a top-tier host from a high-end nightclub.
Who teaches this kind of thing in university?
'I need to take this seriously. This kid is no joke!'
For the first time, Umeno Kentarou truly acknowledged Takashi as a formidable rival.
He had thought he was just up against a regular college kid. But no—the heavens had matched him with an equal opponent.
Even so, he remained unfazed.
He was Shizuka's first love. He refused to believe she had no lingering feelings for him.
Ever heard of "when an ex comes back, the current one always loses"?
What do you have to beat me?
If this kid actually wins today, Umeno Kentarou swore he'd eat dirt live on stream!
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