Tokyo Yandere Girlfriend

Chapter 23

Reality has a nasty habit of twisting our expectations out of shape.

"But you don't have to worry, brother-in-law. Sis says she knows you'd rather not see her, so she's only bringing me along."

Listening to Hojo Suzune's bright, chirping voice on the phone, Shiratori Seiya fell into a heavy silence.

"Brother-in-law? You still there?"

Catching the hesitation, Suzune's excitement cooled.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"...Do you not want me to come to Tokyo, brother-in-law...?"

Her voice turned small and wounded; even through the speaker Seiya could picture the tears trembling on her lashes.

In truth, he'd built up immunity. Suzune had pulled the same "instant-noodle crocodile tears" stunt more times than he could count.

When no answer came, she seemed to hit on another idea.

"If you don't believe me, I'll let Sis talk to you."

Without waiting for a yes or no, she shoved the phone at the girl beside her.

"Hello? Seiya."

Hojo Shione's voice slid through the handset, soft enough to stroke his eardrums.

"Hey."

"Sorry to bother you. Rehearsals are eating me alive and the agency's got me running in circles... I can't get away, so I'll have to ask you to look after Suzune for her birthday in Tokyo."

"...All right. Got it."

There wasn't much else he could say, yet the question gnawed at him: How had Shione agreed?

He knew Suzune had a crush on him—Shione knew it even better. When they were still dating, Shione had bristled at every clingy hug her sister gave him, curling up against his chest to vent in whispers. She'd begged him—sometimes outright, sometimes sideways—to keep Suzune at arm's length. More than once the usually mild-tempered Shione had exploded at her sister for draping herself over him like a scarf, only to lose the shouting match, then collapse against him later like a wounded kitten, asking him to stroke her hair until she stopped crying.

Two days ago she'd clung to him as if she couldn't bear to let go; now she was giving Suzune permission to spend a week with him in Tokyo. None of it made sense.

Seiya had banked on Shione refusing outright, so he'd blithely made the request. Instead, the plan had flipped on its head. He couldn't figure out what she was playing at.

Sensing his silence, Shione asked, "Seiya, can I ask you something?"

"I might not answer."

"Sigh... you've changed. Do all men turn cold after a break-up?"

She let out a deliberately mournful sigh, then pressed her lips together. "We're still friends, right?"

"...."

"I've come to terms with it. Like you said—two people can love each other and still not make it to the end. Happiness isn't the only reason we're alive. If I can't be happy, at least I can help someone else be. So... I hope you and whomever you choose will be happy, Seiya."

She paused, voice softening further.

"But no matter what, I'll never forget the time we had. I'll carry every expectation you ever had for me and keep chasing my dream—so please, watch me from the audience. That will be my happiness, Seiya."

Listening to her pour her heart out, Seiya drew a slow breath and released both the air and the questions tangled inside it.

"I will."

"Mm..."

After a thoughtful silence, Shione added, "Oh, right. I passed your message to Miss Aoki. She said there's still some copyright issue she needs you to sort out—asked you to contact her as soon as you can."

"Copyright? Didn't we sign the contract already?"

"I don't know the details; she didn't tell me."

"All right. I'll call her."

"Good night, then."

Click.

Shione hung up before Seiya could reply.

"...?"

Suzune spun around, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Eh?!"

Incredulous, she sputtered, "Why'd you hang up?!"

Shione set the phone on the coffee table and turned a gentle smile on her sister. "Everything that needed saying was said. Seiya agreed to show you around Tokyo."

"But I wasn't finished!"

Suzune scrunched her face, trembling with frustration. She'd sat through the syrupy speech, stomach churning, just so she could grab the phone again and plan their Tokyo itinerary. Instead, Shione had hogged the last word and cut the call.

Keeping all the dessert to yourself, huh?

Shione, unruffled, studied her sister from head to toe. Suzune stood only 155 cm, but the Hojo beauty genes had done their work: the delicate oval face, cherry lips, naturally flirtatious eyes. Her bust was smaller than Shione's but still "manageable." Shione guessed Seiya could likely circle one with a single hand.

But what really drew male attention, Shione decided, were her legs—straight, slender, almost luminescent under the light, faint blue veins visible beneath translucent skin. Combined with her petite frame, they triggered every protective instinct boys claimed to have.

"White, slim, young"—that about summed it up.

Shione gave an approving nod.

Under the scrutiny, Suzune felt ants crawling over her skin. She pressed her knees together. "What are you looking at?"

Shione lifted her gaze to meet Suzune's moist eyes. "Save your words for when you see him. But first, Suzune, you have to promise me something—otherwise I'm not taking you to Tokyo."

Suzune's eyelid twitched. She clicked her tongue. "Did your mouth migrate to your butt?"

---

Beep-beep-beep...

After ending the call with Shione, Seiya locked the car, went upstairs, and once everything was settled, dialed Aoki Yayoi.

"Hello? This is Aoki Yayoi—who's calling, please?"

The voice on the line sounded exhausted.

"Miss Aoki, it's Shiratori Seiya."

Two seconds of silence, then Aoki's delight burst through—quickly reined in.

"A-sensei?"

When Seiya had first debuted, he used the pen name "Friend A" to stay anonymous. Aoki knew his real name, yet out of professional respect she still called him "A-sensei." Seiya always found it awkward and had asked her to drop the "Friend."

"It's me."

"I heard from Hojo Shione that there's still some unfinished copyright business on my end?"

"Eh?"

The firm yes Shiratori Seiya expected didn't come. Aoki Yayoi's voice lifted in surprise. "No, A-sensei, your old contract's fine. I'm calling about the copyright on your two newest songs."

"My newest songs?"

Seiya narrowed his eyes; something clicked in his mind.

"Yes—'On the Back of the Silver Dragon' and 'Snow Flower'..."

A beat of silence. "Um... didn't Miss Hojo mention any of this to you?"

...

Seiya said nothing.

Those two tracks were the ones he'd tucked into the break-up letter he gave Hojo Shione after they split. Out of guilt, he'd written that she could have full lyric and composition rights.

Apparently she hadn't taken the gift at face value.

Yet if she'd refused the gesture, why route him through Aoki?

After a moment he asked, "What exactly did Hojo Shione tell you? Did she say she wants to perform them?"

The question caught Yayoi off guard. "Aren't those songs reserved for Miss Hojo alone?"

"I mean—when she showed them to you, what did she say?"

Yayoi found his manner odd today, as if he and Shione had never discussed a thing. Still, professional habit took over. She closed her eyes, replaying the conversation.

"She said something like, 'I can perform these at the concert as long as the agency has the rights.'"

"I see."

"About the contract, A-sensei—"

"I'll come by your office tomorrow morning and we'll hammer out the details."

"Understood. One more thing—Miss Hojo mentioned you're not planning to write any more songs. Is that true?"

"More or less."

"Ah..."

Yayoi drew the syllable out, thinking. After a pause she said, "Would you let us use that angle?"

"Use it how?"

"Miss Hojo's concert is coming up. She's always sung your work. If we bill it as your farewell piece, the buzz could be huge. It'd benefit both of you..."