Tokyo Yandere Girlfriend

Chapter 6

In a corner of a café just outside Tokyo H University.

Haruno Reika listened to her friend's story while idly stirring the coffee in her white porcelain cup. Her face was blank. "So what you're telling me is... you've basically been bought?"

Takahashi Mio's eyelid twitched. "Do you have to phrase it so crudely? Can't you think of a nicer term?"

"What nicer term is there? He gives you money and expects you to be his girlfriend—how is that not being kept?"

"But he hasn't... hasn't asked me to sleep with him or anything."

"If he ever makes that kind of demand, I'd refuse flat-out."

Reika fell silent. She sipped her coffee, gaze drifting to the dark circles under Mio's eyes.

"Hard to say. He could start small—wine you, dine you, let the cash wear you down. Over time, could you really hold out?"

"Besides, why pick anyone else? He's probably just dazzled by your looks."

Mio wanted to argue, but nothing came. She couldn't deny that Shiratori Seiya's motives felt suspect. She raked a hand through her hair and sighed.

"So what do you think I should do?"

"What else is there to do?" Reika shot her a withering look. "You had the nerve to rack up two million yen in debt, then borrow more to cover the first loans. How do you plan to pay that back? And now he knows everything—he's holding all the cards. What choice do you have?"

"There is a way out: call your family, have them wire the money, cut ties with this Shiratori guy, and pay him back."

"No!" The moment Reika mentioned family, Mio's breath caught and she snapped the word out.

"My dad would kill me..."

Reika tilted her head. "Then Shiratori can go to prison. When he gets out he'll be halfway to the grave anyway—life for a life, not a bad trade."

"Stop being flippant. I'm serious..."

"Fine. Then there's no other option. Just pray the guy's actually got a screw loose..."

Reika trailed off, eyes narrowing, a sly smile forming.

"Then again, maybe he really likes you. Are you sure you've never met him before?"

"I'm sure." Mio nodded. She had racked her brain all night, even asked old high-school friends—no one had ever heard of a Shiratori Seiya. Yesterday had definitely been their first meeting.

"Maybe you forgot. Could be he's been secretly crushing on you for years..."

"If that's true, it isn't a trap. You could flip the script—play the perfect girlfriend and slowly drain his wallet dry. Sounds like your kind of plan, right?"

"Why would it suit me? Do I look like some heartless user? I've never even dated anyone."

Reika smirked. "Oh, you do look the part. Pretty face, and back in high school you were famous for acting like a flawless goddess. Manipulating guys should be second nature."

Mio's fingers curled into fists. Reika had been needling her all afternoon. She finally snapped, glaring. "What's that supposed to mean? That I seduced them? After all these years, is that really how you see me?"

"Well, how else should I see it?" Reika's voice rose, the memory hitting a nerve. She slammed her cup down; coffee sloshed across her skirt.

"Watanabe dumped me because he was chasing you! If you hadn't been flaunting yourself in front of us every day, do you think he would have?"

"Reika... I..."

Mio's heart lurched; she hadn't expected the outburst. Memories flooded back—Watanabe Yuki, Reika's childhood sweetheart, had confessed to Mio and, to prove his devotion, had broken up with Reika on the spot. Mio had been stunned, thought him insane, and turned him down flat. Still, the guilt lingered.

"I'm sorry, Reika... I really didn't mean anything. I turned him down outright."

Their raised voices drew stares. Reika waved a hand, dug a Seven Stars from her clutch, and lit up. She took a long drag, exhaling slowly; the smoke seemed to steady her.

"Forget it. Even if it wasn't you, he'd have left me eventually."

"I'm jealous, though. You're gorgeous, up to your neck in debt with your future in shambles, and some rich idiot still swoops in to rescue you."

Mio said nothing. Reika leaned in, curious.

"So what does he look like? How old? And you swear you don't like him?"

"Same age as us. Tall—like this much taller than me. Easy on the eyes, I guess. But you know I'm not into romance."

"Not into romance doesn't mean not into men. If he's handsome, you might fall for him after all."

"Can we focus? I can't read him. If he's rotten, I'm done for. He doesn't act like he likes me; he must have some agenda..."

Mio chewed her lip, face twisted in worry. Reika tapped ash into the tray, thinking.

"I haven't heard much. He probably didn't go to high school in Tokyo—otherwise, with Tokyo's universities being what they are, someone would've known him. And a guy with that kind of money should be famous."

"So get him out in a group. Alone you can't probe him, but with friends around, casual chat might reveal where he went to school. Track down his classmates and you'll learn what kind of person he is."

"Sounds good, but what excuse? Meeting one-on-one is easy; how do I justify a whole group?"

"You're hopeless. Tell him your friends are dying to meet the new boyfriend—simple."

Mio's eyes lit up. "Great idea. I'll text him now."

Reika chuckled softly, watching Mio reach for her bag, an unreadable glint in her eyes as she drew on her cigarette.

But the moment Mio unzipped her purse, her phone buzzed insistently.

She pulled it out; the screen lit up.

Caller: Shiratori Seiya

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