Chapter 71: 71: What Do You Want From Me?

"Hey, hey, big bro, buy one, will you?" On the bustling street, nearly every few steps, a flyer or ticket from an underground idol was handed out. To sell their tickets, these underground idols would do just about anything. Just a moment ago, Takashi even saw a girl squatting inside a cardboard box, pitifully handing out tickets—truly going all out. Without sparing a glance at the idol, Takashi ignored her and walked straight to where a crowd had gathered, with Narii following beside him. As they approached, the two realized it was a "singing contest" hosted by a mall. Though called a singing contest, it was really just karaoke with a scoring machine. Participation came with a small gift. The ultimate winner could choose one prize from the grand prize selection. Takashi quickly scanned the so-called grand prizes, but they were nothing special. Among them, the most valuable item was probably a 10,000-yen shopping voucher. There were plenty of onlookers, but only a handful of participants. At a glance, there were no more than ten contestants. Takashi even suspected that some of them were just there to fill space, invited by the organizers. But among those few contestants, he spotted a familiar face. 'Should I say, as expected of a gyaru?' Takashi rubbed his chin as he watched Watanabe Akari on stage. No matter where he went, he always seemed to run into her. Gyarus were either out having fun or on their way to have fun—it was practically a law of nature. "Let's go." Takashi stood watching for a while but found it uninteresting, so he prepared to leave. "Takashi, I want that." Narii tugged at his arm and pointed toward the stage. Takashi followed her gaze—it was a human-sized plush bear. "You like that?" He looked at Narii in surprise. He never expected her to have such a girly side. "No, not that. I meant the little box underneath the plush bear." Takashi took another look. Inside the box beneath the bear was a pair of matching couple mugs. It wasn't hard to guess why she wanted them. "Why not just buy them later?" They weren't expensive. Even if Takashi wasn't exactly rich, he could still afford them. "It's not the same." "How is it not the same?" Was this some kind of Holy Grail? "I don't care, I just want that one!" Narii started being stubborn. 'Women are such a hassle.' With an exasperated sigh, Takashi let himself be pushed to the registration desk. He knocked on the table. "Excuse me, I'd like to sign up." "May I ask for your name... Wait, store manager?" The girl sitting at the desk looked up, and upon recognizing him, she stood up in shock. "Aoyama?" Seeing Aoyama Nanami in a temporary staff uniform, Takashi was equally surprised. "You're working two jobs?" If he remembered correctly, this girl already worked no less than five hours a day at his convenience store. Every time he dropped by, she was always busy there. As mentioned before, high school students weren't allowed to work more than 35 hours a week. Takashi had already given her special treatment by letting her work as much as she did. Yet here she was, secretly taking on another job behind his back. "Manager, please, don't fire me." Aoyama Nanami clasped her hands together, pleading desperately. "I really can't afford to lose my job at the convenience store." Takashi paid her well—1,200 yen per hour. For context, night shifts at Tokyo's 7-Eleven and FamilyMart only offered 1,150 yen. Izakayas might offer a bit more, but rarely over 1,300 yen. Jobs paying over 1,300 yen an hour? You'd usually only see those in Kabukicho or karaoke bars. Anything higher than that... Well, those were certain other types of establishments. A high wage, reasonable workload, and most importantly— Every day, unsold fried food and bento boxes were left for the employees to take home. Aoyama Nanami had worked plenty of part-time jobs before. She hadn't encountered a boss this generous in a long time. She really didn't want to lose this job. Takashi furrowed his brows, struggling internally for a long moment before grabbing a numbered ticket and turning away. "Fine, I didn't see anything." If it weren't for the fact that this girl was hardworking and trying to make it on her own in Tokyo, he would have fired her on the spot. 'Still too soft,' Takashi thought bitterly. He didn't want to be a good guy, but he wasn't ruthless enough to be a bad one either. Maybe that was exactly why, in his previous life, he never quite made it big or sunk too low—just another guy who couldn't even afford a Range Rover. On stage, Takashi stood at the back of the line. Ahead of him, a girl named Hoshino Ai was making small talk with the contestant in front of her when her earpiece crackled with a voice: "Ai-chan, Ai-chan, look behind you." Hoshino Ai was currently participating in a reality show on Asahi TV. Her role was to pose as a contestant, strike up conversations with other participants, then reveal her identity after winning to capture their reactions. It was somewhat similar to a hypnosis show Satomi Ishihara had once participated in. However, unlike Ishihara, who was a top-tier celebrity, Hoshino Ai was still just a small idol and couldn't compare. Following the director's instructions, she turned around. In the sunlight, Takashi's sharp features looked even more defined. His ruggedly handsome face, combined with a black stud earring, made him particularly striking. Compared to his usual studious appearance, he was now far more appealing to girls his age. If one paid close attention, they'd notice that most girls actually preferred guys with a bit of a roguish edge. Many girls seemed prim and proper on the outside, but deep down, they had a rebellious streak. And those bad-boy types? They knew just how to ignite that hidden spark. Hoshino Ai greeted him first. "Hey there." Takashi glanced up at her—masked and wearing sunglasses like some kind of celebrity—before nodding slightly and going back to his game. Hoshino Ai was momentarily shut down but didn't get discouraged. She craned her neck, tiptoeing to peek at his phone. "What are you playing?" "Ark." "Oh! I know that game, it's super popular in Japan." "Is that so?" ... Hoshino Ai tried everything to start a conversation, but Takashi remained indifferent. His responses were short and emotionless, his resolve as unshakable as if he had inherited the Will of Fire. He was nothing like Uchiha Itachi's foolish younger brother—easily swayed by a woman and betraying his village. Just because he acted all affectionate with Makabe Manaka and Nakano Yotsuba didn't mean he was actually easy to get along with. In his eyes, there were only three types of women. One—those selected by the system, capable of earning him rewards. Two—random nobodies. Three—Narii. Hoshino Ai felt utterly defeated. C'mon, bro, at least acknowledge me a little. This is my one chance to be on TV. Even the show's producers were wondering if they should just have Hoshino Ai approach someone else. This kind of footage wouldn't get any views. "You? Here?" Before the director could intervene, Akari spotted Takashi and quickly approached him. "Why do I keep running into you? Are you following me?" Takashi gave her a strange look. Did she not own a mirror? Or at least check her reflection in the toilet bowl? Follow you? For what? It's not like you drop loot, and your attitude sucks. ___ 20 Advanced Chapters available on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you! Don't forget to leave a review too~ Check out the other translations too ___