Chapter 80: Chinami, Almost Scammed
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: Chinami, Almost Scammed
“Did you rest well? Are you feeling okay?”
Tetsuya’s voice was laced with concern.
Miyuki nodded with an awkward expression.
“Yeah. I’m feeling much better.”
“That’s a relief.”
“What did the kendo club say?”
“The kendo club? Not the student council?”
“No… It’s just, Matsuda-kun couldn’t go to his club activity because of me… so I was curious.”
“They didn’t really say much. Just that they understood…”
Sitting between them and listening to their conversation, I propped my elbows on the desk.
Blocking the space between Miyuki and Tetsuya, I asked Tetsuya a question.
“How’s kendo these days?”
“Huh? What about it?”
“Are you doing well? Last time I saw, it looked like you were getting private lessons from the coach and Inoo-senpai.”
“Ah… It’s going okay, I guess.”
“Keep up the hard work, man.”
As I was offering some completely insincere encouragement, I felt a light touch on my back and lowered my elbows.
I glanced over at Miyuki.
“What are you doing?”
“There was some dust, so I brushed it off.”
“How nice of you.”
“Just open your book. Class is about to start.”
Shrugging, I pulled a textbook from my desk drawer.
I snuck a peek at Tetsuya and saw he looked a little flustered.
He must have been surprised to see Miyuki’s casual touch.
Was this the first time Miyuki had touched me in front of Tetsuya, aside from when she was pinching or hitting me to scold me?
I’ll be sure to show you a lot more from now on.
* * *
Lunchtime.
After quickly finishing my meal, I went to the kendo club alone and stopped by the storage room to check on the protective gear.
Everything had been cleaned perfectly.
The shinai were the same; they were gleaming as if they’d been well-oiled.
When I went outside and saw that even the uniforms were all hung up to dry, I let out a hollow laugh.
Chinami finished everything. It must have been tough to do it all by herself. Good for her.
With nothing left to do, I was about to head back, kicking an innocent pebble, when…
“Hee hee.”
A triumphant laugh came from behind me.
I turned my head and my eyes widened when I saw Chinami standing there with her arms crossed.
“When did you get here?”
“Just now. I was going to call and tell you that you didn’t need to come, Junior, but you didn’t answer, so I came to check.”
“You called? When?”
“Twenty minutes ago.”
I checked my phone, and sure enough, there was a missed call from Chinami.
It was right when I was eating, and I hadn’t noticed because my phone was on silent.
Nodding a couple of times, I said, “I told you to just do half. It must have been hard doing it all by yourself.”
“Protective gear needs to be cleaned right away. Besides, I’m used to doing it alone, you know?”
“It must have taken a long time, right? Didn’t you get home late?”
“I was only about ten minutes late. I can actually focus better when I’m by myself.”
“Sounds like you’re calling me a nuisance. I’m hurt.”
“Now, now…! You should let people finish. I was just bored without you here, Junior.”
Chinami walked over and patted me on the back.
She seemed to be in high spirits. Did something good happen?
Pretending to be energized by her encouragement, I grinned and asked, “You seem to be in a great mood today.”
“Of course I am. A limited-edition Momo-nim doll was listed on a site for a decent price, so I decided to buy it. I happened to find it the moment I logged on, so I contacted the seller right away and set up a meeting. I was so lucky.”
“Really? That’s grea—”
I was about to congratulate Chinami when I clamped my mouth shut.
Something felt off.
That Momo-nim doll was an item Chinami had struggled to find, even after searching tirelessly.
There were extremely few listings for it online, and even those were priced so high that it was a burden for a student to buy one.
Isn’t that just how limited-edition items are?
But she said it was a decent price?
“Master.”
“Yes?”
“Are you sure it’s not a scam or something? A rare item being sold for a decent price sounds a bit suspicious.”
“Hehe… I understand why you’d be worried. But I checked the phone number on a scam prevention app and confirmed it was safe, and we’re doing an in-person transaction, so it’s fine.”
An in-person transaction significantly reduces the risk of being scammed, but still…
“Is this your first time buying something second-hand?”
“No. I’ve used the sites often to buy Momo-nim merchandise.”
“And you’ve never been scammed before?”
“Never. Everyone has been very kind.”
So she’s built up a lot of trust in in-person transactions through her past experiences…
I’m getting a feeling… a feeling that the pure, innocent Chinami is about to get a taste of the bitterness of life.
“When’s the transaction?”
“Today.”
Her eyes were sparkling as she clasped her hands together as if in prayer. It was obvious how excited she was.
I chuckled and said, “Are you going to the transaction right after club activities?”
“No. I’m meeting a friend for a slice of cake, and I’ll go to the transaction after we part ways.”
“Is Inoo-senpai not going with you?”
“No. She said she had something to buy today… I didn’t ask what, so I’m not sure.”
It had to be anime-related merchandise.
The anime she was watching recently just ended, and she was probably going to buy some commemorative goods.
She’s likely heading to Akihabara or Nakano.
I might even run into her… Maybe I’ll go check it out after helping Chinami.
“So you’re going alone? Should I go with you?”
At that, Chinami’s eyes went round.
“What? With you, Junior?”
“I’ve actually gotten interested in Momo-nim merchandise myself. I’ve only ever seen it online, so I’d like to see what it looks like in person.”
“Ooh…? Is that really true?”
Chinami clapped like a seal.
She seemed overjoyed at the thought of having a companion to talk about Momo-nim with.
“Yep. Where and when are you meeting?”
“Seven o’clock at Ikebukuro Station.”
Seven o’clock. There was plenty of time.
I could drop Miyuki off, go home to change, and then head out.
“Got it. Then should we meet at the station around six-thirty?”
“Sounds good to me! I’ll be in your care again today.”
Chinami crossed her hands over her chest and bowed deeply from the waist.
A laugh escaped me at the sight of Chinami acting uncharacteristically demure.
Suppressing the urge to touch Chinami’s pink hair as it cascaded down, I played along and bowed my head back to her.
* * *
“I’m off. Thanks for the ride.”
Miyuki unbuckled her seatbelt and placed her bag on her lap.
I remained silent, and she looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong?”
Without a word, I raised my index finger and tapped my cheek.
Miyuki gave me a weary smile, then shyly leaned in and kissed my cheek.
She even made a little smack sound, delighting my ears, before opening the passenger door halfway.
“Okay, I’m really going now. See you tomorrow.”
“Do it again. I didn’t like it.”
“What are you talking about… No.”
Miyuki stuck her tongue out coyly before quickly getting out of the car.
After carefully closing the passenger door, she waved brightly and walked with light steps toward her front door.
After parting with Miyuki, I went straight home, changed my clothes, and rested for a bit before heading out again.
I drove in silence and parked in a public lot near Ikebukuro Station.
Even for a weekday, the streets were packed, probably because it was evening and a popular area.
I studied the picture of the Momo-nim doll that Chinami had sent me on my phone as I navigated through the crowd toward our meeting spot.
And there, I found Chinami, watching the people come and go.
With her pink hair, she really stood out.
Her outfit today was… a simple sweatshirt and jeans.
Her white shoes, which looked brand new, were particularly noticeable.
Her feet were small, which was kind of cute.
I walked up behind Chinami and poked her slender shoulder.
And then…
“Mph!”
Letting out a strange sound as usual, Chinami hiked her shoulders up and whipped her head around.
“Junior…! You’re here.”
“Yep.”
“You could have just said something… Why’d you have to poke my shoulder?”
“Am I not allowed to?”
“It’s not that, but… ahem… anyway, it’s good to see you again.”
She didn’t tell me to be more careful.
The development of our relationship is going smoothly.
The pace is slow, sure, but as long as I can see us climbing the steps one by one, that’s all that matters.
“Was the cake good?”
“Of course. I had it with a Peach Smoothie.”
“Don’t tell me the cake was peach-flavored too?”
“No. It was my first time at that cafe, and unfortunately, they didn’t sell any. So I had chocolate instead.”
Peach-flavored cake… It exists, but it’s not something you see often.
I’ve never had it, so I’m curious, but I’m also afraid it might permanently damage my taste buds.
I shouldn’t go out of my way to open Pandora’s box.
Chatting idly with Chinami, I headed to the meeting spot and saw a man with a cap pulled down low sitting on a bench.
The man was tapping on his phone as if waiting for someone, and every time his fingers paused, Chinami’s phone would vibrate.
“That must be him.”
Chinami’s expression twitched as she checked her messages.
She seemed to be filled with anticipation at finally getting her hands on the Momo-nim doll.
I watched the man carefully and said, “Let’s go.”
“Okay!”
Chinami replied energetically and led the way.
She approached the seller and offered a polite greeting.
“Hello. Are you the one selling the Momo-nim doll?”
“Ah, yes. That’s me. Hello.”
“Thank you so much for selling it at such a good price…! It’s unopened, right?”
“Like I said, only the outer packaging has been opened. The contents are still sealed. You can check for yourself.”
“Yes! Excuse me!”
Chinami opened the box the seller handed her.
When she saw Momo-nim, neatly wrapped in plastic and non-woven fabric, her eyes practically melted.
“Woooow…! It’s really it…!”
Seeing Chinami’s pure reaction, I said I wanted to take a look too and took the box from her.
It looked exactly like the picture Chinami had sent me, but…
Selling this for just a little over the original price just didn’t make sense.
Especially since it was released not too long ago, so its value should be high.
Sucking in a breath, I asked the seller, “Why are you selling this for such a low price?”
“Ah… I went through a lot of trouble to get it, but my daughter didn’t really like it. My wife told me to sell it quickly, too…”
“I see. Do you mind if I take a closer look?”
“You can, but I’m in a bit of a hurry…”
“Didn’t you agree to meet at seven?”
“What about it…?”
“It’s six forty-five now. You still have fifteen minutes. You came here expecting to meet at seven, so you still have time, right?”
“...The person buying it seems to have finished checking… If you’re really that worried, take another look.”
“Thank you. It’ll only take two minutes. I’ll be quick.”
Just as I was about to check the label on the back of the doll…
“Here’s the money…! Thank you for selling it at such a good price!”
Chinami, who seemed to have missed the exchange between me and the seller, took a money envelope out of her crossbody bag and tried to hand it to him.
“Wait…”
I tried to stop her, but it was too late.
The envelope had already left her hands.
“Enjoy it. Well then, take care.”
The seller, who had already taken the money from Chinami, turned to leave.
I had said I was going to check it, and he had agreed, but the fact that he was trying to leave the moment he got the money… I was sure he was a scammer.
I have to admit, the guts to try and pull a scam during an in-person transaction is impressive. I’ll give you that.
Now, if I were a typical romantic comedy protagonist, I would have let him get away, leading to a chase scene or a call to the police.
But I’m not that clueless.
Grab.
The man, who had been trying to make a hasty escape, was stopped short when I grabbed the hem of his clothes.
His center of gravity shifted backward abruptly, making even me stumble.
“What do you think you’re—!”
Even as I regained my balance, I kept a firm grip on his clothes. The man yelled at me in anger.
But my next quiet murmur made him fall silent.
“You’re not wearing a wedding ring.”
“What…?”
“You don’t have a wedding ring on your finger. You said your wife told you to sell it.”
“What does that have to…”
He might not have a ring because he couldn’t afford one.
He might genuinely have something urgent to attend to.
Even so, this guy was a scammer.
Why? Because the evidence was undeniable.
It wasn’t just a hunch; there was physical evidence.
I sighed and looked at the bewildered Chinami and the scammer, then pointed to the box that had fallen to the ground during our scuffle.
“.....”
“.....”
Momo-nim had been knocked out of the box and was now rolling on the cold ground.
And poor Momo-nim’s head, on the verge of detaching from its body, was rolling around separately inside the plastic.