Chapter 16: In Shibuya
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 16: In Shibuya
Two days had passed since we went to Tojo Karen’s house to give her some special training.
“Sakamoto Ryuji! I have something to say to you!”
The atmosphere in the classroom that morning was a little different.
And for good reason. It wasn’t Tojo, who showed up every morning to cause a scene, but a beautiful girl no one had ever seen before who had just kicked open the classroom door.
She had a short, slightly wavy red bob, long eyelashes, and large, dewy eyes like a deer’s.
She wore a light pink lipstick and had a black hairpin she never used to wear holding back her bangs, revealing a neat forehead.
As Tojo Karen—who in just three days had undergone a complete transformation from a tomboy into a picture-perfect beauty—entered the room, the students of Class 2-B, belatedly realizing who she was, were stunned into silence.
“Whoa, whoa, for real? The plain jock I knew was actually a super hot girl?! What a sudden plot twist.”
“…You read that kind of stuff?”
“Otakus are so creepy.”
“Stop it! Don’t look at me with such cold eyes! Don’t move away! Don’t change seats! Don’t run away!”
While watching the idiot trio’s friendship crumble in real time, I observed the completely reborn Tojo Karen stride over and stop in front of Sakamoto Ryuji, who was sitting by the window.
In her hand was not a pink love letter, but a white piece of paper with the words “Challenge Letter” written in magnificent cursive.
Tojo Karen promptly thrust it into Sakamoto’s chest.
“What’s this?”
“A challenge letter.”
Tojo Karen said, confidently crossing her arms.
“This weekend, you’re going on a date with me in Shibuya.”
Even if her looks had changed, that assertive way of talking hadn’t changed one bit.
Her bold date request instantly set the classroom ablaze.
Naturally, Sakamoto Ryuji’s childhood friend, Yaguchi Maiya, wasn’t about to stay quiet.
“Wh-what are you saying! That! Showing up out of nowhere and asking for a date! There’s a limit to how rude you can be!”
“Stay out of this, Yaguchi. This is between me and Sakamoto.”
“W-well, I have a reason to meddle!”
“And what are you to Sakamoto?”
For a moment, Yaguchi was at a loss for words.
She hesitated before finally answering.
“I’m his childhood friend! I’ve known him forever! I have the right to interfere, don’t I?”
“That’s a problem that will be solved once I become his girlfriend.”
As the two squared off, on the verge of a catfight, Sakamoto, who was awkwardly holding the love letter disguised as a challenge, tried to say something to Tojo.
“Um…”
But Tojo cut him off with a firm shake of her head.
“I’ll hear your answer this weekend, not now. If you’re a man, don’t you dare run away.”
Was it because her presence was so overwhelming?
“O-okay.”
In the end, Sakamoto found himself agreeing before he even knew it.
Having gotten his confirmation, Tojo coolly turned and walked out the way she came.
But I could see it.
The moment she turned, her face was already as red as an apple.
She had acted all bold on the outside, but it seemed she had made her public date proposal while holding back a mountain of embarrassment.
As she was about to leave through the back door, I quietly gave her a thumbs-up.
She, who had been walking as stiffly as a robot, seemed to notice me. A faint smile appeared on her lips, and she gave a small nod.
I knew how the original story ended, but as an observer, I couldn’t help but cheer for her.
Well done, Tojo Karen.
Now go and steal the protagonist’s heart.
*
“Karen-chan’s confession was insane! It was so powerful!”
“Y-you think so?”
At lunchtime, Tojo Karen, who had naturally started eating lunch with us, shyly twisted a strand of her hair at Kishimoto’s praise.
Knowing what her original messy, coarse hair was like, I commented on how glossy it had become overnight.
“Oh? This? I told my dad about it yesterday, and he sent me to a salon that celebrities go to. I don’t know exactly how much it cost, but I heard it was pretty expensive.”
Ah, that I could believe.
There was almost nothing in this world that money couldn’t solve.
Just then, Kishimoto, who was eating a salt-flavored cup of ramen for lunch, asked a question.
“More importantly, have you decided what you’re going to wear on your date? You can’t show up in your school uniform.”
Tojo looked as if she hadn’t even considered it, averting her gaze and stammering.
“N-not yet.”
“Then let’s go shopping together after school today! I’ll pick out some clothes that will look perfect on you, Karen-chan!”
“Rika…!”
Tojo stared at Kishimoto with shimmering eyes.
It was the look of someone who had just found their best friend for life.
Since shopping among girls had nothing to do with me, I was quietly eating my lunch when Kishimoto called out to me again.
“Of course, Ryu-chan is coming with us, right?”
“…Me?”
“Yep! Ryu-chan is our ‘comrade’ who agreed to help with Karen-chan’s crush!”
The way she emphasized the word “comrade” made it seem like she was cutting off any escape routes in advance.
Not wanting to be dragged to a mall to play the part of a pack mule, I tried to think of an excuse, but nothing came to mind.
Besides, if I refused, it felt like there would be repercussions later.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
Looks like I’d be getting home late again today.
*
After school, we took the subway to Shibuya, the nearest downtown area, to buy clothes for Tojo’s date.
Shibuya (渋谷).
Commonly known as the district of youth and fashion.
Along with Ikebukuro and Shinjuku, it was one of Tokyo’s three major sub-centers and a hot spot just a few stops away from Minato Ward, where our school was located.
Most of the people walking the streets were in their twenties or thirties, dressed in flashy clothes that showed off their unique personalities.
Of course, since we were students, it wasn’t strange for us to be in uniform, but compared to everyone else, our attire was hopelessly plain, and we couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated.
“Ryu-chan, people keep looking this way.”
“That’s because of you two.”
“No, I really don’t think that’s it.”
Tojo glanced at me as she said that, then stuck her hands in her pockets and took in the dazzling scenery of Shibuya.
“So, where should we go first? I don’t come to places like this often, so I have no idea.”
At that, Kishimoto, the very person who had dragged us here, confessed with a bright smile.
“I don’t really know either.”
Tojo asked again, completely surprised.
“What? You’re the one who said we should come here.”
“I lived in Shizuoka until recently, so I don’t know my way around! I still get super lost on the subway if Ryu-chan isn’t with me!”
I had a feeling something was off when she was so insistent on forcing me to join the party.
So she didn’t call me to be a baggage carrier, but to use me as a human GPS.
Seeing as I had probably been to Shibuya more often than the two of them, I let out a small sigh and nodded.
“Let’s head to the Tokyu Department Store for now.”
“Oh! Good idea!”
When you don’t know where to go, it’s best to head for a place that has everything in one location.
And for these rich young ladies, money wouldn’t be an issue even at a department store.
Since the two of them didn’t know the way, I started walking in front.
I could feel more and more eyes on us the closer we got to the crowded areas, but I deliberately ignored them.
Life would be too tiring if I paid attention to every little thing like that.
Soon, we entered the Scramble Crossing, one of Shibuya’s most iconic landmarks.
*
The Tokyu Department Store is a large shopping complex with eight floors above ground and one below.
With hundreds of stores, it wasn’t a bad choice if you didn’t have a specific clothing shop in mind in Shibuya.
We took the escalator from the first floor up to the women’s apparel section on the third.
The entire floor consisted solely of stores selling women’s clothing, making it a space that naturally felt unwelcoming for a guy.
A quick glance around revealed shops for women’s underwear and swimsuits.
It felt like I had stepped into a zone forbidden to men.
But since the main purpose of today was to buy clothes for Tojo’s date, I had no choice but to accompany them.
“Ah! That outfit is so pretty! That one too!”
Like a fish back in water, Kishimoto, a former reader model, darted around the women’s clothing floor.
Tojo, who was dragged along by her, didn’t seem used to this kind of thing, but she didn’t look like she was having a bad time either.
With my hands in my pockets, I slowly followed behind them.
Finally, the two of them entered a luxury brand store.
As soon as she was inside, Kishimoto unhesitatingly grabbed a few outfits, held them up against Tojo, and then pushed her towards the fitting room, telling her to go try them on.
Swept up in Kishimoto’s unusually powerful pace, Tojo stumbled into the fitting room.
Immediately after, her startled voice came from inside.
“Wait! This cute style doesn’t suit me at all!”
Kishimoto told me to wait a moment, then strode into the fitting room Tojo had entered.
“R-Rika?”
“Shh! Big sis will take care of everything, so just stay still!”
“Wait, that spot’s sensitive, so be gentle!”
A rather suggestive conversation, the kind you’d often hear in a rom-com, flowed from the fitting room. After about five minutes, Kishimoto emerged with a refreshed expression.
“Where’s Tojo?”
“She’ll be out in a minute.”
Just as she said, after a short wait, a rustling sound came from behind the fitting room curtain, and Tojo walked out, wearing something other than her school uniform.
“Rika, this skirt is too short…”
Kishimoto gazed lovingly at Tojo, who was incredibly embarrassed by the frilly clothes she was wearing for the first time, and then glanced at me.
“What do you think?”
“It looks good on you.”
That wasn’t an empty compliment; it was the truth.
I guess it’s true what they say about clothes making the woman.