Chapter 32

Chapter 32: 032, I Treated You Like a Sister, and You Want to Become My Sister-in-Law?!

Lunch was held at an upscale business restaurant.

They ate traditional Japanese cuisine.

“Is this what Tokyo’s famous restaurants are like, Nii-chan?” Nagayama Tsuruko looked slightly disappointed.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you like it?”

It wasn’t that the food tasted bad. Business restaurant dishes were, after all, very business-like.

And even when prepared perfectly, traditional Japanese food was something they had been eating for more than ten years already.

“It tastes good, but I don’t really feel Tokyo’s uniqueness.”

“What counts as Tokyo’s uniqueness?”

“Well… something unique… Kana-chan, you explain it too.”

Tsuruko clearly couldn’t organize her thoughts and asked Tsubakiya Kana for help.

“Tokyo feels advanced, like all the world’s characteristics gathered in one place.”

“Ah, I get it. Next time I’ll take you to Western restaurants—French, Italian, Spanish, whatever you want,” Nagayama Naoki immediately understood what the two girls meant.

After a simple lunch, the three of them went to Akihabara’s Pedestrian Paradise. As expected, another group from the Takenoko Tribe was performing.

Different groups competed for attention. Besides singing and dancing, some even performed acrobatics and magic tricks.

Naoki rented a camera and became the girls’ personal photographer.

Then he turned into the snack payer and sightseeing guide.

After an entire afternoon of walking around, neither of the girls felt tired.

In the evening, Naoki treated them to an upscale Western dinner, and this time they were extremely satisfied.

At night, the two girls wanted to visit a nightclub, but Naoki refused on the grounds that they were still minors and brought them back to the apartment.

“Go to sleep properly. Tomorrow I’ll take you shopping.”

“Ah! Onii-chan is going to buy me things?” Tsuruko instantly became excited.

“Then I want cosmetics, new clothes, and a new radio.”

“In your dreams.” Naoki chopped her lightly on the head without hesitation.

“Mother specifically told me not to spend too much money on you. At most, you get one gift.”

He then turned to Tsubakiya Kana.

“Kana-chan can also choose one thing as a Tokyo souvenir.”

“Huh? I can choose too?” Kana looked delighted. “That’s too kind, Naoki Nii-chan, thank you!”

They had grown up as neighbors, and their parents were close friends, so giving a gift was perfectly natural.

That night, Tsubakiya Kana and Nagayama Tsuruko whispered under the blankets.

“Tsuruko-chan, Naoki Nii-chan is really wonderful.”

“What’s wonderful about him?” Tsuruko thought: he only allowed one gift, how stingy.

“He’s handsome, rich, young, talented, and even buys me presents,” Kana listed Naoki’s virtues one by one.

Hearing only praise made Tsuruko puff up angrily.

“If he’s that great, why don’t you just marry him!”

“That wouldn’t be impossible…” Kana said dreamily.

Tsuruko stared in disbelief. I treat you like a sister, and you want to become my sister-in-law?!

Early the next morning.

Naoki was actually woken up by the two girls. People eager to go out and have fun simply couldn’t sleep in.

Keeping his promise, he took them to Shibuya’s commercial district in the morning.

The streets were filled with dazzling merchandise, and the two girls headed straight for the clothing section—they had clearly already decided.

As expected, fashionable and pretty clothes were what girls their age loved most.

Watching them tirelessly try on outfits, change clothes, and mix different combinations, Naoki finally understood the suffering of men accompanying girlfriends on shopping trips in later generations.

And there were no smartphones yet—he couldn’t even play a quick game to escape.

Why did Naoki prefer minimalist fashion?

Partly because it was comfortable, and partly because it made buying clothes easy. No need to think about matching outfits.

After what felt like forever, the girls finally chose their clothes. Naoki immediately paid, eager to end the ordeal as soon as possible.

They continued strolling afterward, though this time without buying anything.

Besides department stores and fashion shops, Shibuya’s commercial area was full of snack stalls, cafés, and game centers. Unexpectedly, both girls wanted to visit a pachinko parlor.

“Shizuoka has pachinko too, doesn’t it?”

“How could it be the same? This is Tokyo pachinko!”

Naoki didn’t really see the difference, but judging by their excitement, it apparently mattered a lot.

He could only spend 3,000 yen buying pachinko balls.

Naoki didn’t understand pachinko at all, but the two girls had a great time. They won a large number of balls and exchanged them for two teddy-bear keychain charms.

He couldn’t understand it—3,000 yen could easily buy ten of those directly.

The bustling commercial streets were crowded with flowing crowds. The famous Shibuya Crossing, said to see 3,000 people pass every minute, was already beginning to resemble the scene it would become in the future.

Shibuya was often called the birthplace of youth fashion and trend culture. Street performers singing and avant-garde performance art could be seen everywhere.

There were fewer eccentrically dressed groups than in Pedestrian Paradise, but the atmosphere felt more internationally connected.

Naoki disliked shopping, so Nagayama Tsuruko and Tsubakiya Kana walked ahead hand in hand while he followed behind carrying the bags.

Anyone unaware might think the two girls were authentic Tokyo locals leading the way.

Lunch was solved in the food street: takoyaki, yakitori skewers, wagyu skewers, okonomiyaki, taiyaki, assorted sweets, and creative sushi snacks—more than enough to satisfy any visitor.

Besides its commercial district, Shibuya was also famous for Meiji Shrine, a massive green space in the city center stretching between Yoyogi and Harajuku.

The moment they entered the calm and solemn grounds from the lively shopping streets, the two girls became noticeably quieter. After sightseeing and offering prayers, they drew the shrine’s special fortune slips called “Oogokoro.”

Naoki had never heard of the verses written on them, but they seemed to encourage people toward goodness.

Meiji Shrine was vast. Starting from the entrance, they walked along the approach, passed through the grand torii gate, visited the Meoto Kusu trees, and toured the Inner Garden.

There were a few scattered cherry blossoms in the garden, but nothing particularly remarkable.

By the time they left, more than two hours had passed.

After walking over ten kilometers that morning, the two girls finally became exhausted. Only then did Naoki call a taxi to return home.

Back at the apartment, Naoki told them to take a bath first.

“After walking so much, rest at home for a while.

This afternoon we’ll go see the cherry blossoms at Meguro River.”

“We can wear our new clothes!”

“I can take pretty photos!”

The girls finally showed signs of fatigue and obediently went to wash up.

Naoki brewed a pot of tea so it would be ready when they finished.

It was early spring, and the light between two and three in the afternoon was ideal for viewing cherry blossoms along the Meguro River. Unfortunately, there were no night illuminations yet like in later years; otherwise, nighttime cherry blossoms would have been exceptionally beautiful.

After viewing the blossoms, they could continue having fun at nearby shopping streets, cafés, or bars.

There was also said to be a lively carnival event along Meguro River that night—something Naoki himself had never seen and was quite curious about.