Tokyo Psychic

Page 104

As they approached Narisawa, Kasumi Yoshizawa made an excuse to go to the restroom and left with her younger sister.

Once they were away from the restaurant, she looked nervously at Sumire Yoshizawa beside her.

"Jin, can you do me a small favor this time?"

Yoshizawa Sumire blinked. "It's about Amamiya-senpai, right?"

"Ah."

Yoshizawa Sumire felt a sudden, inexplicable resistance—her most admired older sister was actually so interested in a boy. It was as if a precious treasure she held dear had been taken away, leaving her with a sour feeling, but she couldn't bring herself to dislike Kurusu Akira's appearance; she just felt an indescribable sense of loss.

Kasumi Yoshizawa noticed her sister's emotions, her eyes filled with guilt. But she bit her lip and still managed to make her request, "After dinner, I want to spend some time alone with Amamiya-senpai. Could you please sit at a nearby coffee shop for a bit? I'll come pick you up and take you home."

Yoshizawa Sumire hugged her older sister and said sullenly, "I don't want to be separated from my sister."

Fang Zexia paused for a moment, then hugged her younger sister tightly, pressing her forehead against hers. "Me too, I don't want to be separated from Jin."

......

at the same time.

"Tengmuju".

An and Subaru had just returned to their apartment and were walking up the stairs when they suddenly noticed two familiar figures standing at the apartment door.

"Dad? Mom? What brings you here?"

The well-dressed man and woman noticed An and Subaru, and immediately beamed with joy. "Of course, we're here to give you a surprise. We wanted to see how you're doing in Tokyo."

An and Subaru looked a little embarrassed. "Of course it's the same as what they said on the phone..."

The man in the suit coughed lightly. "You probably haven't had dinner yet, have you?"

"Ah."

“Perfect timing! We used a friend's connections to book a table at a very famous restaurant. It's rare for the three of us to be together, so why don't we sit down, eat, and chat?”

The stylishly dressed woman also said, "Your grandma is very worried about you..."

Before she could finish speaking, her husband stopped her with a look, then patiently asked An and Subaru for their opinions, "Want to come along?"

An and Subaru hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and agreed to their parents' request.

"But what's the name of that restaurant?"

"Narisawa is a famous restaurant that has been featured on television."

The same words were spoken on the other side of Tokyo.

In front of the dilapidated apartment building, Toyokawa Shoko, who was about to go out to buy groceries and cook, fell silent as she looked at the luxury car blocking her way.

The car window rolled down, and the elderly man from the Toyokawa family calmly gazed at the family's sole heir with his bright eyes.

"That restaurant is nicely decorated, and the food looks interesting. Shall we sit there and chat?"

......

At that moment, Akira Kurusu, outside the Narisawa restaurant, was completely unaware that he was about to be drawn into a terrifying vortex that could be described as a world war.

093. When three people walk together, one of them will surely be my corpse. (Two parts combined)

"Senior! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!"

Kasumi Yoshizawa warmly took Akira Kurusu's wrist and pulled him into the Narisawa restaurant, while Sumire Yoshizawa followed behind them sullenly.

Black load-bearing columns and floors, white ceilings and walls, tables and chairs, open kitchen and wine cabinet... everything in the entire space is arranged strictly according to the black and white color contrast, like an unused piano keyboard.

Then, surprisingly, there was an expensive piano placed near the store entrance.

As soon as they entered, a tall female servant greeted them respectfully, bowing deeply to the three of them. "Welcome to Narisawa..." After a brief self-introduction, she led them toward the open kitchen.

Behind the stone-paved counter, the head chef and his culinary team bowed slightly before enthusiastically announcing, "Ms. Yoshizawa and Mr. Amamiya, Narisawa will do its utmost to create an unforgettable evening for you through our cuisine."

When he entered the restaurant, Lai Xixiao seemed to have suddenly become a different person. His demeanor and speech were elegant and proper, quite different from his usual behavior. He took off his tie and retied it, even took off his glasses and put them on top of his head. He straightened his back, raised his face slightly, and although his hair was still messy, it no longer had that deliberate sloppiness. Instead, he appeared confident and flamboyant.

From an unkempt, nerdy STEM student to a melancholic, handsome prince in distress, such a dramatic transformation happened in the blink of an eye.

Upon seeing this interesting young man, Chef Naruzawa exclaimed "Oh!" and then reached out his hand to him.

The two shook hands, and Mr. Naruzawa looked at Kasumi Yoshizawa and Sumire Yoshizawa behind him and said, "I will add some small surprises to the menu, and I hope you will like them."

Akira Kurusu returned a polite smile, an aristocratic elegance that seemed out of place with his attire.

Yoshizawa Sumire stared at Kurusu Akira in astonishment, finally understanding why her older sister had fallen for this second-year student who "seemed to have no other merits besides his looks and grades."

What an amazing person... Yoshizawa Sumire thought to herself, but he doesn't seem to get close to any girls at school other than Iori-senpai... I almost forgot about Anwa-senpai, they're in the same club, so they hang out together during lunch break.

I was led to my seat by a waiter, who carefully set out the cutlery. Then I saw the waiter take out three large red lacquered cups from the wine cabinet, which are traditionally used for drinking in Japanese tea ceremony. When the first course was finished, she would add some hot tea instead of alcohol to them, using this relatively subtle ritual to symbolize the start of dinner.

Narisawa Tokyo is a top-tier restaurant that has been listed multiple times on the world's best recommendation list and even "Asia's top 1". Named after its head chef, Yoshihiro Narusawa, it has created its own unique Japanese-French cuisine menu through the distinctive theme of "humanity and nature".

As a world-renowned restaurant, every seat here requires advance reservation... But today, Narisawa feels exceptionally spacious, and every empty seat in the renovated open kitchen is particularly noticeable... To be precise, apart from Akira Kurusu and his group, all the seats in the restaurant are empty.

Akira Kurusu looked around and then asked the servant beside her, "Are there too many empty tables today?"

The waiter leaned down and lowered his voice, "There are still two tables of guests, but they haven't arrived yet... You should know them."

Sitting next to Akira Kurusu, Kasumi Yoshizawa quickly waved for the servants to leave, then whispered to him, “My father used to work at a television station, so he had a very close relationship with the Toyokawa family. We’ve even gone there occasionally… Normally, dinner reservations at this restaurant are made on a monthly basis. We were only able to get a table this time because the Toyokawa family booked the entire place.”

"Toyokawa?"

“Hmm… it’s the Toyokawa you’re thinking of…” Yoshizawa Kasumi explained to Akira Kurusu when she saw his expression suddenly change. “Don’t worry, we can eat on our own. The place is big, they won’t sit with us.”

After thinking for a while, Akira Kurusu deduced logically that Shoko Toyokawa couldn't possibly be in such a situation—she should have finished buying groceries and was preparing to go home to cook for her father.

So he sat back down without worry, abandoning his plan to escape.

It's a rare treat to visit such an expensive restaurant, so of course I have to enjoy the food to the fullest... I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of "surprise" the chef was referring to.

Could it be that they're preparing two identical dishes for him and Yoshizawa Kasumi, with heart patterns drawn on them that can be pieced together?

The phantom thief took out his phone and, utterly bored, searched for the game called "Crimson Files" that An and Subaru had earnestly recommended to him, saying things like, "It's a very popular otaku game right now, he'll definitely like it..." Heh heh, what a boastful tone. He even painfully uninstalled a whole warehouse of five-star "FGO" games; there's no mobile game in this world that can sway his will anymore.

When you type "Crimson Archives" into the search box, your browser quickly displays hundreds or even thousands of loli character illustrations.

Akira Kurusu's supposedly unbreakable will cracked instantly, and the heart of this grown man was screaming, "Download it!"... No, I can't betray Ravenda.

The phantom thief moved his fingers away with a ferocious expression.

Yoshizawa Kasumi looked at Kurusu Akira with some puzzlement, "Aren't you curious about the other table of guests besides us and the Toyokawa family?"

"Ah, what's there to be curious about? They must be socialites who know the Toyokawa family, right?"

Yoshizawa Kasumi then became somewhat smug, and with a mysterious expression, she leaned close to Kurusu Akira's hand, "You guessed right, but that person is someone who receives a lot of attention in the entertainment industry."

"Hmm? Is it related to the TV series I've watched?"

"Yes, yes! It's that morning drama actor that you talked to me about before, the famous Anwa Tendo!"

"It's her?!" Akira Kurusu's voice rose a notch, which made Kasumi Yoshizawa feel a little strange, because Akira Kurusu actually had little interest in that TV series—in fact, she herself only found out who Anwa and Tendo were today. Compared to the chaotic entertainment industry, she was more concerned with how to improve her skills in gymnastics.

Yoshizawa Kasumi said, "It wasn't her, it was her family... it seems like it was her father with his daughter."

As she said this, she took out her phone and started searching for Anwa Tendo's Wikipedia page. "I heard that Anwa Tendo's granddaughter looks a lot like her when she was young. Young Anwa Tendo was a national beauty... I'm so curious!" As she said this, Yoshizawa Kasumi found photos of Anwa Tendo when she was young.

Then the smile on Yoshizawa Kasumi's face disappeared.

She knew all too well that beautiful face in the photo, a face that inspired secret envy.

Yoshizawa Kasumi looked up at Kurusu Akira and said, "It's Anwa-senpai."

Akira Kurusu had probably come to terms with the innocent relationship between herself and An and Subaru, and calmly repeated what Kasumi Yoshizawa had just said, "It's okay, we can eat on our own. The place is big, they won't sit with us."

Fang Zexia understood the underlying meaning in those words and smiled happily, "Senior!"

"what happened?"

"I just wanted to call out to you!" Fang Zexia cupped her slightly flushed face, ultimately lacking the courage to directly confess her feelings.

Sitting on the outermost side, enjoying the cool air from the air conditioner, Yoshizawa Sumire had no expression on her face.

She stared at the empty plate in front of her, wishing she could leave this pretentious couple as soon as possible... If you like someone, just confess! If you're willing to accept someone, just accept them! Why are you hesitating? — Despite her seemingly introverted and shy nature, Yoshizawa Sumire harbored countless bold fantasies about love.

At that moment, the faint sound of a car horn approaching from afar could be heard.

The servant standing guard by the shop door hurriedly pushed it open and went out to greet the distinguished guest...

As expected of the Toyokawa family, they really have prestige.

Bored, Akira Kurusu tapped the empty lacquer cup in front of him with his chopsticks.

Until... "Xiao Xiang, play a piece on the piano. It's been a long time since I've heard you play in person." The old voice said this, seemingly completely unconcerned about so-called dining etiquette.

Just kidding, I've already paid for the whole venue, do you think I need to depend on anyone's opinion if I want to play the piano?

Then Lai Qixiao heard a familiar voice. "Which song would you like to hear?"

Will Beethoven's "Pathétique" still resonate?

"Please let me try."

Akira Kurusu stood up without making a sound and walked towards the restroom.

He just wished that Narisawa's bathroom had a window.

"Pathétique" is a beautiful piece of music, just like his current mood.

......

Lai Qixiao turned on the tap and splashed a handful of cold water on her face.

Then, looking at his tragically handsome face in the mirror, he twitched his lips a few times and thought to himself that he was doomed.

There is no window in the bathroom.

He couldn't possibly just walk into the Velvet Room or the Impressionist Space and perform a "disappearing act," could he? Besides, at such close range, the fluctuations in reality and consciousness would definitely attract Toyokawa Shoko's attention!

Akira Kurusu spent several days teaching Shoko Toyokawa how to gather such secret and important information in the first instance. If she escaped in this way, her whereabouts would definitely be exposed... No, if the elders of the Toyokawa family or An and Subaru just asked Kasumi Yoshizawa and Sumire Yoshizawa, they would know that she came with them.

The phantom thief clutched his forehead in pain.

At this moment, the "pathetic" song outside had come to an end.

Just as he was thinking of hiding in the toilet until it was all over...

An and Subaru's voices rang out from outside.

I don't know when she arrived at the restaurant.

However, An and Subaru probably sensed that Toyokawa Shoko was in a somewhat awkward situation. In order to help the Persona wielder, who was also a member of the Phantom Thieves, out of the predicament, they pulled her to sit down next to Yoshizawa Kasumi, whom they were more familiar with, in a relatively forceful manner.

"What a coincidence, Yoshizawa-senpai!"

"Hello, Anwa-senpai..." Yoshizawa Kasumi's voice was full of wariness.

Then she looked at Toyokawa Shoko, her tone softening slightly, "Long time no see, Miss Toyokawa!"

They had known each other since they were children, and had met a few times in the club building after school.

Toyokawa Shoko looked at them with some gratitude, "Long time no see..."

The girls' conversations seemed to gradually become quieter due to the adults' supervision, to the point that Akira Kurusu, hiding in the bathroom, could hardly hear them.

Akira Kurusu paced anxiously in the restroom, and then his worst fears came true—

The girls' whispers among themselves came to a head when they talked about being "forced by their parents to have dinner at Narisawa," and it was completely ignited when Kasumi Yoshizawa and Sumire Yoshizawa said, "It was Amamiya-senpai who came with us."

Shoko Toyokawa's exclamation, though out of control, was tinged with a hint of worry and sadness.

An and Subaru's incredulous screams were filled with a sense of resentment and envy at falling behind others.

"So, where did he go?" The old man who had come with Toyokawa Shoko suddenly asked from behind them.

The old man in the high position was very shrewd; he immediately picked up some clues from Toyokawa Shoko's loss of composure.

Yoshizawa Sumire and Yoshizawa Kasumi seemed to sense that something was wrong, so they kept their mouths shut and dared not answer.

Now that things had come to this, Akira Kurusu had no choice but to leave the restroom.

He had prepared many lies, hoping they would come in handy.

Facing the varied gazes of the young girls in the restaurant, the thoughtful stares of the old man, and the curious look of a well-dressed couple... Akira Kurusu loosened her tie and said, "Sorry, I was washing my hands just now."

He met Toyokawa Shoko's eyes, which held a complex and heartbreaking weight of emotions, and his thoughts raced through his mind in an instant...

How could it not be fast? "Dioscuri" had already run out from behind him, constantly flipping through all his memories in an attempt to find a way to get away with it!