47 Target: Kabukicho

Natsume Kyosuke followed the manager into the main hall. The last table of guests had already left, and the staff of The Garden of Words restaurant began tidying up.

"Okudera, if you have somewhere to be, you can head out first."

The manager looked at Miki Okudera, who was wiping down a table, and then turned to Natsume Kyosuke beside him.

"Eh?"

Miki Okudera paused, the rag frozen in her hand. She looked up in confusion, then spotted Natsume Kyosuke standing next to the manager, and the meaning behind the words instantly clicked.

"That's right, that's right! Go on ahead, Okudera-senpai. There isn't much left to do, we'll have it all wrapped up in a jiffy."

The surrounding staff caught on as well. A girl who was particularly close to Miki Okudera gently bumped her shoulder and chimed in.

The other employees shot envious and jealous glazes at Natsume Kyosuke, looking as though they wanted to rip this bastard who was trying to steal away their goddess to shreds.

"No, no, I'll help out too. We'll finish faster that way," Natsume Kyosuke quickly offered.

He had no desire to receive special treatment; it would only put Miki Okudera in an awkward position. Besides, this wouldn't be the last time or two he'd be coming here, and standing out like that breeds exclusion.

With that, Natsume Kyosuke sought out Tanaka, the familiar and sole waiter he knew, snatched the mop right out of his hands, and set to work mopping the floor.

The manager glanced at him, then at Miki Okudera, seemed to understand something else entirely, and walked away with a smile.

As a kendo expert, Natsume Kyosuke's mopping technique was nothing short of top-tier. With his help, the restaurant's closing duties were wrapped up in record time.

"Let's go, Okudera-senpai." True to form, Natsume Kyosuke wheeled his motorcycle to the front of the shop, then naturally slipped off his jacket and handed it to Miki Okudera, who was still dressed in stylish yet breezy attire.

"Mm, sorry to trouble you, Kyosuke-kun."

Miki Okudera blushed as she put on the jacket, climbed onto the motorcycle, and wrapped her arms tightly around Natsume Kyosuke's waist. Although this was already the second time she had experienced such treatment, she was still touched by the gesture of him lending her his jacket.

After all, the Japanese people didn't really have that habit. Even among the myriad of gentle, accommodating protagonists in anime, such behavior was rarely seen.

It was barely 10 PM, and the nightlife in Shinjuku was just beginning to hit its stride.

"Okudera-senpai, if you aren't in a rush to head home, how about we take our time going back via Meiji Avenue?"

Natsume Kyosuke asked, looking down the bustling street. From Shinjuku Gyoen, where The Garden of Words was located, to Ochanomizu University, there were two possible routes.

One was to hop straight onto the Shuto Expressway No. 5 Ikebukuro Route—the very road Celty had taken Natsume Kyosuke on previously. Because it was a highway, even though the distance was slightly longer, it allowed for a much quicker arrival.

The second option was to take Meiji Avenue, which ran in an almost straight line. Shinjuku's most vibrant spots—Kabukicho, Shinjuku East Exit, and Shinjuku-sanchome—were all situated along this thoroughfare. However, liveliness also meant the road would be heavily congested; of course, one could always choose to park right there and stick around to enjoy the night.

"I don't have anywhere urgent to be. Whichever route Kyosuke-kun wants to take is fine by me," Miki Okudera said.

In truth, she wouldn't normally return to her apartment so early after work anyway. She would usually go shopping with friends or partake in Tokyo's nightlife.

Just the night before, she had stood up her friends because of Natsume Kyosuke, having promised to hang out at a newly opened bar in Kabukicho tonight. She hadn't expected Natsume Kyosuke to wait around for her to finish her shift after dinner. She had already apologized to her friends earlier for breaking her plans yet again, earning herself a good earful of complaints for it.

"Then let's take Meiji Avenue," Natsume Kyosuke decided cheerfully.

The last time he had come to Shinjuku with Masaki Kyosuke, all his time had been wasted on trivial things like fighting. Now, with such a beautiful girl riding behind him on a motorcycle, it was the perfect opportunity to properly explore Shinjuku, one of Tokyo's three major commercial districts.

Before long, before Natsume Kyosuke even felt the exhaust pipe of his motorcycle fully warm up, they reached an intersection on Meiji Avenue. To the left of the crossroads lay the path leading to Kabukicho, Shinjuku's—and indeed Japan's—most famous entertainment district. Although Natsume Kyosuke's destination was clearly intentional, he still turned back to ask Miki Okudera:

"Okudera-senpai, should we head into Kabukicho?"

"I'm fine with anything. If Kyosuke-kun wants to go, I'll tag along," Miki Okudera replied softly.

*Awesome, maybe I'll even have time to go look for Shizuka later,* Miki Okudera thought to herself.

Although it was a specialized district, Kabukicho wasn't solely filled with adult establishments; the majority were ordinary businesses, such as restaurants, movie theaters, game centers, and retail shops.

Natsume Kyosuke quickly found a parking spot for the motorcycle, then walked side by side with Miki Okudera down the street. As the crowd thickened, the temperature rose, and Miki Okudera handed Natsume Kyosuke's jacket back to him.

*Seriously, why are there so many cyberpunk works set in Japan?* Walking down the streets of Kabukicho, Natsume Kyosuke felt a momentary sense of déjà vu, as if he had crossed over once more into a cyberpunk universe.

Colorful, glowing signboards, neon lights illuminating every corner, massive billboards plastered across buildings, outdoor screens looping content endlessly, and the car headlights on the highway beneath the overpass blurring into ribbons of light...

"Kyosuke-kun, I want to check out that shop over there." Miki Okudera tugged at the sleeve of Natsume Kyosuke, who seemed lost in thought.

"Got it." Natsume Kyosuke snapped back to reality and looked at the shop Miki Okudera was pointing to. It was an ultra-kawaii storefront, cast almost entirely in pale pink at first glance.

The moment Miki Okudera stepped into the shop, Natsume Kyosuke hastily backed out, because the interior was packed exclusively with girls. The moment he stepped inside, every pair of eyes had locked onto him. Of course, if he had been thick-skinned enough, he could have rolled his eyes dramatically, swayed his hips with a catwalk stride, and pretended to be gay while walking in to debate fashion trends with those gyarus.

That's right, there were actually a few classic, deeply tanned gyarus inside—sporting exceptionally long fake eyelashes, bright red lipstick, and chewing gum incessantly.

Seeing Natsume Kyosuke's slightly flustered expression, Miki Okudera giggled, offered an apologetic smile, and began browsing the store.

She didn't keep Natsume Kyosuke waiting long. Before long, Miki Okudera emerged holding a small plush charm.

"What is that for? To hang on a bag?" Natsume Kyosuke asked, looking at the doll in a black dress that Miki Okudera was holding.

"Of course it's to hang on my phone," Miki Okudera said, pulling out her mobile phone and waving it at Natsume Kyosuke.

It was Natsume Kyosuke's first time seeing Miki Okudera's phone. The case featured some kind of abstract artistic pattern and was encrusted with rhinestones, giving it a somewhat flashy aesthetic.

"Haha, did I scare you? Actually, I used to be a gyaru for a while. Even though my gyaru days are behind me, I still can't help loving these little things when I see them."

After attaching the charm to her phone case, Miki Okudera proudly showed it off to Natsume Kyosuke once more.

"I wasn't really scared, I just didn't expect a stylish female university student like Okudera-senpai to have been a gyaru."

Natsume Kyosuke spoke from the heart. Whether it was her attire or her makeup, Miki Okudera's coordination was impeccable, naturally accentuating her features while exuding a strong sense of fashion. This was precisely why Natsume Kyosuke had previously wondered why she was working as a restaurant waitress instead of modeling for fashion magazines.

"Aren't gyarus the ones walking at the absolute forefront of fashion?" Miki Okudera said with a light, melodic laugh.

"Put that way, I suppose you're right," Natsume Kyosuke chuckled.

"Um, Kyosuke-kun, there's somewhere I'd like to go right now. If it's inconvenient for you, you don't have to tag along," Miki Okudera said. Because Natsume Kyosuke hadn't reached the legal drinking age, bringing an underage junior like him to a bar gave her a faint sense of guilt.

"Huh? It's fine. Wherever you want to go, I can accompany you. After all, I'm the one who brought you here—there's no way I'd leave without you."

"It's a bar, though. Is that really okay?"

"It's fine, it's fine. I just won't drink alcohol. But I shouldn't get barred at the entrance, right?" Natsume Kyosuke asked.

"That won't be a problem at all. It's a quiet lounge bar, and people who don't drink at all sometimes go just to listen to the proprietress play the piano. Besides, unless they're strictly checking IDs, Kyosuke-kun, you completely look like a standard, handsome Tokyo youth." Miki Okudera looked Natsume Kyosuke up and down before speaking.

Indeed, having changed into casual clothes after cleaning up at the kendo club, Natsume Kyosuke—dressed in black casual trousers and a brown jacket—truly looked like a city worker who had just clocked out to unwind and party.

"Then let's go. I'm actually quite looking forward to it."