After saying goodbye to Hoshino Ai, Lin Ye returned to the tram station and took a train to Akihabara.
He had already sent a message to his teacher, informing them that he would return to Chiba in the afternoon and arrive at school around three o'clock.
Akihabara was a place he had always dreamed of visiting in his previous life, but his busy work schedule had never allowed it.
Now, in this life, since he was already in Tokyo and couldn't meet Mai, he decided to explore Akihabara instead.
Half an hour later, Lin Ye exited the station.
Standing under the sign for Akihabara Station, Lin Ye looked up at the green lettering and pulled out his phone to snap a picture.
"This is Akihabara!" he thought excitedly. "Where's the street with all the maids?"
Unsure where to go, Lin Ye decided to follow the flow of the crowd and wander aimlessly.
Before long, he came across a scene he had only seen in anime or at conventions in his previous life: young girls in maid uniforms standing on both sides of the street.
Most wore classic black-and-white maid outfits, while others donned red-and-white or pink-and-white variations. Each looked vibrant and full of life, their cheerful smiles brightening the street.
"Big brother, big brother, come to our maid café!"
A maid standing nearby waved at Lin Ye with a radiant smile.
Lin Ye smiled back politely but declined.
After wandering for over half an hour, he finally chose a maid café and stepped inside.
For lunch, he ordered omurice.
Like scenes straight out of anime, the maids served his meal with cute gestures and phrases, sprinkling "magic" onto the food to make it more delicious.
'So cute, so cute...' Lin Ye couldn't help but think.
"Master, please enjoy your meal. I hope you have a wonderful lunch," one of the maids said with a sweet smile.
As he ate, Lin Ye suddenly remembered an anime—Akiba Maid Wars.
"I don't think this was it," he chuckled to himself. "That show had guns and bombs, after all."
Satisfied, Lin Ye felt he had fulfilled a small wish from his previous life.
After a heartfelt goodbye from the maids, Lin Ye paid his bill and left the café. He headed back to Akihabara Station, ready to take the train to Chiba.
At the station entrance, however, he noticed a crowd gathering.
Curious, Lin Ye walked closer and saw a beautiful girl in an elaborate black Lolita dress standing at the center of attention. She posed confidently, her radiant smile captivating the photographers surrounding her.
"She's stunning!" Lin Ye thought, admiring her charm.
"She nailed it—this is exactly how I imagined Kuroe Shizuku would look," one of the onlookers said.
"Marine's cosplay is incredible. My friend is going to be so jealous he didn't come with me today!"
Hearing this, Lin Ye felt a flicker of recognition. He tried to piece together where he'd heard the name before.
The cosplayer approached a photographer, checking the photos they had taken.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"They're great," the photographer replied.
At this distance, Lin Ye could see strands of golden hair peeking out from beneath her wig.
"Kitagawa Marin," Lin Ye murmured instinctively.
The girl froze briefly, her gaze scanning the crowd until it settled on Lin Ye.
She didn't seem to recognize him, though.
"Is she a classmate I didn't know well at school?" Lin Ye wondered.
Marin's expression turned cautious. She clearly wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
Realizing she'd been recognized, Marin ended the photoshoot early, grumbling to herself.
"Taking a day off to shoot in Akihabara, only to bump into someone from school..."
Before leaving, she studied Lin Ye's face, committing it to memory. Though she didn't approach him, she felt relieved that he hadn't tried to strike up a conversation.
Lin Ye watched her for a moment, then nodded politely as Marin glanced at him one last time. Satisfied, he turned and walked away.
It was time to go at Chiba.
At Tokyo Station, Lin Ye transferred to the train bound for Chiba.
Setting an alarm on his phone to avoid missing his stop, he leaned back and closed his eyes.
However, after more than half an hour, the train came to a halt and didn't resume moving.
"What's going on?" Lin Ye wondered, looking around.
Moments later, an announcement came over the speakers:
"Due to a fire at Chiba Station, train services are temporarily suspended while the Chiba Fire Department conducts rescue operations."
Lin Ye sighed, realizing the delay would be lengthy.
Like the other passengers, he passed the time on his phone. Some played games or listened to music, while others muttered complaints about the delay.
Two hours later, the announcement finally came:
"The issue has been resolved. Train services will now resume."
As the train picked up speed, Lin Ye checked the time.
"I was supposed to arrive before three, but now it'll be a stretch to make it before five," he thought. Thankfully, he had already informed his teacher about the situation.
When he arrived at Chiba Station, a faint smell of smoke lingered in the air.
"It doesn't seem too serious," he noted as he stepped off the train and joined the crowd exiting the station.
His next destination: Sobu High School.