The lively night quickly came to an end, and Shin said his farewells to Gotou Hitori and Ijichi Nijika before leaving the LiveHouse.
However, after seeing Shin leave, Ijichi Nijika wore a curious smile and poked the still-dazed Gotou Hitori beside her:
"Hey, Bocchi, are you really just friends with Shin?"
"Eh? Ah? Yes… yes, that's right."
Upon hearing Ijichi Nijika's question, Gotou Hitori was startled, her heart churning with anxiety, and her expression began to slip out of control.
Why would she suddenly ask this? Could it be that Nijika had realized she wasn't really friends with Shin, but had just been pressured into giving her contact information and dragged into lunch with him?
Apologies for lying about having friends; someone like me really shouldn't have gotten excited over the idea of having one…
Unaware of Gotou Hitori's self-deprecating thoughts, Ijichi Nijika covered her mouth, her eyes glinting with amusement.
"Really? But when I exchanged contacts with Shin earlier, you seemed very concerned."
Nijika already saw Gotou Hitori as a friend, so even though she was chatting away with Shin, she had been paying attention to Hitori's reaction.
"N-no way!"
Gotou Hitori's face showed an awkward expression—she hadn't expected Nijika to notice her expression earlier.
However, what Nijika didn't realize was that her odd expression wasn't due to jealousy or anything like that; she was simply shocked at how people like Shin socialize.
"But Shin really is quite handsome. I bet a lot of girls like him."
Looking toward the LiveHouse entrance, Nijika noticed Shin's figure had already vanished.
"Well, never mind about that. Bocchi, even though the guests have left, we still have to clean up before we can leave, alright?"
"I-I got it!"
…
After leaving the LiveHouse, Shin didn't go straight home but instead stopped by a bar affiliated with the Kiryu Group.
The LiveHouse where Gotou Hitori worked hosted only small band performances, so it would close at the scheduled time.
The bar, on the other hand, was a haven for party-goers and usually stayed open until the early morning.
So, when Shin walked into the Kiryu Group's bar, it was still bustling, with a crowd on the dance floor moving to the beat, looking anything but restrained.
"Master Shin!"
The moment Shin entered, the guard at the door recognized him and bowed deeply.
Having previously mistaken him based on a description alone, Kiryu had made sure to distribute a photo of Shin to his men, so they wouldn't fail to recognize him again.
Shin nodded and headed directly to the bar, ordering a drink while watching the dance floor.
The arrow pendant on his neck was still, indicating that the people here were ordinary folks.
"Where's Kiryu? Is he not here?"
As he sipped his drink and watched the monotonous dancing, Shin quickly grew bored.
After finishing his drink, he handed the empty glass to the bartender and inquired about Kiryu's whereabouts.
He recalled Kiryu mentioning that he planned to make this bar a regular meeting place, but it seemed Kiryu wasn't here tonight.
"Master Shin, the boss is in negotiations with another gang tonight."
The bartender, also a member of the Kiryu Group, respectfully answered Shin's question.
Negotiations… but if talks fail, they'll likely resort to fists, right?
That's how it goes in the underworld: negotiations test ruthlessness, and things can escalate quickly.
Shin nodded, unconcerned about Kiryu's safety, and prepared to leave.
He had only come to check on Kiryu, and since he wasn't around, there was no need to stay.
However, as he was leaving, he suddenly felt a slight movement from the pendant on his neck.
"Hm?"
Shin was momentarily surprised; he hadn't expected the arrow pendant to react just as he was about to head home.
Holding the arrow in his palm, he watched as it rotated like a compass, eventually pointing toward a shadowy figure standing in the corner.
It was a girl with golden hair tied in a side ponytail, dressed in a bold, flashy style. She stood expressionless, merely watching the dance floor without joining in.
"Isn't she a high schooler? How did she get in here?"
Although dressed provocatively, she looked like a high schooler.
Recalling the scrutiny he faced upon entering, Shin looked to the guard at the door for an explanation.
"Well… after what happened with you, Master Shin, we've been hesitant to block these high schoolers."
The bouncer gave an awkward smile, explaining how this high school girl had entered without hassle, thanks to Shin setting a precedent.
Shin chuckled, shaking his head at this answer, and decided not to press the guard further.
Noticing a new Stand user, especially a girl, piqued his curiosity.
He felt as if she looked familiar, though he couldn't tell if it was from seeing her on the street or from a work he'd encountered before his "crossing."
Anime and reality are naturally different; even if she were a character from a fictional work, recognizing her in three-dimensional form wasn't easy.
If the original artwork was by a notoriously poor artist, identifying her would be even harder.
"Are you interested in that girl, Master Shin?"
The guard at the door noticed Shin's gaze, and with a knowing look, lowered his voice to ask.
"Would you like us to help?"
Seeing a chance to curry favor, the guard was quick to offer.
"No need."
Shin shook his head, uninterested in the suggestion.
To be continued…
Shin uses a fan favourite ultimate move!
The reality marble starts to break apart?!??!
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