Tokyo, Shibuya.
Shibuya, one of the 23 wards of Tokyo, is a vibrant district brimming with individuality. Renowned for its department stores, fashion boutiques, restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues, and nightlife establishments, it's a place where crowds gather at all hours.
Dubbed as one of Tokyo's "24-hour sleepless cities" alongside Shinjuku, it's also famously known as the "City of the Young."
It's a melting pot of people—you might encounter talent scouts, cosplayers, gangsters, or anyone in between on its streets.
Inside one of Shibuya's bustling commercial buildings, on the third floor, is the Pokémon Center.
"Whoa, it's Mewtwo!"
As soon as they stepped in, Umaru's eyes lit up, spotting a life-size model of Mewtwo displayed in a glass case near the entrance.
"It's so cool! Umaru, do you think it's alive? It looks so real, almost like it could move!"
Ebina Nana, brimming with excitement, grabbed Umaru's arm and shook it energetically.
"Come on, Raerae, how could it possibly be alive?"
Umaru sighed, smiling helplessly at her friend's naturally airheaded personality.
"Let's go inside and check out the rest," she suggested.
"Yeah, yeah!"
Linking arms with each other, the two girls walked further into the store. Given how crowded the Pokémon Center was, staying close was necessary to avoid getting separated.
A Small Villa.
In a cozy room, Hiratsuka Shizuka and Gojo Satoru sat across from each other, neither speaking a word, simply staring at one another.
"Wait, you're… Gojo?"
Shizuka's face twisted in disbelief as she looked at the ridiculously handsome man in front of her.
In all the months they'd known each other, this was the first time she'd seen Gojo without his signature blindfold.
She had to admit—he was insanely handsome.
"Yep, it's me, Shizuka! Surprised? Shocked?"
Gojo grinned widely, clearly brimming with anticipation to see her reaction.
"Oh… not surprised at all."
Shizuka quickly recovered her composure, returning to her usual calm expression.
"Eh?! I was hoping to see you surprised, Shizuka-chan. You're no fun at all…"
Gojo immediately slumped back onto the sofa, dramatically deflated.
What's the point of anything anymore? Life's meaningless. Might as well let the world end, he thought dramatically.
Idiot, Shizuka chuckled silently to herself.
Although she was genuinely taken aback by Gojo's jaw-dropping looks, she wasn't the type to get overly flustered about appearances anymore—she was past that stage in life.
"So, Gojo, why are you here today?"
Curious, Shizuka tilted her head as she asked. Then, as if realizing something, she immediately crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him warily.
"If you're here for… pervy reasons, forget it!"
"What kind of person do you think I am?! I'm just bored out of my mind, so I thought I'd hang out with you, have lunch, and maybe race a bit on our bikes," Gojo replied lazily from the sofa.
"Lunch sounds fine, but I have to visit my father in the afternoon. He wants to talk to me about something. Sorry, Gojo," Shizuka apologized sincerely after thinking it over.
"Ughhh, I finally brought my Kawasaki out for a ride, and now you're saying you have to visit your father? Forget it, forget it. It's fine…"
Gojo sighed even more dramatically, collapsing even further into the sofa like a fish dying of thirst.
What a waste… Maybe I'll just head to Akihabara later instead.
Seeing Gojo's overly exaggerated, pitiful act, Shizuka couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke.
"Alright, alright… I'll make it up to you, okay?"
Her face flushed slightly as she said those words.
Make it up to me?
Now Gojo was suddenly wide awake.
Although he didn't say anything, he remained slumped on the sofa, completely still, silently waiting for what she meant by "compensation."
Gojo's deliberate silence made it clear what he was expecting.
Seriously, why do I always have to take the initiative? What kind of girl makes the first move anyway?
Shizuka sighed inwardly, grumbling to herself.
After a moment's hesitation, she slid her feet back, slipped off her slippers, and leaned in.
Her lips gently pressed against his…
Time seemed to stretch.
When they finally pulled away, Shizuka gasped for air, her face flushed red, while the lingering sensation of the kiss remained.
"Shizuka, your breath control could use some work. That was, what… just a few minutes?"
Gojo, still lying lazily beneath her, teased with a playful smirk.
"A few minutes?! Don't make it sound like I did poorly!"
Shizuka huffed, rolling her eyes as she wiped her lips with her hand.
"Alright, compensation done. Now, what do you want for lunch?"
She pulled out her phone to browse for delivery options.
"Anything's fine. Just make sure to get dessert too, okay?"
"Alright then, let's go with Chinese food," Shizuka said as she scrolled through the options on the app.
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Author's Note: You know the goal for next one
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