Tokyo: My Girlfriend

Chapter 99 The Final Gamble

The delicious food was served, and the aroma of meat broth and seafood porridge filled the air, making Kitagawa Shin's appetite surge.

Once seated, I discovered there was also tempura, sushi, Rena's specialty stir-fries, and a large plate of pickled radish.

Delicious food, everything you could want.

Shinichi Kitagawa exclaimed that there were so many dishes. Rena Kitagawa took off her apron, and Haruna Kasuga handed out chopsticks to everyone: "Shinichi, try them later and see how they taste. I helped make many of the dishes."

Shinichi Kitagawa had just seen Hina busy in the kitchen and was genuinely curious about whether Hina's cooking skills had improved: "Hina-sensei, have you made a few dishes too?"

Rena Kitagawa walked over coldly and blurted out, "It was done, but..."

Upon hearing this, Haruhi Hina coughed lightly as a reminder, indicating that she shouldn't undermine herself.

And you should speak more gently in general. Why are you so cold to Shin-il?

That cough had two meanings, which Kitagawa Rena understood perfectly. She blinked and immediately changed her tone, saying gently, "Never mind, you two talk."

Kitagawa Shinichi: ".

""

Someone found this scene amazing; these two seemed to have a very good relationship.

Who would have thought that the two of them almost got into a fight on the street?

Shinichi Kitagawa examined the dishes, pointing to the plate of pickled radishes: "I bet this radish was made by Hina-sensei?"

Haruhi Hina smiled and nodded: "I knew it! But there's more."

"There's more? That's amazing!" Shinichi Kitagawa pointed at the tempura. "Are these also?"

"wrong."

He then pointed to the seafood porridge: "This? I think the teacher probably made it because seafood porridge is easy to make."

She grinned: "No, not really."

Rena Kitagawa sat down and announced the answer, since there weren't many dishes left anyway: "The pickled cabbage hidden under the pickled radish was made by Hina-sensei. She mostly lent a hand to the others, taking care of chopping the side dishes."

Shinichi Kitagawa's forehead was covered in large beads of sweat: "..."

Haruhi Hina sat down at the table, blushing, feeling embarrassed. "I can't help it, my cooking is just too terrible. I've been learning from Rena for a week and I still haven't learned anything. I've wasted a lot of ingredients, so I didn't cook anything today as soon as Shin came back. Except for the pickles, everything else was made by Rena."

Shinichi Kitagawa wasn't too surprised. He knew about Hina's cooking skills and comforted her, "That's pretty good too. Pickling vegetables is very difficult."

"Right!" Haruhi Hina exclaimed happily, "I also think pickles are difficult! I've been learning for a long time to make them taste almost the same as the ones in the market!"

Rena Kitagawa watched the two of them without saying a word.

Shinichi is indeed very gentle with Haruhi Hinana; I have to make amends for this.

The three of them picked up their chopsticks, put their hands together in a gesture of respect, and said, "Let's eat!"

After Rena finished serving the vegetables, Haruhi Kasuga served the pickled vegetables to Shinichi Kitagawa and Rena, so that they could also try them.

Shinichi Kitagawa first took a sip of the seafood porridge and praised Rena, then seriously savored the pickled radish, saying earnestly but simply, "It's quite flavorful! It's very similar to the pickles sold in supermarkets!"

Haruhi Hina smiled gently: "Doesn't it taste like pickled vegetables? Aren't you amazing, big sister?"

What makes Kitagawa Rena so amazing? It's something anyone can do with hands—no, even without hands, you could do it with your feet.

However, he didn't say it aloud.

Shinichi Kitagawa finally couldn't contain his curiosity: "But you two should tell me what happened, shouldn't you? Why did this happen?"

Rena Kitagawa and Haruna Kasuga exchanged a glance. Haruna Kasuga spoke up: "Let me explain. Actually, nothing special happened. Last week, when Shinichi wasn't home, I went to see Rena and asked her to move in with me for a few days."

Kitagawa Shinichi was surprised, and the thought of that scene made him involuntarily tense: "And then?"

"And then Rena agreed to move in."

Rena Kitagawa replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, and then I moved in and lived with Hina-sensei for a few days."

Haruhi Hina bit her chopsticks with her red lips, her beautiful peach blossom eyes sparkling as she spoke: "Originally, I just wanted to keep Rena company, but I unexpectedly discovered that Rena's cooking is so delicious! So I wanted to learn from her, and then Rena started teaching me."

Rena Kitagawa sighed, "I mainly didn't expect that Hina-sensei wouldn't know some very simple things. It wasn't really teaching; I just mentioned it a few times."

Haruhi Hina was really happy when she thought about what had happened these past few days: "Anyway, we talked a lot when we were together, and we talked about a lot of things that we didn't know about each other before. Now our relationship is very good."

Rena Kitagawa didn't quite agree with the last sentence, but a lot of what they talked about was true.

Shinichi Kitagawa could hardly believe it. He looked at Rena Kitagawa, who was deep in thought, with a puzzled expression and praised, "Rena is amazing."

Rena Kitagawa was confused by this: "Amazing?"

Kitagawa Shin nodded: "They are very impressive."

Haruhi added, "She's so cute! Rena's every move is cuter than I imagined." She subconsciously reached out and patted Rena's head.

Rena wanted to dodge, but when she saw Shinichi looking at her with a look of surprise, she froze and didn't move.

Haruhi Hina only realized what she was doing after she finished touching him, and quickly withdrew her hand, afraid that he would be angry: "Sorry!"

I couldn't help it! I'm sorry.

Shinichi Kitagawa also looked at Rena with surprise, belatedly realizing what was happening.

Rena Kitagawa hesitated for a moment, then took a sip of soup and said, "It's okay, let's eat."

Shinichi Kitagawa and Hina Kasuga exchanged a surprised glance, their smiles a mixture of helplessness and knowing meaning.

After dinner, Shinichi Kitagawa took Rena and her luggage home.

Saying goodbye to Haruhi at the entrance of the residential area.

On their way home, Shinichi Kitagawa carried a large bag filled with daily necessities, while Rena carried a small bag of clothes in both hands.

The two walked along the streets of Kabasaki Town as darkness fell.

The sounds of frogs and cicadas came from the surrounding grass, and the starry sky was overhead.

"It feels like a dream." Shinichi Kitagawa glanced at the arrogant figure beside him. "I never thought Rena would actually become friends with Hina-sensei."

Rena Kitagawa didn't know how to say it: "The main thing is that my issues with my father have long been resolved, and now Shinichi has a girlfriend, so there's nothing for me to be hostile to her anymore. I can't be enemies for life because of what happened before. This beautiful girl isn't that extreme."

Shinichi Kitagawa laughed and said, "That's true, but it's still really unbelievable. Before, let alone sitting down to eat together like this, you would have gotten really angry if I had just mentioned Hina's name in front of you by accident, right? You would have given me the cold shoulder."

Rena Kitagawa didn't deny it. She remembered what Haruna Kasuga had said while she was cooking, and unexpectedly took the initiative to speak, her voice very soft: "Shinichi, I don't plan to stop you from dating Akemi Aoki anymore. I don't dislike Akemi Aoki as a person. I don't like her, but I would never say I hate her. What I hate is you having a girlfriend, but since you're so sure, then I'll support you."

Shinichi Kitagawa stopped in his tracks and opened his eyes wide.

Rena Kitagawa raised her head slightly and turned to look at the other person: "I know you may not believe what I'm saying, and I myself find it incredible that these words are coming out of my mouth, but Shinichi is the most important person to me. I will support your decision and suppress my desire to control Shinichi. If Shinichi has already decided to choose Aoki Akemi in this life, then I will truly become Shinichi's younger sister."

She stared at the dirt and pebbles on the road, her fingers clenched tightly: "Of course, even as your sister, I don't think I can watch you and Aoki Akemi be all lovey-dovey from now on. After you and Aoki Akemi get married, I'll move in with Hina-sensei. If you miss me, just come and visit me. Don't expect to live with me."

For some reason, Shinichi Kitagawa had a strange feeling in his heart, afraid that she would do the same thing as before: "Rena... I... the reason I argued with you before was actually..."

"What are you thinking?" Kitagawa Rena looked up speechlessly and said disdainfully, "Don't worry, I'm not being sarcastic this time! I'm serious! I know I'm unreasonable and always annoy people, and I never tell the truth."

Her tone was tinged with sadness: "But no matter what I do, the most important person in my heart is still Shinichi. I'm starting to understand what Haruhi Hina meant when she said she wanted to see the important people in her life happy."

She scolded Kitagawa Shinichi in such an adorable tone: "Idiot, it's your fault for not liking me no matter what. I've done everything I could, what can I do if you still don't choose me?"

Starting today, I won't kiss you anymore. The days when you could kiss me freely are over, even though you never really appreciated it.

With a flick of her silver twin tails, she turned and walked towards home: "Let's go home! What are you daydreaming about!"

Looking at Rena's petite and adorable back, Shinichi Kitagawa's gaze trembled, and he smiled inexplicably.

Life is indeed full of surprises; you can never guess what will happen today.

He quickened his pace to catch up.

"Call me 'brother'?"

"Hmph!" Kitagawa Rena snorted coldly, but still obediently called out softly, "Brother."

"Wow! You really made that sound? That sounded good! Make that sound again."

"Idiot Shinichi!! Idiot older brother..."

Given the current situation, Rena Kitagawa truly has no other options, so this is her last gamble.

If you can change your flawed self, adjust your mindset, and if you can re-examine yourself and come to like yourself after the change, then everything will be fine.

But if he still didn't intend to be with her, Kitagawa Rena had no choice but to accept her fate. After all, once Xin was determined, nothing could change his mind, and besides, she wasn't the only pitiful woman.

Haruhi Hina isn't planning to live as a widow for the rest of her life, is she?

She saw this most clearly during the week they spent together.