Tokyo: Idol Girls have absolutely no bad intentions!

Compared to Mori, Asada is a once-in-a-century prodigy. He has never had any special training, yet his flexibility and professional skills are second to none.

This is why the other party readily agreed.

Under Mori's resentful yet warning gaze, Ito pulled Asada to a corner of the activity room.

"W-What's wrong, Ito?" Asada looked up at the serious-looking Ito.

"I've thought about this for a long time, and I've decided to tell you."

"What...what is it?" Asada's gaze darted away. "Wouldn't it be too strange to say this now?"

“I have to admit that I made a mistake.” Ito slumped his shoulders. “Even though I’ve adjusted my emotions, I still can’t let go of these feelings.”

"Since there's no way to escape it, we should still express these feelings."

Ito didn't continue speaking, and simply remained silent.

Mori was still staring in that direction, and from Asada's perspective, he could see the probing gazes of more than one person.

"Actually, there's no need to rush. We can talk somewhere else." Asada shrank into the corner, hiding himself completely by Ito's shadow.

"Well, after all, Chika is still watching..." Asada's voice was very soft, and she bit her lip lightly.

The activity room, brightly lit by fluorescent lights, fell silent.

An inexplicable atmosphere arose as Ito and Asada simultaneously stared at each other.

"I don't know how to explain this. Takikawa's sudden disappearance caught me off guard."

"Eh~ Did Anna instigate it?" Asada took off the black-rimmed glasses that were covering her vision. "...Yes. I would do the same thing, I would do it now."

"You too?" Ito was somewhat surprised. Was Asada also a hidden deadbeat?

"Yes, yes! I want to fully express my feelings and move on to the next stage no matter what."

The unexpected words almost made Ito think he had misheard.

"So you knew all along?"

"I...I don't know. Takikawa is very beautiful, but she also gets troubled by these things."

Asada suddenly leaned closer, standing on tiptoe with a determined air.

"Even if people criticize me for this, I don't care as long as you can accept it, Ito."

Accept? How could I possibly accept someone owing me money and then disappearing without a trace!

"Calm down, Asada." Ito grabbed the other's shoulder, eliciting suppressed gasps from those around them.

Mori's shouts were mixed with the pain from pressing his legs.

"This kind of thing is absolutely unacceptable. Even if you obtain something from someone else through improper means, it will never belong to you."

Ito's obsidian-like pupils were deeply reflected in Asada's eyes.

"No matter how you look at it, this logic doesn't hold water. If you want to remain in the public eye, you can't have these kinds of things happen with other people."

"But..." Asada lowered her head, biting her lip so hard it seemed to draw blood, her face turning pale.

“I’m also very sad, and I still can’t accept it.” Ito shook his head. “After all, I never thought that Takikawa would just disappear without a trace after owing money.”

"Huh?" Asada suddenly looked up, staring at Ito in disbelief.

"He clearly has no ability to repay, yet he recklessly incurs debts. It turns out he had been preparing to run away all along." Ito became more and more agitated as he spoke. "That bastard! Don't think that running away will solve all the problems."

“…Hmm.” Asada’s reply suddenly became very calm.

It seems that people's joys and sorrows are not all the same.

"If there's nothing else, I'm going to practice." Asada pushed Ito aside and walked towards the girls in the dance club.

Meanwhile, the others in the activity room, seemingly to avoid being bothered by Ito, awkwardly engaged in meaningless conversations.

Even when Ito walked up to him, he exaggeratedly acted as if he had just discovered it.

These guys...

"Hey! Summer, am I late? Is Ito really going to confess?"

The person hadn't arrived yet, but the sound had already rang out outside the door, and Fujikawa's shouts echoed down the corridor.

Under Ito's gaze, Summer Sunflower lowered her head awkwardly and whistled.

"Huh? Is it over?" Fujikawa, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, looked around the activity room with a puzzled expression.

He focused his gaze on Xia Rikui and asked her, "Did you succeed?"

Ito glanced coldly at Fujikawa. "I don't know if it succeeded or not, but I do know one thing: you messed things up."

"what?"

As soon as Fujikawa finished speaking with a puzzled expression, the girls from the dance club who were instructing Mori and Asada suddenly stood up and walked straight out the door.

"Since President Fujikawa is not keeping his promise, there is no need for me to continue mentoring him."

"!"

Chapter 174 An Early Warm-up for the Battle of Evil Forces!

The sky was a deep blue, dotted with a few clouds.

Ito raised his wrist and looked at the time displayed on his digital watch; it was already one o'clock in the afternoon.

"Do we really have to do this?" Asada asked hesitantly, her face completely covered by a mask.

"Now that we're here, the sunk costs we've incurred will make it impossible for us to turn back."

Fifteen days have passed since Takikawa's escape, and Ito has finally obtained the latest information from Shinno.

According to the other party, she will take a group photo at the opening ceremony in Shimogoku, which is about an hour away from Tokyo, at 2 pm today.

Upon receiving the news, Ito immediately mobilized Asada to take the Shinkansen to Isumi City in Chiba.

"But we don't need to dress like this, do we?" Asada's voice was muffled, muffled by her mask.

Their attire was anything but normal; it could only be described as extremely surreptitious. In the early April weather, they were dressed in trench coats similar to those worn by Sherlock Holmes, along with black sunglasses, white masks, and even gloves.

Platform Doc Martens, black cargo pants, and a fisherman's hat that completely covered his hair.

“After all, it’s the film crew’s opening ceremony, so they’ll definitely invite some reporters.” Ito turned up the collar of his trench coat. “Besides, we’re going to be collecting debts, so we need to keep our true identities hidden.”

"If we're just collecting debts, shouldn't we be considered upright people?" Asada moved forward with difficulty.

"But now, I feel like a third-rate villain. I can't even see the protagonist's face before being stopped by security."

Probably not. Although I was specifically looked at by security personnel when entering the station, and my identity was checked by staff several times when I took the Shinkansen.

But they are acting in accordance with the law and reclaiming their rightful property; justice is on their side.

If the security guard is truly out of touch with reality, then...

"You're from Tokyo, right?" A short-haired girl stopped the two people who were renting bicycles.

Asada paused as she put on her helmet, looking at Ito, trying to gauge his next move through his eyes.

If you could really see their eyes.

"Is something wrong?"

Ito didn't answer the little girl's question, his hands continuing their work, and urged Asada, "The Zasen region is quite far away."

"Okay, sure." Asada paused for a moment, then pushed the bicycle out.

"Wait a minute, where are you going!" The little girl placed her hands on the black seat, clearly not wanting the two to leave so easily.

The two exchanged a glance, their expressions revealing confusion reflected in the dark lenses of their glasses.

"Um, can I let go?" Asada asked hesitantly, even when facing a little girl who had just started elementary school.

"No!" the little girl suddenly raised her voice.

This action caused Asada to immediately back down and hide behind Ito.

Surely they wouldn't be afraid of even a little girl.

Ito began to have some doubts about the success of his subsequent debt collection efforts.

"Let's go."

Since they couldn't get the other person to leave, they decided to leave themselves. Ito pulled Asada toward the rental bicycles on the other side.

"Wait a minute." The little girl ran in front of the two of them again, blocking their way.

"I can take you to your destination and be your tour guide."

"Not interested."

"I know some hidden dating spots, and I can also recommend some local restaurants and get you discounts," the little girl said anxiously. "I'll definitely make sure you're satisfied."

Upon hearing about food, Asada tightened her grip on Ito's arm.

She poked her head out. "For example?"

As expected, the food was an Asada trap, equivalent to a Master Ball with a 100% catch rate.

"Don't rush. We don't plan to stay here for long. We have to catch the 5 PM train, so don't get any illusions!"

Ito's words were a bit harsh, but there was nothing he could do about it, because he could tell that Asada really intended to bypass him and agree.

“I see…” She lowered her head in disappointment.

I told Asada about the schedule a long time ago, but now it's like I'm finding out for the first time.

“Little one.” Ito crouched down, trying to show the gentleness of a big brother next door, “We really have important things to do right now, so I’m sorry we can’t play with you.”

“I know a shortcut!” The little girl grabbed Ito’s gloved hand. “It only takes 10 minutes.”

This really appealed to Ito, since arriving at the venue earlier would give him more time to find Takikawa.

Even when faced with unexpected situations, Ito can handle them more calmly.

After all, there's no guarantee that the cunning Takikawa might do something shameful when facing a creditor who has come from afar.

"One minute?"

"Ten minutes." The little girl's tone was firm, with a voice unique to children. "Xiaochun never lies."