Tokyo: Oreimo

There is indeed such a fast food restaurant near Sakae-cho, and it would probably take about 30 minutes to get there and back.

Ryosuke took out his phone, ready to send a message to his upstairs sister to check if she had any dietary restrictions or other special requirements.

But then I discovered that my phone had an unread message.

"Ok?"

Ryosuke raised an eyebrow.

The sender information field shows an unknown number.

"Brother, are you free tomorrow? There are some things I'd like to discuss with you."

Ryosuke stared at the screen for a few seconds.

The tone was somewhat familiar; he could only recall that the only person who would address him that way was Ling Nai's good friend, that sweet-looking junior.

Why are you suddenly contacting me? Is there something you need?

Ryosuke felt that he shouldn't have any interaction with the other person, except for his sister.

"Sorry, I didn't see it yesterday. Was there something wrong?"

After replying on his phone, he barely put the phone back in his pocket when the other party sent another message.

"Um...would it be alright if we met in person to discuss this with my brother?"

After considering it for a moment, Ryosuke realized that he didn't have much to do in the afternoon except deliver food to Ayano, so he agreed.

"Time and place?"

"At 2 PM, at the 'Mori no Ya' café near Chiba Station. Also, please don't tell Ayano about the meeting in private."

"it is good."

Ryosuke agreed.

Since the other party said that, it must be something about my sister. It wouldn't hurt to go there.

"Speaking of which, I think I heard Ling Nai mention that she works part-time as a model and is often approached by talent scouts. Maybe she knows some people who understand music."

Ryosuke thought to himself, and walked toward the nearest Matsuya.

Chapter 38 The Invitation (Thanks to "0178_eA" for the monthly ticket)

After ordering a pork cutlet donburi from Matsuya, Ryosuke quickly returned to the studio.

"So slow!"

Takashiro Ryouno expressed her dissatisfaction; she was so hungry she was seeing stars.

Ryosuke shook his head helplessly.

In that case, why not choose fast food instead of quick meals? Wouldn't convenience store fast food be better?

Most of the time was wasted on the road.

Ling Nai couldn't wait to open the packaging bag, pick up her chopsticks, and start eating heartily.

Ryosuke sat on the sofa.

"By the way, how have you been getting along with your friends lately?"

"What do you mean? Are you trying to interfere with my social circle?"

"No, I was just asking. Besides the girl I bumped into last time, do you have any other friends?"

"If I had to name a friend I could truly confide in, it would probably only be Liuli, right?"

Takashiro Ryouno chewed on the pork chop with her mouth bulging, her eating manner completely unguarded.

Looks like I'm really hungry.

However, when Liuli was suddenly mentioned, Ling Nai couldn't help but show a worried expression on her face.

Sure enough, something was going on.

Ryosuke keenly noticed this.

Takashiro Ryouno stopped eating with her chopsticks, pointed the sharp end at him, and looked wary.

"Why are you suddenly asking about this kind of thing? You're not planning to do anything to Liuli, are you?"

"Then you've misunderstood. I have no interest in that."

He did have a crush on Ruri Aragaki's appearance, but he wasn't confident enough to change someone's orientation.

This was never going to happen in the first place.

"Well, that's good. Also, remember your promise to me: you must never let Ruri know my secret."

"Do you mean you like playing erotic games?"

"You know perfectly well why I'm asking this!"

Ling Nai snorted and didn't offer any further explanation.

Ryosuke didn't ask any more questions; he already had a guess.

.....

In the afternoon, Ryosuke casually made up an excuse to leave.

Ling Nai did not press the matter further.

After taking the tram for one stop, we arrived at the agreed-upon location.

Ruri Aragaki was already seated in the coffee shop next to Chiba Station.

The girl was dressed quite appropriately today, wearing a beige turtleneck sweater with a white long skirt, her long black hair draped over her shoulders, and she was reading a novel.

Noticing Ryosuke enter the cafe, Ruri Aragaki smiled and waved.

"Brother, this way."

Ryosuke sat down opposite her and ordered a black coffee.

Sorry for suddenly asking you out.

"It's alright, I happen to have some time too. By the way, do you also enjoy reading novels?"

Ryosuke's gaze fell on the book on the table, the cover of which featured a little girl pushing a motorcycle.

Kino's Journey? I didn't expect to have a reader like me.

"Hmm, this is a really good light novel. I've been quite engrossed in it lately. I bet your older brother is writing one too. I wonder when I'll have the chance to read it?"

Ruri Aragaki held the coffee cup in both hands and spoke gently.

"Heh, if you have this kind of interest, you might have already seen it."

Ryosuke smiled.

"really?"

"probably."

Ruri Aragaki wanted to ask about the title of the work, but Ryosuke interrupted her, as he had no intention of letting those around him know his identity for the time being.

"Well, so you specifically asked me to come out, is there something you need?"

When the topic turned to business, a slightly worried expression appeared on Ruri Aragaki's face, and her slender fingers unconsciously stroked the rim of her coffee cup.

"Is it about Ling Nai?"

Ruri Aragaki nodded, her expression turning serious.

"Ling Nai seems to have developed an interest in some bad things lately."

Ryosuke paused, his hand holding the coffee cup still.

Is that really the case?

What did she say to you?

"She didn't say it explicitly, but she mentioned otaku and asked for my opinion."

Ruri Aragaki frowned slightly.

"So what was your reply?"

Ryosuke put down his cup and asked casually.

"They're a bunch of trash."

"Is that so?"

Upon hearing Ruri Aragaki's answer, Ryosuke roughly understood why his sister had asked him to keep quiet and was especially concerned about not letting his friend know about it.

It seems that this close friend has a rather radical view on otaku.

The composition of otaku in this era is indeed quite complex, unlike the energetic and passionate anime/manga fans of the future that I remember.

There are indeed some perversions in the secular sense.

It is precisely because of the existence of this type of person that people like Ling Nai have to carefully conceal their hobbies and interests.

“Ling Nai’s reaction makes me very uneasy, elder brother. Do you know what she has been in contact with lately?”

Contact with erotic games?

Ryosuke, of course, wouldn't answer honestly.

"There haven't been any strange people around her lately, and she's just been working with me on comics recently."

"is it?"

Ruri Aragaki gripped the pages of the novel on the table tightly, a hint of suspicion in her expression.

Ryosuke's answer clearly did not reassure her.

This girl is very perceptive.

Ryosuke was somewhat helpless. He had no problem lying, but he was afraid that Ayano would expose him later.

His younger sister wasn't good at pretending.