Tokyo Psychic

"Hey kid, what are you doing?!"

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164. The corpse felt warm (two-in-one)

The stylishly dressed old woman leaning against the door is Lena's grandmother.

Tsuzuki Shisen is a very well-known name in the Tokyo music scene.

In his youth, Shisen Tsuzuki was the guitarist for the band "Miraculous Scarlet," where he held a national tour and made friends with many prominent figures in the music industry.

After retiring from the military, she founded a livehouse called "SPACE," which quickly became the most popular choice among students from nearby universities thanks to her past connections and reputation.

Many newly debuted rock bands are proud to be able to play in "SPACE"—only bands recognized by Tsuzuki Shisen can perform on this stage.

Because of Shifune Tsuzuki's rigorous and serious attitude towards music, she often uses her experience and understanding as an industry veteran to guide these young bands.

In this atmosphere of encouragement and mutual learning, the bands gathered at "SPACE" have seen a significant improvement in both their playing skills and their teamwork.

Since when, "SPACE" has become an indispensable "dream place" for many girl bands, and even for her granddaughter.

Shisen Tsuzuki, who has performed on national tour stages, clearly understands that these girls, who are passionate about rock and have considerable talent, have invested too much passion and love in this concert hall, and even regard it as the "end" of the band's career.

The idea of ​​"playing at SPACE for a lifetime" is too naive and too idealistic.

Shisen Tsuzuki's original intention in creating "SPACE" was to make it a place where some people could fall in love with rock music, and a place where young people who have just started out could feel happy through memories on their journey to pursue their dreams... However, the current state of "SPACE" is completely opposite to what she expected.

"SPACE" should be the starting point for young people's dreams or a haven for them to rest during their breaks, rather than their ideal destination.

This disappointment, stemming from things not going as planned, completely crossed the line after Yoro expressed her desire to "play guitar at 'SPACE' for the rest of her life" and that "guitar and emotions can't be passed on to anyone but my grandmother."

After a period of reflection, Tsuzuki Shisen decided to close this livehouse that held countless memories and laughter.

She doesn't want the existence of "SPACE" to cause young people who should be moving towards bigger and brighter stages to stop moving forward. The tender fledglings will one day leave the comfortable nest and head to the vast blue sky.

The big cat that returned from exploring the grasslands was already very old, so the innocent and naive little cat had to work hard to learn to be independent.

But the problem currently troubling the Tsuzuki Poetry Ship is...

The cat in the house finally found a new home she liked, and it was about to be successfully sent away and grow up in the company of friends she trusted. How did it suddenly start to "fall in love with someone else"?

......

Shifune Tsuzuki stared unkindly at the boy who had been brought to Rakuna's doorstep.

As a veteran in the rock scene, she is very well-informed and of course knows Akira Kurusu, a newcomer with excellent debut prospects.

At the same time, they also learned about each other's "gossip and scandals" through various channels.

Originally, I could have just joined in the fun and marveled at his supposed dashing charm, until I discovered that my granddaughter had become part of those gossip stories...

Shifune Tsuzuki noticed that Kazuki Kurusu and Kaname Rakuna were followed by Mutsuka Wakaba. She also recognized this "daughter of the Wakaba family," and her gaze toward Kazuki Kurusu became even more hostile.

"Hey kid, what are you doing?!"

She tried hard to control her emotions so that her tone didn't sound like an "interrogation".

"I'll take my classmate home."

“Rakuna.” The cat-like girl shook Akira Kurusu’s hand, meaning not to use honorifics.

Shisen Tsuzuki noticed his granddaughter's closeness to the boy in front of her. He thought about how she had attended an all-girls school since she was a child and had little experience interacting with the opposite sex... and a lot of terrible thoughts suddenly welled up in his mind.

It must be that brat who deceived Lena's feelings.

Shisen Tsuzuki thought this way, but found it hard to believe. After all, Rakuna had always been a very vigilant child. With that kind of alertness that was almost like that of a feline, she could not be deceived by strangers, and even her closest parents could not lie to her.

So he silently upgraded his nickname for "Ren Amamiya" from "brat" to "Ren Amamiya-kun" in his heart, and then began to recall what was so special about this guy named "Ren Amamiya".

It's impossible to raise Yoro's affection level to this extent just by feeding her... just like no one can completely win over a stray cat by throwing her sausages.

After much thought, the only possibility that Shisen Tsuzuki is Akira Kurusu is "very good at playing the guitar" seems to be that he is, but just how good is he... there is absolutely no discussion about his playing level online.

Of course, there is a second possibility: that Akira Kurusu "revived" "SPACE" and transformed it into Kaname Rakuna's "caretaker".

However, the land that was the site of "SPACE" had already been sold to Toyokawa Real Estate some time ago, and the contract had been signed, so it was impossible for it to fall into the hands of this ordinary high school student.

Shisen Tsuzuki took a deep breath and tentatively asked Akira Kurusu, "Your name is... Amamiya-san, right? Thank you so much for bringing Rakuna back."

At this point, she finally mustered some of the authority she had as an industry veteran and the guardian of Yao Le Nai, and was about to issue a dismissal order to the boy in front of her.

Unexpectedly, Akira Kurishi immediately showed a relieved expression and almost spoke first, "It's already very late, so I won't bother you any longer."

Then he took Wakaba Mutsu's wrist and turned to leave without hesitation.

Wakaba Mutsu released Rakuna's guitar and bowed towards Tsuzuki Shisen, saying, "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

At this moment, even Kaname realized Akira and Mutsu's determination. Although reluctant, she obediently stayed where she was.

Once they were quite far away, Wakaba Mutsu quietly asked Kurusu Akira, "Why didn't you stay there overnight?"

"Being invited to stay overnight at a middle school student's home... If I actually agreed to that, wouldn't her guardian definitely kill me?"

Akira Kurusu let Mutsuka Wakaba slip her slender fingers between his own, making their fingers intertwined, and the two walked toward the deserted waiting hall of the tram station.

Where should I sleep tonight...? First of all, it's not convenient to sleep at Wakaba Mutsu's house, since the child has brought all her luggage and is obviously running away from home.

The Toyokawa family is even less suitable. As Toyokawa Sadaharu said, one should not overestimate the morality and conscience of zaibatsu.

She thought about going to a love hotel, but considering that Ruoye Mutsu had to go to school the next day, staying at a hotel meant that it couldn't be too far from the school... After all, it wouldn't be right to make the young girl sacrifice her sleep time.

After careful analysis, although LeBron's living conditions are too simple, it seems to be the best choice at present.

It just so happens that Wakaba Mutsu's luggage is still at LeBron.

"Xiao Mu, shall we sleep in the attic tonight?"

Akira Kurusu asked Mutsuka Wakaba in a rare tone of inquiry.

After all, it felt a little bad to have this pampered girl lying with him on the makeshift bed made from a disassembled sofa in the attic.

If Ye Mu had seen LeBron's attic, he knew that compared to his usual life, it was practically a "sewer."

But she simply gazed at Akira Kurusu's profile with a look of dependence and trust, and then nodded.

To express one's wishes silently.

......

We sat down in the empty carriage, and after a ten-minute ride, we walked together through the deserted streets of Shigenchaya.

Climbing up to the attic, Akira Kurishi took her change of clothes to the first-floor washroom to shower. The girl sat alone on the narrow bed, looking at the surroundings that were so simple they didn't seem like a living environment at all, trying to imagine how Akira Kurishi had spent night after night before they met.

The attic lights were on, and the old-fashioned air conditioner was blowing cool air, yet there was a profound sense of emptiness and loneliness.

Occasionally, the sounds of stray cats arguing would break into the quiet atmosphere, making the all-alone Wakaba Mutsu feel somewhat uneasy.

My phone, which was in my pocket, suddenly vibrated. When I opened it, it was indeed a caring greeting from Toyokawa Shoko.

[You Must Be Happy (Toyokawa Shoko): Where are Mutsu and Ren spending the night tonight?]

[Wakaba Mutsumi: LeBron's attic.]

[May you be happy: ...You've worked hard.]

[Wakaba Mutsumi: It's okay, Ren's here, so I'm not too scared.]

[You must be happy: When you encounter troubles or confusion, be sure to communicate with Lian more!]

[Wakaba Mutsumi: Hmm.]

[Wakaba Mutsu: Shoko, remember to go to bed early.]

[You must be happy: I'll walk you home after school tomorrow.]

[Wakaba Mutsumi: Is Subaru talking about the apartment rental thing?]

[You must be happy: Yes, I've already figured out how to get Mr. Wakaba and Ms. Mori to agree.]

[You must be happy: Mumu, get some rest. If Lian tries to do anything naughty, be sure to refuse... Ah, I've said so much without realizing it. Goodnight.]

【Wakaba Mutsumi: Goodnight.】

【...】

As Motoya plugged his phone into the charger, Akira Kurusu, with a towel draped over her shoulders, walked up the stairs into the attic, shirtless.

The girl looked at her boyfriend's strong physique, which was something an ordinary high school student could never achieve... More than the visual impact, the lingering sense of empathy for Akira Kurusu's "strength" made a noticeable blush rise on her face.

"Xiao Mu, it's time for you to take a shower."

Ruoye Mu nodded in agreement, then took out a very ordinary nightgown and a plain, conservative pair of underwear from her open suitcase.

She carefully folded the clothes she needed to change into, then carried them down to the attic.

Akira Kurusu sat down in the spot where Mutsu Wakaba had just been sitting and noticed that the girl's phone screen was still lit up, displaying a long chat history with Shoko Toyokawa.

Before he could even openly browse through Ruoye Mutsu's social media—Ruoye Mutsu was a girl with almost no personal privacy, and after giving herself completely to Kurusu Akira, she didn't put up any defenses against him at all, and didn't care what Kurusu Akira wanted to do with her phone—but when the person in question actually reappeared in front of Kurusu Akira, out of respect for Ruoye Mutsu, Kurusu Akira still put her phone back in its original place.

"What's wrong, Xiao Mu?"

Akira Kurusu looked at Mutsuki Wakaba, who was holding a change of clothes, and asked her with concern.

Wakaba Mutsuki looked somewhat dejected, stammering, "I...I don't know how to use it..."

Akira Kurusu immediately realized that LeBron's bathroom was also more rudimentary than anything Mutsu Wakaba had ever encountered before—it was basically just a showerhead, a wooden bucket for holding hot water, and a plastic spoon for scooping hot water.

"Shall I help Xiaomu take a bath?"

Ruoye Mu lowered her face shyly, slowly moved closer to Laixi Xiao, and then handed the clothes in her arms to him. "Xiangzi said... you have to go to school tomorrow and can't do bad things."

"It's impossible for me to do anything bad to you, you were injured this morning."

Ruoye Mu immediately imagined what a shameful scene that so-called "wound" must have been, and thus dared not look up even more.

She was led down from the attic by Akira Kurusu's hand, and following Akira's instructions, she took off her clothes and sat on a plastic stool.

The girl obediently brought her knees together, placed her hands on her thighs, and occasionally answered whether the water temperature was suitable when Akira used the showerhead to bring her water, and then let him gather her long hair up and start rinsing her.

An hour later, with Akira Kurusu's help, Mutsumi Wakaba, having washed herself and dried her hair, lay down in her nightgown on the small bed that seemed particularly cramped for the two of them.

She had to hold onto Akira to prevent her from accidentally rolling over and falling to the ground.

The attic was dark, with only the faint moonlight illuminating the faces of the boy and girl. In the silent night, their breaths and heartbeats gained an unprecedented sense of presence.

In the quiet of the night, it was actually Wakaba Mutsumi who first brought up a topic.

She nestled against Akira's chest, asking her boyfriend, who was taking such good care of her, "Ren, do you think I'm clumsy?"

Why would you ask that?

“Because… I can’t do anything.” Wakaba Mutsu’s tone was tinged with inferiority and frustration, as if it was her fault for not being able to adapt to and get used to LeBlanc’s attic living environment.

The phantom thief hugged the girl tightly, brushed aside her soft, damp hair with his fingertips, and stroked her narrow shoulders. "Xiao Mu is already very capable. If you were a girl from a similar background, you definitely wouldn't be able to spend the night here."

Wakaba Mutsu clamped Kurusu Akira's thighs together, allowing their bodies to overlap more intimately. "I'm scared too."

"Ok?"

"But you're here." In the darkness, the girl's light golden eyes were so bright that you could almost feel her smiling.

165. Feeling stiffness in the limbs (two-in-one)

After several days of scorching heat in Tokyo, it finally rained.

At first, there was a slight dampness, then fine water droplets sprinkled on the window, gradually making a crackling sound, and then, a pale white mist filled the twilight streets.

Akira Kurusu woke up in the middle of the night because of the heat.

The air conditioner, despite its advanced age, finally couldn't survive this summer. The attic was incredibly stuffy, and sleeping with Ruoye Mu was like hugging a human-shaped hot water bottle; it didn't take long before I was drenched in sweat.

He put the sleeping girl on the bed, then put on his slippers and walked to the windowsill.

The windowpane was covered with a fine, winding stream of water, and the neighbor's Siamese cat was nowhere to be seen in the pouring rain of the night.

The handlebars of the bicycle locked in front of the convenience store dripped water intermittently. Opening the window, the sound of pattering rain instantly flooded into LeBron's attic, and then a lingering melancholy enveloped the air.

The bicycle's silhouette was illuminated by the convenience store's fluorescent lights, making it particularly conspicuous in the darkness. Looking back at where Ruoye Mutsu was, the girl was sleeping soundly, a serene beauty on her delicate face, and she was breathing evenly.

Perhaps because she was feeling too hot, Ruoye Mu unconsciously turned over, kicked off the blanket slightly, revealing her slender feet and half of her calves.

It just so happens that she is facing the direction of Akira Kurusu, so it is easy to see everything under her nightgown through the blankets she kicked off.

"This is a bit much," Lai Xixiao muttered to herself, then went over and pulled the blanket up for her. But then she felt it wasn't right, so she simply folded the blanket up to cover the girl's stomach so she wouldn't catch a cold.