By the time the two finished eating and stepped out of the restaurant, the afternoon sun was already high in the sky. The warm light poured down on them, soft and pleasant.
"So, what now?" Hayashi smiled, glancing at the busy street ahead.
"I'm still not full," Touka said, lightly touching her flat stomach, her usually cold and delicate face faintly flushed.
"Not full?" Hayashi blinked, surprised. She had eaten an absurd amount of grilled meat earlier, yet somehow still wasn't satisfied. Her appetite could easily rival Rize's — hopefully, her other cravings weren't as intense.
"I heard Shibuya has a lot of good food." Touka nodded, her fingers interlocking shyly as she looked at him with expectant eyes.
"Sure, then let's go eat," Hayashi said with a small smile, instantly understanding her unspoken wish. She clearly wanted to continue eating, but her pride wouldn't let her admit it outright.
"Then let's go! Yoriko said there are tons of amazing places here." Touka grabbed his arm, her excitement showing for once.
Feeling her hand clutch his arm, Hayashi couldn't help but smile faintly.
From there, the two wandered through Shibuya, stopping at every street stall that caught their eye. They walked, ate, and walked some more — until they had practically devoured the entire district.
Eventually, tired from all the walking, they stopped to rest in a small park.
"Everything was so good... Does the human world really have this many kinds of food?" Touka said, sitting on a swing, sipping her milk tea, her face glowing with satisfaction.
"Oh, this is just the surface," Hayashi chuckled, shaking his head. "If you ever visit the Far East, you'll understand what a true food paradise looks like. There, you could eat something new every single day for a whole year."
"Really?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Of course. If you want, I could even cook you some special dishes myself."
Seeing her smile so brightly and innocently, Hayashi felt a strange warmth in his chest.
"In that case," Touka said softly, swinging her legs, "why don't you come over for dinner tonight? You can cook for me."
If she missed this chance, who knew when she'd get another? And maybe, after dinner, she could find an excuse — like it being too late — to ask him to stay the night again. Only this time… she intended to take things a little further.
Just imagining it made her bite her lip, her cheeks turning pink.
"Sure, sounds good," Hayashi said casually, not catching the hidden tension behind her offer. He just nodded and pointed toward a nearby supermarket. "In that case, I'll grab some ingredients first."
Touka nodded lightly, still swinging. On the surface, she looked calm — but inside, she was overjoyed.
"Stay right here. Don't wander off, I'll be back soon," Hayashi said before heading toward the supermarket.
Inside, he quickly picked out fresh vegetables, meat, and spices. Once done, he paid and stepped outside, carrying a few full grocery bags.
"She'll probably like this," he murmured, glancing at a pack of gum he'd impulsively added at checkout. "Guess I'll find out later."
But as Hayashi approached the park entrance, his expression darkened.
A group of young men had surrounded Touka. They all had dyed yellow hair, flashy street clothes, and tattoos running up their arms and necks. The way they looked at her was disgusting — eyes filled with lust and greed, some even licking their lips.
Not good. Blond punks.
Hayashi froze for a moment, then instantly grasped what was happening.
In Tokyo, it wasn't rare for women to be harassed on the streets — especially by delinquents who refused to back off even after being rejected.Some would even try to force things physically.It wasn't an exaggeration; it was the ugly truth.
Women walking alone at night were always at risk. This country's "culture" could be disturbingly rotten sometimes.
Hayashi's eyes narrowed, a cold gleam flashing through them.
This wasn't simple harassment anymore.Time to teach them a lesson — the hard way.