Chapter 303: Long Street

“Thank you for your patronage.” As she returned the credit card to Lei Yin, the waitress named Shoken politely bowed to him.

After putting the credit card back into his wallet, Lei Yin said to Naoko, “Let’s go.”

Naoko nodded and stood up with him.

“Goodbye, Ms. Hasegawa,” Shoken cheerfully called out.

Naoko smiled and asked, “Where’s your sister?”

“She was just helping out in the café. Oh, here she comes.”

Naoko turned towards the counter and indeed saw the young female owner, with long hair flowing over her shoulders, walking out of the café.

At that moment, the owner noticed her and smiled, nodding from a distance.

Naoko immediately returned the gesture with a nod.

“Shoken, we’ll leave now. See you.”

“Goodbye, Ms. Hasegawa,” Shoken said, smiling and bowing deeply.

After leaving the café, Lei Yin asked, “Why was that little girl staring at me?”

He had noticed that Shoken had been sneaking glances at him, but he certainly didn’t think she had fallen for him at first sight.

Naoko, holding his arm, replied, “Shoken is a lively and outgoing girl. One time, when she was helping out at the shop, she couldn’t resist her curiosity and asked me why I always ordered two cups of coffee when I came alone. I told her I was waiting for someone. This time, I came with you, so maybe she’s just curious.”

“Girls like her, they’re either overly curious or nosy. No wonder this shop’s business isn’t great,” Lei Yin remarked without mercy.

“You’re awful, saying that about a girl,” Naoko playfully scolded him but couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing her smile so brightly made Lei Yin smile as well.

When they reached the parking area, Lei Yin asked, “Do you want to go anywhere?”

Naoko thought for a moment and then shook her head.

“Then, how about we leave the car here and just stroll around?”

“Okay.” Naoko’s eyes brightened with joy.

“Left or right? Pick a direction.”

“Left.” She felt that the street on the left looked longer.

“Let’s go then.” Lei Yin smiled, taking her hand and walking in the left direction.

Shibuya is a place where many young people and students come often because it’s home to many of the latest fashion trends.

There are various shopping malls, clothing stores, department stores, arcades, boutiques, and more, all lined up next to each other. Plus, with summer vacation in full swing, it’s easy to see young people wearing all sorts of fashionable clothes. Occasionally, there are even girls dressed in ultra-short skirts, painted nails, exaggerated eye makeup, and with tans so dark they resemble black girls. Lei Yin had grown used to such extravagant outfits.

Due to the typhoon these past few days, thick clouds had lingered in the sky, and there had been several rounds of rain. The weather wasn’t hot at all; instead, it was cool and damp, with a hint of early autumn.

As they strolled leisurely down the bustling streets, Naoko, resting her head on his shoulder, felt a sweet, tingling sensation in her heart, just like the one she had when she drank the cappuccino earlier.

The two walked casually, and whenever Lei Yin noticed she was interested in something, he accompanied her inside to have a look.

Along the way, they visited several boutiques and clothing stores. However, in each store, Naoko only admired the items on display and didn’t buy anything.

“Why didn’t you buy those shoes? Don’t you like them?” Lei Yin asked with a hint of curiosity as they came out of a clothing store.

Naoko smiled and replied, “Because I just want to walk slowly like this, without carrying anything. I really enjoy this carefree feeling and don’t want to be burdened by anything. Besides, if I’m holding something, I can’t hold your arm with both hands like I am now.”

“Some people say the things you can’t have are the best, but to me, what truly belongs to you is the best. Since you like them, it’s better to buy them,” he said, pulling her back towards the shop.

“Lei, really, no need,” Naoko whispered.

“Those shoes look beautiful on you. Consider it a gift for me,” Lei Yin said as he walked back into the store.

Seeing how determined he was, Naoko gave up on protesting and kept silent.

“Welcome!” As they entered, the store clerk immediately bowed to them in greeting, quickly recognizing them as the customers who had just been there.

Without a word, Lei Yin told one of the clerks to wrap up the high-heeled shoes Naoko had been admiring earlier.

When it came time to pay, the female clerk’s attitude immediately shifted to one of utmost respect upon seeing the gold card he produced.

After swiping the card, Lei Yin asked her what time she got off work.

The clerk gave him a strange look, as though she found this wealthy customer to have some peculiar preferences. She glanced at the woman standing next to him before blushing and stammering out that she finished at ten o’clock.

Lei Yin, oblivious to the complicated thoughts running through her mind, continued, “I’d like to leave these shoes here for now. I’ll come by to pick them up before closing. Is that okay?”

“Y-yes, of course.” The clerk finally realized how far off her assumptions had been. In that moment, she wished she could vanish into thin air.

Lei Yin, assuming her nervousness was due to being a new hire, simply responded casually before taking Naoko’s hand and leaving the store.

Once they were back on the street, Lei Yin said, “Now you can buy whatever you want since we’re already out and about.”

“Anything I want?” Naoko asked with a mischievous smile.

“You’re smiling a little strangely,” Lei Yin remarked, eyeing her.

Naoko said nothing, just smiled and pulled him forward.

When she led him to a shop entrance, Lei Yin immediately understood the reason for her strange smile earlier.

In front of him was a women’s lingerie boutique, filled with an ambiguous atmosphere. He turned to her and said, “You don’t expect me to go in with you, do you?”

“You just said I could buy anything I wanted, didn’t you? Of course, you have to come with me,” Naoko replied with a sly look.

Lei Yin examined the boutique closely. Although it didn’t have a “Men Not Allowed” sign, it was clearly full of female customers. After a moment, he suddenly said, “Since we’re here, we might as well go in and take a look.” With that, he grabbed her hand and strode toward the entrance.

Seeing he was serious about going in, Naoko, who had only intended to tease him, quickly pulled him back. Blushing deeply, she whispered, “Lei, don’t go in. I was just joking.”

But when she saw the amusement in his eyes, she realized she had fallen for his trick again. She glared at him, half-angry and half-amused.

“You’re too easy to read,” Lei Yin said with a smirk. “But even if I go in with you, it’s no big deal. At least with you by my side, no one inside will think I’m buying something for myself. Want to give it a try?”

“It seems I’ve underestimated how thick-skinned you are,” Naoko muttered in frustration.

“You realized that too late. This is the only part of me that’s bulletproof.”

Unable to outargue him, Naoko could only roll her eyes in exasperation.

“Naoko,” Lei Yin suddenly called her name with a serious expression.

“What is it?” Naoko looked at him in surprise.

Lei Yin glanced around cautiously, then leaned close to her ear and said in a low voice, “I like… black lace camisoles. You know what to do, right?”

Hearing his deliberately serious yet entirely inappropriate comment, Naoko realized he was teasing her again. Blushing furiously, she gave him a playful punch.

Lei Yin laughed heartily as he took her hand and led her away, unwilling to let them linger in front of the lingerie boutique and attract attention.

After wandering around for another half hour, Lei Yin noticed Naoko walking more slowly than before and asked, “Are you tired?”

Naoko gave a wry smile and said, “Wearing high heels for too long makes my feet hurt a bit.”

“Silly, you should’ve told me earlier. Let’s find a place to rest.” As he spoke, Lei Yin looked around for a park or café nearby.

Seeing his concern, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Naoko’s lips. In truth, her feet weren’t hurting much, but for some reason, the words came out that way. Strangely enough, she didn’t regret saying it at all.

“There seems to be a restaurant up ahead. Let’s rest there,” Lei Yin said, turning back to her.

“Mm,” Naoko replied softly, leaning her head gently on his shoulder with a smile.

When they were about 100 meters from the restaurant, Naoko suddenly heard the sound of a beautifully played piano.

Following the sound of the piano, Naoko looked over and saw a large piano shop not far away. The music was coming from inside.

“Lei, can we go take a look at that piano shop?” Naoko suddenly felt an inexplicable excitement upon hearing the music.

Seeing her so happy, Lei Yin agreed and accompanied her.

Upon entering the shop, Naoko saw rows of brand-new pianos. One near the window was being played by a woman with a ponytail who appeared to be in her thirties. The music they had just heard was likely her performance. A few customers in the shop had stopped to admire the woman’s exceptional playing.

At that moment, a young man in a suit noticed them enter and quickly approached. “Welcome, please feel free to look around,” he said.

Naoko’s gaze remained fixed on the woman playing the piano.

Having learned the piano since elementary school, Naoko recognized that the woman was playing Chopin’s Grande Valse Brillante in C Major. However, it was the first time she had heard someone infuse the piece with a jazz-like flavor.

Suddenly, the woman stopped playing and pressed a few keys in the mid-range several times.

After a moment, she stood up, retrieved a tuning fork and a tuning hammer from a bag on the floor, and walked to the back of the piano.

Naoko realized that the woman was actually a piano tuner.

“Haven’t you studied piano before? Why don’t you play a piece here?” Lei Yin suggested.

Naoko hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I haven’t played in a long time. My fingers are rusty.”

Lei Yin smiled and said, “It’s not like I’m asking you to perform on stage. Just play for fun; don’t overthink it.”

Encouraged by his words, Naoko was tempted. After some thought, she blushed slightly and said, “If I play badly, you’re not allowed to laugh at me.”

“If you play badly, I’ll cry instead,” Lei Yin joked, placing a chair in front of a nearby piano.

Naoko gave him a glance, then slowly sat down.

After lifting the keyboard cover, she tested a few notes before beginning to play.

Perhaps because it had been so long since she last played, the initial notes were a bit stiff. However, after a few minutes, the melody became smooth and fluid.

Though she was playing the relatively simple classic piece A Maiden’s Prayer, the pure and gentle notes conveyed a unique warmth.

When she finished, Lei Yin gently stroked her hair from behind and said, “Didn’t you play beautifully?”

Hearing his words, Naoko’s face immediately turned red. She lowered her head and whispered, “You don’t have to flatter me. I’ve almost completely forgotten the fingerings.”

Noticing her reddened ears, Lei Yin chuckled and said, “You’re actually really happy, aren’t you? Did I hit the nail on the head? You’re becoming more and more dishonest.”

Naoko’s ears grew even redder. She was indeed happy. When he praised her playing, she didn’t feel like he was comforting her but rather stating something ordinary. This casual sincerity made her ecstatic. She lowered her head to hide the smile she couldn’t suppress.

“How about buying a piano to keep at the apartment? That way, you can play whenever you want,” Lei Yin suggested.

“There’s no need. I already have a piano at my grandmother’s house.” Since leaving Nagoya for university and later work, she hadn’t had the time to bring the piano with her, which was why she hadn’t played in so long.

“Though it’s nice to play on a familiar piano, moving it from Nagoya to Tokyo would be too much trouble. It’s better to just buy a new one. Besides, who knows if Aiko might want to play too. But knowing her, with her typical three-minute enthusiasm, I won’t get my hopes up.”

Naoko also felt that moving a piano such a long distance was impractical. After seriously considering it, she finally nodded in agreement.

Lei Yin playfully pinched her nose and said, “Now it feels like I’m begging you to accept it. You’re really taking all the advantage here.”

Naoko realized it did feel that way and couldn’t help but laugh.