Dating sim loading: My girlfriend is a cunning young lady
Chapter 190 - 115. A Few Points on Photography at Meiji Shrine Outer Garden (1)

Chapter 190: 115. A Few Points on Photography at Meiji Shrine Outer Garden (1)

Having woken up from the afternoon nap at Jiutiao Meijie’s place, Dubian Che took a bath, changed into his usual clothes, and walked towards Kiyono Lin’s apartment.

When he was almost there, he sent her a message on LINE to let her know she could come downstairs.

"Come on up," Kiyono Lin replied.

"Eh? Can I?"

"?"

"A female classmate inviting a male student to her place, moreover, an apartment where she lives alone... you mean that, right? We can do that? Although I’ve taken a bath, shouldn’t I stop by the pharmacy first?"

He sent the message without thinking, and the moment he saw the ’Read’ receipt, Dubian Che instantly regretted it.

The sixteen-year-old him, who had cuddled with the indescribably shaped Jiutiao Meijie for an entire afternoon, now had dirty thoughts crowding his head, speaking too casually without noticing.

Even though he liked to joke around, he wouldn’t casually say these things to a girl, especially one he respected in his heart like Kiyono Lin.

Just as Dubian Che braced himself for a scolding,

"No need."

Staring at the phone’s simple reply, he was stunned.

"That... Kiyono, by ’no need,’ do you mean you didn’t understand what I’m saying, or... no need to go to the pharmacy?" Dubian Che chose his words carefully, typing them out with caution.

He was caught in hesitation.

If it was the latter, should he really go up? Upstairs, that is.

"Do you think I would play along with your vulgar jokes? Hurry up and come move the equipment!"

"...Woman, you have successfully caught my attention."

Dubian Che collected his feelings, not sure whether it was disappointment or relief, and walked into the automatically opened apartment entrance, taking the elevator up to Kiyono Lin’s room.

As soon as he walked in, he saw her impatient and beautiful face.

"Why did you only just get here?" Kiyono Lin said.

"The elevator is only so fast, what can I do? You can’t expect me to run up the stairs, can you?"

"I mean, why did it take you so long to change clothes at home?"

"I took a bath."

Kiyono Lin looked at Dubian Che, saying nothing.

"Alright, I’ll confess. I also took an afternoon nap."

"Making me wait here like an idiot for two hours, are you prepared to do seppuku as an apology?"

"Kiyono, please pay attention to your expression and tone, they’re too murderous." To avoid a ritual suicide, Dubian Che shared the one legitimate thing he did: "Actually, I went to see Meiji and persuaded her to play the female lead. She’ll join us later."

"True, but the nap and the bath weren’t lies." Kiyono Lin wasn’t planning to let him off.

"You took a bath too, didn’t you? What right do you have to talk about me?" Dubian Che could smell the shampoo from Kiyono Lin, very fresh.

"I went to take a bath because you didn’t show up, and it made me change clothes twice. But you, on the other hand..."

"Kiyono, you look really good in those clothes. But honestly, with your figure and looks, you’d look great in anything."

Kiyono Lin, interrupted mid-speech, looked down at her freshly changed outfit: an apricot sleeveless shirt and a light blue knee-length skirt.

Kiyono Lin opened her mouth to say something else, but Dubian Che preempted her: "However, it’s troublesome, you being so pretty. There’ll be many people out watching the fireworks tonight, and I will worry a lot about you. Just make sure you don’t leave my side."

Kiyono Lin opened her mouth, then swallowed her words, turning her gaze towards the tripod, boom mic, and dolly track before glancing at Dubian Che.

"...Go get it."

"Understood, Minister!"

After waiting for two hours, an appeased Kiyono Lin and Dubian Che each took some equipment, leaving the apartment.

****

The train rattled and rocked forward, leaving from Shibuya Station towards Shengong Outer Garden on the Tobu Line, as the scenery of the Shinjuku District gradually slid past them from front to back.

Dubian Che, clutching a tripod and boom mic as if they were rifles, continuously dealt with the curious stares from other passengers in the carriage.

Next to him, a toddler who couldn’t yet walk, with a large face and round, bright eyes, reached out wanting to grab at the mic.

The mother, holding the child, wiped away drool trickling down from his mouth.

"I feel like we need to hire a PA," Dubian Che suddenly said with a serious face.

"No need," Kiyono Lin replied while searching for a good photography spot in Shengong Outer Garden on her smartphone.

"After all, I’m the leading man, not a PA, someone will need to hold the mic while we film, right?" Dubian Che was simply looking for manual labor.

He had already thought of some people, picking anyone from Kunii Shuichi or Saito Keisuke.

"Do you think I haven’t considered that? You won’t have any lines in this scene, so the mic won’t be needed for sound recording."

"Then why did you make me bring it?"

"You may not have lines, but the leading lady does. You’ll be doubling up as a PA." Kiyono Lin focused on the phone screen full of apricot tree images, saying sharply without any courtesy: "Always thinking those filthy thoughts all day, no matter how smart you are, you’ll still be weeded out by society, Mr. Dubian."

"That’s where you wrong me, Kiyono. I get seven hours of sleep every night—not counting naps—which means, for at least seven hours, I don’t think about those things."

Kiyono Lin raised her head, her indifferent gaze shooting over.

"..."

After the brief exchange, the two fell back into silence.

The child next to them gave up trying to grab the mic and reached for the boom pole instead; Dubian Che subconsciously hugged the equipment tighter.

Damn, he hadn’t held Jiutiao Mei this tightly!

"Next stop, Shinano Town, Shinano Town."

The speaker announced the next stop, and amidst the crying of the child who his mother had just slapped, they disembarked from the train.

Outside the station, surrounded by modern skyscrapers, it was hard to imagine that just ahead lay a large expanse of garden scenery.