CH 41

Chapter 41: [Sad News] Cinderella Attacks [Jumps Off The Carriage]

TL: Akabane

***

The night in Shinjuku is shining black. I've come to the event hall of a welcome party for newcomers in Shinjuku. The organizer of the party, Kekai-senpai, is a large inter-college club called "Imperial Capital". The event itself is run mainly by students of the Imperial Capital University. The event itself is open to any university, junior college, or vocational school. There is no shady side to it, and the profits from the event are actively donated to charity. There are no rumors of wrongdoing, and I have never heard of any myself, including in my previous world. I don't think it's right to be so conscious about connections, but it's not a bad thing for the future to get to know various people around here. And then there is the issue of Hagiri. I need to have a human network to gather information. So, after the event started, I posed as a conscious person and actively talked to people from various universities. For today's event, men wore suits. The women were dressed in formal wear and dresses. My personal tip is to go for guys who are not used to wearing suits but look flashy. These girls are easy to win over. The way to sell my favors is simple: I can combine the separate boys' and girls' islands with my comic skills. Just by doing that, I can win the respect of both boys and girls. These events are the very essence of dating. Both men and women are looking for each other. So let them get together.

"No, Kanata, you're working hard! Haha! It's amazing how you can break up an island like that where men and women are separated and put them together!"

I was approached at the end of the hall by Milan, who was wearing a blue dress with a skirt about knee-length. Her silver hair and blue dress looked good on her. She had been on stage earlier, performing a moody song and dance, keeping the audience moist and excited.

"Haha. No, my shoulders are stiff. But I'm getting good addresses, and I haven't stopped getting thank-you messages since a while ago. I hope I can find a line to successfully get to the shadow of Hagiri from here. Milan and Yuzuriha are still in his sights. We need to find out what he's after as soon as possible."

"I agree. Hagiri is still obsessed with me and Yuzuriha. I wonder what he needs from me and Yuzuriha for his purpose. I don't know. If it wasn't for Kanata, I'm sure we would have been involved in something terrible. I'm really grateful to Kanata."

I didn't just come here to be an adolescent and do something flirtatious. It was also to explore Hagiri's network. I heard that his reach extends to other universities as well. If I go to these events, I might find a clue to his true identity from an unexpected source.

"You know. It's a feeling of gratitude. That, umm. Won't you dance with me? Look."

Milan's cheeks flushed slightly as she pointed to a ballroom dancing circle. Today's venue was luxurious and spacious. It has the atmosphere of a party hall that looks like something out of a movie. For college students who have just come out of the countryside, this place is a dream come true. I had never been a part of anything like this in my previous world, but I longed to be a part of something like this.

"I'm quite famous, even though I'm not a celebrity. If people see us dancing together, I think they'll want to connect with you. I'm sure I can help you... what do you think? Fufufu."

I think it's a healthy and at the same time too excusable and kind of virginal way to ask someone out. But it's cute in a girly, fidgety way, not in the dignified way she usually does it. I took Milan's hand.

"Please come along with me, Miss."

"Yes, with pleasure!"

Milan and I joined the ballroom dancing circle. I know the steps. I had practiced for today.

"Good, good. I didn't have to lead. "Good job."

"Well, I'm a man, too. I'd rather lead. Like this."

I pull Milan to my chest. Then we both spin around. We both go into the empty space in the center of the circle. It was like a ballroom dancing circle surrounded me and Milan.

"Wow! How outgoing! I love it, this kind of thing!"

"You have to take the lead. Otherwise, you can't lead anymore."

"Ufufu. Can I surrender myself to you then?"

"Sure. As much as you want."

Milan presses her body closer to mine. I feel softness and heat. That heat, I think, is what will energize me for the next battle. Me and Milan dance in the center of the crowd. We danced with flamboyance and grace. I could feel the eyes of the people in the hall. There were also many people taking pictures. Please upload them to social networking sites. And I want you to send our appearance to Hagiri. Show him that we can't be yours.

After the dance we were surrounded by many people. We enjoyed conversing with them, and we were nostalgic for them to make a favorable impression on us. I tried to act as if these people would eventually become our allies in the coming confrontation with Hagiri.

"Nope. It's really tiring to have a conversation, unlike when people are watching you from the stage. And I was more nervous than performing. It's strange."

Milan lies down on a couch in the management's rest area and VIP floor, which is set up on the step floor at the party venue. She rests her head in my lap. I thought it was usually the other way around. Not bad.

"Well, it's hard to get used to. Conversation and face-to-face communication are a direct collision of the mind and heart. I can't help but get tired."

I patted Milan's head. Milan smiles tickling me.

"Speaking of which, I just remembered that Igarashi is always so open when she talks to people. I was surprised. I've seen her doesn't get nervous at all when she talks to big business people that we've seen on TV. I wonder what that steel mentality she has?"

"Hmmm. I think she just doesn't think about anything. I think Igarashi isn't interested in the other person."

I think that's what the steel mentality is. No matter who she's dealing with, she's always so open, or rather, so relaxed. No matter who she's dealing with, she's not phased at all. In my previous world, this personality seemed to come in handy, and she was often sent out to interview famous people. And usually on the same day, she would get a call from the other side offering to go out with them. Except for the affair with Hagiri, she would come to me as soon as she received such a call. When her ex-boyfriend threatened to get back together with her or to blackmail her for money based on the scandals we had gotten into when we were dating, she reported it to me on the same day. The scandalous stories were quite serious, but she told me everything without hiding it. It was the kind of stuff that would have caused a normal guy to break up with her. I asked. "Why didn't you try to hide it? Weren't you scared?" I asked. Ririse Igarashi said, "Because I believe in you," and that was all she said. That is why her affair with Hagiri was such a shock. The only thing that a woman who never hid anything from me did was to have an affair with Hagiri. That's why I was so shocked. I couldn't recover from it.

"I see. ...Then why is she interested in you? Ayashiro was speculating a conspiracy theory about Kanata being the third childhood friend, right?"

"That's unfortunately a gaseous theory. We didn't know each other until after college. That's true."

"I see. Well, people are all kinds of things. Let me know if you want to talk about it. I'll ask you then."

Milan smiled at me. A somewhat dependable and dignified smile. I smiled along with him. That's when it happened.

""""Uwooooooohhh!!!""""

A loud cheer echoed through the air. I wondered if it was some kind of event. I looked down at the floor over the railing. There was a table in the center of the crowd, and cups of beer were laid out on it. There was a man who looked like a flirt and a woman in a red dress standing across from each other at the table. The men and women around them were clapping their hands and making merry. The woman in the red dress's face was not clearly visible. The light was exquisite and her hair color was brownish.

"I'm the fastest paripi in the Fastest University. Phew!"

"Pfft! I'm the fastest...ehem...speaking of which, I forgot to return the library book! Oh no! I'm the girl who urges people to go to the Imperial University!"

I'm not even connected to the story at all. But the voltage of the cheers around me was rising. Then a guy with a cymbal appeared, and he started clanging it as hard as he could. And the two of them drank out of their cups one after the other.

""""Uwooohh!""""

It is true that the guy was quicker to take a gulp. But even more than that, the woman was super fast.

"B-Baka! How could I be overwhelmed by how fast I was?!!!!"

"What is this? It's not sparkling wine. I wish it was beer at least. It's lukewarm!"

The woman picks up the pace even more. Finally, she drinks the pitcher itself. Then a cymbal rings out. The woman was peace with both hands. Then she threw kisses in all directions to show her victory. She turned her face to us for a moment. Then I finally understood who she was.

I was so happy to see her. That girl...?

Milan was surprised by the woman in the red dress. I'm also don't like her.

I'm going to ...... for a while.

"...Have a good day. ...Good luck..."

Milan looks over at me with a wry smile. Then I go downstairs and walk over to the woman in the red dress. She is surrounded by many men. And she instantly downs the glasses of various drinks on the table, one after another. I finally reach the woman's place through the thick layer of men.

"Ah! Tokiwa! Hey there! How are you? Hahaha! Hahahaha!

"What are you doing?"

Her torrid face was as beautiful as ever, but somehow erotic. She licked her lips with her tongue while looking at me. She's giving off a very naughty vibe.

"To come for a good drink! I'm Cinderella, the girl who jumped off the magic carriage! Nice to meet yaa!"

Igarashi, who should not be here, was there. What had gone crazy and brought this woman here? My headache was going to hurt from the obvious chaos we were entering.