SWNOVELXO chapter 19 - Aquarium Date
April 22 (Sat) [AM 10:48]
After chatting over drinks for a while, the two eventually got up from their seats, seemingly ready to move on.
“Ah, I’ll pay here.”
“No, I will. I’m the one who asked you out today.”
They squabbled over who would pay at the counter, but in the end, it was Sakamoto who took the initiative.
When he received the receipt back with his card, Tojo awkwardly mumbled that she’d pay next time.
Sakamoto told her it was really okay and walked out of the café with her.
Watching them from our hiding spot, Kishimoto murmured:
“He’s surprisingly well-mannered.”
“Well, he’s not a bad guy.”
He might be a bit dense and wooden-headed like a typical romcom protagonist, but as a person, he was genuinely decent.
Even though this entire situation was basically forced on him by Tojo, he hadn’t shown a single sign of displeasure.
Anyway, now that both of them had left the café and we no longer had a reason to stay either, we decided to head out too.
“Wanna split the bill?”
“Sure.”
Unlike Tojo and Sakamoto, we didn’t argue at the counter and simply paid for what each of us ate.
Ding-a-ling—ding-a-ling—
As we opened the door to leave, we saw the two of them walking toward the subway station in the distance.
We quietly began tailing them from behind.
***
April 22 (Sat) [AM 11:10]
We avoided getting into the same subway car as Tojo and Sakamoto since that would’ve made it obvious we were following them. Instead, we boarded the car right next to theirs, just close enough to keep them in sight.
Maybe because it was Saturday morning, the train was practically packed.
At the next stop, even more people surged in like a wave.
Standing near the corner of the train car, Kishimoto and I were pushed all the way into the corner, unable to move at all.
“You okay?”
“Huh? Uh-huh.”
Somehow, Kishimoto ended up trapped in my arms and nodded her head a beat late.
Maybe it was because the train’s temperature was rising due to the density of people, but her cheeks had turned slightly red.
“Just hang in there a little, even if it’s uncomfortable. We’re {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} almost there.”
“Okay.”
After passing a few stations, the train from Shibuya finally stopped at Ikebukuro.
As the crowd flowed out like the ebbing tide, we grabbed each other’s hands to avoid getting separated and got off the train.
It had taken about 15 minutes to get from Shibuya Station to Ikebukuro.
By now, the time had passed 11 AM.
Maybe because it was a weekend morning, the station platform was even more crowded. We pushed through the waves of people and emerged above ground.
“Phew~!”
After breathing in nothing but stale air, the fresh outdoor air felt overwhelmingly refreshing.
“S-so, when are you gonna let go of my hand?”
“Oh, sorry.”
Realizing only then that I was still holding her hand, I quickly let go.
Kishimoto rubbed her right hand that I had been holding and said,
“Next time, hold it a little more gently.”
“Got it.”
There was a slightly awkward mood between us due to the unintended physical contact, but we didn’t really have time to dwell on it.
Spotting Tojo and Sakamoto crossing the crosswalk ahead, I urged Kishimoto beside me.
“Let’s go!”
Kishimoto seemed to suddenly remember we were in the middle of tailing them and began to run with me.
But because we had gotten off the subway a little late, the light changed before we could make it across, and we had to stop at the intersection.
Their figures disappeared just beyond our reach.
Kishimoto stamped her feet in frustration at having missed them by a hair’s breadth, but there wasn’t much we could do.
At least we knew where they were headed.
If it was in this direction, it had to be toward Sunshine City.
Just as Kishimoto had talked about yesterday, it seemed Tojo was leading the date route toward the Sunshine City Aquarium.
While waiting for the light to turn green again, a group of vaguely familiar-looking middle-aged men came running from the direction of the subway exit.
“Huff, huff… Why the hell are there so many people?”
“I told you we should’ve taken a car.”
“Didn’t expect this many people on a weekend morning!”
All of them looked well past their forties, and they were panting and grumbling one by one.
I’d seen those faces back in the café. But since Kishimoto had been sitting with her back to them the whole time, she didn’t realize who they were.
I glanced at them out of the corner of my eye and pulled my hoodie down lower.
Maybe it was lucky these guys had missed Tojo and Sakamoto.
If they kept following, they’d probably only mess up Tojo’s date.
The light finally changed.
We merged into the crowd and started walking toward Sunshine City.
***
April 22 (Sat) [AM 11:20]
Tojo Naoto was confident in his sharp eye.
Maybe that’s why, the moment he saw the large guy in the hoodie, he instinctively sensed it.
“Hey, Sento. Doesn’t that guy look kinda familiar?”
Sento, who was busy combing his windblown hair back while running, turned his head with a “Huh?” Then, noticing the person Naoto was pointing at, he let out a quiet exclamation.
“That’s Kim Yu-seong, Miss Karen’s friend.”
“Right? I knew I’d seen him somewhere before.”
Naoto rubbed his chin as he spoke and came to a decision.
“We’ll follow that guy.”
“Sir? But weren’t we tailing the young lady?”
“Why else would that guy be here, at this exact time and place? He’s obviously following his friend’s date out of worry. And now that I look closer, the girl in the trench coat next to him is probably that Rika we saw in the photo yesterday.”
Sento Osamu, the brain of the organization, finally understood what his boss was getting at.
“That… actually makes sense. We’ve already lost track of the young lady anyway, so it’s not a bad idea to follow her friend instead.”
“Alright, then it’s settled. Let’s move.”
“Yes, sir!”
With Tojo Naoto in the lead, the eight middle-aged men lined up and crossed the street.
Even though they were technically in disguise, their presence was eye-catchingly conspicuous.
With their black sunglasses and gold chains, they were unmistakably yakuza.
Maybe because of that, patrol cars began circling around Ikebukuro Station after receiving reports from local residents.
***
April 22 (Sat) [AM 11:34]
Sunshine City is a comprehensive cultural complex inside the Sunshine 60 building, the landmark of Ikebukuro.
Packed with cultural facilities, shopping areas, company offices, and restaurants, it’s the kind of place where you can get almost everything done without stepping outside.
Because of that, Sunshine City ranks among the top ten date spots for young couples.
As soon as we entered Sunshine City, we headed straight for the indoor aquarium.
The aquarium had two levels: the first floor featured marine creatures, and the second displayed animals that lived in rivers and streams.
We bought our tickets and stepped into the darkened interior.
Inside the tanks, ocean creatures like sunfish, hammerhead sharks, king crabs, and tropical fish swam freely—sights you rarely encounter in daily life.
It was my first time visiting an aquarium, so everything felt fresh and fascinating—but we didn’t have time to relax.
We had to find Tojo and Sakamoto, whom we’d lost earlier during the tail.
Kishimoto and I slowly made our way forward through the crowd.
Because the lighting was dim, it was hard to make out people’s faces in the corners. Luckily, I had decent eyesight and spotted them pretty quickly.
“There.”
I whispered and pointed. Kishimoto, who had been distracted by the dolphins, turned her head with a startled “Huh? Huh?”—and when she saw the two of them enjoying the aquarium side by side, she gasped.
It was the first time she’d seen Tojo with that kind of expression.
She looked like a child again, clinging to the glass and watching the fish swim.
Sakamoto stood with his arms crossed, watching her fondly.
Looking at them like this, they really did seem like a nice pair.
Even though it was her first date, Tojo was doing surprisingly well—it made me proud in a way.
It’d be great if her confession actually succeeded, but knowing how Scramble Love ends, I couldn’t help feeling a bit bitter.
Because in the end, there was a high chance that the protagonist, Sakamoto Ryuji, wouldn’t accept her feelings.
Following the signs, we slowly walked through the rest of the first floor of the aquarium. When Tojo and Sakamoto took the elevator up to the second floor, Kishimoto and I followed using the emergency stairs.