Tokyo Exorcism Diary

While lost in thought, they had already arrived at their destination.

The Matsumoto Kaiseki Restaurant stood before them, nestled within the bustling commercial district of August Town. Despite being open for only three months, it had already earned widespread fame thanks to its authentic kaiseki cuisine.

Though the steep prices filtered out many potential customers, it was still notoriously hard to secure a seat during holidays.

However, perhaps because today was the last day of Golden Week, the lunch rush had already passed. Even though it was lunchtime, the restaurant wasn’t particularly crowded.

But as luck would have it, just as Hoshino Gen led Shimizu Yuu and Kiryu Rakuye inside, three boys at a nearby table glanced over in surprise. One of them stood up and walked over.

“Kiryu-san!?”

The boy called out in both surprise and delight. “It really is you! What a coincidence!”

Dressed in a trendy, hip-hop style, the boy had fair skin, well-defined features, and aside from a few pimples on his forehead, he could easily be considered a handsome guy.

Kiryu Rakuye blinked, clasping her hands behind her back, and smiled back at him. “Yeah, what a coincidence, Arakawa-kun. Are you guys… having lunch together?”

Arakawa grinned and gestured with his thumb toward a long table not far away, where his two friends waved cheerfully at Kiryu Rakuye. She returned a polite smile in response.

“Got tired from hanging out this morning, so we thought we’d treat ourselves to a good meal. My treat. Wanna join us?” Arakawa invited her warmly, but the soft, fiery glint in his eyes as he lingered on her lively, vibrant appearance today was hard to miss.

As he spoke, he reached out, seemingly without giving her a chance to refuse, aiming to grab her fair, slender wrist.

Kiryu Rakuye effortlessly dodged with a subtle shift, though an awkward smile crept onto her face. She glanced back for help—only to find that Hoshino Gen had already led Shimizu Yuu to a table tucked into the restaurant’s corner. He was busy browsing the menu and chatting with a waiter, as if completely unaware of the situation.

Kiryu Rakuye’s smile stiffened slightly. She quickly turned back to Arakawa, apologizing with a faint smile, “Sorry, I’m here with friends. Maybe another time?”

“Your friends? Where? Bring them over! I’ll treat everyone!” Arakawa responded with a hearty laugh, waving his hand grandly. “After lunch, we could hit up Disneyland together. There’s an event today—bigger groups get better discounts!”

Kiryu Rakuye’s heart skipped—not because of Disneyland or the discount, but… an amusement park, huh? The perfect setting for boys and girls to grow closer!

Her bright eyes sparkled mischievously as she flashed a dazzling smile. “I’ll go ask them.”

With that, she trotted over to Hoshino Gen, leaned down, and whispered cheerfully, “Senpai, someone’s offering to cover our lunch. The catch is we have to sit with them. What do you think?”

Hoshino Gen didn’t look the least bit surprised. He’d encountered this kind of situation plenty of times when dining alone—no one’s that generous without a reason.

Seeing his indifferent reaction, Kiryu Rakuye quickly added, “It’s just a classmate of mine.”

Hoshino Gen glanced subtly in the direction she indicated and spotted a teenage boy staring at them intently.

Ah, got it… Definitely has an agenda—but it’s got nothing to do with me. So, for me, this is just a free meal. And with the guy looking so hopeful, rejecting him outright might seem a bit rude.

Hoshino Gen smiled lightly. “Sure, why not?”

Relieved, Kiryu Rakuye waved Arakawa over. His face lit up with joy as he rushed back to call his two friends, and they all made their way over.

On the way, one of Arakawa’s friends whispered, “That guy talking to Kiryu… he’s kinda handsome. You think they’re dating?”

“Don’t be stupid!” Arakawa shot him a glare, lowering his voice. “Who brings another girl along when they’re on a date?”

As they reached the table, they greeted Hoshino Gen and Shimizu Yuu with friendly smiles while taking their seats.

“Hey there, sorry to intrude! We’re Kiryu’s classmates and good friends. And friends of friends are friends too, right? Don’t be shy—order whatever you like. It’s on me today!” Arakawa’s every gesture oozed generosity, clearly from a well-off background.

Compared to Shimizu Yuu, who looked bewildered, still trying to process where all these people had come from, Hoshino Gen at least offered their benefactor a polite smile.

Just then, the wooden door of the restaurant swung open again, and in walked a group of vibrant, youthful girls, instantly brightening the atmosphere.

Interestingly, when the girls scanned the room and spotted Hoshino Gen’s table, their eyes widened in surprise. After some hushed whispers, they headed straight over.

“Yuu-chan!”

The girl in front called out, her face full of that “caught in the act” expression directed at Shimizu Yuu.

Shimizu Yuu swallowed nervously, forcing a smile. “Sawami, you’re here for lunch too…”

It was her close friend, Suzuki Sawami, along with Sakurajima Yui, Oguri Aino, and Itou Saki—all classmates of Hoshino Gen as well.

“Didn’t you say your part-time job suddenly called you in? You work here?” Suzuki Sawami squinted at Shimizu Yuu, occasionally glancing at Hoshino Gen.

Shimizu Yuu opened her mouth, unsure how to explain. She hadn’t lied, technically… but why did this feel like getting caught cheating?

As the class rep, Oguri Aino smiled at Shimizu Yuu, then greeted Hoshino Gen politely. “Good afternoon, Hoshino-san. First time seeing you outside of school.”

Hoshino Gen returned the smile courteously.

Sakurajima Yui tucked her short hair behind her ear, grinning. “It’s lively here! Mind if we join?”

Aside from Itou Saki, who looked aloof but was actually shy, the other girls eagerly looked at Shimizu Yuu for approval.

Shimizu Yuu pursed her lips and turned to Hoshino Gen.

Hoshino Gen smiled and shifted his gaze toward the wallet… generous sponsor of their meal.

Arakawa glanced at the group of pretty girls, then, with a grand wave of his hand and a heroic grin, declared, “No problem! Friends of friends are friends! It’s on me!”

He even shot Kiryu Rakuye a bright smile after saying that.