Chương 71: Megumi Kato: Hello, Aunt
The night air was chilly.
Japan is known for its abundance of urban legends, especially those involving train stations. From the most famous stories to the less known, forums are filled with tales of haunted train stations, often accompanied by eerie manga illustrations.
Standing in the desolate, late-night train station, a sense of unease began to creep up Izumi Kotomi's spine. She remembered the horror stories she had read about midnight train stations and instinctively shrank back, quickly deciding to leave with Megumi Kato.
Once they stepped back onto the streets, the neon lights cast a warm glow over the city, signaling that Tokyo's night had just begun.
"The last train has already left, so it looks like we won't be able to get home tonight. We should find a place to stay and then call our families," Kotomi suggested, maintaining a calm demeanor despite the circumstances. Luckily, she had brought a portable charger and cable, just in case. Without them, her phone's 43% battery might not have lasted until morning.
A cold breeze blew past, making Kotomi shiver slightly. Her outfit had been fine during the day, but now that it was late, she wished she had brought an extra jacket or worn pants instead of a skirt.
As Kotomi was considering where they could rest for the night, she suddenly felt warmth spread across her back. Looking down, she saw that a coat had been draped over her shoulders. It was Megumi's pink coat, the one she had been wearing.
"If you don't mind, you can wear my coat for now," Megumi said softly into her ear. The warmth of the coat and Megumi's gentle voice made Kotomi feel as though she could withstand any cold as long as Megumi was by her side.
"Aren't you cold, Kato-san?" Kotomi asked, concerned.
"We'll be fine. I lived in Hokkaido for a year as a child, so I'm used to the cold. Let's find a place to stay," Megumi replied nonchalantly.
Realizing it would be rude to refuse, Kotomi accepted the coat and immediately felt warmer. She then suggested, "Roppongi has plenty of bars and internet cafes. Should we try finding a place at a net café?"
In Japan's bustling urban areas, internet cafes are often tucked away in the skyscrapers. They become the go-to spot for those who miss the last train, get too drunk, or find themselves kicked out of their homes for various reasons.
However, Megumi shook her head and said, "I brought enough money with me today. Let's stay at a hotel."
"A hotel? But isn't it a bit expensive to book two rooms? And this late at night, there might not even be any double rooms available," Kotomi hesitated, feeling a bit self-conscious about the idea of staying in a hotel with Megumi.
"There's no need for two rooms. We can just book a room with one big bed," Megumi suggested with a smile, noticing Kotomi's cheeks turning a deeper shade of red.
"One bed? Are you sure?" Kotomi asked, her thoughts immediately wandering into more… colorful territories.
Megumi nodded without hesitation and added, "I'll cover the cost of the room. You treated me to dinner, so it's only fair that I treat you to a hotel stay. Besides, missing the last train was entirely my fault for leaving my phone at the restaurant. If I had been more careful, we'd already be on our way back to Chiba."
"But…"
Before Kotomi could protest further, Megumi cut her off, "It's my fault we missed the train, so please let me make it up to you, okay? Tonight, let me treat you to a hotel stay."
Seeing that Megumi was insistent, and knowing she was still wearing Megumi's coat while Megumi herself was only in a thin shirt, Kotomi finally relented and nodded in agreement.
As soon as Kotomi agreed, a satisfied, almost mischievous smile flickered across Megumi's face—gone so quickly that Kotomi didn't even notice.
After wandering around for a bit, they found a nice-looking hotel. Megumi approached the front desk and stated, "We'd like to book a room with one large bed until eight tomorrow morning, please."
The receptionist, who was about to mention that there were still a couple of double rooms available, stopped herself when she heard Megumi's request. Smiling professionally, she began processing their booking.
Checking into a hotel in Roppongi could either be a formal or a casual affair, depending on the time of day. During the day, procedures were more thorough, with necessary checks. At night, however, things were much simpler: choose a room, sign your name, pay, and collect the key.
Why were the procedures so much simpler at night? Those in the know would merely smile knowingly.
After Megumi signed her name, she took the room key from the receptionist. Their room was on the second floor.
"Let's go," Megumi said, smiling at Kotomi.
"Coming!" Kotomi responded, quickly following her.
As the two girls walked away, the receptionist nudged her coworker with her elbow and whispered, "Hey, did you see those two girls just now? They looked pretty young."
"Huh? I didn't notice… Are they…?" the coworker responded, catching on.
"I'm not sure, but they seemed really close. Friends, maybe? Or perhaps…" The receptionist trailed off, then picked up an orange she had been eating earlier, before suggesting with a hint of meaning, "Maybe they're in that kind of relationship!"
"Whoa! So there really are yuri vibes in real life! And they booked a room with one big bed… Wow, I've already got a full fanfic forming in my head, and it's ten thousand words long—I'm all set!"
"Oh, come on! I was just hinting at it, but you've already written half the story in your head?"
Kotomi and Megumi, unaware of the receptionists' chatter, took the elevator to the second floor and arrived at their room.
Swipe the card, open the door, enter the room, lock the door—everything in one smooth motion.
"Ah… Finally, I can lie down on a bed. So comfy~" Kotomi leaped onto the soft, plush bed.
The bed was indeed softer than those in single or double rooms, making Kotomi feel as though she was sinking into a cloud. Like Elaina from "Wandering Witch," she wriggled around in pure bliss.
"Do you want to call your parents, Kotomi-san? They might be worried since you're out so late," Megumi asked as she sat on the edge of the bed, pulling out her phone.
"Oh, right!" Kotomi quickly sat up and grabbed her phone, dialing her home number.
As soon as the call connected, she heard her mother, Akina Izumi's worried voice on the other end, "Kotomi, you're not home yet?"
"Mom, I accidentally missed the last train to Chiba… But don't worry, I'm safe. I'm at a hotel now!"
"A hotel? That makes me even more worried! Are you alone?"
"No, I'm with Megumi Kato. We both missed the last train, so we're staying at a hotel tonight."
"You really don't make things easy for us. How could you lose track of time like that? Do you have any idea how worried your father and I were?"
Hearing her mother switch to lecture mode, Kotomi sighed, preparing herself for the scolding she knew was coming.
However, Megumi gently took the phone from Kotomi's hand, giving her a reassuring look before speaking with a polite and calm tone, "Good evening, Aunt Izumi. I'm Megumi Kato, a friend of Kotomi-san. I apologize for having our first conversation over the phone like this. The reason we missed the last train wasn't Kotomi-san's fault but mine. I'm very sorry for causing you and Mr. Izumi so much worry. I will personally visit you tomorrow to apologize."
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