048. Chinatsu Kotobuki

After slowly sipping the extremely bitter coffee, Jiang Yu managed to force a smile and said, “Thank you for the coffee, Miss Kato…”

Across from him, Kyoko Kato suddenly burst out laughing, then tried to suppress her amusement as she spoke, “Actually, if you can’t handle black coffee, you’re free to add sugar. It’s right there in front of you~”

So you already noticed I couldn’t drink it?

Following her words, Jiang Yu glanced at the tightly covered sugar jar in front of him. His mind was a whirlwind, but he could only offer an awkward, dumbstruck smile and say stiffly, “Yes… right…”

After teasing the signature pianist of her café, Kyoko Kato stood up, picked up her jacket draped over the chair, and said, “Alright, alright, let’s get going, Jiang~”

“Ah! Yes, do you need help with the cups?” Jiang Yu stood up and asked.

Kyoko Kato motioned for Jiang Yu to follow her, her tone unconcerned as she replied, “My niece will come by later to help clean up, so don’t worry. Let’s hurry!”

“Alright then, thank you for today, Miss Kato.” Jiang Yu followed her pace, glanced at the cups on the table as they left the kitchen, then closed the café’s back door.

Out on the street, Jiang Yu followed Kyoko Kato into a red compact car and asked in surprise, “Are you driving there?”

Kyoko Kato inserted the car key, started the engine, and replied, “Yes, it’s not exactly far, but it’s not close either. Besides, I don’t want to squeeze into the subway with office workers so early in the morning…”

Thinking of the nerve-wracking subway rides during his school days, Jiang Yu nodded in agreement. That was exactly why he preferred walking to school a bit earlier—the morning rush hour on the subway was truly unbearable.

Before coming to Japan, Jiang Yu thought even if the subway was crowded, there must be some limit. Especially as a seasoned student and office worker from China, he assumed it wouldn’t be a problem.

Yet, what lingered in his memory—the experience from his predecessor—was a miserable incident during his first year of high school: unable to board the subway because it was too crowded, he ended up late, and the strict homeroom teacher lectured him for half the day.

Because of that, Jiang Yu became something of a celebrity in his class from the onset, though he himself was unaware. If his predecessor had been a bit more sociable or easy-going, perhaps he wouldn’t have ended up with only one friend and fellow otaku, Aki Renya, throughout his first year.

After such an unpleasant experience, his predecessor became even less inclined to go out, especially for long distances.

And for the rest of that year, unless absolutely necessary, he never took the subway again, especially during rush hour.

Kyoko Kato drove steadily, which allowed the somewhat nervous Jiang Yu to breathe easier.

Relaxed at last, Jiang Yu had time to take in his surroundings.

Most days, his route to school involved winding through alleys, rarely along main roads like this. He’d heard much about Tokyo’s traffic order, but now he understood that reputation fell short of reality. There was good reason Tokyo was considered one of the world’s great metropolises. Comparing the traffic in Beijing and Shanghai in his mind to Tokyo’s, he could only admit they paled in comparison.

But… as Kyoko Kato drove near the commercial district, then turned into a narrow alley, Jiang Yu felt a twinge of anxiety.

Wait, wait, isn’t an alley like this just a sidewalk in Beijing? How come private cars drive here too!

Fortunately, Kyoko Kato’s driving was skillful, and she navigated the alley smoothly and steadily. Before long, amid Jiang Yu’s startled reactions, they arrived at their destination.

Getting out, Jiang Yu looked around, but found no distinctive signage, and turned inquisitively to Kyoko Kato, who had just locked the car and walked over.

Kyoko Kato smiled, “I brought you to a friend’s private recording studio this time~ The equipment is world-class. She’s wealthy and passionate about music, so she spent enormous money and effort to bring in top-tier equipment from abroad.”

With that, Kyoko Kato approached a solid-looking small door, deftly took out a key and inserted it into the lock. As the gears clicked into place, she pushed the door open.

Jiang Yu followed her inside, and was greeted by a long straight corridor lined with rooms, every door tightly shut.

Curious about what was behind those doors, Jiang Yu knew it wasn’t the time to ask, so he restrained his curiosity and kept pace with Kyoko Kato.

After walking about the length of four or five classrooms, another door appeared, this one slightly ajar, not locked.

Inside, different instruments sounded intermittently, though rather than music, it seemed someone was simply testing if the instruments were still in working order.

Pushing the door open, Jiang Yu saw a rather… slender adult woman.

Though her figure was slight, she was tall—Jiang Yu estimated about his own height. Slim-fit jeans and a black long-sleeve top showcased her assets well.

Her short, light brown hair was neatly styled, and the silver musical note earrings were both fashionable and indicative of her interests.

As Kyoko Kato and Jiang Yu entered, the woman was leaning against the wall, tuning a guitar.

Hearing them, she looked up, recognized Kyoko Kato, and gave a faint smile, greeting her, “Long time no see, Kyoko.”

Kyoko Kato looked at her friend with emotion and sighed, “It has been a long time, Chinatsu…”

The two then fell silent, leaving Jiang Yu awkwardly standing by.

Kyoko Kato returned to herself, noticed Jiang Yu’s discomfort, and, regretting her oversight, spoke, “Let me introduce you. Chinatsu, this is Jiang Yu, the composer of the two pieces to be recorded today. Jiang, this is my good friend, and the owner here, Chinatsu Kotobuki.”

Jiang Yu bowed slightly, extended his right hand, and said, “Hello, Miss Kotobuki! Thank you for your help today.”

Chinatsu Kotobuki glanced at Jiang Yu’s offered hand but did not respond, keeping her arms folded and saying, “No problem, no need for courtesy. If there’s nothing else, let’s begin.”

Awkwardly withdrawing his hand, Jiang Yu nodded in agreement, “Alright, let’s get started.”

He then prepared to follow Chinatsu Kotobuki into the recording studio.

But Kyoko Kato deliberately held him back, and, as Chinatsu entered the studio, whispered to Jiang Yu, “Don’t mind it, that’s just how Chinatsu is.”

Jiang Yu shook his head to show he wasn’t bothered—compared to cold words he’d suffered before, this was nothing.

He hurried his steps and entered the recording studio as well.

…

Meanwhile, not long after Kyoko Kato and Jiang Yu had left, the café welcomed a girl with a bob hairstyle.

She wore cropped pants, a pink shirt, and a warm-toned jacket, giving her a relaxed and natural air.

At the back door, she took out a key from her small shoulder bag and opened it deftly. Entering the kitchen, she spotted two coffee cups on the table.

With a helpless smile, she picked up the cups and washed them at the sink.

She was also a bit puzzled: Did her aunt entertain a guest early this morning?

The girl quickly dismissed the pointless question, sat in a chair, poured herself a fresh cup of perfectly heated coffee, took out a book, and settled into quiet reading.