April 22 (Sat), 10:48 AM
Karen and Ryuji, mid-chat over coffee, decided to move on and stood up from their café table.
"I'll cover this," Karen offered.
"No, I got it. You invited me, so it's on me," Ryuji insisted.
They bickered over the bill, but Ryuji won, swiping his card and pocketing the receipt. Karen, a bit shy, mumbled she'd pay next time. Ryuji brushed it off with a smile, and they left the café together.
Rika, spying with me from our corner table, whispered, "He's got manners, huh?"
"Not a bad guy," I said. Sure, he's a dense rom-com protagonist, but he's decent. Even though Karen strong-armed him into this date, he hasn't shown a hint of annoyance.
With them gone, we had no reason to linger. "Dutch pay?" I suggested.
"Deal," Rika agreed.
Unlike the lovebirds, we split the bill smoothly, paid, and slipped out. Ding-ding. The café door chimed as we spotted Karen and Ryuji heading toward the subway station. We trailed them quietly.
***
April 22 (Sat), 11:10 AM
To avoid blowing our cover, we boarded the subway car next to Karen and Ryuji's, keeping them in sight. It was Saturday morning, and the train was packed to the gills. At the next stop, a tidal wave of commuters flooded in, pinning us into a corner.
"You okay?" I asked Rika, who was practically squished against me.
"Y-yeah," she replied, nodding a bit late. The train's heat was rising, and her cheeks flushed pink.
"Hang in there. We're almost at Ikebukuro," I said.
"Got it."
The train chugged through a few stops before halting at Ikebukuro Station. We grabbed each other's hands to avoid getting separated in the human stampede exiting the car. Shibuya to Ikebukuro took about 15 minutes, and it was now past 11 AM.
The weekend crowd swarmed the station platform, but we pushed through to street level. "Phew!" Rika gasped, savoring the fresh air after the stuffy train.
"Uh, when are you letting go of my hand?" she asked, smirking.
"Oh, crap, sorry." I hadn't realized I was still holding on. I let go, and she rubbed her hand, teasing, "Next time, grip a little softer."
"Yeah, sure."
The accidental skinship left a brief awkward vibe, but we didn't have time to dwell. I spotted Karen and Ryuji crossing the street. "Let's move!"
Rika snapped back to mission mode, and we jogged after them. But we'd lagged on the platform, and the crosswalk light turned red, stopping us cold. Their figures vanished into the crowd.
"Ugh, so close!" Rika stomped, frustrated, but we were out of luck. At least we knew their destination: Sunshine City. Karen had clearly followed Rika's aquarium date plan.
As we waited for the light to change, a group of familiar tough guys came panting out of the subway exit. "Man, why's it so crowded?" one grumbled.
"Should've driven," another muttered.
"Didn't expect this on a Saturday morning!"
These were the same goons from the café—middle-aged, rough-looking, and definitely Karen's yakuza entourage. Rika, facing away, didn't recognize them, but I stole a glance and pulled my hoodie lower. Maybe them losing Karen was a blessing—she didn't need her dad's mob crashing her date.
The light turned green, and we blended into the crowd, heading for Sunshine City.
***
April 22 (Sat), 11:20 AM
Naoto Tojo prided himself on his sharp instincts. Spotting a hulking figure in a hoodie, he nudged Sento. "Hey, doesn't that guy look familiar?"
Sento, combing his disheveled hair, glanced over and let out a soft, "Oh. That's Kim Yuseong, the Young Miss's friend."
"Knew it," Naoto said, rubbing his chin. "We're following him."
"But, Boss, we're tailing the Young Miss," Sento protested.
"Why's her friend here, at this time, in this place? Bet he's worried about her date and snuck along. That trench coat girl's probably Rika from the photos."
Sento's eyes lit up. "Good call. Since we lost the Young Miss, trailing him makes sense."
"Settled. Let's move," Naoto ordered.
The Toseikai boss and his eight goons lined up, crossing the street like a yakuza parade. Their disguises—black sunglasses, gold chains, and ill-fitting wigs—screamed "mobsters." No wonder cop cars were circling Ikebukuro Station, tipped off by nervous locals.
***
April 22 (Sat), 11:34 AM
Sunshine City, Ikebukuro's crown jewel, is a massive cultural complex inside the iconic Sunshine 60 skyscraper. Packed with shops, restaurants, offices, and entertainment, it's a one-stop spot for anything you need—and a top-tier date destination for young couples.
We beelined for the indoor aquarium, split across two floors: marine life on the first, river and stream creatures on the second. After buying tickets, we stepped into the dim, blue-lit interior. Sunfish, hammerhead sharks, king crabs, and tropical fish swam in glowing tanks—a surreal sight for my first aquarium visit. But sightseeing wasn't the mission. We needed to find Karen and Ryuji.
Navigating the crowd, we scanned for them. The low lighting made faces hard to spot, but my sharp eyes caught them near a tank. "There," I whispered, pointing.
Rika, distracted by dolphins, whipped around. "Huh? Oh!" She gaped at the couple, who looked cozy as hell.
Karen's face was new to me—pure, childlike wonder as she pressed against the glass, mesmerized by the fish. Ryuji, arms crossed, watched her with a warm smile. They looked… good together. For a first date, Karen was killing it, and I felt a weird pride.
But knowing Scramble Love's ending soured the moment. Ryuji's likely to friend-zone her, choosing Maiya in the canon. Tough break for our underdog.
Following the signs, we trailed them through the first floor. As they headed for the elevator to the second floor, we took the emergency stairs to keep our distance, climbing to the aquarium's upper level.
My legs burned from the stairs, but the mission wasn't over. Karen and Ryuji were hitting their stride, but the Toseikai goons were out there, probably tailing us now. Naoto's instincts were scary sharp—spotting me in a crowd like that? Dude's a hawk. Sento's too clever for his own good, and those other guys looked ready to brawl over Karen's honor.
Rika's blissfully clueless, humming about dolphins while we dodge yakuza. This aquarium's romantic for them, but for me, it's a high-stakes spy flick. Karen's date better stay smooth, or we're all in for a showdown. I just want that autograph and a nap, not a mob war. How's an extra supposed to survive this rom-com madness?