After parting ways with them at the train station, Amaya Yuu took out his phone to check the time.
“It’s already this late.
There should still be someone on duty at the police station, so I can go ask about the street performance permit…
but the music stores must be closed by now.”
With a hint of regret, he crossed the option of “going to see guitars” off his list.
“I’ll just have to go another day.”
Having made up his mind, he followed the directions on his phone’s map, weaving through the crisscrossing streets and alleys for a good while before finally finding the lit-up police station.
After entering the police station, he consulted the officer on duty in detail about the regulations for street performances and confirmed that a street performance permit indeed needed to be applied for in advance.
Without a Street Performance Permit, performing on the streets at will is illegal.
Although there aren’t any urban management officers chasing you around here, if a patrol officer finds you, you’ll be ordered to leave.
If you’re unlucky and run into a bad-tempered officer, you might even have to pay a hefty fine.
Amaya Yuu could have actually gone ahead with an unlicensed street performance, but he was worried it would be interrupted, affecting his progress in gathering a hundred audience members.
With the mindset of “since I’m already here,” Amaya Yuu wanted to fill out the application form on the spot.
However, looking at the performance content, equipment list, insurance certificates, and other details required on the application form, he felt completely out of his depth.
While he stood dazed at the window with the application form, the middle-aged female officer on duty watched him and spoke up suspiciously.
“A student?
Do you have a guardian’s consent form?
Does your equipment include an amplifier?
If so, you’ll need to go to the Environment Section for a noise assessment.”
Left with no choice, it seemed Amaya Yuu had to temporarily give up on street performances and focus on live houses.
He returned the application form somewhat sheepishly and left the window.
Not only did he end up joining a band by some twist of fate today, but he hadn’t completed a single one of his “Main Quests.”
Amaya Yuu hadn’t even started his journey home, but his desire for comfort had already drifted to the base of his apartment building, wondering if he would run into Miss Uika again tonight.
“I wonder if I’ll run into her…”
As he thought this expectantly, he strolled toward the main entrance of the police station.
However, the next second, his eyes suddenly widened.
If he wasn’t mistaken, that figure standing at the entrance of the police station, bowing and apologizing to a police officer—
She was wearing simple, elegant casual clothes, her light blue long hair standing out in the crowd.
Even though she was just standing there quietly, her slender frame radiated an undeniable attraction.
It was actually Togawa Sakiko!
“What is she doing here at this hour?
Could it be…” In an instant, all sorts of absurd guesses flashed through Amaya Yuu’s mind.
Of course, no amount of baseless speculation was as effective as asking the person directly.
Even though he didn’t want to face her, Togawa Sakiko was standing right at the entrance.
If Amaya Yuu wanted to leave the police station, he would inevitably run into her.
Unless he was willing to hide in the police station until she left.
“But why should I be afraid of her?”
The moment the thought of hiding in the police station to avoid trouble popped up, Amaya Yuu found it somewhat ridiculous.
Nonetheless, he waited until the officer finished talking with Togawa Sakiko and turned back into the station before slowly stepping out.
To avoid making the encounter too awkward, Amaya Yuu took the initiative to greet her.
“Good evening.
What a coincidence to run into you here, Togawa-san.”
As he spoke, he forced a slightly stiff but polite smile.
Hearing his voice, Togawa Sakiko looked up, her brow furrowing involuntarily.
Clearly, she hadn’t expected to meet Amaya Yuu here either.
“Good evening, Amaya-san,” she replied coldly, then turned her face away, seemingly unwilling to have any more eye contact with him.
Her tone wasn’t friendly; it could even be said to carry a sense of distant aloofness.
“As expected, I can’t communicate with this person,” Amaya Yuu groaned inwardly, wanting only to end this awkward encounter as soon as possible.
“Better leave quickly.”
“I came to the police station to handle some procedures.
I didn’t expect it to be so late by the time I finished inquiring about everything.” He tried to ease the atmosphere with small talk, planning to chat for a bit before finding an excuse to leave.
“I see,” Togawa Sakiko replied flatly.
She might have been thinking the same thing as Amaya Yuu, so she didn’t care whether her response was impolite or not.
While responding to Amaya Yuu, she unconsciously shifted her feet to the side, as if trying to hide something.
However, her petite frame, similar to Takamatsu Tomori’s, couldn’t hide what was behind her at all.
Standing on the steps, Amaya Yuu looked down and saw clearly over her shoulder a disheveled middle-aged man slumped against the police station wall, fast asleep and reeking of alcohol, clearly dead drunk.
“And this is…” As soon as the words left his mouth, Amaya Yuu regretted it so much he wanted to slap himself.
This was clearly meddling!
But the scene before him was something he couldn’t just ignore.
Setting aside the fact that there was a quest regarding Togawa Sakiko in the system, even if it were any other classmate, he would likely have been unable to resist asking in a situation where help was clearly needed.
“It’s none of your business.” Togawa Sakiko’s previously flat tone suddenly turned cold, her gaze toward Amaya Yuu filled with obvious resistance.
This attitude instead stirred the stubbornness in Amaya Yuu’s bones.
He could have just laughed it off and walked away, but the more she resisted, the more he wanted to know what was going on.
“That may be so,” Amaya Yuu said with a sting, “but a girl staying at the entrance of a police station late at night with a drunk middle-aged man doesn’t seem right no matter how you look at it, does it?”
“What are you talking about?!” Togawa Sakiko’s restrained emotions finally ignited, her voice betraying uncontrollable anger.
Togawa Sakiko’s chest heaved, her clenched knuckles turning slightly white.
She suddenly took a step forward and lowered her voice.
“Listen carefully!
That is my father.”
“Are you satisfied with that answer?”
These words were like a heavy blow, leaving Amaya Yuu instantly speechless.
The various clues from before suddenly connected in his mind: her unintentional display of a young lady’s demeanor, her exquisite piano skills, the greeting style unique to Tsukinomori, the rumors among classmates, and the quests issued by the system…
He looked at the dejected figure in the corner, then at the girl in front of him who was stubbornly holding onto her pride.
“A fallen young lady forced to transfer from a prestigious school after her family’s fortune declined.”
Such a thought popped into Amaya Yuu’s mind.
“That explains it then; that explains everything…”
The night grew deeper, and the lights of the police station cast long shadows between the two.