Chapter 31: , Romantic Rain

Ikeda Erena's personality is actually quite extroverted.

Yes, Ikeda Erena appears pessimistic and vigilant, sharp and spirited, unable to get along normally with anyone, and is known as a "boss killer."

But this is merely a mask she uses to protect herself.

Because she does not have a single true friend!

Among Japanese people, especially Japanese women, there is a specific term called "reading the air," which means how to perfectly hide oneself within a crowd, blend in with everyone, and refuse to be conspicuous or unconventional; this is a lesson almost every middle and high school girl must learn, otherwise, it is easy to be ostracized or bullied.

However, Ikeda Erena is naturally incapable of "reading the air"; with her exotic appearance and a giantess height of 1.7 meters, she is as eye-catching as a large rice cracker mixed into a pile of mini buns wherever she goes.

Few of the opposite sex do not have wild fantasies about her, and few of the same sex do not envy her or gossip about her; those who can rival Erena in looks and figure are, without exception, proud and arrogant people.

Therefore, after suffering repeated setbacks, Erena is extremely cautious and vigilant toward the outside environment; not only toward others, but even Uesugi Muneyuki is one of the victims.

But it does not matter.

The more cautious and vigilant Erena is, the more it shows the position Uesugi Muneyuki holds in her heart.

The tall beauty followed Uesugi Muneyuki to the car almost without hesitation; after sitting in the Lexus, Erena said with great surprise: "This is your car?"

"With my income, I cannot afford a car like this... This is my father's car," Uesugi Muneyuki laughed: "He has always said he doesn't drive it anymore and told me to take it, I just didn't want it."

"You actually know how to drive?" Erena thought to herself that for the past month, she had always been the one driving, and Uesugi Muneyuki had always sat in the passenger seat with peace of mind, so she couldn't help but complain a little: "Change off occasionally, you always make me drive."

"I just don't like driving, it doesn't mean I don't know how to," Uesugi Muneyuki said casually: "There is still some time before the banquet, let's go buy you an outfit first; you aren't planning on going to the Ryotei wearing this, are you?"

"I haven't agreed to go yet," Ikeda Erena hesitated subconsciously; she stretched out her pair of beautiful long legs in the passenger seat, and even the suit trousers could not hide the straightness and slenderness of her legs, and one could even see clear muscle lines on her thighs.

What a pity, Uesugi Muneyuki muttered in his heart.

Only that one time during the train corpse case did Uesugi Muneyuki have the fortune to see Erena wearing a police skirt, silk stockings, and high-heeled shoes; for the month after that, although both sides met almost every workday, Erena never dressed like that again, wearing the same standard suit trousers and leather shoes every day, which left Uesugi Muneyuki slightly disappointed.

"Give me a chance to thank you as well," Uesugi Muneyuki expressed naturally: "We have been partners for a month now, and my father and mother also want to know who the policewoman partnering with me is; I have received so much care usually, so please, Lady Ikeda, accept the invitation from my family."

"..." Ikeda Erena looked at Uesugi Muneyuki's earnest request, and the look of resistance on her face lessened.

He is indeed very sincere, coming to the Police Station in person to ask, clearing the situation for me, and coming to pick me up even though he doesn't like driving.

Ikeda Erena thought to herself, feeling a slight sweetness in her heart.

Especially seeing Uesugi Muneyuki's pant cuffs wet from coming to pick her up, Erena lowered her head and said nothing, giving up her resistance.

Not answering is also a kind of answer; Uesugi Muneyuki started the car immediately.

Heaven seemed to favor the two of them.

Just after starting the car, the rain became increasingly torrential and astonishing; amidst lightning and thunder, the light rain that had already weakened grew heavy again, water poured from the sky like pillars, and in the howling wind, the rain swirled constantly, sometimes slamming against the windshield, sometimes falling on the roof, and sometimes hitting the side windows.

But the environment inside the car was very quiet, the scent of cologne lingered in the nasal cavity, and Uesugi Muneyuki remained calm while chatting with Erena, talking about cases and some interesting things, even managing to make Erena smile knowingly; the tall beauty's tense emotions slowly dissipated, and she began to enjoy this relaxed atmosphere.

Being alone with Uesugi Muneyuki always made her unable to help but take off her disguise and heavy defenses.

However, this atmosphere only lasted for a dozen minutes before they arrived.

Uesugi Muneyuki parked the car, opened the door to get out and open an umbrella, and trotted to the other side to welcome Erena out; the downpour was heavy, and the two leaned closely together, the man cold and serious, the woman tall and sharp.

Anyone who saw them would think they were a couple.

And Uesugi Muneyuki's actions made the group of people sheltering from the rain at the entrance of the shopping mall marvel, especially couples and women who subconsciously felt a sense of envy.

This is what you call boyfriend material!

This is what you call a qualified boyfriend!

Uesugi Muneyuki's temperament was already cold and majestic, his 1.85-meter height in a suit and leather shoes full of charm under the blessing of the Aizen Myoo Dharma Image; at this moment, as he held the umbrella for Erena, the two formed a poetic and picturesque scene in the rain.

The howling wind blew incessantly, messing up the tea-colored short hair by Erena's ears; her beautiful, deep features were stained with a touch of shyness because of Uesugi Muneyuki's hand around her waist, and a blush appeared on her face, making her originally sharp eyes soften quite a bit; her light brown eyes contained a trace of shy annoyance, seemingly blaming Uesugi Muneyuki for the sudden attack, but she also understood that without doing this, one umbrella could not cover both of them, so she could only mutter and let the man off again.

Beautiful things will not be covered by the curtain of rain, but will instead become even more dazzling due to the revelation of true feelings.

At the entrance of the shopping mall, the rain poured down, noisy and incessant.

Under the umbrella, the two squeezed together, looking at each other as if they had a premonition; Uesugi Muneyuki raised his eyebrows, meaning that his umbrella was not bad, enough to cover both of them~

"Pfft~" Erena couldn't help but laugh; she rolled her eyes at Uesugi Muneyuki, too lazy to argue with this guy.

Are rainy days actually not bad?

Erena discovered that she had started to like rainy days a little.

This shopping mall was a place where Uesugi Muneyuki often came to purchase daily necessities, named "GACHIKUN," a small CBD in Bunkyo Ward; because time was tight, Uesugi Muneyuki took Erena directly to the Uniqlo inside to start picking out clothes for tonight's banquet.

Uniqlo is the core brand of Fast Retailing, founded in 1984; it was a small clothing store selling suits back then, and now it is a household name, one of the world's top 500 companies; this brand mainly sells affordable workwear and casual wear, the prices are quite accessible, and because there are many categories, there should be clothes that fit Erena's size.

There was no other way, Erena was too tall, and her clothes should be very hard to buy.

But at this moment, the difference between Uesugi Muneyuki and a normal boyfriend appeared; he directly grabbed Erena, who had a nature-driven urge to wander around upon entering the mall, pointed at the clock to tell her there was a banquet later, and without giving her a chance to inspect, he called a clerk over to choose a slightly more formal outfit for her on his own authority, then signaled that Erena could go try on the clothes.

This simple, direct, and purposeful way of buying clothes was originally to Erena's taste, but for some reason, she felt a little disappointed.

It was a rare opportunity, and she had originally wanted to walk around with Uesugi Muneyuki.

Having finally come out together, she didn't want it to end so quickly, feeling a bit greedy for their time alone, but Erena was also unwilling to be overly noticed and attract gossip; under these complex emotions, Erena took the clothes handed over by the clerk and walked into the fitting room.

As soon as she unfolded them, Erena subconsciously frowned.

Uesugi Muneyuki had chosen for her a fine-spun wool crew-neck long-sleeved cardigan and a plain light brown straight-cut skirt, paired with a pair of extra-long 20D ultra-thin skin-colored transparent silk stockings with transparent toes produced by Atsugi, as well as a pair of shallow-cut genuine leather white small high-heeled shoes with bows that fit her size exactly.

Erena really did not like wearing silk stockings; she really hated the feeling of being wrapped and bound by silk stockings below the waist.

But that was not the point; since they were going to a banquet, wearing work clothes was indeed rude, and since he had handed them over, she would just wear them.

What Erena was truly frowning at was Uesugi Muneyuki's level of picking clothes.

This guy, why is he so proficient?

Just how many women has he picked clothes for?

Uesugi Muneyuki waited outside the fitting room for a while, and Ikeda Erena came out; the tall beauty moved quickly because Uesugi Muneyuki was chatting happily with the female clerk outside, and Ikeda Erena suspected that if she didn't come out, the female clerk would exchange contact information with Uesugi Muneyuki.

"Alright." Erena interrupted their conversation.

Uesugi Muneyuki's eyes lit up.

The tall beauty had changed into the dark gray crew-neck knit cardigan, the form-fitting shirt outlining her slender waist, and the cashmere neckline setting off her towering breasts to be magnificent and spectacular, propping up a high arc.

Below the willow waist with slight muscle lines was the knee-length light brown skirt, which tightly constricted her waist and round moon, extending down to the long legs wrapped in skin-colored silk stockings; Ikeda Erena's figure was already tall, and her legs under the skirt were even more beautiful; the velvet silk stockings produced by Atsugi were smooth and delicate, her calf muscles taut without a trace of excess fat but with clear streamlined lines, alluring like a crescent moon, as if perfectly fitting the surface of her skin, flashing with an alluring luster under the mall lights, all the way to the ankles, where only a very subtle wrinkle could identify the existence of the silk stockings, and the small white bow leather high heels made her look even more gentle.

The beautiful, tall, and spirited beauty stood prettily before the fitting room, incomparably lovely; her fresh, tea-colored short hair looked capable and crisp, and her light brown eyes flashed with an inquiring hue.

How is it?

And she very quickly received sufficient positive feedback.

Uesugi Muneyuki thought to himself that these legs were truly a work of exquisite craftsmanship; he took the initiative to lean in to observe, looking at her rounded, slender legs wrapped in ultra-thin sheer pantyhose, and he couldn't help but want to pick her up and stroke them carefully.

It was not the plump, fleshy beauty of a mature woman, nor the slender, bony beauty of a young girl, but a rounded, firm, and highly elastic healthiness that did not lack delicate vitality; the proportions were beautiful and perfectly balanced, worthy of being called perfect.

When the tube skirt and pantyhose met, it surpassed countless things in the human world.

"Excellent, Ms. Ikeda, it suits you very well." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded repeatedly and smiled: "Let's take this outfit; consider it my thanks for your care over this past month."

"Are we going straight there?" Ikeda Erena's mood improved after receiving the man's praise; she felt Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze lingering somewhere on her body again, but having spent so much time together, she was used to this man sometimes being unable to control his eyes.

Well, limited to this man.

The two were standing a bit close; Ikeda Erena raised her head, and the hot air she exhaled landed on Uesugi Muneyuki's chin, making him feel a bit ticklish. She discovered that there was no intention of resistance in her heart, only biting her lips tightly with a flushed face, signaling that if he thought it was fine, she had no problem with it.

"Mm, let's just go straight there." Uesugi Muneyuki had no reaction; he nodded repeatedly: "I'll gift you this set of clothes; it's not expensive anyway, less than twenty thousand, and you probably don't like trying things on endlessly, right?"

Erena pouted her little mouth slightly, and the tip of her small white High-heeled Shoe under her skirt drew a circle on the floor. It was rare to be out, and she wasn't actually unwilling to try others, but since Uesugi Muneyuki had said so, she naturally wouldn't speak up again: "If you think it's fine, then it's fine."

"Ms. Ikeda, this set really suits you." Uesugi Muneyuki thought Erena might be dissatisfied, so he took the initiative to say: "Your skin isn't that fair, so wearing darker colors on your upper body will highlight your beauty, and then... your facial features are different from others; whether it's your temperament or the lines of your features, they are more Westernized and three-dimensional. This gives your gaze and expressions a sense of aggression, so it's best to pair it with this kind of casual, home-style look, so it won't be so aggressive."

"The shoes are the same; black high heels will look too formal, choosing these white ones with bows will be much softer." Uesugi Muneyuki summarized: "Also, pantyhose are a must; bare legs are a bit impolite."

I always feel like this guy is very experienced! Buying clothes for women.

Erena's gaze became dangerous; she was just about to pay the female clerk herself, but the clerk was already holding the wrapped-up work uniform she had changed out of, indicating that Uesugi Muneyuki had already paid. After a bit of tug-of-war, Ikeda finally forced a ten-thousand-yen note into Uesugi Muneyuki's pocket to end it.

The small expenses could be left to Uesugi Muneyuki, because this was attending his banquet, but the major expenses had to be covered by herself; this was the principle Erena insisted on.

With the clothes bought, Ikeda Erena looked at her phone calmly and found there was still some time.

She could still stroll around.

Just as Erena was thinking about how to reasonably propose her request, Uesugi Muneyuki's phone suddenly rang.

A call?

Erena glanced at it subconsciously and saw Uesugi Muneyuki's note: "Musashino University, Saito."

The tall beauty's eyes instantly sharpened a bit.

Uesugi Muneyuki didn't avoid it either; he answered the phone directly in front of Erena.

"Mm... yes, I'm in Bunkyo right now, what is it... no, there's a banquet at home tonight... you want something again... a Toshiba laptop? Are you serious?... I can't think of why this is necessary... didn't I already agree to buy you two pairs of shoes last time..." Uesugi Muneyuki's tone was a bit impatient; the more he spoke, the more irritable he became.

Erena could faintly hear that the person on the other side was a young female voice, and the tone was humble.

The tall beauty only felt a sense of loss rising in her heart, feeling a bit uncomfortable, but she covered it up well. Once Uesugi Muneyuki hung up the phone, Erena immediately asked: "Is that your colleague?"

Uesugi Muneyuki frowned and squinted, shaking his head: "No, it's a friend I met in a study room when I was in college. I borrowed her notes to copy at the time, never expecting to get tangled up with a debt collector."

Hearing him admit it without concealment, Ikeda Erena's expression darkened quite a bit.

The rain kept falling, and the atmosphere was not exactly harmonious.

In an instant, all the good mood Ikeda Erena had accumulated dissipated in the heavy rain.

This rain didn't seem so romantic anymore.

"Oh." Suppressing her displeasure, Erena saw that Uesugi Muneyuki was in a bad mood and didn't have the heart to keep questioning him.

"Listening to her tone, it doesn't sound like an ordinary friend."

Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head with great annoyance, as if he had gotten mud on himself: "Let's go, it's better to arrive early."

The tall beauty could feel the annoyance in Uesugi Muneyuki's tone; it seemed the other party was very detestable to him, but this guy might owe the other party some favors and had to show something, yet he already felt deeply dissatisfied.

Her mood recovered slightly, but Erena was still suspicious in her heart; she couldn't help but want to keep questioning, but the timing was no longer appropriate. However, giving up made her feel uncomfortable, and her temper flared up, so she said coldly: "How about we just forget it, I'm not going."

This rain is not romantic at all!

"???" Uesugi Muneyuki was instantly filled with question marks.

What's going on? Wasn't she very happy before? The Aizen Myoo Dharma Image could clearly feel it.

Suddenly saying she's not going anymore?

That won't do! He spent so much effort just to create an environment to ask this tall beauty for a major matter!

Why did Ikeda suddenly say she wasn't going?

That won't do! You coming tonight is part of my grand plan!

Uesugi Muneyuki hurriedly grabbed Erena: "Please don't be like this, Ms. Ikeda, I am very serious!"

"I am also very serious!" Ikeda Erena's reply was very short.

"I really have something serious to discuss with you." Uesugi Muneyuki said earnestly: "I know you might not want to be with those people from the bureau, so I specifically opened another room, just the two of us, with no one else present. Please trust my sincerity, okay?"

Ikeda Erena's sense of loss only lasted for a few dozen seconds; it vanished the moment she heard Uesugi Muneyuki say he had specifically opened another room for her with only the two of them.

The tall beauty suddenly had a sense of secret joy at having "won."

Compared to that Saito from Musashino University, he seemed to value her more?

"It's getting late, let's go, let's go." Not answering was the best answer; Uesugi Muneyuki hurriedly pulled Erena away from the shopping mall, and the tall beauty followed him to the car, half-pushed and half-yielding, her little high heels clicking.

The night was pitch black, the lights were bright; when they came out, the torrential rain outside had turned into a gentle drizzle. According to experience, this kind of August rain would stop in a while.

Erena's mood also turned from rain to clear.

This rain, after all, was quite romantic!

What exactly is the protagonist's grand plan? Heh heh~

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(End of this chapter)