While Takashi and Tanaka Kouta were talking, the girls dressed in flashy outfits were secretly checking him out.
Takashi was wearing a white baseball cap and a mask that obscured his face, making it impossible to see his full appearance.
However, he had an exceptionally beautiful pair of eyes.
His black and white eyes were sharp yet misty, slightly upturned at the corners, giving off a half-drunken, dreamy vibe, like the rippling waves of a vast river.
He wore a simple, off-white short-sleeved T-shirt, exposing his arms, which were even fairer than the girls'.
On his right wrist, he sported a Longines Four-Hand Moonphase watch, while his left wrist had a black beaded bracelet.
His paisley-print shorts, in shades of ink and white, fell just above his knees, making his legs appear particularly long.
He wore black and white sneakers on his feet.
"This guy knows how to dress." This was the first thought that came to the four girls after sizing him up.
The next thought that followed was, "I just hope he's not a mask-filtered handsome guy."
Some people looked stunning with a mask on.
But once the mask came off—instant disappointment.
Sometimes, all it took to look good was a mask.
The four girls could only hope that Takashi wasn't one of those guys.
Tanaka Kouta didn't bother introducing Takashi to the group. Instead, he clapped his hands and said, "Alright, now that we're all here, let's go inside. This summer heat is brutal."
Just in the short ten minutes they had been waiting outside the karaoke place for Takashi, more than a dozen guys had approached to flirt with the girls.
He was worried that the girls they had invited might get snatched away, so he quickly ushered everyone inside.
In Japan, there's a peculiar culture called Nanpa (pickup).
Pickup attempts are incredibly common—basically, if you're a woman, you've probably been approached at some point.
The goal of these guys is either to hook up or recruit girls into the nightlife industry.
They cast a wide net, believing that if they ask enough people, someone will eventually say yes.
If you walk around bustling areas like Shinjuku or Shibuya in the evening, after 6 or 7 PM, it's guaranteed that men will approach any woman just standing there.
Normally, daytime pickup attempts are much rarer.
But maybe because the girls from Shinkawa High School were exceptionally attractive, some guys couldn't resist making a move—even in broad daylight.
Takashi had been in Tokyo for almost half a year now, so he was familiar with the whole pickup culture. He nodded and said, "Let's go."
The four girls had no objections and all nodded in agreement, heading into a place with a bright red sign reading BIG ECHO.
Unlike the overwhelming variety of karaoke chains in China, Japan mainly had three well-known ones: Karaoke-kan, BIG ECHO, and Uta Plaza.
However, Uta Plaza seemed to be exclusive to the Kanto region, so the only true nationwide chains were Karaoke-kan and BIG ECHO.
The place they had come to was the Shibuya Central Branch, just a five-minute walk from the station.
Unlike the dimly lit image people often had of karaoke joints, this place had many themed rooms, with the "Princess"-themed rooms being the most popular among girls.
Tanaka Kouta had booked a "Mermaid Princess" room.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting reflections over walls decorated with crescent moons, sailing ships, and ocean scenes.
Pink pearl-colored sofas and shell-toned cushions made it feel like stepping into an underwater world.
Takashi turned toward the voice and saw a girl with light blue eyes and waist-length pink hair.
She had a gorgeous figure and a cute face.
She wore long chain earrings and a blouse with a large red bow on the chest, with a couple of undone buttons.
She had round, slender legs, with a hair tie wrapped around one of them.
Takashi had no idea what purpose it served—maybe just for decoration?
But if that were the case, wouldn't a leg ring have been a better choice?
As he was lost in thought, a system notification suddenly popped up.
[Target: Watanabe Akari]
[From: More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers]
[Crush: Tenjin Minami]
[Single, Available for Dating]
Oh? What do we have here?
Takashi's eyes lit up like a predator spotting its prey.
"I heard this room is really hard to book. How did you manage to get it?"
The question came from another girl with a black choker, a tongue piercing, and four detachable earrings on each ear along with a single hoop earring.
Her waist-length blonde hair was dip-dyed coral at the ends, and despite her bold style, she had an innocently sweet face.
[Target: Kitagawa Marin]
[From: My Dress-Up Darling]
[Single, Available for Dating]
Takashi hadn't expected to find two potential targets at this gathering.
However, he wasn't in a rush to make a move.
Not every target was worth pursuing.
A month had at most 31 days.
If he went on one date per day, that meant he could have a maximum of 31 "tools."
Of course, things wouldn't go as smoothly as he wanted.
Trying to manage 31 girls at once was bound to backfire.
Besides, he wasn't about to spend every single day wrapped up with women.
He wasn't greedy—ten tools would be more than enough.
With only ten slots, he had to choose wisely.
Takashi had his own criteria for selection.
The girl had to be rich.
The system might not require the girl to pay, but he needed it. He didn't want to waste system points to exchange for money—it was too inefficient.
Plus, if he was going to waste time entertaining, eating, drinking, and shopping, he deserved a little compensation.
The girl's status shouldn't be too high.
He was just trying to make a little money—not get himself killed and dumped in Tokyo Bay.
Scamming—ahem—"earning" from someone like Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was rich but not politically powerful, was fine.
But daughters of major conglomerates or Yakuza bosses? No way.
He couldn't have more than three "tools" in the same city.
Too many would increase the risk of getting caught and things spiraling out of control.
"Takashi, introduce yourself."
Once inside the room and after ordering all-you-can-drink beverages, Ootani Shouta nudged Takashi.
Since Takashi arrived late, the others had already introduced themselves.
Takashi spoke smoothly, "Kitahara Takashi, 16 years old, first-year at Aobayashi Academy."
"My favorite things are gold jewelry and Phoenix Legend. In my free time, I like reading, collecting prayer beads, fishing, playing mahjong, drinking tea, and photographing flowers and plants..."
The girls stared at him, dumbfounded.
Reading was fine—Aobayashi Academy was a prestigious school, so bookworms weren't surprising.
He wasn't even eighteen yet—how had he already awakened the hobbies of a middle-aged man?
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Check out the other translations too: [Mash-Up: Anything For Money]