Tokyo: My Superpower Refreshes Every Week-Chapter 528 - 526 Aozawa: I Excel at Governing by Doing Nothing_1
Ikebukuro, the Maid Cafe had already started its operations.
Unlike other cafes, the Maid Cafe opened at seven in the morning. The manager was evidently keen on cornering the breakfast market too.
At first, Arakawa Reina thought not many people would come. She imagined Japanese people preferred to have breakfast at home. It wasn’t until she participated in the seven o’clock shift that she discovered Ikebukuro had more lazybones than she’d expected.
Many young people didn’t want to cook for themselves or settle for instant noodles. This, it could be said, was a habit of a specific demographic. Those who liked to drink coffee and frequent cafes were often the type who wanted to live with a sense of style. Naturally, these people wouldn’t favor instant ramen or noodles. They were also too lazy to cook an elaborate breakfast themselves, so going to a cafe for breakfast was an excellent solution.
After the morning rush, the Maid Cafe would enter a relatively quiet period. Customers didn’t swarm in but instead trickled in sporadically. The maids had ample leisure time to gather, chatting with each other or playing on their phones. Arakawa Reina was one of the latter, staying close enough not to be disconnected from the group but also not involve herself in its center, positioning herself on the outskirts.
Cautiously evaluating her current status was also a way to prevent being bullied by her seniors. After all, if she truly faced workplace bullying, she would have no choice but to give up this rather well-paying part-time job.
Arakawa Reina was there, scrolling through short videos about Korea. It was said the State Preceptor there had been assassinated by a follower of another religion. The religious group to which the State Preceptor belonged vowed retaliation.
What a mess, she thought.
"Hey, Nashi, you’re quite interested in international affairs, huh?" A senior casually glanced over and spoke just as casually.
Arakawa Reina was startled but responded with a faint smile, "Just killing time, checking out what’s happening in the world."
"I don’t recall you being so into it before."
"Senior, I’ve always watched them quite often," Arakawa Reina replied with a smile.
That was a lie. She really hadn’t paid much attention to international affairs before. Only recently had she become fascinated by such topics. The reason was simple: she wanted to find topics to discuss with Aozawa. According to her online search of topics men liked to discuss, the number one topic, naturally, was related to risqué subjects. She was firmly against that sort of thing and naturally wouldn’t initiate such conversations with Aozawa. Next was gaming, an area in which Arakawa Reina was a complete novice. That left political discussions, ranked third. Discussing international situations and hot topics with a guy was a surefire way to find common ground for conversation.
This was the reason for Arakawa Reina’s sudden interest in current affairs. She couldn’t just sit with Aozawa and struggle to find a single thing to say. That would be a rather sad state for a friendship, in her opinion. To her, friends should always have topics ready to spark a conversation.
"It seems that way."
The senior hadn’t really paid much attention to her before, so she was easily deceived by this lie.
"But really, things haven’t been too peaceful lately. It’s like, a forest just popped up in the Middle East."
"Huh, a forest suddenly appeared? That sounds interesting."
"Yeah, I heard the Saint Heir from New York is calling for both sides to resolve things peacefully."
"Can the Saint Heir really revive unharmed after being hit by a rocket launcher?"
"I heard a hand grenade killed him, blew his limbs off, and then he was resurrected by God."
The seniors then engaged in a rather absurd conversation among themselves. With just a little research into related videos, they wouldn’t have formed such outrageous misconceptions, but they had no intention of checking.
Arakawa Reina suppressed the urge to enlighten them. The seniors’ careless talk indicated they really had no desire to understand such matters. Since they didn’t want to understand, there was no need for her to earnestly share her knowledge. She might be seen as a killjoy or be thought of by the seniors as someone trying to show off how much she knew, which would be troublesome.
Such things are indeed more interesting to discuss with Aozawa, Arakawa Reina thought. However, she didn’t send a message to Aozawa; instead, she continued scrolling through short videos, eager to learn more about the significant events happening at that moment. She followed a group of bloggers who only discussed international matters. The sheer volume of global events happening daily made her feel like she was rediscovering the world’s vastness, and she understood why guys liked to discuss such topics; they were genuinely interesting.
Just then, the crisp ringing of the doorbell echoed. She instinctively looked up. Sunlight poured in from outside as a young man, books tucked under his arm, entered the shop with a smile.
"HEH HEH." The senior beside her ended her conversation and nudged Arakawa Reina’s slim waist with an elbow, teasingly saying, "Nashi, he’s here again."
"Hi." Arakawa Reina could only nod. Beyond that gesture, she didn’t know how to explain her relationship with Aozawa to the seniors; she was completely at a loss for words.
As a senior at the entrance called out a welcome, Arakawa Reina stepped forward.
The summer sun beat down on the street outside the window, brightly illuminating the ground, buildings, and passing pedestrians.
Aozawa sat in his usual spot. Without glancing at the menu on the table, he turned his head and said, "Class President, the usual for me."
Arakawa Reina showed a hint of distress upon hearing his request. "Mr. Aozawa."
As soon as she uttered those words, she realized Aozawa, seated on the chair, was staring at her like a teacher scrutinizing a student who had made a mistake.
Arakawa Reina quickly changed her tone. "Master, the items you order here never have a fixed combination."
"I know. But as a maid, shouldn’t you be considering these things?" Aozawa blinked and said earnestly, "I believe the bond between us is strong enough for you to arrive at the correct answer."
Upon hearing this, Arakawa Reina said nothing more. She thought seriously. The coffee Aozawa ordered most often was a latte.
"A latte."
"Not bad. What’s next?" Aozawa crossed his arms, taking on the role of an interview examiner.
Arakawa Reina also recalled the nervousness of her first job interview. Her heart thumped rapidly as she thought, Donuts, egg tarts. After a pause, she noted that aside from these two frequently ordered desserts, the others varied often. She frowned slightly, pondering the third most frequently ordered dessert.
Aozawa smiled. "Alright, Class President, no need to be so serious. Just pick a few things. Tiramisu, Oreo mousse, chocolate cake, pancakes."
"Yes, please wait a moment." Arakawa Reina nodded, noted down his order, and turned to head to the back.
Aozawa placed the book on the table. It wasn’t anything complex, just a simple review of his second-year high school material to prepare for the next term. It was also a way to prevent himself from becoming too lazy, using knowledge to temper his willpower. As for his physical condition, he was already at a point where he didn’t need further tempering; or rather, it would now take an immense amount of exercise for him to even feel a hint of fatigue. To feel as exhausted as he once had after running ten-plus kilometers would now require an incredibly demanding amount of exercise, possibly taking hours to achieve. After much thought, he concluded that reading was the easiest way to strengthen his willpower.
Coffee and exquisitely prepared desserts were placed one by one on the table.
Arakawa Reina put away the tray and made a heart shape with her hands, saying, "Applying love magic to Master~"
Even though it wasn’t her first time doing this, her fair cheeks still flushed like a sunset.
Aozawa enjoyed watching her shy yet obligated demeanor. He laughed, "Class President, the cafe seems quiet. Why don’t you sit down and chat for a bit?"
"Okay." Arakawa Reina nodded and sat across from him. Not wanting the atmosphere to grow dull, she initiated, "Mr. Aozawa, are you aware of what’s happening in the Middle East?"
"Mhm, a forest has appeared in Jerusalem."
"Yes, countries like Saudi Arabia are starting to mobilize their troops, saying they want to wage a holy war. The United Nations even issued a statement condemning them. That was very swift. I saw a video saying the meeting was just a formality. None of the five permanent members opposed the peace agreement."
Arakawa Reina’s eyes, behind her contact lenses, shone brightly as she asked excitedly, "Do you think there’ll be a war?"
Aozawa shook his head. "I don’t think so. With all five permanent members having spoken out, it’s not that easy to go to war."
"That’s debatable. I’ve heard religious sentiment in that part of the Middle East is very strong, and it’s Jerusalem, after all. They might really go at it." Arakawa Reina voiced an opposing view and presented her evidence. "Look, Russia hasn’t made a clear statement. Verbally, they still support the ’legitimate demands of the nations.’ That statement speaks volumes."
As he watched her excitement, dissecting news from short videos and speculating, a thought suddenly flashed through Aozawa’s mind: the people passionately discussing these issues right now weren’t just the Class President. One could say millions of people were discussing it online, including various national governments, all chasing the so-called truth with all their might. But no one knew that this "truth" was just a lie he’d concocted on a whim.
It’s like I’m standing outside a pond, throwing bait to the carp I’ve raised inside.
No, that comparison isn’t quite right. Because the bait the fish chase is at least real. What I’ve told them is nothing more than flowers in a mirror, the moon’s reflection on water—illusions people can never reach.
In this moment, I suddenly get the thrill of being a mastermind behind the scenes. This sensation of sitting high on a throne, looking down upon all mortals... it’s truly quite pleasant.
"Mr. Aozawa, what are you smiling at?" A slightly dissatisfied voice came from across the table. Arakawa Reina pouted. "Well? Tell me why there won’t be a war."
"Class President, consider the significance of that forest. If a war breaks out, wouldn’t it potentially endanger the forest itself?"
Arakawa Reina paused for a moment at Aozawa’s words, then resumed her contemplation, considering how to refute him. Refuting him would ensure the conversation didn’t stall, allowing her to continue talking with Aozawa.
