Chapter 13 - Tokyo Plaza Shibuya

"This is it." I showed Carl the message I'd received from Ryo, who raised his eyebrows.

"Boy, no time to breathe, huh?" He laughed and then looked at me with a half-smile. "Good luck, Nishida. I hope they find your body later."

"Haha!" I laughed wryly. "Thanks. If anything happens, I'll text you later."

Carl raised his hand in a casual wave and picked up the menu again, flipping through it as if nothing had happened.

I, on the other hand, left the café, feeling my stomach turn a little. 'What the hell am I doing with my life?'

Could I go back? Probably not. Money spoke louder, and I was already involved in this mess.

Tokyo Plaza Shibuya wasn't that far away, so I started walking with my hands in my pockets. The city center was bustling as usual, people coming and going, some carrying shopping bags, others looking at their cell phones without paying attention to the path.

After a few minutes, I arrived in front of Tokyo Plaza Shibuya. I looked at the building and lost my breath for a second as I looked up. It was one of those luxurious places, with modern architecture that made a point of shouting how expensive it was. The entrance looked imposing, with a red carpet stretching all the way to the automatic doors.

I took a deep breath and entered the building. The lobby was truly enormous, with an expensive chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a reception desk where uniformed attendants attended to customers.

I walked straight to the elevators, trying to act as if I was used to this kind of environment.

I pressed the button and waited.

The elevator arrived quickly, and when I got in, I looked at the floor panel. 18th floor - Lumière Restaurant.

The name sounded familiar. It wasn't until I pressed the button and felt the elevator rise smoothly that I remembered it.

"Ah, damn... this is that new restaurant with the famous foreign chef. What's her name again?"

I'd already read something about it. It was an expensive restaurant, frequented only by influential and wealthy people. If this was the location of the interview, then whoever this friend of Ryo's was, she and her husband definitely had money. Of course, I knew this because no poor person would pay for an insemination, whether natural or artificial.

"I should have dressed better."

I looked at my own clothes: dark jeans, a simple black T-shirt and a light jacket. Nothing torn or dirty, but I definitely didn't look like someone going to a fancy restaurant.

But it was too late to turn back. I tried not to think about it too much as the elevator reached its destination.

*Ding!*

The doors opened, and I found myself in a very sophisticated environment. The restaurant was spacious, with panoramic windows that showed an impressive view of Tokyo.

The yellowish lighting created an elegant and intimate atmosphere. The ambient sound was quiet, with discreet instrumental music playing in the background. I walked hesitantly inside, feeling the discreet gaze of some customers and staff on me.

'Damn, I really should have dressed better...'

Before I could think about turning around, a brown-haired woman in a black uniform and apron approached me with a professional smile.

"Good afternoon, sir. Do you have a reservation?"

"Actually, I'm here to meet..." I hesitated, realizing that I didn't even know the names of the people who had called me there. "I'm here for an appointment."

She kept smiling and nodded. "Could you tell me the name of the reservation?"

'What now? What do I say?

"He's with me." A male voice came from my side.

When I looked to my left, I saw a huge, short, gentle-looking man. He was fat, wore glasses and a polo shirt. In addition, he had a few white strands in his hair, which were completely slicked back and fixed with a lot of gel.

"She's waiting for us. Table reserved under Matsuo's name."

The attendant seemed to recognize the name immediately and nodded slightly. "Ah, of course, Matsuo-sama. Please come with me."

I looked at the man next to me with some trepidation, but he just gave a small smile and nodded for me to follow. He didn't seem to have any bad intentions, so I swallowed and walked beside him.

'So, this is Ryo's friend's husband? I was expecting someone who looked like Hayato-san.'

The customers at this restaurant were, unsurprisingly, mostly well-dressed people, businessmen in discreet meetings, or couples who looked like millionaires.

The waitress took us to a table near the panoramic window, where a woman was already sitting.

She looked about thirty, had long, straight, brown hair and was wearing a gray skirt with a black shirt. She held a glass of red wine in her right hand as she gazed at the horizon.

The waitress left, and the man next to me pulled up a chair to sit next to her before gesturing for me to sit down too.

She finally noticed us, and my eyes met hers. It was a beautiful pair of blue eyes, befitting her classic beauty with large eyes. However, her eyes were also freezing.

"So, you're Nishida-kun." The woman spoke first.

"Yes, I am."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Christie. This is my husband, Matsuo."

The man nodded as he sat down next to her on the other side of the table. "I've heard of you, Nishida-kun."

That made me shudder slightly. "You have?"

Christie took a sip of her wine before leaning her elbow on the table and resting her cheek on her hand.

"Ryo told me a few things. Enough for my husband and I to consider you as a candidate."

I swallowed. This still seemed very surreal to me.

"Uh... Right. But what's this interview going to be like?"

Matsuo smiled calmly. "Nothing too complicated. We just want to know a bit more about you before we decide. For example, how many rounds can you take in one night?"