Too old for you • Tokyo revengers

Chapter 11

As Ran's birthday dinner nears its end, I excuse myself from the table and slip out of the restaurant, phone in hand. Glancing at the screen, I check the time. It's 10 PM here in Tokyo, which means it's 9 AM in New York. If I'm lucky, Julia will already be awake.

Standing outside the restaurant, I call my best friend's number, and to my relief, she answers on the first ring.

"Julia," I breathe.

"Hey, babe," she yawns. "Sorry I couldn't text you back earlier. I went to the craziest party last night."

"Julia—" I rush, my tone urgent, but she continues.

"There was this guy. He was cute but he wouldn't stop talking and talking."

"Julia."

"And then there was this girl who—"

"Julia—"

"What?"

"Mikey has a girlfriend."

"What?!" she shrieks. I hear shuffling and imagine her sitting up in bed. "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm not. And guess what? She's kind of my stepsister."

"Your stepsister?!"

"She's the daughter of my dad's new girlfriend," I explain.

She whines, "Nooooooo! Please tell me your dad doesn't actually have a girlfriend!"

"He does," I confirm.

"Do you think I still have a shot?"

"Be serious," I scold her.

"I am being serious," she retorts, and I can hear the pout in her voice. "He was first on my list of favorite DILFs."

"Julia, focus."

She sighs. "Alright, alright, sorry. So tell me about Mikey's girlfriend. Is she pretty?"

It's my turn to sigh. "Really pretty. And she's nice and studying to become an engineer."

"No freaking way. No girl is that perfect, okay? Trust me, there has to be something wrong with her. Maybe she has a weird sleeping disorder or a split personality or something."

"I doubt it," I exhale, dropping my gaze to the pavement. "But you want to know what hurts the most? She's 23, only four years older than me."

"Ugh, Mikey's a jerk."

I nod, though she can't see me.

Julia's voice softens. "I'm sorry, baby. I wish I could be there to cheer you up, or to kidnap the asshole."

I crack a small smile, then an idea pops into my mind. "Actually, there is something you can do to help me."

"Tell me."

"I might have lied at dinner."

"About what?"

I chew on my lower lip, hesitating a bit before I admit, embarrassed, "I told everyone I have a boyfriend."

"But you don't? You've never even had one before."

"Thanks for reminding me," I mumble.

"Wait, why did you tell them that?" She asks.

"I panicked, okay? Everyone was asking me questions, and... I wanted to piss Mikey off, but I doubt that even worked. And now they're expecting to meet my boyfriend Friday."

"Friday? This Friday?"

"Yeah."

"So you need me to help you find a boyfriend in three days?" She summarizes, and I confirm quietly.